Idioms 2

100 IDIOMS

(1) on no condition - not in any situation; never.
eg : You must on no condition tell them what happened.
(ii) I am afraid he’s been drinking … he’s in no condition to drive.
(2) pig out (on sth) - to eat too much food.
eg : They pigged out on pizza.
(ii) We pigged out on all the lovely cakes and pastries.
(3) the whole shebang - the whole thing; everything.
eg : The wedding's next week, but my parents are taking care of the whole shebang.
(4) in / with regard to sb/sth - concerning sb/sth.
eg : a country’s laws in regard to human rights
(ii) The company’s position with regard to overtime is made clear in their contracts.
(5) no / any longer - used to say that sth which was possible or true before, is not now.
eg : I can’t wait any longer.
(ii) He no longer lives here.
(6)grab a bite – get something to eat.
eg : “ I’m really hungry. Would you like to grab a bite with me?”
(7)at a push - used to say that sth is possible, but only with difficulty
eg : We can provide accommodation for six people at a push.
(ii) At a push I could be there by eight o'clock.
(iii)I could finish the report by Wednesday – at a push,Tuesday.
(8) the best/better part of - most of.
eg : I spent the better part of a day cleaning that kitchen!
- most of sth, especially a period of time; more than half of sth.
eg : The journey took her the better part of an hour.
(9) take the plunge - to decide to do sth important or difficult, especially after thinking about it for a long time.
eg : They're finally taking the plunge and getting married.
(10) (catch / throw sb) off balance - to make sb/sth unsteady and in danger of falling.
eg : I was thrown off balance by the sudden gust of wind.
throw sb off balance - to confuse or upset someone for a short time by saying or doing something that they are not expecting.
eg : The question threw him off balance for a moment.
(11) at stake - If something that is valuable is at stake, it is in a situation where it might be lost.
eg : Thousands of lives will be at stake if emergency aid does not arrive in the city soon.
at stake - that can be won or lost, depending on the success of a particular action.
eg : We cannot afford to take risks when peoples' lives are at stake.
(ii) The prize at stake is a place in the final.
(12) (just) in case - because of the possibility of sth happening.
eg : You’d better take the keys in case I’m out.
(ii) You probably won’t need to call—but take my number, just in case
(13) you never know - used to say that you can never be certain about what will happen in the future, especially when you are suggesting that sth good might happen .
eg : You never know, she might change her mind.
(14) old habits, traditions, etc. die hard - used to say that things change very slowly.
eg : I guess old habits die hard.
(15) ) If you say that sth makes you blood boil you are emphasizing that it makes you very angry.
eg : That really makes my blood boil.
(16) get (hold of) the wrong end of the stick - to understand sth in the wrong way.
eg :I’m sorry, I got the wrong end of the stick. I thought you were complaining about sth.
(17) burn the midnight oil - to study or work until late at night.
(18) to be sure - used to admit that sth is true.
eg: He is intelligent, to be sure, but he’s also very lazy.
- certainly.
eg: This is not his best book, to be sure, but it is still worth reading.
(19) for the time being - for a short period of time but not permanently.
eg : You can leave your suitcase here for the time being.
(ii) Leave the ironing for the time being - I'll do it later.
(20) have a passing/slight/nodding acquaintance with sth - to have very little knowledge or experience of a subject.
eg : I'm afraid I have only a nodding acquaintance with his works.
(ii) She has only a nodding acquaintance with the issues involved.
(21) run wild - to grow or develop freely without any control.
eg : Let your imagination run wild and be creative.
(22) be on the go - to be very active and busy.
eg :I’ve been on the go all day.
(ii) Having four children keeps her on the go.
(23) be / act your age - to behave in a way that is suitable for sb of your age and not as though you were much younger.
eg : Stop behaving like a child! You’re over 18 now.Act your age!
(24) leave go (of sth) - to stop holding on to sth
SYN : let go
eg : Leave go of my arm—you’re hurting me!
(25) give sb a buzz - to telephone someone.
eg : I'll give you a buzz next week.
(26) at any cost - under any circumstances.
eg : He is determined to win at any cost.
(ii) Security during the president's visit must be maintained at all costs.
(iii)He wanted her at any cost, even if it meant giving up everything he had.
(27) not all, everything, etc. sb’s cracked 'up to be - not as good as people say.
eg: He’s not nearly such a good writer as he’s cracked up to be.
(28) a figment of sb’s imagination - something that sb has imagined and that does not really exist.
eg : He doesn’t hate you at all. It’s completely untrue. It’s just a figment of your imagination.
(29) in a hurry - very quickly or more quickly than usual.
eg : He had to leave in a hurry.
- not having enough time to do sth.
eg : Sorry, I haven’t got time to do it now—I’m in a hurry.
(ii) Alice was in a tearing hurry as usual.
(30) be meant to be sth - to be generally considered to be sth.
eg : This restaurant is meant to be excellent.
(31) last but not least - used when mentioning the last person or thing of a group, in order to say that they are not less important than the others.
eg : Last but not least, I’d like to thank all the catering staff.
(32) have come a long way - to have advanced to an improved or more developed state
eg : Information technology has come a long way in the last twenty years.
(i) We’ve come a long way since the early days of the project.
(33) have a long way to go - a lot of work to do or improvements to make.
eg: She still has a long way to go before she’s fully fit.
(i)He has a long way to go before he can present the scheme to the public.
(34) cry over spilt milk - to waste time worrying about sth that has happened that you cannot do anything about.
eg : As the saying goes—it’s no use crying over spilt milk.
(ii) It's no use crying over spilt milk - he's spent all the money, and there's nothing you can do about it.
(35) when the going gets tough (the tough get going) - when conditions or progress become difficult (strong and determined people work even harder to succeed)
(36) give sb a break - to stop criticizing, annoying or behaving in an unpleasant way to someone.
eg : Give her a break - she's only a child and she didn't mean any harm.
give me a break! - used when sb wants sb else to stop doing or saying sth that is annoying, or to stop saying sth that is not true.
(37) forget it - used to tell someone that what they want is impossible.
eg : "I'd like to take a week's holiday." "Forget it, we're way too busy."
forget it - used to tell someone that something is not important and not to worry about it.
eg : "I'm so sorry about that cup." "Oh, forget it - I've got plenty."
(38) the other way round - in the opposite position, direction or order.
eg : I think it should go on the other way round.
- the opposite situation.
eg: I didn’t leave you. It was the other way round (= you left me).
(39) give sb/sth the nod - to give permission for sth; to agree to sth.
eg : We’ve been given the nod to expand the business.
(ii) I hope he’ll give the nod to the plan.
(40) make a, no, some, etc. difference (to / in sb/sth) - to have an effect / no effect on sb/sth.
eg : The rain didn’t make much difference to the game.
(i) Your age shouldn’t make any difference to whether you get the job or not.
(ii) What difference will it make if he knows or not?
(iii) ‘Shall we go on Friday or Saturday?’ ‘It makes no difference (to me).’
not make any difference - to not change a situation in any way.
eg : You can ask him again if you like, but it won't make any difference - he'll still say no.
(ii) It makes no difference where you put the aerial, the TV picture's still lousy.
(41) nothing less than - used to emphasize how great or extreme sth is.
eg: It was nothing less than a disaster.
(ii) Their dream to bring computers and ordinary people together was nothing less than revolutionary.
(42) make the most of sth/sb / yourself - to gain as much advantage, enjoyment, etc. as you can from sb/sth.
eg: It’s my first trip abroad so I’m going to make the most of it.
(ii) She doesn’t know how to make the most of herself (= make herself appear in the best possible way).
(iii) It's a lovely day - we must make the most of it.
(43) be/have nothing to do with sb/sth - to have no connection or influence with someone or something.
eg : We are nothing to do with the firm which has the offices next door.
(ii) In the evening he likes to read books and articles which have/are nothing to do with his work.
(iii) That has nothing to do with what we’re discussing.
(44) in earnest - more seriously and with more force or effort than before.
eg : The work on the house will begin in earnest on Monday.
(ii) The election campaign has begun in earnest.
(45) can take it or leave it - said about something that you quite like, but that you do not love or need strongly.
eg: My sister's absolutely crazy about chocolate whereas I can take it or leave it.
sb can take it or leave it - used to say that sb does not have a strong opinion about sth.
eg: Dancing? I can take it or leave it.
(46) not a bit of it! - used for saying that sth that you had expected to happen did not happen.
eg: You’d think she’d be tired after the journey but not a bit of it!
(ii) I thought he would be sorry, but not a bit of it.
(47) there's no knowing - If you say there's no knowing, you mean it is impossible to be certain about something.
eg: There's no knowing what she'll do if she finds out about this.
(48) take your pick - to choose the one(s) you want from the variety available.
eg: The shirts come in five different colours - just take your pick.
(ii)You need a dictionary? Take your pick.There are three different ones over there on the bookshelf.
(49) make sb's day - to make someone happy.
eg: Seeing Adrian again after such a long time really made my day.
(50) be miles away - to not be aware of what is happening around you because you are thinking about something else.
eg: You could tell by the expression on her face that she was miles away, thinking about home.
(51) be a far cry from sth - to be completely different from something.
eg: This flat is a far cry from the house they had before.
(52)T he grass is always greener on the other side (of the fence) - something that you say which means that other people always seem to be in a better situation than you, although they may not be.
eg: I sometimes think I'd be happier teaching in Spain. Oh well, the grass is always greener on the other side!
(53) like there is/was no tomorrow - If someone does something like there is/was no tomorrow, they do it very fast, in large amounts and without thinking carefully.
eg: After his win on the football pools, he began spending money like there was no tomorrow.
(ii) I ate as if there was no tomorrow.
(iii) She spends money like there’s no tomorrow.

(54) in the long run - at a time that is far away in the future.
eg: It seems a lot of effort but I'm sure it's the best solution in the long run.
(ii) This measure inevitably means higher taxes in the long run.
(55) in the short run - at a time that is near in the future.
eg: It's not a long term solution, but it will save money in the short run.
(ii) In the short run, unemployment may fall.
(56) give the green light to sth - to give permission for someone to do something or for something to happen.
eg: The council has given the green light to the new shopping development.
(ii) The government has decided to give the green light to the plan.
(57) a little bird told me - said if you know who gave you the information being discussed but will not say who it was.
eg: "How did you know he was leaving?" "Oh, let's just say a little bird told me."
(58) hold the key - to have control of something.
eg: Because the two main parties have won almost the same number of votes, the minority group holds the key to the result.
(59) have your hands full - to be so busy that you do not have time to do anything else.
eg: I'd love to help but I've got my hands full organizing the school play.
(ii) She certainly has her hands full with four kids in the house.
(60) Has the cat got your tongue? - something you say to someone when you are annoyed because they will not speak.
eg: What's the matter? Has the cat got your tongue?
(61) be on the tip of your tongue - If something that you want to say is on the tip of your tongue, you think you know it and that you will be able to remember it very soon.
eg: Her name is on the tip of my tongue.
(62) not believe your eyes/ears - to be so surprised by what you see or hear that you think you are imagining it.
eg: I couldn't believe my ears when she said they were getting divorced.
(63) be walking/floating on air - to be very happy and excited because something very pleasant has happened to you.
eg: Ever since she met Mark, she's been walking on air.
(64) on top of the world - extremely happy.
eg: She was feeling on top of the world.
(65) (down) in the dumps - unhappy .
eg: She's a bit down in the dumps because she's got to take her exams again.
(66) have a screw loose - to be slightly strange in your behaviour.
eg: She’s got a screw loose.
(67) be up against a brick wall - to be unable to make any progress because there is a difficulty that stops you.
eg: I’ve come up against a brick wall.
(68) be left holding the baby - to suddenly have to deal with a difficult situation because others have decided that they do not want the responsibility.
eg: The other investors pulled out of the project and we were left holding the baby.
leave sb holding the baby - to suddenly make sb responsible for sth important that is really your responsibility.
eg: He changed to another job and we were left holding the baby.
(69) (there’s) nothing to it - (it’s) very easy.
eg: You’ll soon learn. There’s nothing to it really.
(ii) Windsurfing is easy - there's nothing to it.
(70) out of this world - extremely good.
eg: What a restaurant - the food was out of this world!
(71) be made of money - to be rich.
eg: No you can't have another bike - I'm not made of money!
(72) save the day - to do something that prevents a likely defeat or failure.
eg: Newcastle seemed to be heading for disaster until a late goal saved the day.
(ii) Owen’s late goal saved the day for Liverpool.
(73) make sb's day - to make someone happy.
eg: Seeing Adrian again after such a long time really made my day.
(74) curl up and die - to feel very ashamed and sorry.
eg: I just wanted to curl up and die when I spilt coffee on their new carpet!
(75) so be it - used to show that you accept sth and will not try to change it or cannot change it.
eg: If he doesn’t want to be involved, then so be it.
(76) in so many words - directly, or in a way that makes it very clear what you mean.
eg: "Did he say he was unhappy with Anna?" "Well, not in so many words but that was certainly the impression I got."
(ii)I told her, in so many words, to stop interfering.
(77) let sth go/pass - to not correct or argue with something that a person says or does that is wrong.
eg: I know what he said wasn't strictly accurate but I let it pass anyway.
(ii) I don’t like it, but I’ll let it pass (= will not object).
(78) pass (all) belief - to be (extremely) difficult to believe.
eg: It passes all belief that he could have been so selfish.
(79) to cut a long story short - used when you are saying that you will get to the point of what you are saying quickly, without including all the details.
eg: To cut a long story short, I got the job.
(80) not be cut out for sth - to not be the right type of person for something.
eg: I'm not cut out for an office job.
(81) cut sb short - to stop someone from talking before they have finished what they were saying.
eg: He started to explain, but she cut him short, saying she had to catch a bus.
(82) Tell me another! - used to say that you don't believe what someone has told you.
eg: "I worked all day yesterday." "Oh yeah, tell me another!"
(83) a thing of the past - something which no longer happens.
eg: Giving up your seat to an older person seems to be a thing of the past.
(84) that'll be the day - something you say in order to show you think something is unlikely to happen.
eg: "Mike says he's going to give up smoking." "That'll be the day!"
(85) late in the day - too late to be useful.
eg: It's rather late in the day to start studying - your exams are next week.
(86) on/at every corner - in many places along the streets of a town or city.
eg: After the match, police were stationed on every corner.
(87) not a bit / not one (little) bit - not at all; not in any way.
eg: ‘Are you cold?’ ‘Not a bit.’
(ii) I don’t like that idea one bit.
(88) a bit much - not fair or not reasonable.
eg: It’s a bit much calling me at three in the morning.
(89) in my day - when I was young.
eg: Children take so much for granted nowadays - in my day a new bike was really special.
(90) be/mean nothing - to have no importance or value.
eg: Money is nothing to him.
(91) for nothing - free or without paying.
eg: I got this picture for nothing from a friend.
(92) for the most part - mostly or usually.
eg: He was, for the most part, quite helpful.
(93) it’s just / only a matter of time (before … ) - used to say that sth will definitely happen, although you are not sure when.
eg: It’s only a matter of time before they bring out their own version of the software.
(ii) If you carry on driving like that, it'll only be a matter of time before you have an accident.
(94) step/move up a gear - to noticeably start to do something better, especially in sport.
eg: After a disappointing first half, United moved up a gear and took control of the game.
(95) be beside the point - to be in no way connected to the subject that is being discussed.
eg: Let's stick to discussing whether the road should be built at all. The exact cost is beside the point.
(96) the ball is in sb's court - If the ball is in someone's court, they have to do something before any progress can be made in a situation.
eg: It's up to you what to do - the ball is in your court now.
(ii) They’ve offered me the job, so the ball’s in my court now.
(97) not be born yesterday - to not be stupid or easy to deceive.
eg: You don't fool me - I wasn't born yesterday.
(98) on edge - nervous and not relaxed.
eg: Is something wrong? You seem a bit on edge this morning.
(99) scratch your head - to think hard about something.
eg: A lot of people must be scratching their heads about which way to vote.
(100) never look back - to continue to be successful after doing something with a good result.
eg: She never looked back after that first exhibition.