Idioms and Phrases List

REF	LEVEL	IDIOM/PHRASE	MEANING	EXAMPLE
COLOURS
ID01		(be) green with envy	be very jealous, envious	Steve's friends were green with envy when they saw his new car.
ID01		a red-letter day	a day which will always be remembered	This is certainly a red-letter day for us to remember all our lives.
ID01		grey matter	a person's intelligence	If she uses her grey matter, she can solve this math problem.
ID01		lend colour to something	make sth appear more credible	Don't believe him. He always lends colour to his story.
ID01		out of the blue	without warning, unexpectedly	She told me, out of the blue, that she was going to live in Spain.
ID01		be (kept) in the dark	be kept uninformed about something	It wasn't right for a man in his position to be kept in the dark.
ID01		be in the black	have money in your bank account	After years of financial problems our company is in the black again.
ID01		white-collar	relating to people who work in offices	It has put many white-collar workers in danger of losing their jobs.
ID01		yellow-bellied	not brave and easily frightened	The yellow-bellied soldier ran away from the battlefield.
ID01		be tickled pink	be very pleased or happy	They were tickled pink to see their friends on television.
TIME
ID02		in the blink of an eye	extremely quickly	That shopping centre has gone up in the blink of an eye.
ID02		at the crack of dawn	very early in the morning, at dawn	Greg was up at the crack of dawn and often not home until late.
ID02		around/round the clock	all day and all night without stopping	They are working around the clock to find survivors of the explosion.
ID02		on the spur of the moment	on impulse, without planning in advance	He doesn't make decisions like this on the spur of the moment.
ID02		live on borrowed time	likely to fail or die very soon	She's been living on borrowed time ever since her last heart attack.
ID02		in the long run	over or after a long period of time	Moving to Australia will be better for her in the long run.
ID02		since time immemorial	for a very long time	These islands have been Japanese territory since time immemorial.
ID02		on the dot	exactly at the stated or expected time	Marianne always leaves the office at 4.30 p.m. on the dot.
ID02		in the nick of time	just before it is too late	He escaped from his smoke-filled home just in the nick of time.
ID02		at the best of times	when everything is going well	It's crowded at the best of times but today it was unbearable.
PARTS OF THE BODY (NOUNS)
ID03		poke one's nose into sth	get involved in sb else's private affairs	Alice was always poking her nose into other people's business.
ID03		catch sb's eye	be attractive enough to be noticed by sb	It was the unusual colour of her jacket that caught my eye.
ID03		get sth off your chest	tell sb about sth that's been worrying you	You're worried about something; why not get it off your chest?
ID03		off/on the back of sth	as a result of an achievement or a success	The company's profits have risen on the back of increased sales.
ID03		by the skin of one's teeth	by a very narrow margin, only just	Thankfully, the crew escaped by the skin of their teeth.
ID03		pull somebody's leg	deceive someone playfully, tease someone	Is it really your house or are you pulling my leg?
ID03		have a change of heart	a move to a different opinion or attitude	She said she's not coming, but she might have a change of heart.
ID03		cost an arm and a leg	be extremely expensive	A week at a health resort can cost an arm and a leg.
ID03		have sth on the brain	be always thinking about something	It's unbelievable - you have music on the brain 24 hours a day!
PARTS OF THE BODY (VERBS)
ID04		foot the bill	pay for sth, esp. something expensive	Who is going to foot the bill for the failure of this experiment?
ID04		face the music	accept punishment for sth one has done	Someday she's going to have to face the music for her actions.
ID04		shoulder a responsibility	deal with or accept something difficult	Matt has had to shoulder the responsibility of his father's mistakes.
ID04		elbow your way	make one's way through something	I had to elbow my way through the crowd to board the train.
ID04		thumb a lift	hitchhike, ask for a ride	It's a common thing to thumb a lift to travel in western countries.
ID04		hand it to somebody	admire someone for their skills	You have to hand it to him. He's really good at football.
ID04		back the wrong horse	support sb/sth that is not successful	If you choose Ann over Mark, you would back the wrong horse.
ID04		head a team	lead or be in charge of (a team, agency)	He replaced Adam who headed the team for five years.
ID04		toe the line	follow orders, rules etc. strictly	In this company you must toe the line if you want to keep your job.
ID04		nose around/about	look for sth, especially information about sb	I caught Alice nosing around in my living room.
APPEARANCE
ID05		down at heel	having a poor, shabby appearance	John has been looking increasingly down at heel recently.
ID05		beauty is in the eye of the beholder	the perception of beauty is subjective	The truth is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
ID05		a sight for sore eyes	sb or sth that you are happy to see	After weeks of rain, the sunny day was a sight for sore eyes.
ID05		not a hair out of place	have a very neat appearance	Margaret had a lot of make-up on and not a hair out of place.
ID05		in your birthday suit	not wearing any clothes	The small boy dashed out of the bath in his birthday suit.
ID05		be thin on top	have lost some of the hair on your head	Freddie is wearing a hat because he's getting thin on top.
ID05		don't judge a book by its cover	do not form opinion using appearance	You can't judge a book by its cover, as the old saying goes.
ID05		somebody has a face like thunder	look extremely angry	Mary had a face like thunder. She looked very angry.
ID05		put years on somebody	cause to look or feel older	She's not even 40, but having two kids has put years on her!
ID05		grin/smile from ear to ear	smile widely	She was holding the baby, and grinning from ear to ear.
ANIMALS 1
ID06		have a bee in your bonnet	talk and think a lot about something	My teacher has a bee in her bonnet about spelling.
ID06		take the bull by the horns	bravely deal with a difficult problem	Why don't you take the bull by the horns and tell her to leave?
ID06		let the cat out of the bag	reveal a secret carelessly or by mistake	When Mary glanced at the carpet, she let the cat out of the bag.
ID06		shed/cry crocodile tears	become extremely emotional, moved	She shed crocodile tears when she dismissed him from his job.
ID06		have butterflies in one's stomach	feel very nervous or excited about sth	She used to have butterflies in her stomach before school tests.
ID06		till the cows come home	for an indefinitely long time	Arnold stays up and plays cards till the cows come home.
ID06		hold one's horses	wait a moment	Just hold your horses, Sean! Let's think about this for a moment.
ID06		have a whale of a time	enjoy oneself very much	We took our holidays in Ibiza and had a whale of a time.
ID06		wild goose chase	an attempt to find sth that does not exist	It looks like they've sent us on a wild goose chase.
ANIMALS 2
ID07		flog a dead horse	waste energy on a lost cause	She's flogging a dead horse by asking him to lend you money.
ID07		like water off a duck's back	having no effect on someone	Advice and correction roll off him like water off a duck's back.
ID07		the lion's share	the largest or best part of something	He earned a lot, but the lion's share goes for taxes.
ID07		as the crow flies	the most direct route between two places	The towns are no more than a kilometre apart as the crow flies.
ID07		eager beaver	an enthusiastic person who works very hard	When Hannah first started working she was a real eager beaver.
ID07		kill two birds with one stone	achieve two things in a single action	To speed my escape, we decided to kill two birds with one stone.
ID07		let sleeping dogs lie	leave things undisturbed	Don't tell him that I broke the window. Let sleeping dogs lie.
ID07		not enough room to swing a cat	very little or no space, very cramped	This bus is too crowded! I don't have enough room to swing a cat!
ID07		mutton dressed as lamb	a woman who tries to look younger	She's always careful to avoid looking like mutton dressed as lamb.
ID07		cook someone's goose	spoil sb's plans, cause sb's downfall	Another year of dismal sales will cook our goose, I'm afraid.
TRAVEL AND TRANSPORT
ID08		be in the same boat	be in the same difficult situation	Everyone has lost their job. We're all in the same boat.
ID08		be flying high	be very successful	Kevin's been flying high ever since he passed his driving test.
ID08		come to a standstill	slow down and finally stop	Because of the strike, the production has come to a standstill.
ID08		a backseat driver	a passenger who criticises the driver	I'm sorry to be a backseat driver, but why are you taking this route?
ID08		carry/take coals to Newcastle	take sth to a place where it is not needed	To offer her money is to carry coals to Newcastle; she is wealthy.
ID08		life in the fast lane	a way of living that is full of excitement	Tom lived life in the fast lane when he was young.
ID08		off the beaten track	in or into an isolated place	We are looking for a holiday spot that is off the beaten track.
ID08		put the cart before the horse	do two things in the wrong order	To teach writing before reading is to put the cart before the horse.
ID08		drive sb round the bend	make someone very bored or very angry	My girlfriend's been driving me round the bend recently.
ID08		have a bumpy ride	have a difficult time	He's had a bumpy ride at work during the last few months.
NATURE 1
ID09		come rain or shine	no matter what the weather is	Come rain or shine, we're going on a trip the day after tomorrow.
ID09		beat about the bush	avoid talking about what is important	Don't beat about the bush any more! Come straight to the point!
ID09		barking up the wrong tree	trying to do sth in a way that will not work	You're barking up the wrong tree if you think Gary can help you.
ID09		not hold water	not be or not appear to be true	Her demonstration of the deduction logic does not hold water.
ID09		not see the wood for the trees	not understand the main point about sth	He can't see the wood for the trees, he is really confused.
ID09		a storm in a teacup	great excitement about a trivial matter	They are continually quarreling, but it is usually a storm in a teacup.
ID09		walk/float on air	feel extremely excited or happy	Sonia has been walking on air since she is going to marry Greg.
ID09		under a cloud	under suspicion or discredited	The minister left his office under a cloud after a fraud scandal.
ID09		be in the land the living	be awake or to be alive	They tried to resuscitate her, but she wasn't in the land of the living.
ID09		make a mountain out of a molehill	exaggerate the importance of sth trivial	You are making a mountain out of a molehill, David.
NATURE 2
ID10		in broad daylight	during the day with many witnesses	The robbery occurred in broad daylight, in a crowded street.
ID10		a bolt from the blue	something totally unexpected	Her death at the age of 32 was a bolt from the blue.
ID10		down to earth	practical and realistic	Kevin was always down to earth and had very little imagination.
ID10		sell somebody down the river	betray sb for a personal benefit	He didn't expect to be sold down the river by his best friend.
ID10		leave no stone unturned	look for sth in every possible place	She left no stone unturned in her search for her natural mother.
ID10		stand your ground	refuse to change your opinion	Alice knows when to stand her ground and when to give in.
ID10		take something by storm	quickly become very successful or popular	Donato is set to take the music world by storm.
ID10		the tip of the iceberg	only a small part of a much larger problem	The reported cases of poisoning are only the tip of the iceberg.
ID10		muddy the waters	make a situation more confused	They keep on muddying the waters by raising other political issues.
ID10		go with the flow	follow trends without planning	I always do things your way. Can't you go with the flow for once?
LIFE AND DEATH
ID11		pay your last respects	honour someone after their death	We paid our last respects by standing quietly at the graveside.
ID11		look on the bright side	find good things in a bad situation	Even when things go badly, try to look on the bright side.
ID11		be alive and well/kicking	continue to be popular or successful	The carp was still alive and kicking when I bought it in the market.
ID11		be in the family way	be pregnant	They let her off the boat first because she's in the family way.
ID11		take the bad with the good	accept all the features or parts of sth	When it comes to this job, you have to take the bad with the good.
ID11		live on the breadline	be extremely poor	They've been living on the breadline for months now.
ID11		from beyond the grave	after a person has died	The old lady still influences the family from beyond the grave.
ID11		life is not all beer and skittles	life is not always easy, enjoyable, or fun	It goes without saying that life is not all beer and skittles.
ID11		be pushing up (the) daisies	be dead	You'll be pushing up the daisies long before it happens.
ID11		a new lease of life	another chance to lead a happy life	Since his heart surgery he's had a new lease of life.
NUMBERS
ID12		second to none	better than all others of the same kind	The city's public transport system is undoubtedly second to none.
ID12		dressed (up) to the nines	wearing very smart or elegant clothes	Last year at his party, everyone was dressed to the nines.
ID12		at the eleventh hour	the last moment or almost too late	Can you believe they backed out of the deal at the eleventh hour?
ID12		knock someone for six	utterly surprise or overcome someone	The emotional impact of losing a parent can knock us for six.
ID12		kill two birds with one stone	achieve two aims at once	Well, I'm planning to kill two birds with one stone tonight.
ID12		back to square one	back to where one started	If this suggestion isn't accepted, I'll be back to square one.
ID12		at sixes and sevens	in a state of total confusion or disarray	Things happened so fast that John was at sixes and sevens.
ID12		never in a million years	not at any point, under no circumstances	Never in a million years did I think that I would win the lottery!
ID12		be scattered to the four winds	be dispersed across a wide area	After the firm went bankrupt, our team was scattered to the winds.
COMPARING
ID13		as different as chalk and cheese	completely different from each other	They are twins, but they are as different as chalk and cheese.
ID13		be in a league of one's own	superior to others of one's or its kind	The most recently released Porsche model is in a league of its own.
ID13		not fit to hold a candle	be much less good, beautiful, impressive	Pete's fast all right, but he isn't fit to hold a candle to Mary!
ID13		bear a striking resemblance	be similar to someone or something	Everybody says that my son bears a striking resemblance to me.
ID13		be on the same wavelength	be in agreement, think or behave similarly	It's great to work with people who are on the same wavelength.
ID13		a world of difference between	a stark contrast, a vast improvement	There's a world of difference between Europe and Australia.
ID13		be a chip off the old block	look or behave like one of your parents	The son followed his father's footstep; a chip off the old block.
ID13		be/stand head and shoulders above	be much better than other people	The two candidates stood head and shoulders above the rest.
ID13		not to be a patch on something	be much less attractive than something	This new washing machine isn't a patch on our old one.
ID13		pale into insignificance	seem much less important	Our problems pale into insignificance when compared to theirs.
CLOTHES
ID14		wear the trousers	be the dominant partner in a relationship	It's quite clear who wears the trousers in that house!
ID14		at the drop of a hat	without hesitation or good reason	Weather can vary dramatically and change at the drop of a hat.
ID14		burst at the seams	be very full or crowded	This sitting room will be bursting at the seams when they arrive.
ID14		hot under the collar	angry, resentful, or embarrassed	Don't get hot under the collar. She didn't mean to offend you.
ID14		to cap it all	to provide the finishing touch	It was raining, the bus was late, and to cap it all, I had no coat.
ID14		hand in glove	in close collusion or association	The drug traffickers are working hand in glove with the terrorists.
ID14		pull one's socks up	try hard to improve your behaviour or work	For your health's sake, you need to pull your socks up.
ID14		give somebody the boot	dismiss someone from their job	Last week Jim was given the boot from the team.
ID14		on a shoestring	using very little money	She started her business on a shoestring and built it up gradually.
ID14		keep your shirt on	don't lose your temper, stay calm	Keep your shirt on, Mike! There's no need to get so upset.
FOOD
ID15		bring home the bacon	earn the money that is needed to live	They struggle to earn enough money to bring home the bacon.
ID15		take sth with a pinch of salt	not fully believe in something	You have to take what Helen says with a pinch of salt.
ID15		have a finger in every pie	be involved in a lot of different things	He had a finger in every pie at school, from music to football.
ID15		the icing on the cake	an attractive but inessential addition	Her coming home for a few days was the icing on the cake.
ID15		the apple of sb's eye	someone most cherished, above others	My cousin Danny was always the apple of his father's eye.
ID15		spill the beans	reveal secret information unintentionally	Don't spill the beans, Hannah. It's supposed to be a secret.
ID15		live off the fat of the land	have the best of everything	She won a lot of money and began to live off the fat of the land.
ID15		not one's cup of tea	not what one likes or is interested in	I appreciate the offer, but that kind of music isn't my cup of tea.
ID15		eat sb out of house and home	eat a lot of someone else's food	A lot of visiting relatives have eaten her out of house and home.
ID15		in a nutshell	very briefly, giving only the main points	In a nutshell, the application helps you to plan parties.
HAPPINESS AND SADNESS
ID16		like a dog with two tails	very happy and excited	He's been like a dog with two tails ever since he got his promotion.
ID16		cry your eyes out	cry in an uncontrolled way	The poor kid's so miserable, he's upstairs crying his eyes out.
ID16		pull a long face	look sad, glum, or disappointed	Tommy pulled a long face when he got his exam results back.
ID16		make somebody's day	cause one to feel very happy	Seeing Agnes again after such a long time really made my day.
ID16		down in the dumps/mouth	feeling unhappy or without hope	If you're feeling down in the dumps, come over and have a chat.
ID16		paint the town red	go out drinking, dancing	He has passed his exam. We are going to paint the town red.
ID16		be full of the joys of spring	be lively and cheerful	Ann has been full of the joys of spring since she got her new job.
ID16		feel hard done by	treated harshly or unfairly	He feels hard done by after his girlfriend dumped him.
ID16		hit/reach rock bottom	reach the lowest point possible	Confidence in the city's police force has hit rock bottom.
ID16		let your hair down	enjoy yourself and start to relax	You can really let your hair down and do what you want at the club.
MONEY
ID17		from rags to riches	from extreme poverty to great wealth	Margaret went from rags to riches in only four years.
ID17		make ends meet	earn just enough money to live on	Clearly she's struggling to make ends meet on her meagre salary.
ID17		be rolling in it	be extremely rich	You have such a beautiful car. You must be rolling in it.
ID17		in the region of	close to some amount	The cost of the plan would be in the region of £20 to £30 billion.
ID17		be strapped for cash	having little or no money at the moment	I can't come to the pub tonight - I'm a bit strapped for cash.
ID17		go Dutch	share the cost of a meal in a restaurant	Martin and Monika always go Dutch at the restaurant.
ID17		grease someone's palm	give money to, esp. as a bribe	I'd never grease a police officer's palm. That's illegal.
ID17		money is the root of all evil	avarice gives rise to selfish actions	Don't worry so much about it. Money is the root of all evil, after all.
ID17		pay through the nose	pay much more than a fair price	To get a ticket to the theatre, Mila had to pay through the nose.
ID17		cook the books	falsify financial records for a company	Officials at the bank were found to have cooked the books.
CHARACTER AND PERSONALITY
ID18		behind the times	old-fashioned in your ideas, methods	Her style of dress is attractive but it's really behind the times.
ID18		a jack of all trades	sb who can do many different types of work	Garrett has become jack of all trades and master of none.
ID18		a fair weather friend	a loyal friend only during a time of success	Everyone knows that Arnold is only a fair weather friend.
ID18		a rolling stone	sb who is unwilling to settle in one place	I'm sure Sarah wouldn't want Jack to be a rolling stone.
ID18		keep oneself to oneself	stay apart from other people	She was a very shy girl who kept herself to herself.
ID18		the salt of the earth	a very good and honest person	He is really the salt of the earth. He has never harmed anyone.
ID18		dead wood	useless personnel or material	They want to cut out the dead wood and streamline production.
ID18		a sitting duck	sb who is easy to attack or easy to cheat	His comments on taxes made him a sitting duck to critics.
ID18		a stick-in-the-mud	someone who refuses to try anything new	I regard him as a stick-in-the-mud. He can't accept anything new.
ID18		not be cut out for sth	not be the right type of person for sth	Peter is certainly not cut out for the work of a trial lawyer.
FRIENDSHIP
ID19		birds of a feather flock together	people who are similar to each other	Have you ever noticed that birds of a feather flock together?
ID19		hit it off	like sb and become friendly immediately	Knowing both of them, I knew they would hit it off immediately.
ID19		live in each other's pockets	enjoy yourself very much	At the summer camp they lived in each other's pockets.
ID19		through thick and thin	support sb through good and bad times	She's always been there for me through thick and thin.
ID19		get on like a house on fire	have a very good and friendly relationship	I'm sure you and Steve will get on like a house on fire.
ID19		see eye to eye with someone	be in full agreement with somebody	My brothers don't see eye to eye with me about the arrangements.
ID19		have friends in high places	know important people who can help you	She won't lose her job - she has plenty of friends in high places.
ID19		a shoulder to cry on	a person who gives sympathy and support	Remember, I'm always here if you need a shoulder to cry on.
ID19		bury the hatchet	end a conflict and become friendly	After not speaking to each other for years, they buried the hatchet.
ID19		be (as) thick as thieves	be very close friends and share secrets	They have been as thick as thieves for all of their lives.
SUCCESS AND FAILURE
ID20		bring the house down	make an audience applaud enthusiastically	It's really an amazing dance. It just always brings the house down.
ID20		a blind alley	a course of action leading nowhere	Honestly, I think that your idea will lead you down a blind alley.
ID20		a nail in the coffin	an event that causes the failure of sth	His comment about the lower class was the final nail in the coffin.
ID20		rise to the occasion	deal successfully with a difficult problem	In the exam she rose to the occasion and wrote a brilliant essay.
ID20		with flying colours	very well, with a very high mark	In spite of his worries, he passed the exam with flying colours.
ID20		bite the dust	die, fail, or be defeated	Half of all new businesses bite the dust in the first year.
ID20		set your heart on sth	have a strong desire for or to do	Mary had always set her heart on a career in the fine arts.
ID20		draw a blank	fail to remember something	Every time I try to remember my phone number, I draw a blank.
ID20		a feather in your cap	an achievement to be proud of	If this clinical trial is successful, it will be a real feather in his cap.
ID20		make a clean sweep of	get rid of everything unwanted	It's impossible to make a clean sweep of drugs in every area.
WORK
ID21		a dead-end job	a job with little to no opportunity for career	Eric was worried that he was stuck in a dead-end job.
ID21		a golden handshake	a payment given to sb who retires early	He should be able to spare £3,000 out of his golden handshake.
ID21		work your fingers to the bone	work extremely hard, esp. for a long time	He'll work his fingers to the bone until he pays back all his debts.
ID21		burn the midnight oil	work or study late into the night	Some students often burn the midnight oil before their exams.
ID21		talk shop	talk about work-related things	The people in that company always talk shop, even at weekends.
ID21		red tape	excessive bureaucracy	The new rules should help cut the red tape for farmers.
ID21		a hive of activity	a location where things are very busy	During the holidays, the shopping center is a hive of activity.
ID21		get the axe	be fired or dismissed from a job	With so few orders some of the workers are bound to get the axe.
HEALTH
ID22		be the picture of health	look very healthy	There's nothing wrong with him - he's the picture of health.
ID22		kick the bucket	die	Jim kicked the bucket just two days before his ninetieth birthday.
ID22		look/feel like death warmed up	look or feel very ill	He shouldn't be working - he looks like death warmed up!
ID22		on the mend	improving in health or condition	Helen's been ill with flu but she's on the mend now.
ID22		as fit as a fiddle	be in very good health	My grandfather is 95 years old, but he is still as fit as a fiddle.
ID22		feel on top of the world	feel extremely happy and healthy	Everything is going smoothly and she feels on top of the world.
ID22		go under the knife	have a medical operation	He was to go under the knife when his surgeon stopped everything.
ID22		be green around the gills	look ill and pale	We were all green about the gills after such a turbulent plane ride.
ID22		have one foot in the grave	be near death through old age or illness	When I had the flu last month, I felt like I had one foot in the grave.
ID22		prevention is better than cure	it's better to prevent sth than to cure it	Prevention is better than cure, so start looking after your heart.
PAIRS 1
ID23		kith and kin	family and friends	Last week we invited all our kith and kin to our new home.
ID23		haves and have-nots	the rich people and the poor people	There is a widening gap between the haves and the have-nots.
ID23		prim and proper	having very traditional conservative beliefs	We tend to imagine that the Victorians were very prim and proper.
ID23		cut and dried	being or done according to a plan	The situation wasn't as cut and dried as people had thought.
ID23		toss and turn	move around restlessly while sleeping	Marion tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep.
ID23		bow and scrape	show too much politeness or attention to sb	The empress expected everyone to bow and scrape to her.
ID23		bright-eyed and bushy-tailed	happy and full of energy	She always leaps out of bed bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.
ID23		the nuts and bolts	the basic practical details	I can drive a car but I don't know anything about the nuts and bolts.
ID23		part and parcel of sth	an essential feature or element of	Occasional unemployment is part and parcel of being an actor.
ID23		null and void	having no legal force	The change in the law makes the previous agreement null and void.
PAIRS 2
ID24		every nook and cranny	every part of a place	I've searched every nook and cranny but I still can't find the wallet.
ID24		odds and ends	miscellaneous articles or remnants	He spent the day sorting through a box full of odds and ends.
ID24		wheel and deal	try to make a profit or get an advantage	David likes to wheel and deal everywhere he goes.
ID24		go rack and ruin	become decayed, decline or fall apart	The house has been going steadily to rack and ruin for years.
ID24		all and sundry	everyone rather than particular people	I don't want you telling our private business to all and sundry.
ID24		wine and dine	entertain someone with food and drink	A lot of money went on wining and dining prospective clients.
ID24		hale and hearty	healthy and strong	John had come back from the war in one piece, hale and hearty.
ID24		hammer and tongs	with great force, vigor, or violence	I could hear the neighbours going at each other hammer and tongs.
ID24		nearest and dearest	closest family members or friends	Mary always spends Christmas with her nearest and dearest.
ID24		airs and graces	an affectation of superiority	The rich man has lost many friends because of his airs and graces.
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
ID25		bring someone to book	officially punish someone	He was determined to bring Paul to book as soon as he could.
ID25		catch somebody red-handed	apprehend sb in the course of wrongdoing	She was caught red-handed taking money from the cash register.
ID25		pull the wool over someone's eyes	deceive someone by not telling the truth	They are just trying to pull the wool over voters' eyes again.
ID25		get away with murder	avoid consequences for any of one's actions	His influence in high society allowed him to get away with murder.
ID25		line your pocket(s)	earn money using dishonest methods	This new contract is going to line their pockets for years.
ID25		the long arm of the law	the far-reaching power of the authorities	The long arm of the law finally caught up with her 10 years later.
ID25		be on the straight and narrow	maintain a morally upright way of life	His girlfriend helps him stay on the straight and narrow.
ID25		blow the whistle on somebody	expose something scandalous or deceptive	The airport official blew the whistle on the drug smuggling ring.
ID25		behind bars	in prison	Almost 2,000 people have been shown what it's like behind bars.
BUYING AND SELLING
ID26		the bottom drops/falls out of sth	people stop buying a particular product	The bottom dropped out of the market and she lost a lot of money.
ID26		come/go under the hammer	be put up for or sold at auction	The rest of our collection is going under the hammer next week.
ID26		do a roaring trade	sell a lot of goods very quickly	I could do a roaring trade renting umbrellas so close to the beach.
ID26		buy a pig in a poke	buy or pay for something without seeing it	Buying from a catalogue can mean buying a pig in a poke.
ID26		black market	illegal trading of goods	You could buy anything you needed on the black market.
ID26		settle an account	pay or receive money owed	Could you give us another month to settle an account?
ID26		in mint condition	looking new and in perfect condition	The shop can take goods back if they are still in mint condition.
ID26		drive a hard bargain	be uncompromising in making a deal	You drive a hard bargain, so I'll make a decision immediately.
ID26		under the counter	bought or sold secretly and illegally	They are selling the goods under the counter at reduced prices.
ID26		buy in bulk	buy something in large amounts	The office buys paper in bulk to keep down costs.
PROVERBS 1
ID27		bite off more than you can chew	take on a commitment one cannot fulfil	Don't be afraid to bite off more than you can chew. Take big risks.
ID27		lightning never strikes twice	the same misfortune will never recur	People say that lightning never strikes twice in the same place.
ID27		when in Rome do as the Romans do	it's good to follow the local customs	When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Eat late and stay up late.
ID27		the grass is always greener	people are never happy with their own lives	Many people think the grass is always greener on the other side.
ID27		the early bird catches the worm	if we do sth early, we will be successful	Mark believes that the early bird catches the worm.
ID27		too many cooks spoil the broth	many people participate in a task can ruin it	Everyone is giving orders! Too many cooks spoil the broth.
ID27		life is not all beer and skittles	life is not pleasurable all the time	Life isn't all beer and skittles; it has a serious side to it as well.
ID27		all good things come to an end	nothing great will last forever	It's been a great holiday but all good things must come to an end.
PROVERBS 2
ID28		don't count your chickens	don't expect all your hopes to come true	You'll probably get the job, but don't count your chickens just yet.
ID28		a bad workman blames his tools	a poor workman blames his tools	Complaining about the script? A bad workman blames his tools.
ID28		throw good money after bad	spending more money when sth is failing	Further intervention would be throwing good money after bad.
ID28		every cloud has a silver lining	don't expect all your hopes to come true	Don't be discouraged, John - every cloud has a silver lining.
ID28		a swallow doesn't make a summer	one instance of sth doesn't indicate a trend	As the proverb goes, one swallow does not make a summer.
ID28		it's an ill wind (that blows ...)	even misfortune can benefit sb or sth	But it's an ill wind; He married one of his nurses from that hospital.
ID28		the end justifies the means	any methods are allowed to achieve sth	Do you really think that the end justifies the means?
ID28		two wrongs don't make a right	a second mistake does not cancel the first	The fact remains, however, that two wrongs don't make a right.
SIMILES (LIKE)
ID29		like a bat out of hell	very fast and wildly	I looked in my mirror and saw a car flying like a bat out of hell.
ID29		be like a red rag to a bull	be certain to produce an angry reaction	Don't tell her you're a vegetarian - it's like a red rag to a bull.
ID29		fight like Kilkenny cats	fight until both parties are destroyed	By the time I called the police, they were fighting like Kilkenny cats.
ID29		like a lamb to the slaughter	as a helpless victim	Bill went into the exam room like a lamb to the slaughter.
ID29		go down like a lead balloon	be completely unsuccessful or unpopular	Adam's jokes about women drivers went down like a lead balloon.
ID29		like a toad under the harrow	subject sb to undergoing distress, sorrow	They felt like toads under the harrow, enduring years of hardship.
ID29		have a memory like a sieve	have difficulty remembering things	I have a memory like a sieve so I have to note down everything.
ID29		like a bump on a log	inactive, unresponsive, or sluggish	Don't just sit there like a bump on a log - help me with the dinner!
SIMILES (AS ... AS)
ID30		as dead as the dodo	not be important or popular any longer	Though popular in the 1970s, disco is as dead as a dodo today.
ID30		as mad as a hatter	completely insane, crazy	I know some of my students think I'm as mad as a hatter.
ID30		as large as life	present before someone	Believe it or not, Diana was here yesterday as large as life.
ID30		as brown as a berry	having tanned skin due to sun exposure	She was as brown as a berry after two weeks in the sun.
ID30		as snug as a bug in a rug	in a very comfortable position	Are you warm enough? Yes, I'm as snug as a bug in a rug.
ID30		as thick as two short planks	very stupid	Jim's new girlfriend is very nice, but she's as thick as two planks.
ID30		as keen as mustard	extremely eager or enthusiastic	Little kids are always as keen as mustard to learn new things.
ID30		as regular as clockwork	never late or always at the same time	Donna arrives every day at seven as regular as clockwork.
ID30		as slippery as an eel	devious, scheming, and untrustworthy	The man can't be trusted. He is as slippery as an eel.
MUSIC
ID31		play second fiddle	play a minor role in relation to sb else	He is tired of playing second fiddle to men with less talent.
ID31		music to your ears	news that you are very pleased to hear	The news of her resignation was music to my ears.
ID31		strike a chord	cause sb to feel sympathy or enthusiasm	Her story may strike a chord for other women in the same situation.
ID31		be on the horns of a dilemma	having to decide between two things	I was on the horns of a dilemma when I was offered another job.
ID31		bang/beat the drum	voice one's support for something	They joined together to bang the drum for their candidate.
ID31		ring a bell	sound familiar	Her face rings a bell. I wonder if I know her from somewhere.
ID31		bells and whistles	attractive additional features or trimmings	Don't invest in bells and whistles such as expensive office furniture.
ID31		and all that jazz	and other similar things	Rick spent his money on clothes, women, cars and all that jazz.
ID31		blow your own trumpet	talk a lot about your own achievements	I hate people who are always blowing their own trumpet.
ID31		be/sound like a broken record	say the same thing many times	After he won the lottery, he sounded like a broken record player.
NAMES AND SURNAMES
ID32		keep up with the Joneses	try to not be outdone by one's neighbours	He was holding down two jobs just to keep up with the Joneses.
ID32		Hobson's choice	a choice when there is no real alternative	They must take the brown car. It's Hobson's choice.
ID32		Walter Mitty	a fictional character prone to daydreaming	At school Mark lived in a Walter Mitty world of adventure.
ID32		the real McCoy	the real thing, the genuine article	The moment I smelled the cigar, I knew it was the real McCoy.
ID32		a plain Jane	an unattractive girl or woman	She was a shy girl, who always thought of herself as a plain Jane.
ID32		Heath Robinson	having a very complicated design	The contraption he built was a real Heath Robinson.
ID32		the Midas touch	an uncanny ability for making money	All her firms are extremely profitable. She has the Midas touch.
ID32		doubting Thomas	an incredulous or doubtful person	He kept trying, hoping to prove those doubting Thomases wrong.
ID32		John Hancock	a person's signature	Please put your John Hancock at the bottom of the paper.
COUNTRIES, CITIES, NATIONALITIES
ID33		excuse/pardon my French	used to apologise for swearing	Excuse my French, but you have taken my bloody parking space.
ID33		send someone to Coventry	ostracise, or systematically ignore someone	Men who refused to strike were sent to Coventry.
ID33		it's all Greek to me	I can't understand it at all	Can you make sense of these instructions? It's all Greek to me!
ID33		meet one's Waterloo	suffer a very severe defeat or failure	Jack was just about to meet his Waterloo, and she couldn't bear it.
ID33		not for all the tea in China	not at any price, never	I wouldn't do your job. Not for all the tea in China!
ID33		Dutch courage	confidence gained from drinking alcohol	I had to have a drink to give me Dutch courage before my wedding.
ID33		take French leave	leave suddenly without notice or permission	They took French leave, causing a disruption in the work schedule.
ID33		Indian summer	a warm spell of weather during autumn	We had an Indian summer that year, very warm until October.
ID33		all roads lead to Rome	all activities lead to the center of things	Take any route of your choice because all roads lead to Rome.
REDUPLICATIVES (RHYMING EXPRESSIONS)
ID34		helter-skelter	quickly and in all directions	They rushed about helter-skelter collecting dung and carrying earth.
ID34		dilly-dally	waste time by loitering or delaying	We really need to stop dilly-dallying and get to work.
ID34		teeny-weeny	very small, tiny	Just a teeny-weeny slice of cake for me, please - I'm on a diet.
ID34		hush-hush	kept secret from people	Eventually Sarah was forced to resign but it was all very hush-hush.
ID34		bric-a-brac	miscellaneous objects of little value	Bric-a-brac was arranged along window sills as ornaments.
ID34		high and dry	without resources or help	Sandra took all the money and left Adam high and dry.
ID34		nitty-gritty	the basic facts of a situation	Let's get down to the nitty-gritty and work out the costs.
ID34		wishy-washy	lacking in character or determination	This wishy-washy statement always made me feel uneasy.
ID34		hoi polloi	an insulting word for ordinary people	The art exhibit was meant for the hoi polloi, not for the art critics.
ID34		fuddy-duddy	a person who is old-fashioned and fussy	Benny loves pop culture, and not being seen as a fuddy-duddy.
THOUGHT AND MEMORY
ID35		bear/keep in mind	remember a fact and take it into account	Bear in mind the age of the vehicle when assessing its value.
ID35		a flight of fancy	an unrealistic idea or fantastic notion	His ambition is to become a rock star, but it's just a flight of fancy.
ID35		by no stretch of the imagination	certainly not, not by any means	By no stretch of the imagination could we call her ambitious.
ID35		slip your mind/memory	be forgotten, especially of an obligation	I meant to buy some coffee, but it completely slipped my mind.
ID35		in a world of one's own	consumed by one's thoughts, imagination	Ella was a shy child who seemed to live in a world of her own.
ID35		a shot in the dark	an attempt to guess something	My answer to the first question was a complete shot in the dark.
ID35		a penny for your thoughts	used to ask sb what they are thinking about	She hasn't said very much - a penny for her thoughts.
LOVE
ID36		fall head over heels in love	fall deeply in love with someone	It was obvious Alan had fallen head over heels in love with Ann.
ID36		pop the question	ask someone to marry you	She's been waiting four years for him to pop the question.
ID36		over the moon	extremely happy and excited	The whole team was over the moon at winning the competition.
ID36		whisper sweet nothings	speak to someone in a romantic way	He whispered sweet nothings in her ear while they danced.
ID36		carry a torch for somebody	secretly love and admire someone	Kevin has been carrying a torch for Lynn ever since high school.
ID36		wear your heart on your sleeve	make one's feelings apparent	She is such an affectionate girl. She wears her heart on her sleeve.
ID36		an old flame	a former lover	I bumped into my old flame in the shopping centre the other day.
ID36		tie the knot	get married	All of my friends have tied the knot and started having kids.
ID36		absence makes the heart grow ...	separation intensifies love	In this case, it can be that absence makes the heart grow fonder.
ID36		hit it off with somebody	be naturally friendly or well suited	Unfortunately, he didn't really hit it off with his boss.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ID37		a cog in the machine	a small member of a larger organization	He's just a cog in the machine of a big insurance company.
ID37		get your wires crossed	fail to understand each other	We got our wires crossed and she waited in the wrong place.
ID37		blow a fuse/gasket	lose one's temper and become very angry	When his daughter got married against his wishes, he blew a fuse.
ID37		oil/grease the wheels	help something go smoothly	Mark's father tried to oil the wheels for him to get the job.
ID37		it's not rocket science	something is not difficult to understand	Designing a website may be a lot of work but it's not rocket science.
ID37		in layman's terms	in plain or simple language	The complicated process was explained to us in layman's terms.
ID37		reinvent the wheel	try to do sth that has already been done	I don't have to reinvent the wheel, but I will be cautious before I act.
ID37		a silver surfer	an old person who uses the Internet	My granny has become a real silver surfer since I got her a laptop.
ID37		as bright as a button	very intelligent and full of energy	Jim's as bright as a button, so he'll find a solution to this problem.
WEATHER
ID38		steal somebody's thunder	prevent somebody from having success	Somebody stole his thunder by leaking the designs he had made.
ID38		it never rains but it pours	misfortunes tend to follow each other	Just as the saying goes, it never rains but it pours.
ID38		save something for a rainy day	save sth for a time when it might be needed	Put it in a box in your guitar case and save it for a rainy day.
ID38		get wind of something	find out about something secret or private	We'd better do something fast before the public gets wind of it.
ID38		be as pure as the driven snow	be morally perfect	She's tall, blonde, twenty-six and as pure as the driven snow.
ID38		make heavy weather of	make sth harder or more laborious to do	He's making such heavy weather of that report she's writing.
ID38		the calm before the storm	a very quiet period before sth chaotic starts	For Paul, this weekend represents the calm before the storm.
ID38		throw/cast caution to the wind(s)	act in a completely reckless manner	He threw caution to the wind and dived into the water.
ID38		in the dead of winter	in the coldest time of the year	They found the last three survivors in the dead of winter.
LUCK AND OPPORTUNITY
ID39		make hay while the sun shines	act while an opportunity exists	He's making hay while the sun shines and who can blame him?
ID39		miss the boat	fail to take advantage of an opportunity	If you don't buy now, you may find that you've missed the boat.
ID39		a vested interest	a personal stake in something	Damian has a vested interest in keeping the house in his name.
ID39		push your luck	try too hard to get a particular result	You didn't get caught last time, but don't push your luck!
ID39		climb/jump on the bandwagon	join an activity that has become popular	Should you jump on the bandwagon and trade stocks in the news?
ID39		get/take a free ride	get something without paying for it	You're really taking a free ride living with your parents.
ID39		a fighting chance	a small possibility to succeed	There's just a fighting chance that she'll be able to pull through.
ID39		a second/another bite at the cherry	another opportunity to do something	We've lost it and we probably won't get another bite at the cherry.
ID39		be waiting in the wings	be ready to do something	The team has several talented young players waiting in the wings.
ID39		Murphy's/sod's law	anything that can go wrong, will go wrong	To know Murphy's Law is to draw its attention.
AMBITION AND DETERMINATION
ID40		go to great/any lengths	try very hard to achieve something	He'll go to any lengths to get his child back from his former wife.
ID40		make headway with/against	make progress	They are making little headway with the negotiations.
ID40		fight tooth and nail	try very hard to get something you want	I had to fight tooth and nail to get him to admit he was wrong.
ID40		be going places	start becoming successful in your life	Amanda is definitely going places with that singing voice of hers.
ID40		keep your nose to the grindstone	do hard, continuous work	He's got to keep his nose to the grindstone to feed his six children.
ID40		paddle your own canoe	be independent and self-sufficient	Mandy isn't with us. She's off paddling her own canoe.
ID40		overplay your hand	act more confidently that you should	The unions overplayed their hand and failed to get the pay rise.
ID40		beyond your wildest dreams	bigger or better than could be expected	The business has succeeded beyond my wildest dreams.
ID40		stand on your own (two) feet	be or become self-reliant or independent	He's very kind, but you ought to stand on your own feet.
EUPHEMISMS
ID41		eff and blind	using words that are considered offensive	Greg was effing and blinding and saying it was all her fault.
ID41		have a bun in the oven	be pregnant, expecting a baby	Wow, we didn't even know that Celine had a bun in the oven.
ID41		make the supreme sacrifice	die for your country, for a principle	Soldiers who die for their country have made the supreme sacrifice.
ID41		the call of nature	the need to use the toilet	He had to leave suddenly to answer the call of nature.
ID41		give someone the cold shoulder	ignore someone deliberately	I tried to be pleasant to her but she gave me the cold shoulder.
ID41		play the field	date more than one person	You'll never get him to go steady with you. He likes to play the field.
ID41		long in the tooth	old, often too old to do something	He is a bit long in the tooth to play the part of a young boy.
ID41		pass/break wind	allow gas to escape from your bottom	She had the look of someone who is trying to pass wind quietly.
ID41		otherwise engaged	busy doing something else	I can't come to dinner on Wednesday - I'm otherwise engaged.
ID41		time of the month	the time when a woman has her period	Helen often gets stomach pain when it's her time of the month.
FAMILY AND SOCIETY
ID42		the chattering classes	educated people who talk about politics	Constitutional reform is popular among the chattering classes.
ID42		follow in somebody's footsteps	do the same thing that sb else did	His father was an engineer, and he plans to follow in his footsteps.
ID42		the silent majority	the ordinary people not active politically	The march was by the silent majority who oppose terrorism.
ID42		the spitting image	someone who looks very much like sb else	Martin is the spitting image of his grandpa at the same age.
ID42		movers and shakers	people with a lot of power and influence	The movers and shakers in this firm haven't been working overtime.
ID42		run in the family	a skill is present in many of your relatives	Creativity runs in the family. My parents and siblings are artists.
ID42		a self-made man	sb whose success is of their own making	Bruce was proud of the fact that he was a self-made man.
ID42		somebody's pride and joy	a person that someone is very proud of	We don't have any children, so Snowball is our pride and joy.
ID42		the men in grey suits	the powerful men in business or politics	The PM was removed from Ten Downing Street by men in grey suits.
KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM
ID43		great minds (think alike)	two people have the same opinion	I was thinking of the same thing, great minds think alike!
ID43		a pearl of wisdom	a wise saying or piece of advice	She offered some pearls of wisdom about raising children.
ID43		rack your brains	think very hard	I've been racking my brains but I can't remember his email address.
ID43		be wise after the event	it's no use crying over split milk	We don't pay our financial analysts to be wise after the event!
ID43		drop a hint	suggest or ask for sth in an indirect way	Anastasia dropped a hint that she'd like to come to the party.
ID43		shed/cast light on something	provide information about something	Such missions could shed light on the origins of life in general.
ID43		a smart alec(k)	someone who always has the right answer	He is nothing more than a smart aleck, despised by his colleagues.
ADVICE AND CRITICISM
ID44		take it or leave it	accept or refuse the offer completely	It's the best offer I can make. Take it or leave it.
ID44		daylight robbery	blatant and unfair overcharging	£2000 for a useless old car like this? That's daylight robbery!
ID44		preach to the choir (converted)	persuade sb who already agrees with you	You are just preaching to the choir. Don't waste your time.
ID44		food for thought	something worth thinking seriously about	Several interesting issues present some food for thought, however.
ID44		vote with your feet	show one's approval or disapproval of sth	They will vote with their feet when they are old enough to do so.
ID44		give sb a piece of your mind	speak to someone in an angry way	I was so mad that I called back and gave him a piece of my mind.
ID44		hit the nail on the head	do or say sth that is exactly right	The last observation of hers has hit the nail on the head.
ID44		upset the apple cart	spoil a plan or disturb the status quo	Don't upset the apple cart by revealing where we're going.
ID44		be (skating/walking) on thin ice	be doing something that involves risks	Robert doesn't know that he himself is skating on thin ice.
ID44		make mincemeat of somebody	defeat someone very easily in an argument	A decent lawyer would have made mincemeat of them in court.
SPORTS
ID45		have/gain the upper hand	gain control over someone or something	The world can only pray that they do not gain the upper hand.
ID45		jump the gun	act before the proper or appropriate time	The local weather bureau jumped the gun on predicting a storm.
ID45		move/shift the goalposts	change the rules in a way that is not fair	They seem to move the goalposts every time I meet the conditions.
ID45		on the ball	alert to new ideas and trends	A photographer who was on the ball got pictures of the incident.
ID45		be out of your league	be too good or too expensive for you	She was so popular that I felt she was out of my league.
ID45		a front-runner	a contestant who runs best when in the lead	Maria became the front-runner in the race for the championship.
ID45		go overboard	do or say more than you need to	Arnold has a tendency to go overboard with compliments.
ID45		a level playing field	a state of equality, an equal opportunity	We just want our exports to compete on a level playing field.
RISK AND SAFETY
ID46		stay/be on the safe side	avoiding danger, with a margin for error	He says do not worry, but it's wiser to be on the safe side.
ID46		a close call/shave	a narrow (often lucky) escape	Ann had a close shave when her brakes failed on the road.
ID46		wrap sb (up) in cotton wool	try to protect someone too carefully	You can't wrap those kids in cotton wool all their lives.
ID46		risk life and limb	do something that is very dangerous	He's getting too old to risk life and limb for a cheap thrill.
ID46		sail close to the wind	say something that is nearly wrong, illegal	Klaus had quite a reputation for sailing close to the wind.
ID46		play (it) safe	be careful and not take risks	If you want to play safe, cut down on the amount of salt you eat.
ID46		keep/get your head down	try to avoid getting involved in something	It's time you kept your head down and did some revision.
ID46		cry wolf	raise a false alarm	Don't cry wolf any more, or no one will trust you sooner or later.
HUMOUR
ID47		off the back of a lorry	be acquired in dubious circumstances	They sell computer games that have fallen off the back of a lorry.
ID47		famous last words	a phrase used to express disbelief, rejection	Famous last words, as more than two years later I am still here.
ID47		Has the cat got your tongue?	ask sb why he or she is not saying anything	What's the matter, Frankie boy? Has the cat got your tongue?
ID47		a couch potato	sb who spends time sitting and watching TV	He is a couch potato. He just lies around watching TV all day long.
ID47		pigs might/can fly	used ironically to express disbelief	His chances of winning are extremely small, but pigs might fly.
ID47		as clear as mud	not at all easy to understand	What this really means, of course, is still as clear as mud.
ID47		chew the fat	have a long friendly conversation	We met up twice a year to chew the fat about the old days.
ID47		everything but the kitchen sink	almost all that you can imagine of sth	I think we've packed everything but the kitchen sink!
ID47		put a sock in it	used to tell someone to stop talking	Put a sock in it! I want this stuff moved before the morning.
ID47		go bananas	become extremely angry or excited	He'll go bananas when you tell him the news.
ID48
ID48		be bound to	be very likely or certain to do something	There are bound to be changes when the new system is introduced.
ID48		judge by appearances	form, give, or have as an opinion	To judge by appearances, Malcolm was rather embarrassed.
ID48		have an eye for sth	have a taste or an inclination for sth	The sketch was from memory but she had an eye for detail.
ID48		day in, day out	happening every day	Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.
ID48		once in a blue moon	very rarely	Great writers like Mark Twain only appear once in a blue moon.
ID48		come to an end	wind down to an ending or conclusion	Everybody wishes the war would come to an end soon.
ID48		go off the deep end	suddenly become very angry or emotional	I told him that I'd broken the vase, and he went off the deep end.
ID48		all of a sudden	suddenly	All of a sudden, a car came hurtling round the corner.
ID49
ID49		keep your fingers crossed	hope strongly that something will happen	The exam's at five. Will you keep your fingers crossed for me?
ID49		come out of your shell	become less shy and more confident	He used to be so quiet, but now he's really coming out of his shell.
ID49		in full swing	at the highest level of activity	When I arrived, the party was in full swing and the room was abuzz.
ID49		make all the difference	be a crucial or deciding factor	Just ten minutes' exercise a day could make all the difference.
ID49		learn a/your lesson	learn sth about life from making a mistake	He has learnt his lesson through being seduced by this woman.
ID49		over the hill	old and past one's best	She doesn't take kindly to suggestions that she is over the hill.
ID49		take your breath away	old and past one's best	The acrobat's feat took the audience's breath away.
ID49		lose track of	fail to stay fully aware of	It's so easy to lose track of who's playing who and when.
ID49		as likely as not	probably, with an even chance either way	As likely as not, he'll end up in court over this problem.
ID50
ID50		you never know	you can never be certain	With George here, you never know what will happen next.
ID50		a pain in the neck	a person who is constantly annoying	There were times when Helen could be a real pain in the neck.
ID50		turn a blind eye (to something)	ignore something that you know is wrong	Management often turns a blind eye to bullying in the workplace.
ID50		as/so far as I'm concerned	used when giving your opinion about sth	You can come whenever you like, as far as I'm concerned.
ID50		to cut a long story short	used when you do not tell all the details	To cut a long story short, she threw him out of the house.
ID50		at your convenience	when you want	You can come to me at your convenience and ask me a question.
ID50		have second thoughts	begin to doubt a previous determination	We're beginning to have second thoughts about buying this house.
ID50		out of this world	extremely good or impressive	I think the flavor of fresh strawberries is out of this world.
ID50		It's raining cats and dogs!	said to mean that it is raining very heavily	We'll have to cancel the football match, it's raining cats and dogs.
ID51
ID51		pluck up (the) courage	become brave enough to do something	It took me about three hours to pluck up the courage to call Diane.
ID51		come in handy/useful	be useful for a particular purpose	A hacksaw always comes in handy for cutting plastic pipes.
ID51		not at all	used as a polite response to thanks	"Thank you for all your trouble." "Not at all."
ID51		make life difficult (for somebody)	cause a lot of problems or stress for sb	He's doing everything he can to make life difficult for her.
ID51		be in two minds about sth	be unable to decide between alternatives	Like many parents, I am in two minds about school uniforms.
ID51		live from hand to mouth	have hardly enough money to survive	During the famine the people lived from hand to mouth.
ID51		from/out of nowhere	very suddenly and unexpectedly	These letters began showing up in our mailbox out of nowhere.
ID51		pull a long face	look very disappointed and sad	He pulls a long face as soon as anything happens to displease him.
ID51		if you ask me	used when giving one's own opinion	There's something fishy about this business, if you ask me.
ID52
ID52		not make head or tail of sth	not be able to understand something at all	The situation is so confusing, no one can make head or tail of it.
ID52		take to sth (like a duck to water)	start to like someone or something	Henry took to learning languages like a duck to water.
ID52		get a kick out of something	very much enjoy doing something	He gets a kick out of going for a run first thing in the morning.
ID52		speak your mind	express one's opinions frankly	She was a tough worker who wasn't afraid to speak her mind.
ID52		put a brave face on sth	deliberately concealing one's true feelings	His results were disappointing but he tried to put a brave face on it.
ID52		be snowed under	have too much work	We were snowed under with complaints about working conditions.
ID52		call it a day	stop doing sth, especially working	I'm getting a bit tired now - shall we call it a day?
ID52		draw the line at something	set a specific limit on one's behavior	I swear quite a lot but even I draw the line at saying certain words.
ID53
ID53		deep down	in one's truest feelings	He pretends he doesn't care, but deep down I know he's very upset.
ID53		sell/go like hot cakes	be sold rapidly and in large quantities	Greg says that the new cars are selling like hot cakes.
ID53		be all fingers and thumbs	be extremely awkward or clumsy	He could never be a surgeon - he's all fingers and thumbs.
ID53		sweep something under the carpet	hide sth that is illegal or wrong	She tried to sweep her past mistakes under the carpet.
ID53		have/take time off	stop work, in order to do something else	She had to take some time off work due to personal problems.
ID53		find fault with	criticize or complain about something	It is very easy to find fault with the work of others.
ID53		actions speak louder than words	doing is better than just speaking	You don't need to say any more - actions speak louder than words.
ID53		know sth like the back of your hand	know something completely	He's a taxi driver, so he knows Dublin like the back of his hand.
ID53		put your foot in it	say or do sth tactless or embarrassing	It wasn't his fault if he had a gift for putting his foot in it.
ID54
ID54		cross someone's mind	come suddenly or briefly to sb's mind	It didn't cross my mind that he might be doing something illegal.
ID54		have a chip on your shoulder	have an angry or unpleasant attitude or way	Alice has a real chip on her shoulder about being adopted.
ID54		look a gift horse in the mouth	find fault with a free gift or chance benefit	It was one of his maxims never to look a gift horse in the mouth.
ID54		keep a low profile	avoid attracting attention to yourself	They advised him to keep a low profile for a few weeks.
ID54		leave sb to their own devices	leave somebody alone to do as they wish	Most people would die in the desert if left to their own devices.
ID54		make a name for yourself	become famous, get a reputation	He is beginning to make a name for himself as a musician.
ID54		a narrow escape	a dangerous situation	Never expecting an ambush on the road, they had a narrow escape.
ID54		in (less than/next to) no time	in a very short time	Don't worry, we'll get your car up and running in next to no time.
ID54		burn the candle at both ends	go to bed late and get up early	He likes to enjoy life and often burns the candle at both ends.
ID54		take something to the next level	make something even better	Derek wants a coach who can take his game to the next level.
ID55
ID55		in favour of sb/sth	support and agree with sb/sth	She rejected poetic diction in favour of ordinary language.
ID55		make somebody's day	make someone feel very happy	Seeing Marica again after such a long time really made my day.
ID55		easier said than done	much more difficult than it sounds	We talk about reducing our costs, but it's easier said than done.
ID55		the final/last straw	the latest problem in a series of problems	Making him work late on a Saturday was the last straw!
ID55		go up in smoke	be completely burnt	Because of the fire, hundreds of houses went up in smoke.
ID55		be lost for words	be unable to think of anything to say	When she told me what he'd done to her I was lost for words.
ID55		a slip of a tongue	something that is said by mistake	Did he say £200? It must have been a slip of the tongue.
ID55		by the skin of your teeth	by a very narrow margin, only just	Robert passed the exam by the skin of his teeth.
ID56
ID56		keep up appearances	maintain an impression of well-being	Things may be unpleasant, but we will keep up appearances.
ID56		make yourself at home	feel relaxed and comfortable	Please come in and make yourself at home. I'm glad you're here.
ID56		not have a clue/have no clue	have no idea or inkling about something	Walter doesn't have a clue as to why Anabelle won't call him.
ID56		have something in common	share the same interests or experiences	I didn't think they had anything in common, but they talked all day.
ID56		be in the doldrums	be depressed or in low spirits	He's been in the doldrums ever since his wife left him.
ID56		cast/run your eye over	look at something quickly and perfunctorily	Can I have a copy of the article to run my eye over?
ID56		in other words	expressing something differently	In other words, our enriched material is more than half dross.
ID56		know something inside out	be very familiar with something	I've read this book so many times that I know it inside out.
ID56		hit the road	start a journey, trip	I had better hit the road if I'm to be back home before dark.
ID57
ID57		be well-off	having a lot of money	He was well off, well educated, well connected, but he wasn't well.
ID57		get on one's nerves	become extremely annoying to someone	Please stop making that noise! It really gets on my nerves.
ID57		for someone's liking	for someone to like or enjoy	After a few drinks her boss started getting too familiar for her liking.
ID57		shake a leg	go faster, to hurry	If you want to get there by 12:00, you'd better shake a leg.
ID57		dressed to kill	wearing very fancy or attractive clothes	In her black velvet cocktail dress, she was dressed to kill.
ID57		all over the place	in many different areas or locations	Please clean your room, your clothes are all over the place!
ID57		short of breath	having difficulty breathing	If you feel dizzy or short of breath, stop exercising immediately.
ID57		might as well	because there is nothing better	If no one else wants it, we might as well give it to him.
ID57		not take kindly to sth/sb	not like something or somebody	He doesn't take kindly to suggestions that he is over the hill.
ID58
ID58		when the cat's away (the mice ...)	dishonest behaviour is a basic trait	The boss isn't here. And when the cat's away, the mice will play.
ID58		it goes without saying	used to mean that something is obvious	Of course we'll visit you in the hospital. It goes without saying!
ID58		better late than never	it's better to do something late than to not	It's been a long time coming but better late than never.
ID58		experience is the best teacher	life teaches more effectively than books	"I think, over time, experience is the best teacher," he said.
ID58		all's well that ends well	everything has turned out satisfactorily	All's well that ends well, and tomorrow I'll be back at work.
ID58		out of sight, out of mind	people soon stop thinking about sth or sb	Just sweep everything under the sofa - out of sight, out of mind.
ID58		beauty is only skin deep	physical beauty is only a superficial thing	Pablo is handsome but selfish. Beauty is only skin deep.
ID58		no news is good news	sb is told only the bad things about sth	I haven't heard from her teacher lately, but no news is good news.
ID58		still waters run deep	quiet people are often very thoughtful	Oh, no. She's quite clever. Do you know still waters run deep?
ID59
ID59		accidents will happen	unexpected events are part of life	Problems like these should not occur, but accidents will happen.
ID59		money doesn't grow on trees	it's not easy to get money	You can't buy a new dress so often! Money doesn't grow on trees.
ID59		a friend in need is a friend indeed	a friend offers help when one needs it most	I'll always be grateful to Tom. A friend in need is a friend indeed!
ID59		first come, first served	people will be dealt with strictly in order	Tickets will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
ID59		every why has a wherefore	there is a reason for everything	She hits the bed early. Every why has a wherefore.
ID59		where there's life there's hope	as long as you are alive, there is hope	We lost everything in that fire, but where there's life, there's hope.
ID59		practice makes perfect	regular exercise makes one better at it	Don't worry about your oral English. Practice makes perfect.
ID59		necessity is the mother of invention	our needs push us to find new solutions	In most instances, necessity is the mother of invention.
ID59		cry over spilt milk	lament what cannot be changed	You have lost the game but don't cry over spilt milk.
ID60
ID60		mind you do something	used to tell someone to do something	Do you mind? I didn't give you permission to take her photo.
ID60		for keeps	have forever	If the book will be of any use to you, you can have it for keeps.
ID60		get a move on	start moving or going quickly	You need to get a move on if you're going to catch that bus.
ID60		that's that	there's no more to be said or done	"You're not going to the party and that's that!" he said firmly.
ID60		come again	used to ask somebody to repeat something	Sorry, Jenny, come again? Our connection is cutting in and out.
ID60		for heaven's sake	used to show that you are annoyed	How are we supposed to do our job tomorrow, for heaven's sake?
ID60		you're welcome	used as a polite response to thanks	"Thank you so much for helping." "You're welcome."
ID60		you name it	anything you could say or think of	I like all kinds of music: rock, blues, jazz, classical - you name it!
ID60		you've got me there	admitting you don't know the answer	"What is the capital of Switzerland?" "Well, you've got me there!"
ID60		break a leg	wish a performer "good luck"	"Remember, the show must go on! Good luck and break a leg!"
ID61
ID61		better luck next time	said to one who has failed in some pursuit	I'm sorry to hear that you failed your test. Better luck next time.
ID61		cross my heart (and hope to die)	attest to the truth of something	I did lock the door - cross my heart and hope to die!
ID61		it's up to you	used to say that sb can decide about sth	Life is sad at times, but it's up to you to make your own life happy.
ID61		suit yourself	do what you want or please yourself	You don't want to join the club? Oh well, suit yourself.
ID61		step on it	go faster, typically in a motor vehicle	They were late, so they told the taxi driver to step on it.
ID61		on the house	free, without charge	Each table will get a bottle of champagne on the house.
ID61		Can you beat that?	a question asking if one can outdo sth	This is the offer I have from the other dealership. Can you beat it?
ID61		imagine that	isn't that remarkable	This tree is more than 500 years old. Imagine that!
ID61		I couldn't care less	characterized by complete indifference	Helen couldn't care less what restaurant they go to.
ID61		(and the) same to you	used as a reply to a greeting	'Merry Christmas!' 'And the same to you, Brian.'
ID62
ID62		silence is golden	it is often best not to say anything	Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer.
ID62		give the green light to something	give the permission to start or continue sth	The government has given the green light to Sunday trading.
ID62		in black and white	in writing or print	I never thought they'd put it in black and white on the front page.
ID62		the silver screen	the cinema industry	The novel is being adapted for the silver screen.
ID62		be in someone's black (bad) books	be out of favor with someone	If she continues in this fashion, she will be in my black books.
ID62		off colour	slightly unwell	I'm fine, thank you, but Alice's a bit off colour at the moment.
ID62		shades of grey	a situation where things are not really clear	The dilemma presented here explores the various shades of grey.
ID62		be in the pink	be in good health	Samantha really feels in the pink after a long holiday.
ID62		see red	become very angry	People who don't finish a job really make me see red.
ID63
ID63		keep an eye on	keep under careful observation	I like to have him next to me where I can keep an eye on him.
ID63		lie through one's teeth	say something completely untrue	Stop lying through your teeth - we know that you were here.
ID63		give/lend a helping hand	help someone	"Could you lend me a helping hand with this heavy box?"
ID63		be all ears	be waiting eagerly to hear about something	The children were all ears as the old man told them a fairy story.
ID63		be up in arms about/over sth	be very angry about something	We are up in arms about plans to build a prison in the area.
ID63		rule of thumb	a practical way of doing something	All those figures were worked out by rule of thumb.
ID63		get/have itchy feet	have a strong urge to travel	He always gets itchy feet at this time of year, in the summer.
ID63		have your head in the clouds	not know the facts of a situation	He's a great designer, but sometimes he has his head in the clouds.
ID64
ID64		out of the woods	out of danger or difficulty	The nation's economy is not out of the woods yet, you know.
ID64		be (all) at sea	be confused or unable to decide what to do	Amanda is all at sea with the new computer system.
ID64		clear the air	remove the bad feelings between people	His letter has cleared the air. He now knows where he stands.
ID64		cost the earth	cost very much	A well planned, well made kitchen that doesn't cost the earth.
ID64		be in deep (hot) water	be in serious trouble	Antonio has been in deep water ever since he lost his job.
ID64		make a night of it	have a good time during an evening	They decided to go on to a pub after the show to make a night of it.
ID64		be (as) right as rain	feel healthy or well again	She was not all well last week, but she is as right as rain now.
ID64		go/get back to nature	start living a more simple life	They went on a camping trip in an attempt to get back to nature.
ID64		look like nothing on earth	look very strange	Edward looked like nothing on earth after a long trip.
ID64		break the ice	attempt to become friends with someone	I never know how to break the ice and start conversations.
ID65
ID65		a snake in the grass	a sneaky and despised person	He is a snake in the grass because he sold his friend down the river.
ID65		fish for compliments	get people to say good things about you	Cathy is always fishing for compliments about her looks.
ID65		put/set the cat among the pigeons	cause trouble	She had also put the cat among the pigeons on this issue.
ID65		a dark horse	sb who unexpectedly wins a competition	Watch him. He may be a dark horse in the competition.
ID65		play cat and mouse with sb	play with or tease someone	The police played cat and mouse with the robbers.
ID65		the lion's den	a dangerous or threatening place	They wouldn't be expecting her to go further into the lion's den.
ID65		the black sheep of the family	the most unpopular member of a family	Rick has always been regarded as the black sheep of the family.
ID65		curiosity killed the cat	it's best to mind one's own business	Stop prying into my private life! Remember, curiosity killed the cat.
ID66
ID66		have the time of one's life	have a fantastic experience	Maria looked like she was having the time of her life.
ID66		long time no see	it is a long time since we last met (informal)	Long time no see. I almost didn't recognize you at first!
ID66		do time	be in a prison for a period of time	None of us knew that Stephen had done time for robbery.
ID66		the small/early hours	the very early hours of the morning	The fighting went on until the small hours of the next morning.
ID66		at the last minute	the latest possible opportunity for doing sth	I don't think they're going to pull out of the deal at the last minute.
ID66		the moment of truth	the time when you have to do or decide sth	The moment of truth has arrived. My grades are in this envelope.
ID66		at all times	constantly or very frequently	They advise that a passport be carried with you at all times.
ID66		be pressed for time	needing time, be in a hurry	I am really pressed for time as I have a lot of work to do.
ID66		in due course	at a suitable time in the future	You'll get a promotion in due course. Just keep working hard.
ID66		take your time	not hurry	Just take your time. You don't have to decide immediately.