TOPIC 4 - Personalities and Characteristics

Vocabulary flashcards based on key idioms related to personalities and characteristics.

All Thumbs

Clumsy or unskilled, especially in manual tasks.

Achilles Heel

A person’s weakness or vulnerability.

Armed to the Teeth

Well-equipped, especially with weapons.

As Black As One Is Painted

Equally as bad or villainous as rumored.

As Plain As A Pikestaff

Very obvious or clearly displayed.

As Quiet As A Mouse

Extremely quiet and unassuming.

At A Pinch

Difficulty but still feasible if necessary.

At A Rate Of Knots

Very quickly.

Babe In Arms

An inexperienced or naive person.

Back Of The Beyond

A very remote or isolated place.

Before You Can Say Jack Robinson

Very quickly.

Beggar Description

Difficult or impossible to describe.

Be Poles Apart

Very different from each other.

Best Bib And Tucker

One's best clothes.

Can't See Beyond The End Of One's Nose

Having a narrow perspective.

Cast In The Same Mold

Having similar characteristics or behavior.

Cause Tongues To Wag

To attract gossip or rumors.

Come Alive

To become energized or lively.

Dark Horse

An unknown or unexpected competitor.

Dirty Look

A disapproving or unfriendly glance.

Eager Beaver

An enthusiastic and hard-working person.

Eagle Eye

Sharp vision or keen observation.

Elbow-Grease

Effort, hard work.

Empty Vessels Make Most Noise

Those who are uninformed tend to talk the most.

Far Cry From Something

Very different from something.

Fishy

Suspicious or questionable.

For The Birds

Uninteresting or meaningless.

Hand Over Fist

Very quickly.

Horse Of A Different Color

A completely different issue.

Just The Job

Exactly what is needed.

Lady-Killer

A man who is very charming and attractive to women.

Matter Of Life And Death

A very serious or urgent matter.

Naked Eye

Human eyesight without magnification.

Name Of The Game

The main goal or most important aspect.

Night-Owl

Someone who stays up late.

Nine-To-Five Job

A standard job with regular working hours.

Nobody's Fool

A person who is clever and not easily deceived.

Odd Man Out

A person or thing that is different from the rest.

Off-Color

Inappropriate or offensive.

Off The Beaten Track

A place that is unusual or rarely visited.

Of The First Water

Of the highest quality.

Old Hand At Something

An experienced person.

Open-And-Shut Case

A situation that is clear and straightforward.

Parrot-Fashion

To repeat something without understanding.

People Who Live In Glass Houses Shouldn't Throw Stones

One should not criticize others for faults that they have.

Quick On The Draw

Fast to respond or react.

Red Herring

A misleading or distracting piece of information.

Tongue-In-Cheek

Humorous or sarcastic.

Up And Doing

Active and energetic.

Upper Crust

The elite or upper class.

Vexed Question

A complex or contentious problem.

Villain Of The Piece

The person responsible for a wrongdoing.

Wet Blanket

Someone who dampens the mood or enjoyment.