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”
