SOME COMMON IDIOMS AND PHRASES

 SOME COMMON IDIOMS AND PHRASES

    • above board: honest, open 

    • ad lib: improvise, interpolate

    • against the grain: contrary to someone’s feelings, principles

    • all thumbs: clumsy 

    • apple of one’s eye: very dear, precious 

    • apple of discord: subject of envy or quarrel

    • at odds with: in disagreement with

    • backseat driver: a passenger who tells you how to drive 

    • ballpark figure: approximate estimate (in figures) 

    • bark at the moon: do a useless thing; waste time 

    • bark up the wrong tree: accuse or pursue the wrong person; misdirect one’s efforts

    • be all in: be extremely tired

    • be hard on something or someone: treat roughly

    • be in the red: be in debt

    • be touch and go: risky, dangerous; uncertain of the result 

    • be up and around / about: able to be out of bed after an illness

    • bite the bullet: accept painful but necessary action 

    • bite the dust: be killed; die; suffer defeat 

    • bite the hand that feeds one: repay kindness with evil 

    • black sheep: a good-for-nothing member of the family

    • bring home the bacon: earn the living for the family

    • call a spade a spade: use plain, direct words 

    • call it a day: consider work finished for the day 

    • call the shots: give orders; be in control of something 

    • call the tune: give orders; be the most important person in some situation

    • carry weight: be important 

    • castles in the air: daydreaming about success 

    • catch someone’s eye: attract attention

    • down to earth: practical 

    • draw the line: set a limit; impose a restriction 

    • duty calls: must fulfill obligations 

    • eat one’s words: take back one’s words

    • a far cry from something: not nearly as good 

    • feel it in one’s bones: expect something bad to happen

    • few and far between: rare, scarce

    • fly off the handle: get angry 

    • follow in someone’s footsteps: do the same thing 

    • foot the bill: pay the bill

    • get cold feet: be afraid to do something 

    • get even with someone: have one’s revenge

    • Give me a break!: Stop it! Enough!

    • go to pieces: get very upset; fall apart 

    • go with the flow: lead a quiet life 

    • have a ball: have a good time 

    • have a bone to pick with someone: complain or discuss something unpleasant

    • in cold blood: mercilessly

    • in the long run: in the end 

    • in the same boat: in the same situation 

    • in the clear: free from blame

    • just as soon: prefer; would rather 

    • just in case: to be on the safe side 

    • keep a straight face: try not to laugh

    • keep someone posted: inform someone 

    • keep one’s fingers crossed: hope that nothing will go wrong 

    • kill time: fill time; spend empty time 

    • know the ropes: be very familiar with some business

    • lead a dog’s life: live in misery 

    • leave word: leave a message

    • let one’s hair down: be relaxed and informal with other people

    • lose track of someone: not to know where someone is 

    • lucky break: a lucky chance

    • make a point of: be sure to do something intentionally 

    • make friends: become friends

    • mean well: have good intentions 

    • might as well: maybe it’s a good idea 

    • never mind: don’t worry about it 

    • now and again: occasionally; now and then 

    • off the cuff: without preparation 

    • off the point: beside the point 

    • off the record: not for the public; unofficially

    • on second thought: after thinking again 

    • on the alert: on guard 

    • on the carpet: called in by the boss for criticism 

    • on the go: on the move; busy, active 

    • on the other hand: considering the other side of the question 

    • on the spot: right there

    • pack rat: a person who saves lots of unnecessary things 

    • pay attention: note something; be attentive to something 

    • pick a fight: start a quarrel 

    • put one’s foot down: object strongly 

    • right away: immediately 

    • ring a bell: remind someone of something familiar but half-forgotten

• see red: become very angry

    • take something for granted: accept as given 

    • take steps: take action; take measures 

    • take time: take a long time 

    • twist someone’s arm: force someone to agree 

    • under the weather: feeling a little ill, a little unwell 

    • up-and-coming: showing promise of future success 

    • up in the air: undecided, unsettled

    • walk on air: be very happy 

    • waste one’s breath: speak uselessly, to no purpose 

    • watch one’s step: behave prudently; be careful 

    • white lie: unimportant lie 

    • word for word: in the same words