idioms (copy)

thrilled to bits

extremely happy

out of sorts

slightly unhappy or ill

a misery guts

someone who complains all the time

sour grapes

claiming to despise what you cannot have

fed up ( to the back teeth)

to be angry

go spare / do sb nut

throw a fit

someone's blood is up

very angry or excited and may react in a violent way

after someone's blood

want to catch them in order to hurt or punish them

out for blood

determined to find someone to attack them

drive/send someone round the bend/twist

make someone very angry (or sometimes very bored)

rub sb up the wrong way

to annoy someone without intending to

send the cat among the pigeons

do or say something that makes a lot of people angry or worried

drive sb up the wall

to annoy sb

got (hold of) the wrong end of the stick

came to the wrong conclusion

put it down to experience

learn from sth bad insted of being upset about it

know where I stand

you don't know what your position is or what your situation is with someone, and it's worrying you

heard it on/through the grapevine

To learn about something through gossip

the ins and outs of sth

details of sth

works/goes/runs like a dream

works/goes/runs very well indeed

goes from strength to strength

gets better and better

is the be-all-and-end-all of sth

is the most important thing

to not have the ghost of a chance

to have no chance at all

gives up the ghost

stop working because they know they will not succeed

hit the big time

become successful internationally or money-wise

make a go of

be very successful with

in dire straits

a difficult or dangerous situation

over a barrel

unable to act independently and must do the bidding of someone else

stumbling block

obstacle

wave a magic wand

find an easy way to solve a problem

get to grips with

begin to understand and deal with sth difficult

have become a law unto themselves

are completely out of control and simply ignore the law

lay down the law

tell people what they must do

carry the can

accept the blame/responsibility alone, even though other people were responsible

spin doctor

a spokesperson employed to give a favorable interpretation of events to the media, especially on behalf of a political party.

putting it in a nutshell

explain briefly

a vicious circle

a continuing unpleasant situation, created when one problem causes another problem that then makes the first problem worse

that would really be opening a can of worms

a problem you don't want to deal with because it will cause trouble

the acid test

a key test which will prove the value, quality or truth of something

be brought/called to account

be forced to explain your actions and (probably) punished

won't budge/give an inch

won't modify an opinion or agree to even small changes that another person wants

You can say that again!

I agree with you

You can say that again!

I agree with you

There's nothing to it!

it is very easy to do

it's six of one and half a dozen of the other

Two people or groups are equally responsible for a bad situation

I can take it or leave it

You do not hate something, but you don't particularly like it either

It's neither here nor there

it's not very important

to give as got as you get

to stand up to critics

like gold dust

a thing that is difficult to find or obtain

all sweetness and light

friendly and pleasant, but in a false way

all sweetness and light

friendly and pleasant, but in a false way

poke fun at

joke about; make fun of

cast aspersions on

criticise one's character, suggest they aren't honest

out-and-out

complete; total; thoroughgoing.

grate on sb' nerves

annoy

to add insult to injury

to make a bad situation worse

rough and ready

crude and lacking sophistication

throws the baby out with the bathwater

change things but lose good things as well as bad

drive sb to distraction

to irritate and annoy sb

very much

never do anything by halves

always make a great effort and do things very well

is not all it's cracked up to be

is not as good as people say it is