English Idioms and Expressions Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards defining common English idioms, expressions, and phrases directly grounded in the provided lecture notes.

24/7 (Twenty-four, seven)

All the time, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Turn a blind eye

To deliberately ignore something that is happening because you do not want to take any action over it.

Trump card

An advantage that makes you more likely to succeed than other people, especially something that other people do not know about.

Take something to the next level

To improve something, or make something better or more useful than it already is.

Speak for itself

To be clear and need no further explanation.

Speak one's mind

To say exactly what you think or feel about something very directly and honestly.

Shoulder the responsibility

To accept or take the responsibility.

Around/Round the clock

Continuing or lasting 24 hours a day.

Return the favour

To do something nice back to someone when they do something nice for you.

Read between the lines

To understand the hidden meaning or to find a meaning that's intended or implied but not directly expressed in something written or said.

Out of this world

Extremely good, extraordinary, or impressive.

Out of sorts

To feel slightly ill, upset, or unhappy.

Out of the question

Completely impossible or unacceptable.

Mark my words

Said when telling someone about something you are certain will happen in the future and wanting them to remember these words.

Make yourself at home

To relax and feel comfortable somewhere as if you were in your own home.

Make the most of something

To take fullest advantage of or gain the greatest possible advantage from something.

Make someone's day

To make someone happy or be a source of satisfaction or happiness for the rest of the day.

Good for nothing

A person of little worth or usefulness; an irresponsible or worthless person.

A feast for the eyes

Something that pleases your eyes; an attractive, pleasing, or remarkable sight or visual experience.

A little bird told me

Used to say that you received information from someone without revealing who that person or source is.

A living hell

An extremely unpleasant place or situation.

A piece of cake

A task that is very easy to do.

A white lie

A small or harmless lie told in order to be polite or to avoid hurting someone's feelings.

Act of God

An event beyond human control, such as a flood, hurricane, earthquake, or other natural catastrophe.

All walks of life

Different types of people from different levels of society.

Apple of one's eye

One's favorite person; the person or thing loved the most.

Bare your heart or soul to someone

To tell someone your secret thoughts and feelings.

Be in hot water

To be in trouble because you have done something wrong.

Be in two minds

To be unable to decide or to have difficulty in making a decision between two options.

Be on cloud nine / top of the world

To be extremely happy and excited.

Down to earth

Someone free of pretension who does not act better than others, but is simple and straightforward.

A fine line

A subtle distinction between two things that are very similar, but where one is acceptable and the other is not.

A couch potato

A lazy and inactive person, especially one who spends a great deal of time watching television.

A labour of love

A piece of work done because you enjoy it rather than for reward or praise.

A slip of the tongue

A mistake made while speaking; something said by accident when intending to say something else.

Behind closed doors

Done in secret or private, away from public view or observation.

Bite off more than you can chew

To take on more responsibility than you can handle.

Break the ice

To say or do something friendly to break silence or awkwardness among people.

Burn your bridges or boats

To do something that makes it impossible to return to a previous situation.

Come rain or shine / come what may

No matter what happens.

Cut from the same cloth

Very similar in characteristics or behaviors; alike in many ways.

Face the music

To confront the unpleasant consequences of one's actions.

Food for thought

New information or insights that make you think carefully about something.

Full of oneself

Thinking that one is clever, special, or important in a way that annoys other people.

Go with the flow / tide

To let things happen rather than trying to change or control them.

Keep up appearances

To pretend to be happier, less poor, or fine to hide a bad situation from others.

A know-it-all

A person who acts as though they know everything and dismisses the opinions or suggestions of others.

Much ado about nothing

Excessive excitement or fuss about something that is not really important.

On a whim

Done spontaneously without planning carefully or thinking seriously, driven by a sudden urge.

On the same page

Thinking in a similar way, making it easy to understand and agree with each other.

Spill the beans / let the cat out of the bag

To reveal a secret accidentally or on purpose.

Take someone to task

To strongly criticize someone for something they have done wrong.

Talk is cheap

Meaning that it is easier to say you will do something than to actually do it.

There's no accounting for taste

There is no way to explain or understand why people have different likes, dislikes, or preferences.

Tip of the iceberg

A small, noticeable part of a problem or difficulty, the total size of which is much greater.

Under the weather

Feeling slightly ill or not feeling well.

Wear several or many hats

To have different roles or tasks to perform.

What goes around comes around

A person's actions, whether good or bad, will often have consequences for that person.

Live paycheck to paycheck

To spend all of the money one earns by or before the next pay date, saving little to none.

Come under fire

To be criticized strongly for something that has been done.

It's high time

Used to say that something must be done immediately because it is late but not too late.

Take something to heart

To be deeply affected and upset by someone's behavior or opinion.

A storm in a teacup

A lot of unnecessary anger and worry about an unimportant matter.

A yes-man

A person who always agrees with everything their employer or superior says to gain favor.

A man/woman of few words

A person who does not talk a lot and speaks only when having something important to say.

Cross the line

To behave in a way that is considered unacceptable.

Work like a charm

To work exactly as well as wanted, having a good effect or outcome.

Not my cup of tea

Something that you do not like, prefer, or enjoy doing.

You can say that again!

Used to express complete agreement with what someone has said.

Turn over a new leaf

To change the way you behave and start acting in a better way.

Take something for granted

To fail to value or appreciate someone or something because they are always available.

Give someone a cold shoulder

To deliberately ignore someone or treat them in an unfriendly way.

An open book

Someone or something easy to understand or interpret; very clear.

Sell like hot cakes

To be very popular and sold quickly in large numbers.

Fish for compliments

To try to induce or encourage people indirectly to praise or say nice things about you.

At the expense of something or somebody

Achieving something in a way that causes harm or disadvantage to someone or something else.

Spread like wildfire

To quickly affect or become known by more and more people.

Play (it) safe

To be careful and avoid taking any risks.

Out of place

To feel uncomfortable in a particular situation or place, as if you do not belong there.

Mend one's ways

To improve the way you behave after behaving badly for a long time.

Mend one's fences

To repair a damaged relationship with someone you have offended or argued with.

A house of cards

A system, organization, or plan that is weak and likely to fail or collapse.

Apple pie order

Very neat and tidy, with everything arranged in proper order.

Jump to conclusions

To form an opinion or judgment about something before knowing all the facts.

As pure as the driven snow

To be completely virtuous or innocent, having no moral flaws.

Put someone in their place

To show or tell someone that they are not as important or influential as they think they are.

That's the way the ball bounces

That is the way things happen; expressing that uncontrollable outcomes must be accepted.

Stop and smell the roses

To relax and take time out of a busy schedule to enjoy or appreciate the beauty of life.

Let bygones be bygones

To decide to forget about unpleasant disagreements that happened in the past.

Walk the talk

To practice what you preach and do what you talk about doing.

Look who is talking

Used to tell someone they should not criticize another's behavior because their own is just as bad.

Without a second thought

Doing something immediately without considering potential risks or hesitation.

Mind your manners / tongue / language

Telling someone to speak or behave properly and politely.

Put words into someone's mouth

To claim that someone said or meant something that they did not actually say.

The light of someone's life

A person loved very much who brings great joy and happiness.

Without (any) further ado

Without waiting any longer; with no more delay or wasted time.

Take something the wrong way

To misunderstand or misinterpret a remark, getting offended by it.

Live in a fool's paradise

A state of happiness based on false beliefs or unrealistic hopes.

Behind the times

Old-fashioned or not keeping up with current trends, ideas, or technologies.

A backseat driver

Someone who gives unwanted advice or tries to control things without authority.