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Expressions are alphabetized according to the first word in the expression. Spelling is Canadian. If you wish to change the document to U.S. spelling, you can download it as a word processing document and then run it through your U.S. spell checker to catch words like "honourable," "chequing account," and so on before you print it. It is about 33 pages when printed.
Pronouns have been used instead of names in almost all cases to avoid obvious ethnicity in the examples. The English language has no room to maneuver around using either "he" or "she;" because of this, please consider that any use of "he" could just as well be "she," and vice versa.
The language in the context examples is not intentionally aimed at any job class or occupation. Many situations described had to be stated negatively since the particular idiom is used that way. Some idioms are used almost exclusively to refer to one occupation.
Warning to students: many of these expressions are far too informal for formal writing. If you are not familiar with an expression you see here, and need to know if you may use it in formal written work, ask your teacher. Decisions about the use of idioms in formal writing are often decided on a case-by-case basis, one at a time. I have not had time to make these decisions and mark acceptability partly because there would be 700 decisions to be made! Besides, how can I judge what you or your teacher will find acceptable in your situation?
However, there was one type of marking I could not resist doing. Parenthesized idioms (shown like this), are worn-out expressions. You might hear them or read them somewhere, but if you avoid using them, you just might make the world a better place.
Square brackets [ ] enclose an expression similar in meaning to the expression before the brackets.
This is a work in progress. After you have used it, I welcome your response at the email link above. I have a baccalaureate degree in Arts, with a major in English (language emphasis), and extra Linguistics courses from the University of British Columbia. English is my first language. Nevertheless, I still have a lot to learn about English, and I would appreciate your suggestions.
a background check /a backgrounder
We did a background check on him. He's clean. No
prison record, outstanding warrants, that kind of stuff.
a
ballpark figure
Just
give me the ballpark figure for the project, I don't need it down to
the exact cent.
a big deal /a really big deal
"So I blew my curfew, big deal," said
the teenager.
a bitter pill
After their winning streak, and intensive training schedule, the
team's defeat was a bitter pill to swallow.
a box office hit/a
blockbuster
The movie
was a great success, a box office hit, a blockbuster.
a
breadbasket
The Prairies
are the breadbasket of Canada, they grow many of Canada's food
products.
a breadwinner
As the main wage earner, he is the breadwinner of the household.
a
brief interlude
After a
brief interlude, they resumed their work.
a brief respite
The shower offered a brief respite from the
searing heat of August.
a calming influence
This teddy bear is a calming influence for my
toddler.
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a case of mistaken identity
They talked to me as though I were my twin sister.
It was clearly a case of mistaken identity.
a change of
habit
Unless you show a
change of habit, you will fail.
a chief executive officer
(CEO)
The CEO is the
Chief Executive Officer, the head of the company.
a combined
total
They added the
subtotals of the two sections to arrive at the combined total.
a
crime of passion
He
killed his lover. It was a crime of passion.
a crucial
component
Studying is a
crucial component in academic success. A student cannot succeed
without studying.
a day off /a week off /a month off / time
off
She wanted a week
off, but her boss only gave her three days off.
a dirty
trick/dirty tricks
He
played a dirty trick and deceived them.
a dog's breakfast
The book covered too many things too quickly,
it was a real dog's breakfast, a mixed up mess.
a fact-finding
mission
The diplomat
went to the Middle East on a fact-finding mission.
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a fait
accompli
It is too late
to change your mind, the order has been shipped. It is a fait
accompli, an accomplished fact.
a fat cat
Some say that rich, privileged people are fat
cats.
a feverish pace
They rushed to complete the highway before the deadline. They had
been working at a feverish pace.
a fitting memorial
The sports scholarship fund was a fitting memorial
to the famous athlete.
a flash in the pan
He had high grades in his first semester, but quit
school partway through his second semester.
He was just a flash in the pan.
a flat out lie /a flat out
guess
She meant to
deceive them, but they caught her, accusing her of a flat-out
lie.
He didn't win the
count-the-pennies contest through skill, he just made a flat-out
guess.
a foregone conclusion
They predicted events would turn out like this. Everyone could see it
coming. It was a foregone conclusion.
a gene pool
He is a habitual criminal. So you can't say he
made a positive contribution to the gene pool.
a habitual liar
Why believe her? She's
just a habitual liar. She lies as a habit, a lot of the time, about
many things.
a half-baked idea
His plan won't work. He hasn't thought about it enough yet.
All it is is some half-baked scheme he has.
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a hell-hole
The hottest area of the combat zone was a real
hell-hole.
a hidden agenda
The union is accusing the management of having a hidden agenda,
something they aren't willing to admit.
a hit and run accident
The car struck the
pedestrian and left. It was a hit and run accident.
a hope and
a prayer
He is an
incompetent pilot. He flies on a hope and a prayer.
a key
witness
The success of
the case rests on the testimony of the prosecution's key witness.
a
level playing field
Business is unfair to newcomers, who naively expect a level playing
field, where everyone is treated equally.
a major threat
Airport security considers passengers armed with
weapons a major threat.
a make-up examination
Since you were away for the test, you will have to
write a make-up examination.
a manila envelope
He carried the important papers in a plain brown
manila envelope.
a marked improvement
He is out of bed after the operation, and has made
a marked improvement.
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a matter of time
They kept borrowing heavily, so it was just a
matter of time before they ran out of credit.
a merciful
solution
Some Europeans
feel euthanasia is a merciful solution to shorten the suffering of
terminally ill patients.
a mission of mercy
The aid workers flew in food and supplies to the
war-torn country on a mission of mercy.
a near miss
The planes came within 20 meters of each other, so
it
was a near miss.
a new kid on the block
Since the boss has only been here one week, he
doesn't know how things work. He's the new kid on the block.
a
newcomer to the list
As
one of the nouveau riche, she was a newcomer to the elite list.
a
niche market
The
successful company manufactured and sold scooters for seniors and
captured a niche market.
a once in a lifetime opportunity
Their participation in the Olympics was a once in
a lifetime opportunity for the team members.
a parking garage
The car was broken into
when it was parked on level four of the parking garage.
a
passion for living /life
Her obituary mentioned her great passion for life.
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a person of
interest
The police are
looking for him in connection with the beating death. He is a person
of interest.
a pick-me-up
A café latte is a great pick-me-up. It gives me so much energy
when I am tired.
(a picture is worth a thousand words)
A picture is worth a thousand words.
a
point-by-point breakdown
The sportscaster gave a point-by-point breakdown of the game.
a
pretty picture
All this
mud on the floor, clothes everywhere, empty chip bags and pop cans;
such a pretty picture!
a priority list
The provincial government took the women's centre
off the spending priority list.
a public eyesore
The rusted bench was ugly; it was a public
eyesore.
a runaway success
The movie sold out. The packed house proved it was a runaway
success.
a scare tactic /scare tactics
The older child bullied her younger sister. She
used every scare tactic she could think of.
a scattergun
approach
The company
mismanaged the affair by using a scattergun approach. It was all hit
and miss.
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a skeleton in the closet
He's not telling you everything, bet he has a
skeleton or two in the closet.
a slice of life
Teenage school woes, parental pressure, dating
nightmares, how's that for a slice of life?
a slippery slope
Don't even start on
that issue. Don't go there. It's a slippery slope.
a smash
success /a smashing success
The program was well received, a smashing success.
a smattering of
applause
The lukewarm
speech received a smattering of applause.
a sore spot
She's very sensitive and touchy on that issue.
It's a real sore spot.
a speedy recovery
We wish you a speedy recovery. Get well soon!
a
splash of colour
The
red maple tree was a splash of colour on the bare lawn.
a
square peg in a round hole
He doesn't fit in this department. He's a square peg in a round
hole.
a standing ovation
The outstanding performance rated a standing ovation from the
audience. Everyone stood up and clapped.
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a state of affairs
The roast was burning in the oven, the washer had gone off balance,
and then the smoke alarm went off upstairs. What a pretty state
of affairs!
a stitch in time saves nine
Better think and act ahead; a stitch in time saves
nine.
a sucker punch
He came up from behind, grabbed his head, and landed a sucker punch,
right to his face.
a sure thing
The deal's done, I promise. It's a sure thing.
a sweet deal /a
really sweet deal
He
gets plenty of perks with his job, it's a really sweet deal.
a
symptom of a larger problem
The inadequate level of English at the university level is just a
symptom of a larger problem.
a tight schedule
He had only thirty minutes between planes, it was
a very tight schedule.
a tight spot
If you get in trouble with the teacher, don't
expect me to get you out of a tight spot.
a time slot
Her school schedule was almost full. She had only
one time slot left.
a toothy grin
The witch's mask stared back with a toothy grin.
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a trade-off
I'll mend
your pants if you will babysit. It will be a trade-off.
a train
of thought
She was
sitting quietly, but he interrupted her and broke her train of
thought.
a vintage car
He had a pristine, restored, 1930's Packard, truly a beautiful
vintage car.
a weather vane
The wind whistled over the barn roof, spinning the weather vane
around and around.
a welcome change
The vacation was a welcome change from months of
hard work.
a while ago /a short while ago
He left work a short while ago. He has been gone
about fifteen minutes.
a world of difference
Your donation to our cause will make a world of
difference in a child's life.
absent/absence without leave /AWOL
He is AWOL from the
army.
all of a sudden
He had just gotten off his bike, when all of a
sudden, he collapsed.
Am I right?
So you knew ahead of time, [all along,] [in
advance,] but you won't admit it. Am I right?
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an economic
disaster
Their personal
finances are nothing short of an economic disaster. They are flat
broke all the time.
an eager beaver
I gave him the project to work on, and he started
right away. He's a real eager beaver.
an errand of mercy
She took the pie to the
sick man on an errand of mercy.
an instant success
Sales took right off and the company's products
became an instant success.
an open and shut case
He was caught red-handed. There were plenty of
credible witnesses. It was an open and shut case.
an
opportunity for advancement
The job ad promised the successful applicant opportunity for
advancement, a chance for a promotion.
an unbiased opinion
You say your girlfriend is very beautiful? Now
isn't that an unbiased opinion!
an undisclosed source
The news report was based on information from an
undisclosed source.
as far as something /someone is concerned
The father told his
adult son, that as far as he was concerned, he could do anything he
wanted. He trusted him.
at any (given) time
We are finished here, so you are free to go at any
time.
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(at the end of the day)
When all was said and done, at the end of the day, the company was a
success.
at the last minute /a last minute change
He changed his mind at the last minute.
at
this (moment in) time /at this (point in) time
At this time, the Manager is on a business
trip overseas.
aware /unaware of the discrepancy
The bank staff seemed to be unaware of the
discrepancy in our chequing account.
bear with me
This is long, so please be patient and bear with me.
best of
show
The tiny dog in
the pink collar won Best of Show.
better...or else
You better do what he says, or else!
better
and better
She loved
country life. It was better and better each passing year.
between
a rock and a hard place
He shouldn't have lied. As a result of his lie, he was caught between
a rock and a hard place.
big bucks
He's just dreaming if he thinks he is going to be
making big bucks at that job. They don't pay much.
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bread and
butter
The wife spends
lots of time doing volunteer work, but her husband's job is their
bread and butter. His job pays their bills.
break and enter /B
& E
All the doors
were locked, so the police charged the burglar with Break and
Enter.
breakneck speed
The two motorcyclists raced down the street at breakneck speed.
but
then again
She could do
that for you, but then again, why should she do it if she knows you
don't like her?
can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear
Don't trust your confidences to a low class
gossip. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
can't
see the forest for the trees
He is way too close to the situation. He can't see the forest for the
trees.
carry out attacks
The army will carry out the attacks as planned.
cat got your
tongue
Are you in shock
or something? What's the matter, cat got your
tongue? You haven't said anything.
catch-as-catch-can
She's a real free spirit. She has lived her life
catch-as-catch-can.
cheek by jowl
They built the houses without side yards. They
were packed in cheek by jowl on the property.
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come on
Come on, hurry up, or we will be late.
command
central
The whole war
is run out of Command Central.
cost effective
It would be more cost effective to hire two hard
workers than three lazy people.
couldn't care less
She went on and on about it. I didn't tell
her that I couldn't care less.
crack troops
Some nations boast they have crack troops who are
better than any others.
cutthroat competition
After University, he encountered more cutthroat
competition in the job market. He was even unemployed for a few
months.
damage control
The CEO sent his First Vice President to assess the situation and do
damage control after the fiasco.
day in and day out
He worked hard day in and day out to solve the
problem, but had little success.
details have been forthcoming
/ details have not been forthcoming
The government is silent on the issue. After last week's press
release few details have been forthcoming.
difficult to
find...a more
It would
be difficult to find a more dedicated employee.
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Do you get it?
(also past, Did you get it?)
Did you understand what he said? Did you get it?
domestic
violence
That family is
known for its domestic violence. The oldest brother beats up the
little kids all the time.
don't give it a second thought
It's okay if the vase broke. Don't give it a
second thought. It is replaceable.
don't look a gift horse in
the mouth
You should be
grateful for anything given to you. Don't look a gift horse in the
mouth.
down and out
The Great Depression ruined the fortunes of many people. They were
quickly down and out.
dream on
You think he will hire all your friends? Dream on!
dressed to
kill
She spent oodles
of money on her prom dress. She was dressed to kill. Her father, when
he found out the cost, was fit to be tied.
easy for you to say
Just because you
learned to water-ski in two hours, you think I can too? That's easy
for you to say!
end over end
The piano tumbled down the steps end over end, pulling one of the
movers with it.
endless speculation
Further discussion will only produce endless
speculation.
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every nook and cranny
I looked high and low for that gold brooch,
searching every nook and cranny of the house.
experts recommend
Experts recommend rest,
ice and elevation for a sprained ankle.
far-fetched
She says she will be a millionaire by age forty,
but everybody who knows her thinks that idea is
far-fetched.
far-flung
The fur trade spread to the far-flung corners of the Empire
[everywhere].
first in line
We camped out all night to be first in line to buy a condo at the new
development.
fishy /sounds fishy /looks fishy /smells fishy
/seems fishy
You think
she is telling the truth? I don't. Every time I hear more of her
story it sounds fishier and fishier to me.
fit to be tied
He is so upset about his daughter's mistake, he is
fit to be tied.
fly by night
They won't be here long, They are just a fly by night operation.
fly
off the handle
Don't
get angry at her. Why are you so quick to fly off the handle?
folks
on the street
The
official story is that the project was a real money-loser, but the
folks on the street know better.
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for a song
He sold the property for so little, you could say
that it went for a song.
for hours /days /months on end
I suppose now we will have to endure his whining
for days on end?
for the birds
That doesn't make sense! That's for the birds!
fresh out of
something
I'm sorry
sir, the kitchen is fresh out of pie [we don't have any more].
full
of potential
She is
just wasting her life going out with him. She is so full of
potential, why lose everything? Bad mistake!
fun to be with
I really like her. She
is a good conversationalist, and so fun to be with.
Get lost!
They kept pestering him
after he told them no, so he told them to get lost.
(glass half
full /glass half empty)
An optimist sees the glass half full. A pessimist sees it half
empty.
go to the dogs
With all the break and enters, and other crime, this neighborhood is
really going to the dogs.
Good riddance!
He finally got kicked out of office by his own
party? Good riddance!
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Got a minute?
I have something to show you. Got a minute?
hard
hit by
The area was
hard hit, first by wildfires, then by flooding.
hard to come by
A vase like that, in mint
condition, could prove hard to come by [very hard to find anywhere
else].
hard to resist
The marketing pitch proved hard to resist. So he bought the CD
player.
hash it out among themselves
If they have their differences, leave them to hash
it out among themselves. They will work it out, eventually.
Haste
makes waste.
Don't run
with that milk and spill it! Haste makes waste.
high time for a
change
The opposition
party said it was high time for a change.
Hip, hip, hooray!
The celebrating crowd
shouted "Hip, hip, hooray!"
hit or miss
It didn't seem well planned, it seemed hit or
miss.
honourable mention
First, second, and third prizes went to others, but her work received
honourable mention [fourth best].
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I hear what you're saying
I'm kind of tired of this
argument, but I hear what you are saying [I am listening to you and
understanding you, but I am upset].
if push comes to shove
We'll handle that if, and
when, we have to; if push comes to shove.
in a round-about way
He wasn't direct about
anything, he always told a story in a round-about way.
in
(actual) fact
In fact,
events were quite different.
in living memory
There had never been such a large parade in the small
town in living memory [even the oldest person there had never seen
one].
in no uncertain terms
I told her off, and made it clear to her what the consequences would
be in no uncertain terms.
in terms of
In terms of physical mobility, he is doing okay.
In terms of weight loss, he is not.
in the foreseeable future
The government has budgeted
no further funding for this project in the foreseeable future.
in
the near future
It
won't happen tomorrow, but in the near future we expect another
grant.
it just goes to show you
It just goes to show you, you can't trust a habitual liar.
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it's
a deal /it's a done deal
If you want that car for that price, then it's a done deal, by
me.
it's all in a day's work
I know I went out of my way to do that for you, but it is just all in
a day's work.
it's not for someone to say
It's not for her to say whether you get the job.
She's not the Manager.
it's not rocket science
The parents should have been able to figure out
the toy assembly diagram; it's not rocket science.
it's such a
tragedy
Now three of
his immediate family are gone. It's such a tragedy. They all died too
young.
just in the nick of time
She stopped the toddler from crossing the street alone just in the
nick of time by quickly grabbing him by the collar.
let's get
with it /let's get on with it
Enough coffee break, guys. Now let's get on with the job.
long,
long ago
There were
dinosaurs long, long ago [a long, long, time ago].
made public
Voters want the party's
final expenses made public [announced so everyone will know].
make
it quick /better make it quick
Yes, you can run and get your sweater, but better make it quick. We
have to leave right now.
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markets dry up
He started a small manufacturing business, but
events took a twist, and his markets dried up [there were no buyers
for his product].
missing in action /MIA
Some soldiers who didn't return from the war were
listed as missing in action.
money talks
He was accused of bribery. His hallmark statement
was that money talks [he used his money to bribe people].
more
than enough time
Don't
rush around so. We have more than enough time to get ready.
much
to my surprise [or his/her/their]
Much to our surprise, our children gave us a cruise to Greece for our
anniversary.
navel-gazing
They are so self-absorbed. That group practices and preaches a lot of
navel-gazing.
neck and neck
The two horses were even at the finish line, having gone 40 yards
neck and neck.
net-savvy
She may be a senior citizen, but she knows a lot about the computer.
She is very net-savvy.
never a dull moment
Four things went wrong in the office that day.
There was never a dull moment.
next to nothing
Shop at a thrift store and clothes will cost you
next to nothing.
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nice and soft /nice and warm
My toddler says her blankie is nice and soft.
nip
and tuck
The students
may barely make it through this semester sharing that house with all
its expensive extras. It will be nip and tuck.
no less
He wants forty dollars for that ratty looking old
leather jacket, no less!
no rest for the weary
Something else needs to be done after our long day
of work? No rest for the weary, I guess.
no trespassing
Stay off our property. No
Trespassing
not a chance /small chance
He's just dreaming if he thinks they will pay his
way to go to the expensive management course. Small chance! [No
way!]
not an issue at this time
Whether the government will place the children with another family
permanently is not an issue at this time [they are reserving
judgment and not saying yet].
not as (adjective) as everyone
seems to think
Such a
heartthrob! Well, let me tell you, Mr. Muscles is not as strong as
everyone seems to think.
not at all
Don't bother to thank me for the favour. Don't
mention it, not at all.
not at the moment
"Do you have any cooked chickens?" she
asked.
"Not at the
moment," he answered, " but we will have some in half an
hour."
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not by any stretch of the imagination
Our family budget did not cover her extra
expenses, not by any stretch of the imagination.
(not) hardly
Note, "not hardly" is used in some regions, but is
incorrect because it is a double negative, it should always be
"hardly"
Do you
really think that happened that way? Hardly!
not lose any sleep
over
It didn't work out
this time, but it's not that important. Don't lose any sleep over
it.
not worth the paper it's written on
His guarantee is not worth the paper it is written
on [useless].
not worth talking about
She won't even discuss it. She says it is not
worth talking about.
nothing ventured, nothing gained
Sure, take the risk and do it. You know what they
say, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
nuts to you
I don't believe you, and I don't want to talk
about it. Nuts to you!
of one kind or another
We will find you a suitable replacement of one
kind or another.
oh, my /oh, my dear
Look at all this mess. Oh, my dear!
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(on a)
daily/weekly/monthly (basis)
He checks the rain gauge daily.
(on a month-to-month basis)
Bank statements should be
reviewed monthly.
on a need-to-know basis/NTK
Please distribute this confidential information on
a need-to-know basis only [don't tell everyone].
on condition
of anonymity
She
provided key details to the reporter, on condition of anonymity,
asking that her identity remain hidden.
on notice about
The company put the
gardener on notice about his sloppy grounds keeping. He had to change
or risk being fired.
on the money /right on the money
That bet you placed at the racetrack yesterday
sure paid off. You were right on the money!
on the run
She usually skips a sit-down breakfast and eats on
the run.
on the run from the law
The three convicts escaped from prison, and are on the run from the
law.
on the table /on the table during discussions
The issue of contracting-out should be on the
table during discussions [negotiable].
on-again, off-again
Their love affair is
on-again, off-again, come and go, up and down.
once and for all
Let me tell you, when he
talks to the Service Rep, he will straighten him out once and for
all.
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Once burned, twice shy.
After his disastrous experience hang-gliding he will probably stay on
the ground. Once burned, twice shy.
once upon a time
The phrase "Once upon a time..." begins
many children's stories.
one of a kind
That work of art will never be repeated. It is one
of a kind.
open for business
Today, they are still setting up the kitchen, but tomorrow the
restaurant will be open for business.
out of place
He wasn't used to wearing a suit and tie, and felt
quite out of place at the cocktail party.
Out of sight, out of
mind.
The toddler
fretted over the broken toy until her mother removed it, saying "Out
of sight, out of mind."
out of step with /in step with
When he goes off on those
wild tangents, he shows he is out of step with the rest of the
management board.
Out of the frying pan, into the fire.
They moved from a rental to
a very old house that soon needed major structural repairs. Out of
the frying pan, into the fire.
outstanding in [one's] field
She is an excellent
teacher, positively outstanding in her field.
over and done
with
Don't cry over the
past. It is over and done with.
mp3 audio of the next 10 idioms
over, and over again
He covered the same material thoroughly, rewording
it over and over again.
over the moon about
Wow are they ever in love! She is just over the
moon about him.
over-the-counter
Rather than use a prescription drug, the doctor recommended an
over-the-counter drug, easily available at the pharmacy.
paid a
pittance
We think we
got a good deal on that used bike. We bought it at a thrift shop and
paid a pittance.
part and parcel of
His story is part and parcel of the entire fraud.
They cannot be separated.
peace of mind
Only when she knew her daughter was taken care of
did she have peace of mind.
poised to take action
The entrepreneur is poised to take action if she
sees an opening in the market.
prepared to offer
Perhaps the buyers are prepared to offer a
slightly higher price on the property.
pretty good
You did just fine, kid. That was pretty good for a
beginner.
pretty straightforward
The terms of the deal seem to be clear. Everything looks pretty
straightforward.
mp3 audio of the next 10 idioms
prices plunge
The company will lose too much money on current stock if prices
plunge.
pros and cons
The government is weighing its options before it decides. There are
both benefits and drawbacks, pros and cons.
quiet reflection
Facing a hectic afternoon,
she paused for a moment of quiet reflection in the small courtyard
garden.
rapt attention
The toddler was watching the cartoon show with rapt attention, just
fascinated.
ready.....at all times
The troops were ready to face the enemy at all
times.
ready for action
The troops were armed and ready for action.
ready for business
The water was mopped up,
and the gutter unblocked. The store was ready for business again
three hours after the rain storm.
ready to party
Exams are over, and every student is ready to
party.
reverse engineering
A foreign company stole the patented design by taking apart the
design through reverse engineering.
right now
Come on, we have to leave right now!
mp3 audio of the next 10 idioms
right
this minute
Come here,
now, right this minute!
ripe for the kill
He is sure that the market for his new product is
ready, ripe for the kill
risk management
The company plans very carefully, showing careful
risk management to maximize profits and cut losses.
sales are
down /up
The housing
market is soft right now. Sales are down.
sales decline
Sales of that product
declined last year for the first time following ten years of steady
gain.
sales fall off
It was a very hot market until recently, when sales fell off.
scout's
honour
I promise it
will be delivered tomorrow. Scout's Honour!
severance pay
When he was laid off, he
made a special trip to the office to collect his severance pay [final
pay].
share and share alike
Here's the pizza, kids. Now nobody hogs it, okay? It will be share
and share alike.
six of one, half a dozen of the other
Both options are equal; six of one, half a dozen
of the other.
mp3 audio of the next 10 idioms
someone has such a hard life
Oh you poor girl! Only two cookies and not three.
You have such a hard life!
someone's heart is in the right
place
When she was in
the hospital, the office sent her flowers. Someone's heart was in the
right place.
someone's luck ran out
The death was just a freak accident. They say his
luck ran out.
someone's standing in the polls
That politician has recently enjoyed a high
standing in the polls. He is really popular.
sound effects
The performers added sound
effects to the song, tooting like train whistles at the end.
speaking
of which
We have been
talking about food all morning, speaking of which, would you like to
go get some lunch?
split down the middle
The voters returned a 51.1, 49.9 split down the
middle for the incumbent.
split half-and-half
It doesn't make sense to buy two of these huge
drinks for two children. Why not get an extra glass and split one
half-and-half?
strange bedfellows
Politics makes strange bedfellows. People whom you
don't expect to work together, do.
stream-of-consciousness
He just spoke whatever came
to his mind. It was a stream-of-consciousness speech.
mp3 audio of the next 10 idioms
strictly
speaking
I will let you
have that for free, but strictly speaking, we aren't allowed to give
them away [don't tell the boss].
such is life
So you didn't win the lottery after all? Such is
life.
sugar-coated
He was so polite to the angry customer; his story was
sugar-coated.
(sure to please)
We will decide for you which colour to send when you order. Our
selection is sure to please.
survival of the fittest
The competition was fierce. It was survival of the
fittest.
survival tactics
The rescue guides trained the skiers in avalanche survival
tactics.
thanks to
Thanks to quick thinking on his part, the car fire did not spread to
the gas tank.
the backbone of a plan
The government now has in place the backbone of a
plan to handle further political setbacks in that area.
the
biggest loser
If you
cheat on an exam, even if you pass, the biggest loser will be you,
not anyone else.
the bottom line
They expected huge financial losses, but the bottom line did not look
bad.
mp3 audio of the next 10 idioms
the final curtain call
The actors came back for one final curtain call at the end of the
play.
the heart of an issue
That's more like it. Now that he is being honest, we are getting to
the heart of the issue.
the hit parade
Few songs are big sellers, finding a place on the
hit parade.
the onus falls on
The onus falls on the parents to care for the child. It is their
responsibility.
the pot calling the kettle black
But she is like that too, and even more so! When
she says that, it's just the pot calling the kettle black.
the
real world
You thought
you would get rich by winning the lottery? Welcome back to the real
world!
the right to die
There has been a public debate in Canada regarding the issue of
euthanasia, or the right to die.
the school of hard knocks
He had a rough life, but
learned much in the school of hard knocks.
The show's not over
until the fat lady sings.
I guess we'll wait and see what happens. I am reserving judgment. The
show's not over until the fat lady sings.
the survival of the
fittest
The market
competition in realty is stiff. It's a case of the survival of the
fittest.
the turn of the century
At the turn of the last century, parts of Europe were untouched by
recent active warfare. That was soon to change.
the will
to live
The elderly
woman's health declined when she lost her will to live.
the
wraps come off
Once the
new building is unveiled and the wraps come off, we may consider
leasing some space.
these are exciting times /to live in
exciting times
"John
is involved in so many sports, and now he has this girlfriend,"
said the teenager's mother. "We sure live in exciting
times."
things look bad/good/better/worse
Things are looking better outside our house, now
that we have the new gardens planted. Everything looked pretty bad
for a while.
thinly veiled
Her distaste for the decorator's choice of fabrics was thinly
veiled.
time for a change
The premier of that province has been in office too long. It is time
for a change.
time for action
Come on, boys, coffee break is over. It's time for action.
to
just get by
We just get
by on my pay rate.
to accept change
Some people are very much creatures of habit; it
is very hard for them to accept change.
to add up to
Everything you are buying adds up to forty
dollars.
Yes, you are right
it is expensive. It sure adds up, doesn't it?
to address
an issue
The politician
refused to address the issue.
to apply for a job
I applied for a job in computer science
yesterday.
to assess information
Once we have read the company's application, and assessed the
information, we will contact them.
to avoid responsibility
He was gone from home long
hours in order to avoid the responsibility of caring for his young
son.
to barely survive
The cat barely survived the accident with the car.
to be a
lemon
That vehicle had
three major repairs in the first two years we owned it. It has turned
out to be a real lemon.
to be an item
Did you know she is dating the courier driver?
That's right, they are an item.
to be at stake
We can't lose this game because the whole
championship is at stake. We won't advance to the finals if we
lose.
to be based on information
Part of the news report was based on information from an unnamed
source.
to be beyond belief
Have you seen what she did to her hair? It's beyond belief. [You will
be shocked.]
to be called to account for /to account for
The school called him to account for the way he
had spent the last three weeks.
to be derelict in one's duty
Parents who neglect their
children are derelict in their duty.
to be honest /to be honest
with you /to be perfectly honest
I am truly confused. To be perfectly honest, I don't know.
To be honest with you, I don't know the first
thing about how to do this assignment.
to be in the hole
They spent fifty bucks on
the supplies, but only charged forty bucks for the stuff they sold.
So, they went [are] in the hole ten bucks.
to be knee deep in
something
The farmer
waded into the flooded field to rescue the horse until he was nearly
knee deep in mud.
to be marginalized by society
The couple felt that they were being left out of
every group, because of their circumstances. They believed they were
marginalized by society.
to be no fun
"I don't want to go to the doctor,"
wailed the six-year-old, "that will be no fun!"
to be
no stranger to
Those
people are no strangers to success, they have had two gold medalists
in their family.
to be no surprise /to come as no surprise
It should come as no surprise that their teenage
daughter has racked up yet another awesome credit card bill.
to
be on call for
The
emergency room physician was on call for the weekend. He had his cell
phone turned on and with him at all times.
to be reduced to
tears
When the toddler
grabbed the books from her sister's arms, her sister was reduced to
tears.
to be sick and tired of
I'm sick and tired of you two children fighting.
to be sitting
pretty
If they sell
that house for the list price, they will be sitting pretty.
to
be there for someone
I
know you are having a hard time right now, but I'll be there for you
[support you] when you need me.
to be tied down
The mother of the baby triplets was tied down to a
schedule of diaper changes, bottles, laundry and naps.
to be
true to oneself
If you
speak up for what you believe in, you are being true to yourself.
to
be willing to negotiate
Union and management were both willing to negotiate a deal to avert a
strike or lockout.
to be worried sick
Ever since her daughter had failed the test, the
mother had been worried sick about her future.
to bend over
backwards
The
salesperson bent over backwards to be helpful when they bought the
car.
to blank out /to draw a blank about something
She couldn't find the right words. She just
blanked out.
When they asked
the postal code at her last address, she drew a blank.
to blow
a kiss to someone
The
charming toddler held her hand palm up, pursed her lips, and blew her
Grandma a kiss.
to brace for the worst
There is a hurricane warning, and residents of
Atlantic Canada are bracing for the worst.
to break even
The business is making as
much as it has spent, so it is breaking even. It is viable.
to
break every rule in the book
The dishonest company made the sale, but in the process, it broke
every rule in the book.
to break into
The thief broke into the store through the back
window, and stole the computer.
to break open
The little girl broke the chocolate egg open and
pulled out the prize.
to break the bank
If our son spends any more on fancy cars, he'll
break the bank. We just can't afford it.
to bring to bear on
They brought all the facts
to bear on the case and solved it.
to bring to justice
The criminals were brought to justice. They will
all be doing time behind bars.
to burn the candle at both ends
He has committed far too
much of his available time. He's only sleeping five hours at night;
burning the candle at both ends.
to burst the bubble
The man was quite attracted to the woman until she
mentioned her husband and burst the bubble.
to buy off
Rumours are that they have bought off half the
team. It's all rigged.
to call the shots /to call all the shots
In that family, Dad makes
the money, but Mom calls all the shots.
to call to someone's
attention / to call someone's attention to something
Someone walking by their car called their
attention to the flat tire.
to carve out a niche
That company is trying to carve out a niche in the
interior design market.
to cause quite a stir
Her engagement is causing quite a stir at work,
since she has dated several men there.
to cave in
Dad caved in and bought his oldest daughter a car
for her graduation.
to celebrate a victory /birthday
The winning team went out to a pub to celebrate
their victory.
to chicken out
He dared his sister to a roller blade race, but she chickened out at
the last minute.
to chill out
The weary mother told her screaming toddler to settle down and chill
out.
to clean up a mess
The cat got sick [threw up, vomited, up-chucked, barfed] on the rug
and Dad had to clean up the mess.
to coast to victory
They worked hard during the beginning of the
campaign, and then at the end seemed to coast to victory without much
effort.
to come away with something
There were several consolation prizes, so even
though they didn't win a first or second prize, they came away with
something.
to come in contact with
If you work at a hospital laundry, you will come
in contact with a variety of communicable diseases.
to come to
grief
Better not try to
cheat on that exam, or you will come to grief.
to come to mind
She thought very hard about
where the lost papers could be, but nothing came to mind.
to
come to nothing /nought
The family worried about the bullying, but the issue disappeared, and
it came to nought.
to come to terms with
She is still coming to terms with her mother's
death.
to come under the influence of
During his time at that university, he came under
the influence of some right-wing thinkers.
to come undone
After her boyfriend ended
their relationship, she collapsed. She couldn't take it, she just
came undone.
to conduct a study
The research group is conducting a study of their new product.
to
convey a message /the convey the message that
The official wanted to convey the message that the
family had not been forgotten in their sorrow.
to cramp
someone's style
She's
an actress, and he is so straight-laced, he just cramps her style.
to
create a disturbance
The gang members gathered often at the club, broke bottles and
yelled, and generally created a disturbance.
to create
confusion
When the
accident blocked both exits, that created confusion for commuters.
to
cross one's heart and hope to die
"I promise I won't break it," yelled the little boy,
grabbing the toy boat, "cross my heart and hope to die."
to
crow about something
He
just won the thousands on the lottery, so now he really has something
to crow about.
to cry in one's soup
It's all doom and gloom with that family, they are
always crying in their soup over something or other.
to cry
over spilled milk
It's
too late to cry over spilled milk.
to cut a deal
The two companies cut a deal and merged.
to
cut to the chase
He
stopped further discussion, and cut to the chase, calling for a
decision from the board.
to defend a decision
She defended her decision to become a lawyer,
saying she had wanted to bring justice in society.
to deliver
on one's promise
The
company performed the service repair on the car for free. They really
delivered on their promise.
to derive a list
He took the directory and derived a list of
prospective clients.
to deserve praise for a job well done
Today, we are honouring our
longest-serving volunteer, who certainly deserves praise for a job
well done.
to distance oneself from
The politician refused to be drawn into the
discussion, distancing herself from the issue by claiming it was
another minister's department.
to disturb the peace
The police warned him about using the bullhorn to
disturb the peace.
to do a favor
"Do me a favor, please, and be quiet while I am on the phone,"
the mother told her little girl.
to do a snow job
They believed him alright, he really did a snow
job and conned them all. Wait until they find out he lied!
to
down drink /food
Because it was so hot, and he was so thirsty, he downed three glasses
in a row, then stopped to talk.
to draw attention to something
The store would like to
draw your attention to the specials in the women's shoe
department.
to draw a conclusion
The students will be asked to draw a conclusion from the information
presented in live debate.
to dredge up something
Don't dredge up anything from a past relationship
to poison a new one.
to drive someone around the bend
The toddler's lengthy temper tantrums nearly drove
her mother around the bend.
to drive someone up the wall
When he got a busy signal
repeatedly after calling the company all afternoon, it really drove
him up the wall.
to drop a hint
What she really wanted for Valentine's Day was a diamond ring from
her boyfriend, so she dropped a hint or two. Now they are engaged.
to
earn a living
He earns
a living as a customer service representative.
to earn brownie
points
The man earned
brownie points from his wife every time he mopped the kitchen floor.
She was pleased and surprised.
to eke out an existence
During the Depression, Prairie farmers barely eked
out an existence, as soil blew away from their farms.
to
exacerbate a condition
Don't get him involved in this argument, that will just exacerbate
the condition. It will get much worse fast.
to face off against
someone
The two teams
faced off against each other on centre ice, and the game began.
to
fare better /worse /well overall
He didn't do very well on Part III of the exam, but he fared well
overall, earning a higher grade than twenty of his classmates.
to
feast one's eyes on
She
entered the small boutique and feasted her eyes on the pleasant
display of soaps and perfumes.
to feed someone a line
You don't really believe what that guy told you,
do you? He was just feeding you a line.
to feel for someone
"Oh, you work so
hard," said the girl to her older brother who had just gotten
his first job. "I really feel for you!"
to feel like
a million dollars
"Wow," said the senior citizen, "now that the Doctor
put me on that new medicine, I feel like a million dollars!"
to
fiddle with
Don't fiddle with
that TV remote, you will screw up the channel selections.
There's been some fiddling with the financial figures
for the organization, and some money is apparently missing.
to
fight fire with fire
The company finally rearranged their sales tactics, and began to make
more money. They were gaining over the competition by fighting fire
with fire [a response appropriate to the threat].
to figure it
out
I just can't
understand these instructions, the girl said. She hoped her father
could figure it out.
to fill someone's shoes
He is a valuable employee. When he retires from
the company, it will be hard to fill his shoes.
to fill in for
She was gone from work
Friday so a co-worker filled in for her.
to find a way to make
it happen
Don't worry
about money, the parent promised. If you want to go to college, son,
we will find a way to make it happen.
to find common ground
The two sides were able to
solve the labour dispute by finding common ground about benefits and
contracting out.
to find the time
"Come see me next week if you manage to find
the time in your busy schedule," the mother told her
daughter.
to fix up with
She
wants to fix me up with some cousin of hers, but I really don't want
to start dating again.
to flex one's muscles
We don't think he is serious about threatening to
sue, he's just flexing his muscles.
to float a loan
The son was able to able to enlist two relatives
to help him and floated a loan from his father in order to buy the
new car.
to foil a plot
The company foiled a plot by hackers to break into their client
database.
to forge ahead
The research arm of the corporation didn't let the failure hold them
back. They just forged ahead with new work in a related area.
to
funnel money
The thugs
funneled money through a series of bank accounts until they reached
their source of supply.
to gather information /intelligence
According to the
information the investigators have gathered, he is very deeply
involved in the smuggling ring.
to get one's nose out of joint
"Oh don't get your
nose out of joint," the mother told her toddler, "I'm sorry
I spilled juice on your pants."
to get hooked on
They fed the kid marshmallows, and now she is
hooked on candy, a real "sugarholic."
to get off
someone's back
The
employee had an abusive boss who wouldn't get off his back about the
new performance standards.
to get over someone
She broke up with her boyfriend yesterday, but it
may take a couple of weeks for her to get over him.
to get the
ax
That government
program will either get the ax or get more money.
to get the
ball rolling
The new
company opened on time with plenty of publicity to get the ball
rolling.
to get to the bottom of
We are waiting to see it they will investigate far enough to get to
the bottom of it.
to get up on the wrong side of the bed
She was very crabby. He
told her she must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed that
morning.
to give credit for /to
The awards ceremony emcee gave credit to the organizers of the gala
for the fine job they did on the food and entertainment.
to
give someone something to think about
The time he spent in jail gave the drunk driver something to think
about.
to give someone the heebie-jeebies
That horror flick gave me the heebie-jeebies. I'll
be scared of the dark, now.
to go around in circles
They don't know what to do now that they haven't
heard from their son. They are just going around in circles.
to
go from crisis to crisis
That couple seems to live their lives going from crisis to crisis.
to
go hungry
"If you
don't eat your peas, you will just have to go hungry," said the
father to his toddler.
to go to bat for someone
We are pretty sure he will make the team. His
former team coach is going to bat for him to get him a spot.
to
hand over the goods /money
"Please hand over the CD player," the angry teenager told
his little brother.
to hang on
She is still hanging on to the hope that they might be able to buy
the more expensive house.
to hang out
He hangs out with some tough-looking kids at the
coffee shop.
to harbour a secret
The diary harbored a secret the family had never known.
to have
a chance to
"I
wish we had a chance to buy a new toy, Mama," said the little
girl.
to have a change of heart
He told her no, but then had a change of heart and bought the new
bicycle anyway.
to have a hole in one's head
Why is he crossing six lanes of highway outside of
the crosswalk? Does he have a hole in his head?
to have a knack
for /to have an eye for /to have a flare for
She has a knack for crafts. She knits the most
fabulous sweaters. She really has an eye for colour and a flare
for design.
to have a reputation for
That company has a reputation for fine service.
to
have a ripple effect
He
thinks his actions won't hurt anyone, but it will have a ripple
effect. People he doesn't even know will be damaged.
to have
been saying that all along
"I knew that would happen," the father told his son.
"Haven't I been saying that all along?"
to have gone
missing / went missing
I can't find my red shoe, it's gone missing. It went missing
yesterday, I think.
to have mixed feelings about something
She had mixed feelings
about dating him. Sometimes he just didn't seem to be her type.
to
have the world by the tail
If he wins the lottery, he'll have the world by the tail.
to
have unfinished business
He returned to his homeland to sell his home. This wrapped up his
unfinished business.
to head out for
They were heading out for a camping trip when they
got the news about the tornado.
to hit a home run
The last batter connected with the ball so well
that he rounded all the bases before the catcher caught the ball. It
was a home run.
to hold the dubious distinction of
He holds the dubious distinction of changing
departments more often than anyone else in our company.
to hope
for the best
The cat
was very injured, but the vet operated on her and they all hoped for
the best.
to horse around
The kids were horsing around in the water, getting everybody wet.
to
hunker down
During the
thunderstorm, we just lit some candles and hunkered down in the
cabin.
to identify a group /target /trigger
He has identified the preschool children as his
target audience for his magician's act.
to increase /decrease
dramatically
Spending
has increased dramatically over the last two decades.
to issue
a directive
The company
issued a directive to its middle management to cut back on all
non-essential training expenses.
to jump to a conclusion
She looked at the way he
was dressed and jumped to the conclusion that he had money.
to
keep afloat
They hoped
the extra loan from the bank would keep the business afloat during
the mill strike.
to keep an eye on
Keep an eye on the beans I put on to cook so they
don't burn, while I go take the wash out of the dryer.
to keep
an account of
We will have to
keep a good account of the money we spend on extras, because the
mortgage is going to take a pretty big chunk out of our pay.
to
keep it under your hat
She says not to tell anybody she is expecting a baby again. Just keep
it under your hat.
to keep under wraps
The company president kept the new plan under
wraps until the funding was all worked out.
to kick the bucket
Sometime during the night,
the sick frog kicked the bucket. They buried it's body this
morning.
to knock one's socks off
He did a really good job on the public relations
work. It just knocked off our socks to see how hard he worked.
to
land a job
He's sure
happy. He landed the job he has always wanted.
to launch an
investigation
The
police launched an investigation into the killings.
to lead to
misunderstanding
Too
many careless remarks like that will lead to misunderstanding.
to
leave (all) one's options open
If you take a broad variety of courses in the first two years of
university, you can leave your options open for a career choice.
to
leave high and dry
She
lost her wallet at the bus depot. It left her high and dry for cash
to get a ride home.
to let someone know
If you don't want to come next week, please let me
know.
to limit out
They caught several fish this morning, and limited out for the
day.
to live on the growing edge
That's my son, he's into high tech. He loves to live on the growing
edge.
to look at the ramifications
Before you change neighborhoods, look at all the
ramifications of your children changing schools.
to look down
on
Among other things,
multiculturalism teaches us not to look down on anyone because of
their ethnic background.
to look down the road
That plan won't work for our community. They
should be able to see that if they just look down the road a few
years.
to look like a joke
After I had been gardening, my new shoes were so dirty they looked
like a joke.
to look up to
The small girl really looked up to her aunt and uncle. She just
adored them.
to lose out on
If you don't get back to the tour bus on time, you will lose out on
the explanation the tour guide is giving about the next stop.
to
lose the scent
The dog
tracked the rabbit through the bushes, and then lost the scent.
to
lose track of
She
enjoyed the new book so much, she lost track of time and two hours
went by before she realized it.
to make one's mark
He has really made his mark in the art world and
now sells his work for many thousands of dollars a piece.
to
make a good /bad showing
The junior soccer team is making a good showing, winning three games
so far this season.
to make a mockery of
In that trial, the acquittal of the accused makes
a mockery of justice.
to make a mountain out of a molehill
"Don't make such a
fuss," said the parent to her toddler, "you are making a
mountain out of a molehill."
to make a pact
The seven-year-old girls made a pact to start a
secret club where no boys would be allowed.
to make amends for
The young offender will
have to make amends for the damage he caused. Some are suggesting
community service would be appropriate.
to make an effort
I know you can pass the
exam if you apply yourself to studying the material and really make
an effort.
to make ends meet
Between the two of them, her parents make enough money to make ends
meet.
to make it to the top of a list
She made it to the top of the list of
post-doctoral candidates they were interviewing for the job.
to
make the most of an opportunity
In order to make the most of the opportunity, you must act now,
before all the units are sold.
to maximize your return
Certain investments will do better than others,
maximizing your return on the dollars you invest.
to meet the
criteria for
He met all
the criteria for entrance to the elite school. He met all their
entrance requirements.
to mess around
Do it right, don't just mess around.
Don't mess around with that cat now, or he will
claw you.
to milk something dry
He renewed the business contract until the hiring company ran out of
money for his project. He had milked them dry.
to miss the
action /to miss all the action
If she comes to the party two hours late, she is going to miss all
the action.
to miss out (on)
Three people showed up at the Canada Day Celebrations an hour after
the last of the cake was gone. They missed out on a very good
cake.
to miss the boat
If she waits too late to apply for that school, she will miss the
boat and not get in.
to miss the mark
He was aiming for a bank balance of $5,000 this
month, but it's only about $4,500. So, he missed the mark by about
$$500.
to mix metaphors
Parts of two different metaphors should not be used together. For
instance, "to pull the wool out from under (someone's) feet"
and "to pull the rug over (someone's) eyes," are both
incorrect. They are mixed metaphors. The correct metaphors are "to
pull the rug out from under (someone's) feet," and "to pull
the wool over {someone's}eyes."
to muddy the waters
The professor asked the class if they
understood his explanation, or whether it had only muddied the waters
and made things worse.
to name a panel
The firm named a panel of distinguished members to
lead the public discussions.
to need a crutch
He does just fine in his third language, but his
mother still needs a crutch, so she takes an a dictionary
everywhere.
to opt for
"I'll opt for the blue sports car," the game show
contestant said. "That's my choice."
to opt out of
They opted out of the
undercoating for their new car, because the local road maintenance
crews use sand, not salt. So they reasoned the car wouldn't rust.
to
owe a debt of gratitude
She saved our son's life when he was drowning, so we owe her a debt
of gratitude.
to paint the town red
The old fashioned song said they would have a
really good time partying, painting the town red.
to pass on
the savings
We were
able to get a very good deal on the wholesale price of these
computers, so we are passing on the savings to you, our customers.
to
pass up a deal
They
could not pass up the deal and bought the house when it dropped in
price by ten percent.
to pay attention to
"Will you stand up straight, and pay
attention to what you are doing?" the crabby mother asked her
jiggling toddler.
to pay the piper
He won't get away with what he did. He'll have to
pay the piper someday.
to pay through the nose
She made the mistake of trusting her new friend
with her purse, and the "friend" took some money from her.
Now she is paying through the nose for her ignorance.
to pin
down
The politician
evaded their questions. He was hard to pin down.
to pinch hit
for
The Principal is
unexpectedly gone today, so the Vice Principal is pinch hitting for
him.
to pinch pennies
Neither of them makes much money, so they really have to pinch
pennies or they will be in debt.
to play around with
The cat just played around with the snake, and
then left it.
to play hooky
He is gone when he is supposed to be here. Why does he always play
hooky on Friday's?
to play with fire
You should know better than to get involved in
that scheme. Don't play with fire or you will get burned.
to
plow through
In their
search, they ploughed through hundreds of job applications before
they found a suitable applicant.
to polish off
He finished the apple pie and congratulated
himself that he had polished off the whole meal.
to pop into
one's mind /head
It
just popped into the student's head that the answer to question
number three was "were" not "was."
to pose
a problem
That leak in
the roof poses quite a problem for us if we want to go on vacation
during wet weather.
to post a notice
She posted a rental-wanted notice on the Library
bulletin board.
to present a basis for
The first person giving the talk will present the
basis for our argument.
to present a threat to
The militant groups present a threat to
cross-country travel in that country.
to press one's luck
You already have one
freebie this visit, don't press your luck to get another one.
to
prove to be someone's salvation
The web site proved to be his salvation on the essay part of his
homework.
to pull a fast one /to pull a fast one on someone
I can hardly believe they
got away with what they did. They cheated us. They really pulled a
fast one.
to pull a stunt
He got away with too much. Next time someone pulls that kind of
stunt, call us.
to pull someone's leg
You don't believe his story, do you? He is just
pulling your leg.
to pull the plug on
The government pulled the plug on the funding
program, causing the clinic to shut down.
to pull the rug out
from under
They changed
their minds at the last minute and decided not to rent the suite to
her. They pulled the rug out from under her feet, and left her with
nowhere to go.
to pull the wool over someone's eyes
That company is not telling you truth. They are
just pulling the wool over your eyes.
to push the envelope
If the company wants to
keep growing, they have to keep pushing the envelope, staying ahead
of market trends.
to put a spin on something
She isn't telling you all of the story, just her
side. You know she always likes to put her own spin on things, and
twist them.
to put on hold
The bank put a hold on his account so he could not make debit
transactions because he was bouncing so many cheques.
to put on
the back burner
She
wanted to marry him, but after meeting his family, and finding out
she didn't like them, she decided to put the idea on the back burner
for a while.
to put one's money where one's mouth is
Your promises are all empty. Why don't you put
your money where you mouth is?
to put /place the blame on
Without placing any blame,
we can state that someone made a very big mistake here.
to put
something behind oneself
She tried hard to put the loss of her friends behind her and
concentrate on the future at the new school.
to rain on
someone's parade
I hate
to rain on your parade, but it won't be as simple as you think. The
solution is much more complicated.
to reach an agreement
The union and management
reached an agreement over the terms of the new contract.
to
reject an idea
She
quickly saw he was very tired, and rejected her earlier idea that
they would go out this evening.
to rely solely on /upon
The pilots will be relying
solely on their instruments when the plane takes off in this much
fog.
to remain calm
"Please remain calm," said the teacher. I am sure the
laptop cord is here somewhere. It can't be too far away. We
will find it.
to render ineffective
He took a second medication in addition to the
first, and it rendered the first ineffective, cancelling it out.
to
return a favour /the favour
I really appreciate your link to our web site. How can I return the
favour?
to reveal (the) specifics
He has some plan or other to work things out, but
he won't reveal the specifics to his wife.
to reverse a
negative trend
Housing
sales have picked up again, reversing the negative trend from last
year. Realtors say the increase in sales is welcome.
to review
the matter
The
committee has promised to take another look at the finances in order to
keep the school open. After they review the matter, they will contact
us.
to run a risk
If you eat undercooked hamburger,
you run the risk of getting
e-coli.
to run for cover
The fox ran for cover when the
dogs approached.
to run with an idea / to take an idea
and run with it
That company is very successful.
They act quickly when they enter new markets. They
really take an idea and run with it.
to save face
He needs to keep his dignity, so
you better not
mention his mistake. Just let him save face, for
once.
to save the best for last
Wow! Chocolate torte after that
super
dinner? You sure saved the best for last.
to save the day
That take-out food really saved
the day for our
volunteer movers. They were so hungry after all
that work.
to say the least /at the very least
It wasn't right that you didn't
know your financial
manager made an expensive mistake. He should
have contacted you about the error, to say the least.
to scramble to come up with
After the flash flooding, the
disaster
relief agency
had to scramble to come up with fresh water and
food for the victims.
to screw up /to be screwed up
The car repair place screwed up
and cancelled the wrong appointment. It's all screwed up now.
to scrimp and save
If she scrimps and saves, she can
make a down
payment on the condo.
to see no end in sight
The toddler's parents saw no end
of the
temper
tantrums in sight, but fortunately, they were wrong.
to sell off
He is going to sell off all his
possessions and move
to Canada.
to sell someone down the river
It is too late for them to back
out
now, they have
too much invested. That lawyer really sold them
down the river with his advice.
to sell someone short
Don't sell him short, he may be
able to
produce
what he has promised.
to serve as a reminder
The cenotaph in the park serves
as a reminder
of the
veterans.
to set the stage for
Her success at gymnastics set the
stage for her
success later in synchronized swimming.
to settle a score
His former roommate stole $300
from him. We
hope they will find a peaceful way to settle the score.
to settle an argument
The mother walked into the room
and asked her
daughters if they needed help to settle their
argument.
to shake a leg
Come on, we don't have much time
to get there. We
will really have to shake a leg or we will be late.
to shake on it
Let's stop the bargaining and
declare the deal final.
Would you like to shake on it?
to share information
We would like the school to share
more
information
with us about our daughter's progress in reading.
to shed a few pounds /some pounds
She was overweight, so she
started
running every
other day, and shed a few pounds.
to shed light on
You must know something about
this. Please tell us
what you know and shed some light on the matter.
to shell out
The father shelled out a cool ten
grand ($10,000.00)
for his oldest daughter's wedding.
to shoot off one's mouth
He doesn't know what he is
talking about.
He is
just shooting off his mouth.
to shoot the rapids
Some drivers weave through rush
hour traffic
like
rafters shooting the rapids.
to show cause
If he has evidence we need to
hear that he was
wronged by the tenants' group, then he should tell
us. Come on, show cause.
to sign off on
The school secretary signed off
on the courier
package delivery.
to siphon off money
The tutoring service is siphoning
off money as it passes from the student to the tutor. Everybody wants a
piece of the pie.
to skirt around
Don't you think she is just
skirting around the
issue? Or is she really dealing with every part of the
argument?
to smarten up
"Don't mess in that mud," the
father told his son.
"When you wear good clothes, you have to smarten up and stay clean or
Mom
will be angry."
to smell a rat
There is something not right
about her explanation. I
think I smell a rat.
to sort out in the end
I am sure we will sort it all out
in the end,
although
it seems very confused now.
to spend a bundle
The mother spent a bundle on
their back-to-school
clothes this year, so she wants the school to begin
requiring school uniforms, instead.
to spill the beans
The little girl told her brother
Dad had gotten
him a
camera for his birthday. She ruined the surprise, and
spilled the beans.
to spot a fake
A jeweler can spot a fake
diamond. A customs
officer should be able to spot a fake passport. A
merchant should learn to spot a fake $20 bill.
to square away
Settle the debts you have and get
squared away, and
then contact me again about buying the boat.
to squeeze in /into
We can just squeeze one more word
into your
classified ad.
to squeeze out
She applied to medical school,
but got squeezed out
by the competition. She will try again, I guess.
to squelch a rumor /rumors
The minister responsible for that
portfolio squelched
the rumor that the funds had been mishandled.
to stage an attack
The rebels staged an attack at
night and took the
town.
to stand by
We can't just stand by and watch,
we want to be
involved.
to stand in for
The bride's brother walked her
down the aisle,
standing in for her absent father.
to stand in the gap
The call to patriotism in some
countries
involves a
call to stand in the gap against "evil forces."
to stand up
for He is capable of standing up
for what he believes.
to step up the action
They stepped up the action in the
war,
fighting more
battles with more troops.
to stick to a plan
If they would pick a good plan
and just stick to
it,
they would be out of debt soon.
to stretch the truth
The little boy was very good at fibbing,
stretching
the truth into little lies.
to strike out
They really struck out in that
game. It is game over
and they are out of the playoffs.
to string someone along
He won't be able to hire all
those people.
He is just
stringing them along.
to suffer withdrawal symptoms
She suffered withdrawal symptoms
when
she gave
up coffee, but soon the headaches were over.
to support an agenda
The parents seem to support the
principal's
agenda
about the discipline in the school.
to suss out something
He is very clever about sussing
out the truth
when
he researches that kind of topic.
to swear by something
Parents usually swear by a
certain brand of
diaper
that it prevents leaks.
to sweep an issue under the carpet
He may be a successful
politician, but sometimes he
does sweep an issue under the carpet, and not
answer our questions directly.
to sweeten the pot /to sweeten the deal
Can I offer you free car
mats to sweeten the deal on
the sports model?
to switch horses in midstream
Switching majors in the third
year of
university is
like switching horses midstream.
to take a chance
They bought the house, even
though they knew they
were taking a chance that the roof would soon need
to be replaced.
to take a crack at
Want to go to Reno and take a
crack at winning
something on the slots?
to take a decision
The decision has been taken about
the school. It
will remain open for the time being.
to take a second look
Can we come back to the house you
showed us
last
week and take a second look? We may want to buy
it.
to take action
The police are taking action
against auto theft and
using bait cars that videotape thieves stealing the
cars.
to take issue with
He wants to take issue with
anyone who asks any
questions about his son's behavior.
to take measures
They will take measures
to secure the borders of
the country if the government falls.
to take off (on someone)
The toddler was right
with his parents in
the boys
clothing, but his mother let go of his hand and he
just took off on them.
to take over
She said she would take over the
payments on the
car.
to take steps
The doctor is taking steps to
stop the progression of
the disease.
to take the fall
The two boys pulled the stunt
together, buy only
one boy was caught. He took the fall for it.
to take the heat
She resigned from the
minister's portfolio because
she could not take the heat about the scandal.
to take the plunge
Are you ready to take the plunge
from engagement
into marriage?
to take something to heart
I promise I won't do it
again. I will
really take your
advice to heart next time, and resist.
to target individuals
The new tax law targets
individuals earning
between
$80,000 and $100,000 a year.
to tell it like it is
She is sometimes too honest,
always trying to
tell it
like it is.
to tell one's own version
He wants to tell us his version
of events,
so we
should be quiet and listen.
to tend to exaggerate /to tend not to
exaggerate
She tends not to exaggerate, so I
would be
surprised if she is wrong about the affair.
to test a response
That party is testing the public
response to
their
platform in the polls.
to think outside the box
The youngest members of that
company seem
to be
the best at innovations and thinking outside the box.
to tighten controls
The corporation has tightened
controls on
executive
expense accounts in order to save money.
to tighten one's belt
He lost his job last week, but
has already
found
work starting next week. They just have to tighten
their belts and spend less for a couple of weeks.
to trace ancestry
He can trace his ancestry back to
the first
settlers in
that area.
to trade places
I might complain, but I wouldn't
trade places with
you for anything in the world.
to turn over a new leaf
She has practiced the piano every
day this
month. She seems to be turning over a new leaf and really
applying herself for a change.
to uncover a plan
The R.C.M.P. has uncovered a plan
by a theft ring
to fence bank card with stolen account numbers.
to undermine the process
When they aren't honest with the
police,
they just
undermine the process of investigation.
to underscore the need to /for
The beggars on the streets
underscore
the need for
more social programs.
to understand how to best help
If is difficult for parents in
that
situation to
understand how to best help their child.
to use as a measuring stick
The tutor uses her marked work as
a
measuring
stick to customize lesson plans for the student.
to volunteer for a job
The teenagers volunteered to do a
variety of
cleaning jobs for the senior citizens.
to wander away from
The older man wandered away from
the group and
became disoriented in the large mall.
to want it yesterday
They are in too much of a hurry
for that job to
be
done. He told me he wants it yesterday.
to warm up to
After about an hour of chat, he
was just warming up
to his topic. No one knew how to stop him
to wash one's hands of
I'm not involved. I wash my hands
of the
whole
affair.
to waste an opportunity
She is just wasting the
opportunity to get a
higher
degree if she quits school to work now.
to water down
Don't water down the story too
much or there
won't be any fun left.
to wear out one's welcome
Her aunt stayed a very long three
months
with them,
so she had really worn out her welcome when she
left.
to weasel out of
They promised to fix the
steering by Friday, but
they
had too many service jobs to handle. Now they are
trying to weasel out of their promise. Now that's
bad management.
What a shame!
Did you just say that she fell
and broke her leg
yesterday? What a shame!
to wimp out
The third student wimped
out on
the other two and
left them stranded at the work party. He was too tired to work hard, so
he just left.
to wish someone well
We are sorry to hear you are
leaving the
company. We will really miss you, We certainly wish you well
in your new position.
to wish upon a star
The toddler was learning from the
storybook all
about how to wish upon a star, the stuff of magic
and fairy tales.
to wolf down (food)
The two boys stopped hiking just
long enough to
wolf down a cheese sandwich, and two chocolate
bars each and drink two bottles of water.
to work in cooperation with
The police are working in
cooperation
with the
parents to keep the school ground safe.
to work up a sweat
The painters were out in
the hot sun scraping the
fence boards, really working up a sweat.
to work without a net
Because he is self-employed, he
doesn't have
the
unemployment benefits he used to have. Now he is
really working without a net.
to worry about nothing
The small girl said she stayed
awake afraid
of the
dark. Her mother reminded her that she was
worrying about nothing.
to wrap up a deal
They agreed on the final price
for the vehicle and
wrapped up the deal.
to yield insight into
The government report yields a
little insight
into the
financial problems of that organization.
to zip around
She bought a tiny little
two-seater to zip around
town.
too wonderful for words
Your gifts to our daughter were
too
wonderful for
words.
totally awesome
"All right," the teenager
gloated, "a new car,
totally
awesome!"
touch base
Every couple of weeks or so,
please touch base with
the district manager to let him know how you are
doing.
trumped up charges
The family felt the charges
against their son had
been manufactured. He was in jail in another
country on trumped up charges.
trying to perfect
The corporation has been trying
to perfect their
customer support web site for months.
twenty-four/seven, 24/7
If you need help, we provide that
24 hours a
day,
seven days a week. That's right, 24/7.
under pressure
He works so well under pressure,
they ought to
promote him.
under the weather
She got sick yesterday, and is
still under the
weather