IDIOMS AT ENGLISH (388 adet)
For TOEFL Students
(Burdan Microsoft Word Formatinda Download edip yazdirabilirsiniz.)

IDIOM : to ace
MEANING: to get an excellent score on something (a test, homework assignment, project, etc.)
EXAMPLE: Sara aced her final exam.

IDIOM : actions speak louder than words
MEANING: to demonstrate one's committment to something
EXAMPLE: Trixy says that she wants to lose weight, but
I saw her eating cake and ice cream twice this week. I
guess her actions speak louder than her words.

IDIOM :to add fuel to the fire
MEANING: to contribute to a problem
EXAMPLE: Stop talking to those angry men! You're just
adding fuel to the fire.

IDIOM : afraid of (one's) own shadow (adj)
MEANING: filled with fear or apprehension
EXAMPLE: Scott is afraid of his own shadow. He sleeps
with the light on, and he won't even go outside after dark!

IDIOM : (be) all ears
MEANING: you want to hear what someone has to say
EXAMPLE: I'm all ears. Tell me your secret!

IDIOM :all of a sudden
MEANING: suddenly; unexpectedly; sooner than was
expected; at once
EXAMPLE: "We heard a strange noise; then all of a sudden, the lights went out!

IDIOM : ages / in ages /for ages
MEANING: for a long time
EXAMPLE: "How have you been? I haven't talked to you in ages!"

IDIOM : all right
MEANING: to agree with someone reluctantly
EXAMPLE: John: "Come to the party with me. Please!"
Dana: "Oh, all right. I don't want to, but I will."

IDIOM : all right
MEANING: so-so, fair; not particularly good
EXAMPLE: Carla: "How's your chemistry class?"
Diana: "It's all right, I guess,
but it's not the best class I've ever had."

IDIOM : all right
MEANING: unharmed; in satisfactory condition
EXAMPLE: Gail: "You don't look normal. Are you all
right?"
Beth: "Yes, but I have a
headache."


IDIOM : all that / all that and a bag of chips
MEANING: a slang expression that to say that someone
is very good-looking
EXAMPLE: Stop looking at yourself in the mirror.
You're not all that!
Do you see that guy over there? He's
all that and a bag of chips!

IDIOM : all thumbs
MEANING: extremely awkward or clumsy
EXAMPLE: I'm all thumbs today. I dropped my keys, my
glasses, and then I spilled my tea!

IDIOM : All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
MEANING: a phrase MEANING that people shouldn't work
all the time, that rest/play is necessary too
EXAMPLE: Hank has eight meetings this week, a
conference and two sales reports due. When does he
have time to rest? All work and no play makes Jack a
dull boy, you know!

IDIOM : and then some
MEANING: and much more besides
EXAMPLE: The test covered chapter 5 and then some. I
wasn't prepared for all the questions.

IDIOM : antsy
MEANING: restless; impatient and tired of waiting
EXAMPLE: Why are you so antsy today? Sit down and
relax!

IDIOM : apple of one's eye
MEANING: someone's favorite person
EXAMPLE: Marie loves all of her grandchildren, but
little Jenny is really the apple of her eye.
IDIOM : armed to the teeth
MEANING: furnished with weapons, or with something
that provides security, strength, or efficacy
EXAMPLE: The gang members were armed to the teeth. It
was a frightening sight to see these young boys so
fully armed.

IDIOM : as a rule
MEANING: for the most part; generally; normally;
usually
EXAMPLE: As a rule, I stay up late.

IDIOM : as easy as
pie (simile)
MEANING: very easy
EXAMPLE: The exam was as easy as pie. All of the
students scored high.
RELATED: a cinch

IDIOM : at ___ sharp (time)
MEANING: exactly on time
EXAMPLE: Our plane leaves at 6:57 sharp.

IDIOM : atall times
MEANING: constantly
EXAMPLE: The soldiers kept their boots on at all
times.

IDIOM : at first
MEANING: at the beginning; initially
EXAMPLE: Selena sang in Spanish at first, but soon she
began performing in English too.

IDIOM : at the eleventh hour
MEANING: at the last minute; almost too late
EXAMPLE: Iris finished her painting at the eleventh
hour, but the painting was in the gallery on time.
RELATED: in the nick of time

IDIOM : at the end of one's rope
MEANING: tired, frustrated, or disgusted beyond
endurance
EXAMPLE: I'm at the end of my rope with that child! If
she doesn't stop smoking and drinking, I'm going to
send her to a boarding school in Switzerland!

IDIOM : at the last minute
MEANING: almost too late; at the last possible moment
EXAMPLE: Iris finished her painting at the last
minute, but the painting was in the gallery on time.
RELATED: in the nick of time, at the eleventh hour

IDIOM : back to the drawing board
MEANING: to start over
EXAMPLE: Well, this idea didn't work, so I guess it's
back to the drawing board.

IDIOM : back to the salt mines
MEANING: to start working again after a break
EXAMPLE: Hey guys, break time is over. Back to the
salt mines!

IDIOM : to bad-mouth
MEANING: say unkind, spiteful, (and probably untrue)
things about someone
EXAMPLE: Steve is bad-mouthing Jack because he's
jealous of him, but Jack is really a nice guy.
RELATED: to talk trash about someone

IDIOM : (one’s) bark is worse than one's bite
MEANING: someone sounds scarier than they really are.
EXAMPLE: Don't be afraid of my father; his bark is
worse than his bite. He's really a big teddy bear!

IDIOM : bark up the wrong tree
MEANING: to look in the wrong place for a solution; to
proceed under a misapprehension; to misdirect one's
efforts
EXAMPLE: I was trying to find my keys in the bedroom,
but I was barking up the wrong tree. They were in the
kitchen.

IDIOM : be a piece of cake
MEANING: be very easy
EXAMPLE: Our final exam was a piece of cake. I thought
it would be more difficult than that.
RELATED: as easy as pie

IDIOM : be used to (+ -ing/noun)
MEANING: to be accustomed to something; something is
normal for you
EXAMPLE: My Japanese students are used to eating soup
for breakfast, but that seems strange to me because
most Americans are used to eating cereal or eggs for
breakfast.

IDIOM : (be) beat
MEANING: to be very tired, or exhausted
EXAMPLE: I've had a long day. I'm beat!
RELATED: (be) dead tired

IDIOM : to beat around the bush
MEANING: to avoid giving a direct answer, or evade
something
EXAMPLE: Some people give bad news by beating around
the bush, but I prefer the news directly.
RELATED: to dance around the issue

IDIOM : to beat (one's) brains out
MEANING: to try very hard to understand or do
something
EXAMPLE: Can you figure out the answer to this algebra
problem? I've been beating my brains out with it, but
I just can't find the correct answer! I'm really
frustrated.

IDIOM : Beats me!
MEANING: I have no idea!
EXAMPLE: Lee: "What time's the meeting?"
Jack: "Beats me! Let's ask Susan."

IDIOM : before long
MEANING: soon
EXAMPLE: Before long your English will be much better!

RELATED: in no time

IDIOM : (get) bent out of shape
MEANING: to be upset about something
EXAMPLE: "Hey, I know you're angry about failing the
test, but don't get so bent out of shape.
I'm sure that your next test will be better.

IDIOM : bite off more than (one)can chew
MEANING: try to do more than (one) can manage
EXAMPLE: Sara's work is behind schedule. I think she
bit off more than she can chew.

IDIOM : blabbermouth (n)


IDIOM S AT ENGLISH
IDIOM : to ace
MEANING: to get an excellent score on something (a
test, homework assignment, project, etc.)
EXAMPLE: Sara aced her final exam.
IDIOM : actions
speak louder than words
MEANING: to demonstrate one's committment to something

EXAMPLE: Trixy says that she wants to lose weight, but
I saw her eating cake and ice cream twice this week. I
guess her actions speak louder than her words.

IDIOM :to add fuel to the fire
MEANING: to contribute to a problem
EXAMPLE: Stop talking to those angry men! You're just
adding fuel to the fire.

IDIOM : afraid of (one's) own shadow (adj)
MEANING: filled with fear or apprehension
EXAMPLE: Scott is afraid of his own shadow. He sleeps
with the light on, and he won't even go outside after dark!

IDIOM : (be) all ears
MEANING: you want to hear what someone has to say
EXAMPLE: I'm all ears. Tell me your secret!

IDIOM :all of a sudden
MEANING: suddenly; unexpectedly; sooner than was
expected; at once
EXAMPLE: "We heard a strange noise; then all of a sudden, the lights went out!

IDIOM : ages / in ages /for ages
MEANING: for a long time
EXAMPLE: "How have you been? I haven't talked to you in ages!"

IDIOM : all right
MEANING: to agree with someone reluctantly
EXAMPLE: John: "Come to the party with me. Please!"
Dana: "Oh, all right. I don't want to, but I will."

IDIOM : all right
MEANING: so-so, fair; not particularly good
EXAMPLE: Carla: "How's your chemistry class?"
Diana: "It's all right, I guess,
but it's not the best class I've ever had."

IDIOM : all right
MEANING: unharmed; in satisfactory condition
EXAMPLE: Gail: "You don't look normal. Are you all
right?"
Beth: "Yes, but I have a
headache."


IDIOM : all that / all that and a bag of chips
MEANING: a slang expression that to say that someone
is very good-looking
EXAMPLE: Stop looking at yourself in the mirror.
You're not all that!
Do you see that guy over there? He's
all that and a bag of chips!

IDIOM : all thumbs
MEANING: extremely awkward or clumsy
EXAMPLE: I'm all thumbs today. I dropped my keys, my
glasses, and then I spilled my tea!

IDIOM : All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
MEANING: a phrase MEANING that people shouldn't work
all the time, that rest/play is necessary too
EXAMPLE: Hank has eight meetings this week, a
conference and two sales reports due. When does he
have time to rest? All work and no play makes Jack a
dull boy, you know!

IDIOM : and then some
MEANING: and much more besides
EXAMPLE: The test covered chapter 5 and then some. I
wasn't prepared for all the questions.

IDIOM : antsy
MEANING: restless; impatient and tired of waiting
EXAMPLE: Why are you so antsy today? Sit down and
relax!

IDIOM : apple of one's eye
MEANING: someone's favorite person
EXAMPLE: Marie loves all of her grandchildren, but
little Jenny is really the apple of her eye.
IDIOM : armed to the teeth
MEANING: furnished with weapons, or with something
that provides security, strength, or efficacy
EXAMPLE: The gang members were armed to the teeth. It
was a frightening sight to see these young boys so
fully armed.

IDIOM : as a rule
MEANING: for the most part; generally; normally;
usually
EXAMPLE: As a rule, I stay up late.

IDIOM : as easy as
pie (simile)
MEANING: very easy
EXAMPLE: The exam was as easy as pie. All of the
students scored high.
RELATED: a cinch

IDIOM : at ___ sharp (time)
MEANING: exactly on time
EXAMPLE: Our plane leaves at 6:57 sharp.

IDIOM : atall times
MEANING: constantly
EXAMPLE: The soldiers kept their boots on at all
times.

IDIOM : at first
MEANING: at the beginning; initially
EXAMPLE: Selena sang in Spanish at first, but soon she
began performing in English too.

IDIOM : at the eleventh hour
MEANING: at the last minute; almost too late
EXAMPLE: Iris finished her painting at the eleventh
hour, but the painting was in the gallery on time.
RELATED: in the nick of time

IDIOM : at the end of one's rope
MEANING: tired, frustrated, or disgusted beyond
endurance
EXAMPLE: I'm at the end of my rope with that child! If
she doesn't stop smoking and drinking, I'm going to
send her to a boarding school in Switzerland!

IDIOM : at the last minute
MEANING: almost too late; at the last possible moment
EXAMPLE: Iris finished her painting at the last
minute, but the painting was in the gallery on time.
RELATED: in the nick of time, at the eleventh hour

IDIOM : back to the drawing board
MEANING: to start over
EXAMPLE: Well, this idea didn't work, so I guess it's
back to the drawing board.

IDIOM : back to the salt mines
MEANING: to start working again after a break
EXAMPLE: Hey guys, break time is over. Back to the
salt mines!

IDIOM : to bad-mouth
MEANING: say unkind, spiteful, (and probably untrue)
things about someone
EXAMPLE: Steve is bad-mouthing Jack because he's
jealous of him, but Jack is really a nice guy.
RELATED: to talk trash about someone

IDIOM : (one’s) bark is worse than one's bite
MEANING: someone sounds scarier than they really are.
EXAMPLE: Don't be afraid of my father; his bark is
worse than his bite. He's really a big teddy bear!

IDIOM : bark up the wrong tree
MEANING: to look in the wrong place for a solution; to
proceed under a misapprehension; to misdirect one's
efforts
EXAMPLE: I was trying to find my keys in the bedroom,
but I was barking up the wrong tree. They were in the
kitchen.

IDIOM : be a piece of cake
MEANING: be very easy
EXAMPLE: Our final exam was a piece of cake. I thought
it would be more difficult than that.
RELATED: as easy as pie

IDIOM : be used to (+ -ing/noun)
MEANING: to be accustomed to something; something is
normal for you
EXAMPLE: My Japanese students are used to eating soup
for breakfast, but that seems strange to me because
most Americans are used to eating cereal or eggs for
breakfast.

IDIOM : (be) beat
MEANING: to be very tired, or exhausted
EXAMPLE: I've had a long day. I'm beat!
RELATED: (be) dead tired

IDIOM : to beat around the bush
MEANING: to avoid giving a direct answer, or evade
something
EXAMPLE: Some people give bad news by beating around
the bush, but I prefer the news directly.
RELATED: to dance around the issue

IDIOM : to beat (one's) brains out
MEANING: to try very hard to understand or do
something
EXAMPLE: Can you figure out the answer to this algebra
problem? I've been beating my brains out with it, but
I just can't find the correct answer! I'm really
frustrated.

IDIOM : Beats me!
MEANING: I have no idea!
EXAMPLE: Lee: "What time's the meeting?"
Jack: "Beats me! Let's ask Susan."

IDIOM : before long
MEANING: soon
EXAMPLE: Before long your English will be much better!

RELATED: in no time

IDIOM : (get) bent out of shape
MEANING: to be upset about something
EXAMPLE: "Hey, I know you're angry about failing the
test, but don't get so bent out of shape.
I'm sure that your next test will be better.

IDIOM : bite off more than (one)can chew
MEANING: try to do more than (one) can manage
EXAMPLE: Sara's work is behind schedule. I think she
bit off more than she can chew.

IDIOM : blabbermouth (n)
MEANING: a very talkative person--especially one who
gossips or tells secrets
EXAMPLE: My cousin is a big blabbermouth! She told my
sister about my secret money.

IDIOM : to blow (one's) stack
MEANING: to become extremely angry
EXAMPLE: Angie came in late to work three times this
week. Her supervisor blew her stack and fired her. I
hope Angie learns to be more prompt!

IDIOM : to blow (one's) top
MEANING: to become extremely angry
EXAMPLE: Angie came in late to work three times this
week. Her supervisor blew her top and fired her. I
hope Angie learns to be more prompt!
RELATED: to have a cow

IDIOM : (be) blue / to feel blue
MEANING: to feel depressed and sad
EXAMPLE: When Nell's dog died, she was blue for
several weeks. She felt blue for a long time.

IDIOM : boom box (n)
MEANING: portable cassette/CD player
EXAMPLE: We brought our boom box to the party and
everybody danced for three hours.

IDIOM : the bottom line
MEANING: the most important piece of information
EXAMPLE: "I'm sorry Peter, but the bottom line is that
you are failing all of your classes because you don't
study hard enough."
RELATED: in a nutshell

IDIOM : Break a leg!
MEANING: Good luck!
EXAMPLE: I heard that your test is tomorrow. Break a
leg!
ORIGIN: Dancers believed that it was bad luck to wish
someone "Good luck" before a performance, so they told
the dancer, "Break a leg!" instead.

IDIOM : to break (one's) heart
MEANING: to give (one) very bad news, or make (one)
feel very bad, sad or dissappointed
EXAMPLE: "Joe broke his mother's heart when he dropped
out of school."

IDIOM : broke (adj)
MEANING: to have no money
EXAMPLE: "No, you can't borrow ten dollars. I'm
completely broke until Friday."

IDIOM : buck(s)
MEANING: dollar(s), money
EXAMPLE: I need 10 bucks for my lab project.

IDIOM : to bug (one)
MEANING: to annoy; to bother; to pester
EXAMPLE: "Hey! I'm trying to finish this. Don't bug
me!"

IDIOM : (be) bull-headed
MEANING: to be stubborn; inflexible
EXAMPLE: Steve is very bull-headed. He won't take
anyone's advice but his own.

IDIOM : a bundle (n)
MEANING: a lot of money
EXAMPLE: The university tuition in California costs a
bundle! It's far too expensive!
RELATED: cost (one) an arm and a leg

IDIOM : to burn the midnight oil
MEANING: to study or work until very late at night, or
all night long
EXAMPLE: Jen: "Why has George been burning the
midnight oil so often lately?"
Stan: "He needs the overtime pay. His
car payment is overdue."

IDIOM : (be) bushed
MEANING: to be very tired; exhausted
EXAMPLE: I've had a long day. I'm bushed!
RELATED: (be) beat

IDIOM : by (one)self
MEANING: without help; all alone
EXAMPLE: "Jennie made these cookies all by herself."

IDIOM : by the skin of (one's) teeth
MEANING: to barely succeed in doing something.
EXAMPLE: I finished my project by the skin of my
teeth. I didn't realize that it would take that long!
IDIOM : to call it a day
MEANING: to finish work for the day
EXAMPLE: "I'm tired. Let's call it a day."

IDIOM : to call it quits
MEANING: to finish work for the day
EXAMPLE: "I'm tired. Let's call it quits."

IDIOM : can't make heads or tails of something
MEANING: can't understand something at all; find
something confusing and illogical
EXAMPLE: DeeDee can't make heads or tails of her
assignment. She should ask the teacher for help.

IDIOM : to catch forty winks
MEANING: to sleep for a while; take a nap
EXAMPLE: "You look like you're tired. Why don't you
catch forty winks?"

IDIOM : to catch (one's) eye
MEANING: to attract (one's) attention/interest
EXAMPLE: Pretty colors always catch my eye when I go
shopping.

IDIOM : to catch some Zs / to catch a few Zs
MEANING: to sleep for a while; take a nap
EXAMPLE: "You look like you're tired. Why don't you
catch some Zs?"
ORIGIN: In cartoons, when people sleep, it shows them
with line of Zs coming from their mouths.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz represents snoring.

IDIOM : to change one's mind
MEANING: to decide to do something different from what
was decided earlier
EXAMPLE: Amy: "I thought you wanted pizza for dinner.
Why are you eating a hamburger?"
Eva: "I changed my mind."

IDIOM : (be) chicken (adj. or n)
MEANING: afraid; cowardly
EXAMPLE: Leo won't ride the roller coaster. He's
chicken / a chicken.

IDIOM : chow (n)
MEANING: food
EXAMPLE: "How's the chow at that restaurant? Is it
good?"

IDIOM : to chow down
MEANING: to eat
EXAMPLE: "I'm ready to chow down! What time is
dinner?"
RELATED: to grab a bite

IDIOM : a cinch
MEANING: very easy
EXAMPLE: The exam was a cinch. All of the students
scored high.

IDIOM : cool
MEANING: good, special, wonderful, terrific
EXAMPLE: English-Zone.Com is a cool place to learn
IDIOM s.

IDIOM : Cool it!
MEANING: Stop it!
EXAMPLE: "Cool it! If you complain again, we're going
to go back home!"
RELATED: Cut it out!

IDIOM : cost (one) an arm and a leg
MEANING: to cost a lot; be very expensive
EXAMPLE: The university tuition in California costs an
arm and a leg! It's far too expensive!
RELATED: a bundle (n)

IDIOM : couch potato
MEANING: someone who spends too much time watching TV
EXAMPLE: My brother is a big couch potato. He needs to
turn off the TV and get more exercise!

IDIOM : cram
MEANING: try to learn a lot of information very
quickly
EXAMPLE: Many students cram the night before a test,
but forget the information right after the test.

IDIOM : crash course (n)
MEANING: a short course to learn a lot of information
in a very short time
EXAMPLE: Nora wants to take a crash course in cooking
because she's going to have a dinner party.

IDIOM : Cut it out!
MEANING: stop doing something that's annoying to me
EXAMPLE: Those students are making too much noise.
They'd better cut it out!
IDIOM : Cool it!

IDIOM : dicey (adj)
MEANING: risky; uncertain; taking a big chance
EXAMPLE: Buying stock in lesser-known companies can be
a little dicey.

IDIOM : to ditch class
MEANING: to skip class; to play hookey
EXAMPLE: Omar ditched class yesterday, and he missed
an important test.

IDIOM : to do a bang-up job
MEANING: to do a very good job; do very well at
something
EXAMPLE: Veronica did a bang-up job on her English
project. She got the highest score in the class.

IDIOM : Don't count your chickens until they hatch
MEANING: Don't assume that something will happen until
it has happened
EXAMPLE: Nina: "I want to buy a new car and a house
when I win the lotto next week."
Tess: "Don't count your chickens
until they hatch!"

IDIOM : (be) down in the dumps
MEANING: to be depressed; sad
EXAMPLE: After the World Trade Center was destroyed,
many people were down in the dumps for a long time.
Some people will probably never feel better.
RELATED: (be) blue

IDIOM : to drag one's feet
MEANING: to delay; to take longer than necessary to do
something
EXAMPLE: It seems like the clerk at the government
office is dragging his feet. My visa should have been
approved weeks ago.

IDIOM : to drop (one) a line
MEANING: to write to (one)
EXAMPLE: "Please drop me a line when you get to
Taiwan."
RELATED: to keep in touch

IDIOM : an eager beaver
MEANING: a person who wants to do something very much
EXAMPLE: Bethany sure is an eager beaver today.
Yesterday I told her that if she wakes up early and
finished her work, I'd take her to to zoo. I guess she
really wants to go because it's only 8:00 A.M. and
she's already cleaned her room and taken out the
trash! Now she's waiting by the door to go to the zoo.


IDIOM : Easy does it!
MEANING: Be careful! ; Don't move too fast!
EXAMPLE: Easy does it! The milk is ready to spill.

IDIOM : an egghead
MEANING: an intelligent person who spends a lot of
time with books, but not as much time with people
EXAMPLE: In the Harry Potter books, the character of
Hermione is an egghead.

IDIOM : elbow grease
MEANING: effort; hard work
EXAMPLE: I used a little elbow grease and got the
stain out of the carpet.

IDIOM : every other _____ (day/line/week/month/etc.)
MEANING: alternately; omitting the second one in each
group of two.
EXAMPLE: The teacher asked us to write on every other
line so that she could correct our compositions more
easily.


IDIOM : far-fetched
MEANING: difficult to believe; difficult to accept;
not credible
EXAMPLE: Judy's excuse for being late is pretty
far-fetched. Nobody's going to believe her!

IDIOM : (be) fed up with someone or something
MEANING: to have no more patience with one, or to be
very tired of one
EXAMPLE: Susan is fed up with her job, and I'm fed up
with Susan always complaining about it!

IDIOM : to feel blue / (be) blue
MEANING: to feel depressed and sad
EXAMPLE: When Nell's dog died, she felt blue for
several weeks. She was blue for a long time.

IDIOM : to fire (one)
MEANING: to dismiss (one) from a job due to poor job
performance
EXAMPLE: Perry's supervisor fired him last week
because he was always late for work.

IDIOM : a fender-bender
MEANING: an automobile accident
EXAMPLE: Henry was in fender-bender last week, and now
his insurance rates are going up.

IDIOM : for ages
MEANING: for a long time
EXAMPLE: "How have you been? I haven't talked to you
for ages!"
RELATED: in ages
IDIOM : to get a kick out of something
MEANING: to find something entertaining, or amusing
EXAMPLE: I really get a kick out of watching my cat
play.

IDIOM : to get a move on
MEANING: to hurry
EXAMPLE: "Get a move on, or you're going to be late!"
RELATED: to get going / to shake a leg / move it

IDIOM : to get going
MEANING: to leave
EXAMPLE: "Larry, it's getting late. You'd better get
going!"
RELATED: to get a move on / to shake a leg / move it

IDIOM : to get in (one's) hair
MEANING: to pester, or annoy someone; to bother
EXAMPLE: "I'm making dinner now, and I don't want
anyone to get in my hair. Everyone out of the kitchen
now!"

IDIOM : to get it
MEANING: to understand something
EXAMPLE: "What do you mean? I don't get it."

IDIOM : Get lost!
MEANING: Go away! Don't bother me!
EXAMPLE: "Get lost! Leave me alone!"

IDIOM : to get on (one's) nerves
MEANING: to annoy or irritate someone; to make someone
upset
EXAMPLE: "Please stop humming. It's really getting on
my nerves."

IDIOM : to get (one's) wires crossed
MEANING: to be mistaken or confused about something; a
miscommunication
EXAMPLE: "I thought we were going to meet at nine, but
Susie thought we were going to meet at ten. I guess we
got our wires crossed."

IDIOM : to get out of hand
MEANING: to lose control of a situation
EXAMPLE: "In-class talking is getting out of hand. The
students need to stop talking in class."

IDIOM : Get real!
MEANING: Be realistic! / Don't be naive.
EXAMPLE: "Get real! Very few people win money in the
lottery!"

IDIOM : get up and go (n)
MEANING: energy
EXAMPLE: "I don't have any get up and go. I'm
exhausted."

IDIOM : to give (one) a hand
MEANING: to help someone
EXAMPLE: Frank is always there to give me a hand. He's
such a helpful guy.
RELATED: to lend someone a hand

IDIOM : to give (one) a hand
MEANING: to applaud out of respect or appreciation
EXAMPLE: When the politician finished his speech, the
audience gave him a hand.

IDIOM : to give up
MEANING: to stop, quit, or abandon
EXAMPLE: You can learn English! Don't give up!

IDIOM : to go with the flow
MEANING: to take things as they come; be casual and
easygoing
EXAMPLE: I decided to quit worrying about whether the
party was going to be successful or not, and to just
go with the flow. When I relaxed, I had a much better
time.

IDIOM : a go-getter / a real go-getter (n)
MEANING: a hard-working, or ambitious person
EXAMPLE: The new salesman is a real go-getter. He's
going to be the president of the company if he
continues like this!

IDIOM : to grab a bite
MEANING: to get something to eat
EXAMPLE: "I'm ready to grab a bite. Want to go for a
burger with me?"
RELATED: chow down

IDIOM : (be) green (adj.)
MEANING: inexperienced
EXAMPLE: "The new supervisor is too green. He has no
idea what he's doing."

IDIOM : (be) green with envy
MEANING: jealous; envious
EXAMPLE: "Did you see Myrna's new car? I'm just green
with envy!"

IDIOM : hard feelings (n)
MEANING: bad feelings; anger; animosity; bitter
feelings
EXAMPLE: "I'm sorry that we got into an argument.
Please, let's have no hard feelings over this."

IDIOM : (be) hard-headed (adj)
MEANING: to be unwilling to change; stubborn;
inflexible
EXAMPLE: "Jason will never change his mind. He's
really hard-headed sometimes!"

IDIOM : a hassle (n)
MEANING: a bothersome situation; something troublesome
that interrupts the normal routine
EXAMPLE: "What a hassle! My supervisor wants to have
all of the reports finished by the end of the week."

IDIOM : to hassle (v)
MEANING: to bother; annoy; interrupt a normal routine
EXAMPLE: "My boss is hassling me to finish these
reports before Friday."

IDIOM : to have (one's) hands full
MEANING: to be very, very busy
EXAMPLE: "I'd love to help you, but I've got my hands
full moving this weekend. Sorry!"

IDIOM : to have (something) down pat
MEANING: to know something completely; or understand
something thoroughly
EXAMPLE: The students had the lesson down pat, and
they all passed the test.
RELATED: to have something down pat / to know
something inside out

IDIOM : head honcho (n)
MEANING: the top boss; the person in charge
EXAMPLE: "Who's the head honcho of this division?"

IDIOM : to hit the books
MEANING: to study
EXAMPLE: "I've got to hit the books because there's an
exam in class tomorrow."

IDIOM : to hit the hay / hit the sack
MEANING: to go to bed; go to sleep
EXAMPLE: It's getting late. I'm going to hit the hay.
/ I'm going to hit the sack.

IDIOM : How come?
MEANING: a different way to ask "Why?"
EXAMPLE: "How come you didn't do your homework?"

IDIOM : If I had my druthers.
MEANING: if I could do what I'd rather do
EXAMPLE: "If Bill had his druthers, he'd stay on the
computer day and night."
ORIGIN: This comes from the pronunciation of "I'd
rather." (If I had my "I'd rathers.")

IDIOM : (be) in and out
MEANING: to come and go from a place often
EXAMPLE: Sam was in and out of the office most of the
day today.

IDIOM : in over (one's) head
MEANING: in a situation that is too difficult to
handle alone
EXAMPLE: "Could you have time to help me please? I'm
afraid I'm in over my head. I just can't handle ths
alone."

IDIOM : in stock (adj)
MEANING: a product is available to buy or sell
EXAMPLE: "We're out of stock on the deluxe vacuum
cleaner, but we have the super model in stock."

IDIOM : in the black (adj)
MEANING: profitable; not showing a financial loss
EXAMPLE: The @Home Corporation hasn't been in the
black for the past year.

IDIOM : in the red (adj)
MEANING: unprofitable; showing a financial loss
EXAMPLE: The @Home Corporation has been in the red for
the past year, so they filed bankruptcy.

IDIOM : in time (adj)
MEANING: not late
EXAMPLE: "Petra was in time for her meeting. In fact,
she was 20 minutes early."
RELATED: on time

IDIOM : inside out (adj)
MEANING: reversed; with the inner part on the outside
and the outer part on the inside
EXAMPLE: "Did you know that your shirt is inside
out?!"

IDIOM : to jump all over (one)
MEANING: to harshly criticize or find fault with (one)

EXAMPLE: "I can't believe it! Ally just jumped all
over me! What's her problem today?!"

IDIOM : to jump down (one's) throat
MEANING: to scold, or reprimand someone harshly; to
berate someone
EXAMPLE: "Nigel just jumped down my throat! What's his
problem today?!"

IDIOM : to jump the gun
MEANING: to do something too early, or before it's
time
EXAMPLE: "Angel jumped the gun and told the other
employees that they were getting a raise. Now it turns
out that nobody is getting a raise!"
ORIGIN: At the start of a race, the judge fires a gun.
If a racer starts to early, it's said that he jumped
the gun.

IDIOM : to jump to conclusions
MEANING: to make a conclusion without all the
necessary facts
EXAMPLE: I thought Mark didn't like me, but I was just
jumping to conclusions. He told me today that he does
like me.

IDIOM : junk mail (n)
MEANING: unwanted, or unsolicited mail
EXAMPLE: "I got a bunch of junk mail today."

IDIOM : to keep an eye on
MEANING: to watch; to check regularly
EXAMPLE: "Raymond, please keep an eye on your little
brother while I go to the store."

IDIOM : to keep an eye out for
MEANING: be careful of; to watch for
EXAMPLE: "Please keep an eye out for Amy. I need to
talk to her."

IDIOM : to keep in touch
MEANING: to stay in contact with someone by writing,
calling, sending e-mail, etc. on a regular basis
EXAMPLE: "Armando and I keep in touch by mail."

IDIOM : to keep (one's) chin up
MEANING: to remain brave or confident in a difficult
situation
EXAMPLE: "Job-hunting is difficult. Keep your chin up
- you'll find a job soon."

IDIOM : to keep (one's) fingers crossed
MEANING: to hope for the best; to wish someone luck
EXAMPLE: "Keep your fingers crossed for me. I have a
difficult exam in half an hour."

IDIOM : to keep (one's) nose to the grindstone
MEANING: stay diligent; work steadily
EXAMPLE: "Lenny finished his project early by keeping
his nose to the grindstone."

IDIOM : a kid (n)
MEANING: a child
EXAMPLE: "Kathy has two kids, and Fred has one kid."

IDIOM : to kid (v)
MEANING: to tease; to playfully say something untrue
EXAMPLE: "I like to kid my brother about losing his
hair."

IDIOM : kind of / kinda
MEANING: a little bit; rather; more or less;
EXAMPLE: "I'm kind of hungry. Maybe I'll make a
sandwich." "I'm kinda hungry too."

IDIOM : a klutz (n)
MEANING: an ungraceful person; awkward; an
uncoordinated person
EXAMPLE: "I was such a klutz the other day. I was
shopping, and I knocked over a row of glasses and
broke them! I was so embarrassed!"

IDIOM : klutzy (adj)
MEANING: to be ungraceful; awkward; uncoordinated
EXAMPLE: "I can be so klutzy sometimes! Once, when I
was shopping, I knocked over a row of glasses and
broke them! I was so embarrassed!"

IDIOM : to know something backwards and forwards
MEANING: to know something completely; or understand
something thoroughly
EXAMPLE: The students knew the material backwards and
forwards, and they all passed the test.
RELATED: to have something down pat / to know
something inside out

IDIOM : to know something inside out
MEANING: to know something completely; or understand
something thoroughly
EXAMPLE: The students knew the material inside out,
and they all passed the test.
RELATED: to have something down pat / to know
something backwards and forwards

IDIOM : a know-it-all (n)
MEANING: a person who acts like he/she knows
everything
EXAMPLE: "Yvonne is a know-it-all and she won't listen
to anything you have to say."

IDIOM : to lead the way
MEANING: to be the leader
EXAMPLE: "The EZ Company is leading the way to faster
and better customer service."

IDIOM : to leave well enough alone
MEANING: to purposefully do nothing because you might
make the situation worse
EXAMPLE: "Don't try to scare away the bear. Leave well
enough alone."

IDIOM : to lend someone a hand
MEANING: to help someone
EXAMPLE: Frank is always there to lend me a hand. He's
such a helpful guy.
RELATED: to give someone a hand

IDIOM : to let (one) know
MEANING: to tell (one)
EXAMPLE: "If you're interested in seeing a movie this
weekend, just let me know."

IDIOM : Let sleeping dogs lie.
MEANING: Don't cause problems by doing something when
it's not necessary.
EXAMPLE: "Don't ask the teacher if we're going to have
another test. Just let sleeping dogs lie!"

IDIOM : a let-down (n)
MEANING: a disappointment; a very disappointing event
or situation
EXAMPLE: "What a let-down. I thought I'd won first
prize, but I actually lost."

IDIOM : Live and let live.
MEANING: allow people to live as they wish
EXAMPLE: "Many conservative people get upset about
homosexuals, but I think that the people who get upset
should just learn to live and let live."

IDIOM : to live from hand to mouth
MEANING: to have only enough money to pay for basic
needs; survive on very little money
EXAMPLE: Many families are living from hand to mouth
since the recession.

IDIOM : lousy (adj)
MEANING: very bad; terrible
EXAMPLE: "We went out to dinner last night. The food
was good, but the service was lousy."

IDIOM : a low blow (n) (1)
MEANING: a big disappointment
EXAMPLE: A: Linda was dealt a low blow today. Her
secretary was promoted to the job that Linda wanted.

IDIOM : a low blow (n) (2)
MEANING: a big insult; something that shouldn't have
been said
EXAMPLE: Brother: "You're stupid and you'll never
become an astronaut! You're just a dumb girl!"
Sister: "Ooooh! That was a low
blow! You are mean!"

IDIOM : macho
MEANING: too masculine; masculine to an extreme; a
type of chauvinistic behavior
EXAMPLE: "Stop acting like a macho man and change the
baby's diaper!"

IDIOM : make a left/make a right
MEANING: to turn left / to turn right; to make a turn
in the direction indicated
EXAMPLE: "Make a right at the corner, then go
straight."

IDIOM : make a mountain out of a molehill
MEANING: make something out to be more important than
it really is
EXAMPLE: Just because you made a mistake, doesn't mean
they are going to fire you. You're just making a
mountain out of a molehill."

IDIOM : make a note of
MEANING: to write something down; to make a mental
note
EXAMPLE: "Let me make a note of that."

IDIOM : to make fun of (one)
MEANING: to mock or ridicule (one); to tease (one)
EXAMPLE: "It's not nice to make fun of your brother!"
RELATED: poke fun at (one)

IDIOM : to make sure
MEANING: to confirm; check; be positive about
something
EXAMPLE: "Let me make sure that the party is Friday
night, and not Saturday. After I make sure, I'll call
you."

IDIOM : to make up (one's) mind
MEANING: to decide what to do; make a decision
EXAMPLE: Alma can't seem to make up her mind which
university she wants to attend. She's been accepted at
three different universities, and she needs to make up
her mind soon.

IDIOM : no matter what
MEANING: regardless of anything else
EXAMPLE: "I promise you that no matter what, we'll
always be friends."

IDIOM : No way!
MEANING: a very emphatic NO; Absolutely not! /
Definitely not!
EXAMPLE: A: "No way! I won't help you cheat!"

IDIOM : no wonder
MEANING: it's no surprise; it's obvious
EXAMPLE: "It's no wonder that Tammy is failing her
classes. She never studies."
"Aha! The car is out of gas. No
wonder it won't start!"

IDIOM : nosh
MEANING: to snack; to eat lightly from boredom
EXAMPLE: "Susan should quit noshing on everything in
sight. She's really starting to gain weight."

IDIOM : Not in this lifetime!
MEANING: a very emphatic NO; Absolutely not! /
Definitely not!
EXAMPLE: A: "Are you going to go skydiving?"
B: "Not in this lifetime! Are you
crazy?!"
PRONUNCIATION NOTE: the emphasis in on the word THIS -
Not in THIS lifetime!

IDIOM : Not on your life!
MEANING: a very emphatic NO; Absolutely not! /
Definitely not!
EXAMPLE: A: "Someone said that Helena stole money from
the teacher's desk! Do you think it's true?"
B: "Not on your life! Helena would
never do that!"

IDIOM : now and then
MEANING: sometimes; occasionally; from time to time
EXAMPLE: "Do you ever play tennis?"
"Well, not very often. I play now
and then, but not regularly."
RELATED: once in a while

IDIOM : to nuke
MEANING: to heat (obj) in a microwave
EXAMPLE: "If your dinner is cold, you can nuke it for
a minute or so."

IDIOM : nuts (adj)
MEANING: crazy
EXAMPLE: A: "Are you going to go skydiving?"
B: "No way! Are you nuts?!"

IDIOM : OK
MEANING: to agree with someone reluctantly
EXAMPLE: John: "Come to the party with me. Please!"
Dana: "Well, OK. I don't want to,
but I will."

IDIOM : OK
MEANING: so-so, fair; not particularly good or bad
EXAMPLE: Carla: "How's your chemistry class?"
Diana: "It's OK, I guess. But it's
not the best class I've ever had."

IDIOM : OK
MEANING: unharmed; in satisfactory condition
EXAMPLE: Gail: "You don't look normal. Are you OK?"
Beth: "Yes. I just have a
headache."

IDIOM : OK (v)
MEANING: to approve
EXAMPLE: "When the supervisors OK my expediture
reports, I can fax them to you."

IDIOM : OK (n)
MEANING: approval
EXAMPLE: "When the supervisors gave me the OK, I faxed
the reports to the main office."

IDIOM : on (one's) behalf
MEANING: to do something in another person's place.
EXAMPLE: "Hester couldn't go to the awards show, so
Sharon accepted the award on her behalf."

IDIOM : on (one's) last legs
MEANING: in very bad condition
EXAMPLE: "My car is on its last legs. I need to
replace it or repair it soon."

IDIOM : on behalf of (one)
MEANING: to do something in another person's place.
EXAMPLE: "On behalf of Hester, I'd like to accept this
award."

IDIOM : on the cutting edge
MEANING: using the most recent technology
EXAMPLE: "Bill Gates new computer program is on the
cutting edge. It's amazing software."

IDIOM : on the dot
MEANING: exactly at a given time
EXAMPLE: "We're going at 9:00 on the dot. If Sam is
late, we'll go without him."

IDIOM : (be) on the go
MEANING: to be very busy (going from one thing or
project to another)
EXAMPLE: "Frank has been on the go all weekend. When
does he sleep?!"

IDIOM : on the level
MEANING: honest; truthful
EXAMPLE: "Do you think the salesman is on the level?
I'm not sure I believe this car has a 20-year
warranty."

IDIOM : (be) on the road
MEANING: to be traveling
EXAMPLE: Ben was on the road all last week, so he is a
little behind in returning his phone calls.

IDIOM : (be) on the tip of (one's) tongue
MEANING: to be very close to figuring out or
remembering the answer
EXAMPLE: Beth: "What's the word for the other animal
that looks like a crocodile?"
Lee: "Give me a second - it's on the tip of my tongue.
Ummm...hmm...allisaur...no... I got it - alligator!"

IDIOM : on time
MEANING: not late; at the scheduled time
EXAMPLE: "It's getting late. You'd better hurry if you
want to get to work on time."

IDIOM : once in a while
MEANING: sometimes; occasionally; from time to time
EXAMPLE: "Do you ever play tennis?"
"Well, not very often. I play once
in a while, but not regularly."
RELATED: now and then

IDIOM : one at a time
MEANING: in a singlular fashion; individually
EXAMPLE: "Students, come up and get your compositions
from my desk one at a time."

IDIOM : or so
MEANING: an inexact amount
EXAMPLE: "Please write five or so sentences with
IDIOM s, and then hand them in."

IDIOM : out of the question
MEANING: unacceptable; unallowable; impossible
EXAMPLE: "I'm sorry, but going to Paris alone is out
of the question. You're only 15 years old!"

IDIOM : (be) over
MEANING: to be finished; to end
EXAMPLE: Lee: "What time will your meeting be over?"
Jane: "It'll be over around 4."

IDIOM : over one's head
MEANING: too complicated or difficult to understand
EXAMPLE: "Quantum physics is just over my head. I'll
never understand this!"
"I think the joke was over Sara's
head. She didn't laugh, so she must not have
understood."

IDIOM : to pass away
MEANING: to die
EXAMPLE: "My uncle passed away in October."

IDIOM : to pay (one) a visit
MEANING: to visit (one)
EXAMPLE: "I think I'll pay Marian a visit. I haven't
seen her for a couple of months."

IDIOM : to pay the piper
MEANING: to face the consequences for something you've
done
EXAMPLE: "I broke my mother's vase. Tomorrow I'll have
to pay the piper. She is going to be really angry!"

IDIOM : to pay through the nose
MEANING: to pay too much for something
EXAMPLE: "With the interest rates of some credit
cards, you can easily end up paying through the nose."


IDIOM : (be) a piece of cake
MEANING: be very easy
EXAMPLE: Our final exam was a piece of cake. I thought
it would be more difficult than that.
IDIOM : plastic (n)
MEANING: credit card(s)
EXAMPLE: "Do you have any cash on you? All I have is
plastic."
IDIOM : to poke fun at (one)
MEANING: to mock or ridicule (one); to tease (one)
EXAMPLE: "It's not nice to poke fun at your brother!"
RELATED: to make fun of (one)
IDIOM : (be) pooped
MEANING: to be very tired, or exhausted
EXAMPLE: I've had a long day. I'm pooped!
RELATED: (be) beat / (be) dead tired
IDIOM : pop quiz (n)
MEANING: a surprise test; an unannounced short test
EXAMPLE: "Do you think we'll have a pop quiz today?"
IDIOM : pretty (adv.)
MEANING: rather; somewhat
EXAMPLE: "Bill Gates was pretty clever to make
Internet Explorer and Windows interconnected."

IDIOM : to pull an all-nighter
MEANING: to study all night or work all night without
sleeping
EXAMPLE: Many students pull an all-nighter before a
test. IDIOM : to pull (one's) leg
MEANING: to tease (one) by trying to make (one)
believe something that's exaggerated or untrue
EXAMPLE: "Guess what? I've climbed Mt. Everest three
times!"
"No way! You're just pulling my
leg. You're too lazy to walk upstairs, so let's forget
about Everest!" IDIOM : to pull (oneself) together
MEANING: to compose (oneself)
EXAMPLE: "Oh no! What am I going to do? Oh no!!!
Oh...!"
"Hey, pull yourself together. You
just broke an egg, you didn't do anything wrong!"
IDIOM : to put on airs
MEANING: to behave in a manner above one's station in
life
EXAMPLE: "Mary's always putting on airs. How many
times will she wear her fur coat to try and make us
jealous?! Sheesh!" IDIOM : to put up with
MEANING: to tolerate
EXAMPLE: "I'm not going to put up with your lying
anymore! Go to your room!"
IDIOM : a quick study (n)
MEANING: a person who learns new things quickly and
easily
EXAMPLE: "Marty is a quick study. I showed her how to
do that one time, and she's doing it better than I
am!"
IDIOM : quite a few
MEANING: many; several; numerous
EXAMPLE: "Peter can't meet you after class. He's got
quite a few assignments he has to finish."


IDIOM : R and R
MEANING: Rest and Relaxation (a vacation)
EXAMPLE: I need some R and R. I've been working too
hard.

IDIOM : race against time
MEANING: something must be finished by a deadline, due
date, or certain time
EXAMPLE: We're in a race against time to finish the
sales brochure before the big sale.

IDIOM : It's raining cats and dogs.
MEANING: to rain very hard
EXAMPLE: It's raining cats and dogs outside! I've
never seen it rain so hard!

IDIOM : rain or shine
MEANING: no matter what the weather is
EXAMPLE: We're moving to our new aprtment tomorrow,
rain or shine.

IDIOM : to read someone's mind
MEANING: to know what someone is thinking
EXAMPLE: Teachers can't read your mind. If you don't
understand, you've got to ask a question!

IDIOM : red tape
MEANING: complications; difficulties
EXAMPLE: There is a lot of red tape involved in
building a new skyscraper.

IDIOM : right away
MEANING: immediately
EXAMPLE: We need to leave right away, or we'll miss
the train!

IDIOM : to rub someone the wrong way
MEANING: to bother someone; irritate someone; annoy
someone
EXAMPLE: The girls' loud voices are rubbing everyone
the wrong way today. They have gotten several dirty
looks from passersby in the mall.

IDIOM : to run out of
MEANING: to use up the supply of something
EXAMPLE: I hope we don't run out of gas before we
reach the gas station.

IDIOM : feel run-down
MEANING: to feel unwell; weak; fatigued
EXAMPLE: You look run-down. Have you seen a doctor
lately?

IDIOM : (be) run-down
MEANING: in poor condition; needing repair
EXAMPLE: This neighborhood is very old. All the
buildings look really run-down.

IDIOM : (computer, literature, etc.) ___-savvy
MEANING: to have a lot of knowledge about (something)
EXAMPLE: "If you want a new computer, get some advice
from Melany first. She's very computer-savvy. "

IDIOM : a scam
MEANING: a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation
EXAMPLE: A lot of the email I get involves scams to
make money from other people. I just delete it all.

IDIOM : a scaredy-cat
MEANING: an unduly fearful person
EXAMPLE: Scott is a scaredy-cat. He sleeps with the
light on, and he won't even go outside after dark!

IDIOM : scatterbrained (adj)
MEANING: a silly, careless, disorganized person
EXAMPLE: Maria is so scatterbrained sometimes! She
lost her glasses three times today, and they were
sitting right on top of her head!

IDIOM : to schmooze
MEANING: to converse idly; make relaxed, casual
conversation
EXAMPLE: "At the meeting, we didn't discuss business.
We just schmoozed."

IDIOM : scratch (one's) back
MEANING: to do a favor for someone
EXAMPLE: "If you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.
Now please get me those secret files. You can have my
secretary's phone number after I get the files."

IDIOM : see a man about a horse
MEANING: a silly sentence that men say to announce
that they need to go to the restroom (toilet)
EXAMPLE: Jack went to see a man about a horse. He'll
be back in a minute.

IDIOM : to see eye to eye
MEANING: to have a common viewpoint
EXAMPLE: My husband and I see eye to eye on how to
raise our children.

IDIOM : to see (someone) about
MEANING: to consult; to check or ask about (someone)
EXAMPLE: I'm going to see your teacher about your
grades. I hope you've been studying!

IDIOM : sell (someone) down the river
MEANING: to betray the faith of
EXAMPLE: Why did you give company information to the
competitor? You sold us down the river!

IDIOM : settle the score
MEANING: to get revenge; to inflict punishment by way
of repayment for something
EXAMPLE: After Bill stole my girlfriend, I found a way
to settle the score. I set fire to his school project!


IDIOM : Seventh Heaven
MEANING: a state of extreme joy
EXAMPLE: I love chocolate. When I went to the
chocolate festival last week, I was really in seventh
Heaven!
ORIGIN: from the seventh being the highest of the
seven heavens of Islamic and cabalist doctrine

IDIOM : Shake a leg!
MEANING: Hurry up!
EXAMPLE: "You'd better shake a leg or you're going to
be late for work!"
RELATED: Step on it!

IDIOM : Shape up or ship out!
MEANING: to improve to a good or acceptable condition
or standard of behavior
EXAMPLE: Gary needs to get his life in order. His
parents told him to shape up or ship out.

IDIOM : shoot off one's mouth
MEANING: to speak hastily without consideration of the
consequences
EXAMPLE: If you hadn't shot off your big mouth, we
wouldn't be in trouble now!

IDIOM : shoot the breeze
MEANING: to converse idly; make relaxed, casual
conversation
EXAMPLE: "At the meeting, we didn't discuss business.
We just shot the breeze."

IDIOM : to shop around
MEANING: to compare prices on specific merchandise at
various stores.
EXAMPLE: I want to buy a new vacuum cleaner, so I've
been shopping around for one.

IDIOM : to show off
MEANING: to display proudly; to seek to attract
attention by conspicuous behavior
EXAMPLE: When I got engaged, I couldn't wait to show
off my engagement ring!
The boys ran, jumped, and shouted
to show off for the girls.

IDIOM : to show (someone) around
MEANING: give (someone) a tour; escort (someone)
EXAMPLE: The department supervisor will show the new
employees around the factory tomorrow.

IDIOM : (be) sick of
MEANING: having one's patience, tolerance, or pleasure
exhausted
EXAMPLE: Mother: "I'm sick of your constant arguing,
children! Now, be quiet and go to your rooms!"

IDIOM : sitting pretty
MEANING: to be in a highly favorable situation
EXAMPLE: Bill Gates and Donald Trump are sitting
pretty. I wish I had half as much money as either one
of them do!

IDIOM : Six of one, half dozen of the other.
MEANING: it doesn't matter - the choices are equally
similar
EXAMPLE: Nicolas: "Do you want to rent a video, or go
to the movies tonight?"
Gia: "Six of one, half dozen
of the other."
Nicolas: "Then let's just rent a
video."

IDIOM : to skip ___ (work, class, school, a meeting,
etc.)
MEANING: to fail to attend or participate in
EXAMPLE: I knew there was going to be a substitute
teacher today, so I skipped class.

IDIOM : to skip out
MEANING: to leave hurriedly or secretly; to depart
from quickly and secretly
EXAMPLE: At the restaurant yesterday, two customers
skipped out without paying their bill.
"Did you hear about jack? He
skipped town last week!"

IDIOM : sky-high (adj)
MEANING: very expensive
EXAMPLE: Gas prices were sky-high last week, but
they've come down a little.

IDIOM : sleep on it
MEANING: take a day to think about something before
making a decision
EXAMPLE: "I love you very much. I'm so happy that you
asked me to marry you. I'll give you my decision
tomorrow, after I sleep on it. I have a lot to think
about tonight."

IDIOM : smell a rat
MEANING: to have a suspicion that something is wrong
with a situation
EXAMPLE: The man on the corner tried to sell me a
radio for $5.00. I smelled a rat. The radio is
probably stolen merchandise.

IDIOM : a snap
MEANING: something that is easy to do and presents no
problems
EXAMPLE: "Making a paper airplane is a snap. Anybody
can do it!"

IDIOM : snow job
MEANING: an intensive effort at persuasion or
deception
EXAMPLE: Some salesmen are quite good at giving
customers a snow job when they want to make a sale.

IDIOM : song and dance / song and dance routine
MEANING: a long and often familiar statement or
explanation that is usually not true or pertinent
EXAMPLE: The student gave the teacher a long song and
dance about why his project wasn't finished.

IDIOM : sooner or later
MEANING: eventually
EXAMPLE: Nell Carter is severely overweight. Sooner or
later, she's going to have a heart attack.

IDIOM : a sore loser
MEANING: a person who gets angry, or irritated because
of losing (a game, a contest, etc.)
EXAMPLE: Stop being a sore loser, Chuck! The other
team simply played better than we did.

IDIOM : sort of / sorta
MEANING: a little bit; rather; more or less; somewhat
EXAMPLE: "I'm sort of hungry. Maybe I'll make a
sandwich." "I'm sorta hungry too."
RELATED: kind of / kinda

IDIOM : so-so
MEANING: fair; not particularly good
EXAMPLE: Carla: "How's your chemistry class?"
Diana: "It's so-so. It's not the
best class I've ever had."

IDIOM : a sourpuss
MEANING: a a habitually irritable or complaining
person
EXAMPLE: Old Jack is really a sourpuss. I think he's
only happy when he's complaining about something!

IDIOM : to spend ___ (time, money, energy)
MEANING: to expend or waste wealth, strength, or time,
etc.
EXAMPLE: Luke spent a lot of time and energy on his
project.

IDIOM : spill the beans
MEANING: to divulge secret or hidden information
EXAMPLE: Frank spilled the beans about the surprise
birthday party. Now Genna knows all about it.

IDIOM : spine-chilling (adj) / spine-tingling
MEANING: alarmingly or eerily frightening
EXAMPLE: The Monkey's Paw is a spine-chilling story.
Have you read it?

IDIOM : to splurge
MEANING: to indulge oneself extravagantly
EXAMPLE: I needed a new blanket, but I decided to
splurge on myself and I bought a whole new bedroom set
with matching sheets, curtains, a rug and some pillows
too. I shouldn't have spent so much money, but it was
so pretty that I couldn't resist.

IDIOM : spread (oneself) too thin
MEANING: trying to do too much
EXAMPLE: Lena joined the chess club, the photography
club, and the dance company. Plus, she has a part-time
job, and she goes to school. I think she's spreading
herself too thin.

IDIOM : to spruce up
MEANING: to make (one) neat or smart in appearance
EXAMPLE: "Our house needs to be spruced up soon. It's
looking a little too messy."
"Oh, look at you! You've spruced
yourself up nicely! You look great!"

IDIOM : to start out
MEANING: to begin (a project, journey, process, etc)
EXAMPLE: Selena started out singing in Spanish, but
soon she began performing in English too.

IDIOM : state-of-the-art (adj)
MEANING: using the latest technology
EXAMPLE: "Our new factory has state-of-the-art
processing equipment."

IDIOM : Step on it!
MEANING: Hurry up!
EXAMPLE: "You'd better step on it or you're going to
be late for work!"
RELATED: shake a leg

IDIOM : stick one's neck out
MEANING: to make oneself vulnerable by taking a risk
EXAMPLE: When a boy first tells a girl that he likes
her, he is sticking his neck out. The girl might just
laugh in his face. That would be so embarrassing!

IDIOM : stick to one's guns
MEANING: to maintain one's position especially in face
of opposition
EXAMPLE: Even when it was clear that Peter was losing
the debate, he stuck by his guns and kept arguing.

IDIOM : a stick-in-the-mud
MEANING: one who is slow, old-fashioned, or
unprogressive
EXAMPLE: Our director is a real stick-in-the-mud. He
won't install computers in the office because he
thinks that typewriters are sufficient to work with.

IDIOM : a stone's throw
MEANING: a short distance
EXAMPLE: The dragon lives within a stone's throw of
the village.


IDIOM : straight from the horse's mouth
MEANING: to get information directly from the source.
EXAMPLE: I know it's true - I heard it straight from
the horse's mouth.

IDIOM : the straw that broke the camel's back
MEANING: the last trangression; the final act that
makes someone do something drastic
EXAMPLE: When Gary was caught taking drugs for the
third time, his parents said it was the straw that
broke the camel's back. Gary had to go into a drug
treatment facility, or move out of his family's house
forever.

IDIOM : the last straw / the final straw
MEANING: the last trangression; the final act that
makes someone do something drastic
EXAMPLE: When Gary was caught taking drugs for the
third time, his parents said it was the final straw.
Gary had to go into a drug treatment facility, or move
out of his family's house forever.

IDIOM : string someone along
MEANING: to keep someone waiting for something -
especially a decision, or the status of a relationship

EXAMPLE: "Is Luke going to Marry Laura?"
"No, he's just stringing her along.
He has no plans to get married any time soon."

IDIOM : stuffed shirt
MEANING: a smug, conceited, pompous person often with
an inflexibly conservative or reactionary attitude
EXAMPLE: The old politician was such a stuffed shirt
that he voted NO on all the new laws, even when his
advisors told him it would be good for the country to
vote YES.

IDIOM : a sweet tooth
MEANING: a craving or fondness for sweet food
EXAMPLE: People who love chocolate have a sweet tooth.
Do you have a sweet tooth?

IDIOM : a swelled head
MEANING: an exaggerated opinion of oneself
EXAMPLE: After Albert passed his test, he got a
swelled head. If he tells me again how smart he is,
I'm going to scream!

IDIOM : to take after
MEANING: to resemble; to look like another person
EXAMPLE: "I take after my mother, but my sister takes
after my father."

IDIOM : to take it easy
MEANING: to relax; be calm
EXAMPLE: Tanya doesn't have any plans for the weekend.
She's just going to take it easy.

IDIOM : to take the bull by the horns
MEANING: to confront a problem directly
EXAMPLE: When Wade took the bull by the horns, he
really surprised a lot of people! He's usually a very
quiet person who avoids conflict.

IDIOM : to talk (one's) head off
MEANING: to talk a lot
EXAMPLE: Wendy can talk your head off if you let her.
Sometimes I just rudely tell her, "I have to go now,
bye!" and walk away, or else she'd talk to me for
hours!

IDIOM : to talk through one's hat
MEANING: to voice irrational, illogical, or erroneous
ideas
EXAMPLE: Nolan always talks through his hat. Last week
he told us that he was going to invent a flying car to
fly to the moon!

IDIOM : to tell a white lie
MEANING: a lie that is told to avoid offending someone
or hurting (one's) feelings
EXAMPLE: My brother is a terrible singer. When he
asked me if I liked his song, I told him a little
white lie. I told him he sang well because I didn't
want to hurt his feelings.

IDIOM : There, there.
MEANING: an expression of comfort
EXAMPLE: There, there, little girl. We'll find your
mommy. Don't cry.

IDIOM : through the grapevine / I heard it through the
grapevine.
MEANING: to get information indirectly
EXAMPLE: May: "How did you know that we were going to
get a new supervisor?"
Val: "I heard it through the
grapevine. Susie told Kelly, who told Chris, who told
me."

IDIOM : to tick (someone) off
MEANING: to irritate or annoy someone
EXAMPLE: It really ticked me off when Randy kept
tapping the desk with his keys!

IDIOM : tight-fisted (adj)
MEANING: a very frugal person; unwilling to spend
money unnecessarily
EXAMPLE: Sara is so tight-fisted that she is using a
broken string to tie her shoes. She won't even spend
one dollar to buy a new shoelace!

IDIOM : a tightwad (n)
MEANING: a very frugal person; unwilling to spend
money unnecessarily
EXAMPLE: Sara is such a tightwad that she is using a
broken string to tie her shoes. She won't even spend
one dollar to buy a new shoelace!

IDIOM : tip of (one's) tongue / on the tip of (one's)
tongue
MEANING: to be very close to figuring out or
remembering the answer
EXAMPLE: Beth: "What's the word for the other animal
that looks like a crocodile?"
Lee: "Give me a second - it's on the tip of my tongue.
Ummm...hmm...allisaur...no... I got it - alligator!"

IDIOM : tongue-in-cheek
MEANING: characterized by insincerity, irony, or
whimsical exaggeration; in a joking manner
EXAMPLE: Tongue-in-cheek, Charles said that I need
three arms to hold all the stuff I try to carry to
class every day.

IDIOM : to toot (one's) own horn
MEANING: to brag or boast about oneself.
EXAMPLE: I don't usually too my own horn, but I baked
this cake all by myself and it's delicious!

IDIOM : topsy-turvy (adj)
MEANING: in confusion or disorder; with the top or
head downward; upside down
EXAMPLE: During the car crash, everything flew around
topsy-turvy inside the car.

IDIOM : to toss something
MEANING: to throw something away; put something in the
trash
EXAMPLE: My jeans have too many holes in them to wear
now. I guess I'll have to toss them.

IDIOM : tough (adj)
MEANING: difficult
EXAMPLE: That's a tough question. Do you know the
answer?

IDIOM : tricky (adj)
MEANING: something that is easily confused or
misunderstood
EXAMPLE: This math problem is tricky. I don't
understand it.

IDIOM : to turn the tables
MEANING: to bring about a reversal of the relative
conditions or fortunes of two contending parties
EXAMPLE: I was winning the chess match, but suddenly
Fred turned the tables on me and announced,
'Checkmate!'

IDIOM : to turn a blind eye
MEANING: to refuse to see; be oblivious
EXAMPLE: The judge turned a blind eye to his son, who
was using drugs.

IDIOM : to turn a deaf ear
MEANING: to refuse to listen

IDIOM : to turn loose (1)
MEANING: to set free
EXAMPLE: The animal activists turned the captured
animals loose from the laboratory.

IDIOM : to turn loose (2)
MEANING: to free from all restraints
EXAMPLE: The professor turned the students loose to
write whatever they liked.

IDIOM : to turn (one's) back on
MEANING: to reject, deny; forsake
EXAMPLE: Mary turned her back on Steve when he asked
her to talk to him.

IDIOM : to turn (one's) head
MEANING: to cause to become infatuated or conceited
EXAMPLE: I wish I could say that success hasn't turned
Bill Gate's head, but it has.

IDIOM : to turn (one's) stomach
MEANING: to disgust completely; sicken, nauseate
EXAMPLE: The smell of the dead rabbit under the house
turned his stomach.

IDIOM : to turn tail
MEANING: to turn away so as to flee; to run away in
cowardice
EXAMPLE: When the soldiers invaded the city, the
rebels turned tail and ran.

IDIOM : to turn the other cheek
MEANING: to respond to injury or unkindness with
patience; to forgo retaliation
EXAMPLE: The Bible tells us that if someone offends
us, we should turn the other cheek, but it's hard to
do sometimes!

IDIOM : to twiddle one's thumbs
MEANING: to spend time idly; do nothing
EXAMPLE: Don't just sit there twiddling your thumbs!
Help me clean the house!

IDIOM : two-faced (adj)
MEANING: deceitful; disolyal; a person who pretends to
be a friend but really isn't
EXAMPLE: I thought Natalie was my friend, but she's
two-faced. She says nice things to me when we're
together, but makes jokes about me when she is with
other people.


IDIOM : under (one's) breath (adj)
MEANING: to speak something in a soft, unclear manner;
to mutter
EXAMPLE: Under his breath, Peter said a bad word when
he saw the score on his exam.

IDIOM : under the weather (adj)
MEANING: sick; ill; unwell
EXAMPLE: I was under the weather yesterday, so I
didn't go to school.

IDIOM : until (one) is blue in the face (adj)
MEANING: something that won't change, no matter how
long or how often it's done; forever
EXAMPLE: Vicky can ask, beg, and plead until she's
blue in the face, but I'm not going with her!

IDIOM : (be) up and running
MEANING: to be operational; to be ready to use -
usually for technology or machines
EXAMPLE: English-Zone.Com will remain up and running
as long as possible!

IDIOM : up one's sleeve (adj)
MEANING: something held secretly in reserve
EXAMPLE: I thought that Rachel would fail the exam,
but she must have been hiding her intelligence up her
sleeve, because she passed the exam with the highest
score in the class!

IDIOM : to update
MEANING: to make current; add information to show what
has happened recently.
EXAMPLE: "You haven't heard? Oh - then let me update
you. Chris married Kelly yesterday!"

IDIOM : upside down (adj)
MEANING: the upper and the lower parts are reversed in
position
EXAMPLE: The trapeze flyers in the circus were flying
upside down. I think that if I did that, I'd get a bad
headache!

IDIOM : up-to-date (adj)
MEANING: to make current; add information to show what
has happened recently.
EXAMPLE: "You haven't heard? Let me bring you
up-to-date. Chris married Kelly yesterday!"

IDIOM : to use (one's) noodle
MEANING: think; use your head; use your brain
EXAMPLE: I can't tell you what

thanks Mod