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