Idioms Flashcards
(20 cards)
A piece of cake
Very easy
Example: “The exam was a piece of cake.”
Break the ice
To make people feel more comfortable in a social situation.
Example: “He told a joke to break the ice at the party.”
Call it a day
To stop working on something.
Example: “I’m tired, let’s call it a day.”
Get cold feet
To become nervous before an important event.
Example: “He got cold feet before his wedding.”
In a nutshell
Briefly, in a few words.
Example: “In a nutshell, the meeting was about budget cuts.”
Let sleeping dogs lie
To avoid stirring up trouble.
Example: “It’s best to let sleeping dogs lie and not bring up the argument again.”
Miss the boat
To miss an opportunity.
Example: “I waited too long to buy tickets and missed the boat.”
On the ball
Alert, quick to understand and act.
Example: “Our new assistant is really on the ball.”
Once in a blue moon
Very rarely.
Example: “We only go out to a fancy restaurant once in a blue moon.”
Take it with a grain of salt
To not completely believe something.
Example: “You should take everything he says with a grain of salt.”
The best of both worlds
Having the advantages of two different things.
Example: “Living in the suburbs gives us the best of both worlds: peace and quiet, but close to the city.”
Through thick and thin
Through good times and bad times.
Example: “We’ve been friends through thick and thin.”
To be in hot water
To be in trouble.
Example: “He’s in hot water with his boss for being late again.”
To bite off more than you can chew
To take on a task that is too difficult.
Example: “I think I bit off more than I can chew by volunteering for so many projects.”
To hit the nail on the head
To say or do exactly the right thing.
Example: “You’ve hit the nail on the head – that’s exactly the problem!”
To bury the hatchet
To make peace after a disagreement or conflict.
Example: After years of fighting, the two brothers finally decided to bury the hatchet.
To go the extra mile
To make more effort than is expected.
Example: She always goes the extra mile for her customers to make sure they are happy.
To have your head in the clouds
To be unrealistic or impractical; to not pay attention to what is happening around you.
Example: He has his head in the clouds if he thinks he can win the lottery without buying a ticket
To sit on the fence
To remain neutral and not take sides in a dispute or decision.
Example: When asked about his opinion, he preferred to sit on the fence
To throw in the towel
To give up; to admit defeat.
Example: After failing the test twice, he felt like throwing in the towel.
