IDIOMS & COLLOCATIONS 4-5

dig your own grave

to do something that causes you to have serious problems in the future (tự đào mồ chôn mình)

the penny drops

used to say that someone finally understands something (cuối cùng cũng hiểu ra)

risk life and limb

to do something that is very dangerous (liều mạng)

in the lap of luxury

in a state of great wealth and comfort (sống trong nhung lụa)

push the right buttons

to do exactly what is necessary to get the desired result (thực hiện chính xác những gì cần thiết)

put your foot down

to use your authority to stop something from happening (ra lệnh, dứt khoát ngăn cản)

the halcyon days

a period of time in the past that was happy and peaceful (những ngày tháng tươi đẹp, huy hoàng)

lick your wounds

to try to recover your confidence or strength after a defeat (gượng dậy sau thất bại)

a slap in the face

an action that insults or disappoints someone (một sự xúc phạm, sỉ nhục)

beyond the pale

unacceptable or unreasonable (không thể chấp nhận được)

get it off your chest

to tell someone about something that has been worrying you (giãi bày tâm sự)

the fine print

the important details of a contract that are often printed in small type and are easy to miss (điều khoản chi tiết)

steal a march on somebody

to gain an advantage over someone by doing something before they do (vượt mặt ai đó)

in the bag

certain to be achieved (chắc chắn thành công)

lose face

to lose the respect of other people (mất mặt)

touch base

to make contact with someone (liên lạc, trao đổi qua)

a dream come true

something you have wanted very much for a long time that has now happened (giấc mơ thành hiện thực)

lay a hand on someone

to hit or harm someone (động chạm, làm hại ai)

play second fiddle

to be in a less important position or role than someone else (đóng vai trò phụ, thứ yếu)

bear fruit

to produce successful results (đơm hoa kết trái, có kết quả)

beyond your wildest dreams

even better than you imagined or hoped for (vượt quá sức tưởng tượng)

in a nutshell

using as few words as possible (nói tóm lại)

turn over a new leaf

to start behaving in a better way (mở ra trang mới, thay đổi tích cực)

take your life into your hands

to do something very dangerous (liều mạng)

burn the candle at both ends

to work very hard and stay up very late at night (làm việc quá sức, thức khuya dậy sớm)

work against the clock

to work hard to finish something before a particular time (chạy đua với thời gian)

face the music

to accept the unpleasant consequences of your actions (chịu trách nhiệm cho hành động)

go the extra mile

to make more effort than is expected of you (nỗ lực hết mình, vượt mong đợi)

a chip off the old block

someone who is very similar to one of their parents (con nhà tông không giống lông cũng giống cánh)

when it comes to the crunch

when a situation becomes extremely serious or difficult (đến lúc khẩn cấp, quyết định)

run the gauntlet

to have to deal with a lot of criticism or difficulties (đối mặt với nhiều khó khăn, chỉ trích)

at the drop of a hat

immediately and without any hesitation (ngay lập tức, không do dự)

stick your neck out

to take a risk by supporting or defending someone or something (liều mình, dám làm việc mạo hiểm)

the odd one out

a person or thing that is different from the others in a group (người/vật khác biệt)

bite the hand that feeds you

to act badly toward someone who has helped or supported you (ăn cháo đá bát)

not bat an eyelid

to not show any shock or surprise (không tỏ ra ngạc nhiên, không chớp mắt)

hang by a thread

to be in a very dangerous or uncertain situation (trong tình thế ngàn cân treo sợi tóc)

throw the book at

to punish someone as severely as possible (trừng phạt ai đó một cách nặng nề)

from the word go

from the very beginning (ngay từ đầu)

from the cradle to the grave

from birth until death (từ lúc lọt lòng đến lúc xuống mồ)

have big shoes to fill

to have to replace someone who was very good at the job (phải kế nhiệm một người rất giỏi)

know something like the back of your hand

to be very familiar with something (biết rõ như lòng bàn tay)

by and large

generally; for the most part (nhìn chung, đại thể)

put your foot in it

to say something by mistake that upsets or embarrasses someone (lỡ lời, nói điều gây phiền)

keep your finger on the pulse

to be aware of the latest news or developments (nắm bắt tình hình, cập nhật xu hướng)

steer the middle course

to choose a moderate path or solution (đi theo con đường trung dung)

take something to the next level

to improve something significantly or make it more extreme (đưa lên một tầm cao mới)

the good old days

an earlier time remembered as better than the present (những ngày xưa tốt đẹp)

tighten your belt

to spend less money because there is less available (thắt lưng buộc bụng)

lay down the law

to tell people what they must do, in a forceful way (ra lệnh, đặt ra quy tắc)

pay lip service to

to say that you support or agree with something without doing anything to prove it (nói suông)

in no uncertain terms

in a very clear and direct way (nói không vòng vo, nói thẳng)

be left holding the baby

to be given responsibility for a situation that someone else started (bị bỏ rơi, phải gánh vác việc khó)

fast and furious

quickly and with great energy (nhanh chóng và dữ dội)

make yourself at home

to behave in a relaxed way in a place, as if it was your own home (cứ tự nhiên như ở nhà)

a bundle of nerves

someone who is extremely nervous (người cực kỳ căng thẳng)

bring somebody down a peg or two

to make someone who is arrogant less proud (hạ bệ, làm ai đó bớt kiêu ngạo)

be green with envy

to be very jealous (ghen tị đến mức xanh mặt)

fall into line

to start to obey or agree with someone (tuân theo, nghe theo)

hand over the reins

to give control of something to someone else (giao lại quyền kiểm soát)

take a stroll down memory lane

to spend time remembering the past (ngược dòng ký ức)

for a song

very cheaply (với giá rất rẻ)

make waves

to cause trouble or controversy (gây rắc rối, tạo sóng gió)

the dice are loaded against

the situation is unfair and success is unlikely (thế cờ đã được sắp xếp, khó thành công)

bring somebody to book

to punish someone or make them explain their behavior (bắt ai chịu trách nhiệm)

see the light

to finally understand or accept something (cuối cùng cũng hiểu ra)

bring a lump to your throat

to make you feel very emotional and likely to cry (làm nghẹn ngào, xúc động)

be in the doldrums

to be in a state of inactivity or depression (trong tình trạng trì trệ, buồn chán)

learn the hard way

to learn from unpleasant experience rather than from being taught (học từ kinh nghiệm xương máu)

take your hat off to somebody

to express admiration for someone (bày tỏ sự ngưỡng mộ với ai)

keep an eye on

to watch or look after someone or something (để mắt tới, trông chừng)

an apple a day keeps the doctor away

eating an apple daily helps you stay healthy (ăn một quả táo mỗi ngày sẽ giúp bạn khỏe mạnh)

bring something home to somebody

to make someone understand something clearly (làm cho ai hiểu rõ điều gì)

time will tell

the truth will be known in the future (thời gian sẽ trả lời)

shoot somebody/something down in flames

to criticize or defeat an idea or person completely and severely (chỉ trích, bác bỏ hoàn toàn)

trim your sails

to reduce your spending (thắt lưng buộc bụng)

slip your mind

to be forgotten (bị lãng quên)

as a matter of course

as a regular habit or standard procedure (theo thủ tục thông thường)

lead a charmed life

to be very lucky and avoid danger (sống một cuộc đời may mắn)

be caught in the crossfire

to become involved in an argument between other people (bị vướng vào xung đột)

keep your head above water

to just manage to survive, especially financially (chỉ đủ sống, vật lộn để tồn tại)

lay your hands on

to find or get something (kiếm được, tìm thấy)

hit the right note

to say or do something that is exactly right or suitable (làm/nói đúng trọng tâm)

strike at the heart of something

to attack the most important part of something (tấn công vào trọng tâm)

go all out

to put all your energy or enthusiasm into what you are doing (dốc toàn lực)

like a bear with a sore head

to be in a bad mood and complain a lot (cáu kỉnh, gắt gỏng)

think nothing of

to consider an activity to be normal or easy (coi việc gì là bình thường)

have a familiar ring to it

to sound familiar (nghe có vẻ quen thuộc)

make all the difference

to have a very important effect on something (tạo ra sự khác biệt lớn)

take the mickey out of somebody

to tease or make fun of someone (trêu chọc, chế nhạo ai)

be in the red

to owe money to the bank, to be in debt (thâm hụt, nợ ngân hàng)

be in the black

to have money in the bank and not owe any (có lời, dư dả)

neither here nor there

not important or relevant (không quan trọng, không liên quan)

go back a long way

to have known someone for a long time (quen biết nhau từ lâu)

word for word

in exactly the same words (từng chữ một)

be as light as a feather

to be very light (nhẹ như một cái lông)

be at death's door

to be very ill and likely to die (thập tử nhất sinh)

drive somebody to distraction

to make someone extremely annoyed (làm ai phát điên, bực mình)

battle of wills

a situation in which two people or groups try to get what they want by refusing to change their opinion (cuộc chiến của các ý chí)

be too close for comfort

to be so near that it makes you feel worried or nervous (quá gần đến mức không thoải mái)