100 IDIOMS
(1)by the grace of God - with the help of God.
eg: By the grace of God, the pilot managed to land the damaged plane safely.
(2) be with me/you – to be able to understand what sb is talking about.
eg (i) Are you with me?
(ii)I’m afraid I’m not quite with you.
(3) take your chances – to take a risk or to use the opportunities that you have and hope that things will happen in the way that you want.
eg: He took his chances and jumped into the water.
(ii) I'm delivering my work by hand - I'm not taking any chances.
(4) by /in virtue of sth – by means of or because of sth.
eg: She got the job by virtue of her greater experience.
(ii) She succeeded by virtue of her tenacity rather than her talent.
(5) coast (along) – to put very little effort into sth
eg : You’re just coasting – it’s time to work hard now.
(6) pull your socks up - to try to improve your performance, work, behaviour, etc.
eg : You’re going to have to pull your socks up.
(ii) He's going to have to pull his socks up if he wants to stay in the team.
(7) come to nothing/not come to anything – to be successful ;to have no successful result.
eg : Her plans didn’t come to anything.
(ii) So much effort and planning and it's all come to nothing.
(8) call it a day – to decide or agree to stop doing sth.
eg: After forty years in politics I think it’s time for me to call it a day ( = to retire)
(ii) I'm getting a bit tired now - shall we call it a day?
eg : That jacket's seen better days. Why don't you get a new one?
(ii) Our car has seen better days!
(10) on the dot – exactly on time or at the exact time mentioned.
eg (i) The taxi showed up on the dot.
(ii) Breakfast is served at 8 on the dot.
(11) take it for granted (that ) – to believe sth is true without first making sure that it is.
eg : I just took it for granted that h’d always be around.
(ii) I didn't realize that Melanie hadn't been to college - I suppose I just took it for granted.
(12) you’r kidding /you must be kidding – used to show that you are very surprised at sth that sb has just said.
eg : You won first prize? You're kidding! (= I'm really surprised.)
(ii)I'm just kidding you!
(13) pave the way ( for sb/sth) – to create a situation in which sb will be able to do sth or sth can happen.
eg: This decision paved the way for changes in employment rights for women.
(14) try sb’s patience – to make sb feel impatient.
eg : He's been trying my patience all morning with his constant questions.
(15) make sense – to have a meaning that you can easily understand .
eg : This sentence doesn’t make sense.
(ii) Planning so far ahead makes no sense - so many things will have changed by next year.
(16) make up your mind/make you mind up – to decide sth .
eg: They’re both beautiful – I can’t make up my mind.
(ii) Have they made up your mind where to go for your honeymoon?
(17) stick at sth – to continue to work in a serious and determined way to achieve sth.
eg : If you want to play an instrument well, you’ve got to stick at it.
stick at sth (also stick to/with sth) - to continue trying hard to do something difficult.
eg : You'll never learn to play the piano if you're not prepared to stick at it.
(18) keep an eye on sb/sth – to take care of sb/sth and make sure that they are not harmed,damaged,etc.
eg : We’ve asked the neighbours to keep an eye on the house for us while we are away.
(19) (just) to be on the safe side – being especially careful in order to avoid something unpleasant.
eg : I’m sure it won’t rain,but I’ll take an umbrella (just) to be on the safe side (= to be ready if it does rain)
(20) be stumped – to be unable to answer a question or solve a problem because it is too difficult.
eg : She was stumped by the last question!
(ii) Scientists are stumped by this mystery virus.
(iii) I'm completely stumped - how did she manage to escape?
(21) If you say that something is killing you , you mean that it is causing you physical or emotional pain
eg : My feet are killing me!
(22) go easy on/with sth – to used to tell sb not to use too much of sth.
eg : Go easy on the sugar.
(23) make it snappy – used to tell sb to do sth quickly or to hury.
eg : Shona : “Jeannie,may I use your bathroom?”
Jeannie : Go ahead, but make it snappy,okay?
(ii) I'd like my bill please, waiter, and make it snappy.
(24)You say ‘Don’t get me wrong’ when you want to make sure that someone does not misunderstand what you are doing or saying or why you are doing or saying it.
eg : Don’t get me wrong!
(ii)Don't get me wrong - I'd love to come but I'm too busy next week.
(25) keep sb going - to be enough for sb until they get what they are waiting for.
eg: Have an apple to keep you going till dinner time.
(26) not be up to much – to be of poor quality; to not be very good.
eg : His work isn’t up to much.
(ii) The food wasn't up to much.
(27) slip your mind – if sth slips your mind,you forget it or forget to do it.
eg : I forgot I'd arranged to meet Richard last night - it completely slipped my mind.
slip someone's mind - to be forgotten
eg : I was supposed to phone, but it slipped my mind.
(28) a slip of the pen/tongue – a small mistake in sth that you write or say.
eg : Did I call you Richard? Sorry,Robert,just a slip of the tongue.
slip of the tongue - when someone says something that they did not intend to say.
eg : I called her new boyfriend by her previous boyfriend's name - it was just a slip of the tongue.
(29) worth sb’s while - interesting or useful for sb to do.
eg : It will be worth your while to come to the meeting.
make sth/it worth your while - to pay you money to do something.
eg : If you can get me the list of names I want, I'll make it worth your while.
(ii) He’ll do the job if you make it worth his while (= pay him well).
(30) get the hang of - if you get the hang of sth such as a skill or activity, you begin to understand or realize how to do it.
eg : It’s a bit tricky at first till you get the hang of it.
(ii) "I've never used a word processor before." "Don't worry - you'll soon get the hang of it."
(31) turn one’s back on – deny,reject; also abandon ,forsake
eg : I can’t turn my back on my own daughter, no matter what she’s done.
turn your back on somebody/something - to reject somebody/something that you have previously been connected with
eg: She turned her back on them when they needed her.
(32)catch someone’s eye – to get someone’s attention.
eg : An advertisement caught my eye!
(ii) A sudden movement caught my eye.
(33) give up hope - to stop hoping that a particular thing will happen.
eg: We still haven't given up hope of finding her alive.
(34) break sb’s heart – to make sb feel very unhappy.
eg : She broke his heart when she called off the engagement.
(ii)It breaks my heart to see you like this.
(35) eat your words – to admit that what you said was wrong .
This phrase says that someone is wrong about what he or she has said and now has to admit it.
eg (i)The metrologist promised good weather but now she is eating her own words. What a strom!
(ii) I was sure that Klam would win the election but I suppose I will have to eat my own words.
take sth back - to admit that something you said was wrong.
eg : All right, I take it all back. It wasn't your fault.
(36) have it your own way! – used to say in an angry way that although you are not happy about sth that sb has said , you are going to argue.
eg : Oh, Ok, then. Have it your own way.
(37) round/around the clock - all day and all night.
eg : Doctors and nurses worked round the clock to help those injured in the train crash.
(ii) She needed round-the-clock nursing.
(38) at the eleventh hour – at the last minute;almost too late.
eg : Yes,I got the work done in time. I finished it at the eleventh hour,but I wasn’t late.
(ii) We only received the signatures at the eleventh hour.
(39) be fed up with ( with sth/someone) - be out of patience ( with sth/someone); be very tired of someone or sth.
eg : “Bill,you’re too careless with your work. I’m fed up with apologizing for your mistakes!”
(ii) I'm fed up with my job.
(40) bug – annoy,bother
eg : I’m trying to concentrate! Don’t bug me!
(ii) He's been bugging me all morning.
(41) can’t make heads or tails of something – can’t understand sth at all ;find sth confusing and illogical.
eg : “ I can’t make heads or tails of you e-mail. Were you having problems with your computer?”
(ii) I can't make head nor tail of these instructions on the packet.
(42) catch some Zs – sleep for a while, take a nap.
eg : “ You look tired, Dave. Why don’t you catch some Zs ?”
(ii) All I want to do is go home and catch some z's.
(43) hit the books – study.
eg : “ I wish I could go to the movies, but I’ve got to hit the books.”
(44) a snap – sth that’s very easy to do .
eg : A : “ Is your job difficult?”
B : “No, actually it’s a snap. In fact, it’s so easy that it’s a little bit boring.”
(ii) "Will you finish on time?" "Sure thing. It's a snap."
(45) go with the flow – take things as they come.
eg : “There’s no need to worry. Everything will be OK if just go with the flow.”
(ii) Just relax and go with the flow!
(46) cut it out! - stop doing sth (that’s annoying )
eg : “You kids are making too much noise. Cut it out!”
(ii) Just cut it out! I've had enough of your silly jokes.
(47) cast / shed / throw light on sth - to make a problem, etc. easier to understand
eg : Recent research has thrown new light on the causes of the disease.
(ii) As an economist, he was able to shed some light on the problem.
(48) cross your fingers - to hope that your plans will be successful (sometimes putting one finger across another as a sign of hoping for good luck).
eg: I’m crossing my fingers that my proposal will be accepted.
(ii) Keep your fingers crossed!
(49) from the (bottom of your) heart - in a way that is sincere.
eg : I beg you, from the bottom of my heart, to spare his life.
(50) have butterflies in my stomach - feel very nervous.
eg : I always have butterflies in my stomach just before an exam.
(51) be glued to sth - to give all your attention to sth; to stay very close to sth.
eg : He spends every evening glued to the TV.
(ii) Her eyes were glued to the screen (= she did not stop watching it).
(iii) We were glued to the television watching the election results come in.
(52) ) keep your chin up - used to tell sb to try to stay cheerful even though they are in a difficult
or unpleasant situation.
eg : Chin up! Only two exams left.
(53) not the end of the world - not the worst thing that could happen to sb
eg : Failing one exam is not the end of the world.
(54) out of this world - used to emphasize how good, beautiful, etc. sth is
eg : The meal was out of this world.
(55) make it - to succeed in reaching a place in time, especially when this is difficult
eg : The flight leaves in twenty minutes—we’ll never make it.
(56) be down to sb/sth - to be caused by a particular person or thing
eg : She claimed her problems were down to the media.
( 57) 'You can't cut it' means you can't handle it, you're not strong enough to cope with it.
eg : 'If you can't cut it, you should leave!'
(58) hope against hope - to hope very strongly that something will happen, although you know
it is not likely.
eg : They're just hoping against hope that she's still alive.
(59) on / to the verge of sth / of doing sth - very near to the moment when sb does sth or
sth happens.
eg : He was on the verge of tears.
(ii) They are on the verge of signing a new contract.
(60) in a daze - in a confused state
eg : I’ve been in a complete daze since hearing the news.
(61) meet sb halfway - to reach an agreement with sb by giving them part of what they want.
eg : You should let him know you’re willing to meet him halfway.
(62) no end - very much.
eg : It upset me no end to hear they’d split up.
(63) deep down – if you know sth deep down, you know your true feelings about sth, although you may not admit them to yourself.
eg : Deep down I still loved him.
- if sth is true deep down, it is really like that, although it may not be obvious to people.
eg : He seems confident but deep down he’s quite insecure.
(64) up and running - working fully and correctly.
eg : It will be a lot easier when we have the database up and running.
(65) when it comes to sth / to doing sth - when it is a question of sth.
eg: When it comes to getting things done, he’s useless.
(66) in the lap of the gods - describes a situation that cannot be controlled and which depends only on good luck.
eg: The doctors have done everything possible for him, so his recovery now is in the lap of the gods.
(67) be,get,keep ,etc. in touch (with sb) – to communicate with sb, especially by writing to them or telephoning them.
eg : Are you still in touch with your friends from college?
(ii) Let’s keep in touch.
(iii) No, Jane and I never kept in touch after college.
(68) a / that sinking feeling - an unpleasant feeling that you get when you realize that sth bad has happened or is going to happen.
eg : But all that evening, I had a sinking feeling.
(69) not much of a … - not a good …
eg : He’s not much of a tennis player.
(ii) I am not much of a dancer.
(70) up in the air - not yet decided.
eg : Our travel plans are still up in the air.
(ii) The whole future of the project is still up in the air.
(71) kill time / kill an hour, a couple of hours, etc. - to spend time doing sth that is not important while you are waiting for sth else to happen.
eg : We killed time playing cards.
(ii) The train was late, so I killed an hour or so window-shopping.
(72) on the surface - when not thought about deeply or thoroughly; when not looked at carefully.
eg : It seems like a good idea on the surface but there are sure to be problems.
(73) all things considered - thinking carefully about all the facts, especially the problems or difficulties, of a situation.
eg : She’s had a lot of problems since her husband died but she seems quite cheerful, all things considered.
(ii) I think the party was great, all things considered - I mean we didn't have much time to prepare and no help, but it still went well.
(74) at a tender age | at the tender age of … - used in connection with sb who is still young and does not have much experience.
eg : He left home at the tender age of 15.
(ii) She shouldn’t be having to deal with problems like this at such a tender age.
(75) not for anything - definitely not
eg : I wouldn’t give it up for anything.
(76) do justice to sb / sth; do sb/sth justice - to treat or represent sb/sth fairly, especially in a way that shows how good, attractive, etc. they are.
eg : That photo doesn’t do you justice.
(ii) I’ve heard a lot about you, Melissa, but nothing I’ve heard does you justice.
- to deal with sb/sth correctly and completely.
eg : You cannot do justice to such a complex situation in just a few pages.
(77)dash sb’s hopes - to destroy sb’s hopes by making what they were hoping for impossible,
eg : Any hopes I had that the game would be called off were dashed…..
(ii) Saturday's 2-0 defeat dashed their hopes of reaching the final.
(78) blow a fuse /gasket - to get very angry
eg : Don’t let Lewis hear you say that, or he’ll blow a fuse.
(ii) When he told her how much it cost, she blew a gasket.
(79) as luck would have it - in the way that chance decides what will happen.
eg : As luck would have it, the train was late.
(ii) As luck would have it, the next dance was a slow one.
as luck would have it - by chance.
eg : We ran out of petrol on the way home, but as luck would have it, we were very near a garage.
As luck would have it – as a result of bad luck.
eg: As luck would have it , she was out when we called.
(80) keep / stay / steer clear (of sb/sth) - to avoid a person or thing because it may cause problems.
eg : From now on I’d try to steer clear of him,….
(81) treat sb like dirt - to treat sb with no respect at all.
eg : The big ape treats you like dirt….I thought you had more self-respect than that .
(82) be dying for sth / to do sth - to want sth or want to do sth very much.
eg : I’m dying for a glass of water.
(ii) I’m dying to know what happened.
(iii) I'm dying to hear your news.
(83) not have a clue - to know nothing about sth or about how to do sth.
eg : I don’t have a clue where she lives.
(ii) "Who invented algebra?" "I haven't a clue."
(iii)Don't ask your father which key to press - he hasn't got a clue about computers.
(84) (not) get a word in edgeways/edgewise - (not) to be able to say anything because sb else is speaking too much.
eg : When Mary starts talking, no one else can get a word in edgeways.
(ii) Kyle ,will you let me get a word in edgewise.
(iii) Roz was talking so much that nobody else could get a word in edgeways!
(85) in the wrong - responsible for an accident, a mistake, an argument, etc.
eg : The motorcyclist was clearly in the wrong.
(86) at home - comfortable and relaxed.
eg : Sit down and make yourself at home.
(ii) Simon feels very at home on a horse.
(87) that’s about the size of it - that’s how the situation seems to be.
eg : ‘So they won’t pay up?’ ‘That’s about the size of it.’
that's about the size of it - used to show your agreement with someone who has said something correct.
eg : "So you mean you won't come to the party with me?" "Yes, that's about the size of it."
(88) not anything like - used to emphasize that sth is not as good, not enough, etc.
eg : The book wasn’t anything like as good as her first one.
(89) (just) around / round the corner - very near.
eg : There were good times around the corner (= they would soon come).
(ii) There's a great restaurant just round the corner.
(90) cross my heart (and hope to die) - used to emphasize that you are telling the truth or will do what you promise.
eg : I saw him do it—cross my heart.
(91) cross your mind - (of thoughts, etc.) to come into your mind
SYN : occur to sb
eg : It never crossed my mind that she might lose (= I was sure that she would win).
(ii) It crossed my mind yesterday that you must be a bit short of staff - shall I send someone to help out?
(iii)It never once crossed my mind that she might be unhappy.
(92) of your own free will - because you want to do sth rather than because sb has told or forced you to do it.
eg : She left of her own free will.
(ii) No one told me to do it - I did it of my own free will.
(93) be that as it may - used to mean that you accept that a piece of information is true but it does not change your opinion of the subject you are discussing.
eg: Building a new children's home will cost a lot of money but, be that as it may, there is an urgent need for the facility.
be that as it may - despite that.
SYN : nevertheless
eg: I know that he has tried hard; be that as it may, his work is just not good enough.
(94) sb can (not) help (doing) sth | sb can not help but do sth - used to say that it is impossible to prevent or avoid sth.
eg : I can’t help thinking he knows more than he has told us.
(ii) She couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking.
(iii) It couldn’t be helped (= there was no way of avoiding it and we must accept it).
(iv) I always end up having an argument with her, I don’t know why, I just can’t help it.
(v) She burst out laughing—she couldn’t help herself (= couldn’t stop herself).
(95) get rid of sb/sth - to make yourself free of sb/sth that is annoying you or that you do not want; to throw sth away.
eg : Try and get rid of your visitors before I get there.
(ii) The problem is getting rid of nuclear waste.
(iii) I can’t get rid of this headache.
(iv) We got rid of all the old furniture.
(96) get sth moving – to cause sth to make progress.
eg : The new director has really got things moving.
(97) pretty much / well - almost; almost completely.
eg : One dog looks pretty much like another to me.
(98) be up to sb - to be sb’s duty or responsibility; to be for sb to decide.
eg : It’s not up to you to tell me how to do my job.
(ii) Shall we eat out or stay in? It’s up to you.
(99) let slip sth – to give sb information that is supposed to be secret.
eg : I happened to let it slip that he had given me $1000 for the car.
(ii) She tried not to let slip what she knew.
(100) let loose sth - to make a noise or remark, especially in a loud or sudden way.
eg : She let loose a stream of abuse.
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