Idioms English

282 flashcards

a hot potato: a problematic issue
a penny for your thoughts: I would like to know what you are thinking about
actions speak louder than words: what someone does is more important than what someone says
add insult to injury: act in a way that makes a bad situation worse
an arm and a leg: a large amount of money
at the drop of a hat: without hesitation
back to the drawing board: time to start from the start; it is time to plan something over again
the ball is in your court: to be someone else's move, play, or turn
barking up the wrong tree: believing the wrong explanation for something
be glad to see the back of: Be glad to see someone leave (usually because the speaker dislikes the person)
beat around the bush: to avoid answering a question; to stall; to waste time
best of both worlds: a situation wherein one can enjoy two different opportunities
best thing since sliced bread: An excellent new invention
bite off more than you can chew: to try to do something that is too big or difficult to do
blessing in disguise: something that at first seems bad, but later turns out to be beneficial
burn the midnight oil: to stay up working, especially studying, late at night
can't judge a book by its cover: to not be able to really know about someone or something by simply looking at them
caught between two stools: ome between two alternatives, and so fail to fulfill either of them
costs an arm and a leg: to be very expensive
cross that bridge when you come to it: resolve a problem when it occur, rather than try to solve it in advance
cry over spilt milk: to cry about past events that cannot be undone
curiosity killed the cat: too much curiosity can lead to dangerous situations
cut corners: economize on time, money, materials or effort, perhaps unwisely
cut the mustard: to succeed
devil's advocate: one who argues against something just for the sake of arguing, without actually being committed to the views
don't count your chickens before the eggs have hatched: Make plans based on events that may or may not happen.
don't give up the day job: way of telling someone to continue doing what they are good at, rather than trying something new which they would probably fail at
don't put all your eggs in one basket: don't make everything dependent on one thing
drastic times call for drastic measures: in difficult situations, it is necessary to take drastic actions
elvis has left the building: Said when an event or performance has come to an end
every cloud has a silver lining: there is something good in everything that's bad
far cry from: different from what is expected
feel a bit under the weather: not feeling well
give the benefit of the doubt: regard somebody as innocent until proven otherwise
hear it on the grapevine: to hear rumours about something
hit the nail on the head: be accurately right about something
hit the sack/hay: to get into bed
in the heat of the moment: being overwhelmed by what is happening at the moment
it takes two to tango: both people involved in a situation are equally responsible for it
jump on the bandwagon: to support something that is popular
keep something at bay: prevent something or somebody unpleasant from coming too near to one or harming one.
kill two birds with one stone: accomplish two different things at the same time
the last/final straw: the last in a series of unpleasant events which finally makes you feel that you cannot continue to accept a bad situation
let sleeping dogs lie: its best not to talk of bad situations if people have forgotten about them
let the cat out of the bag: give away a secret
make a long story short: give only the basic facts instead of a full explanation
method to my madness: there's a plan behind the odd behavior of a person
miss the boat: miss a chance
not playing with a full deck: not very intelligent or bright
off one's head: Crazy, out of one's mind
on the ball: knowledgeable and competent
once in a blue moon: very rarely
picture paints a thousand words: a picture can tell a story just as well as many words
a piece of cake: very easy
put wool over someone's eyes: to deceive someone
see eye to eye: to have the same views about something
sit on the fence: undecided about something
speak of the devil!: when someone comes in unexpectedly while being talked about
steal someone's thunder: use someone else's ideas to their own advantage
take with a grain of salt: not take something too seriously
taste of your own medicine: do the same bad thing to a person who has done it to you
to hear something straight from the horse's mouth: to hear from someone who has the facts
whole nine yards: everything
wouldn't be caught dead: would rather die than do something
your guess is as good as mine: do not know the answer to a question
a couch potato: a lazy/inactive person
look a gift horse in the mouth: to criticize or refuse to take something good that has been offered to you
money doesn't grow on trees: there is only a limited amount of money
the pen is mightier than the sword: writing is more effective than violence
the early bird catches the worm: the person who takes the earliest opportunity to do sg will gain the advantage over others
in the blink of an eye: in an extremely short time
a bone of contention: something that people argue about for a long time
as dry as a bone: very dry indeed
rough and ready: acting with offhand promptness and efficiency
cool, calm and collected: relaxed
hold one's horses: slow down/be patient
be on cloud nine: to be very happy
a blue stocking: an intellectual or literary woman
money for old rope: a very quick and easy way to earn money
toe the line: to do what you are ordered or expected to do
white elephant: an expensive but useless thing
to moonlight: to have a second job
a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush: it is better to be content with what you have than to risk losing everything by seeking to get more
grasp the nettle: to take action immediately in order to deal with an unpleasant situation
one swallow doesn't make a summer: a single instance doesn't indicate a trend
make a beeline for something: go for something with all of your efforts
like water off a duck's back: without effect
as thick as two short planks: remarkably stupid
big cheese: boss
bring home the bacon: make a living
bread and butter: basic things
bad egg: a person who behaves in a dishonest way
the cream of the crop: the best
one smart cookie: an intelligent person
uses his noodles: thinks
chew the fat: chats
half-baked: on the table but still unofficial
spill the beans: share confidential information
his cup of tea: the type of person he likes
butter somebody up: show admiration
nuts about someone or something: really likes
out to lunch: a little out of touch with reality
nutty as a fruitcake: a little crazy
in a nutshell: basically
polishes the apple: continues to be servile and brown-nose his boss
a gravy train: means to a big income with little effort
apple of her mother's eye: someone cherished above others
bun in the oven: to be pregnant
a butterfingers: clumsy
a carrot and stick: a combination of reward and punishment
compare apples and oranges: compare completely different things
eat one's words: be forced to retract something one has said
eat humble pie: to act very humble when one is shown to be wrong
a rat race: boring work
a top dog: the most important person
a monkey business: silly/dishonest behaviour
a cat burglar: a thief who climbs into the building
a hard nut to crack: a person who is difficult to understand
go bananas: to be extremely happy/anxious
you can't have your cake and eat it too: you cannot have or want more than you deserve
have egg on one's face: feel embarrassed about one's own fault
be in a pickle: be in trouble
be in the soup: be in trouble
on the dole: receiving welfare money
on the run: be in a hurry
on the beat: be on patrol
on the rack: anxious
on the dot: at exactly the right time
on call: available to do something at any time
on the tiles: having a lively night out
on the move: moving from place to place
on the off-chance: you hope to find somebody
on balance: after considering everything
out of condition: not in a good physical health
out of the running: with no chance to win
out on a limb: at risk
out of bounds: not allowed
out of place: not in the proper place
out of sorts: not feeling well
out of reach: not near enough to be touched
out for the count: unconscious/in a deep sleep
out of the ordinary: unusual
out of character: unlike one's usual behaviour
over the top: behave extremely
over the moon: extremely happy
over the hill: too old
do you good: be beneficial
be as good as gold: behave well
have a good time: enjoy yourself
be for good: forever
do you a good turn: do something that is helpful
have a thin time: to experience a difficult period
be thin on top: becoming bald
have got a thick skin: ignore personal criticism
lay it on thick: exaggerate/overwhelm something
be in the thick of sg: be in the most active part of a situation or activity
skate on thin ice: be in a risky situation
vanish into thin air: disappear without leaving a trace
as thin as a rake: very thin
the thin edge of the wedge: a minor change that begins a major development
be thick on the ground: existing in large numbers
as thick as thieves: very close friends
jump to it: do it quickly
blast it: damn it
out with it: say it
step on it: go faster
take it or leave it: do not have a choice
sleep on it: think it over
be at it: take part in an activity vigorously
catch it: be punished/told off
take it easy: relax
hold it: do not move/wait
come to that: in fact
that's for sure: no doubt about it
that does it: enough
that will do: no more is needed
that's torn it: an unexpected event upsets one's plan
that's the ticket: that's just what is needed
there's nothing to it: it is very easy to do
there and then: immediately
there's nothing else for it: there is no alternative
play second fiddle: be less important
play his cards right: make good use of one's resources/strategies
play with fire: do something dangerous
pull one's weight: do one's share
pull strings: use your influence in order to get something
pull one's socks up: one have to make a great effort
catch someone in the act: to discover somebody while doing something wrong
compare notes: exchange opinions
lay down the law: tell people what they must do
let oneself go: relax completely
look daggers at somebody: look angrily at somebody
lose the thread of sg: not to understand something because it is too complicated or you cannot concentrate
pip somebody at the post: defeat somebody at the last moment
send somebody packing: ask somebody to leave immediately
wait one's turn: wait patiently for your opportunity to do something
work wonders: be surprisingly beneficial/cause improvements
wet behind the ears: lacking experience
thick-skinned: insensitive to criticism
dog-eared: a turned down corner of a page
stiff-necked: stubborn
gate-crasher: a person attends an event without invitation
crow's feet: wrinkles at the outer corner of the eye
kick the bucket: die
smell a rat: be suspicious about something
have a screw loose: be silly or eccentric
off one's head: crazy
hair-raising: very frightening
have kittens: become extremely upset about something
hot under the collar: displaying great enthusiasm
throw a wobbly: suddenly becomes very upset and make a big display of it
pay through the nose: pay all your money
talk shop: talk about work/job
the gift of the gab: be good at talking
off the cuff: without preparation
go Dutch: share the cost of something
behind bars: in prison
A rolling stone gathers no moss.: If someone is on the move, does not collect deep connections.
Practice makes perfect: frequently doing something makes one better at doing it
out of the frying pan and into the fire: from a bad situation to a worse situation
mutton dressed as lamb: an old woman trying to look and dress like a much younger one
as keen as mustard: enthusiastic
hen-pecked: criticised
hard up: short of money
make ends meet: earn just enough money to live on
a skinflint: a person who spends as little money as possible
in the red: in debt
nest egg: money saved for the future
caught up: became involved involuntarily
on the mend: improving health
polish off: finish quickly
icing/frosting on the cake: an additional benefit/good thing
rabbit around/about: talk about something too much
sour grapes: be jealous for something that somebody can't have
storm in the tea cup: a small problem is exaggerated
take sg with a pinch of salt: treat somehting skeptically/with reservations
upset the apple cart: spoil somebody's plans
egghead: an academic person
a bad apple: a trouble maker
a tough cookie: very determined/usually succeeds
as nice as pie: extremely pleasant/polite
like peas in a pod: very close or intimate
egg somebody on: urge somebody to continue doing something unwise
like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth: looks innocent
have somebody eating out of one's hand: easily make somebody do or think what you want
spice things up: add excitement or interest to a story
beef up: make something stronger/more effective
that's the way the cookie crumbles: that is the way matters have worked out
in the driving seat: in control of a situation
wait for the dust to settle: wait for an unsettled situation to become calm
on the right track: acting in a way that will bring a desired result
on the ropes: having serious problems and likely to fail
in a tight corner: in a difficult situation
plays her cards close to her chest: keeps her plans or ideas secret
got something up his sleeve: has a plan or idea he will keep secret until needed
strike while the iron is hot: do something immediately while you have a good chance of achieving success
chip on your shoulder: be sensitive about something
have your head screwed on: be practical and wise
lose your head: not have control of your emotions
use your head: use your own intelligence
break one's heart: cause someone great emotional pain
take something to heart: think about something seriously
not have the heart to do something: feel unable to do something because it would be unkind
I let my heart rule my head: In my decisions I will follow my feelings
bite the bullet: make yourself do something unpleasant or difficult
be in a saddle: be in a position of control/responsibility
learn the ropes: learn how to do a particular job
be on the same wavelength: think in a similar way
beat a hasty retreat: go away quickly from an unpleasant place/situation
take the wind out of somebody's sail: make somebody less confident by saying something unexpected
keep a tight rein on something/somebody: control something/somebody strictly
get your wires crossed: be confused about something
as sick as a dog: To be very sick
as busy as a bee: very busy, in a purposeful and pleasant way, hard working
as slow as a snail: extremely slow
as healthy as a horse: very healthy
as strong as an ox: very strong
as proud as a peacock: extremely proud
as poor as a church mouse: extremely poor
as happy as a clam at high tide: extremely happy
as happy as a lark: very happy, content
as free as a bird: completely free to do what you want and without any worries