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IELTS Idioms

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In a nutshell

In summary

Inside a small container

The ball is in your court

It’s your turn or responsibility

You are playing a sport

Hit the nail on the head

To fix a broken object

To describe exactly what is causing a problem

Your guess is as good as mine

I don’t know either

You are good at guessing

Let the cat out of the bag

To reveal a secret

To lose control of your pet

Keep your chin up

Look up at the ceiling

Stay positive

A blessing in disguise

A gift that looks ugly

Something that seems bad but turns out good

Sit on the fence

Resting outdoors

To be undecided

In the same boat

Traveling together on a boat

In the same difficult situation

Hang in there

Don’t give up

Stay in one place physically

Break a leg

Good luck

To injure yourself badly

By the skin of your teeth

Barely succeed

Smile confidently

A piece of the pie

A share of something valuable

A dessert portion

In hot water

In trouble

Taking a hot shower

Barking up the wrong tree

Complaining about a pet

To make a wrong assumption

Cut corners

To physically cut off the edges

To do something quickly and cheaply

Off the hook

Avoid answering a phone call

Free from responsibility or trouble

Hit the books

To damage your textbooks

To study hard

Once in a blue moon

Something related to the moon

Something that happens very rarely

Under your nose

Smell something closely

Very obvious or nearby

Keep someone posted

To keep someone informed

To send letters through the mail

Bite the bullet

To injure yourself on purpose

To do something difficult you've been avoiding

Break the ice

To make someone feel nervous

To start a conversation in a social situation

Piece of cake

Something very easy

A delicious dessert

Break new ground

To do something innovative

To destroy a building

Face the music

Accept consequences

Listen to a song

Hit the sack

Hit something with a bag

Go to bed

Up in the air

Flying in an airplane

Uncertain or undecided

In the blink of an eye

Looking at someone

Very quickly

Call it a day

To stop working on something

To name a specific day

Jump the gun

Compete in a race

Do something too soon

Put all your eggs in one basket

To rely on one single plan

To carry groceries inefficiently

The last straw

The final thing that makes a situation unbearable

A single piece of straw

Pull someone’s leg

To help someone walk

To joke or tease someone

Cut to the chase

Run quickly in a movie scene

Get to the point

Take it with a grain of salt

Add salt to your food

Don’t fully believe it

Burn the midnight oil

Use oil lamps for lighting

Work late into the night

On thin ice

In a risky situation

Walking on a frozen lake

Keep an eye on

To watch carefully

To cover your eye

Back to square one

To go home

To start again

Blow off steam

To release stress

To boil water quickly

Give someone the benefit of the doubt

Believe someone without proof

Ignore someone’s mistakes

Get out of hand

Become uncontrollable

Escape from being held

Go the extra mile

To travel far for work

To do more than expected

Throw in the towel

To give up

To dry your hands

On the same page

Reading the same book

To agree or understand each other

Let sleeping dogs lie

Don’t stir up old problems

Let your pets sleep peacefully

Spill the beans

To reveal secret information

To make a mess in the kitchen

Under the weather

Feeling ill or sick

Feeling cold due to the rain

Wrap your head around something

To understand something difficult

To wear a hat