Vocabulary and Idioms

1. An Achilles heel: weak area that can lead to destruction.

2. To cost an arm and a leg: a lot of money.
3. An average Joe: a person displaying usual or ordinary behavior.
4. To blindside: to attack unexpectedly as if directed toward one’s blind spot.
5. Out of the blue: totally unexpected.
6. To be in the same boat: to be in a similar condition or a situation.
7. To bring down the house: to amuse or please an audience.
8. Cold feet: nervous and not wanting to make an important decision.
9. To come down with something: to become sick with.
10. High and dry: isolated; abandoned; having no source of supply or replacements.
11. To paint the town red: to drink and have a good time; to celebrate, probably in
more than one place.
12. Throw someone’s weight around: to use your position or influence fairly.
13. Fast and loose with the rules: behaving in a deceitful, immoral, or irresponsible
way.
14. Throw one’s hat in/into the ring: express willingness to take up a challenge.
15. Play (it) by (the) ear: perform music without having to read from a score.
16. Pull one’s weight: to do one’s fair share of work.
17. Take something lying down: accept insult or setback without protest.
18. Make heads or tails of something: to not be able to understand something at
all
19. To butter up: to make a person fell pleased or honored, to one’s advantage
20. Turn the tables on someone: to have an advantage over someone who
previously had an advantage over you.
21. To fish in troubled waters: to get benefit in bad situation.
22. Pulled a long face: to look disappointed.
23. Fair and square: honest.
24. To be in the mire: to be in trouble.
25. Mincing matters: not to speak plainly.
26. Plays a second fiddle: to play secondary role.
27. Miss the boat: miss out on an opportunity.
28. A hard nut to crack: a difficult problem.