1 TERM TEST IDIOMS (1-4)

Clear the air

Remove suspicion/bad feeling

All along

From the beginning until now

All but

Nearly, almost

All in

Exhausted

All in all

When everything is considered

All the same

Yet, however

All told

Altogether, in total

Be the apple of sb’s eyes

Be very precious to sb

Be sb’s favourite.

Be up in arms

Be very angry

For all

In spite of

For all I care

I don’t care

For all I know

As far as I know

In the act of

While performing the act

In the air

Uncertain

Make allowances for

Take special circumstances into consideration

Make amends for

Try to compensate for a past action

Of all people

Used to express annoyance/surprise

On account of

Because of

On no account

Under/in no circumstances

On the air

Broadcasting (opp:off the air)

On the alert

Watchful and prepared

On the lookout/expecting sth.

Take sth into account

Consider sth.

On this/that account

For this/that reason

Whet sb’s appetite

Make sb eager to have/experience more

Up in the air

Existing, but not talked about

Above board

Honest

Bark up in the wrong tree

Have a false idea about sth

Be broke

Have no/very little money

Be full of beans

Be very lively

Be in sb’s black books

Out of favour

Beat about/around the bush

Avoid saying what one means directly

Behind bars

In prison

Big-headed

Conceited

Boastful

Black and blue all over

Covered with bruises

Blessing in disguise

Sth which appears bad at first but then turns out favourably

Blue-eyed/golden boy

A favoured person

Bolt from the blue

Suddenly

Brainwave

Sudden clear idea/thought

Break even

Show neither loss nor profit

Browned off

Fed up

Bored

Butter sb up

Flatter sb

By and large

Generally speaking

Catch sb red-handed

Be caught while committing a crime

Chip off the old block

Sb who is very like one of his parents

Cost a bomb

Very expensive

Deal a blow to

Damage one’s hopes

Don’t hold your breath

Don’t wait for sb/sth anxiously

Drive a hard bargain

Be a tough businessman

Drop a brick

Say sth tactlessly

Feel in one’s bones

Feeling sth instinctivenly

Get your own back

Take/get revenge

Have a bee in one’s bonnet

Have an obsession about sth

Have butterflies in one’s stomach

Be very nervous about sth

In black and white

In writing

In the balance

Uncertain

Kick the bucket

Die

Lay bare

Make public

Make a clean breast of

Confess

Make sb’s blood boil

Cause sb to become very angry

On the spur of the moment

Without thinking about sth

Out of the blue

Suddenly and unexpectedly

Ring a bell

Remind sb of sth

See the back of

Be glad to see sb leave

Take the bull by the horns

Deal with sth boldly and directly

Wet blanket

Dull person who spoils people’s happiness

A piece of cake

Sth very easy to do

A red-letter day

A very important day

A wild-goose chase

A hopeless search

Be on the cards

Be likely to happen

Be over the moon

Be elated

Call sb names

Insult sb

Chair a meeting

Preside over a meeting

Crocodile tears

False tears

Cross one’s mind

Think of sth

Cut sb dead

Ignore sb

Different as chalk and cheese

Totally different

Down the drain

Wasted

Lost

Get a bit hot under the collar

Get angry, upset or embarrassed

Get a problem off one’s chest

Tell sb else about your problem

Go to the dogs

Worsen

Have the cheek

Dare to do sth

Keep one’s chin up

Not be discouraged

Let sleeping dogs lie

Avoid mentioning a subject which could cause trouble

Lost cause

Hopeless situation or case

Off colour

Look/be slightly unwell

On the dole

Receiving unemployment benefit/social security

Play one’s cards right

Act cleverly

Show one’s true colours

Reveal one’s real character

With flying colours

With great success

Not count one’s chickens before they’re hatched

Not assume sth before it happens

Be dying for sth

Really want sth

Be fit for

Be good enough for

Be worn out

Be very tired

Be green

Be inexperienced

Cook one’s goose

End one’s plans abruptly

Fair and square

Within the rules

Fall head over heels

Fall in love quickly

Feel one’s ears burning

Have a feeling that sb is talking about you

Gatecrasher

Sb attending a party, event, etc. without an invitation

Get off the wong foot

Argue or disagree at the beginning of a relationship