groan inwardly
- feel dismayed by something but remain silent.
Everything has a tepid inevitability, and even as you smile you may be groaning inwardly
chicken out
- to decide not to do something because one is afraid
He was going to ask her on a date, but he chickened out at the last minute.
spirit away
- To take, sneak, or carry someone or something away in a mysterious, secretive, or furtive manner
Someone spirited away the suspect just before he was due to be arraigned in court.
plough back
- reinvest profits in the enterprise producing them.
Savings made through greater efficiency will be ploughed back into the service
eager breaver
- a keen and enthusiastic person who works very hard.
When she first started working she was a real eager beaver
be left holding the baby
- be left with an unwelcome responsibility, typically without warning
The other investors pulled out of the project and we were left holding the baby.
cap in hand
- humbly asking for a favour.
We have to go cap in hand begging for funds
hold out a carrot
- persuade them to do something by offering them a reward
Dad’s going to have to dangle a carrot in front of us
if he wants us to clean out the whole garage.
show and tell
If someone does a show and tell, they show people something and talk about it
helter-skelter
-Haphazard; chaotic.
The campaign has been utterly helter-skelter. They don’t even have an official spokesperson
tilt at windmills
- To waste time fighting enemies or trying to resolve issues that are imaginary.
The CEO seems to be tilting at windmills lately, flinging accusations at members of the press for no reason.
het up
- highly excited; upset; ..
What are you so het up about?
the whole ball of wax
- everything
There’s nothing more to tell you. That’s the whole ball of wax.
punch-up
- make something more lively or interesting.
he needed to punch up his meandering presentation
to cast pearls before swine
- offer valuable things to people who do not appreciate them
I’m afraid you’re casting pearls before swine with your good advice - he won’t listen.
stuff and non-sense
- Utter foolishness or absurdity
He deplored that a great deal of stuff and nonsense is being put across, mainly by commercial firms, about alleged vitamins
to be ill at ease
- uneasy
He seemed ill at ease when we spoke with him.
in a jiffy
- Immediately, very quickly, or at once
Don’t worry, boss, I’ll have this report typed up in a jiffy.
a wild goose chase
- a foolish and hopeless search for or pursuit of something unattainable.
Physicists searching for the hypothetical particle may be on a wild goose chase
sit on the fence
- avoid making a decision or choice
You can’t sit on the fence any longer - you have to decide whose side you’re on
