American Idioms

267 flashcards

about to (idiom) (I was just about to have dinner without you)

ready to

after all (idiom) (You better invite Ed to your party. After all, he's a good friend)

despite everything

at least (idiom) (We've run out of coffee, but at least we still have tea)

the good thing is that...

break the news (idiom) (They're getting married, but haven't broken the news to their parents yet.)

to make something known

cost an arm and a leg (idiom) (A college education in America costs an arm and a leg)

to be very expensive

dead-end job (idiom) (Diane realized that working as a cashier was a dead-end job)

a job that won't lead to anything else

let's face it (idiom) (Let's face it! They have the best team in the championship)

accept a difficult reality

give on the creeps (idiom) (The guy sitting behind us in the church gave me the creeps!)

to create a feeling of disgust or horror

go back to the drawing board (idiom) (Frank's news business failed, so he had to go back to the drawing board)

to start a task over

go belly-up (idiom) (Many people lost their jobs when Enron went belly-up)

to go bankrupt

give someone the ax (idiom) (Poor Paul! He was given the ax two days before Christmas!)

to fire someone

lose one's temper (idiom) (The teacher lost her temper when the class wouldn't shut up!)

to become very angry

make up one's mind (idiom) (Stephanie couldn't make up her mind whether to attend Harvard or Stanford)

to decide

no point in (idiom) (There's no point in worrying about things you can't change)

no reason to - it's not worth (doing something)

to put up with (idiom) (I don't know how Len puts up with his mean boss every day)

to endure without complaint

real flop/flop (idiom) (The company was in trouble after its new product flopped)

a failure

as sharp as a tack (idiom) (Anne got a scholarship in Yale. She's as sharp as a tack!)

very intelligent

talk over (idiom) (Dave and I spent hours talking over the details of the plan)

to discuss

top dollar (idiom) (Wait until those jeans go on sale. Why pay top dollar?)

a lot of money

to change one's mind (idiom) (Did you change your mind about becoming a doctor?)

to change one's opinion

easier said than done (idiom) (Moving into a new house is easier said than done!)

more difficult than you think

get canned (idiom) (After Chris got canned, it took him a year to find a new job)

to get fired

hang in there (idiom) (Hang in there, Don! Your invention will soon be a success)

to not give up

if worse comes to worst (idiom) (If worse comes to worst, you can always sell some of your jewelry)

in the worst case

keep one's chin up (idiom) (Keep your chin up! You will find your lost dog soon)

to stay positive

last resort (idiom) (I don't like taking medicine. I'll only do it as a last resort.)

if there are no other alternatives left

live from hand to mouth (idiom) (George is really poor. He lives from hand to mouth)

to barely have enough money to survive

look on the bright side (idiom) (Look on the bright side, now you can go out with your friends again!)

to be optimistic

make ends meet (idiom) (If you can't make ends meet, you'll have to start spending less.)

to manage your money so as to have enough to live on

right-hand man (idiom) (Juan's righ-hand man helps him make all the decisions)

the most helpful assistant or employee

set eyes on (idiom) (Ted was in love from the moment he set eyes on Amber)

look at (to see for the first time)

stab someone in the back (idiom) (He stabbed me in the back when he told people my secret)

to betray someone

tell off (idiom) (Patty told me off for being absent in class again)

to scold (dar bronca)

think big (idiom) (Opening a company that size just shows people how I think big when it comes to my future!)

to set high goals

when pigs fly! (idiom) (You can have my laptop when pigs fly!)

never!

beside the point (idiom) (The reason you're late is beside the point. It's your obligation to be here at 7:00 every day!)

not relevant - not important

to blow something (idiom) (Brenda blew the interview and didn't get the job offer)

to spoil something

buckle down (idiom) (Team, if we want to win this tournament, we're going to need to buckle down!)

to start working seriously

can't stand (idiom) (Nicole can't stand broccoli. She simply refuses to eat it)

to hate

cut class (idiom) (Ted often cuts class to spend more time with his girlfriend)

to miss class without an excuse

Get real! (idiom) (You think she likes you? Get real!)

be serious or realistic about what's going on

have one's heart set on (idiom) (Did you really have your heart set on going to Harvard?)

to really want something

to hit the books (idiom) (Hit the books! I know you have a test tomorrow)

to start studying

lost cause (idiom) (Studying Japanese for me was a lost cause. I would never learn that language so difficult it was!)

something hopeless

not give a hoot (idiom) (I don't give a hoot to what people think of my outfit!)

to not care about

over one's head (idiom) (The article on cloning was written for scientists. It was over my head)

beyond one's understanding

slack off (idiom) (I'd better stop slacking off. My essay is due in two hours)

to waste time

stand a chance (idiom) (Forget it, Lucas! You don't stand a chance against the champion)

to have the possibility of success

butt in (idiom) (Sara is always butting in to other people's conversations)

to interrupt (interfere)

drive one's crazy (idiom) (Don't ever ask her age. It drives her crazy)

to annoy someone very much

go into (idiom) (nobody ever thought you could go into Law!)

to enter a profession

be green with envy (idiom) (You won the lottery? I'm green with envy)

desiring another person's things

gung ho (idiom) (Heather is really gung ho about her new job)

very enthusiastic - excited (about sth)

be head and shoulders above (idiom) (The New York Yankees are head and shoulders above any other team on the league)

far superior to

hit the nail on the head (idiom) (Nina hit the nail on the head when she decided to graduate in Economics)

to be right

be on thin ice with someone (idiom) (Bill was on thin ice with his girlfriend after she saw him talk to a girl in the office)

be in a dangerous position towards someone

shake in one's shoes (idiom) (They shake in his shoes when we start telling them horror stories)

to be afraid

way to go! (idiom) (That was an interesting article you wrote. Way to go!)

good work!

be my cup of tea (idiom) (Hockey isn't Alan's cup of tea. He prefers baseball)

the type of person/thing that one generally likes

be down in the dumps (idiom) (It's easy to feel down in the dumps when you've got no money at all!)

to feel sad, to be depressed

drop by (idiom) (Hi, I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I'd drop by!)

to pay a short , often unannounced visit

hang around (idiom) (We had to hang around the airport for an extra six hours because our flight was delayed)

to spend time idly, to linger

hang out (idiom) (Kathy and her friends like to hang out at the mall)

to spend time (often doing nothing)

have a blast (idiom) (Last summer, Pam had a blast backpacking around Europe with some friends)

to have a lot of fun

to take something the wrong way (idiom) (Don't take it the wrong way, but I liked your hair better before you got it cut.)

to take offense

there's no accounting for taste (idiom) (Ted likes to put sugar on his spaghetti. I guess there's no accounting for taste)

it's impossible to explain individuals likes and dislikes

under one's breath (idiom) (He said something under his breath that I couldn't understand)

quietly, in a whisper

to be up in the air (idiom)

not yet determined, uncertain

cheer someone up (idiom)

to make someone happy

give someone credit (idiom)

to recognize something positive in someone or his/her contribution to something

give credit where credit is due (idiom)

to give thanks or acknowledgment to the person who deserves it

go into business (idiom)

to start a business

good thinking (idiom)

good idea, smart planning

have a heart of gold (idiom)

to be very kind and giving

help yourself (idiom)

serve yourself

just what the doctor ordered (idiom)

exactly what was needed

to make a bundle (idiom)

to make a lot of money

be on edge (idiom)

nervous, irritable

out of this world (idiom)

delicious

pig out (idiom)

to eat greedily, to stuff oneself

bright and early (idiom)

early in the morning

crash course (idiom)

short and intensive instruction

fat chance! (idiom)

definitely not!

give it a shot (idiom)

try something

happy camper (idiom)

a happy person, a satisfied participant

to have mixed feeling about something (idiom)

to feel positive about one aspect and of something and negative about another

needless to say (idiom)

obviously

to not have a clue (idiom)

to know nothing about

to not sleep a wink (idiom)

to be awake all night

to work like a dog (idiom)

to work very hard

bear around the bush (idiom)

to avoid getting to the subject

dime a dozen (idiom)

so plentiful as to be nothing special

good for you! (idiom)

good job! well done!

hard times (idiom)

a time of difficulty

to be in good spirits (idiom)

happy, in a good mood

made of money (idiom)

very rich

to make a splash - to take something by storm (idiom)

to win popularity quickly

pipe dream (idiom)

an unrealistic hope

to shell out (idiom)

to pay (often more than one would like)

that's the breaks - those are the breaks (idiom)

when something bad happens and you can't do anything about it

brown-noser (idiom)

apple-polisher, kiss-ass

by far (idiom)

by a wide margin, by a great difference

full of oneself (idiom)

to think too much of oneself

get down to business (idiom)

to get serious about a task

to get or have under one's belt (idiom)

to have or to get experience

to give someone a run for one's money (idiom)

to be strong competition

to give someone the cold shoulder (idiom)

to be cold to someone on purpose, to snub someone

(to not) give someone the time of day (idiom)

to ignore someone - to refuse to pay any attention to someone

goody-goody (idiom)

self-righteously or smugly good

kid around (idiom)

to joke around, to tease

you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours (idiom)

if you do me a favor, I'll do you a favor

ballpark figure (idiom)

an approximate number

Don't mention it (idiom)

you're welcome

from scratch (idiom)

from the beginning

go nuts (idiom)

to react with great enthusiasm

jump the gun (idiom)

to start doing something too soon or ahead of everybody else

make a pig of oneself (idiom)

to overreact - to eat too much

make time for (idiom)

to put time in one's schedule for something

roll up your sleeves (idiom)

to prepare to work

sit tight (idiom)

to wait patiently

you can say that again (idiom)

I agree with you

crunch numbers (idiom)

to perform calculations (especially financial ones)

drive a hard bargain (idiom)

to be tough in negotiation an agreement

get the ball rolling (idiom)

to get started

now you're talking (idiom)

you're saying the right thing

out of the question (idiom)

impossible

sweeten the deal (idiom)

to make an offer more attractive

take it or leave it (idiom)

accept or reject an offer

twist someone's arm (idiom)

to persuade or convince someone

worth one's while (idiom)

worthy of one's effort or time

bite off more that one can chew (idiom)

to take on more than one is capable of

get going (idiom)

to get started on something

like a chicken with its head cut off (idiom)

in a very nervous way

like crazy (idiom)

with speed or enthusiasm

like pulling teeth (idiom)

very difficult

never mind(idiom)

forget it

pitch in (idiom)

to help

things are looking up (idiom)

things are improving

all the rage (idiom)

the latest fashion - popular right now

call it a night (idiom)

to stop and activity for the rest of the night

feel free (idiom)

go ahead and do something

know one's stuff (idiom)

to have an expertise in a field

lend a hand (idiom)

to help

lose one's touch (idiom)

to no longer be able to do something well

be out of practice (idiom)

no longer good at doing something

pick up (idiom)

to acquire - to learn

sweet tooth (idiom)

an enjoyment of sugary foods

too many cooks spoil the broth (idiom)

to many people involved in an activity can ruin it

tricks of the trade (idiom)

clever shortcuts gained by experience

work one's tail off (idiom)

to work very hard

crank out (idiom)

to produce rapidly or in a routine manner

crunch time (idiom)

a short period when there's high pressure to achieve a result

head over heels in love (idiom)

very much in love

make out (idiom)

kiss - manage - understand or see with difficulty - to prepare a check or other payment

to be nuts about (idiom)

to like very much

have a one-track mind (idiom)

have all your thoughts directed to just one thing or activity

plug away at something (idiom)

to proceed with a boring or routine task (keep trying)

treat someone like dirt (idiom)

to behave in a nasty way towards someone (to treat someone poorly)

basket case (idiom)

someone or something in a useless or hopeless condition

to have a big head (idiom)

arrogant - too proud of oneself

conventional wisdom (idiom)

a widely held belief

do the trick (idiom)

to achieve the desired result

I'll say! (idiom)

Yes, definitely!

in reality (idiom)

in fact - actually

load off one's mind (idiom)

a relief

nervous wreck (idiom)

a person feeling very worried

no wonder (idiom)

it's not surprising

pull an all-nighter (idiom)

to stay up all night to do work

rule of thumb (idiom)

a useful principle

to turn off (idiom)

to cause to feel dislike or revulsion

at first (idiom)

in the beginning

get the hang of something (idiom)

to learn how to do something (to acquire an effective technique)

to give someone a ring (idiom)

to call someone

in any case (idiom)

whatever the fact is - certainly

to keep posted (idiom)

to provide up-to-date information

to learn the ropes (idiom)

to learn the basics

to round up (idiom)

to gather people together

second nature (idiom)

a behavior that has been practiced for so long, it seems to have been there always

your guess is as good as mine (idiom)

I don't know any more than you do

to blow it (idiom)

to spoil an opportunity

to burn the midnight oil (idiom)

to stay up late studying or working

chitchat (idiom)

casual conversation - gossip

to deliver the goods (idiom)

to meet expectations (to do what's required)

rest assured (idiom)

be sure

right away (idiom)

immediately

to sell like hotcakes (idiom)

to sell fast, to be a popular item

to be sitting pretty (idiom)

in a good position (often financially)

sold out (idiom)

completely sold

take off (idiom)

to become popular - to grow suddenly

tall order (idiom)

a task or goal that is difficult to achieve

big shot (idiom)

a powerful or important person

to fool around (idiom)

to waste time or spend time in a silly way

to get on one`s nerves (idiom)

to annoy or irritate someone

to get the show on the road (idiom)

to start working - to begin an undertaking

to lighten up (idiom)

to stop taking thing so seriously

night owl (idiom)

a person who enjoys being active late at night

nothing doing! (idiom)

not a chance

by a hair (idiom)

just barely - very narrowly - by a small amount

fair and square (idiom)

honestly

to give it one's best shot (idiom)

to try as hard as you can

go wrong (idiom)

to make a mistake - to malfunction

to live with it (idiom)

to accept a difficult reality

to make a fool of oneself (idiom)

to cause oneself to look stupid

to mess up (idiom)

to spoil an opportunity - to make a mistake

to put the blame on someone (idiom)

to name somebody else as responsible for a misfortune or misdeed

to set the record straight (idiom)

to correct an inaccurate account

sure thing (idiom)

an outcome that is assured

as a matter of fact (idiom)

in fact - actually

to blow things out of proportion (idiom)

to exaggerate ( to make more of something than one should)

to get a handle on (idiom)

to gain an understanding of

to get one's act together (idiom)

to get organized (to start operating more effectively)

to knock oneself out (idiom)

to work very hard at something (sometimes too hard)

one's heart goes out to someone (idiom)

to feel sorry for someone

to rant and rave (idiom)

to talk loudly, often in anger

to sweep something under the rug (idiom)

to hide something, often a scandal

taken aback (idiom)

surprised (almost always in a negative way)

to throw the book at someone (idiom)

to punish or chide (scold) severely

all over (idiom)

throughout - everywhere

to come to an agreement (idiom)

to reach an agreement

in that case (idiom)

under that circumstance

to be/get in touch with someone (idiom)

to be/get in contact with someone

to make one's day (idiom)

to give one great satisfaction

nuts and bolts (idiom)

details - basic components of something

on a shoestring (idiom)

on a very low budget

track record (idiom)

a record of achievements or performances

be better off (idiom)

in a more fortunate position

to buy out (idiom)

to purchase an entire business or someone's share of business

dragon lady (idiom)

a nasty woman who misuses her power

no laughing matter (idiom)

nothing to joke about (something serious)

nothing to do with someone or something (idiom)

not have a relationship with someone - not get involved with something

rolling in dough (idiom)

very rich

to strike it rich (idiom)

to attain sudden financial success

that's the way the cookie crumbles (idiom)

that's the way things go sometimes and there's nothing you can do about it

to burn someone up (idiom)

to make someone angry

come on in (idiom)

enter

to get plastered (idiom)

to get drunk

to get rid of (idiom)

to free oneself of - to throw out

to get something straight (idiom)

to clarify - to understand

to hold a grudge against someone (idiom)

to stay angry with someone about a past offense

to let someone go (idiom)

to fire - dismiss employees

to level with someone (idiom)

to speak openly and honestly with someone

to lose one's head (idiom)

to lose control of one's behavior

no hard feelings (idiom)

no anger - no bitterness

no use crying over spilt milk (idiom)

there's no point in regreting something that's too late to change

not on your life! (idiom)

definitely not!

on the job (idiom)

at work

to stop by (idiom)

to pay a quick visit

three sheets to the wind (idiom)

drunk

well off (idiom)

wealthy - financially secure

all along (idiom)

throughout - from beginning to end

all better (idiom)

completely cured

to buy some time (idiom)

to make more time available (in order to achieve a certain purpose)

to chill out (idiom)

to relax

to cut it out (idiom)

stop it - stop the annoying behavior

first things first (idiom)

let's focus on the most important thing or task first q

to be in charge of (idiom)

to be responsible for

in progress (idiom)

happening - under way (going on now)

to be sick and tired of (idiom)

completely bored with - sick of

Big deal! (idiom)

So what? That doesn't really matter

to break into (idiom)

to enter or be let into a profession

cream of the crop (idiom)

the best of a group

to foot the bill (idiom)

to pay

to be out of it (idiom)

not aware or knowledgeable about trends or modern habits

spending money (idiom)

money for minor expenses

to wine and dine (idiom)

to take someone out for an evening or an expensive meal

to be on a winning streak (idiom)

a series of wins

to wrap up (idiom)

to finish