Idioms
Meaning
Example
Note
about to
ready to, on the verge
of
I'm very glad you're finally home. I was just about
to have dinner without you.
after all
despite everything,
when everything has
been considered, the
fact is
You'd better invite Ed to your party. After all, he's a
good friend.
all along
throughout, from
beginning to end
Jenny told Nicole she would vote for her, but all
along she was planning on voting for Andrea.
all better
completely cured
"All better?" asked Maureen, after her son stopped
crying.
all over
throughout,
everywhere
Oh no! I got ketchup all over my white sweater.
all the rage
the latest fashion,
popular right now
At Nate's high school, salsa dancing is all the rage
this year.
as a matter of
fact
in fact, actually
We need more milk? As a matter of fact, I was just
going to ask you to go shopping.
at first
in the beginning
Nicole didn't like Don Quixote at first, but after 200
pages she started to get into it.
at least
anyway, the good thing
is that…
We've run out of coffee, but at least we still have
tea.
The second definition of this
phrase is "no less than"
beside the
point
not relevant, not
important
The reason you're late is beside the point. The fact
is your dinner is now cold.
better off
in a more fortunate
position
We're better off leaving for France on Thursday
evening, so we can spend the entire weekend
there.
This expression is often used with
conditional tense, especially when
you're giving advice: "you would
be better off doing something".
Big deal!
So what? That doesn't
really matter.
You won five dollars in the lottery? Big deal!
big head
arrogant, too proud of
oneself
Jenny has such a big head. No wonder nobody
wants to be friends with her.
Synonym: to be full of oneself.
big shot
a powerful or important
person
Adam is a big shot in Silicon Valley. He started a
very successful software company.
This expression can also be used
in the negative sense, to mean
somebody who thinks they're very
important.
bite off more
than one can
chew
to take on more than
one is capable of, to
take on too much
You agreed to host 50 exchange students from
Korea? Aren't you afraid you've bitten off more than
you can chew?
blow it
to spoil an opportunity
The actress got nervous and forgot all of her lines.
She really blew it!
Synonym: to screw up
blow
something
to spoil or botch
something
Brenda blew the interview and didn't get the job
offer.
break into
to enter or be let into a
profession
These days it's difficult to break into investment
banking.
"Break into" has several other
meanings: Interrupt; Enter
illegally or by force; To suddenly
begin an activity, such as singing.
break the
news
to make something
known
Samantha and Michael are getting married, but
they haven't yet broken the news to their parents.
break up with
to end a relationship
with a romantic partner
After dating her boyfriend Dan for four years, Erica
finally decided to break up with him.
bright and
early
early in the morning
We have lots of coolies to bake so we'll have to start
bright and early tomorrow.
Synonyms: at the crack of dawn
buckle down
to start working
seriously
If Don buckles down now, he might be able to
graduate from high school this year.
burn someone
up
to make someone
angry
Jenny didn't vote for Nicole. That really burns Nicole
up.
burn the
midnight oil
to stay up late studying
or working
Michael burned the midnight oil studying for his
algebra test.
butt in
to interrupt, to
interfere
Nancy is always butting in to other people's
business.
buy out
to purchase an entire
business or someone's
share of a business
Microsoft bought out Adam's company for $12
million.
buy time
to make more time
available (in order to
achieve a certain
purpose)
I'm not sure whether or not I want to take the job
offer. I'd better buy some time to think about it.
by far
by a wide margin, by a
great difference
Some people think Tom Hanks is by far the best
actor in America today.
Synonyms: by a long shot, far and
away, hands down
call it a night
to stop an activity for
the rest of the night
Let's call it a night and meet back at the office at
seven o'clock tomorrow morning to finish preparing
our report.
There is also the variation "to call
it a day" which means to stop
activity for the day.
can't
complain
things are going well,
I'm fine
"How are things going at your new job?" - "Can't
complain."
can't stand
to hate
Nicole can't stand broccoli. She simply refuses to
eat it.
change one's
mind
to change one's opinion
or decision
Why aren't you applying to medical school this
year? Did you change your mind about becoming a
doctor?
cheer
someone up
to make someone
happy
Susan called her friend in the hospital to cheer her
up.
You can tell somebody to "cheer
up!" if they are feeling sad.
chill out
to relax
Chill out! If we miss this train, we'll just take the
next one.
chitchat
casual conversation,
gossip
Peter told Heather to stop the chitchat and get back
to work.
Synonym: to shoot the breeze
Note: Chitchat can also be a verb.
come on in
enter
Come on in, the door's open!
This is a more conversational way
of saying "come up."
come to an
agreement
to reach an agreement
If we can come to an agreement now, I can start
work on Monday.
conventional
wisdom
a widely held belief
According to conventional wisdom, a diet high in
salt can cause high blood pressure.
cost an arm
and a leg
to be very expensive
A college education in America costs an arm and a
leg.
count on
someone
to depend or rely on
someone
If I can count on you to wake me up, I won't set my
alarm clock.
crazy about
to like very much
Amy is so crazy about golf; she'd like to play every
day.
crunch time
a short period when
there's high pressure to
achieve a result
The entire month of December is crunch time for
Santa Claus.
cup of tea
the type person or
thing that one generally
likes
Hockey isn't Alan's cup of tea. He prefers soccer.
This expression is almost always
used in the negative. She's not my
cup of tea.
cut class
to miss class without an
excuse
Ted often cuts class to spend more time with his
girlfriend.
cut it out
stop it, stop the
annoying behavior
Cut it out! Stop trying to pull my shoes off!
dead-end job
a job that won't lead to
anything else
Diane realized that working as a cashier was a
dead-end job.
deliver the
goods
to meet expectations,
to do what's required
Peter thought Bob wasn't delivering the goods, so
he fired him.
Synonym: to cut the mustard.
do one's best
to try as hard as
possible
Although Ted did his best, he still failed his
chemistry test.
Synonym: to give it one's all
do the trick
to achieve the desired
results
Juan changed the light bulb and said, "That should
do the trick!"
Don't mention
it!
you're welcome
"Thanks for bringing the cookies," I said to Susan.
"Don't mention it!" she replied.
down in the
dumps
to feel sad, to be
depressed
It's easy to feel down in the dumps when it's raining
outside.
dragon lady
a nasty woman who
misuses her power
Liz was nasty to you? I'm not surprised. She's a
dragon lady.
Synonyms: bitch, shrew
drive a hard
bargain
to be tough in
negotiating an
agreement, to
negotiate something in
one's favor
I wanted to pay less for the car, but the salesman
drove a hard bargain.
drive one
crazy
to annoy someone very
much
Don't ask Mrs. Smith how old she is. It drives her
crazy.
drop by
to pay a short, often
unannounced visit
If we have time before the movie, let's drop by Bill's
house.
easier said
than done
more difficult than you
think
Moving into a new home is easier said than done.
face it
accept a difficult reality
Let's face it, if Ted spent more time studying, he
wouldn't be failing so many of his classes.
feel free
go ahead and do
something, don't
hesitate (to do
something)
If you need legal advice, feel free to call my cousin
Fred. He's a lawyer.
figure out
to solve, to determine
Susan is sure she'll never figure out why kids today
behave the way they do.
find out
to learn, to discover
A1 is calling the theater to find out what time the
movie starts.
first things
first
let's focus on the most
important thing or task
first
You want to work here at Lulu's Dance Club? First
things first, have you ever worked as a dancer
before?
fool around
to waste time, or spend
it in a silly way
Stop fooling around! You've got lots of work to do.
This expression also means to
have casual sexual relations.
for heaven's
sake!
A way of expressing
emotions such as
surprise, outrage, or
impatience
Hurry up, for heaven's sake! You're going to be late
for school.
Synonyms: for God's sake, for
goodness sake, for Pete's sake
for sure
definitely
This year, Tom Cruise will win an Academy Award
for sure.
freak out
to respond to
something irrationally
or crazily, to overreact
Don't freak out when I tell you this, but I lost the
laptop you lent me last week.
from scratch
from the beginning,
using all fresh
ingredients rather
using a prepared mix
You baked these muffins from scratch? They're
delicious!
full of oneself
to think too much of
oneself
Mitch thinks he's really great. He's so full of himself.
get down to
business
to get serious about a
task
Our dinner guests are arriving in two hours. We'd
better get down to business and start preparing.
get going
to get started on
something, to set off
for a destination, to
leave
If you don't get going on your homework soon,
you're going to be up all night.
Synonyms: to get a move on, to
get the show on the road
get it
to understand
Don't you get it? Your company is about to go out of
business!
get on one's
nerves
to annoy or irritate
someone
Please stop whistling. It's getting on my nerves!
Synonyms: to get under
someone's skin; to bug someone
get one's act
together
to get organized, to
start operating more
effectively
If Ted gets his act together now, he might be able to
get into a good college.
get out of the
way
to move out of the way,
to stop interfering with
someone's plans or
activities
Get out of the day! That truck is backing up and it
might run you over.
Get real!
be serious or realistic
about what's going on
You think you're going to win $1 million in the
lottery? Get real!
get rid of
to free oneself of, to
throw out
We finally got rid of our spider problem, but now we
have ants.
get straight
to clarify, to
understand
Are you sure you got the directions straight?
get the ball
rolling
to get started
Let's get the ball rolling on this project. We've only
got one week to finish it.
give a ring
to telephone someone
Give me a ring tomorrow so we can discuss plans
for this weekend.
Synonym: to give (someone) a
buzz [slang]
give a run for
money
to be strong
competition
Tina is a good tennis player and always gives me a
run for my money.
give credit
to acknowledge
someone's
contribution, to
recognize a positive
trait in someone
The scientist gave his assistant credit for the
discovery.
give it a shot
to try something
You can't open that jar? Let me give it a shot.
"To give it one's best shot" means
to try as hard as one can. I know
you're nervous about the
interview-just give it your best
shot.
give it one's
best shot
to try as hard as one
can
Courtney lost the race, but at least she gave it her
best shot.
Give me a
break!
that's ridiculous, that's
outrageous
You want me to pay $3 for one cookie? Give me a
break!
You might see this written in its
informal, conversational form:
"Gimme a break!" This is usually
how the idiom is pronounced.
give up
to admit defeat, to
surrender
Bill gave up golf after realizing he'd never be good
at it.
go ahead
to continue, to proceed
without hesitation
We have more than enough food for dinner. Go
ahead and invite your friend to join us.
go back to the
drawing
board
to start a task over
because the last try
failed, to start again
from the beginning
Frank's new business failed, so he had to go back to
the drawing board.
go into
to enter a profession
Lisa enjoys arguing with people, so she decided to
go into law.
go into
business
to start a business
Jeff decided to go into business selling baseball
cards.
go nuts
to react with great
enthusiasm
When Eminem appeared on stage, everybody went
nuts.
This expression also means "to go
crazy" or "to become crazy with
anger."
go wrong
to make a mistake, to
go astray, to
malfunction, to work
incorrectly
Follow the directions I gave you, and you can't go
wrong.
Good for you!
Good job! Well done!
You passed your math test? Good for you!
good thinking
good idea, smart
planning
I'm glad you brought an umbrella-that was good
thinking!
hang in there
to persevere, to not
give up
Hang in there, Don! Your invention will soon be a
success.
hang out
to spend time (often
doing nothing)
Kathy and her friends like to hang out at the mall.
"Hang out with" means to keep
company with someone.
hard times
a time of difficulty
Nancy's family is going through hard times. Her
father just lost his job.
have a good
time
to enjoy oneself
Nora and Jake had a good time on their honeymoon
in Maui.
have a heart
of gold
to be very kind and
giving
Alexander has a heart of gold and always thinks of
others before himself.
have one's
heart set on
to really want
something
Did you really have your heart set on going to
Harvard?
help out
to give assistance, to
help
Amber offered to help out in the kitchen by
chopping nuts.
Synonyms: to lend a hand
Help yourself
serve yourself
"Help yourselves to coolies and coffee," said Maria
before the meeting started.
Pay attention to the reflexive
form: Help yourself in singular,
help yourselves in plural.
hit the books
to start studying
Hit the books! I know you have a test tomorrow.
How's it
going?
How are you?
"How's it going?" Vladimir asked me. "Not bad," I
replied.
if worse
comes to
worst
in the worst case, if
absolutely necessary
Ted's car isn't running well. If worst comes to worst,
he can take the bus to school.
I'll say!
yes, definitely
"Did you enjoy the Madonna concert?" - "I'll say!"
in a bad mood
unhappy, depressed,
irritable
I don't like to see you in a bad mood. How can I
cheer you up?
in any case
whatever the fact is,
certainly
You'll probably be too tired on Sunday to come
over. In any case, give me a call in the morning to
discuss.
in charge of
having responsibility
for
John is in charge of all international sales for his
company.
in good hands
in good, competent
care
You're in good hands with Tony. He's an excellent
driver.
in good spirits
happy, in a good mood
Sam was in good spirits after receiving his
Christmas bonus.
in person
personally, in one's
physical presence
Tim hoped that he and Svetlana would get along as
well in person as they did over the Internet.
in progress
happening, under way,
going on now
Once the test is in progress, you will not be allowed
to leave the room.
in reality
in fact, actually
Ted thinks it'll be easy to become a rock star. In
reality, it will take years of hard work.
in that case
under that
circumstance
It's snowing? In that case, you'd better take the bus
to school today instead of driving.
in touch with
to be or to get in
contact with
I was surprised when Luis called me, since we
hadn't been in touch with each other since high
school.
it looks like
it's likely that
It looks like it's going to rain, so we'd better just
cancel the picnic now.
it's a deal
I agree (to a proposal
or offer)
"If you rake up all the leaves in front of the house,
I'll do the dishes." -"It's a deal!"
just kidding
talking more to get a
laugh than anything
I was just kidding when I said your new orange
dress makes you look like a pumpkin.
keep one's
chin up
to stay positive
Keep your chin up! You'll find your lost dog soon.
keep posted
to provide up-to-date
information
Good luck selling your house and keep me posted!
I'd love to know how much you get for it.
knock oneself
out
to work very hard at
something
Ted knocked himself out getting votes for Nicole,
and she didn't even say thank you.
"Don't knock yourself out!" means
don't work too hard at something
or for someone; it's not worth it.
know one's
stuff
to have an expertise in
a field
Steve has been an auto mechanic for 25 years. He
really knows his stuff.
lend a hand
to help
When Amber saw Susan washing the cookie sheets,
she offered to lend a hand.
let go
to fire, dismiss
employees
The Xerxes Corporation was doing so poorly; they
had to let many workers go earlier this year.
lighten up
to stop taking things so
seriously
Don always takes his job so seriously. He needs to
lighten up!
Synonyms: chill out; take it easy
like crazy
with great speed or
enthusiasm
Ann ran like crazy, but she still didn't manage to
catch the bus.
live with it
to accept a difficult
reality
Your boss is an idiot. Live with it!
There is also the expression "to
learn to live with it," which means
to get used to something
annoying or difficult.
look forward
to
to anticipate eagerly
I'm looking forward to my trip to Mexico next
month.
look like
have the appearance of
Before agreeing to go out on a date with her, Keith
wanted to know what my cousin Maria looked like.
The expression "it looks like" can
mean "it is likely that…"
look on the
bright side
to be optimistic, to
think about the positive
part or aspect of a
situation
You lost your job? Look on the bright side, now
you'll have more free time!
lose one's
head
to lose control of one's
behavior, to not know
what one is doing
Nicole lost her head after losing the elections and
started yelling at all her friends.
lose one's
temper
to become very angry
When Ted handed in his essay two weeks late, his
teacher really lost her temper.
love at first
sight
an immediate
attraction
Tony liked Tara immediately. It was love at first
sight!
made of
money
very rich
Max should be willing to loan you $10,000 to start
your new business. He's made of money.
make a
bundle
to make a lot of money
Bob's friend Charles made a bundle in the stock
market and retired at age 45.
make a fool of
oneself
to cause oneself to look
stupid
Dan drank too much and then made a fool of
himself.
make a
fortune
to make a lot of money
Adam made a fortune when he sold his company to
Microsoft.
Synonyms: to make a bundle, to
make a killing
make a living
to earn enough money
to support oneself
Many people laugh at him, but Bill actually makes a
living selling gourmet dog food.
make one's
day
to give one great
satisfaction
Thanks for bringing over those cookie last week.
That made my day!
make out
to kiss with much
passion
Ted and Amber started making out at the stoplight
and didn't realize that the light had turned green.
make time for
to put time in one's
schedule for something
Don is a busy lawyer, but he always makes time for
his family.
make up one's
mind
to reach a decision, to
decide
Stephanie couldn't make up her mind whether to
attend Harvard or Stanford. Finally, she chose
Stanford.
mess up
to make a mistake, to
spoil an opportunity
Ted really messed up on his chemistry test. He got
a "D."
Synonym: screw up
mixed
feelings
to feel positive about
one aspect of
something and
negative about another
I have mixed feelings about the president of our
company. He's good with the clients, but he's nasty
to his employees.
nervous
wreck
a person feeling very
worried
Ted was a nervous wreck before his chemistry test.
never mind
don't worry about
something, forget it, it
doesn't matter
Never mind what your friends say. You need to do
what you think is right.
no hard
feelings
no anger, no bitterness
After the elections, Andrea said to Nicole, "I hope
there are no hard feelings."
no point in
no reason to, it's not
worth(doing
something)
There's no point in worrying about things you can't
change.
no wonder
it's not surprising
Brian's entire body is in pain. It's no wonder since
he ran a marathon yesterday!
Synonym: small wonder
not have a
clue
to know nothing about
"Do you know how to fix a broken printer?"-"No, I
don't have a clue!"
nothing to do
with
not have any
relationship with
someone, to not get
involves with
something
After I found out that Nora shoplifted some lipstick
from the drugstore, I wanted nothing to do with
her.
now you're
talking
you're saying the right
thing
You want to offer me free tickets to the J. Lo
concert? Now you're talking!
nuts about
to like very much
Ted has every single Metallica album - he's nuts
about that band.
on the job
at work
Dan got fired for drinking on the job.
on thin ice
to be in a dangerous
position, to be
temporarily on
somebody's bad side
Joey was on thin ice with his mom after he spent his
lunch money on candy bars.
There is also the variation "to
skate on thin ice."
out of practice
no longer good at doing
something
I used to play tennis every day, but I haven't played
in years. I'm out of practice.
out of the
question
impossible
You want to borrow my new car and drive it across
the country? I'm sorry, but that's out of the
question.
out of work
unemployed, not
working
Gary was out of work for a year before finding a new
job.
over one's
head
beyond one's
understanding
The article on cloning was written for scientists. It
was over my head.
pain in the
neck
an annoyance
Yesterday I had to stay home all day and wait for
the repairman. What a pain in the neck!
pay a
compliment
to give someone a
compliment, to offer
someone an admiring
comment
Professor Russo paid Jennifer a compliment. He
said she had a beautiful smile.
pay back
to repay a loan or debt
Nicole paid her friend back the $10 she borrowed.
"Pay back" also means to "get
revenge."
pick up
to require, to learn
Diana picked up some great new ideas at the
workshop.
piece of cake
very easy
The driving test is a piece of cake. Don't worry
about it.
Synonym: easy as pie. You should
have to trouble passing the
driving test. It's as easy as pie.
pitch in
to help
If you need my help, just ask. I'd be happy to pitch
in.
Synonyms: to lend a hand, to lend
a helping hand, to help out
put the blame
on (someone)
to name somebody else
as responsible for a
misdeed or misfortune
Mrs. Lopez put the blame on her husband for losing
their life saving in the stock market.
right away
immediately
You need some sugar for your cookies? I'll bring
some over right away.
roll up one's
sleeves
to prepare to work
Let's roll up our sleeves and finish making these
cookies!
save the day
to prevent a disaster or
misfortune
The Christmas tree was on fire, but Ted threw water
on it and saved the day.
shut up
be quiet, stop speaking
The professor talked for hours. I thought he'd never
shut up.
sick and tired
of
completely bored with,
sick of
I'm sick and tired of this nasty weather we've been
having!
sit tight
to wait patiently
Sit tight, the doctor will be with you in a few
minutes.
slack off
to waste time
Amanda doesn't get much done at the office. She's
too busy slacking off.
small fortune
a good amount of
money
You won $25,000 in the lottery? That's a small
fortune!
sold out
completely sold
Susan's cookies were very popular at the bake sale.
In fact, they sold out in just 20 minutes!
spending
money
money for minor
expenses
Before Tim left for Europe, his parents gave him
$400 in spending money.
Synonym: pocket money
stab someone
in the back
to betray someone
Jill and Heather were friends, until Heather stabbed
Jill in the back by stealing her boyfriend.
stand a
chance
to have the possibility
of success
Wilton High School has the best soccer team in the
state. I'm afraid we don't stand a chance against
them.
stay up
not to go to bed; to stay
awake
Whenever I stay up late, I regret it the next
morning.
stop by
to pay a quick visit
Stop by my office on your way home tonight.
stressed out
under severe strain,
very anxious
Al is so stressed out about his job that he can't
sleep at night.
sure thing
an outcome that is
assured
Gary bet all his money on a horse named Trixie,
thinking she was a sure thing.
take a break
to stop and rest from an
activity
Bob always works 10 hours straight, never taking a
break.
take it easy
relax, don't worry
You lost your keys? Take it easy, I'm sure you'll find
them.
take it or
leave it
accept or reject an
offer, usually a final one
The highest salary we can offer you is $50,000 a
year - take it or leave it.
take off
to become popular, to
grow suddenly
Julia Roberts' career took off with the film "Pretty
Woman."
take over
to assume control
My new boss will be taking over some of my
projects.
take
something
the wrong
way
to take offense
Don't take this the wrong way, but I like your hair
better before you got it cut.
This expression is often used in
the negative form: "Don't take
this the wrong way, but…"
talk into
to persuade, to
convince
Chris didn't want to jump out of the plane, but Erin
talked him into it.
talk over
to discuss
Dave and I spent hours talking over the details of
the plan.
thank
goodness
I'm grateful, I'm
relieved
Thank goodness you didn't go to California on
Monday. It rained there every day this week.
things are
looking up
things are improving
Things are looking up with the economy.
think big
to set high goals
Why run for Governor of New York? Think big: run
for President of the United States.
to tell you the
truth
to speak openly, to
admit
To tell you the truth, Ted isn't a very good student.
track record
a record of
achievements or
performances
The women's basketball team at the University of
Connecticut has an excellent track record.
turn off
to cause to feel dislike
or revulsion
I used to be friends with Monica, but she gossiped
all the time and it really turned me off.
The noun form, turn-off, is also
common and usually describes
something that cause the opposite
sex to respond negatively.
up in the air
not yet determined,
uncertain
It might rain later, so our plans for the picnic are up
in the air.
Way to go!
Good work!
That was an interesting article you wrote. Way to
go!
well off
wealthy, financially
secure
Debbie is a doctor and her husband is a lawyer.
They're quite well off.
What's the
matter?
What's the problem?
What's the matter, Bob? You don't look very happy.
What's up?
What's going on?
What's new?
What's up? I haven't spoken to you in a long time.
wise guy
a smart aleck, one who
makes a lot of sarcastic
comments
That clerk in the video store is a real wise guy. He's
always making nasty comments about the
customers.
Synonyms: wise ass [rude], smart
ass[rude]
work like a
dog
to work very hard
Larry became an investment banker after college,
and now he works like a dog.
work one's
tail off
to work very hard
Don worked his tail off to save money for his son's
education.
work out
to find a solution, to
resolve
Nicole spent half the night helping Ted work out a
very difficult chemistry problem.
"Work out" has several other
meanings, including: succeed,
endure, exercise
worth one's
while
worthy of one's effort
or time
It would be worth your while to audition for the
game show Jeopardy. You'd probably win a lot of
money.
wrap up
to finish
Okay folks, let's wrap up these exercises so we can
go home early tonight.
you can say
that again
I agree with you
"The weather is so nasty today." - "You can say that
again! I don't even want to go outside!"
your guess is
as good as
mine
I don't know, I don't
know any more than
you do
Will Ted graduate on time? Your guess is as good as
mine.
