IDIOMS PHRASAL VERBS CO NGAN REVISION

clear the air

remove suspicion or bad feelings

all along

from the beginning until now

all in

exhausted

all in all

when everything is considered

be up in the air

uncertain

for all I care

I don’t care

for all I know

as far as I know

in all

altogether

make allowances for

take special circumstances into consideration

make amends for

compensate for a past action

of all people

used to express annoyance or surprise

on account of

because of

on the alert

watchful and prepared

take into account

consider something

whet one’s appetite

make someone eager for more

above board

honest

bark up the wrong tree

have a wrong idea

be broke

have little or no money

be full of beans

very lively

be in someone’s black books

be out of favour

beat around the bush

avoid saying something directly

behind bars

in prison

big-headed

conceited

black and blue

covered with bruises

blessing in disguise

something bad that turns out good

blue-eyed boy

favoured person

bolt from the blue

something sudden

brainwave

sudden clever idea

break even

neither profit nor loss

browned off

bored or fed up

butter someone up

flatter someone

by and large

generally speaking

catch someone red-handed

catch someone committing a crime

chip off the old block

someone like their parent

cost a bomb

very expensive

deal a blow to

damage hopes

drop a brick

say something tactless

feel in one’s bones

sense instinctively

get one’s own back

take revenge

have a bee in one’s bonnet

be obsessed or anxious

have butterflies in one’s stomach

feel nervous

kick the bucket

die

lay bare

make public

make a clean breast of

confess

make one’s blood boil

make very angry

on the spur of the moment

without planning

out of the blue

suddenly

ring a bell

sound familiar

see eye to eye

agree

see the back of

be glad to see leave

take the bull by the horns

deal with a problem bravely

wet blanket

boring person

a piece of cake

very easy

a red-letter day

important day

a wild-goose chase

hopeless search

a free-for-all

chaotic situation

be on the cards

be likely

be over the moon

extremely happy

call someone names

insult

cross one’s mind

think of

call the shots

be in control

chock-a-block

completely full

a meeting of minds

agreement

different as chalk and cheese

totally different

cut someone dead

deliberately ignore

down in the dumps

depressed

down the drain

wasted

get hot under the collar

become angry

get something off one’s chest

talk about worries

go to the dogs

deteriorate

have the cheek

be rude enough

keep one’s chin up

stay cheerful

let sleeping dogs lie

avoid trouble

lost cause

hopeless situation

off colour

slightly ill

a dark horse

person with hidden abilities

at large

free, not caught

be dying for something

want badly

be fit for

suitable

be for the high jump

about to be punished

be green

inexperienced

be in the know

well-informed

be in two minds

unable to decide

be sound asleep

sleep deeply

be the image of

look exactly like

be worn out

extremely tired

before you can say Jack Robinson

very quickly

break the ice

reduce tension

bury one’s head in the sand

ignore reality

come to a head

reach a critical point

cook one’s goose

ruin one’s plans

drop someone a line

send a letter

eat one’s heart out

feel jealous

fair and square

honestly

fall head over heels

fall in love quickly

feel one’s ears burning

think someone is talking about you

fine kettle of fish

messy situation

flog a dead horse

waste effort

fly off the handle

lose temper

gatecrasher

uninvited guest