cruel and unfair
below the belt
protect oneself because one feels insecure or threatened
be on the defensive
be stupid
be as thick as a brick
Do you think he's been cheating us a__ a____? (from the very beginning)
all along
a hopeless search
a wild-goose chase
not be able to decide what to do
be in two minds about sth
The deal was completely open and a____ b____. (honest)
above board
a difficult fact to accept
a bitter pill (to swallow): "Losing to a younger player was a bitter pill to swallow."
be successful
bear fruit
sth very easy to do
a piece of cake
very busy
be as busy as a bee
a lot of fuss about sth that is not important
a storm in a teacup
avoid saying what one means directly
beat about / around the bush
be caught while committing a crime
be caught red-handed
I'll b___ my t___ until a good job offer comes my way. (wait for a good opportunity)
bide *one's* time
in a direct line/ by a direct route
as the crow flies
have a false idea about something
bark up the wrong tree: "His attorney suggested that the investigators might be barking up the wrong tree."
be the best
be second to none
The documentary shows a modern woman years a____ o_ her t___. (have modern ideas)
be ahead of one's time
A______ a__ t__ o___, he recovered. (despite the difficulties)
against (all) the odds
If you are "worn out", it means you are...
old
very tired
exploited by others
extremely stressed
become very angry
blow a fuse
be really pleased
be tickled pink
a difficult, hard life
a dog's life: "Everyone knows it's a dog's life in this business."
an easy target
a sitting duck
be inexperienced
be green
She was t_____ ___ b______ by the news. (be surprised)
be thrown off balance
Look exactly like someone
be the perfect image of *somebody*
To be "broke" can mean...
be exhausted
have no / very little money
no longer wish to participate
be very frustrated
You'll need to ______ the boss __ before asking for a pay rise. (flatter / praise someone to get their help / support)
butter *someone* up
The workers' strike _______ the economy __ its _____. (destroy or humble)
BRING *someone / something* TO *their* KNEES
Nuclear weapons should only be used __ _ ____ ______. (when all else has failed)
as a last resort
a very important day
a red-letter day
suddenly
bolt from the blue
really want sth
be dying for sth
Anthony is the ____-____ ___ at work. He always gets the promotions. (a favoured person)
blue-eyed boy
be likely to happen
be on the cards
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?"
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"
person who enjoys staying up late
a night owl
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."
false belief ("Garlic doesn't cure sore throats, that's just an ___ _____' ____!"
old wives' tale
be well-informed
be in the know: "This restaurant is considered by those in the know to be the best in Spain"
annoying person/thing
a pain in the neck
in prison
behind bars
be very angry
be up in arms
covered with bruises
black and blue all over
Sleep deeply
sound asleep
be very lively
be full of beans
a wild guess/ a risk
a long shot
to do something that has never been done before
blaze a trail: "Bill Gates blazed a trail in computer operating systems"
be out of favour, in trouble
be in the doghouse
person with important job / position
big cheese
He was shot __ close range / q_______. (from a short distance)
at close range / quarters
be very precious to somebody; be somebody's favourite
be the apple of somebody's eye
a poor memory
a memory like a sieve
War is, __ __________, brutal. (because of its own features)
by definition
B_____ you ___ ___ Jack Ro______, the work will be done. (extremely quickly)
before *one* can say Jack Robinson
have recovered from an illness
woke
be up and about
jump out of bed
bed jumped
at the forefront of
the cutting edge: "Apple is at the cutting edge of mobile communications technology."
about to be punished
be for the high jump: "You're for the high jump"
sb who feels uncomfortable
a fish out of water: "I felt like a fish out of water at my new school."
The escaped prisoners are still a_ l____. (free, not caught)
at large
ease the tension when one first meets people
break the ice
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"
be in a state of confusion
be (all) at sea
barely avoid an accident / a bad situation
be / have a close shave
weakest point of sb's character
Achilles heel
be in someone's position
be in *someone's* shoes
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"
Look exactly like someone
be the spitting image of *somebody*
I've just had a _________! (sudden clear idea/thought)
brainwave
drenched / soaked / wet to the skin
extremely wet
The third candidate for the seat is a relatively u______ q_______. (person or thing that one has no experience of)
unknown quantity
hit somebody repeatedly until bruised
beat somebody black and blue
conceited; boastful
big-headed
be awkward, clumsy
be all fingers and thumbs
be easily deceived/ naive
be born yesterday
It rained every day of our holiday - but we had a good time a__ t__ s___. (yet, however)
all the same
be elated
be over the moon
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"
There were 550 people there a__ t___. (in total)
all told
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."
in secret / unknown to most people
behind the scenes: "A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to ensure a successful course"
out of favour
be in sb's black books
action, comment, etc. liable to provoke sb
a red rag to a bull
formal clothing
black tie
be in the same (usually bad) situation
be in the same boat
be unaware of sth
be in the dark about sth