Idiom Learning

---- Big Guy

CHEST-THUMPING - noun

behaviour, especially by a man, that is intended to show how powerful and strong someone is

LOCK IN - phrasal verb

to enter a state of deep focus

PUT YOUR BIG GIRL PANTS ON - idiom (also put your big boy pants on)

informal

to be brave and deal with something or do something you have not done before

FANCY - adjective

fancier; fanciest

of particular excellence

A BIT OF A STRETCH - Informal

A mild exaggeration beyond the truth or what is likely the case.

---- Waka Waka

---- DNA

---- oh yeah!

Content

1 Anger

2 Business

3  Dishonesty 

4  Happiness and Sadness 

5  Health 

6  Helping 

7  Intelligence and Stupidity 

8  Interest and Boredom 

9  Liking and not Liking 

10  Money 

11  Power and Authority 

12  Remembering & Forgetting 

13  Speaking and Conversation 

14  Success and Failure 

15  Understanding 

1 Anger

being angry

hit the ceiling/roof – informal 

to become very angry and start shouting 

blow a fuse  - informal

to become very angry and shout or behave in a violent way

be on the warpath - humorous

to be looking for someone you are angry with in order to speak angrily to them or punish them

a face like thunder

a very angry expression

have/throw a fit - informal

go spare - informal

to become very angry

fly off the handle - informal

to react in a very angry way to something someone says or does

have had it (up to here) - informal

to be so angry about something that you do not want to continue with it or think about it any more

be fed up to the back teeth - British & Australian, informal

to be angry because a bad situation has continued for too long or a subject has been discussed too much

making someone angry

get/put sb’s back up - informal

to do or say something which annoys someone

rub sb up the wrong way - British & Australian

rub sb the wrong way - American

to annoy someone without intending to

ruffle sb’s feathers

to make someone annoyed

be a pain in the neck - informal

to be very annoying

drive/send sb round the bend - informal

to make someone very angry, especially by continuing to do something annoying

talking angrily to someone

let rip

to suddenly express your emotions without control

give sb an earful - informal

to tell someone how angry you are with them

being in a bad mood

be like a bear with a sore head - British & Australian

to be in a bad mood which causes you to treat other people badly and complain a lot

get out of bed on the wrong side

to be in a bad mood and be easily annoyed all day

2  Business 

succeeding in business

make it

to be successful, especially in a job

be ahead of the pack

to be more successful than other people who are trying to achieve the same things as you

corner the market

to become so successful at selling or making a particular product that almost no one else sells or makes it

successful people

a big shot - informal

an important or powerful person in a group or organization

a big fish in a small pond

one of the most important people in a small organization who would have much less power and importance if they were part of a larger organization

a fat cat - informal

an impolite way of referring to someone who is very rich and powerful

a high‑flier

someone who is very successful at their job and soon becomes powerful or rich

stopping work

hang up your hat

to leave your job for ever

a golden handshake

a large sum of money which is given to someone when they leave a company, especially if they are forced to leave

doing business

drive a hard bargain

to demand a lot or refuse to give much when making an agreement with someone

cut a deal - American

to make an agreement or an arrangement with someone, especially in business or politics

run a tight ship

to control a business or other organization firmly and effectively

hard‑nosed

practical and determined

making money

do a roaring trade - British & Australian

to sell a lot of goods quickly

make a killing - informal

to earn a lot of money very easily

a money‑spinner - British & Australian

a business or product that makes a lot of money for someone

behaving dishonestly

be on the make

trying to get money or power in a way that is not pleasant or honest

cook the books - informal

to record false information in the accounts of an organization, especially in order to steal money

have your fingers/hand in the till

to steal money from the place where you work

3  Dishonesty 

a dishonest person

a fast talker - American & Australian, informal

someone who can talk in a clever way in order to persuade people to believe something that is not true

a snake in the grass

someone who pretends to be your friend while secretly doing things to harm you

be as slippery as an eel

someone who is as slippery as an eel cannot be trusted

a bad egg - mainly American, informal

someone who behaves in a bad or dishonest way

deceiving someone

pull the wool over sb’s eyes

to deceive someone in order to prevent them from knowing what you are really doing

take sb for a ride

to cheat or deceive someone

pull a fast one - informal

to successfully deceive someone

sell sb a bill of goods - American

to make someone believe something that is not true

dishonest activities

play dirty - informal

to behave dishonestly, especially by cheating in a game

do sth under false pretences

to do something when you have lied about who you are or what you are doing

be up to no good - informal

if someone is up to no good, they are doing something bad

smell fishy - informal

if a situation or explanation smells fishy, it causes you to think that someone is being dishonest

funny business - informal

dishonest or unpleasant actions

telling lies

lie through your teeth

to tell someone something that you know is completely false

a pack of lies

a tissue of lies - formal

a story that someone has invented in order to deceive people

a cock‑and‑bull story - informal

a story or explanation which is obviously not true

be economical with the truth - humorous

to not be completely honest about something

discovering dishonest activities

catch sb red‑handed

to discover someone doing something that is wrong or not legal

4  Happiness and Sadness 

being happy

feel on top of the world

be on cloud nine - informal

be full of the joys of spring - British & Australian, humorous

be in seventh heaven - humorous

to feel very happy

jump for joy

to be very happy about something good that has happened

be thrilled to bits - informal

be over the moon - informal

be tickled pink - old‑fashioned

to be extremely pleased about something

be floating/walking on air

to be very happy and excited because something very pleasant has happened to you

like the cat that got the cream - British & Australian

like the cat that ate the canary -American

annoying other people by looking very pleased with yourself about something good that you have done

making someone happy

make sb’s day

to make someone very happy

being sad

be down in the dumps - informal

to be unhappy

a long face

a very sad expression

be out of sorts

to feel slightly ill or slightly unhappy

a misery guts - informal

someone who complains all the time and is never happy

be in the doldrums

to feel sad and lack the energy to do anything

being disappointed

sb’s heart sinks

if someone’s heart sinks, they start to feel sad or worried

making someone upset

hit sb where it hurts (most)

to do something which will upset someone as much as possible

cut sb to the quick - old‑fashioned

to upset someone by criticizing them

kick sb in the teeth

to treat someone badly or unfairly, especially at a time when they need support

5  Health 

feeling ill

be/feel under the weather

be off‑colour - British & Australian

to feel ill or less well than usual

be below par

not be up to par

to be slightly ill

be as sick as a dog - informal

to be very sick

be as white as a sheet

to be very pale, usually because you are ill

be in a bad way - British & Australian

to be ill, unhappy or in a bad state

like death (warmed up) - British & Australian

like death (warmed over) - American

if you feel or look like death warmed up, you feel or look very ill

the dreaded lurgy - British & Australian, humorous

an illness which is not serious but passes easily from person to person

mental illness

not be all there - informal

to be slightly crazy

not be right in the head

to be mentally ill

a basket case

someone who is crazy and unable to organize their life

be off your rocker - informal

be off your trolley - humorous

be as nutty as a fruitcake - British & Australian, informal

to be crazy

recovering/being healthy

be as right as rain

to feel well

be as fit as a fiddle

to be very healthy

recharge your batteries

to rest in order to get back your strength and energy

be up and about/around

to be well enough to get out of bed and move around

a clean bill of health

a statement that someone is healthy

death

be pushing up daisies - humorous

to be dead

pop your clogs - British, humorous

to die

do sb a power of good - informal

to make someone feel much better

6  Helping 

helping someone more than you should

be at sb’s beck and call

to be always willing and able to do what someone asks you to do

wait on sb hand and foot

to do everything for someone so that they do not have to do anything for themselves

do sb’s dirty work

to do something unpleasant or difficult for someone else because they do not want to do it themselves

give/hand sth to sb on a plate

to let someone get something very easily, without having to work for it

helping someone succeed in their job

get a/your foot in the door

to start working at a low level in an organization because you want a better job in the same organization in the future

give sb a leg up

to help someone be more successful

when people need special help

take sb under your wing

to help and protect someone, especially someone who is younger or has less experience than you

go to bat for sb - American & Australian

to give help and support to someone who is in trouble, often by talking to someone else for them

In sb’s hour of need

at a time when someone needs help very much

A friend in need (is a friend indeed).

something that you say which means that someone who gives you help when you need it is a really good friend

trying very hard to help

go to/take great pains - to do sth

to make a great effort to do something

bend/lean over backwards - to do sth

to try very hard to do something, especially to help or please someone else

fall over - yourself to do sth

to be very eager to do something

helping someone when they help you

You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.

something that you say in order to tell someone that you will help them if they will help you

7  Intelligence and Stupidity 

being intelligent

a brain box - British & Australian, informal

a very intelligent person

be as bright as a button - British & Australian

to be intelligent and able to think quickly

a bright spark - British & Australian

an intelligent person

be the brains behind sth

to be the person who plans and organizes something, especially something successful

a smart alec/aleck - informal

someone who is always trying to seem more clever than everyone else in a way that is annoying

knowing about something

a mine of information

a person or a book with a lot of information

be in the know - informal

to know about something which most people do not know about

know your onions - British & Australian, humorous

to know a lot about a particular subject

being stupid

have nothing between your ears - informal

to be stupid

be all brawn and no brains

to be physically strong but not very intelligent

be as thick as two (short) planks - British, informal

be dead from the neck up humorous

to be very stupid

not knowing about something

be out of your depth

to not have the knowledge, experience or skills to deal with a particular subject or situation

not have the faintest (idea)

to have no knowledge of or no information about something

the blind leading the blind

a situation where someone is trying to show someone else how to do something which they do not know how to do themselves

8  Interest and Boredom 

being interested in something

be big on sth

to be very interested in something and think that it is important

be all ears - informal

to be very eager to hear what someone is going to say

have a thing about sth/sb - informal

to like something or someone very much or to be very interested in them

being eager to do something

be champing/chomping at the bit

to be very keen to start an activity or to go somewhere

get‑up‑and‑go

energy and enthusiasm

be bright‑eyed and bushy‑tailed - humorous

to be full of energy and eager to do things

an eager beaver

someone who works very hard and is very enthusiastic

not being interested in something

leave sb cold

if something leaves you cold, it does not cause you to feel any emotion

not go a bundle on sth - British, informal

to not like something

not be sb’s cup of tea

if someone or something is not your cup of tea, you do not like them or you are not interested in them

not give a damn - informal

not care/give a toss - British, informal

to not be interested in or worried about something or someone

sb’s heart isn’t in sth

if someone’s heart is not in something that they are doing, they are not very interested in it

being bored

be bored stiff

be bored to death/tears

to be very bored

kick your heels - British

to be forced to wait for a period of time

be at a loose end - British & Australian

to have nothing to do

9  Liking and not Liking 

liking people

the apple of sb’s eye

the person who someone loves most and is very proud of

love sb to bits - informal

to like or to love someone a lot

get on like a house on fire - informal

if two people get on like a house on fire, they like each other very much and become friends very quickly

a mutual admiration society - humorous

a situation in which two people express a lot of admiration for each other

take a shine to sb informal

to like someone immediately

have a soft spot for sb

to feel a lot of affection for one particular person, often without knowing why

be sb’s main squeeze - American, informal

to be the person that someone has a romantic or sexual relationship with

sing sb/sth’s praises

to praise someone or something very much

not liking people

have a downer on sb - British & Australian, informal

to not like someone

hate sb’s guts - informal

to hate someone

have it in for sb - informal

to be determined to harm or criticize someone

being annoyed by something or someone

get up sb’s nose - British & Australian, informal

get on sb’s wick - British & Australian, informal

to annoy someone

the bane of your life

someone or something that is always causing problems for you and upsetting you

get/grate on sb’s nerves - informal

to annoy someone, especially by doing something again and again

sb’s pet hate - British & Australian

sb’s pet peeve - American

something that you do not like at all

opinions on what people like

(It’s) different strokes for different folks. mainly American

something that you say which means that different people like or need different things

each to his/her own

something that you say which means that it is acceptable for people to like or believe in different things

One man’s meat is another man’s poison.

something that you say which means that something one person likes very much can be something that another person does not like at all

There’s no accounting for taste!

something that you say when you cannot understand why someone likes something or someone

10  Money 

having a lot of money

be rolling in it

to be very rich

have money to burn

to have a lot of money and spend large amounts

a nest egg

an amount of money that you have saved

make a killing - informal

to earn a lot of money very easily

strike it rich

to suddenly become rich

having no money

be out of pocket

to have less money than you should have

not have two pennies to rub together

to be very poor

be in the red

to owe money to a bank

having just enough money

live (from) hand to mouth

to have just enough money to live on and nothing extra

tighten your belt

to spend less than you did before because you have less money

break even

to not make or lose any money from a business

keep body and soul together

to just be able to pay for the things that you need in order to live

spending money

cost an arm or a leg - informal

to be very expensive

not break the bank

to not be too expensive

ready cash/money

money that is immediately available to spend

hard cash

money in the form of coins or notes

sayings about money

A penny saved is a penny earned.

it is wise to save money

be penny‑wise and pound‑foolish

to be extremely careful about small amounts of money and not careful enough about larger amounts

Money doesn’t grow on trees.

be careful how much money you spend because there is only a limited amount

11  Power and Authority 

being in a position of power

run the show - informal

to be in charge of an organization or an activity

call the shots/tune

to be the person who makes all the important decisions and who has the most power in a situation

set the agenda

to decide what subjects other people should deal with in a way that shows you have more authority than them

have the upper hand

to have a position of power and control over someone else

showing your power

throw your weight around

to behave in a way which shows that you are more important or powerful than other people

flex your muscles

to take some action to show people how powerful you are

people in powerful positions

the powers that be

the people who control things but who are not known

a big cheese - humorous

a big gun/noise - informal

an important or powerful person in a group or organization

the movers and shakers

people who have a lot of power and influence

controlling and influencing people

twist/wrap sb around your little finger

to be able to persuade someone to do anything you want, usually because they like you so much

have sb in the palm of your hand

to have so much control over someone that they will do whatever you want them to do

have friends in high places

to know important people who can help you get what you want

thinking you are more important than you really are

be too big for your boots - informal

to behave as if you are more important or clever than you really are

delusions of grandeur

the belief that you are more important or powerful than you really are

pleasing people in authority

bow and scrape

to try too hard to please someone in a position of authority

do sb’s bidding - old‑fashioned

to do what someone tells or asks you to do

lick sb’s boots - very informal

to try too hard to please someone important

12  Remembering & Forgetting 

forgetting

slip your mind

if something slips your mind, you forget about it

have a memory like a sieve/an elephant

to be very bad/good at remembering things

can’t for the life of me remember/think

not remember at all

I can’t put a name to him/her

not remember someone’s name

Out of sight, out of mind.

if you do not see someone or something, you forget them

unable to remember

your mind goes blank

you cannot think of anything to say

trying to remember

rack your brains

to think very hard

cast your mind back

to try to remember something

be on the tip of your tongue

you know it but cannot quite remember it

remembering

come/spring to mind

to immediately think of something

bring sb/sth to mind

to cause you to think of someone or something

take a stroll/trip down memory lane

to remember some of the happy things you did in the past

in/within living memory

things that can be remembered by people who are alive now

making yourself remember

commit sth to memory

to make yourself remember something

helping you remember

ring a bell

if a name or a phrase rings a bell, you think you have heard it before

jog your memory

to cause you to remember something

13  Speaking and Conversation

talking too much

loud‑mouthed
saying rude or stupid things in a loud voice

shoot your mouth off - very informal
to talk too much, especially about something you should not talk about

talk the hind legs off a donkey - British, humorous
to talk a lot

verbal diarrhoea - humorous
if someone has verbal diarrhoea, they talk too much

talking in a friendly way

chew the fat - British, informal
to have a long friendly conversation with someone

shoot the breeze - American, informal
to talk in a relaxed way about things that are not important

good at talking

the gift of the gab
an ability to speak easily and confidently and to persuade people to do what you want

not talking

be lost for words
to be unable to speak because you are so surprised

not breathe a word
to not tell people a secret

My lips are sealed. - humorous
something that you say to tell someone that you will not tell anyone what they have just told you

Has the cat got your tongue?
something that you say to someone when you are annoyed because they will not speak

bite your tongue
to stop yourself from saying something even if you would like to say it

keep your mouth shut - informal
to keep something secret

hold your tongue
to stop talking

shut up like a clam
to suddenly stop talking and refuse to say any more

making someone tell you something

Out with it!
something that you say in order to tell someone to say something that they are frightened to say

telling someone to be quiet

Shut your face/mouth! - very informal
Button it! - mainly American, informal
an impolite way of telling someone to stop talking

14  Success and Failure  

succeeding

be riding high
to be very successful

get off to a flying start
to begin an activity very successfully

go from strength to strength
to become more and more successful

come into your/its own
to be very useful or successful in a particular situation

make it big - informal
to become very successful or famous

pass with flying colours
to complete a difficult activity very successfully

claw your way back from sth
to succeed in improving your situation by making a very determined effort

win (sth) hands down
to win easily

lead the field
to be more successful than anyone you are competing against

situations when you will either succeed or fail

make or break - sth
to make something a success or a failure

sink or swim
to fail or succeed

failing

fall flat on your/its face
to fail or make a mistake in an embarrassing way

die a death - British
die a natural death - American & Australian
to fail and end

the nail in sb’s/sth’s coffin
an event which causes the failure of something that had already started to fail

a dead duck - informal
something or someone that is not successful or useful

A miss is as good as a mile.
something that you say which means that failing to do something when you almost succeeded is no better than failing very badly

losing

be pipped at/to the post - British & Australian
to be beaten in a competition or race by a very small amount

lose your edge
to lose the qualities or skills that made you successful in the past

go off the boil - British & Australian
to become less successful

15 Understanding   

not understanding

not have a clue - informal

to have no knowledge of or no information about something

go over sb’s head

if a piece of information goes over someone’s head, they do not understand it

can’t make head nor/or tail of sth

to not be able to understand something at all

not know the first thing about sth

to not know anything about a particular subject

be as clear as mud - humorous

to be impossible to understand

get your lines/wires crossed

if two people get their lines crossed, they do not understand each other correctly

understanding

get the hang of sth - informal

to succeed in learning how to do something after practising it

come/get to grips with sth

to make an effort to understand and deal with a problem or situation

bring sth home to sb

to make someone understand something much more clearly than they did before, especially something unpleasant

get your head around sth - informal

to be able to understand something

get the message - informal

to understand what someone is trying to tell you even though they are not expressing themselves directly
 

Content

1 Animal

2 Body

3 Dad behaviour

4 Strange behaviour

5 Clothes

6 Bad situation

7 Stroke of luck

8 Encouraging

9 speak out the truth  

1 Animal

Smell a Rat

Feel that something is wrong 

Goto the Dogs

Become run-down

Fishy

Strange and suspicious

Take the Bull by the Horns

Take decisive action in a difficult situation

Horse of a Different Color

Guite a different matter

Let the Cat Out of the Bag

Inform beforehand

For the Bird

Unlnteresting and meaningless

Straight From, the Horse's Mouth,

From a reliable source

Horse Around

Play around

Cat Got Your Tongue?

Can't talk?

2 Body

Get in Someone's Hair

Bother someone

Shoot Off One's Mouth

Express one's opinions loudly

Jump Down Someone's Throat

Become angry with someone

Pay Through, the Nose

Pay too high, a price

Tongue-In-Cheek

Not serious

Pull Someone's Leg

Fool someone

Play It by Ear

Improvise as one goes along

Stick Out One's Neck

Take a risk

Shake a Leg

Hurry!

All Thumbs

Clumsy

Not Have a Leg to Stand On

To have no good defense for one's opinions or actions

Get Off Someone's Back

Stop bothering someone

3 Dad behaviour 

Drive Someone Up a Wall

Annoy someone greatly

String Someone Along

Lead someone on dishonestly

Sell Someone Down the River

Betray someone

Leave Someone High, and Dry

Abandon someone

Sell Someone Short

Underestimate someone

Snow Job

Insincere talk

Spill the Beans

Reveal a secret

Feed Someone a Line

Deceive someone

4  Strange behaviour 

On Ice

Set aside for future use

Shoot the Breeze

Chat informally

Bite the Dust

Go down in defeat

Bend Over Backwards

Try very hard

Hit the Hay

Go to bed

Cough Up

Give unwillingly

Jump the Gun

To be hasty

Scratch Someone's Back

Return a favor

Hit the Ceiling

Become very angry

Fork Over

Hand over, give

Turn Someone Off

Disgust someone

Go Fly a Kite

Go away!

Kick the Bucket

Die

Raise a Stink

Protest strongly

 5 Clothes 

Wet Blanket

Dull or boring person who spoils the happiness of others

Keep Under One''s Hat

Keep something a secret

Up One's Sleeve

Concealed

Dressed to Kill

wear one's finest clothing

Give Someone the Slip

Make a getaway

Knock Someone's Socks Off

Enthuse and excite

Talk Through One's Hat

Make foolish statements

Lose One's Shirt

Lose a great deal of money

In Stitches

Laughing very hard

Dressed to the Teeth

Dressed elegantly

6 Bad situation 

Lemon

Something defective

Out of the Woods

Out of danger

Get Up on the Wrong Side of the Bed

Wake up in a toad mood

Out on a Limb

In a risky position

Eating Someone

Bothering or worrying someone

Get the Ax

Toe dismissed, fired

In the Hole

In debt

7 Stroke of luck 

For a Song

For very little money

Make a Splash.

Be successful and attract attention

Have the World by the Tail

Be successful and happy

Sitting Pretty

In a fortunate position

Feel Like a Million Dollars

Feel wonderful

Kick Up One's Heels

Celebrate

Bury the Hatchet

Make peace

Paint the Town Red

Carouse and have a good time

Get Away Clean

Escape punishment

Come Alive

Brighten up and become active

8 Encouraging 

Toot One's Own Horn

Boast

Stick to One's Guns

Maintain one's position

Get the Ball Rolling

Initiate action

Mind One's P's and Q's

Take care in speech and action

Hang On

persevere

Give It One's Best Shot

Try hard

Make Ends Meet

Pay one's bills

Get the Jump on Someone

Get the advantage over someone

Pull Strings

Exert influence

Spread Oneself Too Thin

Become involved in too many activities

Go to Bat For Someone

Help out and support someone

Duck Soup

Easy, effortless

9 speak out the truth 

Money Talks

Money can influence people

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Do not agitate a potential source of trouble

Shape Up or Ship Out

Behave properly or leave!

If the Shoe Fits, Wear It

Admit the truth

Different Strokes For Different Folks

Everyone has different interests and tastes

Bark Worse Than One's Bite

Not as bad-tempered as one appears

Eyes Are Bigger Than One's Stomach

Take more food than one can eat

Put One's Money Where One's Mouth Is

Follow through with a stated intention

The Early Bird Catches the Worm

Arriving early gives one an advantage

People Who Live in Glass Houses Shouldn't Throw Stones

One should not criticize when one is equally at fault

All's Well That Ends Well

A successful outcome is worth the effort