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English Idioms > Part 1 > Flashcards

Part 1 Flashcards

(100 cards)

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1
Q

Hit the nail on the head

A

Describe exactly what is causing a situation.

Example: She hit the nail on the head when she said the project failed due to poor planning.

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2
Q

Spill the beans

A

To reveal a secret.

Example: He spilled the beans about the surprise party.

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3
Q

Bite the bullet

A

To endure a painful or difficult situation.

Example: I had to bite the bullet and face the interview despite my fear.

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4
Q

Pull someone’s leg

A

To joke with someone.

Example: Don’t worry, I was just pulling your leg.

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5
Q

Burn the midnight oil

A

To work late at night.

Example: She burned the midnight oil to finish her assignment.

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6
Q

Turn a blind eye

A

To ignore something deliberately.

Example: The teacher turned a blind eye to the students whispering.

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7
Q

Jump on the bandwagon

A

To follow a popular trend.

Example: After the app went viral, everyone jumped on the bandwagon.

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8
Q

Break the ice

A

To start a conversation in a social setting.

Example: He told a joke to break the ice at the meeting.

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9
Q

The last straw

A

The final problem in a series.

Example: His rude comment was the last straw; I walked out.

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10
Q

Hit the sack

A

To go to bed.

Example: I’m so tired—I’m going to hit the sack.

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11
Q

Go the extra mile

A

To do more than required.

Example: She always goes the extra mile to help her team.

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12
Q

Pull out all the stops

A

Make every possible effort.

Example: The company pulled out all the stops to launch the product.

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13
Q

Throw in the towel

A

To give up.

Example: After several failed attempts, he threw in the towel.

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14
Q

A blessing in disguise

A

Something that seems bad but is actually good.

Example: Losing that job was a blessing in disguise.

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15
Q

By the skin of one’s teeth

A

Just barely succeeding.

Example: He passed the exam by the skin of his teeth.

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16
Q

Call it a day

A

Stop working for the day.

Example: We’ve done enough. Let’s call it a day.

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17
Q

Keep one’s nose to the grindstone

A

Work hard continuously.

Example: She kept her nose to the grindstone and earned a promotion.

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18
Q

A piece of cake

A

Something very easy.

Example: That math problem was a piece of cake.

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19
Q

The ball is in your court

A

It’s your decision now.

Example: I’ve done my part, now the ball is in your court.

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20
Q

Learn the ropes

A

Understand the basics of something.

Example: It took me a week to learn the ropes at my new job.

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21
Q

Cut corners

A

Do something in the easiest or cheapest way, often sacrificing quality.

Example: They cut corners while building the bridge, which led to cracks.

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22
Q

In hot water

A

In trouble.

Example: He found himself in hot water after missing the deadline.

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23
Q

Under the weather

A

Feeling sick.

Example: I didn’t go to class today because I was feeling under the weather.

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24
Q

Barking up the wrong tree

A

Accusing the wrong person or pursuing the wrong course.

Example: If you think I stole it, you’re barking up the wrong tree.

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25
Cry over spilt milk
Worry about something that cannot be undone. ## Footnote Example: The damage is done, there’s no use crying over spilt milk.
26
Let the cat out of the bag
Reveal a secret unintentionally. ## Footnote Example: He let the cat out of the bag about the gift.
27
Face the music
Accept the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions. ## Footnote Example: He had to face the music for cheating in the exam.
28
Kill two birds with one stone
Achieve two things with one action. ## Footnote Example: By visiting my parents, I killed two birds with one stone—family time and home-cooked food.
29
Add fuel to the fire
Make a bad situation worse. ## Footnote Example: His sarcastic comment added fuel to the fire.
30
Beat around the bush
Avoid getting to the point. ## Footnote Example: Stop beating around the bush and tell me the truth.
31
Blow one’s own trumpet
Brag about oneself. ## Footnote Example: He always blows his own trumpet at meetings.
32
Once in a blue moon
Very rarely. ## Footnote Example: We go out for dinner once in a blue moon.
33
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
It’s better to hold onto something you have than risk it for more. ## Footnote Example: He chose the job offer now instead of waiting—after all, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
34
Burn your bridges
Destroy relationships or opportunities permanently. ## Footnote Example: He burned his bridges when he insulted the boss before quitting.
35
Bite off more than you can chew
Take on more responsibility than you can handle. ## Footnote Example: She bit off more than she could chew by accepting five projects.
36
Cast in stone
Fixed and unchangeable. ## Footnote Example: These rules are not cast in stone; we can revise them.
37
Climb the ladder
Progress in one’s career. ## Footnote Example: She climbed the ladder quickly and became the manager.
38
Devil’s advocate
A person who argues just for the sake of debate. ## Footnote Example: I’m playing devil’s advocate to explore all sides of the issue.
39
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
Don’t make plans based on assumptions. ## Footnote Example: He bought a car before getting the job—counting chickens too early!
40
Every cloud has a silver lining
Every bad situation has some good in it. ## Footnote Example: I lost my phone, but I reconnected with old friends—every cloud has a silver lining.
41
Get cold feet
Become nervous before doing something important. ## Footnote Example: She got cold feet before her wedding.
42
Go the extra mile
Make a special effort. ## Footnote Example: He always goes the extra mile to help customers.
43
Hit the sack
Go to bed. ## Footnote Example: I’m exhausted. Time to hit the sack.
44
It takes two to tango
Both parties are responsible for the situation. ## Footnote Example: Don’t blame just her; it takes two to tango.
45
Jump on the bandwagon
Join a popular activity or trend. ## Footnote Example: Everyone’s buying those shoes—she just jumped on the bandwagon.
46
Keep your chin up
Stay strong and optimistic. ## Footnote Example: I know it’s tough, but keep your chin up.
47
Leave no stone unturned
Try every possible method. ## Footnote Example: The police left no stone unturned in the investigation.
48
Make a long story short
Come to the point. ## Footnote Example: To make a long story short, we missed the flight.
49
Neck and neck
Very close in a race or competition. ## Footnote Example: The two candidates were neck and neck in the polls.
50
Off the record
Not to be officially reported. ## Footnote Example: Off the record, he admitted to the mistake.
51
On cloud nine
Extremely happy. ## Footnote Example: She was on cloud nine after her promotion.
52
Out of the blue
Unexpectedly. ## Footnote Example: He called me out of the blue after five years.
53
Piece of cake
Very easy. ## Footnote Example: The exam was a piece of cake.
54
Pull someone’s leg
Joke or tease someone. ## Footnote Example: Don’t worry, I was just pulling your leg.
55
Read between the lines
Understand the hidden meaning. ## Footnote Example: Read between the lines—he’s not happy with the deal.
56
Sit on the fence
Avoid making a decision. ## Footnote Example: He always sits on the fence in political debates.
57
Spill the beans
Reveal a secret. ## Footnote Example: Who spilled the beans about the surprise party?
58
Take it with a grain of salt
Don’t take it too seriously. ## Footnote Example: I take his promises with a grain of salt.
59
The ball is in your court
It’s your turn to make a decision. ## Footnote Example: I’ve said all I can. Now the ball is in your court.
60
Through thick and thin
In good times and bad. ## Footnote Example: She stood by me through thick and thin.
61
Hit the road
To leave or begin a journey. ## Footnote Example: We packed our bags and hit the road at dawn.
62
Put all your eggs in one basket
To risk everything on one option. ## Footnote Example: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket—invest in different things.
63
Beat around the bush
To avoid talking about the main topic. ## Footnote Example: Stop beating around the bush and tell me the truth.
64
Jump the gun
To act too early or hastily. ## Footnote Example: We haven’t got approval yet, don’t jump the gun.
65
Let the cat out of the bag
To accidentally reveal a secret. ## Footnote Example: She let the cat out of the bag about the wedding surprise.
66
Play devil’s advocate
To argue the opposite side for the sake of discussion. ## Footnote Example: I’m just playing devil’s advocate here—what if the plan fails?
67
Throw caution to the wind
To take a risk. ## Footnote Example: They threw caution to the wind and invested all their savings.
68
Out of the blue
Unexpectedly. ## Footnote Example: The offer came out of the blue.
69
Curiosity killed the cat
Being too curious can lead to trouble. ## Footnote Example: Don’t open that file—curiosity killed the cat.
70
The writing on the wall
A clear sign of something bad coming. ## Footnote Example: He saw the writing on the wall and quit before he got fired.
71
A bookworm
A person who loves reading. ## Footnote Example: My sister is a real bookworm—she reads every day.
72
Hit the books
To start studying. ## Footnote Example: Exams are next week, so it’s time to hit the books.
73
Learn the ropes
To understand the basics of a job or task. ## Footnote Example: It took me a week to learn the ropes at my new job.
74
Burn the midnight oil
To work or study late into the night. ## Footnote Example: She burned the midnight oil to finish her project.
75
Know the drill
To know what to do. ## Footnote Example: It’s a fire drill—you know the drill.
76
By heart
To memorize perfectly. ## Footnote Example: He learned all the formulas by heart.
77
An old hand
Someone experienced in something. ## Footnote Example: She’s an old hand at dealing with difficult customers.
78
Put on your thinking cap
To think seriously. ## Footnote Example: This puzzle is tough. Time to put on your thinking cap.
79
Bite off more than you can chew
To take on more responsibility than you can handle. ## Footnote Example: He bit off more than he could chew by taking three jobs.
80
Jump to conclusions
To decide something without all the facts. ## Footnote Example: Don’t jump to conclusions before hearing her side.
81
Make ends meet
To manage expenses within income. ## Footnote Example: It’s hard to make ends meet on a small salary.
82
Cut corners
To do something cheaply or quickly, sacrificing quality. ## Footnote Example: Don’t cut corners when building a house.
83
In the red
In debt or losing money. ## Footnote Example: After the holiday season, many businesses are in the red.
84
In the black
Making a profit. ## Footnote Example: After months of losses, we’re finally in the black.
85
Cost an arm and a leg
Extremely expensive. ## Footnote Example: That new phone cost me an arm and a leg.
86
Break the bank
To spend all your money. ## Footnote Example: A weekend trip won’t break the bank.
87
On a shoestring budget
With very little money. ## Footnote Example: We traveled Europe on a shoestring budget.
88
Bring home the bacon
To earn money for the family. ## Footnote Example: He works hard to bring home the bacon.
89
Money doesn’t grow on trees
Money is limited and must be used wisely. ## Footnote Example: Stop wasting money—money doesn’t grow on trees.
90
Pay through the nose
To pay too much. ## Footnote Example: We paid through the nose for those concert tickets.
91
A penny for your thoughts
Asking someone to share what they’re thinking. ## Footnote Example: You’ve been quiet—penny for your thoughts?
92
Born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth
Born into a wealthy family. ## Footnote Example: She never worked a day—born with a silver spoon in her mouth.
93
Rags to riches
From poverty to wealth. ## Footnote Example: His is a true rags to riches story.
94
On cloud nine
Extremely happy. ## Footnote Example: She’s been on cloud nine since the wedding.
95
Over the moon
Very pleased. ## Footnote Example: He was over the moon about his promotion.
96
Walking on air
Feeling very happy. ## Footnote Example: She’s been walking on air since she met him.
97
In seventh heaven
In a state of extreme happiness. ## Footnote Example: After hearing the results, he was in seventh heaven.
98
Full of beans
Energetic and enthusiastic. ## Footnote Example: The kids were full of beans after the party.
99
Have butterflies in one’s stomach
To feel nervous. ## Footnote Example: I had butterflies in my stomach before the interview.
100
A bundle of nerves
Extremely nervous. ## Footnote Example: She was a bundle of nerves before the performance.

English Idioms (3 decks)

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