Idioms Flashcards
(130 cards)
0
Q
To be in someone’s bad books
A
To have a bad reputation for someone
1
Q
gave something up as bad job
A
You don’t feel it is worth continuing.
2
Q
A bad lot
A
A bad person
3
Q
Go from bad to worse
A
The situation goes from bad to worse
4
Q
A bad patch
A
Period of bad luck. The economy is going through a bad patch.
5
Q
Make the most of a bad job
A
Do what is possible.
6
Q
A big hit
A
Very popular
7
Q
In a big way
A
On a large scale
8
Q
A big noise
A
An influential person
9
Q
Give someone a big hand
A
Applaud enthusiastically.
10
Q
Be dead against something
A
To oppose. Catholic church is dead against gay marriage.
11
Q
Cut some dead
A
Ignore someone completely
12
Q
Dead right
A
Absolutely correct
13
Q
A dead loss
A
Useless. I am a dead loss at dancing.
14
Q
Make a dead set at somebody
A
Attack someone. The girl made a dead set at her boyfriend for no reason.
15
Q
And that’s flat
A
And that’s all. (my last word)
16
Q
Go flat out
A
At top speed. I need to go flat out to my singing lesson.
17
Q
Tell somebody flat
A
Be direct. I told her flat I don’t love her,
18
Q
Fall flat
A
not succeed. My plan to go to Spain fell flat when I received the negative from the embassy.
19
Q
Knuck someone flat
A
Surprise. Her flirtatious behaviour knocked me flat.
20
Q
In no more than two minutes
A
In two minutes flat.
21
Q
Do somebody good
A
Be good for someone. This syrup will do you good.
22
Q
Be as good as gold
A
Behave very well. When you are Ian public ceremony, you have to be as good as gold.
23
Q
It will be for good
A
This marriage will be for good.
24
Do somebody a good turn
Give back a favour.
25
To take a hard line
To be firm, not to cede. I will take the hard line with my students and will not accept their excuses.
26
To be hard hit
Adversely affected. I have been hard hit by the new taxation system.
27
Hard cash
cash
28
play hard to get
to pretend to be inaccessible. The girl I was flirting with last time was playing hard to get
29
To be in high spirits
Being in a cheerful mood.
30
High and low
Look everywhere possible.
31
Get on one's high horse
Behave in an arrogant manner.
32
Be for the high jump
Be due for severe punishment. If someone discovers you cheated in the exam you will be for the high jump.
33
A hot spot
Area of political unrest. Syria has become the new hot spot in the middle east.
34
A hot line
Direct access to something
35
A hot seat
Situation under pressure of being asked many questions.
36
Hot on something
You are very knowledgeable. Lucho is hot on zombie stories.
37
Blow hot and cold
Situation of indecision. Regarding my trip to Cuba, I am still blowing hot and cold
38
Make it hot for someone
Make things difficult foe people. I'll make it hot for my students I the exam.
39
Hot under the collar
Very angry. My father was hot under the collar when I crashed his car.
40
Piping hot
Very hot. I hate being served food piping hot
41
In hot water
People are angry at you. When I discovered he had been telling lies to his parents with regard to his marks, I knew he was in hot water.
42
Long drawn out
Slow-moving, lengthy. The film was long drawn out.
43
A long shot
Something that will probably not succeed. This plan is a long shot.
44
Go a long way
Be successful. Paula Mantilla is a girl who will go a long way
45
In the long term
In the future
46
To be as broad as it is long
Impossible to decide. I can't decide on staying at ilud or quitting, it is as broad as it is long.
47
And old fogey /fēugi/
Old fashioned
48
The old man
A male person of authority
49
An old hand
A person with a lot of experience.
50
A chip off the old block
Very similar in character
51
And old flame
A person one was attracted in the past
52
Make short work of something
So something quickly and effectively. You made short work of the report.
53
Run short of something
Run out of something. We're running short of coffee.
54
For short
Abbreviation. Everyone calls me Mike for short.
55
To fall short of
Not to reach something. This fils fell short of our expectations.
56
Short and to the point.
Concise and direct. This letter is short and to the point.
57
At short notice
Quickly without timely notification. They told us to work extra time at short notice.
58
Have a thing time
Difficult period because you don't have money. This month I am having a thin time because I have taxes to pay.
59
Thin on top
Bald.
60
Have got a thick skin
Able to ignore personal criticism. I admire Juliana Rincon because she has got a thick skin.
61
Lay something on thick.
Exaggerate. When teachers praise one student they will always lay them on thick.
62
In the thick of something
Be completely involved. We are in the thick of rehearsing the song.
63
To skate on thin ice
Be in a risky situation. I try to stay well informed so I don't end up skating on thin ice when the teacher asks me a question. You are skating on thin ice when you ask me that!
64
To vanish into thin air.
Disappear without a trace.
65
The start of a harmful development. There are those who see the closure of the hospital as the thin end of the wedge.
The thin end of the wedge.
66
To be as thick as two as two short planks.
Be very stupid.
67
As thick as thieves
Close-knit, friendly, allied.
68
Go off at the deep end
Become angry
69
Get hold of the wrong end of the stick
Misunderstand a situation. Jane asked Bill if he had time to drive her home, but he got hold of the wrong end of the stick and asked her over to his flat.
70
Take the line of least resistance
Find the easiest way of doing something.
71
Right down the line
At every stage. Learning a new language implies making efforts right down the line.
72
Somewhere along the line
At some stage. The results is not as good as we expected, we may have stumbled somewhere along the line.
73
Fall into line with
Agree to accept. My boss fell into line with my proposal of changing the marking system at school.
74
Get a line on somebody
Find info about someone you don't know. I need to get a line on the new manager, so as to comply with his work standards.
75
Drop a line
Write to someone. Drop us a line when you arrive in Australia.
76
a matter of concern
something very important. Studying languages is a matter of concern for me.
77
a matter of life and death
Something vital for someone. Reaching my dream of going to Australia is a matter of life and death.
78
a matter of opinion
It depends on personal viewpoints. Gay marriage legalisation is a matter of opinion
79
No laughing matter
Serious situation. Failing English for three consecutive terms is a no laughing matter.
80
A matter of time
the result will come out some day. Uribe being sent to jail for supporting violations against human rights is a matter of time.
81
any old how
Carelessly. Johny does not care about his homework. He usually does it at any how.
82
It is a wonder that...
It is a miracle that.....
83
It beats me...
I can't understand. It beats me how stupid he is.
84
It's anybody's guess
It can be anyone. Which team is going to win the match? - I don't know it's anybody's guess.
85
It makes no odds
It doesn't matter. Having a brand new mobile phone makes no odds, as long as it can dial.
86
It serves her right
It's just a punishment. He broke the window, it serves him right not to play football for quite a long time.
87
Get on in the world
Improve financially or increase the status. When I win the lottery I am going to get on in the world.
88
Come down in the world
Lose money or social position. Due to the economic crisis in Europe, middle class came down in the world.
89
Worlds apart
Very different. My father and I are worlds apart.
90
To be all in
To be very tired. After the exams I am all in.
91
to be all there
To be very smart and intelligent. I admire Santiago Forero, he is all there.
92
Stretch a point
Make an exception
93
Get to the point
Say what's important now. Get to the point and let's get on with the rest of the business
94
Can't see the point of.
See the reason. I'm afraid I can't see the point of not letting students eat in class.
95
What's more to the point?
Y aun mas. She took all my money and what's more to the point she took the key as well.
96
What's the point?
Why? It is not worth it? What's the point? They will never give me my money back
97
A thing of the past
Something that has been solved. Her divorce problems are a thing of the past
98
Sure thing
Of course.
99
It is not quite the thing
Socially unacceptable. Kissing her in the funeral was not quite the thing
100
Just the thing
Exactly what is needed. A van is just the thing for the family trip.
101
It's just one of those things
There's no way of planning. Hitting another car is just one of those things.
102
Slip your mind
To forget something. I didn't bring the money for the trip, I slipped my mind.
103
I have half mind to
Consider possibly doing something. I am half a mind to visit my family in Santana
104
Go off the deep end
Get very angry. He went off the deep end after he knew his brand new car was hit.
105
Get hold of the wrong end of the stick
misunderstand somebody's intention.
106
in the end
Finally
107
At the end of the day
When all has been considered.
108
To be all in
To be very tired
109
He's all there
He is very clever and alert
110
He is all the rage
He is very popular
111
For all I care
Does not care at all.
112
Namesake
Tocayo
113
Coroner
Forense
114
Face the music
Assume the consequences
115
Be caught red handed
Con las manos en la masa
116
Cut and dry
It's obvious
117
have her own way
Get what you want when having a strong personality. Martha manages to have her own way.
118
Go out of one's way
Do everything possible. My mother always goes out of her way when she sees me in trouble.
119
Have something both ways
have two opposite things. My sister wants to learn English without studying, she can't have it both ways.
120
Mend his way
Improve his attitude. Hey, mend your way if you want me to help you to get the permission.
121
Have a way with
Have a talent for dealing with sth. Teachers need to have a way with he children.
122
Go your own way
Do the things independently. I don't like being in a group class, I rather go my own way of learning languages
123
Keep one's word
To do what has been promised.
124
Take someone's word for sth
Have to believe someone's words.
125
Word for word
Literal meaning.
126
Have a word with someone
To talk about a serious matter with someone. I'll have a word with your parents as your are not working well in class
127
To have the last word
Someone's convinced to be always right. My mother always has the last word
128
That's not the word for it
Convey a secret. Jennifer's baby shower will be a surprise, that's not the word for it.
129
To no end
In vain. All the efforts to persuade her to come were all to no end.
