English Tongue 2

(1) at the push of a button - very easily.
eg: You can't expect to get everything you need at the push of a button.
(2) the sky's the limit - there is no limit.
eg: The sky's the limit to what you can win in our competition.
(3) You've spelt my name wrong.
I wrote the number down wrong.
(4)tax - to need a great amount of physical or mental effort.
eg: The questions did not tax me.
(ii) The problem is currently taxing the brains of the nation’s experts (= making them think very hard).
(iii) He only has to read a short report - it shouldn't tax him unduly.
(5) almost/nearly die of sth (also could have died of sth) - to feel a particular feeling extremely strongly
eg: I almost/could have died of embarrassment.
(6) on no account - If something must on no account/not on any account be done, it must not be done at any time or for any reason.
eg: Employees must on no account make personal telephone calls from the office.
(ii)These records must not on any account be changed.
(7) take into account / take account of - to consider or remember when judging a situation.
eg: I hope my teacher will take into account the fact that I was ill just before the exams when she marks my paper.
(ii)A good architect takes into account the building's surroundings.
(iii)Britain's tax system takes no account of children.
(iv) I think you have to take into account that he's a good deal younger than the rest of us.
(8) a cinch - something that is very easy to do
eg: I didn't think I could run five kilometers, but with the right preparation, it was a cinch.
(9) to cram - "to study hard a few days before a test"
eg: If you had studied hard for the past four months, you wouldn't have to cram so much this weekend.
(10) got a minute? - "Do you have time right now?"
eg: Hey, Joe, got a minute? I have something to show you.
(11) have a change of heart - "change a previous decision"
eg: I thought I would change jobs, but now that my boss is treating me with more respect, I've had a change of heart.
(12) head out for - "to start on a long trip" (but it could be within a big city)
Example: We're heading out for the countryside to pick some apples. Would you like to join us?
(13) make ends meet (often used negatively) - "to have enough money to buy everything we need"
eg: Even though I make more money than last year, we just can't seem to make ends meet.
(14) spring to mind - to come quickly into your mind.
eg: Say the word 'Australia' and a vision of beaches and blue seas immediately springs to mind.
(15) niggle - to worry someone slightly, usually for a long time.
eg: I just can't remember his name - it's been niggling (me) for a couple of weeks.
(16) improve on/upon sth - to do something in a better way or with better results than before.
eg: Last time she ran the race in twenty minutes, so she's hoping to improve on that.
(17) stand in the way of sth/sb - to try to stop or prevent.
eg: You know I won't stand in your way if you want to apply for a job abroad.
(18) be out of the way - If a place or a building is out of the way, it is a long distance from where most people live.
eg: It's a very beautiful village but it's a bit out of the way.
(19) the wrong way round/around - If something is the wrong way round/around, the part that should be at the front is at the back.
eg: You've got your skirt on the wrong way round.
(20) I want an explanation, but keep/make it simple.
I made it quite plain (that) (= explained clearly that) I wasn't interested.
(21) get a jump on sb/sth - to start doing something before other people start, or before something happens, in order to gain an advantage for yourself.
eg: I like to leave work early on Fridays so I can get a jump on the traffic.
(22) Do you want a ride? Jump in.
(23) jump to conclusions - to guess the facts about a situation without having enough information.
eg: Don't jump to conclusions! Perhaps it was his daughter he was dancing with.
(24) be up sb's ass - to be driving too close to the car in front of you.
eg: I had a sports car up my ass for the first fifty miles.
(25) take cognizance of sth - to take notice of and consider something, especially when judging.
eg: The lawyer asked the jury to take cognizance of the defendant's generosity in giving to charity.
(26) a close/near thing - something which almost happened.
eg: The car just missed the child but it was a very close thing.
a close call - a situation in which you only just manage to avoid an accident, etc.
(27) leave it at that - to say or do nothing more about sth.
eg: We’ll never agree, so let’s just leave it at that.
(28)chance - the way that some things happen without any cause that you can see or understand.
eg: I met her by chance (= without planning to) at the airport.
Chess is not a game of chance.
It was pure chance that we were both there.
We’ll plan everything very carefully and leave nothing to chance.
coincidence - chance or luck.
eg: Just by coincidence, I met my old school-mate again fifty years later.
It was pure/sheer coincidence that I remembered his phone number.
By some strange coincidence, he was passing the house just when it happened.
(29) chance would be a fine thing - said when you would very much like something to happen but there is no possibility that it will.
eg: "You should relax a bit more." "Chance would be a fine thing."
(30) annoy/frighten/scare, etc. the hell out of sb - to make someone extremely annoyed/frightened, etc.
eg: He jumped out from behind a wall and scared the hell out of her.
(31) every last - every.
eg: We catch the majority of people, but hunting down every last tax dodger is impossible.
every last … - every person or thing in a group.
eg: We spent every last penny we had on the house.
(32) (down) to the last ... - including all of the thing mentioned: used to emphasize what you are saying.
eg: The model of the village is accurate down to the last detail.
He has calculated the costs down to the last penny.
(33) One/Two, etc. down, one/two etc. to go. - an expression which is used to mean that you have done or dealt with the first, second, etc of a series of things and have yet to do or deal with the rest
eg: "Have you done your essays?" "Two down, three to go."
(34) at/from a distance - from a place that is not near.
eg: From a distance he looks a bit like James Bond.
(35) What a talker your mum is - I couldn't get off the phone!
(36) I’m not with you – you’ve lost me there.
you’ve lost me - to be no longer understood by sb.
eg: I’m afraid you’ve lost me there.
(37) You know something? (also You know what?) - said before giving an opinion or a piece of information.
eg: You know something? I don't think I like that man.
You know what? I think it's time to go home.
You know something? I’ve never really enjoyed Christmas.
(38) if you ask me - said when giving your opinion on something.
eg: If you ask me, people should go on a training course before they become parents.
(39) if all else fails - if none of our plans succeed.
eg: If all else fails, we can always spend the holidays at home.
(40) all the ingredients of - all the necessary characteristics.
It has all the ingredients of a good mystery story.
(41) grill - to ask someone a lot of questions for a long time.
eg: After being grilled by the police for two days, Johnson signed a confession.
Her parents would grill her about where she'd been.
(42) juicy - big, important, or of a high quality.
eg: If sales continue like this, we should be showing a nice juicy profit at the end of the year.
juicy - describes information that is especially interesting because it is shocking or personal.
eg: I've got some really juicy gossip for you.
(43)dilute - to reduce the strength of a feeling, action, etc.
eg: These measures are designed to dilute public fears about the product's safety.
(44)overdo - to do something in a way that is too extreme.
eg: After a heart attack you have to be careful not to overdo it/things (= you have to work and live calmly).
overdo - to do sth too much; to exaggerate sth.
eg: She really overdid the sympathy (= and so did not seem sincere).
- to use too much of sth.
eg: Don’t overdo the salt in the food.
Use illustrations where appropriate but don’t overdo it.
- to cook sth for too long.
eg: The fish was overdone and very dry.
(45) oversleep - to sleep for longer than you intended to and so wake up late.
eg: I missed the train this morning because I overslept again.
(46) help yourself / sb (to sth) to give yourself/sb food, drinks, etc.
eg: If you want another drink, just help yourself.
Can I help you to some more salad?
"Might I have some more bread?" "Please, help yourself!"
Shall I help you to some more soup?
Feel free to help yourself to coffee.
"May I help myself to some more food?" "Yes, of course."
(47)We’ll split the bill, shall we?
- each person will pay for him/herself
Lunch is on me today.
- I am paying for you.
Drinks are on me (= I am paying).
(48) the cradle of sth - the place where something started.
eg: Fossil records indicate that Africa was the cradle of early human evolution.
(ii)the cradle of civilization.
(49) get to know sb/sth - to spend time with someone or something so that you gradually learn more about them.
eg: The first couple of meetings are for the doctor and patient to get to know each other.
I'll need a few weeks to get to know the system.
(50) all the - All the is used before comparative adjectives and adverbs to mean 'even' or 'much'.
eg: She felt all the better for the drink.
I've lost ten kilos in weight and I feel all the fitter for it.
(51) She happens to like cleaning (= She likes cleaning, although that is surprising).
I happen to think he's right (= I do think so, although you do not).
(52) in mistake for sth - thinking that sth is sth else.
eg: Children may eat pills in mistake for sweets.
(53) fair - treating someone in a way that is right or reasonable, or treating a group of people equally and not allowing personal opinions to influence your judgment.
eg: Why should I have to do all the cleaning? It's not fair!
It’s not fair! He always gets more than me.
(54) make the first move - to be the first to take action.
eg: Neither side seems prepared to make the first move towards reaching a peace agreement.
(55) up to (doing) sth - good enough for a particular activity.
eg: He wants to compete at international level, but frankly I don't think he's up to it.
up to sth - as high or as good as sth.
eg : Her latest book isn’t up to her usual standard.
up to (doing sth) (also up to doing sth) - physically or mentally capable of sth.
eg: He’s not up to the job.
I don’t feel up to going to work today.
up to sth - doing sth, especially sth bad.
eg: What’s she up to?
What’ve you been up to?
(56) back to square one - If you are back to square one, you have to start working on a plan from the beginning because your previous attempt failed completely.
eg: If this doesn't work we're back to square one.
(57) beyond your wildest dreams - to a degree or in a way you had never thought possible.
eg: Suddenly she was rich beyond her wildest dreams.
The scheme succeeded beyond my wildest dreams.
(58) pay (sb) a call - to visit someone.
eg: I'll pay you a call when I'm in the area.
If you leave your address, I'll pay a call on you when I'm in the area.
(59) pay tribute to sb/sth - to praise someone or something.
eg: The minister paid tribute to the men who had fought the blaze.
(60) be fit/ready to drop - to be extremely tired.
eg: I'd just walked ten miles and was ready to drop.

(61) drop (sb) a hint - to tell someone something in an indirect way.
eg: Margaret dropped a hint that she'd like to come to the party.
Should I drop a hint (= give a hint) to Matt?
(62) drop everything - to stop whatever you are doing.
eg: We just dropped everything and rushed to the hospital.
(63) a drop in the ocean / a drop in the bucket - a very small amount compared to the amount needed.
eg: My letter of protest was just a drop in the ocean.
(64) too much like hard work - describes an activity that you do not want to do because it needs a lot of effort.
eg: I don't like gardening - it's too much like hard work.
(65) deep in thought - thinking very hard.
eg: She sat, not listening, but deep in thought.
(66) run/go deep - If a feeling or problem runs deep, it is strong or serious and has existed for a long time.
eg: The anger runs deep on both sides.
go / run deep - (of emotions, beliefs, etc.) to be felt in a strong way, especially for a long time.
eg: Dignity and pride run deep in this community.
(67) be looking for trouble - to be acting in a way that will certainly cause problems for you.
eg: Parking outside the police station on double yellow lines is just looking for trouble.
look for trouble - to behave in a way that is likely to cause an argument, violence, etc.
eg: Drunken youths hang around outside looking for trouble.
(68) be asking for trouble - to be likely to cause problems or difficulties for yourself.
eg: Giving him such a powerful car when he's only just learned to drive is asking for trouble.
(69) in the first place - in or at the beginning (of a series of events).
eg: The trousers shrank when I washed them, but they weren't really big enough in the first place.
Thankfully, he wasn't hurt, but he never should have been there in the first place.
(70) your mind is on sth - When your mind is on something, you think about it or give attention to it.
eg: I couldn't concentrate on my work - my mind was on other things.
My mind wasn't on what he was saying, so I'm afraid I missed half of it.
your mind is a blank/goes blank - When your mind is a blank/goes blank, you cannot remember a particular thing, or you cannot remember anything.
eg: I tried to remember her name, but my mind went a complete blank.
(71) mind your p's and q's - to make an effort to be especially polite in a particular situation.
eg: I have to mind my p's and q's when I'm with my grandmother.
(72) spick and span - (especially of a place) very clean and tidy.
eg: Their house is always spick and span.
The council spends a lot of money keeping the town spick and span.
(73) ten to one - If you say ten to one that something will or will not happen, you mean it is very likely that it will or will not happen.
eg: Ten to one he won't be there tonight.
(74) on good/bad terms - If two people are on good/bad terms, they have a good/bad relationship with one another.
eg: I've always been on good terms with my neighbours.
He is still on excellent terms with his ex-wife.
(75) in terms of/in ... terms - used to describe which particular area of a subject you are discussing.
eg: In financial terms, the project was not a success.
In terms of money, I was better off in my last job.
(76) better luck next time - said to tell someone that you hope they will succeed when they try again.
eg: I'm sorry to hear that you failed your driving test. Better luck next time, eh!
(77) be no big deal - to not be a serious problem.
eg: We'll have to pay a little more - it's no big deal.
(78) in advance - before a particular time, or before doing a particular thing.
eg: If you're going to come, please let me know in advance.
(79) in turn (also by turns) - one after the other in an agreed order.
eg: Each of us collects the mail in turn.
(80) on the turn - Something which is on the turn is about to change direction.
eg: The tide is on the turn.
(81) on no account - If something must on no account/not on any account be done, it must not be done at any time or for any reason.
eg: Employees must on no account make personal telephone calls from the office.
These records must not on any account be changed.
(82) take into account (also take account of) - to consider or remember when judging a situation.
eg: I hope my teacher will take into account the fact that I was ill just before the exams when she marks my paper.
A good architect takes into account the building's surroundings.
Britain's tax system takes no account of children.
I think you have to take into account that he's a good deal younger than the rest of us.
(83) by all means - used to give permission.
eg: "May I borrow this book?" "By all means."
(84) by no means (also not by any means) - not at all.
eg: It is by no means certain that we'll finish the project by June.
This isn't the last we'll hear of it by any means.
(85) close your eyes to sth - to ignore something bad and pretend it is not happening.
eg: She closed her eyes to the fact that her son was stealing.
(86) run sb close - to be nearly as good, fast, etc. as someone else.
eg: She got 90%, but Fred ran her close with 87%.
(87) (1) be back on your feet - to be healthy again after a period of illness.
eg: "We'll soon have you back on your feet again," said the nurse.
(88) at the expense of sb (also at sb's expense) - making another person look foolish.
eg: Would you stop making jokes at my expense?
(89) have ants in your pants - to not be able to keep still because you are very excited or worried about something.
eg: The children had ants in their pants, so we took them outside for some exercise.
Would you please stop tapping your foot?! You must have ants in your pants!
(90) It's now or never - said when you must do something immediately, especially because you will not get another chance.
(it’s) now or never - this is the only opportunity sb will have to do sth.
(91) at bottom - in a basic way.
eg: Jealousy is, at bottom, a lack of self-confidence.
(92) bear/keep sth in mind - to remember a piece of information when you are making a decision or thinking about a matter.
eg: Bearing in mind how young she is, I thought she did really well.
Of course, repair work is expensive and you have to keep that in mind.
(93) bring/call sth to mind - to remember something.
eg: I can see his face, but I just can't bring his name to mind.
(94) get your mind round something - to succeed in understanding something difficult or strange.
eg: I find it hard to get my mind round such complex issues.
(95) make a go of sth - to try to make something succeed, usually by working hard.
eg : She's really making a go of her new antique shop.
I can't see him ever making a go of accountancy.
(96) down the road/line/track - in the future.
eg: We have an idea to develop a talking book, but a marketable product is a long way down the road.

(97) all along the line - ever since the beginning of a relationship or process.
eg: The project's been plagued with financial problems all along the line.
(98) step back (in time) - to go back into the past.
eg: Visiting her house was like stepping back in time/stepping back 50 years.
(99) as a matter of fact (also in (actual) fact) - used to add emphasis to what you are saying, or to show that it is the opposite of or different from what went before.
eg: No I don't work. In fact, I've never had a job.
"Have you always lived here?" "As a matter of fact (= The truth is) I've only lived here for the last three years."
(100) (right) down to - even including the following minor things or people.
eg: Amalie was dressed completely in black, right down to black lipstick and a black earring.
Everyone, from the Director down to the secretaries, was questioned by the police.