British Idioms.-2 Flashcards
(27 cards)
Get (someone’s) act together
To organize yourself and improve your behavior.
Ex: You need to get your act together if you want to pass this class.
Alternative: “Put yourself together.” Port: recomponha-se. Ex: I was so angry about my boss, but I put myself together and managed to finish the meeting.
Argue the toss
To refuse to accept a decision and argue about it. Or to argue/disagree about something that is not important, that cannot be changed.
Ex: It doesn’t matter what you say, he’ll always argue the toss!
Ex: Arguing the toss over whether Sydney or Melbourne is a better place to live is an Australian pastime.
At a loose end
When you have spare time but don’t know what to do with it.
Ex: If you find yourself at a loose end, you could always clean the house.
Not by a long chalk
Not in any way
Ex: It wasn’t as good as his first book - not by a long chalk.
Canary in a coalmine / mine
Something that gives an early warning of danger or failure, in the way that, in the past, a canary taken into a mine would die if the air was not safe to breathe, warning the people working there.
Ex: The Arctic has been called the canary in a coalmine when it comes to global warming.
Ex: The canary in the mine is the airport. As long as its usage is down, hotel usage and the local economy will be down.
Carry/Take coals to Newcastle
Taking, bringing, or carrying coals to Newcastle is doing something that is completely unnecessary.
Ex: Exporting pine to Scandinavia seems like carrying coals to Newcastle.
Damp squib
If something is expected to have a great effect or impact but doesn’t, it is a damp squib.
Ex: After all that media attention, the whole event turned out to be a bit of a damp squib, with very few people attending.
Do a runner
To leave a place in order to avoid a difficult or unpleasant situation or to avoid paying for something.
Ex: They were arrested after doing a runner from an expensive restaurant.
Ex: Her dad did a runner soon after she was born.
Flog a dead horse
To waste effort on something when there is no chance of succeeding.
Ex: He keeps trying to get it published but I think he’s flogging a dead horse.
Get it in the neck
To be punished or severely criticized for something that you have done.
Ex: Poor old Bob got it in the neck for being late.
On the nod
If a suggestion is approved on the nod, it is accepted without discussion.
Ex: The new proposal went through on the nod.
Laugh up (someone’s) sleeve
To secretly find something funny.
Ex: The mayor’s critics were laughing up their sleeves when news of the scandal was first reported.
Leave the field open/clear
To stop competing with someone, making it possible for them to succeed.
Ex: Alice decided not to apply for the job, which left the field open/clear for Emma.
Money for old rope / Money for jam
Money you get for doing something very easy.
Ex: Babysitting is money for old rope if the children don’t wake up.
On the blink
If a machine goes on the blink, it stops working properly.
Ex: the TV is on the blink.
Quart into a pint pot
A large amount of something that will not fit into a small container or space.
Ex: In putting together the article, I was faced with the problem of fitting a quart into a pint pot, there being so much material available.
Ex: Writing a history of the world in a single volume is like putting a quart into a pint pot.
Shifting/Rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic
Used for saying that someone is wasting time dealing with things that are not important, and is ignoring a much more serious problem.
Ex: John is behind the schedule. He tends to shift/rearrange the deckchairs on the Titanic on every project.
Take the biscuit
To be especially annoying, surprising, etc. (especially in a bad way)
Ex: My life is incredibly boring, but today took the biscuit: absolutely nothing happened.
Bob is your uncle
Means: “and there it is”, or “and there you have it”, or “it’s done”.
It’s used to indicate that something is easy or straightforward.
Ex: Just complete the form, pay the fee, and Bob’s your uncle!
Make a mountain out of a molehill
To make a slight difficulty seem like a serious problem.
Ex: You’re making a mountain out of a molehill. You wrote one bad essay - it doesn’t mean you’re going to fail.
Swings and roundabouts
Said to mean that the positive and negative results of a situation or action balance each other.
Ex:
A: “The route through town would be shorter, but there’ll be more traffic.”
B: “Well, it’s just swings and roundabouts.”
Right pickle
To be in a difficult situation.
Ex: I was in a right pickle last week with my boss.
Bit of a lark
Means something is fun, but may also be a little bit dangerous.
Ex: That walk in the woods was a bit of a lark.
Over the top
Too extreme and not suitable, or demanding too much attention or effort, especially in an uncontrolled way.
Ex: I thought the decorations were way (= very) over the top.
