idioms for the ielts speaking test...idioms for the ielts speaking test idioms, with definitions or...
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Idioms for the IELTS speaking test
Idioms, with definitions or synonyms Examples above board - honest, open His business dealings are above board. ad lib - improvise, interpolate
The actor forgot his lines and ad-libbed.
after all - in spite of the situation; nevertheless
I knew it! After all, I was right! He returned to his hometown after all.
against the grain - contrary to someone's feelings, principles
His plan goes against the grain with her because she doesn't like cheating.
all along - all the time
I knew about his little secret all along.
all ears - eager to listen
I am all ears.
all of a sudden - suddenly
All of a sudden, he refused to pay.
all the same - no difference If it's all the same to you, let's start at two. all thumbs - clumsy He can't fix anything, he's all thumbs. apple of one's eye - very dear, precious
Her son is the apple of her eye.
apple of discord - subject of envy or quarrel
This question is an apple of discord in our family.
as a rule - generally, usually
As a rule, we offer a 5% discount.
as far as I know - if I have correct information
As far as I know, he stayed home all day.
as far as someone / something is concerned - concerning; in reference to
As far as I am concerned, both the book and the movie are good. As far as your report is concerned, we'll discuss it tomorrow.
as for / as to - concerning; in reference to
As for me, you can always rely on my support. As for your report, we'll discuss it tomorrow.
as well - also, too
He knows math and physics as well.
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at all - (not) in the smallest degree He doesn't know French at all. I don't like it at all.
at first sight - from the first glance; at once; at first glance
It was love at first sight. At first sight, it seems easy to do.
at odds with - in disagreement with
He is at odds with everyone!
at random - without order or plan
He chose those places at random.
at this point - at this time
At this point, we can't turn back.
backseat driver - a passenger who tells you how to drive
His wife is a backseat driver always telling him how to drive.
ballpark figure - approximate estimate (in figures)
I can give you only a ballpark figure at this time.
bark at the moon - do a useless thing; waste time
Telling him that he is wrong is like barking at the moon.
bark up the wrong tree - accuse or pursue the wrong person; misdirect one's efforts
The detective was sure he got a suspect, but he was barking up the wrong tree.
be about to do something - be close to doing something; be on the verge of doing something
I was about to leave when you called. I was about to open the door, but something stopped me.
be all in - be extremely tired
I'm all in; I'd better go to bed now.
be back on one's feet - be healthy again or better financially
He's back on his feet after a long period of debt and unemployment.
be behind the times - be old-fashioned, outdated
Some of the managers here are behind the times; their methods are not modern.
be beside oneself - be very upset, nervous, worried
She was beside herself with worry / with grief.
be beside the point - be off the point
What I said to him privately is beside the point.
be better off - be in a better situation (financially)
He'll be better off with a new job.
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be broke - have no money at all; be penniless, bankrupt
I spent all my money, I'm broke.
be cut out to be; be cut out for - be suited for some job
He is cut out to be a leader. She isn't cut out to be a surgeon. She isn't cut out for teaching.
be hard on something or someone – treat roughly
My son is hard on shoes; they don't last long with him. Life was pretty hard on Tom.
be high on one's list - be one of the most important things
A new car is high on my list of priorities. A new TV is not high on my list.
be in charge of something – be responsible for He is in charge of marketing.
be in good health - be healthy
She is in good health.
be in poor health - be not healthy
She is in poor health.
be in good shape - be physically fit; in good condition
He is in good shape because he exercises regularly.
be in bad shape - be in bad state; in bad condition
The patient is in bad shape. His affairs are in bad shape.
be in the red - be in debt
Our sales were in the red last year.
be on one's way- be going somewhere
I'm on my way.
be on/at the point of something – be on the verge of something; be close to doing something
He was on the point of death two years ago. She was on the point of telling him the truth, but his words stopped her.
be out of date - be outdated
This information is out of date.
be out of sorts - be in bad temper
Leave him alone, he's out of sorts today.
be pressed for time, for money - not to have enough time, money
I'm pressed for time now. We are pressed for money at the moment.
be to blame - be responsible for a mistake, for something wrong
Who is to blame for this awful mistake? Tom is to blame for this mix-up.
be touch and go - risky, dangerous; uncertain of the result
He was very sick, and for some time it was touch and go, but he is better now.
be up and around / about - able to be out of bed after an illness
He was sick for a month, but now he is up and around.
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be up to one's ears in work – be very busy
I'm up to my ears in work.
beat around/about the bush – avoid giving a clear or definite answer
Stop beating around the bush! Get to the point!
beat one's brains out - make great efforts, often unsuccessfully
He beats his brains out at work, but his boss doesn't even notice his hard work.
before long - soon He will understand before long what a terrible mistake he has made.
big shot - important person He is a big shot around here. bite off more than one can chew - try to do more than one can
I couldn't handle two jobs and family. I really bit off more than I could chew.
bite the bullet - accept painful but necessary action
Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and to do what's necessary to do.
bite the dust - be killed; die; suffer defeat
Many of them bit the dust in that war.
bite the hand that feeds one - repay kindness with evil
She is so ungrateful! She is biting the hand that feeds her!
black sheep - a good-for-nothing member of the family
Their second son is the black sheep of the family; he is good for nothing.
blind date - a meeting between a man and a woman (who have never met before) arranged by their friends
She refuses to go on a blind date again because she had bad experience.
blow it - lose the chance
He understood that he blew it.
bottom line - main result; main factor The bottom line is, I don't have enough money. break someone's heart - hurt deeply
The news of her death broke his heart.
break the ice - overcome awkwardness (e.g., when getting acquainted)
The party was dull and formal until someone broke the ice with a joke, and we all laughed.
break the news (to someone) - tell important news
She broke the news of his accident to his parents.
bring home the bacon - earn the living for one's family
He works very hard at several places to bring home the bacon.
by all means - definitely, certainly
Do you need my help? - By all means.
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by heart - by memorizing
Learn this poem by heart for tomorrow.
by hook or by crook - by any possible means
She will get what she wants by hook or by crook.
by oneself (by myself, by himself, etc.) - alone; on one's own
She spent the evening by herself. He did it all by himself.
by the way - incidentally
By the way, I found the book that you recommended.
call a halt to something - terminate, stop something
His father called a halt to his activity.
call a spade a spade - use plain, direct words
He always tells the truth and calls a spade a spade.
call it a day - consider work finished for the day
We've been working for ten straight hours. Let's call it a day.
call the roll - call the names (according to some list)
Their teacher called the roll every day before classes.
call the shots - give orders; be in control of something
He calls the shots in this company.
call the tune - give orders; be the most important person in some situation
Since he was paying for it, he called the tune.
carry weight - be important
His advice always carries weight here.
castles in the air - daydreaming about success
Instead of working hard, he spends time building castles in the air.
catch someone's eye - attract attention
This picture caught my eye.
catch one's breath - stop and rest
I'm too tired to run further. I need to catch my breath.
catch someone off guard - catch someone unprepared He caught me off guard with his question.
catch someone red-handed - find someone in the act of doing wrong
The manager caught the boy red-handed when he was stealing cigarettes.
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close call - a narrow escape; a bad thing that almost happened
The speeding car almost hit the man. That was really a close call.
come to one's senses - act normally and reasonably again
He finally came to his senses, began to work hard, and passed his exams.
come true - become reality His dream came true when he met Kate.
cross one's mind - occur to someone It never crossed my mind that he might be ill. cut corners - 1. take a short-cut; 2. limit one's spending
He ran fast, cutting corners where he could. I have to cut corners this week.
do one's best - try very hard I did my best to help him in his work.
do one's bit - do what's needed I'll do my bit, you can count on me.
do someone good - be good for someone Fresh air and exercise will do you good.
do something behind someone's back - do (harmful) things secretively
I hate people who do things behind my back. He did it behind my back again.
down to earth - practical He's quiet, sensible, and down to earth.
draw the line - set a limit; impose a restriction
I draw the line at spending so much on food. He drew the line for her at $100 a day.
duty calls - must fulfil obligations He said, "Duty calls", put on his coat, and left for work.
easier said than done It's easier said than done, but I'll try to do it. eat one's words - take back one's words He had to eat his words after her report. even so - nevertheless I work hard. Even so, I like my job.
every now and then - occasionally Every now and then I visit my old aunt.
every other - every second one She washes her hair every other day.
fall in love (with) - begin to love
Tom fell in love with Sue at first sight.
fall out of love - stop loving They soon fell out of love and divorced.
false alarm - untrue signal; untrue rumour
I heard that he quit his job, but it was a false alarm.
a far cry from something - not nearly as good
His second book wasn't bad, but it was a far cry from his first book.
feel it in one's bones - expect something bad to happen
I feel it in my bones that something terrible is going to happen.
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feel like doing something - want to do; be inclined to do something
I feel like going for a walk. I don't feel like working now, I'm tired.
few and far between - rare, scarce Her visits are few and far between.
find fault with someone or something - criticize; complain about
He finds fault with everybody. She always finds fault with my cooking.
first things first - important things come before others
First things first: how much money do we have to pay right away?
fly off the handle - get angry He flew off the handle and yelled at me.
follow in someone's footsteps - do the same thing
Igor followed in his father's footsteps. He became a doctor too.
foot the bill - pay the bill Her father footed the bill for the party.
for good - forever After her death he left town for good.
for the time being - for now; at this time
For the time being, this house is all right for us.
frame of mind - mental state I can't do it in this frame of mind.
from A to Z - completely; from beginning to end
He knows this town from A to Z.
from now on - now and in the future From now on I forbid you to go there.
from the word go - from the very beginning
He was lying to all of us from the word go.
get a grip on oneself - take control of one's feelings Stop crying! Get a grip on yourself!
get carried away - get too excited and enthusiastic about something
He got carried away with opening a store and lost most of his money.
get cold feet - be afraid to do something
He wanted to try it, but he got cold feet at the last moment.
get even with someone - have one's revenge
I'll get even with him for everything!
get in touch with someone - contact someone
Get in touch with Mr Smith for help.
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get lost - lose one's way
She got lost in the old part of town.
Get lost! (slang) - Lay off!
I don't want to see you again. Get lost!
get mixed up - get confused
I got mixed up, went the wrong way, and got lost.
get off someone's back - stop bothering someone
Stop bothering me! Get off my back!
get one's foot in the door - get an opportunity; make the first step in something (e.g., in getting a job)
Nina was able to get her foot in the door because her friend worked in that company.
get on one's high horse - behave haughtily towards someone
Every time I ask her to help me with typing, she gets on her high horse.
get out of hand - get out of control, beyond control
If he gets out of hand again, call me right away. The situation is getting out of hand.
get rid of someone or something – dispose of; discard
He got rid of his old useless car.
get to the bottom of something – know deeply
He usually gets to the bottom of things.
get to the point - speak directly about the subject; come to the point
Please get to the point, I don't have much time now.
Give me a break! - Stop it! Enough! Come on, stop it! Give me a break!
give someone a hand - help someone
Can you give me a hand with cooking?
give someone a lift; give someone a ride - take someone to some place by car
Can you give me a lift to the bank? He gave her a ride in his new Porsche.
give someone a piece of one's mind - criticize frankly
She lost my umbrella again, so I gave her a piece of my mind about her carelessness.
go back on one's word - break a promise
First he said he would help me, but then he went back on his word.
go for it - make an attempt at something new; give it a try
If I were you, I would go for it. Go for it! Give it a try!
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go from bad to worse - become much worse
His business went from bad to worse.
go out of one's way - try very hard He goes out of his way to please her.
go to one's head - 1. make dizzy; 2. make too proud, conceited
1. Champagne went to her head right away. 2. His acting success went to his head.
go to pieces - get very upset; fall apart She went to pieces when she heard it.
go with the flow - lead a quiet life She always goes with the flow.
have a ball - have a good time Yesterday we had a ball at the party.
have a bone to pick with someone - complain or discuss something unpleasant
Mr Brown, I have a bone to pick with you. My mail was lost because of you.
have a sweet tooth - love eating sweet things
He has a sweet tooth.
have a word with someone - talk to someone
Can I have a word with you?
have words with someone - argue with someone
I had words with my co-worker today because he used my computer again.
have it in someone - have the ability Laura has it in her to be a good doctor.
have no business doing something – have no right to do something
You have no business staying here without my permission.
have one's back to the wall - be hard-pressed; on the defensive
I had no choice, I had my back to the wall.
have one's hands full - be very busy He has his hands full with hard work.
have one's heart set on something – want something very much
She has her heart set on going to New York. He has his heart set on Betty.
have pull - have influence Does he have pull with the director?
(not) have the heart to do something - (not) have the courage to do something unpleasant
I don't have the heart to tell him that he wasn't accepted; he'll be so unhappy.
hit the nail on the head - say exactly the right thing
You hit the nail on the head when you said that!
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(not) hold it against someone - (not) blame somebody for doing something
I lost his book, but he doesn't hold it against me.
Hold it! - Stop! Wait!
Hold it! I forgot my key.
hold one's own - maintain oneself in a situation; behave as needed
He can hold his own in any situation. We need men who can hold their own.
hold one's tongue - keep silent; refrain from speaking
She can't hold her tongue at all.
ill at ease - uncomfortable She felt ill at ease because of her cheap dress.
in advance - well before He told her about his plan in advance.
in a nutshell - in a few words In a nutshell, my plan is to buy land.
in care of - write to one person at the address of another person
I'm going to stay at Tom's house in Chicago. Write to me in care of Tom Gray, 321 Main Street, Chicago, Illinois.
in cold blood - mercilessly He killed her in cold blood.
in fact - actually; in reality In fact, he works as a manager here.
in general - generally; generally speaking
In general, he likes to be alone. He described the place only in general.
in hot water - in trouble; in a difficult situation (especially with the law or one's superiors)
He said a couple of unpleasant things about the boss's wife, and now he is in hot water.
in one's element - what one likes He's in his element when he's arguing.
in other words - using other words
In other words, you left her when she needed your help.
in plain English - in simple, frank terms
I didn't really like the concert. In plain English, the concert was terrible.
the ins and outs - all information about something
He knows the ins and outs of this business.
in someone's shoes - in another person's position
I wouldn't want to be in his shoes now. He lost his job, and his wife is in the hospital.
in the long run - in the end In the long run, it will be better to buy it. in the same boat - in the same situation
Stop arguing with me. We're in the same boat and should help each other.
in the clear - free from blame Pay the bill, and you'll be in the clear.
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in time (to do something) - early enough; before something begins
I came in time to have a cup of coffee before class.
it goes without saying - should be clear without words
It goes without saying that he must pay what he owes right away.
it's time - should do it right away
Hurry up, it's time to go.
It's worth it. It's not worth it. It's (not) worth buying, visiting, watching, etc.
Watch this film, it's worth it. Don't buy this coat, it is not worth it. This museum is worth visiting. This film is not worth watching.
jump at the opportunity - accept the opportunity eagerly
His boss mentioned a job in Europe, and Peter jumped at the opportunity.
just as soon - prefer; would rather
I'd just as soon stay home; I'm tired.
just in case - to be on the safe side
Take an extra shirt, just in case.
Just my luck! - Bad luck! Hard luck! They lost my job application. Just my luck! keep an eye on someone or something - take care of; watch; look after
Betty keeps an eye on my children for me. I'll keep an eye on your dog.
keep a straight face - try not to laugh
I tried to keep a straight face but failed.
keep company - accompany
She keeps me company quite often.
keep in mind - bear in mind; consider; remember
Keep in mind that he is not going to agree easily.
keep in touch - keep in contact with someone by calling, visiting, sending messages
Good-by and don't forget to keep in touch! Keep in touch with us. We may have new openings next week.
keep one's word - fulfil a promise
You promised, now keep your word.
keep someone posted - inform someone
Keep me posted about your plans.
keep one's fingers crossed - hope that nothing will go wrong
I have a job interview today. Keep your fingers crossed for me, will you? I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
kill time - fill time; spend empty time
I went to the show to kill time.
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not to know the first thing about something - not to have any knowledge about something
I don't know the first thing about nuclear physics.
know the ropes - be very familiar with some business
He knows all the ropes in this company.
last-minute notice - a message (information, instruction) at the last moment leaving little or no time for preparation
His arrival was a last-minute notice. We didn't have time to prepare for it.
lay one's cards on the table - be frank and open
Finally, we asked him to lay his cards on the table and tell us about his plans.
lay one's life on the line - put oneself in a dangerous situation
He laid his life on the line to fulfil this task, but nobody appreciated his efforts.
lead a dog's life - live in misery He leads a dog's life. leave it at that - stop saying anything else about some matter; leave as it is
I don't want to argue any further about it, so let's leave it at that. Leave it at that!
leave word - leave a message
He left word for you to meet him at the airport at six o'clock.
let bygones be bygones - forget and forgive bad things in the past
He said that to you many years ago. Forgive him. Let bygones be bygones.
let go of something - release the hold
Let go of my hand, or I'll call the guard.
let (it) go - forget bad experience; return to normal life
He's still in despair and can't let go. You can't change anything, so let it go.
let one's hair down - be relaxed and informal with other people
She is always so formal. She never lets her hair down.
let someone know - inform someone
Let me know if you need anything else.
like father, like son - be like one's parent in something
Paul won a prize in a chess tournament. Great! Like father, like son!
little by little - step by step; bit by bit; gradually
Little by little, they saved enough money for a new car.
a long shot - an attempt with little chance of success
Checking the suspect's aunt was a long shot, but the detective was prepared to try anything.
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lose one's temper - become angry He loses his temper very often. lose one's way - get lost I lost my way. Can you help me?
lose track of someone - not to know where someone is
I lost track of him years ago.
lucky break - a lucky chance
He got his lucky break when he found that job.
make a living - earn money to provide for one's life; earn a living
He worked hard. His parents were poor, and he had to make a living somehow.
make allowance(s) for something - take into consideration when judging
Don't criticize him so hard; make allowance for his inexperience.
make a point of - be sure to do something intentionally
Make a point of asking about his wife's health. Make it a point to be here by ten o'clock.
make (both) ends meet - be able to live on the income one has; live within one's means
He doesn't have much money. I wonder how he manages to make ends meet.
make friends - become friends
Anton makes new friends easily.
make fun of someone or something - laugh at; joke about
He made fun of her German accent. Everyone makes fun of him.
not to make head or tail of something - be unable to understand or decipher
I can't make head or tail of his letter.
make no bones about it - say openly, without hesitation
I'll make no bones about it: I don't like your attitude to our work.
make room for someone - allow space for someone
We can make room for one more dog.
make sense - be logical What you say makes sense.
make the most of something - do the best in the given situation
Let's make the most of our vacation.
make up one's mind - decide
Will you go there? Make up your mind.
make yourself at home - be comfortable; feel at home
Come in, please. Make yourself at home.
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a man of his word - a person who keeps promises
You can depend on his promise to help. He's a man of his word.
mean well - have good intentions
He meant well, but it turned out that he spoiled a couple of things for me.
might as well - maybe it's a good idea
I might as well telephone him now.
missing person - someone who is lost and can't be located
The boy disappeared. The police registered him as a missing person.
meet someone halfway - compromise with someone
He's reasonable and tries to meet his coworkers halfway.
never mind - don't worry about it I'm terribly sorry. - Never mind. no go - impossible, futile, hopeless, useless
We tried to start the car again and again, but it was no go.
not a bit - not at all; not in the least Are you tired? - Not a bit.
not to mention - in addition to We have three dogs, not to mention two cats.
no wonder - not surprising He ate three big fish. No wonder he's sick.
now and again - occasionally; now and then
I meet them now and again at the bank.
odds and ends - a variety of small unimportant things or leftovers; bits and pieces
I went to the store because I needed to buy some odds and ends for my kitchen.
off the cuff - without preparation
Off the cuff, I can give you only a rough estimate.
off the point - beside the point What I think about him is off the point.
off the record - not for the public; unofficially
Strictly off the record, I think the director is going to get married soon.
off the top of one's head - without thinking or calculation; impromptu; from memory
I can't give you the figure off the top of my head, but it may be around a thousand.
once and for all - decidedly You must quit smoking once and for all.
on credit - not having to pay cash right away
He bought a car on credit.
on edge - nervous, irritable He's been on edge ever since she left.
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on guard - on the alert He's cautious and always on guard. on hand - available Do you have a calculator on hand?
on one hand; on the one hand - considering one side of the question
On one hand, she knows quite a few poems by heart. On the other hand, she can't remember any dates.
on one's own (on my own, on his own, etc.) - alone; by oneself; independently
She likes to live and work on her own. She has been on her own for several years.
on one's toes - alert, attentive, prepared for difficulties
He was on his toes and produced a very good impression on them.
on purpose - intentionally I didn't do it on purpose, it just happened so.
on second thought - after thinking again
I'd like to sit on the aisle. On second thought, I'd like a window seat.
on the alert - on guard He's cautious and always on the alert.
on the carpet - called in by the boss for criticism
Yesterday the boss called him on the carpet for being rude to the co-workers.
on the go - on the move; busy, active He is always on the go.
on the chance; on the off chance - in case; unlikely to happen, but there's still a small chance
On the chance that you don't find him at work, here's his home address. We went there on the off chance of seeing John.
on the other hand - considering the other side of the question
I'd like to have a dog. On the other hand, my wife likes cats.
on the spot - right there I decided to do it on the spot.
on the spur of the moment - without previous thought or plan
He bought this car on the spur of the moment, and now he regrets it.
on the tip of one's tongue - on the verge of saying but unable to remember
His name is on the tip of my tongue, but I just can't remember it.
on time - punctually; at the specified time Jim is always on time.
out of one's mind - crazy If you think so, you're out of your mind.
out of one's way - away from one's usual route
I can't give you a lift to the bank, it's out of my way today.
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out of the question - not to be considered; impossible
Paying him is out of the question!
pack rat - a person who saves lots of unnecessary things
Why does she keep all those things she never uses? - She is a pack rat.
pay attention - note something; be attentive to something Pay attention to his words.
pick a fight - start a quarrel He often tries to pick a fight with me.
play one's cards right - choose the right steps in doing something
If you play your cards right, he'll agree to your plan.
potluck supper - a surprise meal where nobody knows what dishes other guests will bring
You know what happened at our last potluck supper? Everybody brought macaroni and cheese, apples, and beer!
pull the wool over someone's eyes - deceive, mislead someone
Are you trying to pull the wool over my eyes? It won't do you any good.
put a damper on something - discourage She always puts a damper on my plans.
put in a word for someone - say positive things about someone
I'd be very grateful if you could put in a word for me when you speak to him.
put one's best foot forward - try to show one's best qualities; do one's best; do things as quickly as possible
He put his best foot forward during the interview. Put your best foot forward working at this project.
put one's finger on it - indicate exactly; point out the exact cause, fault, name, etc.
I can't put my finger on it. He was able to put his finger on the exact cause of the computer malfunction.
put one's foot down - object strongly
Her father put his foot down when she said she wanted to marry Alan.
put one's foot in it - do or say the wrong thing; make a blunder; make a fool of oneself
He put his foot in it when he told the boss that his younger daughter wasn't pretty at all.
quite a bit (of) - much; a lot (of) I had quite a bit of trouble with that car.
quite a few - many; a lot of He wrote quite a few good stories.
rack one's brain - try hard to think He racked his brain to solve the puzzle.
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read between the lines - find or understand the implied meaning
His books are not easy to understand. You have to read between the lines.
Remember me to your family. - Say hello to your family for me.
Please remember me to your family.
right away - immediately It' very important to do it right away. ring a bell - remind someone of something familiar but half-forgotten
Annabel Lee? Yes, it rings a bell, but I can't place it right now.
rock the boat - make the situation unstable
Peter always rocks the boat when we discuss the company's spending policy.
rub elbows with; rub shoulders with – spend time together; mingle
He doesn't rub elbows with the rich and famous.
rub it in - embarrass even more by reminding repeatedly of some mistake, failure, etc.
I know I shouldn't have done it, and I apologized. There is no need to rub it in.
rub someone the wrong way - irritate, annoy; make angry
His remarks rub many co-workers the wrong way.
save face - try to change the negative impression produced
He said a stupid thing, and then he tried to save face by saying that we misunderstood him.
save one's breath - stop useless talk
There's no use talking to him about his spending habits, so save your breath.
scratch the surface - study something superficially
He examines all the facts closely, he doesn't just scratch the surface.
search high and low - search everywhere I searched high and low for my lost cat.
see eye to eye - agree with each other
They see eye to eye on many things. I don't see eye to eye with him.
see red - become very angry
She sees red every time she remembers how he lied to her about it.
serve someone right - get what someone deserves
It serves him right that he didn't get that job. He despised all the other candidates.
serve one's purpose - be useful for some purpose
I doubt that hiring this man will serve your purpose.
a shot in the dark - a wild guess My answer was just a shot in the dark.
show promise - be promising This young actor shows promise.
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sleep on it - postpone a decision till next morning
Don't make a decision now. Sleep on it.
a slip of the tongue - a mistake It was just a slip of the tongue!
slip one's mind - forget It slipped my mind that she asked me to do it.
smell a rat - suspect deceit; suspect that something is wrong
I'm not sure what it is, but I smell a rat.
so far - up to now
So far, I have read three books by Stephen King.
so much the better - it's even better If he can pay cash, so much the better.
spill the beans - tell a secret Who spilled the beans about our plan?
stand a chance - have a chance (usually, have no chance)
He doesn't stand a chance of getting it. They don't stand a chance of winning the game.
stand to reason - be obvious, logical, naturally true
It stands to reason that studying spelling will let you improve your writing skills.
straight from the shoulder - frankly, honestly, openly
Why should you spare his feelings? Give it to him straight from the shoulder.
take a dim view of something - disapprove of something
My sister takes a dim view of the way I raise my children.
take a break - stop for rest Let's take a break, I'm tired.
take advantage of something - use for one's own benefit; to profit from
We took advantage of the low prices and bought a computer and a monitor.
take a stand (on something) - make a firm decision about something
People need to take a stand on the issue of nuclear weapons.
Take care! - Good-bye and be careful! Take care now! See you tomorrow.
take care of someone or something - look after; see that something is done properly
Can you take care of my dog while I'm away? Tom takes good care of his car.
take hold of something - hold, grasp something
Take hold of this rope and pull.
take into account - take into consideration; consider You must take into account her old age.
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take it easy - relax; be calm Take it easy, everything will be OK. take something for granted - accept as given; assume as true
Mother's love is always taken for granted by children.
take someone's breath away - surprise or impress someone
That great view took my breath away.
take one's time - do something without hurry
Don't hurry. Take your time.
take someone's word for it - believe Take my word for it, he won't go there.
take pains - try hard to do it well He took pains to make his report perfect.
take part in something - participate in something
Mary is going to take part in the show.
take place - happen The accident took place on Oak Street.
take one's mind off things - distract from fixed ideas or gloomy thoughts
Go to a concert or a movie to take your mind off things.
take steps - take action; take measures
We need to take steps against it.
take the words right out of someone's mouth - say the same before someone else says it
I was about to say the same! You took the words right out of my mouth.
take time - take a long time It takes time to get used to a new place.
take time off - be absent from work He took time off to attend the wedding.
take turns - alternate doing something one after another
We went to Minsk by car. We didn't get tired because we took turns driving
That's just the point. - That's it. That's just the point! I hate this job!
that will do - it's enough Stop reading; that will do for now.
not to think much of something - not to think highly of something I don't think much of her cooking.
till one is blue in the face - try very hard I repeated it till I was blue in the face! to be on the safe side - not to take any chances
Take an extra key, just to be on the safe side.
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to make a long story short - in short To make a long story short, we won.
to say the least - to make the minimum comment about something
The film was boring and long, to say the least.
try one's hand at something - test one's abilities in something new
I want to try my hand at painting. She decided to try her hand at writing stories.
turn over a new leaf - make a fresh start in life, in work
He promises to quit alcohol for good and to turn over a new leaf.
turn the tables - reverse the situation (exchanging places with the opponent)
He beat me at chess twice last week. But now I hope to turn the tables (on him).
turn the tide - reverse the course of events
The new evidence turned the tide, and the defendant was acquitted of charges.
twist someone's arm - force someone to agree
They twisted his arm to sell the house.
under the weather - feeling a little ill, a little unwell
I'm a little under the weather today.
up-and-coming - showing promise of future success
He is an up-and-coming young lawyer who might help you with your case.
up in arms - hostile to; in strong protest against something
The employees are up in arms about the new retirement rules.
up in the air - undecided, unsettled My vacation plans are still up in the air.
up to date - modern, latest, current His reports are always up to date.
used to do something - did something regularly in the past but not now
He used to live on Maple Street. I used to play the piano when I was in school (but I don't play it now).
walk on air - be very happy
He has been offered a great job. He is walking on air now.
waste one's breath - speak uselessly, to no purpose
Don't waste your breath trying to make him do it. He won't change his mind.
watch one's step - behave prudently; be careful
You have to watch your step in this business.
wet blanket - a pessimist, a killjoy who dampens enthusiasm and spoils everyone's fun
Remember what a wet blanket he was last time? Please don't invite him again.
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What's the matter? - What is it? What's the matter? What happened?
which way the wind blows - what the real situation is
He knows which way the wind blows and always acts accordingly.
white lie - unimportant lie A white lie is told to spare someone's feelings.
word for word - in the same words
Tell me word for word what he said.
would rather - prefer I'd rather stay home today.
the writing on the wall - a sign of impending trouble
There was a car accident. Tim said he saw the writing on the wall about the accident.
year in, year out - regularly through the years
Year in and year out their family went to Lake Deep for summer.
the year round - during the whole year
He didn't want to stay there (all) the year round.