Idioms and Phrases Flashcards
(214 cards)
1
Q
A gentleman at large
A
A person without any serious occupation/ unreliable person
2
Q
A man of straw
A
A weak person
3
Q
A bull in a China shop
A
one who causes damage
4
Q
A damp Squib
A
Complete failure
5
Q
A wolf in sheep’s clothing
A
a dangerous person pretending to be harmless
6
Q
a mare’s nest
A
a false invention
7
Q
ABC
A
a very common knowledge
8
Q
Above board
A
fair and honest
9
Q
All and sundry
A
without making any distinction
10
Q
All in all
A
whole sole, most important
11
Q
Alpha and gama
A
beginning and end
12
Q
An eye wash
A
a pretense
13
Q
an iron hand
A
by force
14
Q
At sixes and seven
A
persons who have different opinions
15
Q
At the drop of a hat
A
willing to do something immediately
16
Q
An axe to grind
A
To have a dispute with someone/ personal agenda
17
Q
beck and call
A
at the service
18
Q
Bag and baggage
A
with all goods
19
Q
back to square one
A
having to start all over again
20
Q
Bated breath
A
in anxiety, expectancy
21
Q
Bank on
A
depend on, count on
22
Q
barking up the wrong tree
A
a mistake made in something you are trying to achieve
23
Q
beat a dead horse
A
to force an issue that has already ended
24
Q
Beating around the bush
A
Avoiding the main topic
25
Between the cup and the lips
on the point of achievement
26
Black and white
in writing
27
Bird's eye view
an overview
28
Blow hot and cold
having no stand, shows favour at one time and unfavour at another
29
Body and soul
entirely
30
Blank cheque
complete authority or unrestricted freedom of action or a free hand
31
Blue moon
a rare event or occurence
32
By fits and starts
irregularly
33
Bite off more than you can chew
To take on a task that is way too big
34
By hook or by crook
by any means
35
By leaps and bound
speedily
36
Call a spade a spade
straight talks
37
Raining cats and dogs
heavy rain
38
Cast iron stomach
someone who has no problems, complications or ill effects with eating anything or drinking anything
39
Cast aspersions (aspersions means to sprinkle)
to criticise somebody or somebody's character
40
chip off the old block
describes the people who look like their parents
41
Call the shots
to be in charge of what is happening and what should happen
42
Close call
a narrow escape from disaster
43
cock and bull story
untrue story
44
cry over spilt milk
when u complain about a loss from the past
45
confusion worse confounded
be in further worse position
46
Cross paths
encounter or meet someone by chance
47
cry wolf
intentionally raise a false alarm
48
Curiosity killed the cat
being inquisitive can lead you into a dangerous situation
49
Cut and dried
readymade form
50
curtain lecture
a reproof by wife to her husband
51
Dark horse
one who was previously unknown and is now prominent
52
Don't count your chickens before they hatch
don't rely on it until you are sure of it
53
Don't put all your eggs in one basket
Do not pull all your resources in one possibility
54
Dog's life
a miserable and unpleasant life
55
Dig one's own grave
To cause one's own downfall or destruction
56
drive someone up the wall
to irritate and/or annoy very much
57
every man Jack
everyone without exceptions
58
Elephant in the room
A significant issue or problem that is obvious, but not being addressed or discussed
59
Eye candy
attractive visually but uninteresting in other ways
60
Every cloud has a silver lining
Be optimistic, even difficult times will lead to better days
61
Fair and Square
Honest
62
Fair field and no favour
equal opportunities to all
63
far and wide
everywhere
64
fan and flames
make a bad situation even worse
65
Fabian policy
policy of delaying decisions
66
few and far between
very rare
67
Fire and Brimstone
Fearful penalties
68
Fire and fury
intense anger and outrage
69
food for thought
an idea or subject to think about
70
First and foremost
highest priority
71
Fiddle while Rome burns
to perform an inconsequential task or act irresponsible in the midst of a disastrous event
72
Feather one's own nest
accumulating wealth for own service
73
Feel blue
to feel sad or depressed
74
Fight tooth and nail
to fight very fiercely
75
Fair- weather friend
a friend not reliable in difficult times
76
Fall from grace
to lose status, respect or prestige
77
Feel the pinch
experience financial hardship
78
Forbidden fruit is always the sweetest
to desire something that is not within a feasible reach
79
Familiarity breeds contempt
to start disliking something when one gets to know too much about it
80
Fishy
Doubtful
81
Foot the bill
Bear expenses
82
Free and easy
natural and simple
83
Flesh and blood
human nature
84
Gall and wormwood
source of irritation
85
Get up on the wrong side of the bed
Someone who is having a horrible day
86
Give him the slip
To get away from, to escape
87
Go down like a lead balloon
To be received badly by an audience
88
Get a life
to stop wasting a lot of time in useless or boring or trivial works
89
Get the wrong end of the stick
to understand something in the wrong way
90
Go for broke
To gamble everything you have
91
Good samaritan
Someone who helps others when they are in need, with no discussion of compensation, and no thought of a reward
92
Gird up the loin
to be ready
93
Grit your teeth
determined to do something in spite of the difficulties involved, you grit your teeth
94
give in
surrender
95
Gut feeling
A personal intuition you get, especially when you feel something may not be right
96
Hand and gloves
very intimate friends
97
Hard and fast
certain
98
Haughty and naughty
arrogant and naughty
99
Heart and soul
with full devotion
100
Head and shoulder
superior
101
helter skelter
here and there
102
herculean task
hit below the belt
103
hither and thither
here and there
104
hornet's nest
raise controversy
105
hue and cry
great noise
106
hush money
a bribe
107
Ins and out
full detail
108
Intents and purposes
practically
109
Ivory tower
Imaginary world
110
In the heat of the moment
Overwhelmed by what is happening in the moment
111
In the pink
in good health and spirits
112
In hot water
in trouble or state of shame
113
In the loop
to be aware of the information
114
In the nick of time
Almost too late
115
In a nutshell
to be brief and straight to the point
116
In stitches
to laugh so hard that you are not able to control yourself
117
In the bad books
out of favour
118
Kith and Kin
Blood relatives
119
Keep your chin up
To remain joyful in a tough situation
120
Keep body and soul together
To earn a sufficient amount of money in order to keep yourself alive
121
Latin and Greek
Unable to understand
122
Law and equity
legal and moral justice
123
Leave no stone unturned
make all possible efforts
124
length and breadth
all over
125
Life and soul
main support
126
Let the cat out of the bag
To share a secret that wasn't supposed to be shared
127
Let sleeping dogs lie
To avoid restarting a conflict
128
Like a chicken with its head cut off
to act in a frenzied manner
129
Like a fish out of water
in every difficult and unsuitable manner
130
Live-wire
energetic
131
Loaves and fish
material interests
132
Lock and key
in safe place
133
Loose cannon
someone who is unpredictable and can cause damage if not kept in check
134
Makes no bones about
to state a fact so there are no doubts or objections
135
Might and main
with all enthusiasm
136
milk and water
weak
137
need of the hour
necessity of time
138
never bite the hand that feeds you
don't hurt anyone that helps you
139
no room to swing a cat
an unusually small or confined space
140
nook and corner
everywhere
141
not born yesterday
worldly wise
142
now and then
occasionally
143
null and void
of no use, without force of application
144
odds and ends
remaining goods
145
off on the wrong foot
getting a bad start on a relationship or task
146
off the record
something said in confidence that the one speaking doesn't want attributed to him/her
147
Once and again
repeatedly
148
on the fence
undecided
149
out of the blue
something that suddenly and unexpectedly occurs
150
One's Achilles' heel
a weak point
151
over my dead body
when you absolutely will not allow something to happen
152
over the top
very excessive
153
open and above board
very clear, transparent
154
order of the day
in fashion
155
out of gear
in disorder
156
out and out
completely
157
over and above
besides
158
over head and ears
excessively
159
oily tongue
flattering words
160
pass the buck
avoid responsibility by giving it to someone else
161
prick up your ears
to listen very carefully
162
part and parcel
being an important part of
163
pell mell
putting one upon the other, in confusion
164
pick and choose
to choose selectively as per wish
165
pins and needles
small items
166
pull the plug
to stop something, to bring something to an end
167
pulling your leg
tricking someone as a joke
168
Pros and cons
merits and demerits
169
Rain or shine
favourable or unfavourable circumstances
170
rank and ruin
complete destructions
171
Rome was not built in one day
if u want to build something properly, then it's going to take time
172
Rhyme or reason
rational cause
173
right and left
in all ways
174
rule of thumb
a rough estimate
175
Safe and sound
quite well
176
seamy side of life
immoral side of society
177
scapegoat
someone else who takes the blame
178
scot-free
to escape and not have to pay
179
sum and substance
the actual theme
180
smell a rat
to detect someone in the group in betraying the others
181
smell something fishy
detecting that something isn't right and there might be a reason for it
182
spitting image
the exact likeness or kind
183
take bull by horns
to meet the danger boldly
184
the best of both worlds
there are two choices and you have both
185
the die is cast
decided finally
186
the last straw
last small burden that one can take
187
to steal someone's thunder
to take the credit for something someone else did.
188
Thick and thin
in all circumstances
189
through fire and water
in all sort of difficulties
190
time and tide
course of time
191
to and fro
going and coming, back and forth
192
Toil and moil
hard labour
193
tom dick and harry
everyone
194
to lead up the garden path
to cheat
195
tooth and nail
with all force
196
tongue and cheek
humor, not to be taken serious
197
turn a blind eye
refuse to acknowledge something you know is real or legit
198
ups and downs
prosperity and adversity
199
under the weather
feeling ill or sick
200
uphill taks
difficult task
201
up a blind alley
going down a course of action that leads to a bad outcome
202
under a cloud
under suspicion
203
under siege
to be under attack
204
under fire
being shot at
205
under the radar
going unnoticed, avoiding unnecessary attention
206
wear you heart on you sleeve
to openly and freely express your emotions
207
when pigs fly
something that will never ever happen
208
warp and woof
essential parts of a thing
209
weal and woe
prosperity and adversity
210
yellow press
newspapers publishing sensational news
211
you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink
we can offer good things to people but we can't force them to accept that
212
you can't teach an old dog new tricks
you cannot make others change their habits
213
zone out
to fall asleep
214
zip it
to ask someone to shut up
