PART 1 Flashcards
At one’s wit’s end
Confused perplexed bewildering
At one’s fingertips
Complete knowledge
At the spur of the moment
Without delay
All in all
Most important
At close quarters
At or from a position that is very near
Pale in comparison
To seem less important good serious etc
Leave someone in the lurch
Leave someone abruptly and without support when they are in a difficult situation
Dig Deep
Manage to find a lot of money for something
Wash one’s dirty linen in public
Discuss one’s personal affairs in public
Writing is on the wall
Warning or sign that something unpleasant or unfortunate is going to happen
Put a dampener on
To make something less strong active or exciting
A bull in a China Shop
One who cause damage
Daft as a brush
Very silly or somewhat crazy
Move heaven and earth
To do everything that you can do to achieve something
Cut the gordian knot
Solve or remove a problem in a direct or forceful way, rejecting gentler or more indirect method
Keep something under one’s hat
Keep something a secret
Nip something in a bud
To stop something bad before it develops or get worse
A gentleman at large
A person without any serious occupation
The moment of truth
An occasion when something important happens that test someone or something and that will have an effect on the future
At someone’s back and call
Always having to be ready to obey someone’s order
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth
Do not refuse something good that is offered
Let sleeping dogs lie
To ignore a problem because trying to deal with it could cause an even more difficult situation
Throw caution to the wind
To do something without worrying about the risk or negative
There’s no such thing as a free lunch
Nothing is ever really given away for free so be worry of hidden charges, motives or agendas
A new lease of life
A chance to continue living or to become successful or popular again
In a pickle
In a difficult situation
Rain on someone’s parade
To spoil someone’s pleasure
Set alarm bells rings
To make someone feel warned or concerned about something
Rank and file
Ordinary people
By fits and starts
In short periods not regularly
Know the ropes
Have experience about the appropriate procedure
Go through fire and water
To face many challenges in order to achieve something
A Bolt from the blue
A sudden and unexpected event
A green horse
An inexperienced or naive person
Bury the hatchet
To stop an argument and become friends again
Bring someone to book
To punish someone or to make them explain their behaviour publicly when they have done something wrong
Blood,Sweat and Tears
Extremely hardwork or the greatest effort possible in order to achieve something
Achilles heel
A week point
A feather in your cap
To achieve something at to be proud of it
To cross swords
To fight
To take a leap in the dar
To do something without being certain of the outcome and result
Bite the bullet
To accept something unpleasant or difficult
Be in the soup
To be in trouble
An axe to grind
To have a selfish aim or motive
Water under the bridge
Anything from the past that isn’t significant or important anymore
Get one’s goat
To annoy or irritate someone
Cost an arm and a leg
Very expensive
Bridging the chasm
To overcome a significant gap or disparity
Factor in
To take into consideration or include as a relevant component
Bouncing back
Recovering or rebouncing from setbacks or difficulties
Connecting the threads
Process of linking different aspects or components to create a coherent whole
Wheather the Stroms of life
To endure or overcome challenges and difficulties
Speaks volumes
Conveys a great deal
Keep somebody in the picture
To make sure someone knows all the facts about a changing situation
Keep on trucking
To continue to do something that is ordinary or boring
Keep on the right side of somebody
To try to make certain that someone is pleased with you
Few and far between
Rare and not often found
Set his face against
Sternly opposed
Go bananas
Become angry
Like riding a bicycle
Something that you will never forget how to do
Jump on the bandwagon
Follow a trend or to do what everyone else is doing
It takes two to tango
One person isn’t alone responsible
Sitting on the fence
To delay or avoid making a decision
A shot in the arm
A boost or stimulant
Cash cow
Dependable source of income
Yellow bellies
Cowards
On the cards
Probable
Turned the corner
Out of danger
To hold good
To remain valid
Out of line
Behaving in an appropriate way
Pull yourself together
To become calm
A fly on the wall
An unperceived observer
A snowball effect
Situation in which one action or event causes many other similar actions or events
Win laurels
To gain honour or achievement
A kick in the teeth
To gain honour or disappointment
Donkey’s years
Long time
Get the axe
Lose the job
A stone’s throw
A very short distance
Round the clock
All day and all night
A chip of the old block
Someone who is very similar in character to their father or mother
Bring someone to book
Officially punish someone or call them to account for their behaviour
The black sheep
To one with bad reputation
Hit the purple patch
Very successful or lucky for a period
Hit the sack
Go to sleep
Beat around the bush
Discuss a matter without coming to the point
Pull all the Stops
To make every possible effort
Call a spade a spade
Speak clearly and directly about things
Play for time
To make excuses or do things to gain time
Full of sound and fury
Loud and angry words that attract a lot of attention but do nothing useful
Utopian scheme
A visionary scheme through impractical
It’s all Greek to me
To not understand
A big draw
Huge attraction
A bull in China Shop
An extremely awkward Clumsy person
A cold fish
Someone who seems Unfriendly and who does not share feelings
A cut above something
Superior to
A damp squib
A disappointment result
A dog’s breakfast
A total mess
A fine state of affairs
An unpleasant situation
A gentleman at large
A man without a job
A hot patato
A controversial situation
