idioms

Question 1

on the ropes

Answer 1

having serious problems and likely to fail

Question 2

she plays her cards close to her chest

Answer 2

keeps her plans or ideas a secret

Question 3

not out of the woods

Answer 3

not yet free from difficulties or problems

Question 4

strike while the iron is hot

Answer 4

make use of an oppurtinity immediately because now is the best time to do it

Question 5

have a chip on your shoulder

Answer 5

be sensitive about or feel offended by sth, as a result of sth that happened in the past

Question 6

in the driving seat

Answer 6

in control of a situation

Question 7

have your head screwed up

Answer 7

be able to make sensible decisions

Question 8

keeping up with the Joneses

Answer 8

trying to have all the possesions and social achievements that your friends and neighbours have

Question 9

rest assured that

Answer 9

be completely certain or confident that

Question 10

bite the bullet

Answer 10

to force yourself to do something difficult or unpleasant that you have been avoiding doing

Question 11

beat a hasty retreat

Answer 11

go away quickly from an unpleasant place/situation

Question 12

take the wind out of someone’s sails

Answer 12

make sb less confident by saying or doing sth unexpected

Question 13

be in the saddle

Answer 13

be in position of control or responsibility

Question 14

get your wires crossed

Answer 14

to become confused about what someone is saying because you think they are talking about something else

Question 15

eating into my money

Answer 15

using up my money

Question 16

as thick as two short planks

Answer 16

very stupid

Question 17

hopping mad

Answer 17

very angry

Question 18

a live wire

Answer 18

a person who is lively and full of energy and enthusiasm

Question 19

the salt of the earth

Answer 19

a good reliable, honest person

Question 20

a cold fish

Answer 20

a person who shows little emotion or seems unfriendly

Question 21

ge through a bad/sticky patch

Answer 21

experience a difficult period in your life

Question 22

there’s little/ no love lost between them

Answer 22

they don’t like each other

Question 23

close ranks

Answer 23

join together to protect themselves, especially when they are being criticised

Question 24

as miserable as sin

Answer 24

used to emphasize that sb is very unhappy

Question 25

put sb on a pedestal

Answer 25

admire sb so much that you do not see their faults

Question 26

lavish sth on sb

Answer 26

give a lot, often too much, of sth to sb

Question 27

on an even keel

Answer 27

happening in a calm way, with no sudden hanges or disturbances

Question 28

flare up

Answer 28

suddenly become angry

Question 29

curl up

Answer 29

become very embarrassed

Question 30

mop sth up

Answer 30

complete or end sth by dealing with a few final details

Question 31

on the breadline

Answer 31

very poor, with little money to live on

Question 32

fork/pay sth out

Answer 32

spend a lot of money on sth, usually money you don't want to spend

Question 33

off your own bat

Answer 33

it's your idea and you do it without the help from others

Question 34

err on the side of caution

Answer 34

be careful and to take many risks

Question 35

splash out on sth

Answer 35

to spend a lot of money on sth

Question 36

in the lap of luxury

Answer 36

living in a very comfortable condition because you have a lot of money

Question 37

live from hand to mouth

Answer 37

to have just enough money or food to stay alive

Question 38

in arrears with sth

Answer 38

you are late paying the money you owe

Question 39

under the weather

Answer 39

looking or feeling ill

Question 40

feel/look loke death warmed up

Answer 40

feel or look very ill or tired

Question 41

pick up a bug

Answer 41

catch an infectious illness

Question 42

on the mend

Answer 42

getting better after an illness or injury

Question 43

it is touch-and-go

Answer 43

it is very uncertain wheter sth will happen or not

Question 44

flag sb down

Answer 44

signal a driver to stop by waving at them

Question 45

as the crow flies

Answer 45

in a straight line

Question 46

be murder

Answer 46

to be difficult and unpleasant

Question 47

miles from anywhere

Answer 47

on the countryside a long way from a town

Question 48

step/move a gear

Answer 48

start working more effectively or faster

Question 49

burn sth to a crisp/cinder

Answer 49

to cook sth for too long or with too much heat, so that it burns

Question 50

i could eat a horse

Answer 50

i'm very hungry

Question 51

eat like a bird

Answer 51

to eat very little

Question 52

the best thing since sliced bread

Answer 52

sth that you think is excellent

Question 53

have egg on your face

Answer 53

be embarrassed because sth you tried to do went wrong

Question 54

out of the frying pan and into the fire

Answer 54

used to say that sb who was in a bad situation is now in an even worse situation

Question 55

bite off more than you can chew

Answer 55

try to do much or do sth that is too difficult

Question 56

butter wouldn't melt in sb mouth

Answer 56

used to say that sb looks innocent, kind, etc... but really they are not

Question 57

have a finger in every pie

Answer 57

to be involved and have influence over many different activities

Question 58

cry over spilt milk

Answer 58

waste time worrying about sth that has already happened and that cannot be changed

Question 59

full of beans

Answer 59

full of energy

Question 60

pull your socks up

Answer 60

used to tell sb that they are not doing well and must work harder

Question 61

turn over a new leaf

Answer 61

change your life by starting to be a better person or stopping a bad habit

Question 62

in/by leaps and bounds

Answer 62

very quickly, in large amounts

Question 63

can't make tail/head of sth

Answer 63

be completely confused by sth

Question 64

on the grapevine

Answer 64

by talking in an informal way to ohter people

Question 65

keep your ear on the ground

Answer 65

make sure you find out about recent developments in a particular situation

Question 66

sb's face doesn't fit

Answer 66

used to say that sb won't get or keep the job because they are not the kind of person that the employer wants

Question 67

throw your weight around/about

Answer 67

tell people what to do in a bossy way

Question 68

i got the push/the elbow/boot

Answer 68

dismissed from a job

Question 69

shore/prop up sth

Answer 69

help to support sth that is weak or going to collapse

Question 70

at the eleventh hour

Answer 70

at the last possible moment

Question 71

hang in the balance

Answer 71

it is uncertain

Question 72

the going rate

Answer 72

the usual amount paid for goods and services

Question 73

rest on your laurels

Answer 73

be so satisfied with your achievements that you stop trying to achieve more

Question 74

in retrospect

Answer 74

when thinking about a past event or situation from the perspective of the present

Question 75

flood the market

Answer 75

produce sth in such large quantities that competing products suffer

Question 76

catch sb on the hop

Answer 76

to surprise sb because you do sth that they don't expect

Question 77

be in the doldrums

Answer 77

not be growing or doing well

Question 78

the firm had to slim down

Answer 78

cut the numbers of jobs and become smaller

Question 79

rising oil costs are eating into our profit

Answer 79

using up a part of our profit