IDIOMS (UNITS 13, 14, 15) Flashcards
to be in disagreement. To disagree with sb/sth
Clue: odd
Be at odds with
(Pág 185)
The two brothers were always at odds.
His behavior is clearly at odds with what the college expects from its students.
not fulfil a promise (opp: keep one’s word)
Go back on one’s word
She is forever making promises and then going back on her word.
Be alert and able to deal with difficulties
Have/keep one’s wits about one
She kept her wits about her when she saw the fire in the kitchen; instead of panicking, she went out and phoned the fire brigade.
in trouble/difficulty
In deep water
Unless you can explain whhere you got the money, I’m afraid you’ll find yourself in deep water.
have an argument
Have words with sb
My mother had words witht he cleaner today as she is always breaking the crockery
Make sb very happy
Make one’s day
She made his day when she accepted his proposal; it was the happiest day of his life.
False belief (usually about health)
An old wives’ tale
I think the idea that you can cure colds by eating onions is just an old wives’ tale.
a long time ago
The year dot
It looks as if this house hasn’t been decorated since the year dot. It will have to be done up completely before we move in.
be easily deceived/naive
Be born yesterday
I don’t believe you’re a millionaire. I wasn’t born yesterday, you know.
refuse to make a decision between two pleasant things
Not have it both ways
You can’t have it both ways - either take the well-paid job or keep the job you enjoy doing.
“Idiom related to colours:
sth which distracts you from sth important”
red herring
The plot of the novel contained so many red herrings that I couldn’t guess ow the story would end.
“Idiom related to colours:
a disgraced family member”
The black sheep of the family
Being the black sheep of the family he was cut ou of his uncle’s will.
“Idiom related to colours:
accusing sb of a fault one has oneself”
The pot calling the kettle black
It was a case of the pit calling the kettle black when Jack said I was lazy.
“Idiom related to colours:
the area on the outskirts of the town adjoining the country”
Green belt
Ecologists want to protect the green belt of he town from being developed.
“Idiom related to colours:
owe money to a bank (opp: in the black)”
in the red
When he opened his bank statement, he saw he was in the red to the tune of $5000
“Idiom related to colours:
suddenly become angry”
see red
Stephanie saw red when her manager falsely accused her of being unpunctual.
“Idiom related to colours:
be a coward”
have a yellow streak
The boys accused him of having a yellow streak because he wouldn’t enter the derelict house.
“Idiom related to colours:
see sth from an unrealistically positive point of view”
see/look at sth through rose-coloured spectacles
Optimists have a tendency to see at sth through rose-coloured spectacles rather than being realistic.
“Idiom related to colours:
very dark”
pitch black
It was pitch black as I walked home under a moonless sky.
“Idiom related to colours:
Be good at gardening”
have green fingers
Tom must have green fingers as his tomatoes always win first prize in the agricultural show.
“Idiom related to colours:
as hard/long as one possibly can (usually without success)”
until one is blue in the face
You can ask until you’re blue in the face but I still won’t let you borrow the car.
“Idiom related to colours:
formal clothing”
black tie
Brian wore his dinner jacket to the reception as it was a black tie occasion.
“Idiom related to colours:
be very jealous”
be green with envy
She was green with envy when she saw Jim’s new sportscar.
“Idiom related to colours:
concerned with ecology”
green (item/issue)
Ruth wanted to help protect the environment so she insisted on buying green household cleaning products.
do sth to annoy sb
Get on the wrong/bad side of sb
You don’t want to get on the wrong side of Roy as he makes a formidable opponent.
clean and tidy
Spick and span
After the spring clean, the house was spick and span, which made all my hard work worthwhile.
be extremely successful or popular (in a place or with sb)
Clue: Storm
TAKE SOMEWHERE/SOMEONE BY STORM
The new musical had taken the town by storm and people were flocking to see it.
As everyone knows, the Beatles took the US by storm.
when 2 or more things do not match or do not happen together as they should.
out of sync (informal)
When demand and supply are out of sync, you either increase the supply or adjust the price
when 2 or more things match or happen together as they should.
in sync (informal)
They swayed back and forth, more or less in sync with the music.
if a situation becomes really bad/difficult
if push comes to shove (informal)
If push comes to shove and money is really tight, Lloyd will think about getting a second job.
receiving a great deal of public attention.
In the spotlight
Some celebrities have such a thrist to be continually in the spotlight that they seek out every opportunity for publicity.
Take part in sth with enthusiasm
Enter into the spirit of sth
Both teachers and pupils entered into the spirit of things, so the end of year concert was a great success.
unable to stop laughing
in stitches (informal)
The audience were in stitches as they watched the latest Ayckbourn comedy.
to start to understand, enjoy, and be active in something. Get involved/get into the rhythm
get into the swing of it/things
I hadn’t worked in an office for several years, so it took me a while to get back into the swing of it.
a subject that someone prefers not to talk about because it makes them angry or embarrassed
A sore point with sb
“Don’t mention work to Ray, as it’s a sore point with him at the moment.
Don’t ask him about the job search - it’s a bit of a sore point.”
to talk about your job with those you work with when not at work
Talk shop
Even at a party they have to talk shop!
do sth to prevent the possibility of sth bad happening.
Be on the safe side
I’ll lock the door just to be on the safe side.
there is no doubt at all that it is true. [emphasis]. Without a doubt
Without a shadow of (a) doubt
It was without a shadow of a doubt the best we’ve played. See full dictionary entry for shadow.
not like/enjoy sth
Not one’s scene (informal)
Noisy parties are really not my scene.
take revenge on someone for something that they have done in the past.
settle a score
Two men turned up at the house, reportedly looking to settle a score with her brother.
to become nervous and upset about sth
BE IN // GET INTO A STATE
BE IN A STATE
GET INTO A STATE
She got into a real state before her driving test.
about to happen in near future. planned or likely to happen
in store (for someone/something)
We have a big surprise in store for you.
to be certain to produce an angry or violent reaction.
Clue: bull
A red rag to a bull
Don’t tell him you’re a vegetarian - it’s like a red rag to a bull.
to have angry arguments all the time
pelear como perro y gato
fight like cat and dog
As kids we used to fight like cat and dog.
IDIOMS WITH ANIMALS:
for a very long time.
Clue: COWS.
En español podría ser “hasta que las vacas vuelen”.
till/until the cows come home
I could sit here and argue with you till the cows come home, but it wouldn’t solve anything.
“BRITISH
say or do something that is likely to cause trouble or controversy.
to say or do something that causes trouble or makes a lot of people very angry”
Clue: pigeons
put the cat among the pigeons
The politician put the cat among the pigeons by revealing details on the national scandal.
DEROGATORY - INFORMAL
a middle-aged or old woman dressed in a style suitable for a much younger woman.
mutton dressed as lamb
Do you think this dress is too young-looking for me? - I don’t want to look like mutton dressed as lamb.
“bad behavior that happens because someone else is more successful
something is worthless or undesirable because they want it themselves but cannot have it.”
envidia
Clue: sour
Sour grapes
Are his criticisms justified, or is this a case of sour grapes from a less successful artist?
used to say that a distance is measured in a straight line between two points or places. in a straight line
en línea recta
as the crow flies
The farm is about three miles from here as the crow flies.
a strong liking for sweet foods
have a sweet tooth
I have a sweet tooth - I can’t say no to cookies.
to be in a bad mood that causes you to treat other people badly and complain a lot
like a bear with a sore head
You’re like a bear with a sore head this morning. What’s wrong with you?
the place you are talking about is very small or crowded.
There’s no room to swing a cat/ You can’t swing a cat
It was described as a large, luxury mobile home, but there was barely room to swing a cat.
when you refuse to be involved with sb any more or to take responsibility for that person.
Clue: wash
TO WASH YOUR HANDS OF SOMEONE
to completely fail to achieve something.
Ir a ningún lado.
get nowhere (fast)
He was trying to persuade her to let him drive, but he was getting nowhere fast.
achieve two things that you want to achieve, rather than just one. to succeed in achieving two things in a single action.
En español: “Matar 2 pájaros de un tiro”.
kill two birds with one stone
I killed two birds with one stone and picked the kids up on the way to the supermarket.
have or earn enough money to pay for what you need, without needing other people to give or lend you money.
pay your way
I went to college anyway, as a part-time student, paying my own way.
something that you say when it is raining heavily
it’s raining cats and dogs!
an occupation that works from behind a desk. relating to people who work in offices, doing work that needs mental rather than physical effort
white-collar job
The company plans to cut 1,450 white-collar jobs as part of a restructuring.
very careless in the way that sb moves or behaves
like a bull in a china shop
We told her it was a delicate situation but she went into the meeting like a bull in a china shop.
a way of life in modern society, in which people compete with each other for power and money
the rat race
He decided to get out of the rat race, and went to work on a farm.
to be moving about quickly doing many things
“as busy as a bee/
a busy bee”
becoming very much less successful than before. to become much worse in quality or character.
Deteriorate.
go to the dogs
After Joe retired, the business went to the dogs.
“INFORMAL
reveal a secret carelessly or by mistake.”
let the cat out of the bag
now that Viola had let the cat out of the bag, she had no option but to confess
used to describe a situation in which people will do anything to be successful, even if what they do harms other people
dog-eat-dog / dog eat dog
It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there.
a person who feels awkward or unhappy because they are in a situation that is not familiar or because they are different from the people around them
a fish out of water
I didn’t have any friends that were like me. I just always felt like a fish out of water.
criticisms of or warnings to a particular person that have no effect on that person
like water off a duck’s back
I’ve told him that he’s heading for trouble, but he doesn’t listen - it’s just water off a duck’s back.
(of a book or paper) with part of the pages folded down as the result of a lot of use
dog-eared
I’m not lending him my books any more, all of them are dog-eared and ruined.
INFORMAL - BrE
used figuratively to denote a confused mess.
a dog’s dinner/breakfast
INFORMAL
a completely different type of person or thing from the one previously mentioned.
a different kettle of fish
he’s certainly a different kettle of fish from old Rowell
when someone is annoyed with you and shows their disapproval.
Syn: to be in sb’s bad/black books.
be in the doghouse
I’m in the doghouse - I broke Sara’s favourite vase this morning.
to do something which gets you into trouble or spoils your chances of success. to make it certain that someone will fail, lose, etc.
cook someone’s goose
By trying to constantly undermine me he cooked his goose. After that I just had to sack him.
They were already trailing, and that last goal really cooked their goose.
in a particular situation: mean that you would like to hear what will be said or see what will happen while not being noticed
fly on the wall
I’d love to be a fly on the wall when those two get home!
to do the hard, boring part of a job
do (all) the donkey work
Why should I do all the donkey work while you sit around doing nothing?
to talk without stopping for a long time
talk the hind legs off a donkey
She rarely spoke, but her brother could talk the hind legs off a donkey.
a small problem or weakness in a person or system that can result in failure
Achilles heel
Maths has always been my Achilles heel.
To be a very strong swimmer. To swim very capably.
Swim like a fish
A miserably unhappy existence
Dog’s life
He’s been leading a dog’s life since his wife left him .
to fail to reach an amount or standard that was expected or hoped for, causing disappointment.
Antonym: phrasal verb “come up to” sb’s expectations.
fall short (pág 209)
“August car sales fell short of the industry’s expectations.
The novel fell short of my expectations.”
to completely oppose what seems sensible or normal
Fly in the face of sth (pág 209)
“This is an argument that seems to fly in the face of common sense.
His latest theory flies in the face of mainstream thinking.”
to be too difficult or strange for someone to understand
go over someone’s head (pág 209)
Some of what the teacher said went over the children’s heads.
” listen to them carefully and sympathetically.
Synonyms: listen, pay attention, heed, take notice”
lend an ear to sth/sb (pág 209)
They are always willing to lend an ear and offer what advice they can.
to talk about lots of unimportant things because you want to avoid talking about what is really important
beat around/about the bush
Quit beating around the bush and say what’s on your mind.
obey rules
Toe the line
The headmaster at my last school was a disciplinarian and made sure we toed the line.
not serious, for fun
Tongue in cheek
You never know whether to take Vic seriously or whether his remarks are tongue in cheeck.
make a place or event seem less respectable
Lower the tone of sth
Mike lowered the tone of the formal dinner by appearing in a pair of ripped jeans and an old T-shirt.
happening quickly in large numbers
Thick and fast
Applications for the course are coming in thinck and fast
together with, simultaneously
In tandem with
The exercise routine works in tandem with the diet.
turn and run away. to turn around and run away, usually because you are frightened
Turn tail
as soon as they saw we had guns, they turned tail and ran away.
make good progress
Be on target
We are on target for a significant increase in production this year.
throw oneselft into sth bc it is interesting and makes you use a lot of physical or mental effort
Get one’s teeth into sth
Martin just loves to get his teeth into a really challenging crossword.
slightly/of little importance
A trifle
“The pudding was a trifle too sweet for my liking.
I’m a trifle confused about the arrangements for tonight.”
not be sth one likes
Not be sb’s cup of tea
Bungee jumping is not my cup of tea.
stop working
Down tools
The labourers decided to down tools in support of their sacked workmate
under sb’s control
Under one’s thumb
Jenny was so unhappy as she was under her husband’s thumb.
be happy
Be on top of the world
Kristina felt on top of he world when she won the beauty pageant.
suddenly change subject or course of action
Go off at a tangent
The mark for your composition was lower than you had expected because you went off at a tangent instead of keeping to the point.
Offensive/insulting
In bad/poor taste
Geoffrey’s remark about certain members of the department were thought to be in bad/poor taste.
“sth depresses sb/is too much to cope with.
To feel so upset that you cannot deal with a situation.”
Sth gets on top of sb
The secretary had allowed the backlog of paperwork to get on top of her.
travel without much luggage
Travel light
When I go on holiday I prefer to travel light with just one small suitcase.
Be in a position where no progress is being made
Tread water
“Opening your own business may be preferable to treading water as an accounts employee for years on end.
Stock prices continued to tread water this week.”
make/keep sb alert
Keep sb on their toes
the boss likes to keep everyone o their toes by carrying out regular spot checks.
gauge how effective sth is by putting it into practice. to find out how good something is. to test how good someone or something is, esp. in difficult conditions
Put sth to the test
Her constant questions put the teacher’s patience to the test.
to have to deal with a problem
come up against something (pág 231)
If you come up against difficulties, let me know and I’ll help out.
to not worry about something at all
Not lose (any) sleep over sth
I’d like to have a little more money – who wouldn’t – but I won’t lose any sleep over it.
To lose courage. to suddenly become too frightened to do something you had planned to do, especially something important such as getting married
Get cold feet
I was going to try bungee jumping, but I got cold feet.
someone who can do many different jobs
Jack of all trades / jack-of-all-trades
An artist with the right technology can become a jack-of-all-trades.
to lose control and not act in a calm way. To lose self-control
Lose one’s head
He usually stays quite calm in meetings but this time he just lost his head.
act/speak boldly or imprudently
Have a cheek/nerve
You have a nerve shouting at me because I’m late. I’ve never been late before!
ignore. pretending not to notice that it is happening so that they will not have to do anything about it. to ignore something that you know is wrong
Turn a blind eye to sth
Management often turn a blind eye to bullying in the workplace.
to be good at noticing a particular type of thing
Have an eye for
She has an eye for detail.
Be awkward, clumsy. to move your hands in an awkward way.
Synonym: like a bull in a China shop
Be all fingers and thumbs
I’m all fingers and thumbs today. That’s the second plate I’ve dropped this morning.
A lot of fuss made over an unimportant matter
a storm in a teacup
Despite all the shouting, the argument turned out to be a storm in a teacup.
To intentionally ignore sb or show no interest in them.
Clue: shoulder
Give sb the cold shoulder
She was so upset that she gave him the cold shoulder for the whole weekend.
make sb understand how important or serious sth is
bring (sth) home to sb
I found it really hard to bring home to her the implications of her actions; she just wouldn’t listen.
to try to do something that is too difficult for you
Clue: bite
bite off more than you can chew
We bit off more than we could chew in our original reform proposals.
to make a lot of effort to do something. Be devoted to sth.
Clue: heart
put one’s heart and soul into sth
She puts her heart and soul into her work.
living a luxurious and comfortable life.
in clover
Herbert has been in clover ever since he won the lottery
to be someone who often criticizes and speaks in a severe way
have a sharp tongue
Jane has a sharp tongue, so be warned.
(to fight) fiercely
(fight) tooth and nail
The party was awful as Helen and Barbara argued tooth and nail for most of the evening.
We fought tooth and nail to get the route of the new road changed.
of poor quality.
not be up to much (informal)
“My own souffles aren’t up to much.
This business isn’t up to much.”
someone or something that is very annoying
Clue: neck
a pain in the neck
That child is a real pain in the neck.
to think of or treat (someone or something) as unimportant or not worthy of respect. Feel/act superior to sb/sth
look down one’s nose at sb/sth
She looked down her nose at her neighbors.
CPE: be criticised or punished for sth you have done.
Cambridge Dictionary: to accept criticism or punishment for something you have done. to accept responsibility for something you have done
face the music
CPE: I guess it’s time for Chris to stop avoiding his boss and face the music about his mistake.
Cambridge Dictionary: If she lied to me, then she’ll just have to face the music.
fail badly in sth you are trying to achieve
Come unstuck (informal)
He came unstuck in his attempt to get a first-class degree.
Have a difficult problem / situation to deal with. to be having or likely to have serious problems or difficulties:
be up against sth
Many families are up against it, unable to afford even basic items.
Frustrated bc sb is stopping you from making progress in sth. to try to do something that is very difficult or impossible to achieve and therefore causes you to feel annoyed
Clue:bang
banging your head against a brick wall (informal)
“I keep asking her not to park there but it’s like banging your head against a brick wall.
Some people feel that they are banging their heads against a brick wall when dealing with bureaucracy.”
to the greatest extent, amount, or degree possible.
to the utmost
My limited diplomatic skills were tested to the utmost.
make sb/yourself look or feel much older
put years on sb (informal)
“I always turn adversity and defeat into victories, but it’s probably put ten years on me.
Having triple by-pass surgery has put years on Charles.”
up to the time referred to, usually the present
hasta ahora
as yet
I haven’t had a book published as yet.
to say what you might do if a situation develops in the most unfavourable way possible.
if the worst comes to the worst
“If the worst comes to the worst I guess I can always ring Jean.
He was asked whether he would walk out if the worst came to the worst.”
emphasizing that sb annoys and irritates you
sb/sth is driving you up the wall (informal)
“I sang in the bath and drove my parents up the wall.
The heat is driving me up the wall. “
understand things easily/with difficulty
be quick/slow on the uptake (informal)
He’s a little slow on the uptake, so you may have to repeat the instructions a few times.
be infrmed about sth but not directly. to tell someone something or cause someone to think that something is true.
dar a entender
be given to understand that
I was given to understand she was staying at this hotel.
the best/most advanced. the best or most extreme example of something
the ultimate in sth
The hotel is described as “the ultimate in luxury”.
have advantages or benefits
have its uses (informal)
Shiftwork does have its uses sometimes.
clearly and unmistakably
in no uncertain terms
she has already refused me, in no uncertain terms
not succeed in sth
en vano
do sth in VAIN
“He stopped at the door, waiting in vain for her to acknowledge his presence.
It became obvious that all her complaints were in vain. “
to enjoy oneself very much
Clue: ballena
have a whale of a time (informal)
We had a whale of a time on holiday.
to not know about sth. When sb is unaware of sth
unbeknown/st to sb
“I am appalled that children can mount up debts unbeknown to their parents. [+ to]
Unbeknownst to her father, she began taking dancing lessons. “
sth happens when you are not expecting it.
catch/take unawares
The suspect was taken unawares, without the chance to dispose of the evidence.
“Proverb:
alluding to the fact that human events or concerns cannot stop the passage of time or the movement of the tides. said to emphasize that people cannot stop the passing of time, and therefore should not delay doing things”
Time and tide wait for no man
A situation that is difficult and unpleasant, and is becoming even more so
de mal en peor.
Go from bad to worse
Things have gone from bad to worse.
“Proverb:
you feel more affection for those you love when parted from them.”
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
“Proverb:
said when you think that it is better for someone or something to be late than never to arrive or to happen”
Mejor tarde que nunca
better late than never
“Proverb:
you should not criticize other people for bad qualities in their character that you have yourself.”
People in glass-houses shouldn’t throw stones
“Proverb:
eating an apple each day can help to keep you healthy.”
An apple a day keeps the doctor away
“Proverb:
if something has a good result or finally succeeds, previous problems are not important:”
All’s well that ends well
Para ejemplos, escuchá Lover o All Too Well (10 min version) TAYLOR’S VERSION. I don’t care if you’re not a Swiftie (you should be).
“Proverb:
said when someone new works a lot and does his/her best”
Escobita nueva barre bien
A new broom sweeps clean
“Proverb:
you should not make plans that depend on something good happening before you know that it has actually happened”
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
She wanted to buy a dress in case someone asked her to the dance, but I told her not to count her chickens before they hatched.
have an argument
Have words with sb
(pág 231)
My mother had words witht he cleaner today as she is always breaking the crockery
Proverb:
in order to tell someone that they should not try to find out about something which does not concern them.
La curiosidad mató al gato
Curiosity killed the cat
“Proverb:
other people’s lives or situations always seem better than your own.”
The grass is always greener on the other side (of the fence)
To completely oppose what seems sensible or normal.
Clue: Fly
TO FLY IN THE FACE OF (page 209, ex. 10)
This is an argument that seems to fly in the face of common sense.
