IDIOMS OXFORD ADVANCED

a blessing in disguise

something that seems bad or unlucky at first, but results in something good later

a dime a dozen

something very common and not valuable

a leopard can’t change its spots

people cannot change their basic character

a pain in the neck

someone or something that is very annoying

a piece of cake

something that is very easy to do

add fuel to the fire

to make a bad situation worse

all ears

fully listening and ready to hear

all in the same boat

to be in the same difficult situation as others

apple of sb’s eye

a person who is loved and treasured most

as cool as a cucumber

very calm and relaxed, even in a difficult situation

at the drop of a hat

immediately, without hesitation

back to the drawing board

to start again after a failure

bark up the wrong tree

to have the wrong idea about how to get or achieve something

beat around the bush

to avoid talking directly about the main point

bite off more than you can chew

to try to do something too difficult

bite the bullet

to decide to do something difficult or unpleasant that you have been avoiding

blessing in disguise

something that seems bad but turns out good

break the ice

to do or say something to make people feel less shy or nervous in a social situation

bring home the bacon

to earn money to support your family

burn the midnight oil

to work or study until late at night

by the book

to follow rules exactly

by word of mouth

information spread by people talking about it

call it a day

to stop working on something

cast the first stone

to be the first to criticize or accuse someone

catch sb red-handed

to catch someone in the act of doing something wrong

catch someone’s eye

to attract someone’s attention

change your tune

to change your opinion or attitude completely

chew the fat

to talk in a relaxed way about unimportant things

chip on your shoulder

to be easily angered because you feel unfairly treated

come clean (about sth)

to tell the truth about something you have been hiding

come rain or shine

no matter what happens

cost an arm and a leg

to be very expensive

cry over spilt milk

to waste time feeling sorry about something that has already happened

curiosity killed the cat

being too curious can get you into trouble

cut corners

to do something badly or cheaply in order to save time or money

dark horse

a person who has hidden qualities or skills that surprise others

daylight robbery

when something is much too expensive

dead end

a situation with no hope of progress

devil’s advocate

someone who argues against a position, even if they don’t really believe it

don’t count your chickens (before they hatch)

don’t assume something will happen before it actually does

don’t put all your eggs in one basket

don’t risk everything on one single plan

down to earth

practical and realistic

draw the line

to set a limit on what you are willing to do or accept

drive sb up the wall

to annoy someone very much

drop a brick

to say something that embarrasses someone

easier said than done

more difficult than it appears

elephant in the room

a big problem everyone is aware of but no one talks about

every cloud has a silver lining

there is something good in every bad situation

face the music

to accept the unpleasant results of your actions

fair and square

honest and according to the rules

fall flat

to fail completely (e.g. a joke, a plan)

fall head over heels (in love)

to fall deeply in love

feel under the weather

to feel slightly ill

few and far between

not happening or existing very often

fish out of water

a person who feels uncomfortable in an unfamiliar situation

food for thought

something worth serious consideration

for good

permanently, forever

from scratch

from the very beginning without anything prepared

full of hot air

talking a lot but saying nothing important

get a taste of your own medicine

to have the same bad experience you caused for others

get cold feet

to suddenly become nervous about doing something important

get out of hand

to become difficult to control

get the ball rolling

to start something happening

get to the bottom of sth

to find out the real cause of something

give sb the cold shoulder

to deliberately ignore someone

go Dutch

to share the cost of something (usually a meal)

go the extra mile

to make a special effort to achieve something

go to the dogs

to become worse in quality or character

golden opportunity

a very good chance to do something

grease sb’s palm

to give someone money secretly in order to persuade them to do something

green light

official permission to start something

grey area

something that is not clearly defined and is difficult to deal with

hit the books

to study hard

hit the hay/sack

to go to bed to sleep

hit the jackpot

to be very lucky or successful, especially in making money

hit the nail on the head

to describe exactly what is causing a problem

hold your horses

used to tell someone to stop and consider carefully before acting

in black and white

written down, definite and clear

in hot water

in trouble or difficulty

in the blink of an eye

very quickly

in the long run

over a long period of time

in the nick of time

just in time, almost too late

in the red

owing money, in debt

in your element

to feel comfortable or happy in a situation

it takes two to tango

actions or communication need more than one person

jack of all trades

a person who can do many things but is not an expert in any

jump on the bandwagon

to join something that is already popular or successful

jump the gun

to do something too soon, before the right time

jump to conclusions

to form an opinion too quickly, without enough information

keep an eye on sth/sb

to watch or look after something carefully

keep your chin up

to stay cheerful in difficult times

kick the bucket

to die (informal, humorous)

kill two birds with one stone

to achieve two things with one action

know sth like the back of your hand

to know something very well

laugh your head off

to laugh a lot

learn the ropes

to learn how to do a job or activity

let sleeping dogs lie

to avoid mentioning a subject that could cause trouble

let the cat out of the bag

to reveal a secret by mistake

lie through your teeth

to tell an obvious lie

like father, like son

used when a son is very similar to his father