100 Top Idioms

100 Top Idioms

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in English language

As a general rule most students finish their coursework by the end of May. Early marriage used to be the rule in that part of the world. A series of payments used to be the exception rather than the rule. Unfortunately there is an exception to every rule.

above all (else) (=used to say that something

is more important than anything else) Max is hardworking, cheerful, and above all honest. medals awarded for bravery above and beyond the call of duty (=greater than it is your duty to show)

be about to do something: if someone is

about to do something, or if something is about to happen, they will do it or it will happen very soon: We were just about to leave when Jerry arrived. Work was about to start on a new factory building.

as a matter of fact=in fact: spoken: used when adding more details about what you have just said: 'Have you had many visitors yet?' 'No, as a matter of fact you're the first.' I knew him when we were in college - as a matter of fact we were on the same course. matter-of-fact adjective matter-of-fact
showing no emotion when you are talking about something exciting, frightening, upsetting etc Matter-of-fact about Jan was surprisingly matter-of-fact about her divorce.

an old hand= be an experienced person

fed up : informal annoyed or bored, and

wanting something to change: She felt tired and a bit fed up. fed up with I'm really fed up with this constant rain. Anna got fed up with waiting.

be on ones own: live independently as a (general) rule =normal/usual [singular]

something that is normal or usually true Page 1 of 9 (all) on your own a) alone: I've been living on my own for four years now. He didn't want to be left on his own.

100 Top Idioms b) without anyone's help: You can't expect him to do it all on his own. I can manage on my own, thanks.

break the ice: informal to make people feel

more friendly and willing to talk to each other: Sam's arrival broke the ice and people began to talk and laugh.

to be on the safe side: spoken: to do something in order to be certain to avoid an unpleasant situation: take no chances I'd take an umbrella, just to be on the safe side.

: inform or give bad news How would he break the news to Mary that he'd been lying to her?

break the news

be out of something= have no longer in

supply

tired of (doing) something: bored with

something, because it is no longer interesting, or has become annoying: I'm tired of watching television; let's go for a walk. I was getting tired of all her negative remarks.

brush up (on) something: phrasal verb to practise and improve your skills or your knowledge of something that you learned in the past: I must brush up on my French before I go to Paris.

bump into: meet unexpectedly

Tim was a clumsy boy, always bumping into the furniture. bump: to hit or knock against sth.

be up to ones ears= be extremely busy be up to your ears in work/debt/problems etc= to have a lot of work etc

by and large: used when talking generally about someone or something: in general Charities, by and large, do not pay tax. be up to someone= be a persons
responsibility

by heart: when you know something by heart,

you remember all of it exactly: After a few days of phoning Stephanie, he knew her number by heart. Actors have to learn their lines by heart.

be out of the question: if something is out

of the question, it is definitely not possible or not allowed: You can't go in that old shirt - it's out of the question.

bite off more than you can chew: to try

to do more than you are able to do

used to mean 'of course' when politely allowing someone to do something or agreeing with a suggestion: absolutely, definetly 'Can I bring Alan?' 'By all means!'

by all means!: spoken

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100 Top Idioms

by no means/not by any means: not at

all: in no way It is by no means certain that the game will take place. She's not a bad kid, by any means.

do without (something): to live or do

something without a particular thing: I don't have any sugar so you'll have to do without. You can do without a carpet but you've got to have somewhere to sit.

cheer up: phrasal verb

to become less sad, or to make someone feel less sad: be happy Cheer up! The worst is over. They cheered up when they saw us coming along.

drop by/round : visit informally; pay a short

visit I just dropped by to see how you were getting on. The kids drop round and see her from time to time.

come down with something: phrasal verb to get an illness: I think I'm coming down with a cold. every other: the first, third, fifth etc or the come up with something: phrasal verb to think of an idea, answer etc: Is that the best excuse you can come up with? We've been asked to come up with some new ideas.
second, fourth, sixth etc: alternate You only need to water plants every other day. I visit my parents every other weekend.

fall behind (somebody/something): count somebody/something out: phrasal verb 1 to not include someone or something in an activity: I'm sorry, you'll have to count me out tonight. 2 to decide that someone or something is not important or worth considering: I wouldn't count him out. If anybody can make a comeback, he can.
phrasal verb 1 to go more slowly than other people so that they gradually move further ahead of you: His mother was chatting and didn't notice that he had fallen behind. She hurt her ankle and had fallen behind the others. 2 to become less successful than other people, companies, countries etc: After her time in hospital, Jenny's parents are afraid she has fallen behind educationally. Companies that are not market-driven risk falling behind the competition. 3 to fail to finish a piece of work or pay someone money that you owe them at the right time

die down: phrasal verb

if something dies down, it becomes less strong, active, or violent: Don't worry, the gossip will soon die down. when the excitement had died down

fall through: phrasal verb

if an agreement, plan, sale etc falls through, it is not completed successfully:

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100 Top Idioms The studio planned to make a movie of the book but the deal fell through. belong in a place or situation: out of ones element or natural environment I felt like a fish out of water in my new school.

be a far cry from something: to be very different from something: The company lost 3 million, which is a far cry from last year's 60 million profit.

For good: permanently; forever

feel like (doing) something: spoken to

want to have something or do something: He didn't feel like going to work. Do you feel like another drink?

for the time being: for a short period of time

from now, but not permanently: for now; temporarily Now, for the time being, she is living with her father in Tijuana.

feel up to something: phrasal verb to have the strength, energy etc to do something: I just didn't feel up to going.

get rid of somebody/something

a) to throw away or destroy something you do not want any more: It's time we got rid of all these old toys. Governments should be encouraged to get rid of all nuclear weapons. b) to take action so that you no longer have something unpleasant that you do not want: I can't get rid of this cough. He opened the windows to get rid of the smell. c) to make someone leave because you do not like them or because they are causing problems: Are you trying to get rid of me? It can be difficult for schools to get rid of poor teachers.

be few and far between: to be rare: not happening often Jobs are few and far between at the moment.

figure somebody/something out

phrasal verb 1 to think about a problem or situation until you find the answer or understand what has happened figure out how/what/why etc Can you figure out how to do it? If I have a map, I can figure it out. Don't worry, we'll figure something out (=find a way to solve the problem). 2 to understand why someone behaves in the way they do: Women. I just can't figure them out.

set/start/keep the ball rolling:to start something happening: To start the ball rolling, the government was asked to contribute 1 million.

get the hang of something: informal to

learn how to do something or use something: It seems difficult at first, but you'll soon get the hang of it.

(be/feel) like a fish out of water: to feel

uncomfortable because you feel you do not Page 4 of 9

100 Top Idioms

have a hunch (that): have an idea based on get the hang of something: informal to
learn how to do something or use something: understand; learn It seems difficult at first, but you'll soon get the hang of it. feeling rather than reason I had a hunch that something like this would happen.

Hop to it: get started on sth quickly

hop : the act of hopping; jumping upward or forward (especially on one foot) (hypernym) jump, jumping

give (somebody) a hand: spoken to help someone do something: Can you give me a hand? give (somebody) a hand with Shall I give you a hand with that bag?

hit it off (with somebody): informal if two

people hit it off, they like each other as soon as they meet: I knew you'd hit it off with Mike.

it goes without saying (that): used to say that something is so clearly true that it does not need to be said: understood The Internet, too, it goes without saying, is a good source of information.

ill at ease: nervous, uncomfortable, or

embarrassed: He always felt shy and ill at ease at parties.

hang on!: British English spoken

a) used to ask or tell someone to wait [= hold on]: Hang on! I'll be back in a minute. b) used when you have just noticed or thought of something that is interesting or wrong hang on to something: phrasal verb to keep something: I think I'll hang on to the documents for a bit longer. Hard to come by: difficult to obtain Jobs were hard to come by. Permanent jobs are hard to come by (=difficult to find or get).

in hot water: if someone is in hot water, they

are in trouble because they have done something wrong: The finance minister found himself in hot water over his business interests.

in the dark: informal knowing nothing about

something important, because you have not been told about it: We're in the dark just as much as you are. College officials were kept in the dark about the investigation.

have a heart!: used to tell someone not to be

too strict or unkind - used humorously; have kind feelings; be understanding

in the long run: later in the future, not

immediately [ long-term]: eventually Moving to Spain will be better for you in the long run.

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100 Top Idioms

keep somebody on their toes: to make Ins and outs: all the exact details of a complicated situation, problem, system etc ins and outs of I don't really know all the ins and outs of the matter.
sure that someone is ready for anything that might happen: prepared They do random checks to keep workers on their toes.

Learn the ropes: learn the rules and routines

of a place or activity I spent the first month just learning the ropes.

iron something out phrasal verb to solve or get rid of problems or difficulties, especially small ones: We need to iron out a few problems first.

make ends meet: to have only just enough

money to buy the things you need: When Mike lost his job, we could barely make ends meet.

jump to conclusions: to form an opinion

about something before you have all the facts: There may be a simple explanation. Let's not jump to conclusions.

Mean to: intentional; purpose keep an eye on something/somebody:

to look after someone or something and make sure that they are safe: Mary will keep an eye on the kids this afternoon. We keep a watchful eye on our elderly neighbors. I've been meaning to ask you if you want to come for a meal next week. I didn't mean to upset you. I didn't mean this to happen at all. I never meant you to find out.

might (just) as well Keep ones fingers crossed: wish that nothing goes wrong cross your fingers a) to hope that something will happen the way you want: We're keeping our fingers crossed that she's going to be OK. b) to secretly put one finger over another finger, because you are telling a lie - done especially by children: 'He's nice,' said Laura, crossing her fingers under the table.
a) used to suggest that someone should do something, because there is no good reason to do anything else: I suppose we might as well go home. b) used to say that the effect of an action or situation is the same as if it was another one: They might as well have a badge on them saying 'Steal me'. He might as well have been a million miles away.

next to nothing: very little:

He knows next to nothing about antiques.

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100 Top Idioms

on the blink: spoken: not working properly: not to mention something: used to introduce an additional thing that makes a situation even more difficult, surprising, interesting etc: Pollution has a negative effect on the health of everyone living in the city, not to mention the damage to the environment. It's too far to walk, not to mention the fact that it'll probably be closed by now anyway.
My computer's on the blink again.

be on the right/wrong track: to think in a way that is likely to lead to a correct or incorrect result: We've had the initial test results and it looks as though we're on the right track.

Off balance: 1.unaware; off guard

2. off balance [not before noun] in an unsteady position and likely to fall throw/knock/push etc somebody off-balance The sudden movement of the ship knocked them both off balance.

on the tip of your tongue

a) if something is on the tip of your tongue, you really want to say it, but then you decide not to: It was on the tip of my tongue to say, 'I'd rather have dinner with a snake.' b) if a word, name etc is on the tip of your tongue, you know it but cannot remember it: What is her name? It's on the tip of my tongue. Joan. Joan Simpson. That's it!

on the go: informal: working or doing sth all

the time a) if you have something on the go, you have started it and are busy doing it: Even with three top films on the go, Michelle is reluctant to talk about herself. He has at least two other projects on the go. b) very busy doing a lot of things: Children are always on the go.

once in a blue moon: informal: very rarely:

It only happens like this once in a blue moon.

be on pins and needles: American English

to be very nervous and unable to relax, especially because you are waiting for something important [= be on tenterhooks]

: to pay for something, especially when it is not your responsibility to pay: Taxpayers will pick up the tab for the stadium.

pick up the tab

be a piece of cake: informal: to be very

easy to do: Landing this type of aircraft is a piece of cake for an experienced pilot.

on purpose: deliberately; intentionally do something on purpose You make it sound as if I did it on purpose!

play something by ear: act spontaneously;

without planning

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100 Top Idioms a) to decide what to do according to the way a situation develops, without making plans before that time: We'll see what the weather's like and play it by ear. b) if someone can play a musical instrument by ear, they can play a tune without looking at written music because nothing they say will make any difference to the situation: I tried to explain, but she told me to save my breath.

you can say that again!: used to say that

you completely agree with someone: 'It's cold in here.' 'You can say that again!'

Pull off
1- pull something off informal: to succeed in doing something difficult: accomplish The goalkeeper pulled off six terrific saves. 2- TTC pull off (something) to drive a car off a road in order to stop, or to turn into a smaller road: We pulled off the road to get some food.

Stones throw= short distance

Search me: an answer that means: I dont

know

pull somebody's leg: to tell someone something that is not true, as a joke: I haven't won, have I? You're pulling my leg. quite a lot/bit/few: a fairly large number or
amount: He's got quite a lot of friends. Quite a few towns are now banning cars from their shopping centres.

it serves somebody right: spoken: used to say that you think someone deserves something unpleasant that happens to them, because they have been stupid or unkind: 'She kicked me!' 'Serves you right, teasing her like that.'

sleep on it: spoken: to not make a decision about something important until the next day; think about something for a while Right away: immediately straighten up: phrasal verb 1- to make your back straight, or to stand up straight after bending down: He remained bent over for several seconds before slowly straightening up. 2- straighten something up to make something tidy; clean up

Run for office: compete for an elected

position an attempt to encourage more women to run for office

save your breath: spoken: used to tell

someone that it is not worth saying anything, Page 8 of 9

Take a break: rest for a while; stop ones work or activity Let's take a ten-minute break.

100 Top Idioms

think nothing of something: to think that

something is not important and then realize later that it is important: thats all right I had a pain in my back but thought nothing of it at the time.

Well worth the trouble: it deserves the

inconvenience or trouble

A whole new ball game: a situation that is Pour/throw cold water over/on something: to criticize someone's plan, idea,
or desire to; discourage; lessen enthusiasm for do something so much that they no longer feel excited about it very different from the one you are used to; an entirely different situation I used to be a teacher, so working in an office is a whole new ball game.

With flying colors: succeed very well To say the least: used to say that you could
have described something, criticized someone etc a lot more severely than you have; at the lowest estimate Jane could have been more considerate, to say the least.

Without a hitch: without difficulty or delay

The whole show went without a hitch. hitch : n. connecting, fastening; impediment, problem, delay; knot for securing something v. tie, fasten, attach; harness an animal; raise in a jerky abrupt manner; be caught, be entangled; hobble, limp; marry (Slang); hitchhike (Slang)

under the weather: informal :slightly ill; not feeling well You look a bit under the weather.

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