Ready for C2 Idioms List | Baamboozle - Baamboozle

an attempt to find something that does not exist or that you are very unlikely to discover

wild goose chase

someone who spoils other people´s fun by being negative and complaining

wet blanket

to communicate with someone that you have not seen for some time in order to find out how they are, what is happening etc. (often used in a work context)

touch base with (someone)

used for saying that the words you have chosen are not as extreme as they could have been

to put it mildly

used for saying that you will know in the future whether something is true or right

time will tell

to stop trying to do something because you lack determination or because you think you can´t win

throw in the towel

to find new ways of doing things, especially of solving problems

think outside the box

used for saying that someone or something is more interesting, impressive, complicated etc. than they seem to be

there´s more to (someone/something) than meets the eye

used for saying that there are many advantages in doing something

there´s a lot to be said for (something)

used for emphasizing that you can go anywhere or do anything that you want to

the world is (someone´s) oyster

used for saying that someone is criticizing another person for a fault that they also have

the pot calling the kettle black

the most basic fact or issue in a situation

the bottom line

used for saying in a slightly angry way that you already know about something that a person is talking to you about, often because it is obvious

tell me something I don´t know

used for saying you already know about something unpleasant that someone has just described because you have experienced it yourself

tell me about it

to give the real facts about something, even if they are unpleasant

tell it like it is

to tell someone very rudely that you are not interested in them or what they are saying

tell (someone) where to get off

to tell someone some useful or interesting information about someone or something

tell (someone) a thing or two

minor problems that a new company, project, product etc. may have in the beginning

teething problems

to talk confidently about something in a way that makes people think you are good at it or know a lot about it, without providing evidence that is the case

talk the talk

to talk about your work, especially with colleagues on a social occasion or in a way that is boring for other people

talk shop

to talk to someone for a long time, often in a loud or boring way

talk (someone´s) ear off

to accept something unpleasant in a brave way without complaining

take (something) on the chin

a difficulty that causes mistakes or prevents progress

stumbling block

something that happens by chance and that helps you achieve something

stroke of luck

something that people cannot agree on and that stops them from continuing with a discussion

sticking point

to tell someone something, often something that should be kept secret

spill the beans

to believe that something dishonest, illegal or wrong has happened

smell a rat

informal conversation about trivial things

small talk

an embarrassing secret about your past that you don´t want anyone to know

skeleton in your cupboard

to make someone feel extremely frightened

to scare the wits out of (someone)

to cause problems by changing a situation that is considered satisfactory

rock the boat

something that sounds familiar although you cannot remember the exact details

ring a bell

to waste time and effort trying to do something that someone else has already done well

to reinvent the wheel

something that is not relevant that makes you confused or takes your attention away from what you should be concentrating on

red herring

used for saying that someone should do something to show they mean what they say

put your money where your mouth is

to discover or understand exactly why a situation is the way it is

put your finger on (something)

someone who enjoys being with other people and makes friends easily

people person

behaving in a way that other people do not approve of

out of line

not well controlled

out of hand

doing or thinking the right things

on the right track

likely to get the result that you are trying to achieve

on target

to be very quiet and shy

not say boo to a goose

used for emphasizing that something is not available or possible, or that you won´t do it

not for love nor money

used for saying that a situation is still difficult, although it has improved

not be out of the woods yet

without any limit on what you are allowed to do

no holds barred

someone who is unkind or unpleasant

nasty piece of work

to definitely decide the details of something

nail down the finer points

to change the rules part way through something

move the goalposts

money that you earn very easily without much work or effort

money for old rope

to agree to do something that someone wants, if they do something you want

meet (someone) half way

to make you feel angry

make your blood boil

to cause problems by making suggestions or criticisms

make waves

to make someone feel suddenly very frightened or worried

make (someone´s) blood run cold

used for saying that when you love someone, it is difficult to see their faults

love is blind

to be very enthusiastic about a particular activity and spend all the time you can doing it or talking about it

live and breathe (something)

used for saying that someone does not listen or react to youwhen you talk to them

like talking to a brick wall

to tell someone something that was intended to be secret

let the cat out of the bag

to have a very strong and long-lasting effect

leave your mark

to learn how to do something, especially a job

learn the ropes

to manage to live or keep a business running even though you are not earning much money

keep your head above water

to keep something secret

keep (something) under wraps

to do or say something too soon, before you know that it is suitable or correct

jump the gun

used for saying that you didn´t know about something, especially when you are annoyed about this

it´s news to me

not calculated exactly, but within a similar general range

in the same ballpark

being planned or prepared in order to happen or be available soon

in the pipeline

no longer believed to be guilty of something bad or illegal

in the clear

to be in a difficult situation

in a tight spot

to have an advantage over other people in the same situation

have a head start

to have a very negative attitude, particularly somebody who is offended or angers easily and irrationally

have a chip on your shoulder

not having much money, poor

hard up

without doubt

hands down

a situation in which the rules aren´t clear or where there is no right or wrong answer

grey area

someone who is determined to succeed and works hard to achieve this

go-getter

to do something for a long time without success, always returning to the same problem that you cannot solve

go round in circles

to be very popular

go down a storm

to start again because your first idea was unsuccessful

go back to the drawing board

to find something that all people can agree about, especially where there is disagreement

find common ground

to be short of money

feel the pinch

to say that you will definitely not allow or accept something

draw the line at (something)

used for referring to a situation in which you become so interested in something that you cannot stop trying to find out about it or doing it

down the rabbit hole

used when you want to make sure that someone understands your comments correctly, especially when you are criticising

don´t get me wrong

a situation in which no further progress is possible

dead end

someone who likes to do the same thing at the same time every day

a creature of habit

to stop being shy and begin to confidently show your real character and feelings

come out of your shell

a rare or valuable object that collectors want to own

collector´s item

an exciting end to part of a book or TV programme which makes you excited for the next part

cliff-hanger

to give someone control or an advantage

give someone the upper hand

to make someone feel nervous or frightened

give someone the creeps

when 2 people get confused because they think that each other is talking about something else

get your wires crossed

to understand something completely incorrectly

get the wrong end of the stick

to immediately establish a bad relationship with someone

get off on the wrong foot

to talk to someone about something that has been worrying you, so that you feel better about it

get something off your chest

to become very good at doing something

get something down to a fine art

from the beginning again, not using all the work that you have done before

from scratch

work done by a person who is not permanently employed by a particular company but who sells their services to more than one company

freelance

for an extremely small amount of time

for a split second

to discuss a problem in order for all parties to get past it

clear the air

a set of problems that it is impossible to escape from

catch 22 situation

to suddenly notice something, particularly something interesting or attractive

catch (someone´s) eye

to understand the basic meaning that someone is trying to say

catch (someone´s) drift

to do something correctly, follow the rules in a strict way

(do something) by the book

to change a situation completely or do something in a completely new way

break the mould

to surprise someone by being very beautiful, impressive, unexpected etc (often used in the passive)

bowl over (be bowled over)

used when you are telling someone something that you don´t want them to pass on

between you and me

to spend a long time getting to the main point (usually used in a negative sense)

beat around the bush (don´t beat around the bush)

to look completely different to someone or something

bear no resemblance to

to be something that provides your main income

be your bread and butter

to be in a position where you can only make a choice between 2 bad options

be stuck between a rock and a hard place

to have a lot of money (usually in a positive sense)

be rolling in it

to be outside of a group that has information or makes decisions about something

be out of the loop

to have persistent success or good luck

be on a roll

to have a lot of money (often used in a negative sense)

be made of money (I´m not made of money)

to be always talking about yourself or your achievements in a way that annoys other people

be full of yourself

to be caught in the act of doing something wrong

be caught red-handed

to be doing something that will not get the result you want

be barking up the wrong tree

at the most modern and advanced point in the development of something

at the leading edge

used for saying what you think is true when you think that there may be facts that you or others do not know

as far as anyone can tell

completely dead or not working

as dead as a doornail

to accept that someone else does not have the same opinion as you and agree not to argue about it

agree to differ

a weak feature of someone or something

Achilles heel

a thing that slowly develops into something interesting or powerful

a slow burner

someone or something that you are pleased to see

a sight for sore eyes

an attempt or guess that it is not likely to be successful but is worth trying

a long shot

used for telling someone that you don´t believe what they have just said

a likely story

someone or something that is new, interesting and exciting

a breath of fresh air

something that can be developed or changed in many different ways

a blank canvas