English Idioms in use advanced

put your foot in it (UK)

put your foot in your mouth (US)

to say something by accident that embarrasses or upsets someone

put all your eggs in one basket

to depend for your success on a single person or plan of action:

take a shine to sb

to like someone immediately

there's safety in numbers

said to emphasize that being part of a group makes you less likely to be harmed

have a whale of a time

to enjoy yourself very much

be in two minds(UK)

be of two minds(US)

to be unable to decide about something:

safe and sound

not hurt or damaged

twist someone's arm

to get someone to do what you want by making it very difficult for him or her to refuse

go cap in hand to sb

to ask someone in a polite and sincere way for something, especially money or to be forgiven

foot the bill

to pay for something, esp. something expensive

the apple of sb's eye

the person who someone loves most and is very proud of

bury/have your head in the sand

to refuse to think about unpleasant facts, although they will have an influence on your situation

run its course

to develop and finish naturally

go/come up in the world

to have more money or a better social position than you had before

lick your wounds

to spend time getting back your strength or happiness after a defeat or bad experience

open the door to sth

to make something possible

sink like a stone

to attract no support, attention, or interest.

to fail completely

prick up your ears

listen carefully

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.

the domino effect

the situation in which something, usually something bad, happens, causing other similar events to happen

debt of honour/honor

a debt that one owes someone for moral rather than financial reason

so far, so good

satisfactory up to this particular time

get off your backside

to stop being lazy [slang]

not soil your hands

to not become involved in something unpleasant or bad [Literary]

pigs might fly (UK)

pigs can fly (US)

said when you think that there is no chance at all of something happening [humorous]

know sth inside out

to know everything about a subject [informal]

have occasion to do sth

to need to do something [formal]

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

make a name for

become famous/respected for sth

run a tight ship

control something firmly and effectively

go spare

to become very angry

behind someone's back

without someone knowing

Feather your own nest

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

be beyond the pale

be unacceptable

to be given the sack

to be fired/to be dismissed

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

make a mountain out of a molehill

to make a slight difficulty seem like a serious problem

join forces with

When two people or groups join forces, they act or work together [formal]

minefield

a situation that contains hidden dangers or difficulties [formal]

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

(take/catch/draw/get the) flak

strong criticism or opposition [informal]

(give/get someone's) marching orders

you ask them to leave a job, usually because they have done something wrong [informal]

see sense/reason

to be reasonable and have good judgment [formal]

see the point of sth

to understand the importance of or the reason for something [formal]

see the light

you suddenly understand something you didn't understand before [formal]

see the joke (UK)

get the joke (US)

to understand something funny and find it funny yourself

see red

to become very angry

black mark

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

be at a crossroads

to be at a stage in your life when you have to make a very important decision

get nowhere

make no progress

uncharted waters

a situation that is not well known and may be dangerous [formal]

have sth up your sleeve

to have a secret plan or idea

bluff your way into/out of/through something

​to succeed in dealing with a difficult situation by making other people believe something which is not true

Tom, Dick, and Harry

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

where there's a will there's a way

if you are determined enough, you can find a way to achieve what you want, even if it is very difficult

variety is the spice of life

doing many different things, or often changing what you do, makes life interesting

easy come, easy go

said when something, especially money, is easily got and then soon spent or lost [informal]

off the top of your head

from the knowledge you have in your memory

look on the bright side

to find good things in a bad situation

cry your eyes out

to cry a lot

at the top of your voice (UK)

at the top of your lungs (US)

extremely loudly

tip of the iceberg

a small, noticeable part of a problem, the total size of which is really much greater

from (the) cradle to (the) grave

for all of a person's life

out of one's own pocket

using one's own money

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]

the good old days

you mean a time in the past when you believe life was better

sb's/sth's days are numbered

they will not exist for much longer

clip sb's wings

to limit someone's freedom

up-to-the-minute

Modern.

containing the most recent information.

at a loss for words

not knowing what to say, especially because you are very surprised or shocked

sick (and tired) of someone/something

to have experienced too much of someone or something with the result that you are annoyed

make a mountain out of a molehill

to make a big problem out of a small problem

fringe benefits

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

blow away someone

to surprise someone very much

be on the same wavelength

to think in a similar way and to understand each other well

be part and parcel of sth

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

burn a hole in sb's pocket

If money is burning a hole in your pocket, you are very eager to spend it

see eye to eye

they agree with each other.

get your act together

to start to organize yourself so that you do things in an effective way.

sit on the fence

to delay making a decision

back to square one

return to the beginning because of a failure to accomplish the desired result

right off the bat (US)

it happens immediately or at the very beginning of a process.

throw someone a curveball (US)

unexpectedly present someone with a challenge or disruption.

be batting a thousand (US)

to be successful in an endeavor or in multiple areas of one's life

drop the ball (US)

do sth stupid or careless

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

the icing on the cake (UK)

the frosting on the cake (US)

something that makes a good situation even better

fight like cat and dog (UK)

fight like cats and dogs (US)

argue violently all the time

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

like the cat that got the cream (UK)

like the cat that ate the canary (US)

very proud or pleased because of something you have achieved or got

Sth from hell

frequently refers to difficult people or unpopular things

To have fallen off the radar

been forgotten