IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS: http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/americanidioms/ About time: Nearly time, high time.

"It's about time you bought a new car!" Absence makes the heart grow fonder: Proverb that means that our feeling for those we love increases when we are apart from them. (To) act high and mighty: To act proudly and arrogantly. Actions speak louder than words: Proverb meaning that's it's better to do something about a problem than to talk about it. (To) act one's age: To behave in a more mature way. Frequently said to a child or teen. ex. "Bill, stop throwing rocks! Act your age!" (To) add fuel to the fire: To make a bad problem even worse. (To) add insult to injury: To make a bad situation even worse. Against the clock: To attempt to do something "against the clock" is to attempt to do something as fast as possible usually before a deadline. All-out: Complete. Very strong. "They did an all-out search for the missing boy and they found him." All set: Ready (to go). "All set?" All thumbs: Awkward. Clumsy. A little bird told me: When someone says "a little bird told me" it means they don't want you to know who told them. All in a day's work: Typical. Normal. Expected. ex. "Talking to famous celebrities is all in a day's work for some Hollywood reporters." (From) all walks of life: (From) all social, economic, and ethnic groups. ex. "People from all walks of life voted for him, but he still lost the presidential election." Apple of someone's eye: Someone's favorite person (and sometimes thing). ex. "Sarah was the apple of Tom's eye for quite a long time. He was very much in love with her." Armed to the teeth: Heavily armed. ex. "The rebels were armed to the teeth." At all hours (of the night): Very late at night, throughout the night. ex. "Her boyfriend would call her at all hours of the night." At each other's throats:
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Fighting or arguing heavily. ex. "They were at each other's throats. The arguments never stopped." At this stage: At this point. ex. "At this stage, it's difficult to say who will win the election." COLORS: http://www.learn4good.com/languages/evrd_idioms/id-c.htm Black black and white MEANING: think of everything or judge everything as either good or bad EXAMPLE: He tries to see everything in black and white although he knows this is impossible. black out MEANING: 1. to darken by putting out or dimming electric lights 2. to lose consciousness EXAMPLE: 1. During the war people in the cities were forced to black out their windows so that the enemy aircraft could not see them. 2. Suddenly the man blacked out during the parade and had to be helped to a quiet place. black sheep (of the family) MEANING: a person who is a disgrace or embarrassment to a family or group EXAMPLE: The man is the black sheep in his family and is the only member who has not had a successful career and life. in the black MEANING: successful or profitable EXAMPLE: The company has been in the black since they began to adopt many new ideas to cut costs. Blue to appear/happen out of the blue MEANING: 1. to arrive unexpectedly, usually after a long absence. 2. to happen very suddenly and unexpectedly EXAMPLE: 1. My brother suddenly appeared out of the blue yesterday. We hadnt seen him for years. 2. I was driving home when out of the blue a deer jumped out in front of my car. I braked just in time to avoid it. We were both very lucky not to be hurt. to blue pencil something MEANING: to censor something. EXAMPLE: Reports on the mistreatment of the political prisoners were blue pencilled by the authorities a blue-eyed boy MEANING: critical description of a boy/young man who has been singled out for special favours by someone in authority. EXAMPLE: John is a real blue-eyed boy. The team manager always gives him special treatment. It isnt fair to the rest of us. a bolt from the blue MEANING: some unexpected bad news. EXAMPLE: It came like a bolt from the blue that they are getting divorced. to look / feel blue MEANING: to look / feel depressed or discontented. EXAMPLE: Things are looking blue for Tom these days. His wife has left him. blue in the face MEANING: to make a huge but vain effort to win a persons agreement. EXAMPLE: I told him he was making a mistake until I was blue in the face but he wouldnt listen.
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once in a blue moon MEANING: to occur extremely rarely or only once in a life-time. EXAMPLE: My brother only rings home once in a blue moon. I wish he would ring our parents more often men/boys in blue MEANING: the police because of the colour of their uniforms. EXAMPLE: Lets get out of here! The boys in blue are coming. Brown to be browned off MEANING: to be bored, annoyed at something EXAMPLE: Im browned off with this place. There is nothing to do here. Colourless to be colourless MEANING: to lack personality, to be boring. EXAMPLE: Nothing he said stands out in my memory. Im afraid hes a dull, colourless man. to be off colour MEANING: to be not quite at ones best, to feel queasy or slightly ill. EXAMPLE: Shes a little off colour today because she was up very late last night and had too much to drink!. to give/lend colour to MEANING: to make (an account, story, explanation, etc.) more credible or more believable. EXAMPLE: The broken window on the ground floor lent colour to her story that her house had been burgled a highly coloured report MEANING: a report that is exaggerated or biased. EXAMPLE: I read the governments highly coloured report on the great state of the health services. to see someone in his true colours MEANING: to understand someones true character, often for the first time. EXAMPLE: As soon as he made a fuss about returning her money, I saw him in his true colours. to show oneself in ones true colours MEANING: to reveal ones true nature. EXAMPLE: When he lost his temper at the party, he showed himself in his true colours with flying colours MEANING: with great success, with distinction. EXAMPLE: We were all expecting him to fail, but he passed with flying colours. to paint in bright/dark colours MEANING: to describe something in a flattering or unflattering way. EXAMPLE: My brother pretended he was doing well financially and painted his life there in the brightest colours. Green to be green MEANING: inexperienced, immature EXAMPLE: He is rather green and doesnt have enough experience to drive the large piece of machinery yet.
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green with envy MEANING: full of envy, very jealous EXAMPLE: I was green with envy when I heard that she would be going to London for a month while I had to stay and work. give someone the green light MEANING: give permission to go ahead with a project EXAMPLE: We were finally given the green light to begin setting up the new project. get the green light MEANING: receive permission to go ahead with a project EXAMPLE: We got the green light to go ahead with the new advertising campaign. grass is always greener on the other side MEANING: a place that is far away or different seems better than where we are now EXAMPLE: He realized that the grass is always greener on the other side when he saw that his new job wasnt perfect and had its own problems too. green belt MEANING: an area of fields and trees around a town EXAMPLE: The city has a policy of increasing the green belt around the city. green thumb MEANING: a talent for gardening, ability to make things grow EXAMPLE: She has a green thumb and is able to grow one of the best gardens in our neighbourhood. Golden a golden opportunity MEANING: a great opportunity that might never come again EXAMPLE: This is a golden opportunity to make a business deal with that big company. a golden handshake MEANING: a large sum of money paid to a retiring manager or director, or to a redundant worker. EXAMPLE: The company chairman received a huge golden handshake on retiring. a golden boy MEANING: a young man idolized for a great skill, usually in sport. EXAMPLE: David Beckham is the golden boy of English soccer Pink tickled pink MEANING: be very pleased, thrilled, delighted EXAMPLE: She was tickled pink that you made the effort to go and visit her when you were in town. Red to be shown the red card MEANING: to be dismissed from your job. EXAMPLE: The accountant was shown the red card for hiding company money. to be in the red MEANING: to have an overdraft, to be in debt. EXAMPLE: I am overdrawn again. I hate being in the red.

to catch someone red-handed MEANING: to catch someone in the act of committing a crime, usually a theft. EXAMPLE: The manager caught the new employee red-handed taking money out of the box. to look through rose-coloured/tinted spectacles MEANING: to see things in a flattering or over-optimistic light. EXAMPLE: It annoys me that she sees everything through rose-coloured spectacles, but she would feel differently if she had to live there. to see red MEANING: to react with uncontrollable rage against someone or something. EXAMPLE: John saw red when he saw his girlfriend laughing with another guy. red tape MEANING: bureaucratic delay, excessive attention to rules and regulations, often resulting in injustice to the ordinary citizen. EXAMPLE: I want to start a new business but the red tape involved is very frustrating. to see the red light MEANING: to recognize approaching danger, the red light being a danger signal. EXAMPLE: When the doctor warned his patient that further drinking would damage his liver, the man saw the red light and quit. paint the town red MEANING: go out and party and have a good time EXAMPLE: When my cousin came to visit us we decided to go out and paint the town red. roll out the red carpet MEANING: greet a person with great respect, give a big welcome EXAMPLE: When Nelson Mandela visited Washington, they rolled out the red carpet and gave him a great welcome. a redneck MEANING: an ignorant, insensitive person. EXAMPLE: Our new co-worker is a real redneck. He doesnt seem to know anything about life. Silver the silver screen MEANING: the cinema EXAMPLE: Valentino was one of the earliest stars of the silver screen. White as white as a sheet MEANING: in a state of great fear EXAMPLE: You look like youve just seen a ghost. Your face is as white as a sheet. white elephant MEANING: a useless possession EXAMPLE: The new stereo that he bought is a white elephant and he doesnt need it at all. white as a ghost MEANING: very pale because of fear, shock, illness etc. EXAMPLE: My sister became white as a ghost when she saw the man at the window.
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a white lie MEANING: a harmless lie (told to be polite or to do something not seriously wrong) EXAMPLE: I told my boss a white lie and said that I was sick yesterday when actually I wasnt. a white-collar worker MEANING: a professional or office worker who wear a shirt with a white collar. EXAMPLE: The recession has hit factory workers (blue-collar workers) much harder than white-collar workers.

Yellow yellow-bellied MEANING: extremely timid, cowardly EXAMPLE: He is a yellow-bellied coward and never is willing to fight for what is right. a yellow streak MEANING: cowardice in character EXAMPLE: He has a yellow streak running down his back and is not a good person to expect to support you when things become difficult. http://testprep.about.com/od/englishlanguagetests/a/English_Idioms.htm

1. 2. 3.
badly

24/7: Twenty-four hours a day; seven days a week; all the time; constantly A short fuse: A quick temper A taste of your own medicine: Bad treatment deservedly received for treating other people

My little sister irritates me 24/7! Jamie is known for his short fuse; just a few days ago he screamed at his coach for not letting him play.

After constantly being prank-called, Julian decided to give Juan a taste of his own medicine and ordered twenty-seven pizzas to be delivered to Juans house.

4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Butterflies in my stomach: To be nervous Cat got your tongue?: Cant you speak? (Usually said to embarrass the other person) Down for the count: Tired; giving up; unable or unwilling to participate any longer. Draw the line: To stop; to know the point where something goes from okay to not okay. Easier said than done: Not as easy as it appears to be. Every cloud has a silver lining: You can find good in every bad situation

Liam had butterflies in his stomach before he went on stage to play the violin. I just saw you kissing my boyfriend. Whats the matter? Cat got your tongue? No, you cant take my dog for a walk shes down for the count after chasing cats all day. Now I draw the line at speaking in front of 34,000 people. You want me to come to work at 6:00 AM? Easier said than done! Even though you just got fired, remember that every cloud has a silver lining at least you dont have to work for that grouchy boss anymore!

10. 11.

Finding a needle in a haystack: Virtually impossible to find Fish out of water: To be out of place

Trying to get a new job these days is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Tom felt like a fish out of water at the Star Trek convention his new girlfriend begged him to attend.
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12.

Get something off your chest: To talk about something that has been bothering you for a long

time; to admit something you have done wrong I have to get this off my chest I copied your answers from the test. Thanks for the D by the way.

13. 14.

Give it a whirl: To try something In the fast lane: A life filled with excitement

Ive never gone kite-boarding, but Im prepared to give it a whirl! When Curtis turned forty, he decided he needed to live life in the fast lane, so he quit his job as a dentist and decided to tour Europe by motorcycle.

15.

In the nick of time: Almost too late

You came to pick me up in the nick of time my teacher just saw me skipping class and was on his way to give me detention.

16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28.

Let the cat out of the bag: Tell a secret Lose your marbles: To go crazy; insane Once in a blue moon: Rarely Plain as day: Obvious; clear Play second fiddle: To be less important Put your foot in your mouth: Saying something you shouldnt have Sick and tired: To be bothered or annoyed by Sleep on it: To think about something for a while before making a decision Snug as a bug in a rug: Warm and cozy; content Stick your nose into something: To interfere Straight from the horses mouth: Directly from the person involved Take it easy: Relax Tip of the iceberg: The small easily visible part of a larger problem

Bradys surprise party is going to be great if you dont let the cat out of the bag. Our professor has really lost his marbles; he assigned us seven essays this week! In Florida, the temperature drops below freezing only once in a blue moon. Its plain as day that youre in love with her, so just admit it. I hate playing second fiddle to my sister; she always does things better than I do! Jessica really put her foot in her mouth when she asked about Johns job right after he lost it. She is sick and tired of her dog chewing up her shoes every day. Dont tell me whether youll move to Texas with me or not today. Sleep on it, and get back to me tomorrow. That baby looks as snug as a bug in a rug cuddled up next to his mother. Sharon always sticks her nose into everyone elses business. Listen to the news straight from the horses mouth; were all getting bonuses this week! I know youre not feeling well, so try to take it easy today. The fact that Carrie is dating a member of the mafia is just the tip of the iceberg; shes also smuggling contraband into the country.

29.

To not see the wood for the trees: To be so involved with the details that you dont get the

most important facts She always argues about the silliest things; its like she cant see the wood for the trees.

30.

Up a creek without a paddle: In an unlucky/bad situation

If you dont have any money to pay for the repairs we just made to your car, I guess youre up a creek without a paddle because you cant have your car back.