idioms Flashcards
(190 cards)
1
Q
pick out
A
select
2
Q
call on
A
visit
3
Q
drop in on
A
visit
4
Q
so far
A
until now
5
Q
as of yet
A
until now-
6
Q
look up
A
search for info in directory,dictionary
7
Q
wait on
A
serve in the restaurant
Young clerk … me in the restaurant.
8
Q
put away
A
remove smth
9
Q
take out
A
remove smth -
10
Q
look out
A
be careful
11
Q
watch out
A
be careful-
12
Q
get back
A
return
Mr.Samers got back from trip to London
13
Q
get over
A
recover from illness
It took just one day to get over my cold.Now I feel really better.
14
Q
make up one’s mind
A
reach a decision
15
Q
for the time being
A
temporarily
For the time being,Janet is working as a secretary.
16
Q
for good
A
permanently,forever
Matt has returned to Belarus for good.He doesn’t want to live abroad whatsoever.
17
Q
call off
A
cancel
The referee called off the game because of darkness.
18
Q
in a rush
A
in a hurry
She ‘s always in a rush in the morning to get her children to school.
19
Q
get along with
A
to associate or work well with
Tom isn’t getting along with his new roommate.
20
Q
get on with
A
to associate or work well with
How are you getting on with your students?
21
Q
feel under the weather
A
catch cold
Jim caught a cold recently and feels under the weather now.
22
Q
hang up
A
put the clothes on a hook/hanger
23
Q
hang up
A
stop the conversation on a telephone
24
Q
few and far between
A
unusual,rare
Airplane flights are very safe and crashes are a few and far between.
25
look over
check over
| Before going to school you 'd look over your homework.
26
have time off
have free time
| Everyday workers have time off for dinner.
27
all along
all the time
| She knew all along that our plan would not work out.
28
right away
immediately
| Siona will be ready right away.
29
would rather
prefer to
| Would you rather go to ski or skating.
30
call it a day/night
stop working at a day/night
31
point out
show,indicate
| The teacher pointed out my mistakes.
32
take turns
change one by one
| Children decided to take turns while playing video game.
33
brush up on smth
review smth after a period of time
| Jim decided to brush up on Spanish,because he didn't speak it for years.
34
back and forth
in a backward and forward motion
| The lion kept racing back and forth while hunting.
35
quite a few
a few
| Quite a few students were absent yesterday.
36
now and then
sometimes
| I don't see him very often,but now and then we arrange to have lunch together.
37
once in a while
sometimes
| Gary gets a cold once in a while even though he takes good care of himself.
38
every so often
sometimes
| Every so often my brother and I get together for a camping trip.
39
every other
every second
| Every other Friday we play football with my friends.
40
keep out
not allow to enter
| Please,keep your dog out.
41
keep away
stay at a distance
| Please,keep children away from the street.
42
find fault with
criticize
| Mr.Jones is finding a fault with the work of others.
43
ill at ease
feel uncomfortable
| Speaking in front of the audience makes many people to feel ill at ease.
44
look into
investigate
| The police is looking into the matter of stolen articles.
45
take hold of
grasp
| The blind man took hold of my arm while crossing the road.
46
keep track of
remember the location;keep a record
| I don't know how Jim keeps track of all his seven children.
47
be/get carried away
being affected by ..
Jim got carried away with a fear when he crossed the road.
They were carried away by sad movie.
48
catch fire
begin to burn
| Don't stay near the stove,you clothes may catch fire.
49
stands to reason
clear;logical
| It stands to reason that man was poor.
50
once in a blue moon
rare
| Once in a blue moon my wife and I visited expensive restaurant.
51
cut and dried
predictable,boring
| The results of national elections were cut and dried.
52
once and for all
finally
| I told him once and for all that I'll be alone.
53
come true
become reality
| Everything he had predicted come true.
54
out of touch
without contact
| Mary and I have been out of touch for years.
55
on one's toes
be alert
| You'd better stay on your toes,while driving so recklessly.
56
hard of hearing
deaf.
| I guess,he's hard of hearing,because he doesn't respond while I'm talking to him.
57
above all
mainly
| Above all,don't mention this problem to Gary.
58
to be bound to
to be sure.
| We are bound to be late if you make it so slowly.
59
to try out
to test
| You have to try out this computer in case of some problems.
60
tear down
to destroy
| The excavator tore down the old building of hotel.
61
tear up
to rip into small pieces
| Our director tore up the contract yesterday.
62
at heart
truly,basically
| John is being rude with me,but at heart he's a kind person.
63
tell apart
to distinguish
| We have twins in our village,but parents only can tell them apart.
64
in the way
to obstruct;to block
| We drove fast until big truck appeared in our way.
65
put up
to accept unwillingly
| The employee was fired ,because our boss couldn't put up with his mistakes.
66
day in and day out
constantly,continually
| It was raining in April,day in and day out.
67
catch up with
to reach the equal requirement
| First we need to catch up with them and only then to keep up with them.
68
hold still
not to move
| Please,hold still while I'm adjusting your tie.
69
know by sight
to recognize
| The woman said that she'd know the thief by sight if she met him.
70
by far
clearly
| Jack is by far the greatest poet in our school.
71
no wonder
not surprisingly
| Jack was abroad last week.No wonder we haven't seen him.
72
take apart
disassemble
| In order to fix the engine,an engineer too the engine apart.
73
put together
assemble
| Only one person has put the details together the machine work.
74
take by surprise
surprise
| The offer at the entrance of the shop took me by surprise.
75
name after
to name someone by the name of another person
| They named their daughter after their grandmother.
76
stop by
visit or stay somewhere shortly
| We'd stop by the supermarket to buy some apples.
77
drop (someone) a line
to write a note
| Please,drop me a line when reach a continent.
78
stand a chance of ...ing
The city's football team stands a chance of winning annual competition.
79
take pains
work carefully
| Jim takes pains to do very well;he's the best employee.
80
look on
to watch as a spectator
| I stood and looked on as the police arrested a criminal.
81
look up to
to respect greatly
| The children look up to their parents day in and day out.
82
look down on
feel superior to
| Why does Lisa look down on Mario?
83
pull off
to succeed in smth difficult
| The managers pulled off a big deal by buying shares of another company.
84
make do
manage; cope
| She has to make do with what she has now,because of the financial difficulties in the world.
85
go in for
have an interest;sport or hobby
| Jim goes in for tennis while his wife goes for painting.
86
stay in
stay at home
| On a rainy day I prefer to stay in and read.
87
knock out
make unconscious; impress greatly
Linda's beautiful appearance knocked me out.
On last competition boxer showed the best knockout in boxing history.
88
knock oneself out
work very hard to do smth
| Don't knock yourself out while practicing.
89
carry out
to accomplish;execute
| It's easy to write a plan, but hard to carry it out.
90
set out
start traveling towards a place
| We set out for the top of the mountain at dawn.
91
give and take
cooperation
| Give and take is an important element of successful marriage.
92
drop out of
stop attending
| Some students drop out of school during teenage years to find a job.
93
cheer up
make happier
| We all tried to cheer up the little boy ,who was brought up in orphanage,by buying some ice cream for him.
94
get away
to get free;escape
| No one knew how to arrest the criminal,who wanted to get away from the police.
95
get away with
avoid punishment for
| Jonathan tried to get away with coming late to work;someday he'll be penalized.
96
keep up
prevent from sleeping;continue maintaining
| Please,turn down the TV volume,you're keeping up the children.
97
keep up with
have current knowledge of
| Jane keeps up with world affairs by reading a magazine.
98
stand out
to be easily noticed
| Red hair of Jane makes her stand out from others in the group.
99
let on
reveal or tell what you know;hint
| They asked me not to let on to John that we're planning to organize a big party for him.
100
meet (someone) halfway
to compromise with someone
| Steve wanted 4600,but John offered 4000.They met each other halfway and agreed on 4200.
101
check up on
to examine smth to determine the conditions
| The government always checks up on working conditions at some companies.
102
come about
happen
| The flood came about as a result of torrential rains.
103
bring about
cause to happen
| Annual torrential rains bring about serious flooding.
104
die down
lessen in strength
| The hurricane became less serious when the wind died down.
105
die out
not exist any more
| Scientists still unsure why the dinosaurs died out.
106
live up to
fulfill (the standards)
| It was clear that a man couldn't live up to her family's standards.
107
stick it to
to cheat
| Don't believe that salesman,he'll stick it to you at the first opportunity.
108
stand up for
support;defend
| Tom stood up for his friend ,when he faced a problem with a bully.
109
take on
hire
| Our factory is going to take a lot of new employees on this year.
110
take down
wright what is said
| The secretary took down everything that was said at the meeting.
111
fall through
not to succeed
| Our plan to go to Europe this year fell through as we couldn't collect enough money.
112
give in
surrender
| Completely surrounded by our soldiers,the enemy finally gave in.
113
give off
release
| When water boils,it gives off steam.
114
hold a grudge against
The teacher holds a grudge against a bully in the class.
115
to have it out with
to quarrel with
| I'm going to have it out with Jack about all the times that he has told us lie.
116
hold out
endure
| If our supply of food and water holds out, we plan to camp here for another week.
117
hold over
to extent;to keep for a longer time
| Let's hold discussion of this problem of this problem over until our next meeting.
118
let up
to lessen in intensity
| If the rain lets up soon,we go out.
119
lay off
to fire
| If business continue to be slow ,our company lays off some workers.
120
bring out
to show; introduce
| Automobile companies bring out new models each year.
121
wait up for
to wait until late at night without going to bed.
| Don't wait up for me.I'll be late.
122
break off
to terminate;discontinue
| During the war countries break off diplomatic relationships.
123
wear off
disappear gradually
| I have a headache.It'll wear off after an hour or so.
124
wear down
become worn gradually through use
| If you drag your feel while you walk,you'll wear down your shoes quickly.
125
touch and go
risky;uncertain until the end
| The complicated medical operation was touch and go for several hours.
126
have one's heart to set on
to desire greatly
| She has her heart to set on going abroad.
127
buy up
to buy all the stock of goods,products
| Before the hurricane struck,residents bought up all the food and water in the store.
128
buy out
purchase a business or company
| Large companies often buy out small ,which are having financial difficulties.
129
sell out
sell all items
| The store is closing its doors for good and is selling out everything this weekend.
130
cut out for
to have the necessary skills or talent
| John is not cut out for the work he has currently.
131
be up to smth
to be doing smth
| Hi,Jack.I haven't seen you in a long time.What have you been up to?
132
go through
to undergo
| I can't believe that she went through to get that job.
133
go without saying that
be known without the need to mention
| It goes without saying that you'd drive slower here.
134
put smone on
to joke with someone
| Don't worry.I wouldn't expect you to do all that work by yourself.I'm just putting you on.
135
keep one's head
to be calm in a case of emergency
| When the heater caused a fire,Jill kept her head and phoned 911.
136
lose one's head
not to think clearly;lose self-control
| When Jim saw a goat in the center of New York he lost his head and crushed into the signal light pole.
137
stand up
to withstand use or wear
| My old car has stood up well over the years.I haven't had any major problems with it.
138
get the better of
win or defeat by gaining advantage over smone
| Jim doesn't seem to be very athletic at tennis,but if you're not careful,he'll get the better of you.
139
break loose
become free or loose;escape
| During the race one contestant broke the loose from the pack of racers and finished the line.
140
on edge
nervous;anxious;upset;irritable
| Day in and day out Sara was on edge,because of her family problems.
141
waste someone's breath
not able to convince someone
| Don't argue with Frank any longer.You're wasting your breath trying to change his view.
142
cut short
make shorter
| The moderator asked speaker to cut his speech short ,because they were out of time.
143
step in
become involved or concerned about smth
| When children started to fight on a playground,the teacher stepped in and stopped the fight.
144
step down
retire;resign
| Next May the principal will step down after thirty years of service to the school.
145
step on
treat severely;discipline
| Sometimes it's necessary to step on children in case to rear good personalities.
146
more or less
approximate;same size
| Our rooms more or less have the same size.
147
screw up
confuse;cause problems in
The streets' numbers can screw up anyone.
Instead of fixing television,the technician screwed it up even more.
148
goof up
perform badly
| I really goofed up on the exam,I feel it.
149
go off the deep end
become angry and do smth hastily
| When she asked him for divorce,he went off the deep end and starter to shout.
150
loose one's touch
fail at what one used to do well
| I played tennis very well,but today I lost.I must have lost my touch.
151
in hand
under firm control
| While driving the driver had the car in hand.
152
on hand
available
| I constantly keep some extra money on hand in case of emergency.
153
kick the habit
stop a bad habit
| Once a child becomes accustomed to chewing his nails,it's difficult kick the habit.
154
cover up
hide,conceal
| Factory workers decided to cover up a crime.
155
go through channels
send a request through the normal way
| If you go through proper channels in this company,it's hard to get anything done quickly.
156
last straw
the final event in a series of unacceptable actions.
| When my friend didn't return money to me,it was the final straw.
157
make sone tick
motivate someone
| It's been impossible to figure out what makes the boss tick.
158
bow out
stop doing regular activity
| She bowed out as a registrar at the school.
159
pin smth on
find smone guilty of a crime or offence
| The attorney tried to pin the crime on the husband,but he wasn't guilty.
160
get a rise out of
provoke an angry response
| You can put me on all the time,but you won't get a rise out of me.
161
stick around
to remain at the same place;wait
| John had to stick around the house all day until furniture was delivered.
162
pick up the tab
to pay the cost or bill for another person
| My friend moved to London and his company picks up the tab.
163
went to town
do smth enthusiastically
| Chris really went to town on his project.
164
let slide
neglect a duty;ignore a situation
| John had to pay the bill for electricity,but he let it slide.
165
live it up
spend money freely
| After receiving a inheritance,I lived it up for years.
166
liven up
energize;make more active
| Many people have to drink coffee to liven up themselves.
167
take at one's word
to accept what one's telling;believe
| You should be careful about taking her at her word.She 's been known to be a liar.
168
serve the purpose
be useful
| I'm not sure whether screw driver can open this can,but the knife will serve the purpose.
169
lose one's cool
be angry
| Despite having some accidents on the way,the couch didn't lose his cool.
170
leave open
delay making a decision
| The managers of the festival left the date open until the beginning of August.
171
miss the boat
lose an opportunity
| The gold market went good during last year,but John lost the boat by investing into China.
172
throw someone a curve
```
to introduce an unexpected topic;to embarrass
The first week in class was going well until one student threw a teacher a curve by suggesting that the text book was difficult.
```
173
make waves
create disturbances,usually by complaining.
| In the companies employees who make waves are not welcomed.
174
not on your life
no way
| You ask me to invest in that second rate company?Not on your life!
175
cover a lot of/too little ground
discuss much material
| During the lecture our teacher covered too little ground.
176
mind the store
be responsible for an office while others are gone.
| While many employees went for lunch,Sue was minding the store.
177
throw the book at
to penalize someone;be harsh on
| My boss threw the book at me when he discovered that I had used the company's time for my own advantage.
178
put one's foot in one's mouth
to say or do the wrong thing
| Fred really put his foot in his mouth when he called his boss by the wrong name.
179
be up for grabs
become available to others
| When senator retired ,his seat was up for grabs.
180
show off
to show in order to attract attention
| She has a tendency to show her possessions off.
181
learn the ropes
become familiar with routine procedures at work /school
| She didn't know he duty,but she had an ability to learn the ropes quickly.
182
to land on one's feet
recover safely from unpleasant situation
| After serious difficulties James landed on his feet quickly.
183
be a far cry from
be very different from
| I like Seattle,but it's a far cry from my ideal destination.
184
get out from under
recover own financial situation
| After years of financial difficulties,a couple got out from under the debt.
185
give someone a big hand
to applause
| When the vocalist sung,the audience gave him a big hand.
186
goof off
waste time
| When our boss is away,all employees goof off.
187
talk back
to answer in a rude manner
| If you talk back to me like that once more,you're going to lose the best friend.
188
get out of line
disobey or ignore normal procedures
| Any employee, who get out of line, is punished.
189
keep after
remind constantly,nag
| Jim is so forgetful,so it's necessary to keep after him.
190
play by ear
play music once heard,but never read
| That pianist can play most popular music by ear.She never needs to read it.
