The last time you took an exam, did you stay up all night the night before, studying until the very last minute? If so, then you pulled an 1_________. But maybe it was worth it and you got perfect, or nearly perfect marks, in which case you can say you passed with flying 2___________. Or maybe during the exam you couldn’t remember anything you’d learned as your mind went 3___________. When you finally got into bed the next night, exhausted from all that studying, did you fall asleep immediately and then sleep undisturbed until morning? If so, you were out like a 4_______ and you slept like a 5_________.
KEY
1. all-nighter
2. colours
3. blank
4. light
5. baby / log
The last time you took an exam, did you stay up all night the night before, studying until the very last minute? If so, then you pulled an all-nighter. But maybe it was worth it and you got perfect, or nearly perfect marks, in which case you can say you passed with flying colours. Or maybe during the exam you couldn’t remember anything you’d learned as your mind went blank. When you finally got into bed the next night, exhausted from all that studying, did you fall asleep immediately and then sleep undisturbed until morning? If so, you were out like a light and you slept like a baby.
Showing posts with label Idioms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Idioms. Show all posts
On Screen p. 26. Work Idioms
Do you have something really difficult and challenging to do at work? If so, you’ve got your work cut out for you. Or maybe you’ve taken on far more work than you can practically do. If so, you’ve bitten off more than you can chew. In either case, the worst thing to do is to procrastinate, you need to tackle the difficult situation you’re in and start work immediately; that is, don’t drag your feet but take the bull by the horns and get a move on.
Meanwhile, does it annoy you when your boss constantly checks that you’re doing your work, so that if feels as if he’s always standing behind you, looking over your shoulder? If so, then it gets up your nose that he’s always breathing down your neck. If you try to talk to him about it, does it become clear that you both have very different opinions about the issue? If so, then when you have a word with him about it, it becomes clear that you don’t see eye to eye.
Or is a friend or colleague ignoring you for some reason, maybe because you’ve said something to offend them? If so, they’re giving you the cold shoulder. Whatever the problem, it’s always better to talk about it rather than ignore it. If there’s a very obvious problem that everyone pretends is not happening because they don’t want to address it, it ends up being the elephant in the room, which is one of my favourite of all English idioms and phrases.
Meanwhile, does it annoy you when your boss constantly checks that you’re doing your work, so that if feels as if he’s always standing behind you, looking over your shoulder? If so, then it gets up your nose that he’s always breathing down your neck. If you try to talk to him about it, does it become clear that you both have very different opinions about the issue? If so, then when you have a word with him about it, it becomes clear that you don’t see eye to eye.
Or is a friend or colleague ignoring you for some reason, maybe because you’ve said something to offend them? If so, they’re giving you the cold shoulder. Whatever the problem, it’s always better to talk about it rather than ignore it. If there’s a very obvious problem that everyone pretends is not happening because they don’t want to address it, it ends up being the elephant in the room, which is one of my favourite of all English idioms and phrases.
Objective Proficiency p 109. Travel Idioms
The last time you went on holiday, did it cost you an incredibly large amount of money? If so, it cost you an arm and a leg. In fact, after spending all that money you probably had no money at all, in which case you were flat broke. Hopefully it was worth it, however, and you had an absolutely wonderful time, because then you can tell your friends, in another one of our useful English idioms and phrases, that you had the time of your life.
Objective Proficiency p 77. Phrases with COME. Extra Quizlet
bimbo: /ˈbɪmbəʊ/ (pl. bimbos) a young person, usually a woman, who is sexually attractive but not very intelligent. E.g. He's going out with an empty-headed bimbo half his age.
dinner money: money given to school children to buy dinner at school E.g. I asked him what was wrong, he said that he had lost his dinner money and his bus fare to get home.
lunch money: A phrase used when something is particularly easy. E.g. that midterm we took today was lunch money.
Objective Proficiency p 71. Living in the City Idioms. Extra Cloze
Is your life going nowhere, always the same old boring routine? Then you’re stuck in a 1___________ and you need a change. Are you tired of living in a very isolated area, far away from the nearest town or village? No wonder! Nobody likes being stuck in the middle of 2_____________ or in the back of 3____________ or off the 4___________ track. Maybe you know you should move elsewhere, but are unable to decide whether or not to do so, in which case you’re in two 5__________ about moving.
Perhaps all you need to feel better is to meet 6_________ with friends, head into the city and enjoy yourself clubbing; that is, paint the town 7__________. If you’re feeling incredibly hungry and could eat a 8___________, find a nice restaurant. If you don't know any, take pot 9___________ in choosing a local one. But don't eat like a 10_________ because you may feel bloated. Don't eat like a 11_________ either because you may get peckish in a couple of hours. Don’t get too drunk either; if you get wasted, bladdered, plastered, tanked or any of the other dozens of synonyms for inebriated, you’ll only end up with a nasty 12___________, in which case you might have to resort to a hair of the 13________ to feel better.
KEY
1. rut
rut: a boring way of life that does not change. E.g. I gave up my job because I felt I was stuck in a rut. If you don't go out and meet new people, it's easy to get into a rut.
2. nowhere
in the middle of nowhere
3. beyond
10. horse
peckish: slightly hungry. E.g. Is there anything to eat? I’m feeling a bit peckish. Starting to get peckish.
Perhaps all you need to feel better is to meet 6_________ with friends, head into the city and enjoy yourself clubbing; that is, paint the town 7__________. If you’re feeling incredibly hungry and could eat a 8___________, find a nice restaurant. If you don't know any, take pot 9___________ in choosing a local one. But don't eat like a 10_________ because you may feel bloated. Don't eat like a 11_________ either because you may get peckish in a couple of hours. Don’t get too drunk either; if you get wasted, bladdered, plastered, tanked or any of the other dozens of synonyms for inebriated, you’ll only end up with a nasty 12___________, in which case you might have to resort to a hair of the 13________ to feel better.
KEY
1. rut
rut: a boring way of life that does not change. E.g. I gave up my job because I felt I was stuck in a rut. If you don't go out and meet new people, it's easy to get into a rut.
2. nowhere
in the middle of nowhere
3. beyond
the back of beyond: (informal) a place that is a long way from other houses, towns, etc. E.g. We stayed in some farmhouse in the back of beyond.
4. beaten
off the beaten track far away from other people, houses, etc. E.g. They live miles off the beaten track.
5. minds
in two minds
6. up
meet up with
7. red
paint the town red (informal) to go to a lot of different bars, clubs, etc. and enjoy yourself. E.g. you want to have a good time and paint the town red this weekend.
paint the town red (informal) to go to a lot of different bars, clubs, etc. and enjoy yourself. E.g. you want to have a good time and paint the town red this weekend.
8. horse
could eat a horse something that you say when you are very hungry. E.g. I've had nothing but a sandwich all day - I could eat a horse.
9. luck
pot luck when you take pot luck, you choose something or go somewhere without knowing very much about it, but hope that it will be good, pleasant, etc. E.g. It's pot luck whether you get good advice or not. You're welcome to stay to supper, but you'll have to take pot luck (= eat whatever is available). I took pot luck at the airport and just got on the first available flight. We hadn't booked a hotel so we had to take pot luck.10. horse
eat like a horse (informal) to eat a lot. E.g. She may be thin, but she eats like a horse.
bloated: full of food and feeling uncomfortable. E.g. I felt bloated after the huge meal they'd served.
11. bird
eat like a bird: eat very little. E.g. Dad had been eating like a bird before we came here.
peckish: slightly hungry. E.g. Is there anything to eat? I’m feeling a bit peckish. Starting to get peckish.
bladdered: /ˈblædəd/ drunk. E.g. He was totally bladdered. They just want to go out and get bladdered.
plastered: /ˈplɑːstəd/ drunk to be/get plastered.
be/get tanked up: become drunk. E.g. they get tanked up before the game
inebriated /ɪˈniːbrieɪtɪd/ drunk. E.g. In her inebriated state, she was ready to agree to anything.
12. hangover
13. dog
the hair of the dog (that bit you) (informal) alcohol that you drink in order to make you feel better when you have drunk too much alcohol the night before. Objective Proficiency p 70. Extra Idioms
have a chip on your shoulder:
to blame other people for something bad which has happened to you and to continue to be angry about it so that it affects the way you behave (often + about ) Even though he went to university, he's always had a chip on his shoulder about his poor upbringing.
to blame other people for something bad which has happened to you and to continue to be angry about it so that it affects the way you behave (often + about ) Even though he went to university, he's always had a chip on his shoulder about his poor upbringing.
dodge:
to move quickly to avoid someone or something: dodge an issue/question. E.g. Senator O'Brian skillfully dodged the crucial question.
knuckle down (to something)
(informal) to begin to work hard at something . Get down to. E.g. I'm going to have to knuckle down to some serious study.
make the fur fly (also make the feathers fly)
to cause a fight or an argument; to create an uproar. E.g. When your mother gets home and sees what you've done, she'll really make the fur fly. When those two get together, they'll make the feathers fly. They hate each other.
be barking up the wrong tree:
(informal) to have the wrong idea about how to get or achieve something. E.g. You're barking up the wrong tree if you're expecting us to lend you any money.
give something a whirl:
(informal) to try something to see if you like it or can do it. E.g. I’m not sure I’ll like skiing, but I’ll give it a whirl.
go the whole hog:
(informal) to do something thoroughly or completely. To do something as completely as possible. E.g. It was going to cost so much to repair my computer, I thought I might as well go the whole hog and buy a new one. I went whole hog and had a huge steak and French fries.
the nitty-gritty:
the basic or most important details of an issue or a situation. E.g. Time ran out before we could get down to the real nitty-gritty.
you can bet your life/your bottom dollar (on something/(that)…):
(informal) used to say that you are certain that something will happen. E.g. You can bet your bottom dollar that he'll be late.
You (can) bet your boots
Used to express certainty about a situation or statement. E.g. you can bet your boots that patrol has raised the alarm. E.g. Am I happy? You bet your boots!
couldn't organize a piss-up in a brewery (also couldn't organize a booze-up in a brewery):
if someone couldn't organize a piss-up in a brewery, they are very bad at organizing things. Usage notes: A piss-up is a social occasion where everyone drinks a lot of alcohol, and a brewery is a place where beer is made. a booze-up is a drinking spree.
E.g. For god's sake don't ask Martin to make the arrangements. He couldn't organize a piss-up in a brewery.
brainbox:
a person who is very intelligent.
long time no see:
(informal) used to say hello to somebody you have not seen for a long time.
step out of line, be/get out of line:
to behave badly or break the rules. E.g. His boss warned him that if he stepped out of line once more he would be fired.
head over heels in love:
loving somebody very much. E.g. He's fallen head over heels in love with his boss.
no room to swing a cat:
(informal) when somebody says there’s no room to swing a cat, they mean that a room is very small and that there is not enough space.
want out or want out of something
(informal) to want to stop being involved in something. E.g. Jenny was fed up. She wanted out.
(keep) a stiff upper lip:
to keep calm and hide your feelings when you are in pain or in a difficult situation. E.g. He was taught to keep a stiff upper lip and never to cry in public. Their reaction contrasts sharply with the stiff upper lip of the English.
Don't give me any of your lip!
Fig. Don't talk back! E.g. Do as I tell you and don't give me any of your lip!
(as) dull as ditchwater (British English) (US English (as) dull as dishwater)
extremely boring. E.g. I always found history as dull as ditchwater.
Kill the goose that lays the golden egg(s).
Prov. To destroy something that is profitable to you. E.g. Fred's wife knew he wasn't happy in his job, even though it paid well; still, she felt that advising him to leave it would be killing the goose that laid the golden eggs. If you sell your shares now, you could be killing the goose that lays the golden egg.
shoot yourself in the foot
steal somebody’s thunder:
to get the attention, success, etc. that somebody else was expecting, usually by saying or doing what they had intended to say or do. E.g. I kept quiet about my pregnancy because Cathy was getting married, and I didn't want to steal her thunder.
pull the wool over somebody’s eyes
(informal) to try to trick somebody; to hide your real actions or intentions from somebody. To deceive someone. E.g. You can't pull the wool over my eyes. I know what's going on. Don't try to pull the wool over her eyes. She's too smart. These people who claim to have paranormal or supernatural powers are just pulling the wool over people's eyes.
waiting game
/ˈweɪtɪŋ ɡeɪm/
a policy of waiting to see how a situation develops before you decide how to act . A tactic in which one refrains from action for a time in order to act more effectively at a later date or stage.
E.g. to play a waiting game. Policemen were last night playing a waiting game outside the cottage"
by Jove
used to express surprise or to emphasize a statement. E.g. By Jove she's got it!
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