U1 Idioms + set expressions

Question 1

At loss of words

Answer 1

Sin palabras

Question 2

At sb’s disposal

Answer 2

available for someone to use

Question 3

Be in your face

Answer 3

shocking and annoying in a way that is difficult to ignore

Question 4

Black hole of sth

Answer 4

sth that remains unexplored

Question 5

Can’t get a word in edgeways

Answer 5

to not be able to say anything because smn else is talking all the time:

Question 6

Clutch one’s face/ head

Answer 6

Agarrarse la cara/ cabeza

Question 7

Clutching at straws

Answer 7

to be trying everything possible to find a solution or hope in a difficult situation, even though it will probably be unsuccessful

She offered to take a pay cut to keep her job, but she was just C@S

Question 8

Come under fire

Answer 8

to be strongly criticised

Question 9

Do your (own) thing

Answer 9

To do what you want without worrying about what anyone else thinks of you.

Question 10

explain sth in layman’s terms

Answer 10

in simple language

Question 11

Fall victim (to sth)

Answer 11

to be injured, damaged or killed by sth.

Question 12

Feed the flames

Answer 12

to provoke further a debate or controversy, a person’s anger, etc.

Question 13

Give maps to one’s own self

Answer 13

Expression which means that a book can act as a compass in helping us orient ourselves internally

Question 14

Give sb the silent treatment

Answer 14

Refuse to speak to them because you are annoyed with them or disapprove of something that they have done.

Question 15

To have its days

Answer 15

the period during which it was most successful or popular has now passed

Question 16

Have more mileage (out of sth)

Answer 16

the amount of advantage or use that you can get from a particular situation

The newspapers wanted to get as much M from the story as they could.

Question 17

He said, she said

Answer 17

a contentious dispute in which the parties express opposing accounts of an event or situation; an account of such a dispute lacking analysis or concrete evidence

Question 18

Hold the interest of sb

Answer 18

-

Question 19

In the same vein

Answer 19

in the same style of speaking or writing

Question 20

Layers of understanding

Answer 20

Different levels of such things as meaning or misunderstanding

Question 21

Long-winded

Answer 21

continuing for too long and therefore boring

Wordy

Question 22

Looking glass

Answer 22

Espejo (metafórico)

Question 23

Make allowance for sth

Answer 23

To take into consideration when planning sth or making calculations

Question 24

Be worse off

Answer 24

poorer or in a more difficult situation

Question 25

Manipulate smn to one’s advantage

Answer 25

-

Question 26

Not being on speaking terms

Answer 26

if two people are not speaking, they do not talk to each other, usually because they have argued

Question 27

Navigate changes

Answer 27

to find the right way to deal with a difficult or complicated situation

Question 28

On the assumption that

Answer 28

to base ideas, plans etc on a particular fact that you think is true

Question 29

On the brink of

Answer 29

a situation when you are almost in a new situation, usually a bad one

Question 30

On the face of it

Answer 30

without knowing all of the relevant facts; apparently

Question 31

On the fly

Answer 31

Deal with a situation while it's happening

Question 32

Perch (yourself) on sth

Answer 32

to sit on top of something or on the edge of something

Question 33

Pecking order

Question 34

Perched on/above sth

Answer 34

to be in a position on top of something or on the edge of something

Question 35

Point of no return

Answer 35

a stage in a process or activity when it becomes impossible to stop it or do something different

Question 36

Prop up one’s chin

Question 37

Put your business on the street

Answer 37

Open your mouth (start talking)

Question 38

Roll one’s eyes

Answer 38

-

Question 39

Say sth under one’s breath

Answer 39

Secretive

Question 40

Sb/sth set tongues wagging

Answer 40

to make ppl start gossiping (chismosear)

Question 41

Talk the hind leg off a donkey

Answer 41

to talk incessantly/to talk

Question 42

Talk the blue streak

Answer 42

To talk quickly and without stopping

Question 43

Teeter on a the brink of collapse

Answer 43

to be very close to doing sth or of having some imminent event happen, especially that which is bad or disastrous

Question 44

Tell a friend from a foe

Answer 44

Mistake for a friend an enemy or smn whose intetions are bad

Question 45

Tip-of-the-tongue

Answer 45

Mistake for a friend an enemy or smn whose intetions are bad

Question 46

Widen out the boundaries of sth

Answer 46

An experience or an emotion has pushed back the limits of your being.

Question 47

Wince (at sth)

Answer 47

to suddenly make an expression with your face that shows that you are feeling pain or embarrassment

Question 48

Talk about sb behind their back

Answer 48

-

Question 49

Talk down to sb

Answer 49

to speak to sb as if they were less important or intelligent than you

Question 50

Talk one’s head off

Answer 50

to talk to someone for a long time, usually loudly

Question 51

Talk sb's ear off

Answer 51

to talk too much to someone