IDIOMS (ADVANCED VOCAB) PART 1 (12/05/2025)

go down the tubes

to fail completely

murky/uncharted waters

a situation that is not well known and may be dangerous

put one's foot on the gas

to do something with determination

make a foray into

a short period of time being involved in an activity that is different from and outside the range of a usual set of activities

talk the hind legs off a donkey

to talk without stopping for a long time

talk nineteen to the dozen

to speak very quickly

grease sb's palm

to secretly give someone money in order to persuade them to do something for you

lead someone up the garden path

to deceive someone

when hell freezes over

to mention something that is impossible to happen

long in the tooth

a bit too old to do something

I wouldn't trust sb as far as I could throw them

something you say that means you do not trust someone at all

rue the day

to feel very sorry about an event

an ace in the hole/an ace up your sleeve

secret knowledge or a secret skill that will give you an advantage

pare something down to the bone

to reduce something to a level at which only what is absolutely necessary is left

be out on your ear

to be forced to leave a job or place, especially because you have done something wrong

across the board

affecting all areas

throw someone back on their own resources

to force someone to take care of himself or herself without help from others

have someone eating out of your hand

to easily make someone do or think what you want

ivory tower

not to know about or want to avoid the ordinary and unpleasant things that happen in people's lives

put the lid on something

to cause the plan to fail

wave/show/fly the flag

to show support for the country

without let or hindrance

without being prevented from doing something

without rhyme or reason

to be without any obvious reasonable explanation

bounce around

to increase and decrease in level many times

once more

another time

in convoy

đi cùng nhau trong một nhóm để đảm bảo an toàn

on target

việc đánh trúng mục tiêu hoặc đang đi đúng hướng để đạt được điều gì đó

in limbo

trong trạng thái bất định và chưa được giải quyết

it is all grist to the mill

anything that can be used to your advantage

a bit on the side

an extra activity

put a spoke in someone's wheel

to make it difficult for someone to achieve something they had planned to do

par for the course

what should be expected because of past experience

resign yourself to

to make yourself accept something that you do not like because you cannot change it

run away with

to believe something that is not true
to win something clearly or easily

be nothing to it

used to say something is very easy

fall into decay

to become gradually damaged

see to it

to make sure that

have seen better days

to be old and in bad condition

bear witness to

to provide evidence of the truth of something

pay your last respects

to honour someone after their death

more often than not (as often as not)

usually

in triplicate

when a document is prepared or written in triplicate, two exact copies of it are made also

get weaving

if you tell someone to get weaving, you either want them to start something or to do something quickly

pick up steam

to start working or producing at a faster rate or more effectively

on the agenda

a list of matters to be discussed at a meeting

at the hands of someone

if you suffer at the hands of someone, they hurt you or treat you badly

come out with something

to say something suddenly and unexpectedly

put something behind you

if you put a bad experience or your own bad behaviour behind you, you do not let it affect your life now

come to nothing/naught

if plans come to nothing/naught, they fail

rant and rave

nói một cách giận dữ

nothing to write home about

nothing special

dice with death

to do something extremely dangerous and silly

come out in the wash

used to tell someone that problems will be solved in the end or will be made known at some time in the future

wash your hands of sth

if you wash your hands of something that you were previously responsible for, you intentionally stop being involved in it or connected with it in any way

a crying shame

a great misfortune

scapegoat

a person who is blamed for something that someone else has done

turn in your grave

if you say that a dead person would turn in their grave, you mean that they would be very angry or upset about something

let sleeping dogs lie

said to warn someone that they should not talk about a bad situation that most people have forgotten about

rack your brain

to think very hard

the jury is (still) out

no decision or agreement has been made about a situation, esp. because there is not enough information

nip and tuck

if a competition is nip and tuck, first one side seems to be winning and then the other, so that the result is not certain
If a situation is nip and tuck, someone or something in that situation comes very close to failing or ending

to your liking

to be the type of thing that you are interested in or that you enjoy doing

not care/give a damn about someone/something

to not care about someone/something

speak ill of someone

to talk about someone as if they are less intelligent or important than they really are

be/hang in the balance

the result of its situation has not yet been decided yet

nip something in the bud

to stop something before it has an opportunity to become established (chặn đứng

at that

in addition to that

be riding/on the crest of a wave

to be very successful for a limited period of time

get a word in edgeways/edgewise

to have an opportunity to speak

fall by the wayside

if sb falls by the wayside, they fail to finish an activity, and if something falls by the wayside, people stop doing it, making it, or using it

cut both ways

to have both advantages and disadvantages

be like talking to a brick wall

the person you are speaking to does not listen

you should know a man seven years before you stir his fire

một lời khuyên về sự thận trọng và kiên nhẫn trong việc hiểu biết và xây dựng mối quan hệ với người khác

sail close to the wind

to do something that is dangerous or only just legal or acceptable

sister under the skin

a man who supports women’s action to improve their rights

brother from another mother

a male friend who you know very well and have a very good relationship with

sister from another mister

a female friend that you know very well and have a very good relationship with

kick up a fuss

to show great anger about something, especially when this does not seem necessary

through no fault of your own

if something bad happens to you through no fault of your own, you are not to blame for it

pale into insignificance

to seem not important when compared with something else

yellow journalism

(thuật ngữ của Mỹ) báo chí lá cải

be lost for words

to be so shocked

walks of life

various levels of social position or achievement

a poke in the eye with a blunt/sharp stick

not very good or not very much

on a wing and a prayer

if you do something on a wing and a prayer, you do it hoping that you will succeed, although you are not prepared enough for it

hope against hope

to hope very strongly that something will happen, although you know it is not likely

put your best foot forward

to do the things that you are interested in or good at

keep/get your head down

to work hard for a long time

keep/get your head down

to do or say as little as possible in order to avoid attention

fight shy of

to try to avoid something

run afoul of

to do something that is not allowed by a law or rule

fig leaf

something that hides something else

red tape

official rules and processes that seem unnecessary and delay results

go with the flow

to do what other people are doing or to agree with other people because it is the easiest thing to do

go against the grain

to be or do something different from what is normal or natural

be in over your head

to be involved in a difficult situation that you cannot get out of

loosen your hold/grip

to decide to control a person or situation less

lose your cool/composure/lose your temper

to become very angry

birds of a feather flock together

said about people who have similar characters or interests

be on the same wavelength

(of two or more people) to think in a similar way and to understand each other well