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Thursday, 7 May 2020

important idioms

Identify the Idioms in the picture
                                (Answers are at the end of this page)

Important Idioms

A bull in China shop

           a person who breaks things or who often makes mistakes or causes damage 

            Ex: This is the fourth coffee mug I’ve bought for you in the last two months. You are like a bull             in a china shop, so be a little more careful with this one and try not to break it.

A dime a dozen 

Anything that is common and easy to get

A hot potato

Speak of an issue which many people are talking about and which is usually disputed

ABC

I don't the ABC of driving. (=basics)

ACID TEST

I already know how to compute decimals but the acid test will come when our Math professor will conduct assessment orally. (=prove the effectiveness of something.)

ACHILLES HEEL

Mayor Manato considers his love of women as his Achilles heel .(= weak spot that could cause one's downfall)

Add insult to injury

To further a loss with mockery or indignity; to worsen an unfavorable situation.

At the drop of a hat

without any hesitation; instantly.

Back to the drawing board

When an attempt fails and it's time to start all over.

Ball is in your court

It is up to you to make the next decision or step

Barking up the wrong tree

Looking in the wrong place. Accusing the wrong person

Beat around the bush

Avoiding the main topic. Not speaking directly about the issue.

Bed or roses

This world is not bed of roses. (=Not easy, comfortable)

Best of both worlds

Meaning: All the advantages.

Best thing since sliced bread

A good invention or innovation. A good idea or plan.

           Big Cheese

          Ambanis are really big cheese in the business world. (=an important person)

Bird Brain

a studpid person

           Bite off more than you can chew 

To take on a task that is way to big.

Bite the bullet

           to face a difficult situation bravely 

Black sheep

a person who is different from the rest of their family or another group

         BLACK AND WHITE 

in writing or in print. Ex: I won't believe it until I see it in black and white.

Blue blood

Member of high society

Blessing in disguise

Something good that isn't recognized at first.

Break a leg

        When you tell someone to "break a leg," you're wishing them luck 

Break even

            To have income equal to expenses. 

Burn the midnight oil

To work late into the night, alluding to the time before electric lighting.

Cat nap

           A Short sleep 

Can't judge a book by its cover

Cannot judge something primarily on appearance.

Cock and Bull story

Ex: Speak the truth, dont tell cock and bull stories. (=false reasons/story)

Copy cat

a person who does the same thing as some one else.

         Ex: My uncle is a copycat. He buys the same furniture that he sees in his neighbour's house. 

Costs an arm and a leg

This idiom is used when something is very expensive    

      CROCODILE TEARS

Ex: "they weep crocodile tears for the poor and disadvantaged, but are basically happy with things  as they are" (=  tears or expressions of sorrow that are insincere:)

Cross that bridge when you come to it

Deal with a problem if and when it becomes necessary, not before.

Cry over spilt milk

When you complain about a loss from the past.

Curiosity killed the cat

Being Inquisitive can lead you into an unpleasant situation.

Cut corners

When something is done badly to save money. 

Cut the mustard

To succeed; to come up to expectations; adequate enough to compete or participate

Devil's Advocate

One who argues against or attacks an idea, argument, or proposition—even if one is in favor of it—for the sake of debate 

 Donkey's years

            A very long time 

Eat a humble pie

            to admit that you were wrong: 

Elephant in the room

            an issue that needs to be addressed, but it is being ignored or not acknowledged 

Eleventh hour

           I waited until the eleventh hour to submit my application but luckily I finished it 

            (=Too late or at last moment)

Every cloud has a silver lining

Be optimistic, even difficult times will lead to better days.

 Far cry from

Very different from.

Feel a bit under the weather

            Feeling ill 

With flying colors –

Doing exceptionally well

Give the benefit of the doubt

Believe someone's statement, without proof.

Go Bananas

           To become irrational or crazy (excited or angry).

           Ex: The crowd went bananas when the concert began.

Grease Monkey

            A mechanic 

Hear it on the grapevine

This idiom means 'to hear rumors' about something or someone.

Hit the nail on the head

Do or say something exactly right

Hit the sack / sheets / hay

To go to bed.

It takes two to tango

Actions or communications need more than one person

Kickced the bucket

He was 75 and a week later he kicked the bucket (=to die)

Last straw

The final problem in a series of problems.

Let sleeping dogs lie

Meaning - do not disturb a situation as it is - since it would result in trouble or complications.

Let the cat out of the bag

To share information that was previously concealed

LIVE IN AN IVORY TOWER

Meaning: This means living a lifestyle that saves you from the real world problems.

Jay has problems in dealing with poor people because she has lived in an ivory tower.

Make a long story short

Come to the point - leave out details

Method to my madness

An assertion that, despite one's approach seeming random, there actually is structure to it.

Miss the boat

This idiom is used to say that someone missed his or her chance

Not playing with a full deck

Someone who lacks intelligence.

 Oily Tongue

She has an oily tongue, but bad heart. (=excessively smooth-spoken)

 On Cloud Nine

Extremely happy 

Once in a blue moon

Meaning: Happens very rarely.

 Piece of cake

A job, task or other activity that is easy or simple.

 Sit on the fence

This is used when someone does not want to choose or make a decision.

 Silver spoon

           He is born with a silver spoon in his mouth (=very rich, through inheritence) 

Smell a rat 

Suspect something foul

Spill the beans 

To disclose a secret

Steal someone's thunder

To take the credit for something someone else did.

Take with a grain of salt

This means not to take what someone says too seriously.

Taste of your own medicine

Means that something happens to you, or is done to you, that you have done to someone else

 WET BLANKET

When you refer to someone as a wet blanket, you mean that they spoil other people's fun, or make an event less enjoyable than it could have been. 

Ex: Come on Mike!  Don't be such a wet blanket. You're spoiling the party!

Whole nine yards

Everything. All of it.

        Yes-man - 

        Someone who always agrees with people in authority is a yes-man. 

        ----------------------------------------------- 

        Answers:

1. In a nutshell
2. Piece of cake
3. Cherry on the cake
4. Bald as a coot
5. A screw loose
6. Stiff upper lip
7. Born with a silver spoon in your mouth
8. Earworm
9. Keep your cards close to your chest
10. Joker in the pack
11. An ace up your sleeve
12. Heart on your sleeve
13. On a silver platter
14. Spill the beans
15. Big cheese
16. Red herring
17. Tie the knot
18. Put all your eggs in one basket
19. Walking on eggshells
20. Shadow of your former self
21. No room to swing a cat
22. The cat’s got your tongue
23. Kick the bucket
24. Pull your socks up
25. Cold feet
26. From rags to riches
27. Time flies

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