idioms and phrases list

7/25/2019 Idioms and Phrases List

1/12

Words Examples Explanation

ring a bell A: Do you know April ONeil?B: Hmm !aybe "#at name rings a bell

is $amiliar to you but you %ant rememberw#ere you #eard it

on t#e one #and & on t#eot#er #and

On t#e one #and' (eters roommate is kind On t#e ot#er#and' #es )uite messy

*expression used to w#en %onsidering t#ead+antages and disad+antages o$ st#,

#a+e&keep an open mind - tried to keep an open mind about Allan e+en t#oug# -d

#eard some bad t#ings about #im

be open minded

on t#e tip o$ your tongue His name was on t#e tip o$ my tongue. but - %ouldntremember it

used to say you are almostable to remembersomet#ing' but you %ant

a #ango+er *noun, ung/o+er *ad0,

"yler was too #ung/o+er $rom last nig#ts party to go towork

unwell $rom drinking too mu%# al%o#ol on t#epre+ious day

1is# 2ets meet around 3is# used to make st# more +ague and less exa%t

$ed up -m $ed up wit# my neig#bours dog so angry t#at you %an no longer tolerate anymore o$ st#

Big deal4 -t takes you 56 minutes to walk to s%#ool? Big deal4 a sar%asti% expression meaning t#at st# is

a%tually NO" a big deal7i+e sb a #and !y dad ga+e me a #and wit# my #omework #elped you

let t#e %at out o$ t#e bag -t was going to be a surprise party' until "odd let t#e %atout o$ t#e bag

told t#e se%ret so ot#er people $ound out tooearly

gi+e it a s#ot -$ you t#ink you %an make t#e team' t#en gi+e it a s#ot gi+e it a try

No way4 A: 7eorge' -m pregnantB: No way4

similar to 8t#at %ant be possible49 & 8- dontbelie+e you49

"#e more t#e merrier A: an - in+ite my brot#er?B: ;ure "#e more t#e merrier

used to say t#at t#e more o$ st# t#ere is' t#ebetter it will be

gi+e it your all E+en t#oug# - lost t#e ra%e' - ga+e it my all tried your #ardest


2/12

$or a long walk by #ersel$

keep tra%k - use my wat%# to keep tra%k o$ time to monitor t#e time

$rom s%rat%# !y aunt made t#e %ake $rom s%rat%# $rom not#ing *wit#out any already/preparedmaterials,

o@ t#e top o$ your #ead He asked me to tell #im a 0oke' but - %ouldnt t#ink o$ oneo@ t#e top o$ my #ead

using only t#e ideas you #a+e in your #ead att#at moment

learn your lesson "#e boy learned #is lesson Hell ne+er play wit#


3/12

%ontrolling #is road rage

go on about "#e old man went on about #is s%#ool days $or nearly an#our

to speak $or too long about st# uninteresting

slip your mind - was going to return t#e library books today a$ter work'but t#e t#oug#t slipped my mind

used to say you $orgot to do st#

#a+e&t#row a ou %an


4/12

between t#e lines written or said

go all out We went all out and booked a ou name it' you got it

synonym o$ w#ate+er you want anyt#ing

know your stu@ Cim #as been a me%#ani% $or years He really knows#is stu@

to know st# well

le$t' rig#t and %entre Businesses were %losing in town le$t' rig#t and %entre e+eryw#ere

a %#ange o$ #eart A$ter seeing a mouse on t#e =oor' - #ad a %#ange o$#eart about eating at t#e restaurant

a %#ange o$ $eeling used to say you %#angedyour mind about st#

a long #aul (eter told #is boss t#at #e wouldnt )uit Hes in it $or t#elong #aul

t#e long road t#e option t#at takes t#e mosttime

be man enoug# 7eorge was t#e only one man enoug# to admit #e #admade a mistake

strong enoug# in %#ara%ter' or strong enoug#as a man

be se%ond to none "#e apple pie at t#is restaurant is se%ond to none t#e best

know&learn t#e ropes -t took me a mont# to learn t#e ropes at my new 0ob t#e pro%ess o$ learning about st# so you are%om$ortable wit# it

a breat# o$ $res# air "#e new employee' 7ail' is a breat# o$ $res# air in t#eoF%e

st# new t#at adds li$e and energy to a situation

get your a%t toget#er "#e %oa%# told me t#at i$ - didnt get my a%t toget#er' -dbe ki%ked o@ t#e team

start be#a+ing properly

set your #eart on st# Eri% #as #is #eart set on parti%ipating in t#e Olympi%s to be


5/12

play it by ear A: How long will you stay in Australia?B: -m not sure -m 0ust going to play it by ear

to impro+ise to not make a plan but de%idew#at to do as you do it

put all your eggs in onebasket

7reg in+ested #is money in a $ew di@erent areas Hedidnt want to put all #is eggs in one basket

to put all o$ st# you #a+e in t#e same area*note: generally +iewed as a bad t#ing to do,

Birds o$ a $eat#er *=o%ktoget#er,

A: -ts $unny t#at all o$ Iates $riends are attra%ti+eB: ;o is s#e - guess birds o$ a $eat#er =o%k toget#er

similar people tend to spend time wit# ea%#ot#er

#a+e se%ond t#oug#ts -m starting to #a+e se%ond t#oug#ts about my newapartment to #a+e doubts

pay t#e pri%e $or st# Dont tou%# my stu@ -$ you do' youll pay t#e pri%e to su@er as a %onse)uen%e o$ doing st#

a basket %ase Darryls ex/wi$e is a total basket %ase a %raJy person a nut

on t#e dot We arri+ed at K o%lo%k on t#e dot exa%tly

not #a+e a %lue - dont #a+e a %lue w#ere Nuna+ut is to #a+e no idea or absolutely no knowledge*about st#,

#a+e a s#ot at Our team #as a s#ot at winning t#e %#ampions#ip #as a %#an%e

t#e word spread -t took only an #our $or word to spread around t#e oF%e

t#at Co#n #ad been


6/12

set t#e re%ord straig#t -n a "M inter+iew' t#e politi%ian set t#e re%ord straig#tabout #is experien%es in t#e military

to %lari$y w#at is true&$a%tual about a story ort#ing

keep an eye on "#e se%urity guard kept an eye on t#e suspi%ious man wat%# %losely monitor

a grey area Be%ause o$ a grey area in #is 0ob des%ription' (eter wasnot exa%tly sure w#at all o$ #is responsibilities were

a +ague area an un%lear area an area t#at isneit#er bla%k nor w#ite

get&let sb o@ t#e #ook 2u%kily $or #er' t#e poli%eman let Cane o@ t#e #ook $orparking #er %ar in a no/parking Jone

to let someone go $ree instead o$ #olding t#emresponsible $or st# bad

out o$ sig#t' out o$ mind Cim was #appy w#en #is ex/girl$riend mo+ed out o$ #isapartment out o$ sig#t' out o$ mind

t#is means t#at i$ you do not see someoneregularly' you will stop t#inking about t#em

gi+e sb t#e %old s#oulder "ed ga+e #is ex/girl$riend t#e %old s#oulder w#en #e saw#er at t#e party

to ignore sb

"#e ins and outs -t took Alan a year to learn all t#e ins and outs o$ #is 0obto know all aspe%ts o$ st# to know %ompletely#ow st# works

line o$ work "#e


7/12

sa%k *+erb,

on t#e ba%k burner "#e pro0e%t was put on t#e ba%k burner w#ile t#e%ompany $o%used on a more immediate problem

set as a lower priority

get %old $eet -ts normal to get %old $eet be$ore your wedding day to be%ome ner+ous&$rig#tened rig#t be$ore st#you #ad planned to do

#it ro%k bottom A$ter being


8/12

-m all ears A: Doug' -+e dis%o+ered t#e meaning o$ li$eB: Leally? -m all ears

-m listening intently

small talk A$ter some small talk' t#e inter+iew began dis%ussion about lig#t topi%s su%# as t#eweat#er

put st# on #old 7reg #ad to put #is weekend plans on #old and go intot#e oF%e on ;aturday $or a $ew #ours

to postpone st#

%ommon ground "#e two boys #ad some %ommon ground: t#ey bot#lo+ed $ootball

somet#ing #eld in %ommon a %ommon interestor trait

politi%ally *in,%orre%t !ar%el told a politi%ally in%orre%t 0oke at t#e %ompanyparty No one laug#ed

politi%ally %orre%t worded in a sensiti+e wayt#at will not #arm t#e audien%e

#a+e #ad it up to #ere 8-+e #ad it up to #ere wit# t#is mess4 lean your roomnow49

-m $ed up -+e #ad enoug# somet#ing saidw#en you %annot #andle anymore o$ somet#ingt#at is aggra+ating you

#a+e your work %ut out -$ we want to


9/12

at your ou missed t#e point "#e book was about t#e problemso$ %apitalism' not #ow to make money9

to $ail to grasp t#e most important part o$ st#

#old&stand your ground Alt#oug# t#eir enemy outnumbered t#em' t#e soldiersstood t#eir ground

to stay in your position wit#out running away

be %#ilds play "#e tennis mat%# was %#ilds play $or Ben a pie%e o$ %ake somet#ing so easy a %#ild%ould do it

be only a matter o$ time "#e s%ientist said its only a matter o$ time be$ore a bigeart#)uake #its ali$ornia

used to say t#at st# will ine+itably #appen*sooner or later,

pus# your lu%k A: Dad' %an - #a+e anot#er i%e %ream %one?B: Dont pus# your lu%k' kid

to expe%t %ontinued good $ortune

raise *a $ew, eyebrows ran%ines s#ort skirt raised a $ew eyebrows to make people slig#tly s#o%ked or surprised

a matter o$ opinion "#e best restaurant in Europe is' o$ %ourse' a matter o$opinion

st# t#at is sub0e%ti+e

be t#at as it may A: "yler is su%# a sel


10/12

add insult to in0ury "o add insult to in0ury' 7regs wi$e le$t #im $or #is best$riend

to make an insulting situation e+en worse

t#e last straw W#en t#e boss told me to %ome in to work on ;aturday't#at was t#e last straw

t#e


11/12

w#et your appetite "#e R/se%ond trailer was designed to w#et peoplesappetites

to make people want more to stimulate yourappetite so you desire more

sour grapes A: (eople wit# ni%e %ars 0ust want attentionB: "#at sounds like sour grapes be%ause you %ant a@ordone

expression t#at means somet#ing was said outo$ 0ealousy

a blessing in disguise 2osing #is 0ob turned out to be a blessing in disguiseA$terward' Loger $ound #is dream 0ob

a good t#ing t#at


12/12

%all sbs blu@ W#en !ike #eard #is $riend say s#e knew all o$ t#eworlds %apitals' #e %alled #er blu@ and asked #er toname t#e %apital o$ !oJambi)ue

to make sb pro+e t#at w#at t#ey are saying istrue

#a+e a %#ip on yours#oulder

"im #as #ad a %#ip on #is s#oulder aboutbusinesswomen sin%e #e lost #is 0ob to a woman t#reeyears ago

to #a+e anger about st# t#at #appened in t#epast

breat#e down sbs ne%k Cim $ound it #ard to $o%us on #is work wit# #is boss

breat#ing down #is ne%k

to wat%# sb +ery %losely *o$ten in an annoying

way,

%limb to t#e top o$ t#e%areer&%orporate ladder

Ha+ing %#ildren %an be an obsta%le $or women w#o wantto %limb *to t#e top o$, t#e %orporate ladder

to ad+an%e in a %ompany by being promoted tot#e top

red tape !arks +isa appli%ation was #eld up $or six mont#sbe%ause o$ red tape

rules and regulations t#at pre+ent you $roma%#ie+ing st# easily

gi+e sb $ree rein W#en #is $at#er died' !ark was gi+en $ree rein to dow#ate+er #e liked wit# t#e $amily business

to gi+e sb $ull %ontrol o$ st#

t#e be/all/and/end/all 7etting into Har+ard 2aw ;%#ool be%ame t#e be/all/and/end/all o$ "onys existen%e

t#e only t#ing t#at matters st# so good t#at itwill end t#e sear%# $or st# better

blow st# out o$ proportion "#e media blew t#e story out o$ proportion exaggerate st# to make st# seem mu%# moresigni

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