CPE idioms unit 3

a piece of cake

sth very easy to do

a red-letter day

a very important day

a wild-goose chase

a hopeless search

be caught red-handed

be caught while committing a crime

be on the cards=be on the horizon

be likely to happen

be over the moon

be very happy and excited

call sb names

insult sb

chair a meeting

preside over a meeting

crocodile tears

false tears

cross one's mind

think of sth

cut sb dead

ignore sb

(different as) chalk and cheese

totally different

down in the dumps

depressed/miserable

down the drain

wasted; lost

get a bit hot under the collar

get angry, upset or embarrassed

get a problem off one's chest

tell sb else about one’s problem

go to the dogs

worsen

have the cheek

dare to do sth

keep one's chin up

not be discouraged

let sleeping dogs lie

avoid mentioning a subject which could cause trouble

lost cause

hopeless situation or case

off color

look/be slightly unwell

on the dole

receiving unemployment benefit/social security

play one's cards right

act cleverly

show one's true colors

reveal one's real character

with flying colors

with great success

not count one's chickens before they're hatched

not assume sth before it happens