IDIOMS - (UNITS 1 to 4) Flashcards

1
Q

an apparent misfortune that eventually has good results.

A

a blessing in disguise for (page 32)

“losing one’s job has proved a blessing in disguise for some people”

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2
Q

a sudden and unexpected event or piece of news

Clue: “bolt”

A

a bolt from the blue

“the takeover came as a bolt from the blue”

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3
Q

a sudden clever idea

A

a brainwave

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4
Q

sb who is very similar in character to their father or mother

A

A chip off the old block

“to be a chip off the old block”

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5
Q

a person that says sth that stops others from enjoying themselves.

A

A wet blanket

“he’s a wet blanket, he’s always saying things that ruin a great moment”
COLL: to be a wet blanket

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6
Q

legal and honest; in a legal and honest way

A

Above board

“he likes to keep his business dealings above board”

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7
Q

EXPRESSION: stop arguing bc there is no chance of agreement

A

agree to differ/disagree

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8
Q

to be wrong about a reason for sth or the way to achieve sth

A

bark up the wrong tree

“the researchers realised they had been barking up the wrong tree when the first result came back negative.”

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9
Q

to be completely unable to understand or explain sth

A

BE BAFFLED (page 31)

“everyone was baffled by his speech”

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10
Q

to be extremely (angry / excited)

to experience a strong emotion, so strong that it makes you almost lose control

A

BE BESIDE ONESELF (with ______________)

He was beside himself with grief when she died.

Collocations: with anger/excitement/grief/sadness, etc

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11
Q

to have no money

A

be broke

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12
Q

when somebody is mad at you, you are in __________________.

A

TO BE IN SB’S BLACK BOOKS

“He’s in Melanie’s bad books because he arrived two hours late.”

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13
Q

To be IN ______ ____________: to reach a stage where it will soon be decided one way or another

A

be in the balance

“his life has hanging in the balance. We didn’t know if he could live or die”

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14
Q

be surprised/confused

Clue: “balance”

A

be thrown off balance

“the entire staff was thrown off balance by the announcement of the takeover”

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15
Q

to talk and talk without going straight to the main point
dar vueltas

A

beat around the bush

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16
Q

in prison

A

Behind bars

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17
Q

cruel and unfair.
If a remark is ___________ ___ ____________, it is very insulting and unfair.

A

below the belt

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18
Q

wait for a good opportunity

Clue: “Bide”

A

bide one’s time

“if you bide your time until the market imporves, you’ll get a better return on your investment”

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19
Q

(informal: dissapproving)

a person who thinks they are very important or clever
having a very high opinion of how important or clever you are

creido, arrogante

A

big-headed

“He’s so big-headed that he thinks he should get special treatment”

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20
Q

covered in bruises

A

Black and blue all over
to be black and blue all over the body

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21
Q

discover, explore sth new

A

blaze a trail

coll: blaze the trail IN sth
“doctors in world war II blazed a trail in plastic surgery techniques.”

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22
Q

to become very angry

Clue: “top”

A

blow your top (page 31)
“he blew his top when he heard he had damaged the car.”

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23
Q

a young boy/girl who they like better than anyone else and who therefore receives a better treatment than other people

el/la favorito/a

A

Blue-eyed boy/girl

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24
Q

to increase someone’s interest in and wish for something, usually by giving them a small experience of it.
Clue: “whet”

A

WHET SB’S APPETITE (FOR)

Examples:
That one kiss had whetted his appetite.
The experience has whetted my appetite for more.

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25
Q

show neither profit nor loss

A

break even

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26
Q

fed up, annoyed, irritated
molesto, irritado

A

browned off

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27
Q

on the whole, everything considered

A

By and large

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28
Q

to criticize (someone or someone’s actions or character) harshly or unfairly.

A

CAST ASPERSIONS

“He tried to avoid casting aspersions on his political opponents.”

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29
Q

be very expensive

A

cost a bomb
OR
cost an arm and a leg (informal)

“it was an extremely hostile article which cast aspersions on the conduct of the entire cabinet”

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30
Q

reduced to the/a minimum

A

CUT TO THE BONE

“Costs must be cut to the bone if the company is to survive the economic downturn”

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31
Q

do / say sth tactless

A

drop a brick

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31
Q

to strongly defend a position that is very much to your advantage when reaching an agreement

defender duramente / firmemente

A

drive a hard bargain (page 32)

He drives a hard bargain, but we finally made a deal.

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32
Q

very lively

A

Full of beans

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33
Q

to take revenge on sb bc of sth they have done to you

A

get your own back

“he’s always playing practical jokes on us; I think it’s time we got our own back”

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34
Q

be rejected/ignored, no longer possible

A

GO BY THE BOARD

Example: “my education just went by the board”

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35
Q

be a foregone conclusion, something obvious

A

go without saying

“it goes without saying that Mark will get the Job”

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36
Q

in writing or print

A

In black and white

“everything should be set out in black and white so that there will be no room for misunderstanding”

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36
Q

to keep talking about sth again and again bc you think it is very important

A

have a bee in one’s bonnet (about…) (page 32)

“he has a bee in his bonnet about dishonesty of lawyers”

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36
Q

no recalls of

A

have no recollection of

“Simon had no recollection of ever having met the woman”

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37
Q

not owing anybody any money (opp: in the red)

A

in the black

COLL: finances / bank account in the black

“until your finances are in the black, it’s not a good idea to take out a loan”

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38
Q

to make sth known

A

lay bare

“the scandal was laid bare by an ambitious journalist.”

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39
Q

to consider

A

make allowances for

“You need to make allowances for the fact that he hasn’t spoken French for years”

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40
Q

compensate or make up for a wrongdoing. compensar, remediar

A

make amends for

“try to make amends for the rude way you spoke to Lucy”

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41
Q

make sb really angry

A

make sb’s blood boil

sth / a situation makes your blood boil

“my parents’ attitude towards the less fortunate really makes my blood boil”

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42
Q

alert

A

on the ball

“the firefighters are on the ball for fires, esp during high temperatures in the summer>”

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43
Q

not working properly (of electrical equipment)

A

on the blink (inf)

“my tv was on the blink all week. I’ll have to call a repairman”

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44
Q

without having planned to

A

On the spur of a moment (page 32)

“he bought a new jacket on the spur of a moment”

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45
Q

1) outdoors
2) travelling from one place to another

A

out and about

“it’s nice to see him out and about again after his illness”

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46
Q

prohibited, forbidden (place)

A

out of bounds
“the swimming pool is out of bounds to all pupils unless accompanied by a teacher.”

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47
Q

ask sb to help with a problem/extract info from an expert

preguntarle a alguien si podés ayudarlo con un problema o sacar info de un experto

A

pick sb’s brain

“could I pick your brain on the subject before the meeting?”

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48
Q

suddently and unexpectedly

A

out of the blue

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49
Q

to sound familiar

A

ring a bell

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50
Q

to deal with a difficult situation in a very direct way

A

Take the bull by the horns

“i took the bull by the horns and confronted him”

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50
Q

Somebody who is very important to you, and you are extremely fond of them.

A

THE APPLE OF ONE’S EYE

“Being her only niece, Ann is the apple to her eye.”

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51
Q

to tell sb the truth about yourself or about sth wrong that you have done

A

to make a clean breast of sth

“he decided to make a clean breast of it and tell his wife exactly what had happened”

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52
Q

reveal one’s character
mostrar la hilacha

A

show one’s true colours

“He showed his true colours when he started throwing his weight around at work”

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53
Q

hopeless situation or case

A

lost cause

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54
Q

preside over a meeting

A

chair a meeting

“Paul was asked to chair the meeting as the director was away on business”

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55
Q

To be slightly unwell.

Un poco enfermo.

A

OFF COLOUR

Example: “you look off colour. Would you like me to call a dr for you?”

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56
Q

dare to do sth unreasonable / annoying

darse el tupé de

A

have the / a cheek (inf)

“I don’t know how he has the cheek to moan about my spelling when his is even worse”

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57
Q

get angry / upset

A

get a bit hot under the collar

“She got a bit hot under the collar when a colleague started criticising her work”

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58
Q

not be discouraged

A

keep one’s chin up (inf)

“John managed to keep his chin up despite his chronic illness”

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59
Q

with great success

A

with flying colours

“to pass an exam with flying colours”

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60
Q

to tell someone about something that has been worrying you or making you feel guilty for a long time

A

get a problem off one’s chest

“Instead of sitting there feeling bad, why not talk about it and get it off your chest?”

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61
Q

very different
como el agua y el aceite

A

different as chalk and cheese

“Bert and Tom are as different as chalk and cheese. It’s hard to believe that they are brothers!”

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62
Q

insult sb
insultar a alguien

A

call sb names

“Those boys are very rude to me. They are always calling me names”

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63
Q

act cleverly
jugar / actuar bien

A

play one’s cards right

“If you play your cards right and speak nicely to your father, hemight take you to the fair this afternoon”

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64
Q

receiving unemployment benefit/social security
recibir beneficios

A

on the dole
“I have plenty of spare time but very little money because I am on the dole”

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65
Q

hopeless persuit
una busqueda imposible

A

a wild-goose chase

“Looking for Susan in NYC is simply a wild-goose chase; she could be anywhere”

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66
Q

be caught while commiting a crime/ doing sth wrong

con las manos en la masa

A

be caught red-handed

“The little boy was caught red-handed taking the last piece of cake from the tin.

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67
Q

false tears
lágrimas de cocodrilo

A

crocodile tears

“You can’t fool me with your crocodile tears”

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68
Q

easy

papita

A

a piece of cake

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69
Q

wasted / lost

perdido

A

down the drain

“All the money I’d invested went down the drain when the stockmarket crashed.”

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70
Q

not cheerful, unhappy.

A

down in the dumps

“Kate is feeling down in the dumps bc her boyfriend has left her”
“She’s a bit down in the dumps because she failed one of her exams.”

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71
Q

fail / deteriorate
fallar, deteriorarse

A

go to the dogs

“While some people clain the country is going to the dogs, others think the new government will be able to improve matters.”

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72
Q

a very important day

A

a red-letter day

“June, 12th is a red-letter day for my sister. It’s the day she launched her own business.”

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73
Q

avoid mentioning a subject or taking action which could cause trouble

A

let sleeping dogs lie

“Please don’t bring up that old argument with joe when you see him. Just let sleeping dogs lie.”

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74
Q

ruin sth or make it less enjoyable

A

Put a damper on

“John’s losing his money and passport on the first day put a damper on his holiday”

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75
Q

be unaware of sth

A

Be in the dark about sth

“I am in the dark as to where Cris was last night”

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76
Q

continue to do sth you know rather than trying sth new

A

Don’t give up your day job (informal)

“I know you have a good voice and have ambitions to be an opera singer, but don’t give up your day job yet!”

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77
Q

in full view of the public / easily seen

A

in broad daylight

78
Q

cause sb great difficulty or spoil their plans

A

deal a blow to sb or sth

“Breaking his leg dealt a bow to his chances of becoming a professional footballer”

79
Q

protect oneself because one feels insecure or threatened
estar a la defensiva

A

be on the defensive

“She’s been on the defensive at work ever since she was criticised by her boss for losing an important contract.”

80
Q

having a quality simply because of what it is

por definición

A

by definition

81
Q

(for) a very long time

A

(for) a donkey’s years (informal)

82
Q

punctually, exactly on time

A

on the dot

“Breakfast will be at 7 am on the dot; latecomers will go hungry!”

83
Q

listen to sb in a careful and sympathetic way

A

lend an ear

“Jane is a sympathetic listener. She lent me an ear when I lost my job.”

84
Q

act in a situation by responding to events rather than according to plan

A

play it by ear

“Todd hadn’t prepared for his TV appearance, so he had to play it by ear and improvise.”

85
Q

at the forefront of (eg: technology)

A

at the cutting edge

“Our firm is so successful bc it is at the cutting edge of computer technology”

86
Q

tense / nervous / anxious

A

on edge

“Julia’s really been on edge waiting for the results of her university entrance exam.”

87
Q

unsuccessful; ineffective

A

to no effect (f)

88
Q

(dis)agree with sb

A

(not) see eye to eye with sb

“Despite being identical twins, Deidre and Donna don’t see eye to eye on everything”

89
Q

be good at judging, the worth / quality of sth

A

have an eye for

“Mrs Gibson is an extremely shrewd shopper and has an eye for a bargain.”

90
Q

If there is __________________________, it is more difficult to understand or involves more things than you thought at the beginning

A

more to sth/sb than meets the eye

“Initially Brian appears shy and ontrospective but there’s more to him than meets the eye”

91
Q

guard / protect sth

A

keep an eye on sth

92
Q

be inexperienced

A

Be green

“-The new army recruit was green and had no idea what to do”

93
Q

not work too hard, relax

A

Take it easy

“He decided to take it easy during the weekend after working so hard during the previous week”

94
Q

have a feeling that sb’s talking about you

A

Feel one’s ears burning

“Cynthia could feel her ears burning as she walked past her two colleagues.”

95
Q

manage to look serious

A

keep a straight face

“I could hardly keep a straight face when I saw the ridiculous that she was wearing.”

96
Q

be very tired

A

be worn out

"”Tony said he was worn out after a twelve -hour day at work and just wanted to go to bed””

97
Q

family member

A

one’s flesh and blood

“How could he turn his back on his own flesh and blood and throw his son out of his home?”

98
Q

within the rules / just

A

Fair and square

“you won the game; you beat me square and fair.”

99
Q

very quickly

A

In a flash

“An idea came to her in a flash, and she knew she had solved the problem.”

100
Q

insist

A

Put one’s foot down

“I’m putting my foot down this time so no, you can’t stay out until 2 am.”

101
Q

to make a unsuccessful start in something

A

get off the wrong foot

102
Q

used to console someone whose romantic relationship has ended by pointing out that there are many other people with whom they may have a successful relationship in the future.

A

there are plenty more fish in the sea

103
Q

to be able to speak easily and confidently, and to persuade people.

A

have the gift of the gab

104
Q

(informal, saying) I cannot understand it

A

It’s all Greek to me

“She tried to explain how the system works, but it’s all Greek to me”

105
Q

“a free exchange of ideas or opinions
A ________________________ is also the willingness to accept some of another person’s ideas and give up some of your own”

A

Give and take

"”We were simply told what to do – there wasn’t any give-and-take.
Any successful negotiation involves some give-and-take””

106
Q

a nice way of saying that one heard the information by means of gossip and rumor.

A

hear sth through/on the grapevine

me contó un pajarito

“I heard on the grapevine that my sister-in-law got the promotion, but I really don’t know much about it.”

107
Q

completely in love with another person
enamorarse completamente

A

fall head over heels in love

“Laura fell head over heels in love with Chris. “

108
Q

say or do something tactless or embarrassing.
meter la pata

A

put your foot in it

109
Q

difficulty speaking because your throat feels dry
tener una papa en la garganta??????????

A

have a frog in one’s throat

“I had a frog in my throat, and I had to clear my throat several times before I could answer.”

110
Q

“Be/have easily available/have free access to

to have available for instant use.”

A

Be/have at one’s fingertips

“Living in the city centre means that you have all the necessary amenities at your fingertips.”

111
Q

become very angry / to lose one’s temper

A

Blow a fuse

112
Q

become important or popular

A

Come to the fore

113
Q

try to hide one’s disappointment

A

Put on a brave face / put a brave face on

COLL: Put on a brave face / put a brave face on : a situation

114
Q

(to do sth) no matter what

A

WITHOUT FAIL

I go to the gym every Monday and Wednesday, without fail.

115
Q

scarce/rare
not happening or existing very often

A

Few and far between

“The chances of winning the lottery are unfortunately few and far between.”

116
Q

in person

A

in the flesh

117
Q

happening fast and with energy

A

IN FULL FLOW

By midnight, the party was in full flow.
The financial crisis was in full flow at the time.
Preparations for the event are now in full flow.
I arrived while the baseball season was in full flow.

118
Q

to produce successful results.
Somebody ________ _________

A

BEAR FRUIT

“Eventually her efforts bore fruit and she got the job she wanted.”

119
Q

judging by how sth appears

A

on the face of it

“On the face of it the economy seems to be improving but in reality there is the possibility of a recession.”

120
Q

blame sb for sth

A

point the finger of suspicion

“the fact that Jane was the only one in the office points the finger of suspicion at her for the missing petty cash”

121
Q

think suitable or right

A

see fit

122
Q

penniless

A

flat broke

123
Q

not know sth at all

A

not have the foggiest idea

“why are you accusing me of breaking the window? i haven’t the foggiest idea what you’re talking about”

124
Q

be nervous or frightened bc sth might fail

A

get cold feet

“Emilia is getting nervous and is getting cold feet”

125
Q

used to doing sth without thinking

A

by/from force of habit

“I have tea and cereal every day for breakfast by force of habit”

126
Q

(idiom of comparsion) very strong, and not easily made weaker

CLUE: “tough”

A

As tough as old boots

“You couldn’t make her cry if you tried. She’s as tough as old boots.”

127
Q

(idiom of comparsion) very deaf

A

As deaf as a post

“You’ll have to speak louder; he’s as deaf as a post”

128
Q

(idiom of comparsion) pale

A

As white as a sheet

“She turned as white as a sheet when he told her the news about the accident”

129
Q

(idiom of comparsion) (of a person) very strong.

A

As strong as an ox
“Let him carry the trunk. He’s as strong as an ox.”

130
Q

(idiom of comparsion) (of a person) feeling completely well or healthy, typically after an illness or minor accident.

A

As right as rain

“You may not feel well now, but you’ll be as right as rain in a few days”

131
Q

(idiom of comparsion) extremely quiet.

A

As silent as the grave

“I promise to be as silent as the grave about the secret”

132
Q

(idiom of comparsion) very thin

A

As thin as a rake

“Why is she dieting? she’s already as thin as a rake”

133
Q

(idiom of comparsion) very sick

A

As sick as a dog

“After eating 12 chocolate bars, he was as sick as a dog”

134
Q

(idiom of comparsion) very calm. cool

A

As cool as a cucumber

“Although everyone else was shaking with nerves, Betsy was as cool as a cucumber”

135
Q

(idiom of comparsion) very different

A

As different as chalk and cheese

“John and his brother are not at all alike; they’re as different as chalk and cheese”

136
Q

act together to achieve aim

A

(sb) Make(s) common cause with (else)

“The teachers decided to make common cause with the administration in the school and together press for a salary increase.”

137
Q

act and be successfull even though sth is new

A

Rise to the challenge

“Gavin will rise to the challenge of his new promotion”

138
Q

give very exact detail

A

Give chapter and verse

“I found the info for the project in the encyclopaedia but I couldn’t give chapter and verse on it”

139
Q

control; prevent from becoming too powerful

A

Hold/keep (sth) in check

“Firefighting teams worked relentlessly throughout the day and managed to hold the fire in check”

140
Q

person with important job/position

A

Big cheese (informal)

“Mr Sirkins is the big cheese in the company as he has just been promoted to the position of Managing Director”

141
Q

bravely accept criticism, punishment, etc

A

Take sth on the chin (informal)

“When his boss criticises his work, Jason never complains and takes it on the chin.”

142
Q

keep changing (your mind)

A

Chop and change (informal)

“Sarah seems unable to make a final choice about her future career. She keeps chopping and changing.”

143
Q

make sb feel sympathy or enthusiasm

A

Strike a chord

“His speech about his long battle with illness struck a chord with the audicence”

144
Q

thing which makes sb unusual/important

A

claim to fame

“This little town’s only claim to fame is that the president was born here.”

145
Q

admit the truth; confess

A

Come clean (informal)

“The employee reluctantly came clean about breaking kthe new computer and confessed to his boss”

146
Q

avoid sth//sth

A

Steer/stay clear of
“If you want to lose weight permanently, you should steer clear of food containing a lot of fat.”

147
Q

end association

A

Part company with (formal)

“He had to part company with his partner due to their continual disagreements.”

148
Q

(formal) of no value/importance

A

Of no/little consequence

“Whether you attend the lecture or not is of little consequence to me.”

149
Q

be less thorough

A

Cut corners

“In his attempt to meet the deadline he cut corners and handed in a poor presentation”

150
Q

not as good as people say it is / overestimated

A

Not all it’s cracked up to be (informal)

“Having seen the film that won the Oscar, I was disappointed; it wasn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.”

151
Q

restrict one’s behaviour in some way

A

Cramp one’s style (informal)
.
“I prefer to practice the violin alone in my bedroom as having other members of the family listen really cramps my style.”

152
Q

be very angry

A

be up in arms

“The villagers are up in arms about the proposed motorway”

152
Q

remove suspicion or bad feeling

A

clear the air

“Instead of bottling up your feelings, let’s talk about it and clear the air.”

152
Q

(NO ESTÁ EN EL CPE, ESTÁ EN MEDIA STUDIES)
Being a characteristic example of its kind; classic.

A

A TEXTBOOK ILLUSTRATION / EXAMPLE

153
Q

(NO ESTÁ EN EL CPE, ESTÁ EN MEDIA STUDIES)
Not to have a justifiable or logical basis for defense; to have no support.

A

NOT TO HAVE A LEG TO STAND ON

154
Q

(no está en el CPE, está en EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES - y lo toman.)
(expression) to be progressively worse

A

be on a downhill slope

155
Q

(Unidad de EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES)
to sound like sth one has heard before

A

have a familiar ring (to it)

156
Q

(Unidad de EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES)
if you ___________, you accept it and believe it without thinking about it very much, even though it might be untrue.

A

take sth at face true

Statements from the groups involved should not necessarily be taken at face value.

157
Q

(Unidad de EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES)
to pay attention to.

A

pay heed

He failed to pay heed to our advice.

158
Q

uncomfortable or embarrassed.

A

ill at ease

159
Q

(Unidad de EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES)
a moment of sudden realization, enlightenment, or inspiration.

A

A LIGHT-BULB MOMENT

“I had a light-bulb moment and vowed to start managing my money better”

159
Q

(Unidad de EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES)
prepare the conditions for (the occurrence or beginning of something).

A

SET THE STAGE FOR

these churchmen helped to set the stage for popular reform

160
Q

(Unidad de EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES)
to disagree WITH sb /over sth

A

BE AT ODDS WITH sb/over sth

They’re at odds over the funding of the project.
Her version of events was at odds with (= very different from) the police report.

161
Q

(Unidad de EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES)
become more interested in other people and more willing to talk and take part in social activities, and if someone brings you out of your shell, they cause you to do this

A

come out of your shell

Derek has really come out of his shell since he started working here.

162
Q

(of a thought) occur to one, especially transiently.

A

cross one’s mind (page 47)

it had not crossed Flora’s mind that they might need payment

163
Q

to be likely to happen

A

Be on the cards (page 47)

“A - So you think they’ll get married next year?
B - I think it’s on the cards.”

164
Q

to be very pleased

A

Be over the moon (page 47)

She was over the moon about/with her new bike. Feeling pleasure and happiness.

165
Q

to dismiss (someone) suddenly from a job : to fire (someone)

A

Give (someone) the sack (page 47)

166
Q

make an adverse criticism or objection, sometimes unfairly.

A

find fault (page 47)

“he finds fault with everything I do”

167
Q

to look at, consider, or read something very quickly.
to look quickly at something

A

CAST AN EYE OVER STH (page 47)

He cast his eye over the bookcases. She was obviously an avid reader.

Could you cast an eye over this report for me?

168
Q

a person who goes to a party or social event without being invited

A

gatecrasher

there were so many gatecrashers at the party that I couldn’t even see the people I had invited.

169
Q

veyr nervous

A

Have butterflies in one’s stomach (page 32)

170
Q

FIXED PHRASE: “nearly, almost
except”

A

All but

I’ve all but finished; just give me a few minutes

171
Q

FIXED PHRASE: exhausted

A

all in (informal)

I don’t think I’ll go out tonight, I’m all in

172
Q

FIXED PHRASE: altogether

A

All told

I’ve been reading this newspaper for 10 years all told

173
Q

FIXED PHRASE: when everything is considered

A

all in all

All in all, it seemed to be quite a good suggestion

174
Q

FIXED PHRASE: yet, however

A

all the same

He promised to come to the party on Friday; all the same I don’t think we could count on him

175
Q

FIXED PHRASE: in spite of

A

for all

I don’t think we should count on him, for all his hard work, he didn’t get a promotion

176
Q

FIXED PHRASE: i don’t care

A

for all i care

You can take the whole lot for all I care

177
Q

FIXED PHRASE: as far as i know

A

for all i know

She told me her name was Joan but for all I know she could be lying.

178
Q

FIXED PHRASE: from the beginning

A

all along

I don’t know how they found out, but they’ve known about it all along.

179
Q

consider sth

A

take (sth) into account

180
Q

bc of

A

on account of

I haven’t been able to travel much lately on account of my car having broken down

181
Q

under no circumstances

A

on no account

the meeting tomorrow is very important; on no account should you be late

182
Q

for this/that reason

A

on this/that account

There’s been a hurricane in Manila, and all flights have been cancelled on that account

183
Q

broadcasting (opposite: off the air)

A

on the air

You can’t go into the studio just jet as the programme is still on the air

184
Q

existing, but not talked about

A

in the air

There’s a feeling of anticipation in the aire at the moment

185
Q

uncertain

A

up in the air

his future is still up in the air; he can’t decide whether to become a surgeon or a psychiatrist

186
Q

be very angry

A

be up in arms

The villagers are up in arms about the proposed motorway

186
Q

on the look-out; expecting sth.
estar en alerta, esperando algo

A

on the alert
the fire fighters are always on the alert for forest fires, particularly in the summer

187
Q

halted temporarily

to hold sth in abeyance: to stop sth from happening or being used at present

A

held/left in abeyance

the criminal charges are held in abeyance until the drug treatment programme is completed
the matter has been left in abeyanceuntil the legal ramifications have been explored

188
Q

“be homeless
not having a permanent place to live”

A

be of/ have no fixed abode/address

189
Q

“1) outdoors
2) travelling from one place to another”

A

out and about

it’s nice to see him out and about again after his illness

189
Q

en general

A

in the abstract

190
Q

automatically

A

of its own accord

you don’t need to worry. This kind of rush will usually clear up of its own accord

191
Q

have not paid the money they owe

A

in arrears

households that are more than 6 months in arrears with their mortgage repayments will face repossession on their homes.

192
Q

to have a strong feeling about something

A

feel sth in one’s bones

sense very strongly. He knew in his bones that he was wrong.