Idioms & Expressions Flashcards by Martin Rodriguez

Something that produces the situation you want

Something falls into place

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When something gradually becomes worse

Something goes downhill

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Something likely to happen

Something is on the cards

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When you are sure people know what happened next, you say at the end….

….., the rest is history

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A place where few people go, far from any main roads and towns:
The farmhouse we stayed in was completely ____.
I like getting ________ during holidays.

off the beaten track

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To live without comforts, esp. running water, heat, etc.:

We ______ until our house was repaired.
I don’t know if I’d like going on a camping trip… I’d have to ______ and I guess I won’t like it.

to rough it:

roughed it

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If you do something ______, you do it with a very small amount of money:

The film was made _____.
Our schools are running _____.
I’m just trying to get by ________ .

ON A shoestring (budget)

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to start living a more simple life, often in the country

I’d like to do as Sergillo and try to …

TO GET BACK TO NATURE

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in very comfortable and expensive conditions
They live together _____ in a beautiful Victorian mansion.
I don’t need to live _______, but an infinity pool would be amazing.

IN THE LAP OF LUXURY

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Something that provides your main income

Tourism is Frigiliana’s ___________.

BREAD AND BUTTER

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extremely successful:
a _______ teacher as Luis Anes
the _________ was the girl

high-flying

high-flier

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to start saying something different about a subject or situation, or to start behaving in a different way

They _______ in the class when I show my angry teacher face.

change smns tune: change their tune

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if something ______, it gets a new owner

Genesis _______ and now it’s so cool

to change hands

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to start to behave much better

They _________ and now it’s a pleasure to teach them.

to change ways

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to take someone’s position while they take yours

I offered L. to __________ for one day.

to change places

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a situation that is boring and difficult to change

to be _____________

RUT
TO BE STUCK IN A RUT
be (stuck) in a rut: If you’re in a rut, change jobs.

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to no longer know where someone or something is or what is happening

Sometimes when I’m teaching, I feel like I’ve ________ of the kids, they get distracted so easily!

lose track (of)
lost track

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to think about the good parts of a situation that is mostly bad

Don’t be so pessimistic, you have to …… of the situation.

look on the bright side

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to be very different from someone or something

Frigiliana is definitely ________ from Warsaw, trey are so different.

to be a far cry

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to regularly give someone information about something that they are interested in, for example how a situation is changing or developing

Dude ______!

keep someone posted

keep me posted

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to tell the truth about something after someone else has not told the truth about it

set the record straight

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proverb One’s focus should not be the end result or the destination, especially to the extent that the journey becomes unenjoyable.

It’s better to travel hopefully than to arrive

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If something is ______ (NOUN) / (GERUND/NOUN), it is likely that the situation will happen soon:
(FORMAL, WRITTEN)

The journalist reported that the city was
…………………………………. a crisis.
Tom was …………………………………. downloading the file
when he realised it might have a virus attached

(teetering) on the brink of

on the verge/point of

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I have no regrets ____ it

about

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I would have no hesitation ____ booking a ticket,

I have no intention ___ (go)on a holiday there.

of going

to annoy someone very much: People driving reckless really ______

to get sms goat ...gets my goat

to become so excited about smt that you lose control (entusiasmarse) I try not to _______ when I go shopping There's far too much food - I'm afraid I...

to get carried away | ...I got a bit carried away.

to pay an amount of money, especially unwillingly (desenbolsar) . Ok, it was my fault, I will... ... the bill

to fork out for smt | ..fork out for

large in amount, size, force A _____ bill Harry Potter is such a _____ book.

hefty

a shoestring budget is also a...

tight budget

Behaving as they want, without being controlled by anyone It's risky to let the children ______, they can get crazy

run wild

to be very determined to do smt I'm _____ becoming a good teacher.

to be dead set on doing smt

similar to hitchhiking

to thumb a lift | to be thumbing lifts

to accept criticism or punishment for something you have done

to face the music

to push people in a queue I was there ... trying to be the first to get a beer in Park,

to elbow people aside elbowing people aside

to take on a responsibility. I will be there to ______ if there's any problem.

to shoulder the burden

to pay a bill

to foot the bill

to behave according to an official rule, especially when you do not agree with it For some kids is always impossible to .....

toe the line

to be able to accept an unpleasant idea or watch something unpleasan

to stomach/face the idea

_______ workers do work needing strength or physical skill rather than office work.

blue-collar

____ aims or principles deserve to be admired because they are based on high moral standards. Few people can meet his ____ standards.

lofty

not immediately but at some time in the future _____, I'd like to work in the USA

In the long run

to show that you can deal with a difficult situation successfully: In the exam I will ____ and I'll write a brilliant essay.

rise to the challenge/ocassion

If you are left to ____, you are given no help so that you succeed or fail completely by your own efforts: When I started teaching, I was left to _____; nobody helped me

sink or swim

to enjoy the effects or experience of something as much as possible: I love to lie on the beach and ____ the sun. Just stroll around the bazaar and ____ the atmosphere

soak up the... sun, atmosphere

to find out how good something is: My teacher's skills are constantly ______ by parents.

to put to the test put to the test

not at all: | It is ____ certain that I'll easily pass the C2 exam.

by no means

in the limits of what is acceptable and possible: | We can wear anything we like to the school, ________.

within reason

based only on a person's or thing's qualities and not on what other people say about that person or thing: Judge the product ____, and not on what the ads say.

on its own merits

too extreme and not suitable, or demanding too much attention or effort, especially in an uncontrolled way: (abbreviation?) I thought the decorations for the doors were way _____. Working with ABP in the school was extremely ____.

over the top | OTT

in disagreement: During our trip to the north R and I were constantly ____. His behavior is clearly _____ what the school expects from its students.

at odds (with someone/something)

much more or much better than expected The hotel was ____ , we really enjoyed it.

beyond (all) expectation beyond our expectations

if there is ____ between people, each person allows the other to get something that they want They said the secret of a happy marriage was a little bit of ________.

GIVE AND TAKE

Very often used for saying that something happens many times

time and (time) again again and again

without resources or help. Our family would be left ____ by the death of the breadwinner"

high and dry

used for emphasizing the main point or the most important reason for something He was _______an educator who cared about his students.

First and foremost

If you support or stay with someone _______, you always support or stay with them, even if there are problems or difficulties: Robertillo as supported Patetis t____.

through thick and thin

If a situation is ____, it is uncertain: The doctor says that it's _____ whether AK will be okay.

touch-and-go

PEOPLE (used for saying that someone has the same qualities that all people share, especially qualities that limit what people are capable of) This decision is not about legal theory, it's about _____, about boys and girls who deserve a decent education.

FLESH AND BLOOD

someone who is energetic and funny and at the centre of activity during social occasions Carlitos was, during the Erasmus, the ....

THE LIFE AND SOUL OF THE PARTY

feeling doubt or not feeling certain (2 options and adverb of frequency) I'm ____ _________ about his promises to change his ways. I've always been _____ ______ of/about alternative therapies.

I'm RATHER DUBIOUS about his promises to change his ways ˈdʒuː.bi.əs/ I've always been RATHER SCEPTICAL about alternative therapies.ˈskep.tɪ.kə

if someone or something ____ you, you cannot understand or explain (and advert) I was ___ ____ by her decision.

mistify (mistifies) completely mystified

(more than) ____ certain

fairly

said to mean that greed is the cause of a particular problem or the cause of society's problems in general I believe the amount involved in this project is a substantial sum, and ______, as they say.

money is the root of all evil

This means that a friend who helps you when you really need help is a true friend.

a friend in need is a friend indeed

said to emphasize that you cannot depend on something happening before it has happened

don't count your chickens before they're hatched

to be good for a particular use: The book really_______being turned into a film. This type of camera was particularly relevant to Cartier-Bresson . It ................ not only to spontaneity but to anonymity as wel.

lend itself to something

If you do something such as pass an exam _____, you do it very successfully.

WITH FLYING COLOURS

to learn to understand and accept something: My grand mother has finally ___________ living alone.

come to terms with something

to be extremely good for someone: I've been working too hard and some time off would ______ .

DO SB A POWER OF GOOD DO ME A POWER OF GOOD

out of bed, for example after an illness, and able to live a normal life: He was _____ again two days after the operation.

UP AND ABOUT

NOT AT ALL =

NOT IN THE SLIGHTEST

to guess the facts about a situation without having enough information: Don't _____! Perhaps it was his daughter he was dancing with.

JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS

If you have a ____, you change your opinion or the way you feel about something: She was going to sell her house but had a ______at the last minute.

CHANGE OF HEART | a

To behave as if a problem is not important or does not worry you: She seems all right but I think she's just _____.

putting a brave face on it.

used to show that you completely agree with what someone has said: "It's hot!" "Yeeep, ___________ ."

You can say that again

to not be upset or troubled by something When you become a politician, you soon learn to __________. (criticism)

to take criticism in stride.

the latest problem in a series of problems, that makes a situation impossible to accept: The _____ was when they sent me as a substitute in year 3.

THE LAST STRAW

If something is _____, it is not the type of thing that you like: Thanks for inviting me, but karting isn't really _____.

NOT MY CUP OF TEA my cup of tea

something that especially annoys you: | Reckless driving is one of my _____.

PET PEEVES

used to introduce or append an expression, drawing attention to its status as a saying or as not part of one's normal language. ____, is better to travel hopefully than to arrive

As the saying goes

laughing very hard: 2 options Paquillo R. had me _____. Paquiilo R. ______ / There's something about that guy's face that just ____.

rolling in the aisles made me crack up Cracks me up.

to use or enjoy something as much as possible: | I tried to _____ of my Erasmus experience.

MAKE THE MOST

to get something good as a result of your own actions: Society will of course _____ of these relevant advancements. She studied every evening and ____at exam time.

reap the benefit | reaped the benefit

something such as a speech, piece of writing, or act that encourages people to take action about a problem: The film is a ________ on climate change.

CALL TO ACTION (CTA)

to express an opinion or feelings (CONCERN, DISPLEASURE, FEARS, DOUBTS) Opponents also _____ concern about the potential traffic produced by the project.

voice

It can stand on its own as an allusion to Star Trek, point out that something looks retrofuturistic, or serve as a humorous request to escape a certain situation.

Galileo, beam me up!

a bad situation or habit that, after it has started, is likely to get very much worse: You're on a _____ once you start lying about your age!

slippery slope

used as a way of ordering someone to remove something: ___ his head! ____ your jacket!

Off with

a subject that someone prefers not to talk about because it makes them angry or embarrassed: Don't ask him about the job search - it's a bit of a ___.

sore point sore spot sore subject

meant to be understood as a joke, although it might appear to be serious: (irónico) Her latest play is a firmly ____ look at the world of advertising.

tongue-in-cheek | tʌŋ.ɪnˈtʃiːk

to be easy and without problems: | The roads were busy as we drove out of town, but after that it was ______.

plain sailing | a piece of cake

Idioms & Expressions Flashcards

(93 cards)