IDIOMS AND PHRASES Flashcards
(269 cards)
1
Q
Decked up
A
put on special clothes to appear particularly appealing and attractive
2
Q
Doing the rounds
A
to be passed from one person to another
3
Q
Between the cup and the lips
A
On the point of achievement
4
Q
A damp squib
A
Complete failure
5
Q
Put off
A
an evasive reply, to delay doing something, especially because you do not want to do it
6
Q
A dime a dozen
A
Anything that is common and easy to get
7
Q
Cast iron stomach
A
Someone who has no problems, complications or ill effects with eating anything
8
Q
Takes a beating
A
to be damaged because of performing badly or being criticized
9
Q
A mare’s nest
A
A false invention
10
Q
A chip on your shoulder
A
Being upset for something that happened in the past
11
Q
A toss-up
A
A result that is still unclear and can go either way
12
Q
An iron hand
A
By force
13
Q
A taste of your own medicine
A
When you are mistreated the same way you mistreat others
14
Q
At the drop of a hat
A
Willing to do something immediately
15
Q
A man of straw
A
A weak person
16
Q
Bite your tongue
A
To avoid talking
17
Q
At sixes and seven
A
Persons who are having different opinions
18
Q
Bite off more than you can chew
A
to take on a task that is way too big to handle
19
Q
Can’t cut the mustard
A
Someone who isn’t adequate enough to compete or participate
20
Q
Call a spade a spade
A
Straight talks
21
Q
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
A
Don’t rely on it until you sure of it
22
Q
Dog days of summer
A
The hottest day of the summer season
23
Q
Ever and anon
A
Now and then, occasionally
24
Q
Field day
A
An enjoyable day or circumstance
25
Bits and Pieces
small things of different types
26
Kick the bucket
Die
27
Know the ropes
To understand the details
28
Latin and Greek
Unable to understand
29
Like a chicken with its head cut off
To act in a frenzied manner, crazily
30
A piece of cake
Something that is easy to understand or do
31
Beat around the bush
To avoid the main topic
32
Don't count your chickens before they hatch
Don't plan anything that depends on a good thing you expect to happen in the future
33
Cry over spilt milk
To complain about a loss in the past
34
Feel a bit under the weather
Feeling slightly ill
34
Every cloud has a silver lining
Every bad situation has some good aspect
35
Get out of hand
To lose control
36
Hit the nail on the head
Do or say something exactly right
37
In the heat of the moment
Overwhelmed by what is happening in the moment
38
Jump on the bandwagon
Join a popular activity
39
Make a long story short
Tell something briefly
39
Keep something at bay
Keep something away
39
Lose one's touch
Not be able to do something as well as before
40
No pain, no gain
You can't achieve anything without effort
41
Out of the blue
Unexpectedly
42
Put something on ice
Postpone something for later
43
Queer the pitch
Spoil a plan
44
Rain on someone's parade
Ruin someone's plans or mood
45
Spill the beans
Reveal secret information
46
Take with a grain of salt
Not to take something too seriously
47
Up in arms
Very angry
48
Vanish into thin air
Disappear completely
49
Wear one's heart on one's sleeve
Show one's emotions openly
50
X marks the spot
Used to indicate a precise location
51
You can't judge a book by its cover
Don't judge someone or something by appearance alone
52
Zero in on
Focus closely on
53
Break a leg
Good luck
54
Cool as a cucumber
Very calm and composed
55
Down in the dumps
Feeling depressed
56
Elephant in the room
An obvious problem that people avoid discussing
57
Fit as a fiddle
In good health
58
Go the extra mile
Make more effort than is expected of you
59
Hit the books
Start studying seriously
60
In a pickle
In a difficult situation
61
Just what the doctor ordered
Exactly what was needed
62
A fair crack of the whip
The same chance as other people to do something
63
To hold something in leash
To restrain
64
To play fast and loose
To hurt somebody's feelings/ to trick them
65
All agog
Restless
66
To give uo the ghost
to die
67
To snap one's fingers
To be anxious
68
A pipe dream
An impractical dream
69
To stand to one's guns
To perseverance when hardships press
70
To loose one's head
To become confused and over excited
71
Rank and file
Ordinary People
72
By fits and starts
In short periods, not regularly
73
A wee bit
A little
74
Out of the wood
Free from difficulties and dangers
75
Under his thumb
Under his control
76
At one’s wits end
In a state where one does not know what to do
77
Between the devil and the deep sea
Between two dangers
78
Burn the midnight oil
Work or study hard
79
Call a spade a spade
Speak frankly and directly
80
Come off with flying colors
Be highly successful
81
Hoping against hope
Without hope
82
Hit the nail on the head
Do or say the exact thing
83
An axe to grind
Have a selfish reason or a strong opinion that influences your actions
84
To get rid of
Dispose of
85
At daggers drawn
they are having an argument and are still very angry with each other.
86
To play ducks and drakes
To act foolishly or inconsistently
87
To take the bull by the horns
To tackle a problem in a bold and direct fashion
88
To move heaven and earth
To make a supreme effort
89
No avail
Without any result
90
Bark up the wrong tree
Accuse or denounce the wrong person
91
Keep one at bay
Keep one at a distance
92
Make a clean breast of it
Confess – especially when a person has done a wrong thing
93
Have a card up one’s sleeve
Have a secret plan in reserve
94
Like a cat on hot bricks
Very nervous
95
Cat and dog life
Life full of quarrels
96
Cock and bull story
Made up story that one should not believe
97
Cry for the moon
Ask for the impossible
98
Be in a tight corner
In a very difficult situation
99
Cross one’s t’s and dot
pay attention to every detail in a task
100
At arm’s length
To keep at a distance
101
Out of the question
Impossible
102
Show a clean pair of heals
Run away
103
In the nick of time
Just at the last moment
104
Sitting on the fence
Hesitate between two decisions
105
Spread like wild fire
Spread quickly
106
The gift of the gab
Talent for speaking
107
By hook or by crook
By fair or foul means
108
Feather one’s own nest
Make money unfairly
109
Throw out of gear
Disturb the work
110
Take to one’s heels
Run away
111
Tooth and nail
With all one’s power
112
Die in harness
Die while in service
113
Take a leaf out of one’s book
Imitate one
114
Leave no stone unturned
Use all available means
115
A man of straw
Someone who has a weak character
116
Read between the lines
Understand the hidden meaning
116
In cold blood
Deliberately and without emotion
117
A thorn in the flesh
A constant source of annoyance
118
Smell a rat
Suspect something foul
119
Harp on the same string
Dwell on the same subject
120
Bury the hatchet
End the quarrel and make peace
121
Leave one in the lurch
Desert one in difficulties; leave one in a helpless condition
122
Like a fish out of water
In a strange situation
123
At one’s beck and call
Under his control
124
To make both ends meet
To live within one’s income
125
In hot water
In trouble
126
Nip in the bud
Destroy in the early stage
127
Stick to one’s guns
Remain faithful to the cause
128
To eat humble pie
To apologize humbly and to yield under humiliating circumstances
129
In high spirits
Very happy
130
Put the cart before the horse
Put or do things in the wrong order
131
A fair Crack of the whip
The same chance as other people to do something
132
To wrangle over an ass's shadow
To quarrels over trifles
133
To play fast and loose
To hurt somebody's feelings/ To play tricks
134
All agog
Restless
135
To give up the ghost
To die
136
To snap one's fingers
To be anxious
137
A pipe dream
An impractical plan
138
To stand to one's guns
To perseverance when hardships press
139
To loose one's head
To become confused and over excited
140
By the skin of one's teeth
Only just, by a very narrow margin
141
To throw one's glove
To give a challenge
142
To be in abeyance
In suspense
143
A chip off the old block
Characteristics of one's ancestors
144
To take people by storm
To quickly become popular or successful
145
To throw up the sponge
To surrender or give up the contest
146
Harp on
To keep on talking
147
To catch somebody on the hop
To catch somebody of guard
148
To bring one's egg to a bad market
To fail in one's plan because one goes to the wrong people for help
149
To get cold feet
To be afraid
150
To take a leap in the dark
To do a hazardous thing without any idea of the result
151
To give/get the bird
To send away
152
To be at daggers dawn
To be bitter enemy
153
To save one's face
To evade disgrace
154
To split hours
To make or focus on trivial or petty details
155
To get into scrape
To find oneself in an awkward predicament
156
To fly off the handle
To lose one's temper
157
From stem to stern
From the front to the back especially of a ship
158
Bone of contention
Cause of disagreement
159
To be hard up
To be short of money
160
Ended in smoke
161
To pick holes
To criticize
162
White elephant
Anything whose cost is greater than benefits
163
In a pickle
Facing difficulties
164
At sixes and sevens
Confusion
165
Ran in the same groove
Being in harmony
166
Face the music
To be punished for something you had done wrong
167
To drive home
Make clear by special emphasis
168
An arm and leg
Very costly
169
Drive it home
Try to convince somebody of something
170
Smell a rat
Suspect or doubt
171
Buried in hatchet
Make peace
172
Carrot and stick
Offer of a reward and threat of a punishment
173
Uncharted waters
Something that a person has never tried before
174
In deep waters
In a difficult situation
175
In deep waters
In a difficult situation
176
A doodle
A very easy task
177
In the fast lane
In a way that is exciting but is slightly dangerous
178
Gift of the gab
Ability to speak easily and confidently in a way that makes people want to listen and believe in.you
179
Tooth and nail
Power and vigour
180
Airs and grace
Affectation of superiority or pride
181
Get face
Gain prestige or respect
182
Get face
Gain prestige or respect
183
Be on the same wave length
When 2 people think in a similar way and understand each other
184
Align with someone
Agree with someone and work with them or support their ideas
185
Play with ear
Do something without special prep
186
Meet halfway
Make a compromise with someone
187
Run a tight ship
Be very strict in managing an organization or operation
188
Talk at cross purposes
Talk in a way that causes confusion or failure
189
At the eleventh hour
When you complete something at the very last minute
190
In the blues
Very depressed
191
Above the salt
Of high standing or honor
192
Knuckle down
Work really hard
193
Knuckle down
Work really hard
194
Get your fingers burnt
To suffer unpleasant results of an action, especially loss of money
195
Get your fingers burnt
To suffer unpleasant results of an action, especially loss of money
196
A month of sundays
Used to emphasize that something will never happen
197
Taking the bull by the horns
To face a difficult situation directly
198
Wild goose chase
Foolish and Hopeless search for or pursuit of something unattainable
199
Silver bullet
Simple solution to a complicated problem
200
Drum up
Create interest or support
201
Drum up
Create interest or support
202
Drum out
Expell or dismiss
203
Drum on
Continue talking tediously
204
Drum on
Continue talking tediously
205
Weather the storm
Survive or endure through a difficult period
206
Weather the storm
Survive or endure through a difficult period
207
Miss the boat
Missing an opportunity
208
Rock the boat
Cause trouble or disturb a stable situation
209
Swim with the sharks
Dealing with dangerous or ruthless people
210
Cut corners
Do something the easiest/cheapest/fastest way
211
Kick the bucket
To die
212
Break the ice
Initiate conversation to relieve tension
213
Stand by you
Support or help someone who is in a difficult situation
214
Stand with you
Join someone in a joint venture ir mission
215
Double edged sword
Something that has both advantages and disadvantages
216
Phase out
Gradually stop using something
217
Phase up
To move a participant from one phase of a program to the next
218
Phase in
Introduce something gradually
219
Pick up on
To notice or become aware of
220
Pick on
Critize or bully
221
Pick out
Select something
222
Pick at
Repeatedly criticize or complain
223
Over a barrel
Feel helpless/ difficult situation
224
In the pink
In good health/ condition
225
A storm in a teacup
Make a big deal out of something small
226
A drop in the bucket
A very small part of something much larger ormore important
227
A slap in the face
An action that insults or offends someone
228
A wolf in a sheep's clothing
Someone who pretends to be friendly or harmless but us actually hostile
229
A penny for your thoughts
An invitation to share one's thoughts or concerns
230
Sit on the fence
Avoiding choosing sides in a dispute
231
A cog in the wheel
Someone or something that is small, or insignificant, part of a larger operation or system.
232
A thorn in the side
A constant source or annoyance
233
A spoke in the wheel
Similar to cog in the wheel
234
Phase out
Gradually stop using something
235
Phase in
Introduce something gradually
236
Work up
Gradually develop
237
Work in
Include or incorporate
238
Beat the air
Futile ( incapable of producing any result) action
239
Beat the drum
Promoting something enthusiastically
240
Pie in the sky
Promises or goals that are unrealistic or unachievable
241
Pulling strings
Use one's influence to achieve something
242
Pulling strings
Use one's influence to achieve something
243
Barking up the wrong tree
Pursue the wrong course of action
244
Burning the candle at both ends
To overwork oneself
245
Make off
Leave somewhere in hurry
246
Make of
Understand or have an opinion
247
Take against
Dislike
248
Stands his grounds
Refuse to change one’s opinion
249
Storm in the cup
Excitement over trivial thing
250
A political football
A problem that politicians from different parties argue about and try to use in order to get an advantage for themselves
251
Fall into someone’s lap
Someone receives or achieves something without working for it
252
Get into gear
Start something in an effective way
253
Strike a chord
When you cause someone to feel emotion, empathy, or enthusiasm
254
As hard as nails
Physical toughness and not the determination
255
As tough as nails
Very tough or determined
256
Pulled off
Achieve success against all odds
257
Bailed on
Abandon or leave someone or something unexpectedly
258
Pulled the plug on
Deliberately halt or stop a project or effort
259
Drag his feet
Delay or procrastinate
260
Pull his legs
Joke or tease someone
261
Act on
Take action against something
262
Act out
Perform a scene from an act or play
263
Act on
Act decisively on the basis of information received or deduced
264
Act up
Misbehave
265
Act up to
Equal in action
