TONG HOP IDIOMS/COLLOCATIONS PART 1

A pack of lies

a story, explanation, etc. that is completely untrue- (một đống lời nói dối)

Ex: His alibi turned out to be a complete……….

start the ball rolling

to begin an activity or process (bắt đầu, khởixướng một việc gì đó)

I'll …….. by introducing our first speaker.

a red herring

something that misleads or distracts from the main issue (vật đánh trống lảng)

The detective realized the mysterious phone call was just ……….

toe the line

to follow the rules or conform to the standard - (tuân theo quy tắc, làm theo quy định)

The new manager is strict and expects everyone to ………

learn the ropes

to learn how to do a particular job or task (học việc, học những điều cơ bản)

It will take a few months for the new intern to ……….

a hive of activity

a place that is very busy (nơi nhộn nhịp, hối hả)

The kitchen was …….. as the chefs prepared for the grand wedding.

in dire straits

in a very difficult or serious situation, especially financial (trong hoàn cảnh khó khăn, nguy cấp)

After the factory closed, the whole town was ……..

cut things fine

to allow very little time for something - (sắp xếp thời gian sát giờ)

She got to the gate ten minutes before her flight, so she was ………….

spring to mind

to be thought of immediately (lập tức nghĩ tới, hiện lên trong đầu)

When I think of a reliable car, Japanese brands always …….

once and for all

completely and finally (một lần dứt điểm, lần cuối)

We need to settle this argument ……

in the blink of an eye

extremely quickly (trong chớp mắt)

The race car was gone ……..

carry the can

to take the blame or responsibility for something, especially for someone else (gánh vác trách nhiệm)

The CEO resigned, but it was his assistants who had to ……… for the scandal.

dig your heels in

to refuse to change your plans or ideas, especially when someone is urging you (cứng đầu, ương bướng)

The children …………. and refused to go to bed.

a dark horse

a person who has secret skills or abilities (người bí ẩn, có khả năng được giấu kín)

He’s ……. in this competition; nobody expected him to be so good.

keep a low profile

to avoid attracting attention to yourself (giữ một hình ảnh trầm lặng, ít thu hút sự chú ý)

After the controversy, the actor ……. for a year.

strike while the iron is hot

to take advantage of an opportunity immediately (thừa thắng xông lên, nắm lấy cơ hội)

They liked our proposal – we need to…….. and sign the contract now.

keep a lid on

to keep something under control and prevent it from increasing (kiểm soát, hạn chế)

The government is trying to ……… inflation.

add fuel to the fire

to make a bad situation worse (thêm dầu vào lửa)

Bringing up his past mistakes just ………..

an acid test

a situation that proves how effective or genuine something or someone is (bài kiểm tra khó khăn nhất)

The World Cup will be ……. for the young team.

The ……….. a good party is how you feel the morning after.

career ladder

the series of stages that lead to better and better jobs (nấc thang sự nghiệp)

He's climbing the ………. quickly at his new firm.