idoms Flashcards
(106 cards)
1
Q
bite the bullet
A
To accept something difficult or unpleasant
2
Q
A blessing in disguise
A
Something good that seems bad at first
3
Q
Hit the nail on the head
A
to do something exactly right or on point
4
Q
Spill the beans
A
To reveal a secret
5
Q
Cry over spilt milk
A
To regret something that cannot be changed
6
Q
Add fuel to the fire
A
To make a bad situation worse
7
Q
Call a spade a spade
A
To speak frankly and directly
8
Q
Give someone a cold shoulder
A
To ignore someone
9
Q
In black and white
A
In written form
10
Q
By leaps and bounds
A
Rapidly or significantly
11
Q
Break the ice
A
To start a conversation in a social setting
12
Q
The ball is in your court
A
It’s your turn to take action
13
Q
A wild goose chase
A
A pointless or hopeless pursuit
14
Q
Make a mountain out of a molehill
A
To exaggerate a small problem
15
Q
Beat around the bush
A
Avoiding the main topic
16
Q
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
A
Don’t assume success before it happens
17
Q
Every cloud has a silver lining
A
Every bad situation has some good aspect
18
Q
Feel under the weather
A
Feeling slightly ill
19
Q
Get out of hand
A
To lose control
20
Q
In the heat of the moment
A
doing something without thinking because you are vey angry or excited
21
Q
Jump on the bandwagon
A
Join a popular activity
22
Q
Keep something at bay
A
Keep something away
23
Q
Lose one’s touch
A
to no longer have the ability to do things that one was able to do successfully in the past
24
Q
Make a long story short
A
Tell something briefly
25
Out of the blue
Unexpectedly
26
Cut corners
Do something in the easiest, often lowest-quality, way
27
Kill two birds with one stone
Achieve two things with one action
28
In a nutshell
Summarize something in a few words
29
A penny for your thoughts
Asking someone what they are thinking
30
At the drop of a hat
Do something immediately, without hesitation
31
Drop the ball
To make a mistake
32
Get one's ducks in a row
Get everything organized
33
break a leg
good luck
33
Put something on ice
Postpone something for later
33
Queer the pitch
Spoil a plan
34
Rain on someone's parade
Ruin someone's plans or mood
35
Take with a grain of salt
Not to take something too seriously
36
Up in arms
Very angry
37
Vanish into thin air
Disappear completely
38
Wear one's heart on one's sleeve
Show one's emotions openly
39
X marks the spot
Used to indicate a precise location
40
Zero in on
Focus closely on
41
Cool as a cucumber
Very calm and composed
42
Down in the dumps
Feeling depressed
43
Elephant in the room
An obvious problem that people avoid discussing
44
Fit as a fiddle
In good health
45
Go the extra mile
Make more effort than is expected of you
46
Hit the books
Start studying seriously
47
In a pickle
In a difficult situation
48
Just what the doctor ordered
Exactly what was needed
49
Kick the bucket
die
50
Let the cat out of the bag
Reveal a secret
51
Miss the boat
Miss an opportunity
52
Not playing with a full deck
Someone who lacks intelligence
53
Put all your eggs in one basket
Risk everything by investing all in one plan
54
Rule of thumb
A broadly accurate guide or principle
55
Smell a rat
Start to suspect trickery or deception
56
Take it with a pinch of salt
Consider something to be not completely true or right
57
Variety is the spice of life
Changes and new experiences make life more enjoyable
58
When pigs fly
Something that will never happen
59
You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs
It's impossible to achieve anything significant without causing some harm
60
Zip your lip
Keep quiet
61
Cry wolf
Give a false alarm or exaggerate a situation
62
Devil's advocate
Someone who takes a position for the sake of argument
63
Easy as pie
Very easy
64
Hit the ground running
Start a project or task quickly and energetically
65
Fish out of water
Feeling uncomfortable or out of place in a particular situation
66
Ignorance is bliss
Not knowing about a problem or situation allows one to be happier
67
Jack of all trades
Someone who can do many different tasks or jobs
68
Keep your chin up
Remain cheerful and optimistic in difficult times
69
Leave no stone unturned
Do everything possible to find a solution or get information
70
Monkey business
Silly or foolish behavior
71
Nip in the bud
Deal with a problem or situation at an early stage
72
On cloud nine
Feeling extreme happiness or joy
73
Play it by ear
Decide or act spontaneously based on the situation
74
Quick as a flash
Very fast or quickly
75
Rome wasn't built in a day
Great things take time to achieve
76
Shake a leg
Hurry up or move quickly
77
Up for grabs
Available for anyone to take or win
78
Vanishing point
A point in the distance where something disappears from view
79
Whole nine yards
The complete or full extent of something
80
X-factor
A special quality or factor that sets someone or something apart
81
You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours
Help each other mutually
82
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
It's better to have something certain or available now than to expect something better in the future
83
Back to the drawing board
Starting over or going back to the beginning because the previous attempt failed
84
Caught between a rock and a hard place
Being in a situation where there are no good options
85
Diamond in the rough
Someone or something with potential, but needs polishing or development
86
Early bird catches the worm
The person who starts or arrives early has an advantage
87
Face the music
Accept the consequences of one's actions
88
Go down the rabbit hole
To delve into a confusing or complex situation or topic
89
Haste makes waste
When you rush and don't do things carefully, you're likely to make mistakes
90
Jack of all trades, master of none
Someone who is competent in many things but doesn't excel in any particular skill
91
Let sleeping dogs lie
Avoid stirring up trouble or reopening old conflicts
92
Make hay while the sun shines
Take advantage of an opportunity while it's available
93
Not a hair out of place
Immaculately neat and tidy
94
On thin ice
In a risky or precarious situation
95
Rain or shine
Regardless of the weather conditions
95
Quick on the draw
Reacting or responding quickly
96
See eye to eye
completely agree with someone
97
Taste of victory
The feeling of success or accomplishment
98
Up a creek without a paddle
In a difficult or challenging situation without any means of help or solution
99
Variety is the spice of life
Changes and new experiences make life more enjoyable
100
When in Rome, do as the Romans do
Adapt to the customs and behaviors of the place you're in
101
Year in, year out
Happening consistently or repeatedly every year
102
Zero hour
The exact time when an event is scheduled to begin
103
cooked your goose
You messed up badly, ruin something for someone
