Idioms and Collocations p24 CAT

A compilation of idioms and collocations with definitions and examples to assist with specialized exam preparation.

a leopard can't change its spots

A person's character, especially bad, will not change.

give sth/sb houseroom

To allow sth or sb into your home.

thanks a million

Thank you very much.

cut the ground from under one's feet

To make one's ideas or actions ineffective by doing sth better first

not go amiss

To be welcome and useful.

no expense is spared

To spend as much money as is needed to make sth perfect

open the door to sth/ way for sth

To allow sth new to start

pay through the nose

To pay too much for something.

live a lie

To hide the truth about yourself from other people.

be up in arms

To be very angry and protesting.

bored out of your mind

Extremely bored.

sth knows no bounds

To be very great or extreme.

as clear as crystal

Very easy to understand.

get right up one’s nose

To annoy sb very much.

track record

All the past achievements, performances or failures of a person/organization

bring sth to a head

To cause a situation to reach a point where sth must be done about it.

be more to this than meets the eye

To be more complicated or interesting than it seems.

where there's a will there's a way

If you are determined, you can find a way to achieve what you want.

not have a cat in hell's chance

To have no chance at all.

under false pretenses

By lying about your identity or intentions.

see the writing on the wall

To know that something bad will happen.

not pull any punches

To speak in an honest and direct way.

give sth up as a bad job

To stop doing sth because you are not successful.

caught in the middle

Involved in a disagreement between other people.

pour one’s heart out

To tell sb one’s secret thoughts and feelings.

clear the air

To remove doubts or hard feelings by talking about them.

be built on sand

To be not firm or secure.

if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

If sth works well, don't try to change it.

do your nut

To become extremely angry.

have your feet on the ground

To be practical and sensible.

live in each other's pockets

To spend too much time together.

do me a favour

say in answer to a stupid and impossible suggestion

learn sth off by heart

To memorize sth perfectly.

bat a thousand

To be completely successful.

set the scene/ stage for sth

To create the conditions in which sth can happen.

an inside job

A crime committed by sb within the organization.

travel bug

A strong desire to travel.

the name of the game

The most important thing

in the offing

Likely to happen soon.

be on the go

To be very busy and active.

bite one's head off

To speak to sb angrily

be like a deer caught in the headlights

To be so frightened or surprised that you cannot move or think.

be in one's good books

To be liked by sb, especially sb in authority.

ignorance is bliss

It is better not to know about something.

in no time at all

Very quickly

beat a retreat

To run away from sth

become a law unto yourself

To behave in a way that ignores rules or customs.

need sth like you need a hole in the head

To not need something at all.

cry buckets

To cry a lot.

down the line

In the future.

back on track

Working or progressing normally again.

nine times out of ten

Almost always

be your own person

To be independent and make your own decisions.

play sb for a fool

To deceive sb

no end of a lot of

Very many.

set one’s sights on

To decide to achieve sth