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Idioms big review

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  • Not have a cat in hell's chance.
    No chance of success at all.
    No chance of surviving at all.
    No chance of being believed at all.
  • sell like hot cakes
    sell very quickly
  • in no time
    very quickly
  • Best thing since sliced bread
    A good invention or innovation. A good idea or plan.
  • like taking candy from a baby
    extremely easy
  • out and about
    active; doing the things you usually do
  • be in a pickle
    to be in a difficult situation
  • by hook or by crook
    at any cost, any way at all
  • to eat humble pie
    to admit your error and apologize
  • What binomial pair means "various items of different types, usually small, often of little value and importance"?
    odds and ends
  • like two peas in a pod
    very similar, esp in appearance
  • toss and turn
    moving around in bed because you cannot sleep
  • couch potato
    physically very inactive person
  • shot/stab in the dark
    to guess
  • twists ans turns
    surprising changes
  • odds and ends
    small, unimportant things
  • piss in my cornflakes
    to annoy
  • my own flesh and ___________ (my family)
    blood
  • Apple of your eye
    and adored
    treasured
    a person or thing that is greatly loved
  • To have a finger in many pies
    to be involved in a lot of different things
  • tit for tat
    equivalent retaliation
  • sink or swim
    survive or fail
  • When the cat's away, the mice will play.
    When the boss is away, people often misbehave.
    When the boss is away, people organise a BBQ party
    When the boss is away, people work harder.
  • Cry over spilt milk
    When you complain about a loss from the past.
  • to and fro
    back and forth; here and there
  • turn a blind eye
    pretend not to notice
  • have a bee in one's bonnet
    be preoccupied or obsessed with something
  • I didn't sleep a __________ yesterday (I didn't sleep at all)
    wink
  • odds and sods
    Miscellaneous people or things
  • tit for tat
    equivalent retaliation
  • like chalk and cheese
    used for saying that two people are very different
  • elbow grease
    hard work and effort
  • He had me in stitches
    He makes me laugh a lot
  • have egg on your face
    to look stupid because of something that you have done
  • in a nutshell
    briefly
    in a few words
  • cheap as chips
    very cheap
  • face the music
    accept the unpleasant consequences of one's actions
  • fast and furious
    full of speed and excitement
  • part and parcel
    a necessary part of an event or experience which cannot be avoided
  • let your hair down
    relax and enjoy yourself because you are in a comfortable environment
  • ***** and span
    very clean and neat
  • safe and sound
    completely safe and without injury or damage
  • kill time
    pass time while waiting for sb/sth
  • Good riddance!
    I'm glad they have gone
  • go bananas
    to become extremely angry or excited
  • rub salt in the wound
    make something painful even worse
  • cool as a cucumber
    not nervous or emotional
    very calm
  • part and parcel
    a necessary part of an event or experience which cannot be avoided
  • You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.
    it is hard to achieve something important without causing unpleasant effects
  • wear and tear
    damage resulting from use
  • wheeling and dealing
    complicated and sometimes dishonest agreements in business or politics that people try to achieve in order to make profits or get advantages
  • down time
    relaxing time
  • to toy with
    to consider an idea
  • at the eleventh hour
    at the last possible moment
  • gravy train
    means to a big income with little effort
  • trick or treat
    said by children who visit people's houses at Halloween and threaten to play tricks on people who do not give them sweets
  • bread and butter
    main source of income; necessities
  • I sent him packing
    to send someone away, dismiss someone
  • bits and bobs
    various things
  • basket case
    a person who is helpless or incapable of functioning normally
  • my cup of tea
    Something that a person likes or finds agreeable to their tastes
  • out of the frying pan into the fire
    to go from a difficult situation to a worse one
  • odds and sods
    Miscellaneous people or things
  • butter up sb
    praise an compliment sb in order to get sth i return
  • come hell or high water
    If someone says they'll do something come hell or high water, they mean that nothing will stop them, no matter what happens.
  • mix and match
    to choose different things such as clothes, styles, ideas and etc
  • to be like a fish out of water
    to feel awkward because you are in a situation that you have not experienced before or because you are very different from the people around you
  • What binomial pair means "when the back of something faces the front, and vice-versa"?
    back to front
  • Bite off more than you can chew
    to try to do too much or more than you can handle
  • born and bred
    used to say that someone was born and grew up in a particular place, and has the typical character of someone who lives there:
  • wake up and smell the coffee
    to become aware; to realize something
  • no rhyme or reason
    emphasising that there is no reason/explanation for sth
  • mix and match
    to choose different things such as clothes, styles, ideas and etc
  • give somebody a hard time
    to make things difficult for someone
  • By no stretch of the imagination
    used to describe things that are definitely not possible or correct
  • to go to rack and ruin
    undergo destruction; neglect; dilapidation; disrepair.
  • in the nick of time
    almost too late but actually exactly on time
  • spill the beans
    reveal a secret
  • to have a brain like a sieve
    forget things quickly
  • cut the cheese
    fart
  • fishy
    suspicious
  • What binomial pair means "to do something methodically, one step at a time"?
    step by step
  • take with a pinch of salt
    do not totally believe what you are told
  • through thick and thin
    in spite of all sorts of difficulties
  • my hands are tied
    I can't do anything about it
  • penny for your thoughts
    This idiom is used as a way of asking someone what they are thinking about.
  • at the back of one's mind
    held as an idea in your mind, but not thought about frequently
  • What binomial pair means "randomly, and without much planning and organisation; without order"?
    willy-nilly
  • huff and puff
    to complain loudly and express disapproval
  • black and blue
    very bruised
  • wine and dine
    to entertain someone by treating them to food and drink
  • It's the cat's pyjamas!
    That's cool!
    That's irrelevant!
    That's awful!
  • by fair means or foul
    if you try to achieve something by fair means or foul, you use any method you can to achieve it, even if it is not honest or fair
  • bits and pieces
    small things of different types
  • rough and ready
    not perfect, but good enough for a particular purpose
  • in one fell swoop
    in one go, all at once
  • make from scratch
    make with original ingredients
  • He's eating me out of _________ and _________ (eating a lot of someone else's food)
    house and home
  • to get cold feet
    To back out at the last minute, usually from getting married
  • hem and haw
    hesitate, be indecisive
  • now or never
    This means that something has to be done now or can't be done at all.
  • senior moment
    (n) a moment of forgetfulness; where you forget something you previously knew
  • it rings a bell
    It sounds familiar as if I've heard it before
  • mind over matter
    the power of your mind is stronger than the body
  • sugarcoat
    make superficially attractive or acceptable
  • flight of fancy
    An unrealistic idea or fantastic notion, a pipe dream
  • come hell or high water
    If someone says they'll do something come hell or high water, they mean that nothing will stop them, no matter what happens.
  • huff and puff
    to complain loudly and express disapproval
  • low-hanging fruit
    a thing or person that can be won, obtained or persuaded with little effort
  • A cat in gloves catches no mice.
    Being too polite can prevent you from accomplishing
    Worrying about your image can prevent you from success
    Wearing gloves will make you look suspicious
  • do time
    to serve a prison sentence
  • high and dry
    in a helpless or abandoned situation
  • hale and hearty
    in robust good health
  • You should lie low
    keep out of sight
  • have a lot on your plate
    to have a lot of work to do or a lot of problems to deal with
  • out to lunch
    behaving in a strange or confused way
  • high and mighty
    better than everyone else
  • What binomial pair means "your last offer"?
    take it or leave it
  • dos and don'ts
    rules about what you must do and must not do in a particular situation
  • toasty
    comfortably warm
  • take a trip down memory lane
    To reminisce over memories of past events, especially happy ones.
  • to go to rack and ruin
    undergo destruction; neglect; dilapidation; disrepair.
  • keep your chin up
    To remain joyful in a tough situation.
  • There is not enough room to swing the cat.
    There is no room to play a game
    It is a tightly confined space.
    There are too many people
  • sink or swim
    survive or fail
  • cheap and cheerful
    cheap but good or enjoyable
  • hoity toity
    haughty, snobbish
  • to cost an arm and a leg
    to be very expensive
  • to be all ears
    Listen very carefully
  • What binomial pair means "the result will be either success or failure, nothing between"?
    make or break
  • ahead of time
    before an event happens
  • breadwinner
    person who earns the money for a family
  • chew the fat
    chat in a leisurely way esp at length
  • on and off
    intermittently
  • packed in like sardines
    too many people in a small space
  • it's time to run
    it's time to leave
  • tried and tested
    a method which has been used successfully many times
  • perish the thought
    Don't even think about it!
  • it's about time
    we've waited a long time for this!
  • twists ans turns
    surprising changes
  • in one's mind's eye
    in one's imagination or memory
  • rags to riches
    used to describe what happens to a person who was poor but becomes rich
  • high and mighty
    better than everyone else
  • Bigger fish to fry
    more important things to do
  • be nuts about
    to like very much
  • make your blood boil
    to make you very angry
  • What binomial pair means "a lot of noisy activity caused by people, usually in cities"?
    hustle and bustle
  • hustle and bustle
    busy and noisy activity
  • it's a question of time
    it's inevitable that something will happen
  • for peanuts
    for very little money
  • In my heart of ___________ (in my innermost feelings)
    hearts
  • on and off
    intermittently
  • a matter of time
    when something is inevitable
  • cheesy
    tacky
    corny
  • bad egg
    A person who cannot be trusted is a bad egg. Good egg is the opposite.
  • on time
    to be punctual
  • hard nut to crack
    a difficult problem to solve
  • What's cooking?
    What's happening?
  • to give someone the cold shoulder
    treat someone in an unfriendly way
  • He _____________ into thin __________. (he disappeared)
    vanished / air
  • to egg sb on
    to encourage sb to do sth dangerous or foolish
  • the pot calling the kettle black
    criticizing others for the very fault one possesses
  • the proof is in the pudding
    said to mean that you can only judge the quality of something if you've tried it
  • on borrowed time
    something could come to an end at any time
  • trick or treat
    said by children who visit people's houses at Halloween and threaten to play tricks on people who do not give them sweets
  • light-bulb moment
    a moment when you suddenly realize something or have a good idea
  • hoity toity
    haughty, snobbish
  • there's not much ___________ room (there's not much space)
    elbow
  • trials and tribulations
    troubles and events that cause suffering
  • There's more than one way to skin a cat.
    There is more than one way to cook an animal.
    There is more than one way to catch a liar.
    There is more than one way to do the same task.
  • When something is very quick and to-the-point
    Short and sweet
  • safe and sound
    completely safe and without injury or damage
  • ***** and span
    very clean and neat
  • They sent me on a wild ___________ chase (a useless search for s/th)
    goose
  • dos and don'ts
    rules about what you must do and must not do in a particular situation
  • nutty as a fruitcake
    crazy or extremely strange in behavior or dress
  • rough and ready
    not perfect, but good enough for a particular purpose
  • cut the mustard
    To succeed; to come up to expectations; adequate enough to compete or participate
  • a whale of a time
    a very good time
  • that's the way the cookie crumbles
    that's life; said when something bad has happened and you must accept it even though o don't want to
  • Heard it through the grapevine
    To learn about something through gossip
  • done and dusted
    successfully completed
  • It's a secret so _________ the word (don't say anything)
    mum's
  • What binomial pair means "that something is always an essential part of something and is never missing from it"
    part and parcel
  • jog someone's memory
    to make someone remember something
  • Life is a bowl of cherries
    life is very pleasant
  • take the cake
    to be the most outstanding
  • flat as a pancake
    very flat
  • full of beans
    very lively
  • think outside the box
    to think creatively; to think of new, interesting, and unusual ideas
  • souped-up
    enhanced or increased in appeal, power or intensity
  • to go cold turkey on sth
    give sth up completely and suddenly
  • born and bred
    used to say that someone was born and grew up in a particular place, and has the typical character of someone who lives there:
  • wear and tear
    damage resulting from use
  • the be-all and end-all
    the most important thing
  • A cat nap.
    Having a hangover.
    Going to sleep.
    Having a siesta.
  • fair and square
    honestly, without cheating
  • slip one's mind
    to forget something
  • have a bun in the oven
    to be pregnant
  • It's like herding cats: 1. it's a very difficult task, 2. it's a funny task, 3. it's a mundane task
    It's a very difficult task.
  • use your noodle
    use your brain
  • tried and tested
    a method which has been used successfully many times
  • by hook or by crook
    at any cost, any way at all
  • drink like a fish
    drink a lot of alcohol
  • time will tell
    you will know in future whether sth true
  • no rhyme or reason
    emphasising that there is no reason/explanation for sth
  • I'm in a bit of a pickle
    I'm in a difficult situation
  • willy-nilly
    whether one likes it or not
  • walk on eggshells
    try hard not to upset someone
  • eat someone out of house and home
    to consume a great deal of someone's food
  • out of sight, out of mind
    if you don't see something for a long time, you'll eventually stop thinking about it
  • pie in the sky
    something not possible or unrealistic
  • fast and furious
    full of speed and excitement
  • head over heels in love
    to love someone very much
  • bits and pieces
    small things of different types
  • An apple a day keeps the doctor away
    If you eat healthy food you won't get sick
  • cold fish
    someone who seems unfriendly and who does not share their feelings
  • Curiosity killed the cat.
    Cats can die if they ask questions.
    Being too inquisitive can get you into trouble.
    Cats are very inquisitive animals.
  • fair and square
    honestly, without cheating
  • It's raining cats and dogs!
    It's sleeting.
    It's drizzling.
    It's pouring.
  • it's a sorry sight
    in a bad state, a mess
  • bits and bobs
    various things
  • short and sweet
    quick and simple, but pleasant
  • have your cake and eat it too
    to have or do two good things at the same time that are impossible to have or do at the same time
  • wine and dine
    to entertain someone by treating them to food and drink
  • by fair means or foul
    if you try to achieve something by fair means or foul, you use any method you can to achieve it, even if it is not honest or fair
  • make or break
    succeed or fail
  • a flash in the pan
    something or someone that initially shows great promise but soon fails to meet expectations
  • live and learn
    Learn from experience and from your mistakes.
  • bread and butter
    necessities, the main thing; main source of income
  • big cheese
    an important person
  • cheesed off
    angry and disappointed
  • high and dry
    in a helpless or abandoned situation
  • What binomial pair means moving between the same two points repeatedly?
    up and down ( back and forth)
  • What binomial pair means "he decrease in value and/or quality of something because of its age and a lot of use"?
    wear and tear
  • get with the times
    to get up to date with the modern era
  • through thick and thin
    in spite of all sorts of difficulties
  • live and learn
    Learn from experience and from your mistakes.
  • bide your time
    to wait patiently for a good opportunity to do sth
  • not for all the tea in China
    not for anything at all
  • Cloud cuckoo land
    If someone has ideas or plans that are completely unrealistic, they are living in cloud cuckoo land.
  • hot potato
    a controversial or difficult subject
  • to get something of one's chest
    to tell someone about something that has been worrying you or making you feel guilty
  • odds and ends
    small, unimportant things
  • wheeling and dealing
    complicated and sometimes dishonest agreements in business or politics that people try to achieve in order to make profits or get advantages
  • hem and haw
    hesitate, be indecisive
  • carrot top
    person with red or orange hair
  • make or break
    succeed or fail
  • buy a lemon
    to buy something that proves to be worthless
  • knuckle down
    start working hard, especially when you should have done this earlier
  • knuckle sandwich
    punch in the face
  • toss and turn
    moving around in bed because you cannot sleep
  • to be pressed for time
    to be in a difficult situation because you do not have enough time; to be in a hurry
  • He wears his heart on his ____________ (make your feelings apparant)
    sleeve
  • A fat cat.
    A plump person.
    A rich person.
    A clumsy person
  • the time of your life
    an extremely enjoyable experience
  • put all eggs in one basket
    to depend for your success on a single person or plan of action
  • piece of cake
    very easy
  • freeze your buns off
    to be (very) cold
  • What binomial pair means "to learn from the experiences that life gives us"?
    live and learn
  • cream of the crop
    the best of the best
  • time flies
    time passes very quickly
  • willy-nilly
    whether one likes it or not
  • compare apples and oranges
    compare completely different things
  • you have to be cruel to be ___________ (cause someone pain for their own good)
    kind
  • half-baked idea
    an idea that is not fully thought through
  • aches and pains
    minor pains that continue over a period of time
  • time is money
    time is valuable and should not be wasted.
  • done and dusted
    successfully completed
  • eye candy
    pleasant to look at but not very interesting
  • the icing on the cake
    something that makes a good situation even better
  • What binomial pair means "in general or on the whole"?
    by and large
  • short and sweet
    quick and simple, but pleasant
  • He's a laughing stock
    He's the subject of mockery or ridicule
  • smart cookie
    clever person
  • out and about
    active; doing the things you usually do
  • hustle and bustle
    busy and noisy activity
  • tough cookie
    a stubborn person who is difficult to deal with
  • bread and butter
    necessities, the main thing; main source of income
  • to and fro
    back and forth; here and there
  • it's come full circle
    you are in the same situation after a long period of events
  • cup of joe
    a cup of coffee
  • cheap and cheerful
    cheap but good or enjoyable
  • sweet tooth
    a love of sugar or sweet things
  • worth your salt
    good at your job
  • too many cooks spoil the broth
    if too many people are involved in a task it will not be done well
  • now or never
    This means that something has to be done now or can't be done at all.
  • have a finger in every pie
    to be involved in and have influence over many different activities
  • Has the cat got your tongue?
    Why aren't you saying anything?
    Why are you arguing?
    Why are you singing?
  • think on your feet
    to make a quick decision or give an answer quickly
  • bear fruit
    to produce good results
  • trials and tribulations
    troubles and events that cause suffering
  • bring home the bacon
    to earn a living
  • to two-time sb.
    to cheat or betray sb.
  • in one ear and out the other
    Going through the mind without leaving an impression
  • it's high time
    something should have been done sooner or a long time ago.
  • in a world of one's own
    unaware of one's surroundings
  • foot the bill
    to pay the bill
  • food for thought
    something to think about
  • cherry-pick
    choose something with great care and select only the best
  • rags to riches
    used to describe what happens to a person who was poor but becomes rich
  • to have a mind of one's own
    to be capable of independent opinion or action
  • bitter pill
    A situation or information that is unpleasant but must be accepted.
  • The world is your ____________ (you are in a position to do anything you want)
    oyster
  • aches and pains
    minor pains that continue over a period of time
  • You can have too much of a good ___________ (something pleasant becomes unpleasant in excess)
    thing
  • spice things up
    make something more exciting
  • in time
    early enough
  • on a silver platter
    to be given something that has not been earned
  • black and blue
    very bruised
  • long in the tooth
    to be getting old
  • to know by heart
    know something perfectly, have absolute knowledge
  • hale and hearty
    in robust good health
  • The cat's out of the bag.
    The prisoner has escaped.
    A lot of money has been spent.
    The secret has been revealed.
  • What binomial pair means "to be very thin; to look underfed"?
    skin and bone
  • train of thought
    a linked series of thoughts in your head at one time
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