IDIOMS (UNITS 9-12) Flashcards
get very angry
hit the roof
She hit the roof when her neighbours played the stereo at full volume for the 4th consecutive night
adhere strictly to the regulations as a form of protest.
More info: a job action in which employees do no more than the minimum required by the rules of their contract or job, and strictly follow time-consuming rules normally not enforced. This may cause a slowdown or decrease in productivity if the employer does not hire enough employees or pay the appropriate salary and consequently does not have the requirements needed to run normally.
work to rule
The bus drivers voted to work to rule in an attempt to break down the management’s resistance to their demands.
think very hard about sth
rack your brains
He had to rack his brains to remember where he had left his car keys.
unofficial(ly)
off the record
My boss couldn’t tell me anything officially but off the record he told me a promotion was imminent.
after a long period of time
in the long run
this may be an expensive purchase but in the long run it will save us a lot of money.
stuck in a monotonous routine
in a rut
After working int he same office for ten years, he felt he was in a rut.
it is logical
it stands to reason
You’ve eaten so much that it stands to reason you feel sick.
when all else has failed
as a last resort
I’d been unable to contact her for 3 days so as a last resort I drove the 30 miles to her house to see what was going on.
settle down
put down roots
HavIng lived and worked in many different countries, he hought it was about time to put down roots in one place.
from a short distance
at close quarters
When you see famous people at close quarters, they always appear much smaller than you imagined them.
know all the details of sth
know the ropes
Paul’s only just started working here, so he really doesn’t know the ropes yet.
keep sth secret
to not tell people about something
keep sth quiet
I’m quitting this job on Friday, but keep it quiet,OK?
deeply hurt sb’s feelings
cut sb to the quick
secretly
on the quiet
His wife found out he’d been seeing someone on the quiet.
makes ppl want to ask a particular question
sth begs the question
Spending the summer travelling around India is a great idea, but it does beg the question of how we can afford it.
To discuss the company’s future begs the question of whether it has a future.
“give up/stop
to agree to stop what you are doing”
call it quits
Let’s call it quits for today and get together first thing tomorrow.
Impossible
not possible or allowed
out of the question
Asking my father for money was completely out of the question.
Wearing a stained blouse to dinner was out of the question.
undecided/unsettled
open to debate
be confused, undecided. To be in a dilemma
be in a quandary
She’s in a quandary over which flat to chose, so she’ll probably end up staying on her parent’s house.
person or thing that one has no experience of
an unknown quantity
If you’ve never been published before, you’re an unknown quantity, so you’re going to have difficulty selling your first novel.
The presidential candidate is virtually an unknown quantity as almost nothing is known about him.
use/have sth not as acceptable as original
to use what is available although it is not enough or what you wanted
make do with sth
Can you make do with $5 for now and I’ll give you the rest tomorrow?
dismiss sb
ask that person to leave a place or a job because they have done something wrong
give sb their marching orders (informal)
Three players got their marching orders last week.
compete with sb as good as/better than you
to compete unsuccessfully with someone
meet one’s match
He was a good player, but he met his match in Peter.
try to be kind/helpful
mean well
spending more than you can afford
LIVING BEYOND ONE’S MEANS
most people who are living beyond their means don’t realise until it’s too late
Over 40% of Americans admitted they were living beyond their means.
He was using credit cards to live way beyond his means.
If that’s her only income, she appears to be living beyond her means.
I try not to live beyond my means, but it’s not always easy.
If you can’t afford to pay off your credit card bill at the end of the month, you’re living beyond your means.
Recover from an illness
syn: get over?
to be getting better after an illness or injury
be on the mend (informal)
She’s been ill with the flu but she’s on the mend now.
begin to behave well
to begin to behave well, having until now behaved badly
mend one’s way
I was getting really bad grades, but I promised my parents I would mend my ways and work harder.
to understate sth in an ironic way
used for saying that something is much more extreme than your words suggest
to put it mildly
It has been a remarkable day, to put it mildly.
Deep in thought
to not be conscious of what is happening around you because you are thinking about something else
miles away (informal)
You could tell by the expression on her face that she was miles away, thinking about home.
perfect condition
perfect, as if new
in mint condition
The toys are carefully packaged so that they arrive in mint condition.
decide not to do sth or go to a place
to not do an activity
give sth a miss (informal)
I think I’ll give aerobics a miss this evening.
Sb gets sth which is worth its price/the effort put into it
get something which is worth the money that it costs or the effort you have put in.
sb gets their money’s worth
The fans get their money’s worth.
Identify sb who has done sth (usually immoral or illegal)
to tell someone the names of people involved in something, especially an unpleasant, secret, or illegal activity
name names
If people are going to accuse their colleagues of racist acts, they should name names.
The most important aspect
the most important part of an activity, or the quality that you most need for that activity
the name of the game
People say that in politics the name of the game is making the right friends.
Be very easy for sb to do
Be able to do sth easily, with little effort or learning
come naturally to sb
Dancing seemed to come naturally to her.
Being funny just came naturally to him.
Just do whatever comes naturally.
mention a sensitive subject
touch a nerve
put oneself in danger (physically or mtaphorically)
risk one’s neck
I am not risking my neck for anyone
Close relatives/friends
your family, especially those that you live with or are very involved with
nearest and dearest
“sum of money saved for a particular purpose
an amount of money that has been saved or kept for a special purpose”
nest egg (informal)
Regular investment of small amounts of money is an excellent way of building a nest egg.
Avoid being caught by a system/trap set up to catch sb
to escape a punishment or be missed by a system that should deal with or protect you
slip through the net
“Once again terrorists have slipped through the police net.
There are laws to protect the mentally ill, but now and then someone does slip through the net.”
Know nothing more than before
not understand something, even though it has been explained.
none the wiser
she said an awful lot but he wasn’t any the wiser
Try to interfere in sth
to get involved in or want information about (something that does not concern one)
to show too much interest in a situation that does not involve you
poke one’s nose into sth (informal)
You shouldn’t go sticking your nose into other people’s business!
resign
to tell your employer that you intend to leave your job after a particular period of time
hand/give in one’s notice
I handed in my notice yesterday.
I’m going to hand in my notice tomorrow.
Be in the same situation (usually bad)
Be in the same boat
As far as jobs go, we’re both in the same boat. I haven’t worked for months either.
be a foregone conclusion. Be obvious.
Go without saying
It goes without saying that he’ll get the role in the play; after all, he’s perfect for it.
in secret
behind the scenes
It would be interesting to know what goes on behind the scenes in a political campaign.
be in a state of confusion
Be all at sea
As far as her future goes, Olivia is all at sea, she hasn’t got a clue of what career to follow.
barely avoid an accident/a bad situation
Be/have a close shave
It was a close shave when a tile fell off the roof and nearly hit her on the head.
be in sb’s position
Be in sb’s shoes
be sold very cheaply
Go for a song
Almost everything sold at the auction went for a song; I’ve never seen so many bargains.
suspect that sth is wrong
smell a rat
She smelled a rat when her husband started coming home late but he was only working overtime.
Be/get very wet
Be/get soaked to the skin
I went out in the downpour without my umbrella and got soaked to the skin.
Travel often/not have a permanent home
Live out of a suitcase
People who are involved in international business tend to live out of a suitcase most of the time.
to not completely believe something that you are told, because you think it is unlikely to be true
take sth with a pinch of salt
You have to take everything she says with a pinch of salt, because she tends to exaggerate.
on a very small budget
on a shoestring
My brother travelled around the States on a shoestring; I don’t know how he survived on so little money.
make a greater effort
pull one’s socks up
He told his son that he ought to pull up his socks or he’d never make a success of himself.
“to behave in a loud, angry way in public
to get very angry in public”
Make a scene
“Please don’t make a scene.
So he paid, too embarrassed to make a scene in front of his date.”
insensitive to criticism or insults.
thick-skinned
He’s so thick-skinned that I don’t think he’d notice if you insulted him.
to become less shy, and more talkative and friendly. More self-confident and outgoing
Come out of sb’s shell
She used to be very timid and shy but I think she’s come out of her shell.
to be obvious
TO SHOW
Did it show that I was bored during the meeting? I tried to act as if I was interested.
to forget things very easily
pista: colador
A memory like a sieve
Could you tell me your last name one more time? I’m afraid I’ve got a memory like a sieve.
to escape from someone you do not want to be with.
Give sb the slip
the man who gave the police the slip wasn’t apprehended until a week later.
delay making a decision on something until the following day. Think about it overnight
Sleep on it
I’m going to sleep on it tonight, and I’ll make the decision tomorrow
to look extremely similar to someone. Or to look exactly the same as sb
Be the spitting image of
Paul is the spitting image of his father, even his mannerisms are the same.
A further difficulty or annoyance, typically minor in itself but coming on top of a series of difficulties, that makes a situation unbearable.
The last straw
“You don’t have to call anymore
I won’t pick up the phone
This is the last straw, there’s nothing left to beg for” (Taylor Swift - You’re Not Sorry)
to prevent someone from doing something
Stand in sb’s way
Go ahead and leave. I won’t stand in your way.
unlikely to succeed, but worth trying.
A long shot
The deal was a long shot, but Bagley had little to lose.
to secretly use the influence you have over important people in order to get something or to help someone
Pull strings
I may be able to pull a few strings if you need the document urgently.
INFORMAL
reveal secret information unintentionally or indiscreetly.
Spill the beans
Although her friend asked her not to tell anyone about her secret wedding plans, she spilled the beans and soon everyone knew.
(informal) to go to bed
Hit the sack
to take revenge on sb bc of sth they have done to you
Get your own back
he’s always playing practical jokes on us; I think it’s time we got our own back
just in case
On the off chance
“I called his office on the off chance that he would still be there, but he had already left.
I called on the off chance that you were free to go out this evening.”
unacceptable (of behaviour)
not on (informal)
It’s just not on for you to speak to your parents in such a rude way.
in good condition
In good order
Sylvia checked to see if the contents of the box were in good order after delivery.
“so minimal or trivial as to have little effect.
A very small amount compared to the amount needed”
a drop in the ocean
My debt is just a drop in the ocean compared to many people’s.
to need to do something
have occasion to do sth
Of course, as a teacher I had authority, but rarely did I have occasion to use it.
