IDIOMS & COLLOCATIONS CAT 2

be in line for (v phr)

Sắp được nhận, có khả năng được xem xét - To likely get or be considered for something - She is in line ____ a promotion after her successful project.

keep an open mind (v phr)

Giữ một tâm trí cởi mở - To avoid forming an opinion or making a decision until you know all the facts - Let's keep an open mind until we've heard all the ____.

burn your bridges (v phr)

Đoạn tuyệt, tự cắt đứt đường lui - To do something that makes it impossible to return to a previous situation - He burned his bridges with his old company by ____ his boss on the way out.

whet your appetite (v phr)

Kích thích sự thèm muốn, tò mò - To make you desire something more, especially food or knowledge - The preview was designed to whet your ____ for the new film series.

avoid something like the plague (v phr)

Tránh như tránh tà - To avoid someone or something completely - After the bad meeting, I've been avoiding the manager like the ____.

on the blink (adj phr)

Hỏng, chập chờn, hoạt động kém - Not working properly - I can't watch the game; the TV is on the ____ again.

pull a face (v phr)

Nhăn mặt, làm biểu cảm chê bai - To make a strange expression with your face, especially to show dislike - The child pulled a face when he was given ____.

lose heart (v phr)

Nản lòng, mất tinh thần - To become discouraged - Don't lose heart; we still have a good chance of ____.

cast aspersions on (v phr)

Đặt điều, gièm pha, chê bai nhân phẩm - To criticize or express doubts about someone's character or reputation - He cast aspersions on my professionalism simply because I was five minutes ____.

the bottom line (n phr)

Vấn đề cốt lõi, điều quan trọng nhất - The most important fact in a situation - The bottom line is that we need to increase sales or the business will ____.

miss the boat (v phr)

Lỡ mất cơ hội - To be too slow to take advantage of an opportunity - I missed the boat on buying those shares before the price ____.

call somebody's bluff (v phr)

Thách thức ai chứng minh lời nói dối - To challenge someone to prove what they say is true - He said he'd quit, so I called his bluff and accepted his ____.

go downhill (v phr)

Trở nên tệ đi, xuống dốc - To gradually become worse - The service at that restaurant has really gone downhill since it changed ____.

go off the deep end (v phr)

Nổi điên, mất kiểm soát cảm xúc - To suddenly become very angry or emotional - My dad went off the deep end when he saw the ____ in the car.

from the year dot (idiom)

Từ rất lâu rồi, từ thuở khai thiên lập địa - For a very long time; since the beginning of time - My family has lived in this village from the year ____.

be in your element (v phr)

Như cá gặp nước, đúng sở trường - To be in a situation you enjoy because you are good at it - She's in her element when she's ____.

be on the back burner (v phr)

Tạm hoãn, chưa giải quyết ngay - To not be being dealt with now, but left for later - We've had to put the expansion plans on the back burner until we secure more ____.

never live something down (idiom)

Không sống nổi với sự xấu hổ, không thể xóa nhòa vết nhơ - To never be able to make people forget about something embarrassing you did - If I fail the test, I'll never live it ____.

be no laughing matter (adj phr)

Chuyện nghiêm túc, không phải để đùa - To be a serious situation - Climate change is no laughing ____.

fight a losing battle (v phr)

Làm một việc chắc chắn thất bại - To try hard to do something when there is no chance of succeeding - I'm fighting a losing battle trying to keep this kitchen clean with three kids ____.

once in a lifetime (adj phr)

Cơ hội ngàn năm có một - Happening only once in a person's life - A trip to the Galapagos is a once-in-a-lifetime ____.

brain drain (n phr)

Chảy máu chất xám - The movement of highly skilled people from their country to another - The country's brain drain is a major problem for its economic ____.

brain gain (n phr)

Thu hút chất xám trở về - The movement of highly skilled people into a country - The new policy aims to reverse brain drain and create a brain ____.

be as dry as a bone (adj phr)

Khô như ngói, khô cằn - To be very dry - The soil in the desert is as dry as a ____.

throw a fit (v phr)

Nổi cơn thịnh nộ, làm loạn lên - To become very angry and upset - My mom will throw a fit if she sees this ____.

through the back door (idiom)

Bằng cửa sau, một cách bí mật/không chính thức - In a secret or indirect way - He got the job through the back door because his father knows the ____.

the best of both worlds (n phr)

Được cả hai đường, trọn vẹn đôi đường - A situation where you can enjoy the advantages of two different things - Living in a small town with good rail links gives you the best of both ____.

make up your mind (v phr)

Quyết định - To decide - I can't make up my mind about which car to ____.

get off to a flying start (v phr)

Khởi đầu thuận lợi, khởi đầu tốt đẹp - To have a very successful beginning - The project got off to a flying start with a large ____.

along the lines of something (idiom)

Đại loại như, tương tự như - Similar in type or style; roughly - He said something along the lines ____, "I need more time to decide."

clear the decks (v phr)

Dọn dẹp việc cũ để sẵn sàng cho việc mới - To finish all your work so you are ready to start something new - I need to clear the decks before I go on vacation next ____.

have all the makings of (v phr)

Có đầy đủ tố chất để trở thành - To have the qualities needed to become something - That young player has all the makings of a ____.

common ground (n phr)

Điểm chung (quan điểm, sở thích) - Opinions or interests shared by each of two or more parties - Despite their arguments, they found common ground on environmental ____.

the ball is in your court (idiom)

Đến lượt bạn phải hành động/quyết định - It is your turn to make a decision or take action - I've made my offer; now the ball is in your ____.

come back down to earth with a bump (idiom)

Tỉnh mộng, trở về với thực tại phũ phàng - To suddenly return to a normal reality after a period of excitement - After the wonderful holiday, I came back down to earth with a bump when I saw my overflowing ____.

fever pitch (n phr)

Cực điểm của sự phấn khích - A state of great excitement and activity - Excitement reached fever pitch as the band came on ____.

not have the foggiest idea (v phr)

Hoàn toàn không biết gì - To not know anything at all about something - I don't have the foggiest idea how to fix this ____.

make an exhibition of yourself (v phr)

Tự làm trò hề, tự làm mình xấu hổ - To embarrass yourself by behaving stupidly in public - He got drunk and made an exhibition of himself at the ____.

all over the place (adj phr)

Khắp nơi; lộn xộn, không trật tự - Everywhere; in a disorganized state - My notes are all over the place. I can't find ____.

drag your feet (v phr)

Chần chừ, trì hoãn, câu giờ - To do something slowly because you do not want to do it - The government is dragging its feet on the issue of tax ____.

add insult to injury (idiom)

Vừa bị thiệt hại lại vừa bị sỉ nhục (thêm dầu vào lửa) - To make a bad situation worse - To add insult to injury, the airline made us pay for our own hotel rooms after canceling the ____.

off your own bat (idiom)

Tự chủ động làm mà không cần ai sai bảo - Without anyone else suggesting or ordering you to do it - She organized the meeting off her own ____.

dig yourself into a hole (v phr)

Tự đào hố chôn mình, tự đẩy vào thế khó - To get yourself into a difficult situation - He kept lying and digging himself deeper into a ____.

a drop in the ocean (n phr)

Muối bỏ bể, lượng rất nhỏ so với nhu cầu - A very small amount compared to what is needed - The donation was generous, but it's just a drop in the ocean compared to what we ____.

sleep like a log (v phr)

Ngủ say như chết - To sleep very well - After the long hike, I slept like a ____.

scream your head off (v phr)

Hét toáng lên, hét hết cỡ - To scream very loudly - The fans were screaming their heads off when the band started ____.

chance your arm (idiom)

Liều lĩnh thử vận may - To take a risk even though you are likely to fail - I didn't think I'd get the job, but I chanced my arm and applied ____.

not budge an inch (v phr)

Kiên quyết không nhượng bộ, không thay đổi ý kiến - To refuse to change your opinion or decision - I've tried to negotiate, but he won't budge an inch on the ____.

be like water off a duck's back (idiom)

Nước đổ đầu vịt, hoàn toàn không có tác dụng với ai - To have no effect on someone - I tried to criticize his work, but it was like water off a duck's ____.

blow a fuse (v phr)

Nổi trận lôi đình, nổi giận đùng đùng - To become very angry - My dad will blow a fuse when he sees what we've done to the ____.

draw the line at something (v phr)

Vạch ra giới hạn, kiên quyết không làm gì vượt quá giới hạn - To set a limit on what you will do or accept - I don't mind helping, but I draw the line at doing everything ____.

drive somebody round the bend (v phr)

Làm ai phát điên, phát bực - To make someone very annoyed or bored - The constant noise from the construction is driving me round the ____.

stick out a mile (idiom)

Rất rõ ràng, dễ thấy - To be very obvious or easy to see - It sticks out a mile that they're in ____.

have seen better days (v phr)

Đã qua thời hoàng kim, cũ nát, tả tơi - To be in a bad condition because of being old or much used - This sofa has seen better days; we should get a new ____.

be up in the air (adj phr)

Còn bỏ ngỏ, chưa được quyết định - To be uncertain and not yet decided - Our vacation plans are still up in the ____.