Idioms - English Flashcards
(38 cards)
most favourite person/thing
someone or something that is very precious
apple of one’s eye
Eg.
She has three children, but her youngest son is the apple of her eye.
She was a very charming little girl and a very bright student, and was the apple of her teachers’ eyes.
have the wrong idea about how to get or achieve something
bark up the wrong tree
eg. The police spent three months barking up the wrong tree on the murder investigation.
eg. You’re barking up the wrong tree if you think Sam can help you
take on a task that is too difficult or unmanageable/to try to do more than you are able to do
bit off more than one can chew
eg. I think he’s bitten off more than he can chew taking all those classes.
eg. Many kids who leave home to live alone find they have bitten off more than they can chew.
talk boastfully about one’s achievements
blow one’s own trumpet
eg. I don’t want to blow my own trumpet, but it was me who came up with the idea for the project in the first place.
Most were reluctant, defensive, or simply hesitant to blow their own trumpet.
end a quarrel or conflict and become friendly/to agree to stop arguing about something and become friends
bury the hatchet
eg. Let’s not take this matter any further. Why don’t we bury the hatchet and befriend again?
Hey sorry! I was mad, lets bury the hatchet.
Be very expensive
cost an arm and a leg
Eg. I went to the auction but didn’t pick up anything. Everything cost an arm and a leg
Waste time worrying about something that has happened that one cannot do anything about
to be upset about things that have already been done
cry over spilt milk
Eg. The school trip had been a disaster, but we did not want to dwell on it. It was no use crying over spilt milk..
Daydreaming, absent-minded and not paying attention to what is happening or being said
Having an impractical or fanciful outlook or mindset, often to the point of being very unhelpful or counterproductive.
with one’s head in the clouds
Eg. Jane has her head in the clouds if she thinks she will win the tournament.
find exactly the right answer
hit the nail on the head
Eg.
When my car didn’t start, my friend took one look and said that its due to a dead battery. Seems like he hit the nail on the head.
be in the same difficult circumstances as others
be in the same boat
Eg.
I know this is difficult work, but we are all in the same boat here, so we’ll have to do this together.
Joe said that he hated his job, to which Bill retorted that they were all in the same boat.
judge someone or something based on appearances only
judge a book by its cover
Eg. The hotel looked attractive from outside, but the rooms were damp and not well maintained. You can’t judge a book by its cover!
The candidate did not look very intelligent, but you can’t judge a book by its cover.
Join others in doing or supporting something fashionable or likely to be successful
jump/get on the bandwagon
Eg. So many people are trying to quit smoking that I might as well jump on the bandwagon and quit as well.
achieve two aims at once
kill two birds with one stone
Eg. I have to go to the bank, and on the way back, I’ll pick up the groceries as well, killing two birds with one stone.
He dropped his kids to school while going to work, killing two birds with one stone.
the last in a series of bad events, etc. that makes it impossible for you to accept a situation any longer
last straw
Eg. He decided that he is not going to wait for the last straw but will do something about the problem much sooner than that.
Proverb: it is the last straw that breaks the camel’s back.
avoid mentioning a subject or something that happened in the past, in order to avoid any problems or arguments
It is best to leave a situation as disturbing it might cause trouble.
let sleeping dogs lie
Eg:
I wanted to tell her what I thought, but then I decided to let sleeping dogs lie.
We know that we would never reach an agreement over this matter, so it is better to let sleeping dogs lie and not discuss it anymore. Source: theidioms.com
not what somebody likes or is interested in
not one’s cup of tea
Eg: Hiking is not my cup of tea, but my husband enjoys it.
I decided to go to the restaurant with my friends even though eating spicy food isn’t my cup of tea.
joking around/tease someone/fooling around
play a joke on somebody, usually by making them believe something that is not true
pull one’s leg
Eg:
I think he was just pulling your leg when he said you’ve failed in the exam.
I was just pulling your leg when I said that the company is going to shut down.
don’t make everything dependent on one thing
rely on one particular course of action for success rather than giving yourself several different possibilities
put all your eggs in one basket
Eg: It would be better if you applied to several schools instead of just one as you should not put all your eggs in one basket.
sell quickly and in large quantities
sell like hotcakes
Eg.
It is very hot outside. These ice lollies will sell like hotcakes.
These books are selling like hotcakes.
avoid making a decision or choice
sit on the fence
Eg: You can’t sit on the fence any longer, you need to make up your mind.
Instead of sitting on the fence, why don’t you list out the pros and cons so that you can reach a decision.
pretend not to notice
turn a blind eye
Eg:
The principal decided to turn a blind eye to the John’s misconduct this time with a hope that he won’t do it again.
As a police officer, you cannot turn a blind eye to any of the illegal activities around you.
when something is hard to find
trying to find a needle in a haystack
Eg: She was trying to find her daughter like a needle in a haystack when she got separated in the mall. Instead she could have approached the authorities to help her find the girl.
very happy
on top of the world
Eg: I was on top of the world when I found out that I got an A on my hardest exam.
Cathy has been on top of the world ever since she got that big promotion at work.
to feel nervous/anxious
butterflies in my stomach
Eg: Tomorrow is my first day at a new school, I have butterflies in my stomach. I hope that I am able to find all of my classes.
He had butterflies in his stomach while waiting for the results of his exam.
