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Give an example of learning something by TRIAL AND ERROR
(learning from one's own mistakes)
__ _____ of habit I always remove my shoes before entering a home. (because it is a habit)
by force of habit
War is, __ __________, brutal. (because of its own features)
by definition
generally speaking
 
by and large
 
more or less
 
give or take
 
to and fro
You'll need to ______ the boss __ before asking for a pay rise. (flatter / praise someone to get their help / support)
butter *someone* up
avoid or ignore reality / responsibility
bury / have your head in the sand: "He has his head in the sand if he thinks he doesn't need to study for exams"
Which does NOT mean "annoyed" ?
 
downed off
 
pissed off
 
browned off
 
peed off
The workers' strike _______ the economy __ its _____. (destroy or humble)
BRING *someone / something* TO *their* KNEES
make someone understand how important or serious something is
bring something home (to someone): "The scale of damage really brought home the effects of climate change"
Neither loss nor profit
 
break even
 
zero sum
 
red nor black
 
empty figure
Something which appears bad at first, but then turns our favourably
 
a blessing in disguise
 
a wolf in sheep's clothing
 
find money under an old mattress
 
an angel dressed as a demon
to do something that has never been done before
blaze a trail: "Bill Gates blazed a trail in computer operating systems"
Try to do something that is too difficult for you
bite off more than you can chew: "We bit off more than we could chew when we tried to renovate our farmhouse"
I'll b___ my t___ until a good job offer comes my way. (wait for a good opportunity)
bide *one's* time
in secret / unknown to most people
behind the scenes: "A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to ensure a successful course"
makes people want to ask a particular question
beg the question: "Social media's influence begs the question of if it has too much power"
B_____ you ___ ___ Jack Ro______, the work will be done. (extremely quickly)
before *one* can say Jack Robinson
drenched / soaked / wet to the skin
extremely wet
Which of the following is NOT a definition of "be on the up and up"?
 
becoming wealthy
 
improving all the time
 
honest and fair to everyone
be well-informed
be in the know: "This restaurant is considered by those in the know to be the best in Spain"
about to be punished
be for the high jump: "You're for the high jump"
Explain a time you were in a QUANDARY.
quandary = confused / undecided
To be "broke" can mean...
 
have no / very little money
 
be exhausted
 
be very frustrated
 
no longer wish to participate
If you are "worn out", it means you are...
 
very tired
 
old
 
exploited by others
 
extremely stressed
have recovered from an illness
 
be up and about
 
jump out of bed
 
woke
 
bed jumped
She was t_____ ___ b______ by the news. (be surprised)
be thrown off balance
Look exactly like someone
be the perfect image of *somebody*
Look exactly like someone
be the spitting image of *somebody*
Sleep deeply
sound asleep
Nuclear weapons should only be used __ _ ____ ______. (when all else has failed)
as a last resort
The third candidate for the seat is a relatively u______ q_______. (person or thing that one has no experience of)
unknown quantity
There were 550 people there a__ t___. (in total)
all told
It rained every day of our holiday - but we had a good time a__ t__ s___. (yet, however)
all the same
A__ i_ a__, I think you've done very well. (when everything is considered)
all in all
In some places, bus service has a__ b__ disappeared. (almost completely)
all but
Do you think he's been cheating us a__ a____? (from the very beginning)
all along
A______ a__ t__ o___, he recovered. (despite the difficulties)
against (all) the odds
The deal was completely open and a____ b____. (honest)
above board
ease the tension when one first meets people
break the ice
I've just had a _________! (sudden clear idea/thought)
brainwave
suddenly
bolt from the blue
Anthony is the ____-____ ___ at work. He always gets the promotions. (a favoured person)
blue-eyed boy
become very angry
blow a fuse
formal clothing
black tie
covered with bruises
black and blue all over
conceited; boastful
big-headed
person with important job / position
big cheese
cruel and unfair
below the belt
in prison
behind bars
hit somebody repeatedly until bruised
beat somebody black and blue
avoid saying what one means directly
beat about / around the bush
be successful
bear fruit
barely avoid an accident / a bad situation
be / have a close shave
be very angry
be up in arms
be really pleased
be tickled pink
be very precious to somebody; be somebody's favourite
be the apple of somebody's eye
be the best
be second to none
be elated
be over the moon
protect oneself because one feels insecure or threatened
be on the defensive
be likely to happen
be on the cards
not be able to decide what to do
be in two minds about sth
be in the same (usually bad) situation
be in the same boat
be out of favour, in trouble
be in the doghouse
be unaware of sth
be in the dark about sth
be in someone's position
be in *someone's* shoes
out of favour
be in sb's black books
be inexperienced
be green
be very lively
be full of beans
really want sth
be dying for sth
be caught while committing a crime
be caught red-handed
be easily deceived/ naive
be born yesterday
be stupid
be as thick as a brick
very busy
be as busy as a bee
be awkward, clumsy
be all fingers and thumbs
be in a state of confusion
be (all) at sea
in a direct line/ by a direct route
as the crow flies
false belief ("Garlic doesn't cure sore throats, that's just an ___ _____' ____!"
old wives' tale
weakest point of sb's character
Achilles heel
a hopeless search
a wild-goose chase
a lot of fuss about sth that is not important
a storm in a teacup
an easy target
a sitting duck
a very important day
a red-letter day
action, comment, etc. liable to provoke sb
a red rag to a bull
sth very easy to do
a piece of cake
annoying person/thing
a pain in the neck
person who enjoys staying up late
a night owl
a poor memory
a memory like a sieve
a wild guess/ a risk
a long shot
sb who feels uncomfortable
a fish out of water: "I felt like a fish out of water at my new school."
a difficult, hard life
a dog's life: "Everyone knows it's a dog's life in this business."
a totally different sitation from the one just mentioned
be another / a different kettle of fish: "Having knowledge is one thing but being able to communicate it to others is another kettle of fish."
a difficult fact to accept
a bitter pill (to swallow): "Losing to a younger player was a bitter pill to swallow."
person with hidden abilities
(a bit of a) dark horse: "Anna's such a dark horse - I had no idea she'd published a novel."
irritated/bad mood
a bear with a sore head: "You're like a bear with a sore head this morning. What's wrong with you?"
He was shot __ close range / q_______. (from a short distance)
at close range / quarters
The escaped prisoners are still a_ l____. (free, not caught)
at large
at the forefront of
the cutting edge: "Apple is at the cutting edge of mobile communications technology."
have a false idea about something
bark up the wrong tree: "His attorney suggested that the investigators might be barking up the wrong tree."
The documentary shows a modern woman years a____ o_ her t___. (have modern ideas)
be ahead of one's time
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