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Culture Documents
Idioms 4
Idioms 4
I have to bite my tongue so I don’t say what I really think of Wanting to say something but stopping
him! yourself.
Come on, cut to the chase. We haven’t got all day! Leave out all the unnecessary details and
just get to the point
Are you putting all of your savings into that company? Putting all of ones resources into one
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. possibility
Try not to worry about it. Every cloud has a silver lining. Believing that every bad situation has a
positive side / eventually leads to
something good
It was difficult when I moved to another country but I To become comfortable in what you are
eventually found my feet. doing
My parents are very fixed in their ways. They won’t start Not wanting to change from the normal
using the internet. ways of doing things
I think he got up on the wrong side of the bed this To refer to someone who is having a bad
morning. He is in a terrible mood. day
Nghĩa: Tỉnh dậy trong trạng thái vô cùng
bực bội mà không rõ lí do.
Nguồn gốc: thành ngữ này có nguồn gốc
từ thành Rome. Khi đó, người Roma tin
rằng nếu họ tỉnh dậy bên phía trái của
giường (được coi là “wrong side”) thì cả
ngày đó họ sẽ gặp xui xẻo.
My mother will always go the extra mile to help people. Doing much more than is required when
doing something
Go to the Idiom practice exercise for these 10 words
Set 3
Common Idioms Definitions
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. That’s the reason he Say exactly the right thing
didn’t get the job.
Today’s going so badly. If it’s not one thing, it’s the other. When everything seems to be going
wrong
I just said it in the heat of the moment. I was angry. I know Saying or doing something suddenly
I shouldn’t have. without thinking about it
Keep an eye on him. I think he may cheat in the exam. Watch someone or something carefully
Have you heard? John down the road has kicked the bucket. Died
I don’t want to argue with him again. It’s better to let Avoid a conflict
sleeping dogs lie.
I told him what gift you have bought him for his birthday. Tell someone something that you were
Sorry, I didn’t mean to let the cat out of the bag. not supposed to
Nghĩa: Tiết lộ bí mật một cách vô ý
Nguồn gốc: Thời xưa, các thương gia
thường bán lợn sống cho khách hàng.
Những con lợn đó được cho vào bao
trước khi khách hàng đưa tiền và mang
lợn đi. Tuy nhiên, nhiều thương gia đã
gian lận, thế lợn bằng mèo và khách hàng
chỉ phát hiện ra mình bị lừa khi về đến
nhà và bỏ con mèo ra khỏi ba
Don’t tell her what you really think of her if she’s helping Hurt or upset someone who is helping
you with your English! Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. you
I’m not sure which party he is going to vote for. He’s sitting Not making a firm decision between
on the fence. different choices
Everything she does is very over the top. She can’t just have Excessive
a few drinks – se has to get really drunk.
View these 10 idioms in use and practice them
Set 4
Common Idioms Definitions
Let’s keep studying for IELTS. Practice makes perfect.“Có Continuously doing something to
công mài sắt có ngày nên kim” improve
Don’t get upset about what he said. He’s just pulling your leg. Joking around
có nghĩa là trêu, chọc ai, nói một điều
không có thật để trêu đùa ai.
Sorry but I think I’ll take a rain check on that. To decline an offer that you will take up
có nghĩa là từ chối một đề nghị ( hoặc yêu cầu) mà bạn later
mong là có thể chấp nhận/thực hiện lại vào ngày hôm sau
As a rule of thumb, I don’t study at weekends. I spend the Principal that is strictly adhered / kept to
time with my family. Quy tắc “ngón tay cái” này biểu thị cho
Theo kinh nghiê ̣m thì một quy luật bất thành văn nói chung nào
đó, luôn đúng.
I can smell a rat. He said he has a PhD but he can’t even To sense that something is not right
remember which university he studied at. có nghĩa là nghi ngờ có một sự sai quấy
hay dối trá
She’s the spitting image of her mother. To look exactly like someone else
The ball's in your court now. What are you going to do? Telling someone it's now their turn to
make a decision
Unfortunately I think he’ll be studying for IELTS until the For a very long timetrong một khoảng
cows come home. His English is very poor. thời gian dài
It was all tongue-in-cheek. He didn’t really mean what he said. Something said in humour rather than
không nghiêm túc, mỉa mai, hay đùa, seriously
She’s feeling under the weather today so she won’t be going UnwellThành ngữ này ám chỉ việc bạn bị
to work. ốm, mệt mỏi, do học tập quá nhiều, có
thể bắt đầu bị cúm, các triệu chứng đau
đầu.
Go to idioms exercises for Set 4 words
Set 5
Common Idioms Definitions
We've had some big disagreements over the years, but it’s Things from the past that are not
all water under the bridge now. We get on fine. important anymore
Nước chảy qua cầu) là một thành ngữ phổ biến tại Anh,
tức là một chuyện gì không tốt đã trôi qua, không nên lo nghĩ
hay nhắc lại nữa
You are what you eat so it’s better to have a healthy diet. If you eat bad food, you’ll be unhealthy,
Hãy nói cho tôi biết bạn ăn gì, tôi sẽ trả lời bạn là ai if you eat good food, you’ll be healthy
You can’t judge a book by its cover. I need to get to know The belief that outside appearances do
him before I decide what he is like. not reveal what someone or something is
đừng đánh giá một sự vật/sự việc/con người chỉ qua vẻ bề really like
ngoài.
We're really working against the clock now. We must hurry. Not having enough time to do something
Why are we bothering? We're flogging a dead horse. Our Attempting to continue with something
online business is making no money, so we should move on that is finished / over
and do something else. thường dùng để thuyết phục ai đó
rằng kết cục đã an bài và mọi nỗ lực
sau đó đều trở nên vô ích, giống như
đánh vào con ngựa đã chết thì không
có tác dụng gì
I bent over backwards to help him. I hope he appreciates it. Doing all you can to help someone
Ý nói: Cố gắng mọi sức lực để làm việc gì đó, thường thường
là để làm cho ai khác vui. Ngoài cụm trên, ta cũng có thể nói
“to lean over backwards”.
So you have the IELTS test today?? Break a leg. Good luck
Ok, I'm playing devil's advocate here, but if marijuana is To put forward a side in an argument
legalized, isn't it more likely young people will smoke it? that may not be your own in order to
Với bất kì điều gì mà bạn cảm thấy rất đúng hay cần thiết (ví show the counter-argument / ensure all
dụ bạn tin rằng mọi người nên học thêm ngôn ngữ thứ 2), bạn sides are discussed
hãy viết với góc nhìn ngược lại (nghĩa là mọi người không nên
học ngôn ngữ thứ 2 nào nữa). Trong tiếng Anh, người ta gọi đó
là “playing devil’s advocate” – nghĩa là khi bạn chọn về phía
mà bạn không tin, để có thể nhìn ra vấn đề từ một góc nhìn
khác.
Hold your horses! We haven't won anything yet. Telling someone who is getting ahead of
Hold your horses ( = wait a moment) themselves to wait / be patient
Một người đang bê rất nhiều con ngựa là nghĩa đen hóm hỉnh
cho cụm “Hold your horses” – Hãy đợi một chút.
She is driving me up the wall. She won't stop talking. Annoying or irritating somebody
có nghĩa là điều đó làm bạn rất khó chịu
và bực tức
a blessing in disguise
a drop in the ocean
a piece of cake
actions speak louder than words
an arm and a leg
chip on his shoulder
it's a small world
jumping the gun
once in a blue moon
over the moon
3. I was in a café in Italy and amazingly I saw Paul from down the road in
there.
4. Jan is finally getting a chance to go on her trip of a life time, a holiday to Australia! She
was when I spoke to her.
6. The government keeps talking about reducing poverty but what do they ever do about it?
Nothing! .
7. I've got a promotion at work, but all John did was make a joke about it. He has a
real . I think he is just jealous.
8. The interview for that new job was . They asked me really
easy questions.
9. The new Martin Scorsese film is out at the cinema. A film that comes out that I really enjoy
and want to see happens , so I'll definitely go and see it.
key
1. an arm and a leg
2. a blessing in disguise
3. it's a small world
4. over the moon
5. a drop in the ocean
6. actions speak louder than words
7. chip on his shoulder
8. a piece of cake
9. once in a blue moon
10. jumping the gun
Idiom Practice Exercise 2
3. He's very . He'll never vote Labour. He's voted for the
Conservative party his whole life.
6. I was in that meeting. I really wanted to tell him that his
idea was no good but you can't say that to the boss.
7. It doesn't look like this strategy to improve the company's profits is working, so
it's !
10. The job might seem confusing at first as there are a lot of different departments you need
to work with but you'll soon
key
1. cut to the chase
2. get up on the wrong side of the bed
3. fixed in his ways
4. every cloud has a silver lining
5. put all your eggs in one basket
6. biting my tongue
7. back to the drawing board
8. went the extra mile
9. between a rock and a hard place
10. find your feet
2. I hope Joyce hasn't . She was in her 90s. She got
taken off to hospital the other day as she was very unwell.
5. The boss never disciplined John over the fact that he came into work late twice last week.
He must have decided to .
6. Try to keep up good relations with your boss. You don't want
to .
Key
1. if it's not one thing, it's the other
2. kicked the bucket
3. let the cat out of the bag
4. sit on the fence
5. let sleeping dogs lie
6. bite the hand that feeds you
7. hit the nail on the head
8. heat of the moment
9. keep an eye on
10. over the top
Idioms Exercises - Practice 4
practice makes perfect
pulling your leg
rule of thumb
smell a rat
take a rain check
the ball's in your court
the spitting image
till the cows come home
tongue-in-cheek
under the weather
1. Wow – the painting is of you. Who drew it?
3. I've been a bit since last night. I think it may have been something
I ate.
7. The in our house is not to talk about politics – it always ends in
arguments!
9. I've told him how angry I am, so now. We'll see what he does.
10. We'll be waiting for England to win the football World Cup again.
4. pulling my leg
5. smelt a rat
7. rule of thumb
8. tongue-in-cheek
2. mate! I'm sure you'll do well. You're easily the best
team.
3. I agree with you really. I'm just so you know what those
who disagree with you may say.
6. I thought John was an idiot when I first saw him just because of the way he dressed.
But – he's a really good bloke.
10. I think you should ! You aren't ready yet to quit and
start your own business. You need more experience.