Thẻ ghi nhớ: English Idioms in use advanced | Quizlet

knock/lick sth/sb into shape(UK)

whip sth/sb into shape (US)

to take action to get something or someone into the good condition that you would like.

send sb to Coventry

they refuse to speak to that person, usually as a punishment for having done something to upset the group [old-fashioned]

hopping mad

very angry

run a tight ship

control something firmly and effectively

go spare

to become very angry

Feather your own nest

you use your position or your job illegally for personal gain.

like it or lump it

you mean that person must accept a situation they do not like, because it cannot be changed [informal]

take centre stage

to be at the centre of attention

casualty

a person or thing that suffers as a result of something else happening. [formal]

pull rank (on someone)

to use the power that your position gives you over someone in order to make them do what you want

see sense/reason

to be reasonable and have good judgment [formal]

black mark

the fact of people noticing and remembering something that you have done wrong or failed to do

Tom, Dick, and Harry

used to refer to an ordinary person or all ordinary people [disapproving]

at the top of your voice (UK)

at the top of your lungs (US)

extremely loudly

be like a bear with a sore head (UK)

like a (real) bear (US)

to be in a bad mood that causes you to treat other people badly and complain a lot [informal]

clip sb's wings

to limit someone's freedom

fringe benefits

Any financial extras beyond the regular pay check, such as health insurance, life insurance, paid vacation and/or retirement

be part and parcel of sth

to be a feature of something, especially a feature that cannot be avoided

catch some z's (US)

get some sleep (informal)

to be fresh out of something (US)

having just finished or sold all of something.

isn't worth a dime (US)

has little or no value

donkey work (UK)

grunt work (US)

hard boring part of a job or task

take the biscuit (UK)

take the cake (US)

to be the most silly, stupid or annoying thing in a series of things

weep buckets (UK)

cry buckets (US)

to cry a lot ( informal)

hard cash (UK)

cold cash (US)

money in the form of coins or paper

Sth from hell

frequently refers to difficult people or unpopular things

To have fallen off the radar

been forgotten

go the extra mile

to make more effort than is expected of you.

does exactly what it says on the tin

does exactly what it claims to do

like nailing jelly to a wall

difficult to understand or describe because it is not clear

big time

very much or extremely

end of story

end of discussion

too much information

someone has revealed information that is too personal and made the listener or reader uncomfortable

Don't even go there

expression to avoid to discuss something

as thin as a rake

extremely thin

as smooth as silk

extremely smooth

as bright as a button

extremely clever

as fresh as a daisy

extremely fresh and full of energy

run like the wind

Run extremely fast

fits like a glove

fits extremely well

as clear as crystal

very clear

as poor as a church mouse

very poor

as silent as the grave

totally silent

as dry as dust

extremely boring

as thick as thieves

very close friends

as quick as a flash

very quick

as keen as mustard

to be very eager

fight like cat and dog

argue violently all the time

working like a dog

working very hard

a face like thunder

you're visibly angry

as stubborn as a mule

extremely obstinate

black and white

separate and clear

neat and tidy

clean and organized

hit and miss

sometimes good and sometimes bad

wear and tear

damage resulting from use

black and blue

bruised and beaten

bumper to bumper

heavy traffic

give or take

more or less (informal)

here, there and everywhere

everywhere

heads or tails

two sides of a coin

at sixes and sevens

a state of confusion and disorder (informal)

out and about

active; doing the things you usually do. (informal)

hustle and bustle

noise and activity

be all fingers and thumbs

be clumsy or awkward in one's actions. (informal)

in dribs and drabs

small amounts at a time (informal)

Blood, Sweat, and Tears

Hard work

time after time

repeatedly. Usually irritation

wax and wane

increase, decrease

through and through

completely

nothing ventured, nothing gained

You have to take a risk in order to get something good.

Every cloud has a silver lining.

there is something good in every bad situation

Necessity is the mother of invention

if people really need to do something, they will find a way to do it

All's fair in love and war

all actions are justified when there are feelings of love/rivalry

It never rains but it pours

problems always happen together

It takes two to tango

two people are equally responsible

Rome wasn't built in a day

it takes a long time to do important things properly

better safe than sorry

it is best not to take risks, even if it seems boring or hard work

It's easy to be wise after the event

It is easy to understand what you could have done to prevent something bad from happening after it has happened

It's not over until the fat lady sings

you cannot be sure what will happen until the very end

enough is as good as a feast

you shouldn't have more of something than you need

Ignorance is bliss

you may be happier not knowing something

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink

you can show people how to do things but you cannot make them do them

truth will out

The truth will become known eventually

get your skates on

to hurry up

mum's the word

keep this a secret; don't tell anybody

good riddance

to be happy that someone/someone is gone

fair's fair

Their behaviour is reasonable

give me a break

let me relax; stop bothering me

Any friend of yours is a friend of mine

If we share a mutual friend, then we can be friends too

Beauty is only skin deep

A person's character is more important than their appearance.

on the rocks

in serious difficulty

give something a wide berth

avoid

cut and run

avoid a difficult situation by leaving suddenly

Batten down the hatches

prepare for trouble

go by the board

to be abandoned/ruined

make good headway

to make good progress

in the offing

near future

leave high and dry

put in a difficult situation which they could not improve

take the wind out of one's sails

to make someone feel deflated

in the wake of sb/ in sb's wake

following closely behind