Idioms

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Re: Idioms

cast Idioms


cast around/about for (someone or something)
- to look for someone or something

We have been casting around for a new file clerk in our company.

cast aspersions on (someone)
- to make insulting remarks about someone

The woman is always casting aspersions on her colleagues at work.

cast doubts on (someone or something)
- to cause someone or something to be doubted

The first witness at the trial cast doubts on the testimony of the main witness.

cast in the same mold
- to be very similar

The two sisters were cast in the same mold and were almost identical.

cast one's lot in with (someone)
- to join with someone and accept whatever happens

The woman cast her lot in with the company and worked hard to keep the business going.

cast one's vote
- to vote

We arrived early to cast our vote in the election.

cast pearls before swine
- to waste something valuable on someone who does not appreciate it

Giving the woman the gold earrings was like casting pearls before swine.
cast the first stone
- to be the first to blame someone

The man was the one to cast the first stone and now he is fighting with his neighbor.
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castles in the air
- daydreams

My sister is always building castles in the air and is very unrealistic.
cat burglar
- a burglar who enters a building by climbing a wall etc.

Our stereo was stolen when a cat burglar entered our apartment.
cat gets one`s tongue
- the inability to say something

I think that the cat got our supervisor's tongue. She has not said anything since the meeting started.

[.]

Re: Idioms

catch Idioms

catch-22
- a situation which contradicts itself, a paradoxical situation

It was a catch-22 situation and if I went to work there would be problems but if I did not go to work there would also be problems.
catch a cold
- to become sick with a cold

I caught a cold because of the rain and the cold weather.
catch-as-catch-can
- in any way possible

We are in the middle of moving house so our meals are catch-as-catch-can.

catch fire
- to begin to burn

We were very careful that the wooden house would not catch fire.

catch forty winks
- to get some sleep

I was very tired so I stopped my car in order to catch forty winks.

catch on
- to understand something, to learn about something

I was finally able to catch on and understand the math problem.
catch on
- to become popular

Recently ballroom dancing has begun to catch on with many people.
catch one`s breath
- to stop to rest and regain one`s normal breathing

After running from the station it took a moment to catch my breath.
catch (someone`s) eye
- to attract someone`s attention

I tried to catch my friend's eye but she did not notice me.

catch some Z's
- to get some sleep

I needed to catch some Z's after working hard all weekend.

catch sight of (someone or something)
- to see someone or something briefly

The police caught sight of the robber and began to chase him.

catch (someone) in the act of (doing something)
- to catch someone doing something illegal or private

The police caught the politician in the act of taking money from the business owner.

catch (someone) napping
- to find someone asleep, to find someone unprepared for something

The boss caught the employee napping and became very angry.

catch (someone) off balance
- to surprise someone who is not prepared

We were caught off balance when we discovered that our business license was no good.

catch (someone) off guard
- to catch a person at a time of carelessness

I was caught off guard when the teacher asked me about my homework.

catch (someone) red-handed
- to find someone in the middle of doing something wrong

The clerk caught the boy red-handed when he was stealing the candy.
catch up with (someone or something)
- to become even with someone (in a race or in schoolwork etc.)

I think that it is too late to catch up with the rest of the class now.

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caught in the middle/cross fire
- to be caught between two opposing people or groups so it is difficult to remain neutral

I was caught in the middle when my friend and his girlfriend had a big fight.

caught short
- to not have enough of something (usually money) when you need it

I was caught short last month and could not pay my credit card bill.

caught unaware
- to be surprised and unprepared for something

Everybody was caught unaware by the sudden change in government policy.

cause a stir
- to cause people to become agitated and alarmed about something

The soccer player caused a stir when he began to criticize the referee.

cause eyebrows to raise
- to shock people

I caused eyebrows to raise when I decided not to accept the award from my company.

cause tongues to wag
- to give people something to gossip about

My sister caused tongues to wag when she came to the party without her husband.

cave in
- to weaken and be forced to give something up

The company caved in to the union`s demand for more money.

chalk (something) up to (something)
- to recognize something as the cause of something else

We were able to chalk our success up to our new boat.

chalk up (something)
- to record something

The stock prices of the company chalked up a big increase last week.

champ at the bit
- to be ready and anxious to do something

Everybody was champing at the bit to start writing the test.

chance (something)
- to risk doing something

We did not want to chance driving during the storm so we stayed home.

chance upon (someone or something)
- to find someone or something by chance

I chanced upon a very interesting book during my research.

change hands
- to be transferred from one person to another

The small business changed hands many times during the last several years.

change horses in midstream
- to make new plans or choose a new leader in the middle of an important activity

The company changed horses in midstream and totally changed their policy.

change of heart
- a change in the way one feels about something

The woman had a change of heart and decided to let her child go to the circus.

change of pace
- the addition of some variety to one's life

We decided to go to the lake for a change of pace and to get away from our busy schedules.

change of scenery
- a move to a different place where things are different

My sister and her husband have decided to move because they want a change of scenery.

change one`s mind
- to change one`s decision

My friend changed his mind and said that he would not go to the movie tonight.

change one`s tune
- to make a change in one`s story/statement/opinion/policy

Our supervisor has changed his tune recently and agrees that we need to do things differently.

change the subject
- to begin talking about something different

I tried to change the subject when my friend began to talk about the money that I owed him.

in charge of something
- to be responsible for an activity or group of people

Our teacher is in charge of selling tickets for the school dance.

cheat on (someone)
- to be unfaithful to someone

The man began cheating on his wife which was the cause of their divorce.

cheek by jowl
- side by side, in close intimacy

The fans entered the stadium cheek by jowl.

(have the) cheek to do something
- rudeness, impudence

The woman had the cheek to tell me that she was sick and could not come to work today.

cheer (someone) on

- to encourage someone who is trying to do something

Everybody came to the stadium to cheer on the home team.

cheer (someone) up
- to make a sad person happy

We took our friend to a nice restaurant to cheer her up.

chew out (someone)
- to scold someone roughly

The teacher chewed out the student for talking in class.

chew the fat
- to chat

The two men were chewing the fat in front of the house.

chicken feed
- a small amount of money

The man sold his car for chicken feed because he needed the money.

chicken out (of something)
- to stop doing something because of fear

I chickened out of jumping into the lake from the high diving board.

(one's) chickens have come home to roost
- one's words or acts come back to cause trouble for a person

Her chickens came home to roost and now she must take responsibility for what she did.

chilled to the bone
- very cold

I was chilled to the bone when I came in out of the rain.

chime in
- to join in a song or conversation

We were having a nice conversation until our friend chimed in and started complaining about everything.
chip in
- to contribute or pay jointly for something

We chipped in and bought our father a birthday present.
chip off the old block
- a person who looks or acts like one of his parents

The boy is a chip off the old block and acts exactly like his father.
chips are down
- the time when one faces the greatest obstacles

When the chips are down the boy goes to his father for advice and encouragement.

chisel (someone) out of (something)
- to cheat someone to get money

My friend tried to chisel his brother out of some money.

choke (someone) up
- to make someone cry or become overemotional and speechless

I became choked up when I heard the story of the boy's illness.

choke (something) off
- to force something to an end/stop

The government was able to choke off the flow of money to the criminal gang.

circle the wagons
- to set up a defense against an enemy

The management team began to circle the wagons as the accounting scandal became worse.

claim a life
- to take the life of someone

The accident on the freeway claimed the life of two people.

clam up
- to stop talking

The girl clammed up when her boyfriend entered the room.

clamp down on (someone or something)
- to become strict with someone or about something

The police plan to clamp down on drivers who drive too fast.

clean bill of health
- the assurance that an animal or person is healthy

The astronaut was given a clean bill of health before he began training.
clean slate
- a record that shows no bad behavior or other problems or past bad acts

The man started off with a clean slate after he lost his previous job.

clean up one's act
- to improve one's performance

The mayor will have to clean up his act if he wants to get elected again.

[Aania]

Re: Idioms

Nice Sharing .... Di .. :rose

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Re: Idioms

Nice Sharing .... Di .. :rose

thread close ho to posting nahi kartay larki :a stick: :lpop:

[.]

Re: Idioms

clear Idioms

clear of (something)
- to be not touching something

We checked that the ladder was clear of the electrical wires before we painted the house.

clear out (of somewhere)
- to leave, to get out (usually quickly or abruptly)

We cleared out of the building as soon as our class was over.

clear out (something)
- to clean somewhere, to remove something

We cleared out the room before we could start painting.

clear sailing
- to be an easy situation

It was clear sailing when we finished work and began our journey.

clear (someone's) name
- to prove that someone is not guilty of something

The man tried very hard to clear his name regarding his past criminal activity.

clear the air
- to calm down and remove bad feelings

We had a big argument but now it is time to clear the air.
clear the decks
- to clear away things and prepare for action, to get out of the way

"Let`s clear the decks and get everyone out of the house so that we can begin work."

clear the table
- to remove the dishes and eating utensils from a table

After we finished eating we quickly cleared the table.

clear up (something)
- to solve or explain (a problem etc.)

We finally cleared up the problem that we were having with our computers.
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cliffhanger
- a sports event/movie/election where the outcome is uncertain until the very end

The playoff game was a cliffhanger and the most exciting game of the year.
climb the wall
- to be so bored that you become anxious and frustrated

The woman began to climb the wall after only a few days at her new job.
clip joint
- a low-class business where people are cheated

The men went into a clip joint near the bus station and had to pay a lot of money.
clip (someone`s) wings
- to limit someone`s activities or possibilities

The company decided to clip the manager's wings and took away his expense account.

cloak-and-dagger
- involving secercy and plotting

The agents were involved in cloak-and-dagger diplomacy over the spy scandal.

[.]

Re: Idioms

close Idioms

close at hand
- to be within reach

The day that the new coach would be chosen was now close at hand.

close call/shave
- an accident that almost happens but does not happen

I had a close call this morning when the truck almost hit me.

close in on (someone or something)
- to overwhelm or surround someone or something

The soldiers quickly closed in on the enemy position.

close one's eyes to (something)
- to ignore something

The teacher closed her eyes to the misbehavior of the students.

close ranks
- to come together for fighting, to unite and work together

The political parties closed ranks and stopped arguing among themselves.

close the books (on someone or something)
- to put an end to something (like the books in accounting records)

The owners of the team closed the books on the idea of building a new stadium.

close to home
- to be near to someone`s personal feelings/wishes/interests

My statement about the woman's work habits hit close to home and she became very quiet.

close to (someone)
- to be fond of someone

The boy is very close to his grandfather.

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cloud up
- to become cloudy

It began to cloud up and soon started raining.

clue (someone) in
- to inform someone about something

We tried to clue the principal in about why the students were absent.

the coast is clear
- no danger is in sight, no one can see you

When the coast is clear we will try to enter the building.

cock-and-bull story
- a story that is not true

The boys gave us a cock-and-bull story about the tire marks in front of our house.

cog in the machine
- a small and unimportant part of a large organization

The employees felt like they were only cogs in the machine so the atmosphere at the company was not very good.

cold comfort
- no comfort at all

The government offered money to the victims of the fire but it was cold comfort to those who had lost their families.

cold fish
- a distant and unfeeling person

The man was a cold fish and cared little about his family.

cold snap/spell
- a sudden short period of cold weather (usually in winter)

The cold snap lasted for five days.

cold turkey
- abruptly and without medical aid (to stop using heroin or other drugs)

The woman stopped using drugs cold turkey and became very sick.

[.]

Re: Idioms

come Idioms

come a cropper
- to fail

The man came a cropper in the chess tournament and that is why he is sad.

come a long way
- to make great progress

The manager has come a long way and has learned many things about his new company.

come about
- to happen

Everybody believes that the plans for the new community center will never come about.

come across (someone or something)
- to find something or meet someone by chance

I came across an interesting story in the newspaper last week.

Come again.
- Please repeat or say that again.

"Come again. I did not hear you the first time."

come alive
- to brighten up and become active

The girl finally came alive and began to enjoy the party.

come along
- to make progress, to thrive

The work on our new house is coming along very well.

come around
- to finally agree to something, to return to consciousness or wake up

My father finally came around and agreed to let me go to Germany to study.

come as no surprise
- to not be surprising

It came as no surprise when the government decided to have an election.

come away empty-handed
- to return without anything

Nobody came away empty-handed at the end of the birthday party.

come back
- to return to the place where you are now

My cousin came back from her holidays last week.

come back (into fashion)
- to become popular again

Recently bell-bottom pants have come back into fashion.

come back to (someone)
- to return to one`s memory

The strange events of last year are slowly coming back to me.

come between (two people)
- to disrupt the relationship between (two people)

The mother's constant interfering finally came between the man and his wife.

come by (something)
- to get/obtain/acquire something

My aunt came by a lot of money recently and is now enjoying her life.

come clean
- to tell the truth

The president of the company was forced to come clean and tell what really happened to the business.

a come-down
- a lowering in status/income/influence/energy

Her new job is a come-down from her last one and she is not very happy.

come down hard on (someone)
- to scold or punish someone severely

The police have been coming down hard on drunk drivers recently.

come down in the world
- to lose one's social position

My father came down in the world when he decided to change jobs.

come down to earth
- to stop imagining or dreaming

My friend has finally come down to earth and is seriously looking for a job.

come down to (something)
- to be reduced to something

The man's decision about the job came down to how it would affect his family.

come down with (something)
- to become sick with a cold etc.

My mother came down with a cold so was unable to attend the dinner.
come from (somewhere)
- to be a native of a place

Several of the new students come from Mexico.

come from far and wide
- to come from many different places

The people came from far and wide to hear the new band.

come from nowhere
- to come as a surprise and with no warning

The truck came from nowhere as we were driving along the road.

come full circle
- to be completely opposite from one`s starting point

The university has come full circle with its policy on foreign students.

come hell or high water
- no matter what happens

Come hell or high water I plan to go to the concert next week.

come home to (someone)
- to become apparent to someone

It suddenly came home to the young family that their house had been destroyed in the fire.

come in handy
- to be useful or convenient

I think that the small hammer will come in handy to fix the desk.

come into (some money)
- to get possession of some money, to inherit some money

The man came into a lot of money which he donated to charity.

come into fashion
- to become fashionable

My sister says that although bell-bottom pants have come into fashion again she will never wear them.

come into one`s own
- to begin to perform or work well because of good circumstances

The player has come into his own as a basketball player since he changed positions.

come of age
- to be old enough to vote/marry/sign legal contracts etc.

When the members of our class came of age everyone started to vote.

come off
- to be successful, to happen

The party came off without any problems so everyone was very happy.

come on strong
- to overwhelm others with a strong personality

The man came on too strong during the job interview and was unable to get the job.

come on the scene
- to appear in a certain area or place

When the new DVD player came on the scene everybody wanted one.

come out ahead
- to improve one's situation

Although our new car was expensive, we came out ahead as it is very cheap to operate.

come out for (someone or something)
- to announce one's support for (someone or something)

The mayor recently came out for legal gambling in the city.

come out in the wash
- to work out all right

Everything came out in the wash as the students worked out their problems.

come out of left field
- to come from an unexpected place

The manager's new idea came out of left field and we have no idea what it means.

come out of nowhere
- to appear suddenly

The eagle came out of nowhere and captured the small mouse.

come out of one's shell
- to become more friendly or sociable

My sister's little boy came out of his shell and began to talk to everybody around him.

come out of the blue
- to appear suddenly (as if from the sky)

My idea for making money suddenly came out of the blue.

come out of the closet
- to reveal one's secret interests, to reveal that one is gay

Nobody was surprised when my cousin came out of the closet.

come out with (something)
- to say something, to make something known

The child has recently come out with many strange and funny expressions.

come over
- to come for a visit

My friend is going to come over for a visit next week.

come over
- to change sides

The politician supports the opposition but we hope that he will soon come over to our side.

come (someone's) way
- to come to someone

A small blue car came my way while I waited on the highway.

come through
- to do what one is expected to do (often under difficult circumstances)

My friend will always come through when we need his help.

come to
- to regain consciousness

The woman came to a few hours after the accident.

come to do/feel (something)
- to begin/learn to do or feel something

At first I disliked the girl but recently I have come to accept her.

come to a bad end
- to have a disaster, to die

The man and his family came to a bad end when they moved to the country.

come to a dead end
- to be unable to go any further

We kept driving on the dirt road until we came to a dead end.

come to a head
- to come to a point where a problem must be solved

The issue came to a head and everyone was forced to talk about the problem.

come to an end
- to stop, to finish

When the story came to an end both of the children had fallen asleep.

come to a pretty pass
- to develop into a bad or difficult situation

Things came to a pretty pass and nobody knew what to do about the problem.

come to a standstill
- to stop

The circus came to a standstill when the elephant escaped from his cage.

come to blows
- to begin to fight

The two men came to blows when they were trying to fix the car.

come to grief
- to have a bad accident or disappointment

The man has recently come to much grief because of his son`s problems with the police.

come to grips with (something)
- to struggle (successfully) with an idea or problem

The woman has finally come to grips with her husband`s gambling.

come to life
- to become alive or lively

The party came to life when the host and hostess entered the room.

come to light
- to be discovered, to become known

It has come to light that the company recently lost millions of dollars.

come to mind
- to enter into one's consciousness

Nothing came to mind when I tried to remember the names of the actors.

come to nothing/naught
- to end in failure

All of my efforts to help my sister find a job came to nothing.

come to one`s senses
- to begin to think clearly or act sensibly

He came to his senses and decided to buy a cheap car rather than an expensive one.

come to pass
- to happen, to occur

I do not know what will come to pass but for now the company has many financial problems.

come to terms with (someone or something)
- to reach an agreement with someone, to accept something

We finally came to terms with the bank and were able to buy the house.

come to the fore
- to come into an important place or position, to come to the front

Several members of the class came to the fore and decided to take important positions in the club.

come to the point
- to be direct

His speech was interesting but he never really came to the point.

come true
- to actually happen

The young girl is working hard to make her dreams come true.

come unglued
- to lose emotional control

The woman came unglued when she learned that she had lost her job.

come up
- to happen unexpectedly

I know that I will not be able to go to the party if something comes up.

come up in the world
- to improve one's status or situation in life

I knew that I had come up in the world when I was invited to dinner with the president of our company.

come up smelling like roses
- to look good after a difficult or bad time

Everybody in the company looked bad except for my friend who came up smelling like roses.

come up with (something)
- to produce or find a thought/idea/answer

I tried to come up with a name for the new magazine.

come what may
- no matter what might happen

Come what may I was determined to go to Spain for my holidays.

come with the territory
- to be expected under the circumstances (like something that comes with a sales territory)

The fact that the man has no free time comes with the territory with his work as a news reporter.

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commit (something) to memory
- to memorize something

I worked hard to commit the names to memory.

common touch
- a friendly manner with everyone

He has a common touch and everyone likes him a lot.

con (someone) out of (something)
- to trick someone out of money or something valuable

The man on the street corner tried to con the woman out of some money.

confide in (someone)
- to tell secrets or personal matters to someone

I usually confide in my friend when I have a problem.

conk out
- to fall asleep quickly with great fatigue

As soon as we returned from the hike I conked out in front of the TV.

conspicuous by one's absence
- to have one's absence noticed

The teacher was conspicuous by her absence and everyone asked where she was.

contradiction in terms
- a statement that seems to have a contradiction

It was a contradiction in terms for the woman to pretend that she had no money while living in a mansion.

contrary to (something)
- in spite of something

Contrary to what everybody thought, my friend had already quit his job.

control the purse strings
- to be in charge of the money

My mother always used to control the purse strings in our family.

cook one`s goose
- to ruin one`s chances

The girl cooked her goose and has no chance of getting the new job.

cook (something) up
- to invent something, to plan or plot something

I do not know what kind of plan she is cooking up but it should be quite interesting.

cook the books
- to cheat in bookkeeping

The accountant was fired when someone discovered that he was cooking the books.

cool as a cucumber
- to be very calm and brave, to be not worried or anxious

The woman was as cool as a cucumber when her canoe turned over in the river.

cool off/down
- to let one's anger die away

When the basketball players began to cool down they were allowed to play again.

cool one`s heels
- to be kept waiting

The man was forced to cool his heels in the waiting room before his boss would talk to him.
cop a plea
- to plead guilty to a crime in order to get a lesser penalty

The man was forced to cop a plea when the evidence against him became too strong to dispute.
cop out
- to avoid doing something that you were planning to do

My friend copped out from our plan to go to to the beach for the day.
a copycat
- someone who copies another person`s work or actions

The little boy was accused of being a copycat by the other children.

cost a pretty penny
- to cost a lot of money

I believe that my aunt's new coat cost a pretty penny.

cost an arm and a leg
- to cost too much

The new motorcycle cost my brother an arm and a leg.

cough up
- to give something unwillingly

The man finally coughed up enough money to pay for the bicycle.

could do with (someone or something)
- to want or need someone or something

I could do with a new computer now that mine is getting old.

count noses
- to count people

After the teacher finished counting noses everyone got on the bus.

count on (someone or something)
- to depend on someone or something

You can count on our boss to do everything right.
count one`s chickens before they`re hatched
- to assume that something will be successful before it is certain

"Don`t count your chickens before they`re hatched. You are spending your money and you do not have a job yet."

count (someone) in
- to include someone in something

I know that my friends will count me in if they go to the zoo.

count (someone) out
- to exclude someone from something

"Please count me out of your plans to go skiing for the weekend."

a course of action
- the procedures that will be followed to do something

We decided on our course of action before we told our boss about our decision.

cover a lot of ground
- to deal with much information or facts, to travel a great distance

We covered a lot of ground in our history class at school.

cover for (someone)
- to make excuses for someone, to cover someone's errors

I covered for my friend when the boss saw that she was away from her desk.

cover for (someone)
- to do someone else's work

We always cover for each other when someone at work is sick.

cover one`s tracks
- to hide where one has been, to hide what one has done

The man was trying to cover his tracks but it was easy to see where he had been.
cover up (something)
- to hide something wrong or bad

They tried to cover up the facts regarding the illegal election campaign funds.
cozy up to (someone)
- to try to be extra friendly to someone

I do not know what my neighbor wants but recently he has been trying to cozy up to me.

crack a book
- to open a book to study

I did not crack a book until the last week of classes.

crack a joke
- to tell a joke

The man was a lot of fun at the party because he was always cracking jokes.
crack a smile
- to let a smile show on one`s face

Our boss never cracked a smile during the meeting.
crack down on (someone or something)
- to enforce laws or rules strictly

The school principal decided to crack down on people running in the halls.
crack of dawn
- daybreak, early in the morning

We got up at the crack of dawn to go fishing.

crack the whip
- to try to make someone work hard or obey you by threatening them

We had to crack the whip in order to get the job finished before the weekend.

crack up
- to burst into laughter

I cracked up when the man started talking about the incident with the taxi driver.

crackpot
- an eccentric person with ideas that do not make sense to others

The man is a crackpot and you never know what he will do next.

cramp one`s style
- to limit one`s talk or action

Working in the new department is beginning to cramp my style.

crank (something) out
- to produce or make something

I was able to crank out two very good papers before the end of the year.

crash and burn
- to fail spectacularly

We did not want to crash and burn so we were very careful about how we proceeded with the project.

crash the gate

- to enter someplace without a ticket or without paying

Many people did not have a ticket for the concert so they decided to crash the gate.

crazy about (someone or something)
- to like someone or something very much

My sister is absolutely crazy about rap music.

cream of the crop
- the best

When our company hires new employees we always look for the cream of the crop.

create a stink
- to make a big issue out of something

The woman decided to create a stink when she found the bad product at the supermarket.

create an uproar
- to cause a sensation

The referees created an uproar when they asked the star player to leave the game.

creature comforts
- things that make people comfortable

We had no creature comforts during our trip to South America.

a credit to (someone or something)
- to be invaluable or beneficial to someone or something

The doctor was a credit to the hospital where he had trained.

the creeps
- a strong feeling of fear or disgust

I get the creeps every time that I see a spider or snake.

creep up on (someone or something)
- to crawl quietly toward someone or something

The thief crept up on the elderly woman in the supermarket.

crocodile tears
- a show of sorrow that is not real

The man said that he was very sorry but his tears were only crocodile tears.

crop up
- to appear or happen unexpectedly

I will meet him early next week unless something crops up that keeps me busy.

cross a bridge before one comes to it
- to think and worry about future events or problems before they happen

We should not worry about that problem now. We can cross that bridge when we come to it.

cross one`s heart and hope to die
- to promise that what you are saying is true

"I promise that I will pay back the money next week. Cross my heart and hope to die."

cross one`s mind
- to think of something, to occur to someone

It crossed my mind that I would see him in the evening so I did not need to phone him.

cross out (something)
- to eliminate something by drawing a line through it

I crossed out my name from the list of volunteers.

cross swords with (someone)
- to have an argument with someone

I do not want to cross swords with the head teacher again.

cross the Rubicon
- to do something where you cannot go back (Julius Ceasar crossed the Rubicon and made a fight with the Roman Senate inevitable)

The man crossed the Rubicon when he began on a course that he could never turn back from.

cross to bear/carry
- something that you must do or continue with even though you are suffering

Looking after my sister`s children is my cross to bear.

crux of the matter
- the central issue of a matter

The crux of the matter is that we no longer have enough money to go on a holiday.

cry bloody murder
- to scream like something very serious has happened

The woman cried bloody murder when the young man tried to steal her purse.

cry out for (someone or something)
- to need someone or something badly, to lack something

The new room that we built cries out for new furniture.
The baby cried out for her mother.

cry over spilt milk
- to cry or complain about something that has already happened

"Don`t cry over spilt milk. You can never change the past."

cry uncle
- to admit defeat or that you have lost

He finally had to cry uncle when the other wrestler pinned him to the mat.

cry wolf
- to warn of danger that is not there

The man has been crying wolf for many years and now nobody believes him.

crying need for (someone or something)
- a desperate need for someone or something

There is a crying need for nurses in the local hospital.

a crying shame
- a very unfortunate situation

It was a crying shame that the class trip to Spain was cancelled.

cue (someone) in
- to tell someone what is going on

I did not know what to do until somebody cued me in on what was happening.

(not one`s) cup of tea
- (not) something that one enjoys

It is not my cup of tea so I think that I will stay home and not go to the art gallery.

curiosity killed the cat
- being nosy and interested in the business of other people may cause someone trouble

"Don`t keep asking so many questions. Remember curiosity killed the cat."

curl up and die
- to retreat and die

I wanted to curl up and die when I saw my old boyfriend at the party.

curry favor with (someone)
- to flatter someone to get his or her help or friendship

Our boss has been working hard to curry favor with the other members of the committee

[.]

Re: Idioms

cut Idioms

cut a fine figure
- to look good

I plan to cut a fine figure when I go to the job interview next week.

cut a wide swath
- to attract a lot of attention

The man cuts a wide swath when he enters a room.

a cut above (someone or something)
- a little better than someone or something

The new principal is a cut above the previous one.

cut across
- to cross or go through something instead of going around it

We decided to cut across the field because we were in a hurry to get to school.

cut and run
- to leave as quickly as possible

We cut and run as soon as we had finished delivering the goods.

cut and dried
- to be previously decided, to be prearranged

The decision was cut and dried and nobody asked for our opinion.

cut back on (something)
- to use fewer or use less of something

We were forced to cut back on the number of people who were invited to the party.

cut both ways
- to serve both sides of an argument

What the man said cuts both ways and we should carefully think about it.

cut class
- to not go to class

I cut class last week and went to a movie.

cut corners
- to economize

We will have to cut corners in order to save money for our holiday.

cut down on something
- to use less of something

Recently the man has cut down on his smoking in order to become more healthy.

cut from the same cloth
- to share a lot of similarities

The two cousins were cut from the same cloth and were similar in every way.

cut no ice with (someone)
- to have no influence on someone

The excuses of the girl cut no ice with her teacher or the principal.

cut off one`s nose to spite one`s face
- to make things worse for oneself because one is angry at someone else

The man is cutting off his nose to spite his face. Taking revenge on his neighbor will only cause him more problems.

cut one's eyeteeth on (something)
- to have done something since one was very young

The man cut his eyeteeth on fixing bicycles and he is now an expert.

cut one's losses
- to reduce one's losses

We decided to cut our losses and sell our business before it lost too much money.

cut out for (something)
- to have a talent for something, to be suited for something

I do not think that I am cut out for all of the travelling that is required for this job.

cut out (something)
- to eliminate something

My cousin decided to cut out chocolate in order to lose weight.

cut out the deadwood
- to remove unproductive people from a job

The company began to cut out the deadwood and fired many people.

cut (someone) a check
- to write a check to someone

We cut the man a check for the work that he had done.

cut (someone) down to size
- to prove that someone is not as good as he or she thinks

I cut my colleague down to size when I criticized what he had said at the meeting.

cut (someone) in
- to give someone a share of something

I cut my friend in on the profits from selling the computers.

cut (someone) off
- to stop someone from saying something, to disconnect someone on the phone

I tried to tell my father about the accident but he cut me off before I had a chance.

cut (someone) to the quick
- to hurt someone's feelings very badly

The woman cut her friend to the quick when she criticized her new clothes.

cut the mustard
- to reach the required standard for something

The man does not cut the mustard and he will never be able to work here.

cut to the chase
- to get to the important matter of something

The lawyer cut to the chase and was able to get all of the information quickly

[.]

Re: Idioms

D

daily grind
- the everyday work routine

My father is tired of the daily grind of working and will retire soon.

dance to a different tune
- to change one's behavior or attitude

Our boss began dancing to a different tune when his head salesman decided to quit.

dance with death
- to do something that is very risky

The teenagers were dancing with death when they began to race their cars.

dare (someone) to do (something)
- to challenge someone to do something

The little boy dared his friend to throw a rock at the window.

dark horse
- a political candidate who is little known to the general public

The woman candidate was a dark horse but she won the election easily.

darken (someone's) door
- to visit someone or somewhere

The man has never darkened the door of the library in his town.

dash off
- to leave quickly

We dashed off as soon as the concert ended.

dash off (something)
- to do or finish something quickly

I plan to dash off a letter before I go to work.

date back to (a previous time)
- to go back to a previous time

The old building dates back to 1850.

Davy Jone's locker
- the bottom of the sea (as a grave)

When the boat sank all of the crew members went to Davy Jone's locker.

dawn on (someone)
- to become clear or occur to someone

It finally dawned on me why my friend was angry.

day after day
- everyday

Day after day the woman goes to the school to meet her child.

day and night
- all of the time

We worked day and night to finish the project before the end of the month.

day in and day out
- regularly, all of the time

My father goes to that restaurant for lunch day in and day out and he never gets tired of it.

day-to-day
- daily, everyday

The president was not involved in the day-to-day running of the university.

daylight robbery
- the extreme overcharging of money for something

The amount of money which they charged for the gasoline was daylight robbery.

days running
- several days in a row

There were concerts at the auditorium for six days running.

[.]

Re: Idioms

dead Idioms



dead ahead
- to be directly ahead

There was a truck dead ahead so we put on the car brakes suddenly.

dead as a doornail
- to be very dead

The man was as dead as a doornail after the car accident.

dead center
- the exact middle

I easily hit the target dead center.

dead duck
- a person or a thing in a hopeless situation

The man is a dead duck and he has no hope of recovering his former position.

dead end
- the end of a road, an impasse

The negotiations between the players and the owners have come to a dead end.

dead in one's/its tracks
- to be stopped exactly where someone or something is at the moment

The police stopped the robber dead in his tracks.

dead letter
- a piece of mail that cannot be delivered or returned to the sender

The letter with no return address went back to the post office as a dead letter.

dead loss
- a total loss

The money that I gave to my friend is a dead loss and none of it will be returned.

dead on one's feet
- to be exhausted

I was dead on my feet after working all day in my garden.

dead set against (something)
- to be determined not to do something

The parents are dead set against their son going to Europe for a year.

dead tired
- to be very tired, to be exhausted

I was dead tired so I went to bed when I got home.

dead to the world
- to be sleeping soundly

The little boy was dead to the world when his father took him out of the car.

dead wrong
- to be totally wrong

I was dead wrong in my calculations to build the table.

deadbeat
- a person who never pays his debts

There is a new government policy to penalize deadbeat fathers.

deadpan
- an expressionless or emotionless face

My friend had a deadpan expression when he told us the story.

.



deaf and dumb
- to be unable to hear or speak

The man was deaf and dumb and could not communicate with the woman on the train.

deal in (something)
- to buy and sell something

The man has been dealing in antiques for many years.

decide in favor of (someone or something)
- to determine the winner of something, to decide who is right

The city decided in favor of building a new bridge over the river.

decked out
- to be dressed in fancy clothes

My sister was decked out in her best clothes for the party.

deem it to be necessary
- to believe that something is necessary

The judge deemed it to be necessary to postpone the trial for a week.

deep-six (something)
- to throw away something, to dispose of something

I decided to deep-six the videos as I did not want them any longer.

deep water
- serious trouble or difficulty

The boy will be in deep water if he does not tell us where he spent the money.

deliver the goods
- to do a good or successful job of something

He is the best manager that we have had. He knows how to deliver the goods.

desert a sinking ship
- to leave a situation or place when things become difficult or unpleasant

Many employees decided to desert a sinking ship when their company began to have problems.

devil of a job
- a very difficult job

Everybody thought that unloading the truck was a devil of a job.

devil-may-care attitude
- an unworried attitude, an attitude where one does not care what happens

The man has a devil-may-care attitude to his job and nothing bothers him.

diamond in the rough
- a good person or thing that is hidden by a rough exterior

The man is a diamond in the rough and a very gentle person under his harsh exterior.

die down
- to come slowly to an end, to grow weaker

When the sound of the music died down we were able to go to sleep.

die in one's boots
- to die fighting

The soldiers died in their boots after fighting very hard.

the die is cast
- something has been decided and you cannot change the decision

The die is cast and now that we have sold our house we must move.

die laughing
- to laugh very loud and hard

We almost died laughing when we saw the comedy at the theater.

die off
- to die one after another until the number is small

The house plants began to die off as soon as we moved to a new apartment.

die out
- to die or disappear slowly until gone

The campfire slowly died out and we went to bed.

dig in
- to begin eating

"Let`s dig in and eat before the food gets cold!"

dig one's heels in
- to refuse to change one's course of action or opinions

Our boss dug his heels in and refused to give us time off.

dig one's own grave
- to be responsible for one's own problems

My sister dug her own grave when she fought with her boss. Now she is having many problems at work.

dig some dirt up on (someone)
- to find out something bad about someone

The newspaper worked hard to dig some dirt up on the politician.

dig (someone or something) up
- to make an effort to find someone or something

I tried to dig up some blankets for my friend when he stayed at our house.

dig (something) out
- to locate something

I dug out last year's income tax forms to look at.

a dime a dozen
- common, easy to get and of little value

Used books are a dime a dozen and it is dificult to sell them.

dip into (something)
- to borrow from a supply of something

We had to dip into our savings to get enough money for a holiday.

dirt cheap
- to be extremely cheap

The denim jackets were dirt cheap so I decided to buy two of them.

a dirty look
- a look that shows dislike or disapproval

The boy's mother gave the boy a dirty look when he began to run in the kitchen.

dirty work
- unpleasant or uninteresting work

I refused to do the dirty work which my friend wanted me to do.

dish out (food)
- to serve food from a large bowl or plate

I began to dish out the food when the guests arrived.

dish out (criticism)
- to criticize someone roughly, to treat someone roughly

Our supervisor likes to dish out criticism to others but he does not like to hear criticism about himself.

divide and conquer
- to split an opposing side into two groups so that you can win against them

The government was trying to divide and conquer the opposition parties.

divide (something) fifty-fifty
- to divide something into two equal parts

We divided the money that we won fifty-fifty.

[.]

Re: Idioms

do Idioms



do a double take
- to look again in surprise at someone or something

The girl did a double take when she saw her old boyfriend with another woman.

do a job on (someone or something)
- to harm or damage someone or something

We really did a job on the bookcase that we were trying to move.

do a land-office business
- to do much business in a short time

The children are doing a land-office business by selling the cold drinks next to the stadium.

do a number on (someone or something)
- to hurt or damage someone or something

The students did a number on the spectator stands during the soccer game.

do a snow job on (someone)
- to deceive or confuse someone

The salesman tried to do a snow job on me but I did not believe him.

do an about-face
- to suddenly reverse one's opinion

We had to do an about-face on our decision to permit drinking coffee in the library.

do away with (something)
- to stop something, to get rid of something

The company decided to do away with their policy of working one weekend a month.

do credit to (someone)
- to add to someone's reputation

The woman's graduation thesis did credit to her hard work and patience.

do in (someone)
- to make someone tired, to exhaust someone

I was done in by the time that I finished the marathon.

do in (something)
- to ruin/destroy something

The boy quickly did in the new shoes that he had received for his birthday.

do justice to (something)
- to do something well, to represent something accurately

The painting of my grandfather does not do justice to his extremely good looks.

do one`s best
- to try to do something as well as one can

I tried to do my best on the exam.

do one`s bit/part
- to share in a group project by contributing one`s time and effort

Our teacher did his bit to help plan for the party.

do one's duty
- to do one's job or what is expected of one

The guard was only doing his duty when he began to ask the customer questions.

do one`s thing
- to do what one wants to do and enjoys doing

My friend enjoys doing his thing when and where he chooses.

do or die
- to make a great effort

It was do or die for the man when he started his new job.

do (someone) good
- to be good or beneficial for someone

It will do me good to go on a holiday.

do (someone) out of (something)
- to cheat someone out of something

The man was worried that the company would do him out of the large bonus that he was expecting.

do (someone's) bidding
- to do what someone else wants

The principal was able to get the head teacher to do his bidding with the other teachers.

do something rash
- to take drastic action (usually without thinking)

My friend is extremely angry and she may do something rash.

do the dishes
- to wash and dry dishes

We did the dishes soon after eating dinner.

do the honors
- to perform the duty of a host (when serving a drink etc.)

"Would you like to do the honors and pour everybody a drink?"

do the trick
- to work well, to achieve a good or desired result

I think that the new piece of equipment should do the trick and solve our problem.

do time

- to spend time in prison

The man was doing time when we first heard about him.

do with (someone or something)
- to be acquainted/involved/associated with someone or something

I did not have anything to do with the meeting this year.

do with (something)
- to benefit from (something)

I have been working hard all day so now I could do with a cold drink.

do without (something)
- to manage without something

We will have to do without sugar if there is none.

do wonders
- to produce excellent results

If you begin to do some exercise it will do wonders for your health.

.



dog and pony show
- a display or demonstration of something

The politicians put on a dog and pony show to make everyone forget about the scandal.

dog-eat-dog
- to be ready or willing to fight and hurt others to get what you want

It is a dog-eat-dog world in the advertising and public relations business.

dog in the manger
- someone who prevents others from doing what he does not want them to do (from Aesops Fables)

The girl was a dog in the manger when she cancelled the dinner because she could not attend.

doll (oneself) up
- to dress in fancy clothes

She was all dolled up for the party at the downtown hotel.

dollar for dollar
- considering the cost

Dollar for dollar, going to the mountains for a holiday is a good deal.

done for
- to be ruined/defeated/dying

I think that our team is done for this season.

done in
- to be tired, to be exhausted

I was done in so I went to bed early.

done to a T
- to be cooked just right

The steaks were done to a T and everybody was very happy with them.

done with (something)
- to be finished using something

I was done with the computer so I let my sister use it.

doomed to failure
- to be certain to fail

The policy of the school was doomed to failure because nobody would support it.

a dose of one's own medicine
- the same kind of treatment that one gives to other people

The man got a dose of his own medicine when his boss began to treat him the same way that he treated others.

double back
- to turn back from where you are going or where you have been

We decided to double back from the arena and return home for a few minutes.

double-check (something)
- to check again to be sure that something is correct

I double-checked the price of the airplane ticket.

double-cross (someone)
- to deceive someone, to promise one thing and then do another

The man tried to double-cross his partner but was caught and sent to jail.

double-talk
- talk or words that appear to mean something but do not

The speaker gave the audience much double-talk and nobody knew what he wanted to say.

double up
- to share a room with someone

The passengers had to double up in hotel rooms when the plane landed because of the weather.

a doubting Thomas
- someone who needs strong proof to believe something

My friend is a doubting Thomas and you must tell him many times before he will believe something.

[.]

Re: Idioms

down Idioms

down and dirty
- unfair/nasty/sneaky

The team decided to get down and dirty in order to try and win the tournament.

down and out
- to have no money

My friend has been down and out before but usually he can find a job.

down at the heels
- to be shabby, to be poorly dressed

The man looked down at the heels after he was fired from his job.

down for the count
- to be finished for now

The boxer was down for the count but everybody expected him to get up and fight again.

down in the dumps
- to be unhappy

The girl has been down in the dumps since her boyfriend moved away.

down on one's luck
- to be unlucky, to have no money

The man was down on his luck and did not even have a place to live.

down on (someone)
- to be critical of someone, to be angry at someone

The girl is down on her friend but I do not know the reason.

down one`s alley
- to be suited to one`s tastes and abilities

Computers are down my alley so I am sure that I will be interested in the job.

down the drain
- to be wasted or lost

My uncle is throwing money down the drain when he goes to the horse races.

down the hatch
- to swallow a drink or eat something

The captain says down the hatch whenever he gives the sailors a drink.

down the line
- straight ahead, in the future

There will be many changes in our company down the line.

down the tubes
- to be ruined/wasted

All of our plans went down the tubes after my friend refused to join us.

down to earth
- to be sensible and practical

My mother is very down to earth.

down to the last detail
- considering all of the details

We fixed up everything on the boat, right down to the last detail.

down to the wire
- to be nearing a deadline, to be running out of time

We went down to the wire but we were able to finish the job on time.

down with (an illness)
- to be ill, to be sick at home

My sister was down with a cold so she could not go out for a few days.

.



drag in (someone or something)
- to insist on bringing someone or something into a discussion

Th employee always drags in his personal problems when we talk about his job performance.

drag on
- to pass very slowly, to make something longer

The speech was dragging on so we decided to leave early.

a drag on (someone)
- a burden to someone

The problems at work were a drag on my friend and he became sick because of them.

drag one`s feet/heels
- to act slowly or reluctantly

The man has been dragging his feet about whether or not to take the job.

[.]

Re: Idioms

draw Idioms



draw a blank
- to get no response to something, to get a negative result

The manager drew a blank when he went to the head office to get information about the merger.

draw a line betwen two things
- to separate two things

We must draw a line between using the internet for work and using it for personal use.

draw blood
- to make a wound that bleeds, to anger someone

The politician was very careful not to draw blood during the debate.

draw fire
- to receive criticism for something

The government began to draw fire when they announced changes in the health care system.

draw fire
- to be a target, to attract or provoke shooting

The soldiers drew fire when they entered the small village.

draw in one`s horns
- to spend less money

The company is not doing well so everybody must draw in their horns.

draw interest
- to appear interesting and attract someone's attention

The singers drew much interest when they performed at the festival.

draw interest
- to earn interest when money is deposited in a bank

The money that we put in the bank draws interest every month.

draw lots/straws
- to choose from a group of things to decide who will do something

We decided to draw lots to see who would wash the dishes.

draw (someone) out
- to make a person talk or tell something

The girl was very quiet but we were able to draw her out and she began talking.

draw the line (at something)
- to set a limit for something

We have to draw the line somewhere to limit the costs of the party.

draw to a close
- to end

The tournament was drawing to a close and everybody was going back to their homes.

draw up (something)
- to put something in writing

They were able to draw up the contract while we were waiting.

.



dredge (something) up
- to uncover something unpleasant and remind people about it

The newspaper is always trying to dredge bad things up about the government.

dress (someone) down
- to scold someone

The supervisor took the clerk into her office to dress her down.

dressed to kill
- to wear one`s finest clothes

The woman was dressed to kill when I saw her at the concert last week.

dressed to the nines/teeth
- to be dressed elegantly

The movie stars were dressed to the nines during the awards ceremony.

dress up
- to put on one`s best clothes

I decided to dress up for dinner at the restaurant.

drive a hard bargain
- to conclude a bargain without making any concessions

Although the man drives a hard bargain, I like doing business with him.

drive at (something)
- to try/want to say something

I do not know what the man was driving at in his speech.

drive (someone) up a wall
- to irritate or annoy someone greatly

My neighbor's constant complaining is driving me up a wall.

drive (something) home
- to make something clearly understood

The high price of gasoline drove home to us the necessity of driving less.

the driving force behind (someone or something)
- the motivating force behind someone or something

The potato farmers were the driving force behind the efforts to get people to eat more potatoes.

[.]

Re: Idioms

drop Idioms

drop a bombshell
- to announce some shocking news

The government dropped a bombshell when they announced that they were going to close the hospital.

drop a hint
- to casually make a hint or suggestion about something

The clerk dropped a hint that he wanted to transfer to the new department.

drop around
- to come for a visit

My friend plans to drop around for a visit tomorrow.

drop back
- to move or step backwards, to retreat

During the hike my foot began to get sore so I decided to drop back and rest for awhile.

drop by
- to visit someone

My uncle dropped by after work for a visit.

drop by the wayside
- to give up or fail before the finish of something

Many runners dropped by the wayside during the marathon.

drop dead
- to die suddenly

The bus driver dropped dead while driving the bus.

Drop dead!
- Go away!, to stop bothering someone

I told my brother to drop dead when he came into my room and now he is angry at me.

drop everything
- to stop doing what you are doing

When the fire alarm rang we dropped everything and went outside.

drop in (on someone)
- to make a short or unplanned visit to someone

I decided to drop in on my friend after I finished work for the day.

drop in one's tracks
- to collapse from exhaustion

The runner dropped in his tracks during the last part of the race.

drop in the bucket
- a small amount

The money that my friend repaid me was a drop in the bucket compared to what he owes.

drop names
- to mention the names of famous people as if they were your friends

Nobody likes the girl because she is always dropping names when she meets her friends.

drop out of (something)
- to quit school or a course of some kind

I dropped out of the class after three months.

drop (someone) a line
- to write or mail a note or letter to someone

My friend promised that she would drop me a line when she gets to Singapore.

drop the subject
- to stop talking about something

My friend was getting angry while we were talking about money so I decided to drop the subject.

.



drown one`s sorrows
- to drink alcohol or do something to forget one`s problems

The man is in the bar drowning his sorrows with a drink.

drown (someone) out
- to make so much noise that it is impossible to hear someone

The team captain was drowned out by the cheering fans.
drum up (something)

- to encourage something by making an effort

The company was able to drum up a lot of business during the summer.

drum (something) into (someone's) head
- to make someone learn something by force

The teacher worked hard to drum the formulas into the heads of the students.

dry run
- an attempt or rehearsal for something

The marriage ceremony was on Saturday so we had a dry run on Thursday night.

dry up
- to become dry

The river began to dry up early in the summer.

duck soup
- easy, effortless

"How was the test last week?"
"It was duck soup - no problem at all."

dumb bunny
- a stupid gullible person

He is a dumb bunny and you never know what he will do next.

Dutch auction
- an auction where you start off with a high price and then reduce it

They always sell the flowers at a Dutch auction at the downtown market.

Dutch courage
- unusual or artificial courage (often because of alcohol)

The man was full of Dutch courage when he began to criticize his boss.

Dutch treat
- a meal/movie etc. where each person pays his or her own way, to contribute equally to something

When he goes out with his girlfriend it is always a Dutch treat as he does not have much money.

Dutch uncle
- someone who gives you advice like a parent or relative would

My friend is like a Dutch uncle and he is always giving me advice about how I should act.

duty bound (to do something)
- to be forced by duty or honor to do something

I was duty bound to talk to my friend about the money that I had lost.

dwell on (something)
- to think or talk about something all the time

I wish that my friend would not dwell on his personal problems.

dyed-in-the-wool
- permanent, stubborn

My father is a dyed-in-the-wool conservative and will never change.

dying to (do something or go somewhere)
- to be very anxious to do something or go somewhere

I am dying to go and visit my friend in the country.

[.]

Re: Idioms

E

each and every
- every

"I want each and every student to bring his or her textbook tomorrow."

eager beaver
- a person who is always eager to work hard or do extra work

My colleague is an eager beaver and is always ready to work hard when we need him.

eagle eye
- an eye with sharp visual powers

The woman watched her young child with an eagle eye.

an ear to the ground
- attention that is paid to the way things are going or the way people feel and think

The president has an ear to the ground and knows everything that is going on in our company.

earful
- a scolding, much talking in the form of complaints

The man gave his daughter an earful when she came home late.

early bird
- a person who gets up early or arrives early for something

My sister is an early bird and gets up very early every morning.

early bird catches the worm
- a person who gets up early in the morning has the best chance of success

Our supervisor always goes to work before his colleagues because he knows that the early bird catches the worm.

early on
- at an early stage

We had a meeting early on to try and solve the problem.

earn one's keep
- to earn one's pay or a place to live by doing some work

I work hard in my uncle's garden in order to earn my keep when I stay with him.

ease off/up on (someone or something)
- to put less pressure on someone or something, to relax

The president was asked to ease off on his efforts to cut staff in the company.

easier said than done
- to be easier to talk about than to do

I would like to change jobs but it is easier said than done.

easy come, easy go
- something that you get easily can be lost easily

My cousin does not care if he loses his job or not. For him everything is easy come, easy go.

easy does it
- doing something slowly or without sudden movements

"Easy does it," I said as we moved the large piano.

easy-going
- to be tolerant and relaxed

Our boss has a very easy-going management style.

easy to come by
- to be easy to find

Money is not easy to come by for many people with no education.