Idioms Flashcards
(171 cards)
1
Q
What does the idiom “A blessing in disguise” mean?
A
A good thing that seemed bad at first
2
Q
What does the idiom “A dime a dozen” mean?
A
Something common
3
Q
What does the idiom “Beat around the bush” mean?
A
Avoid saying what you mean, usually because it is uncomfortable
4
Q
What does the idiom “Better late than never” mean?
A
Better to arrive late than not to come at all
5
Q
What does the idiom “Bite the bullet” mean?
A
To get something over with because it is inevitable
6
Q
What does the idiom “Break a leg” mean?
A
Good luck
7
Q
What does the idiom “Call it a day” mean?
A
Stop working on something
8
Q
What does the idiom “Cut somebody some slack” mean?
A
Don’t be so critical
9
Q
What does the idiom “Cutting corners” mean?
A
Doing something poorly in order to save time or money
10
Q
What does the idiom “Easy does it” mean?
A
Slow down and be careful
11
Q
What does the idiom “Get out of hand” mean?
A
Get out of control
12
Q
What does the idiom “Get something out of your system” mean?
A
Do the thing you’ve been wanting to do so you can move on
13
Q
What does the idiom “Get your act together” mean?
A
Work better or leave
14
Q
What does the idiom “Give someone the benefit of the doubt” mean?
A
Trust what someone says
15
Q
What does the idiom “Go back to the drawing board” mean?
A
Start over
16
Q
What does the idiom “Hang in there” mean?
A
Don’t give up
17
Q
What does the idiom “Hit the sack” mean?
A
Go to sleep
18
Q
What does the idiom “It’s not rocket science” mean?
A
It’s not complicated
19
Q
What does the idiom “Let someone off the hook” mean?
A
To not hold someone responsible for something
20
Q
What does the idiom “Make a long story short” mean?
A
Tell something briefly
21
Q
What does the idiom “Miss the boat” mean?
A
It’s too late
22
Q
What does the idiom “No pain, no gain” mean?
A
You have to work for what you want
23
Q
What does the idiom “On the ball” mean?
A
Doing a good job
24
Q
What does the idiom “Pull someone’s leg” mean?
A
To joke with someone
25
What does the idiom "Pull yourself together" mean?
Calm down
26
What does the idiom "So far so good" mean?
Things are going well so far
27
What does the idiom "Speak of the devil" mean?
The person we were just talking about showed up!
28
What does the idiom "That's the last straw" mean?
My patience has run out
29
What does the idiom "The best of both worlds" mean?
An ideal situation
30
What does the idiom "Time flies when you're having fun" mean?
You don't notice how long something lasts when it's fun
31
What does the idiom "Add fuel to the fire" mean?
To make a bad situation worse
32
What does the idiom "All bark and no bite" mean?
Someone who talks tough but doesn’t act on it
33
What does the idiom "All ears" mean?
Listening intently
34
What does the idiom "Bend over backward" mean?
Make a great effort to help someone
35
What does the idiom "Blow off steam" mean?
Do something to relieve stress
36
What does the idiom "Burn the midnight oil" mean?
Stay up late working or studying
37
What does the idiom "Caught between a rock and a hard place" mean?
Facing two difficult choices
38
What does the idiom "Come out of the woodwork" mean?
Appear suddenly or unexpectedly
39
What does the idiom "Cross that bridge when you come to it" mean?
Deal with a problem when it happens, not before
40
What does the idiom "Cry wolf" mean?
To call for help when it isn’t needed
41
What does the idiom "Curiosity killed the cat" mean?
Being too inquisitive can lead to trouble
42
What does the idiom "Drive someone up the wall" mean?
Annoy or irritate someone intensely
43
What does the idiom "Eat crow" mean?
To admit one was wrong and apologize
44
What does the idiom "Face the music" mean?
Accept the consequences of one’s actions
45
What does the idiom "Get off on the wrong foot" mean?
Begin something poorly or awkwardly
46
What does the idiom "Hit the ground running" mean?
Start something with energy and enthusiasm
47
What does the idiom "In the same boat" mean?
In the same difficult situation as someone else
48
What does the idiom "Jump through hoops" mean?
To go through many challenges to achieve something
49
What does the idiom "Keep your chin up" mean?
Remain positive in a difficult situation
50
What does the idiom "Last but not least" mean?
Something mentioned last but not less important
51
What does the idiom "Let sleeping dogs lie" mean?
Avoid bringing up old conflicts
52
What does the idiom "Make a mountain out of a molehill" mean?
Exaggerate the severity of a situation
53
What does the idiom "Out of the blue" mean?
Unexpectedly
54
What does the idiom "Put all your eggs in one basket" mean?
Risk everything on a single plan
55
What does the idiom "Raining cats and dogs" mean?
Raining heavily
56
What does the idiom "Skeletons in the closet" mean?
Hidden secrets
57
What does the idiom "Throw in the towel" mean?
To give up
58
What does the idiom "Under your nose" mean?
Something very close or obvious that’s unnoticed
59
What does the idiom "Water under the bridge" mean?
Past issues that are no longer significant
60
What does the idiom "With flying colors" mean?
Complete successfully with distinction
61
Question
Answer
62
What does the idiom "A chip on your shoulder" mean?
Holding a grudge
63
What does the idiom "A leopard can't change its spots" mean?
People cannot change their true nature
64
What does the idiom "A slap on the wrist" mean?
A mild punishment
65
What does the idiom "A taste of your own medicine" mean?
Experiencing the same negative treatment one gives others
66
What does the idiom "At the drop of a hat" mean?
Without hesitation
67
What does the idiom "Back to the salt mines" mean?
Returning to work, usually reluctantly
68
What does the idiom "Bite the hand that feeds you" mean?
To harm or criticize someone who helps you
69
What does the idiom "Break the bank" mean?
Spend all of one’s savings
70
What does the idiom "Bury the hatchet" mean?
Make peace with someone
71
What does the idiom "By the book" mean?
Follow rules or instructions exactly
72
What does the idiom "Close but no cigar" mean?
Almost correct but not entirely successful
73
What does the idiom "Cold feet" mean?
Fearful at the last minute
74
What does the idiom "Cut to the chase" mean?
Get to the point
75
What does the idiom "Devil's advocate" mean?
To argue against something for the sake of debate
76
What does the idiom "Elephant in the room" mean?
An obvious issue that everyone is ignoring
77
What does the idiom "Every man for himself" mean?
Everyone must take care of themselves without relying on others
78
What does the idiom "Fish out of water" mean?
Someone who feels uncomfortable in a new situation
79
What does the idiom "Fools rush in" mean?
People with little experience often take unnecessary risks
80
What does the idiom "Get a grip" mean?
Control your emotions
81
What does the idiom "Have a bone to pick" mean?
Having an issue to discuss, often a grievance
82
What does the idiom "Hold your horses" mean?
Wait a moment; be patient
83
What does the idiom "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" mean?
Don't change something that’s working fine
84
What does the idiom "In hot water" mean?
In trouble
85
What does the idiom "Keep your nose clean" mean?
Stay out of trouble
86
What does the idiom "Let the cat out of the bag" mean?
Reveal a secret
87
What does the idiom "On the same page" mean?
To have the same understanding as someone else
88
What does the idiom "Pull out all the stops" mean?
Use all available resources to achieve something
89
What does the idiom "Shake a leg" mean?
Hurry up
90
What does the idiom "Stick to your guns" mean?
Maintain your position or opinion despite opposition
91
What does the idiom "The ball is in your court" mean?
It’s your decision or responsibility to act
92
What does the idiom "A penny for your thoughts" mean?
Asking someone what they are thinking
93
What does the idiom "Burning the candle at both ends" mean?
Overworking to the point of exhaustion
94
What does the idiom "Couch potato" mean?
A person who is lazy and watches a lot of TV
95
What does the idiom "Cut the mustard" mean?
To meet expectations or do a good job
96
What does the idiom "Dog days of summer" mean?
The hottest days of summer
97
What does the idiom "Down to the wire" mean?
At the last possible moment
98
What does the idiom "Drop a bombshell" mean?
Reveal shocking news
99
What does the idiom "Feather in your cap" mean?
An accomplishment to be proud of
100
What does the idiom "Go out on a limb" mean?
Take a risk
101
What does the idiom "Have a green thumb" mean?
Be good at gardening
102
What does the idiom "In the bag" mean?
Assured of success
103
What does the idiom "Jump on the bandwagon" mean?
Follow a popular trend
104
What does the idiom "Keep your eye on the ball" mean?
Stay focused
105
What does the idiom "Know the ropes" mean?
Understand how things work
106
What does the idiom "Leave someone high and dry" mean?
Abandon someone in a difficult situation
107
What does the idiom "Loose cannon" mean?
Someone unpredictable who may cause trouble
108
What does the idiom "Money doesn’t grow on trees" mean?
Money is not easy to obtain
109
What does the idiom "Out of the woods" mean?
Out of danger or difficulty
110
What does the idiom "Pass the buck" mean?
Shift responsibility to someone else
111
What does the idiom "Pay through the nose" mean?
Pay a lot of money
112
What does the idiom "Play it by ear" mean?
Improvise as a situation unfolds
113
What does the idiom "Riding shotgun" mean?
Sitting in the front passenger seat
114
What does the idiom "Rock the boat" mean?
Cause trouble or disrupt a situation
115
What does the idiom "Set in stone" mean?
Permanent or unchangeable
116
What does the idiom "Spill the beans" mean?
Reveal a secret
117
What does the idiom "The tip of the iceberg" mean?
A small part of a much larger issue
118
What does the idiom "Throw in the towel" mean?
Give up or surrender
119
What does the idiom "Two peas in a pod" mean?
Very similar people
120
What does the idiom "Under one's belt" mean?
An experience or achievement gained
121
What does the idiom "Wipe the slate clean" mean?
Start over without past problems
122
What does the idiom "All in the same boat" mean?
In the same situation as others, often a difficult one
123
What does the idiom "Apple of my eye" mean?
Someone cherished above all others
124
What does the idiom "Barking up the wrong tree" mean?
Pursuing a mistaken or misguided course of action
125
What does the idiom "Beat a dead horse" mean?
Waste effort on something that is no longer relevant
126
What does the idiom "Big fish in a small pond" mean?
An important person in a small community or organization
127
What does the idiom "Blow your own trumpet" mean?
Boast about one’s achievements
128
What does the idiom "Break the mold" mean?
Do something in a completely new way
129
What does the idiom "Burn the candle at both ends" mean?
Work excessively to the point of exhaustion
130
What does the idiom "Butterflies in your stomach" mean?
Feeling nervous
131
What does the idiom "Call it quits" mean?
Stop doing something
132
What does the idiom "Caught red-handed" mean?
Caught in the act of wrongdoing
133
What does the idiom "Clam up" mean?
Refuse to speak or become silent
134
What does the idiom "Clear the air" mean?
Resolve a tense situation
135
What does the idiom "Come clean" mean?
Admit the truth
136
What does the idiom "Cool as a cucumber" mean?
Very calm and composed
137
What does the idiom "Cut your losses" mean?
Stop an activity to prevent further loss
138
What does the idiom "Down to earth" mean?
Practical and realistic
139
What does the idiom "Draw the line" mean?
Set a limit on what is acceptable
140
What does the idiom "Fall on deaf ears" mean?
Be ignored or go unheard
141
What does the idiom "Fish out of water" mean?
Feeling out of place
142
What does the idiom "Fly off the handle" mean?
Lose one’s temper
143
What does the idiom "Follow in someone’s footsteps" mean?
Do what someone else did, often a family member
144
What does the idiom "Full of hot air" mean?
Talking nonsense or boasting
145
What does the idiom "Go cold turkey" mean?
Quit something abruptly, especially an addiction
146
What does the idiom "Go out on a limb" mean?
Take a risk
147
What does the idiom "Go the extra mile" mean?
Make a special effort beyond what is expected
148
What does the idiom "Golden opportunity" mean?
An excellent chance to achieve something
149
What does the idiom "Graveyard shift" mean?
A work shift during the very late night or early morning
150
What does the idiom "Head over heels" mean?
Completely in love
151
What does the idiom "Hit the jackpot" mean?
Achieve great success, often financially
152
What does the idiom "Hold down the fort" mean?
Take care of things while someone is away
153
What does the idiom "In a nutshell" mean?
Summarize something concisely
154
What does the idiom "In the doghouse" mean?
In trouble or disfavor
155
What does the idiom "Jump the gun" mean?
Start something too early
156
What does the idiom "Kick the bucket" mean?
Die
157
What does the idiom "Know the ropes" mean?
Be familiar with the details of a task or job
158
What does the idiom "Lend a hand" mean?
Help someone
159
What does the idiom "Let off steam" mean?
Release pent-up energy or emotion
160
What does the idiom "Live and let live" mean?
Accept other people’s differences and allow them to live as they choose
161
What does the idiom "Money talks" mean?
Wealth can influence decisions
162
What does the idiom "Not playing with a full deck" mean?
Lacking intelligence or sanity
163
What does the idiom "Once bitten, twice shy" mean?
Caution after a negative experience
164
What does the idiom "Open a can of worms" mean?
Start a complex or difficult issue
165
What does the idiom "Out on a limb" mean?
In a risky position without support
166
What does the idiom "Paint the town red" mean?
Go out and celebrate wildly
167
What does the idiom "Pass the buck" mean?
Shift responsibility to someone else
168
What does the idiom "Pull a rabbit out of a hat" mean?
Produce an unexpected solution
169
What does the idiom "Read between the lines" mean?
Understand the hidden meaning
170
What does the idiom "Spill the beans" mean?
Reveal a secret
171
What does the idiom "Steal someone’s thunder" mean?
Take credit for someone else’s idea
