Barron's 1100 words
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706 Terms
"""a blind alley"""
a direction that leads nowhere
"""a bolt from the blue"""
a great surpise
"""a cat's paw"""
a person used as a tool or dupe
"""a feather in one's cap"""
something to be proud of
"""a flash in the pan"""
promising at the start, but then disappointing
"""a fly in the ointment"""
something that spoils or lessens the enjoyment
"""a lick and a promise"""
to do something in a hasty and superficial manner
"""a pig in a poke"""
an item you purchase without having seen; a disappointment
"""a pretty kettle of fish"""
a mess, trouble
"""a pretty kettle of fish"""
a messy situation, a problem
"""a scared cow"""
a person who cannot be criticized
"""a square peg in a round hole"""
an able man in the wrong job
"""a wet blanket"""
one who spoils the fun
"""a white elephant"""
a costly and useless possession
"""Achilles heel"""
weak spot
"""an ax to grind"""
having a selfish motive in the backround
"""apple polishing"""
trying to gain favor by gifts or flattery
"""as broad as it is long"""
"""it makes very little difference"""
"""behind the eight ball"""
in trouble
"""blow hot and cold"""
"swing for and against something"""
"""blue chip"""
a highly valuable asset, stock, or property
"""brass tacks"""
the real problem or situation
"""burn the midnight oil"""
study or work late into the night
"""by hook or by crook"""
at any cost, any way at all
"""castles in the air"""
to dream about a wonderful future
"""cause celebre"""
a famous law case or controversy
"""chip off the old block"""
a son who is like his father
"""coup de grace"""
the finishing stroke
"""Draconian Code"""
a very severe set of rules
"""draw in one's horns"""
to check one's anger, to restrain oneself
"""dyed-in-the-wool"""
set in one's ways
"""fair-weather friends"""
unreliable, they fail one in time of distress
"""fat is in the fire"""
the mischief is done
"""feeling no pain"""
drunk
"""forty winks"""
a short nap
"""from pillar to post"""
from one place to another
"""gild the lilly"""
to praise extravagantly
"""go against the grain"""
to irritate
"""Hobson's choice"""
to have no choice at all
"""hook, line, and sinker"""
completely, all the way
"""I'm from Missouri"""
a skeptic, one who is not easily convinced
"""in a bee line"""
take the straightest, shortest route
"""in apple pie order"""
in neat order, good condition
"""in seventh heaven"""
the highest happiness or delight
"""in the arms of Morpheus"""
asleep
"""in the doldrums"""
in a bored or depressed state
"""in the lap of the gods"""
out of one's own hands
"""it's an ill wind that blows nobody good"""
someone usually benefits from another person's misfortune
"""ivory tower"""
out of touch with life
"""keep a stiff upper lip"""
keep up courage, stand up to trouble
"""keep the pot boiling"""
to see that interest doesn't die down
"""know the ropes"""
to be fully acquainted with the procedures
"""let sleeping dogs lie"""
to let well enough alone, to avoid stirring up old hostilities
"""like Caesar's wife"""
above suspicion
"""lily-livered"""
cowardly
"""loaded for bear"""
to be well prepared
"""lock, stock, and barrel"""
entirely, completely
"""look a gift horse in the mouth"""
to be critical of a present
"""make bricks without straw"""
to attempt to do something without having the necessary materials
"""of the first water"""
of the best quality, of the greatest
"""off the beaten track"""
not usual, out of the ordinary
"""on tenter hooks"""
in a state of anxiety
"""on the carpet"""
being scolded
"""on the qui vive"""
on the alert
"""one swallow doesn't make a summer"""
don't jump to conclusions based on incomplete evidence
"""out of the frying pan into the fire"""
to go from a difficult situation to a worse one
"""out on a limb"""
in a dangerous or exposed position
"""pass the buck"""
to evade responsibility
"""Philadelphia lawyer"""
a lawyer of outstanding ability
"""plea bargain"""
to agree to plead guilty to a lesser charge so as to avoid trial for a more serious offense
"""put the cart before the horse"""
to reverse the proper order, do things backwards
"""Pyrrhic victory"""
a too costly victory
"""red-letter day"""
day of happiness, time for rejoicing
"""Skid Row"""
disreputable part of town, inhabited by derelicts and people
"""sour grapes"""
to disparage something that you cannot have
"""steal one's thunder"""
to weaken one's position by stating the argument before that person does
"""stiff upper lip"""
to be courageous in the face of trouble
"""stock in trade"""
the goods, tools, and other requisites of a trade
"""straight from the shoulder"""
in a direct, open way
"""swan song"""
final or last
"""swap horses in midstream"""
to vote against a candidate running for reelection, to change one's mind
"""take the bull by the horns"""
to face a problem directly
"""take the wind out of one's sails"""
to remove someone's advantage
"""the acid test"""
a severe test
"""the die is cast"""
an unchangeable decision has been made
"""the distaff side"""
women
"""the grapevine"""
a secret means of spreading information
"""the lion's share"""
the major portion
"""the sum and substance"""
the heart or substantial part
"""the sword of Damocles"""
any imminent danger
"""the word, the flesh, and the devil"""
temptations that cause man to sin
"""the writing on the wall"""
an event that predicts the future
"""to be at large"""
not confined or in jail
"""to be in fine fettle"""
to be in fine spirits, feeling well
"""to be under a cloud"""
to be in temporary disgrace or trouble
"""to beard the lion"""
to visit and oppose a person on his own grounds
"""to bring down the house"""
to cause great enthusiasm
"""to build upon sand"""
to have a poor base, or not sufficient preparation
"""to burn the midnight oil"""
to study or work until very late
"""to cool one's heels"""
to be kept waiting