Idioms U2 Flashcards
(140 cards)
1
Q
Stir things up
A
To cause (something, usually something bad or unpleasant) to happen
2
Q
Come to blows
A
To reach the point of fighting about someone or something
3
Q
Cross swords with sb
A
To have an argument or dispute
4
Q
Be looking/itching for a fight
A
Ready to argue, fight or compete. ‘Itch’ signals that someone really wants to start a brawl.
5
Q
To have a scrap
A
To have a small battle with sb or sth
6
Q
Patch up your differences
A
To stop a quarrel
7
Q
Bury the hatchet
A
To end a quarrel or conflict and become friendly.
8
Q
Clear the air
A
To dispel differences or emotional tensions
9
Q
Be at each other’s throats
A
To be arguing angrily
10
Q
Pick a fight/Quarrel
A
To start a fight or argument with someone on purpose
11
Q
Outside the box
A
To think creatively
12
Q
To keep a stiff upper lip
A
To display self-restraint in the expression of emotion.
13
Q
Work through hard feelings
A
Feel your feelings, all the way through
14
Q
Drive a wedge between
A
To damage the good relationship that two people or groups of people have
15
Q
Full scale riot
A
When there is a riot, a crowd of people behave violently in a public place.
16
Q
Bound to clash
A
ment to be in disagreement
17
Q
Trade recriminations
A
To exchange mutual accusations
18
Q
Social unrest
A
People expressing anger and dissatisfaction about something, often by demonstrating or rioting
19
Q
Cut-throat competition
A
Not involving considering or worrying about any harm caused
20
Q
Bear/have/hold a grudge (against)
A
To continue feeling an old resentment for someone
21
Q
Be full of reproach
A
to feel or express strong disapproval, disappointment, or blame toward someone
22
Q
Vent one’s spleen at/on sb
A
To express angry feelings
23
Q
carry torches
A
24
Q
be given to
A
to fo sth regularly or as a habit
25
Get it off your chest
To tell sb about sth that has been worrying you for a long time
26
See eye to eye
To be in agreement
27
To put on a brave face
To try to appear brave even though very frightened.
28
To put your foot in it / your mouth
To make a verbal blunder, esp in saying sth that embarrasses others.
29
push sb over the edge
The idiom "push someone over the edge" means to cause someone to lose control, often emotionally or mentally, due to excessive pressure or stress.
30
To stroll towards the edge
It implies a calm and unhurried manner of moving closer to a potentially risky area.
31
Hold/keep sth at bay
To control something and prevent it from causing you problems
32
get your hand on sth
to acquire, obtain, or gain access to something, often something difficult to find or highly desired
33
To go rough
To behave differently from other members of a group and often causing damage
34
Go of the rails
to start behaving in an erratic, uncontrolled, or unacceptable way, often due to stress, poor decisions, or loss of focus
35
To be in a predicament
To be facing an unpleasant, troublesome or trying situation
36
To sort it out on the spot
To tackle / handle / solve a problem without delay
37
To come to grips with sb or sth
To understand, confront, or deal with them in a comprehensive manner.
38
To shirk responsibility
To avoid or neglect a duty or responsibility
39
To crop up (of problems)
To appear unexpectedly (of problems)
40
To endure the hardships of life
To go through times of privation or suffering
41
To shoulder the responsibility
To assume, to take on responsibility
42
To come up a brick wall
To be confronted with an immovable obstacle
43
To hit / run into a snag
To run into an unexpected problem
44
To pass the buck
To pass the blame (to sb else)
45
To come up a stumbling block
To be confronted with sth that prevents or obstructs progress
46
To be in dire straits
To be going through a bad or difficult situation
47
There can be one hitch (in …)
An impediment or a delay
48
To face an ordeal
To face a difficult or painful experience
49
To avoid the pitfalls (of sth)
To avoid an inapparent source of trouble or danger
50
There can be a dip in your fortunes
To have a reduction of luck or money
51
To take the bull by the horns
To confront difficulties, or begin an action resolutely
52
To dig one’s heels in
To refuse to alter one’s course of action or opinions
53
To sit on the fence
Not to take sides in a dispute
54
To throw in the sponge / towel
To stop trying to do sth because you know you cannot succeed
55
To bear / keep sth in mind
To remember a piece of information when making a decision
56
To have sb over a barrel
To have someone in a difficult position where they have no choice but to comply
57
To be under sb’s thumb
To be under someone’s control
58
To make allowances for
To make excuses for or treat with leniency
59
To give ground
To yield to a more powerful force; retreat
60
To be set in one’s ways
To be inflexible, fixed in one’s habits
61
Being in the horns of a dilemma
being faced with two difficult choices, each with its own disadvantages.
62
being between a rock and a hard place
being stuck between two tough options, where both alternatives are unfavorable, and there's no easy way out
63
Be in a fix/tight spot/corner/a (double) bind
To be in a difficult situation with limited solutions
64
Be in a quandary (over sth)
Unsure or confused
65
To have no qualms about sth / doing sth
You are not worried that it may be wrong in some way.
66
To be treading on thin ice / on a moral slippery slope
A situation where some behavior will lead to a worse outcome.
67
To be objectionable on ethical grounds
considered morally unacceptable or questionable based on ethical principles or values
68
Genetic make-up of plants
The different qualities that combine to form somebody’s character or being
69
To raise the specter of sth
Something unpleasant that people are afraid might happen in the future.
70
To let the cat out of the bag
To allow a secret to be known, usually without intending to
71
To bode ill
To predict bad luck
72
A giant leap forward
a significant and impactful advancement, improvement, or progress in a particular field, project, or situation.
73
To reap the benefits
To enjoy the good things that happen as a result of
74
Silver bullet solution
an ideal, seemingly perfect solution to a complex problem, often one that is thought to solve it entirely and effortlessly
75
Lining their own profiteers’ pockets
people or companies enriching themselves, often in unethical or selfish ways
76
Prided itself on being
an individual or organization takes pride in a particular quality, value, or achievement and often regards it as a defining characteristic
77
Get hooked on the illusion of
becoming captivated or obsessed with an unrealistic or deceptive idea, believing in something idealized that may not truly exist.
78
Cross a moral boundary
to engage in behavior that violates ethical principles or moral standards. It implies stepping over a line that separates right from wrong
79
An area of contention
a topic or issue where there is significant disagreement or conflict. It often involves differing opinions or beliefs.
80
The topic of … has become ripe for moral outrage
a particular issue has gained widespread attention and criticism, often due to perceived ethical or moral failings.
81
Irrational moral objection
a strong, moral-based opposition to something that lacks logical reasoning or may seem exaggerated or unfounded.
82
Bitter clashes between science and morality
intense conflicts where scientific advancements or practices challenge moral or ethical beliefs. It highlights the tension when scientific goals conflict with societal or personal values.
83
Oppose sth on ethical ground
To oppose something based on ethical or moral principles rather than practical reasons.
84
An area where we should tread carefully
caution in a particular area, often due to potential ethical, moral, or sensitive complexities
85
Work in ethically contentious fields
to occupations or areas of research that are surrounded by ethical debates or controversies, such as genetic engineering, bioethics, or certain areas of artificial intelligence
86
Raise thorny ethical issues
To bring up complex, difficult ethical questions that lack straightforward answers and often provoke debate or discomfort.
87
Scrutinize ethical issues
to examine ethical considerations carefully and critically
88
A moral minefield
a situation filled with ethical pitfalls, where one must navigate carefully to avoid moral missteps.
89
Step into moral snares
To unintentionally fall into morally questionable situations or dilemmas.
90
To present a wide spectrum of ethical dilemmas
the range of complex ethical challenges associated with a particular field, decision, or issue
91
To tinker with nature
Attempt to repair or improve something in a casual way
92
To tamper with
To interfere with something in order to cause damage
93
To mount an unequivocal moral defense on sth
to offer a strong and clear defense of something based on moral principles, without ambiguity or hesitation.
94
To find oneself increasingly in a perilous position
This refers to being in a situation that is becoming more dangerous or risky over time, often without realizing how one got there.
95
To stand at a crossroads where… sth is at stake
a pivotal moment in which a person or group must make an important decision that will have significant consequences.
96
A dangerous quest to tweak genetics to our desires
the risky or controversial pursuit of manipulating genetics to suit human preferences, which raises ethical and scientific concerns.
97
A hotly debated topic
a subject or issue that is being argued or discussed passionately and intensely by many people
98
To pose pressing ethical questions
to raise urgent or significant moral questions that require careful consideration and action.
99
An ethically dubious practice
an action or behavior that is morally questionable, likely to be seen as wrong or harmful.
100
To encounter astonishingly strong hostility
to face an overwhelming or intense level of opposition or animosity, often unexpectedly.
101
Weigh things up
Balance the pros and cons of something
102
Be in a quandary about whether… or whether
To be confused or uncertain about a decision, particularly when faced with two equally challenging or important choices.
103
Snitch on someone
To betray
104
Choose the lesser of two evils
to make a choice between two undesirable options, picking the one that seems less harmful or problematic.
105
Sleep on a problem
To take time to think about a problem or decision, often overnight, to gain clarity before acting.
106
sit on a problem or decision
delay
107
A trade secret
A piece of info nobody knows
108
Be kept out of the loop
To didn’t exert any influence on
109
Knock for a loop
To damage
110
Bury your head in the sand
To ignore or hide from obvious signs of danger
111
Pay lip service to somebody/something
To say that you support or agree with something without doing anything to prove it
112
Budget of possibilities
a lot of possibilities
113
To merge insights
incorporate information
114
Laugh your head off
laugh a lot
115
lose your head
lose control
116
lose your cool
lose control.
117
know no boundary
to have no limits
118
experience a dip in your fortunes
to have a reduction of luck or money
119
stand firm / Remain ademant
To refuse to change your opinion.
120
stay put
remain in a place
121
weigh up the argument
To evaluate/judge the argument
122
rule out sth
to exclude sth as a possibility
123
reach a decision
make a decision
124
have/get your way
To do what you want
125
admit defeat
To admit that you have been defeated
126
give in
surrender
127
tuggings of conscience
remorse
128
to be at a crossroads
to have to make a very important decision which will affect your future
129
start the ball rolling
start an activity
130
bone of contention
a subject that causes disagreement
131
in a nutshell
shortly
132
Go round in circles
To do sth over and over again without achieving anything
133
rack your brains
make a great effort to think about sth
134
To do sth over and over again without achieving anything
A course of action that may lead to a disaster
135
Lay oneself open to criticism
to be available to be criticized
136
rock the boat
to cause trouble
137
put your heads together
think about a solution together
138
to bare bones
the basics
139
fight a losing battle
To do sth even though you know there is nothing to do
140
To put on your thinking cap
think carefully
