Idioms Part2

Idioms - Part 2
1. day in the sun

Meaning: A moment in time when one gets attention and is appreciated.
Example: Despite all his unrecognized hard work, I knew that one day he would have his day in the sun.
2. add fuel to the flames

Meaning: An action that makes a difficult situation even worse.
Example: Mom is already very angry. Don't add fuel to the flames by doing what she doesn't like.
3. all ears
Meaning: To say that you are all ears means that you are listening very attentively.
Example: Kids in my class were all ears when I was telling them the story.
4. backseat driver
Meaning: Any person who gives unwanted advice instead of helping or understanding
Example: I cannot stand my relatives being backseat driver to me.
5. badger someone
Meaning: To annoy someone or to bother someone or To pester someone into doing something
Example: Rani badgered her parents into buying her a new computer.
6. balancing act
Meaning: To appease two or more groups having difference of opinion or action
Example: I have to perform a balancing act between work and family.
7. bare your heart / soul

Meaning: To reveal your innermost thoughts and feelings to them.
Example: Raj couldn't keep things to himself any longer. He decided to bare his soul to his best friend.
8. eagle eyes
Meaning: One who see or notices things more easily than others.
Example: The children's eagle eyes spotted an ice-cream shop half a mile away.
9. beat a (hasty) retreat

Meaning: One who runs away or goes back hurriedly to avoid a dangerous or difficult situation.
Example: The thief beat a hasty retreat as soon as he saw the security officer.
10. eager beaver

Meaning: A person who is hardworking and enthusiastic, sometimes considered overzealous
1
Example: Being an eager beaver, he sometimes is not well - liked by his colleagues.
11. bide your time

Meaning: To wait for a good opportunity to do something.
Example: She bided her time patiently, until the opportunity came to get her revenge.
12. One’s best bet

Meaning: The action that is most likely to be successful
Example: Your best bet is to make all decisions yourself.
13. leave somebody holding the baby

Meaning: If someone is left holding the baby, they are made responsible for a problem that others don't want
to deal with.
Example: When the angry customer started to complain, my colleague disappeared and left me holding the
baby.
14. back-room boys

Meaning: The people who do important work but have no contact with the public.
Example: Back-room boys don't always receive the credit they deserve for their work.
15. back-of-the-envelope calculation

Meaning: This expression refers to a quick approximate calculation done informally, as on the back of an
envelope.
Example: I don't need the exact amount. Just give me a back-of-the-envelope calculation.
16. back of beyond

Meaning: An isolated place located far from any town is said to be in the back of beyond.
Example: He lives in some tiny, remote village in the back of beyond.
17. day in, day out

Meaning: If you do something ‘day in, day out’, you do it every day without fail over a long period of time.
Example: My father goes for a 30-minute walk after breakfast day in, day out.
18. back into shape

Meaning: To get yourself back into shape, you need to take some exercise in order to become fit and healthy
again.
Example: Rana decided she'd have to get back into shape before looking for a job.
19. back on your feet

Meaning: If you are back on your feet, after an illness or an accident, you are physically healthy again.
Example: My grandmother had a bad flu but she's back on her feet again.
20. back to the salt mines
2
Meaning: A humorous way of talking about returning to work, usually with some reluctance.
Example: We get two days off at Christmas and then it's back to the salt mines!
21. call the shots / call the tune

Meaning: The person who calls the shots or the tune is the one who makes all the important decisions and is
in control of the situation.
Example: The company was more successful when just one or two people were calling the shots.
22. can of worms

Meaning: A situation which is complicated, unpleasant and difficult to deal with.
Example: The discovery of the transfer of funds turned out to be a real can of worms.
23. Something’s fishy

Meaning: something’s strange
Example: All the lights are off in the house and door is open, something’s fishy.
24. Speak of the Devil

Meaning: when you see someone/something happens unexpectedly while talking about them
Example: I hope our teacher doesn’t come today – oh, speak of the devil, here he comes.
25. Spill the beans

Meaning: to tell the secret
Example: I told Jessy my biggest secret, she then spilled the beans to the whole class.
26. Spur of the moment

Meaning: to make a random decision
Example: I decided to drive to Paris on the spur of the moment.
27. Stay on track

Meaning: to stay focused on the goal
Example: I shouldn’t watch TV right now. I need to stay on track and study.
28. Stick with your goal/stick with it

Meaning: to continue doing something
Example: You should really stick with soccer because you are very good at it.
29. Take him out of the picture

Meaning: remove him from the situation
Example: Ramesh isn't the best group partner, we should take him out of the picture.
30. Take it easy

Meaning: calm down
3
Example: You only failed the first test. You will have many more. Take it easy.
31. That’s tight

Meaning: that’s awesome
Example: This new song is tight.
32. The stars have aligned

Meaning: the moment is right
Example: Finally, the stars have aligned, and my life seems to be headed in the right direction.
33. Draw the line

Meaning: the point where you decide not to do something
Example: I draw the line at giving them more money.
34. The last straw

Meaning: the last thing that causes everything to fail
Example: He'd been unhappy at work for a long time but the last straw came when he was refused
promotion.
35. Throw an idea around

Meaning: casually suggest an idea
Example: I want to throw an idea around for tomorrow’s event.
36. Time flies

Meaning: time passes by fast
Example: I can't believe the weekend is already over, time flies!
37. Up a creek without a paddle

Meaning: in a bad situation
Example: Yesterday my car ran out of petrol and then my phone ran out of battery, I was up a
creek without a paddle.
38. To feel under the weather

Meaning: to not feel well.
Example: I’m really feeling under the weather today, I have a terrible cold.
39. On the same page

Meaning: having similar thoughts
Example: I'm glad we are on the same page with our ideas for this project.
40. You pulled a fast one

Meaning: to trick someone
Example: You pretended you knew his name when really you did not, you pulled a fast one.
4

Idioms Part2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Idioms Part2

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Idioms Part2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Idioms - Part 2

1. day in the sun

2. add fuel to the flames

7. bare your heart / soul

9. beat a (hasty) retreat

10. eager beaver

11. bide your time

12. One’s best bet

13. leave somebody holding the baby

14. back-room boys

15. back-of-the-envelope calculation

16. back of beyond

17. day in, day out

18. back into shape

19. back on your feet

20. back to the salt mines

21. call the shots / call the tune

22. can of worms

23. Something’s fishy

24. Speak of the Devil

25. Spill the beans

26. Spur of the moment

27. Stay on track

28. Stick with your goal/stick with it

29. Take him out of the picture

30. Take it easy

31. That’s tight

32. The stars have aligned

33. Draw the line

34. The last straw

35. Throw an idea around

36. Time flies

37. Up a creek without a paddle

38. To feel under the weather

39. On the same page

40. You pulled a fast one

You might also like