english idioms advanced in use unit 26: RELATIONSHIPS-FRIENDS AND FAMILY

be a (mere) twinkle in their father's eye

Used to refer to a person when discussing things which existed at or before the time that person was conceived.

I never knew my grandparents because they died when I was just _.

be the spitting image of someone

to look extremely similar to someone:

• Josie is _ her granny at the same age.

• The old man was _ Winston Churchill.

SYN bear a striking resemblance to someone, take after someone

“spit” ở đây không phải “nước bọt” như bây giờ, mà là một cách nói cổ, nghĩa là “exact copy”.

a chip off the old block

someone who is very similar in character to their father or mother

→ con giống bố/mẹ như đúc, thường ám chỉ cả ngoại hình lẫn tính cách, tài năng, thói quen.

• John’s a real _—he’s got his dad’s sense of humor.

• She’s _; just like her mother, she’s a brilliant pianist.

run in the family

If a quality, ability, disease, etc. ~, many members of the family have it:

• Intelligence seems to _.

• We're all ambitious - it seems to _.

your nearest and dearest

your family, especially those that you live with or are very involved with

→ người thân thiết nhất với bạn, thường là gia đình và bạn bè rất gần gũi.

• It’s always nice to spend the holidays with your _.

• She invited only her _ to the wedding.

SYN flesh and blood

flesh and blood

someone from your family:

I was surprised at how much I cared for this girl who wasn't even my _.

be/live in each other's pockets

to be with each other all the time and depend on each other:

• I don't think it's healthy the way you two are always _.

• We get on well, but I don’t want us to be _.

→ gần gũi tới độ dính như “ở trong túi nhau”, dành quá nhiều thời gian cùng nhau, có thể là gắn bó hoặc quá phụ thuộc.

SYN as thick as thieves

go back a long way

To have known someone for a very long time.

• Oh, Caitlin and I _—we've been friends since kindergarten, in fact!

• Those two _—50 years at least! They've been friends since elementary school.

give someone the time of day

be unfriendly and refuse to speak to you:

• We had an argument with our neighbours, and now they won't even _ us _.

• I tried to talk to her, but she wouldn’t even _ me _.

→ phớt lờ, không thèm đoái hoài, coi như không tồn tại.

SYN give someone a cold shoulder

have the ear of someone

1. ​to be able to give somebody advice, influence them, etc. because they trust you

   • He _ the monarch.

   • This was the woman who _ the President.

→ có được sự chú ý và tin tưởng của một người quan trọng, để mình có thể ảnh hưởng / thuyết phục họ.

have friends in high places

to know important people who can help you get what you want

• She must _ because she is definitely unqualified for that job.

• I'm not too worried about this charge against me—I _.

→ có mối quan hệ thân quen với những người có quyền lực, địa vị cao → nhờ đó dễ dàng nhận được sự giúp đỡ, ưu ái.

rub shoulders (with someone)

to meet and spend time with someone, especially someone famous:

• She claims that she _ royalty all the time.

• She had once _ a movie star and it was all she talked about.

fair-weather friend

Someone who remains a friend only when things are going well but abandons others during times of trouble or difficulty.

• I thought Allison and I had a strong friendship, but I learned she was just another _ when she stopped talking to me after my divorce.

• She doesn't accept any _s because she expects full support in good times and in bad.

through thick and thin

If you support or stay with someone _, you always support or stay with them, even if there are problems or difficulties:

• She has stuck with me _.

• We’ve been friends for 10 years, and she’s supported me _.

→ ở bên ai đó, trung thành, ủng hộ họ trong mọi hoàn cảnh, dù khó khăn hay thuận lợi.

a tower of strength

someone or something that remains strong and gives a lot of support in a difficult situation:

Andrea was a _ to me when I was ill.

Although she is softly spoken and gentle, she is _ for her family.

→ một người cực kỳ đáng tin cậy, mạnh mẽ về tinh thần hoặc thể chất, là chỗ dựa vững chắc cho người khác trong lúc khó khăn.

old flame

a person that you loved or had a sexual relationship with in the past

footloose and fancy free

free to do what you want and go where you want because you have no responsibilities:

• My sister's married but I'm still _.

• After having the children we were decidedly less _ than we used to be.

→ hoàn toàn tự do, không ràng buộc, không bị trách nhiệm, cam kết hay mối quan hệ nào giữ chân.

SYN as free as a bird

OPP clip someone’s wings

fly the nest

if a young person ~, he or she moves out of their parents’ home in order to live independently

Now that the kids have _, I’m thinking about taking a job abroad.