1.

take advantage of sth (track #48)

to use the good things in a situation
 I thought I'd take advantage of the sports facilities while I'm here.
 I took advantage of the good weather to paint the shed.

2. take advantage of sb/sth

DISAP. to treat someone badly in order to get something good from them
 I think she takes advantage of his good nature.
 I know she's offered to babysit any time but I don't want her to think
we're taking advantage of her.

3. up in the air
If a matter is up in the air, it is uncertain, often because other matters have
to be decided first /// if something is up in the air, no decision has been made about it yet:
 The whole future of the project is still up in the air.
 Our trip is still very much up in the air.

4. autumn years LITERARY

Someone's autumn years are the later years of their life, especially after they
have stopped working.

5. put sth on the back burner

to decide not to continue with a plan or activity until a time in the future
/// to delay doing something, because it does not need your
attention immediately or because it is not as important as other
things that you need to do immediately // Having low priority
 I lost my job and had to put my plans to move house on the back
burner.
 The project has been backburnered.
 The building project is on the back burner for now.
 This matter was on the back burner for a long time.


6. be on the ball
to be quick to understand and react to things ///
able to think or act quickly and intelligently
 I didn't sleep well last night and I'm not really on the ball today.
 an assistant who’s really on the ball
7. have a ball INFORMAL
to enjoy yourself very much
"So how was the party last night?" "Oh, it was brilliant, - we had a ball!"
8. start/set/get the ball rolling
 to do something which starts an activity, or to start doing something in order
to encourage other people to do the same. /// to start doing or saying something that
a lot of people are already doing or saying – used to show disapproval:
 I decided to set the ball rolling and got up to dance.
 To start the ball rolling, the government was asked to contribute £1 million.

9. jump/climb/get on the bandwagon (track #39)

to follow a trend to be like everyone
 The success of the product led many firms to try to jump on the
bandwagon.
 A lot of high school girls were dying their hair blonde, but I didn´t jump on
that bandwagon.

10. beat around the bush (UK ALSO beat about the bush) (track #74)
to avoid talking about what is important. /// to avoid or delay talking about something
embarrassing or unpleasant:
 Don't beat around the bush - get to the point!
 Don’t beat around the bush. Ask for your account to be paid, and paid
quickly.
11. I beg to differ/disagree
a polite way of saying "I do not agree"
 I must beg to differ on this point.

12. give sb the benefit of the doubt

to believe something good about someone, rather than something bad, when
you have the possibility of doing either
 I didn't know whether his story was true or not, but I decided to give him
the benefit of the doubt.
 The referee gave him the benefit of the doubt.
13. bite off more than you can chew INFORMAL (track #76)
to try to do something which is too difficult for you
 Clinton conceded, "We bit off more than we could chew in our original
health care reform proposals."
 Many kids who leave home to live alone find they have bitten off more
than they can chew.
14. a blessing in disguise (track #77)
something that seems bad or unlucky at first, but results in something good
happening later
 Losing that job was a blessing in disguise really.
15. once in a blue moon (track #81)
not very often; very rarely
 My sister lives in Alaska, so I only see her once in a blue moon.
  It only happens like this once in a blue moon.
cross that bridge when you come to it
WORRIED: used to say that you will not think or worry about something until it actually happens

16. To Play devil´s advocate

someone who pretends to disagree with you in order to have a good
discussion about something:
 He would play devil’s advocate with anyone.
 I don´t actually disagree with you. I´m just playing devil´s
advocate.

17. your bread and butter

a job or activity that provides you with the money you need to live. /
work is work that is not very exciting but provides you with most of the money that you
need in order to live
 Gardening is my bread and butter at the moment.


18. bring home the bacon INFORMAL

to earn money for a family to live on ///
to provide enough money to support your family
 I can't sit around all day - someone's got to bring home the bacon.

19. earn/get/score brownie points HUMOROUS (track #66)

to get praise or approval for something you have done ///
if you do something in order to get brownie points from your teacher, boss etc, you do it in order to
make them have a good opinion of you:
 I thought I could score some brownie points with my mother-in-law by
offering to cook dinner.
 I’m not doing it just to get brownie points.

20. have butterflies (in your stomach) INFORMAL

to feel very nervous, before doing something
 I had terrible butterflies before I gave that talk in Venice.
 I always get butterflies before an exam.
21. let the out of the bag (track #80)
to tell someone a secret, especially without intending to
 I was trying to keep the party a secret, but Angel went and let the cat out
of the bag.
22. get sth off your chest INFORMAL
to tell someone about something that has been worrying you or making you
feel guilty for a long time
 I had spent two months worrying about it and I was glad to get it off my
chest.
 I feel so much better now that I’ve got that off my chest.
 Writing to you is a good way to get things off my chest.

23. Every cloud has a silver lining. SAYING

said to emphasize that every difficult or unpleasant situation has some
advantage.

24. not have a clue INFORMAL

to be completely unable to guess, understand, or deal with something
 "Who invented algebra?" "I haven't a clue."
 Don't ask your father which key to press - he hasn't got a clue about
computers.
 No point asking Jill – she hasn’t got a clue about maths.
(as) cool as a cucumber /ˈkjuːkʌmbər/
Calm and not nervous, upset, or excited, especially when this is surprising
1. She walked in as cool as a cucumber, as if nothing had happened.
2. She looks efficient and as cool as a cucumber.

25. Jump (be thrown) in at the deep end (track #56)

start doing something new and difficult without help or preparation.
3. Joseph decided to jump in at the deep end, buy a farm, and teach himself.

26. be a dime a dozen

to be common and/or of very little value
 Books like this are a dime a dozen.
 PhDs are a dime a dozen nowadays

26. easier said than done INFORMAL

said when something seems like a good idea but it would be difficult to do
 "Why don't you just ask Simon to pay?" "That's easier said than done."
 Finding the perfect house was easier said than done.
27. Easy does it! INFORMAL
used to tell someone to do something slowly and carefully

28. put all your eggs in one basket * INFORMAL

 to depend for your success on a single person or plan of action ///
to depend completely on one thing or one course of action in order to get success, so that you have
no other plans if this fails:
 I'm applying for several jobs because I don't really want to put all my
eggs in one basket.
 When planning your investments, it’s unwise to put all your eggs in
one basket
29. at the end of the day * SPOKEN
something that you say before you give the most important fact of a situation
/// used to give your final opinion after considering all the possibilities

 Of course I'll listen to what she has to say but at the end of the day, it's
my decision.
 At the end of the day, it’s his decision.
 At the end of the day, it's just too much money to spend.
 At the end of the day, the best team won.
 You may be working for yourself but at the end of the day you still have to
pay tax on what you earn.

30. go the extra mile

to try a little harder in order to achieve something, after you have already used
a lot of effort:
 He's a nice guy, always ready to go the extra mile for his friends.
 The president expressed his determination to go the extra mile for peace.
 All this when her only motivation was to go the extra mile under all
circumstances.
 And it diminishes the employees' desire to go the extra mile when
supervisors need them to.
31. take sth at face value
to accept something for what it appears to be rather than studying it more
closely /// to accept a situation or accept what someone says, without thinking there may be a
hidden meaning:
 I took the offer at face value. I didn't think they might be trying to trick
me.
 You shouldn’t always take his remarks at face value.
 Netta accepted Amelia's explanation at face value and didn't ask any more
questions.
 The letter, if we take it at face value, suggests that Richard is quite happy
in his job.

32. be like a fish out of water

to feel unco mfor table because yo u feel yo u do not belong in a place
or situatio n:
  I felt like a fish out of water in my new school.
 In his first interview since the move, he still looks like a fish out of water.

33. be good to go * US INFORMAL (track #46)

to be prepared and ready to do something SYN all set
 Let me grab a jacket and then I'm good to go.
 "Do you have all the hiking gear?" "Yeah, I'm good to go."
 I've got my shoes on and I'm good to go.
 We just need to get you a pair of skis and you're good to go.
 But if you're receiving money it would be better to go for the lump sum.
34. get/keep a grip on yourself
tomake an effort to control your emotions and behave more calmly
 I just think he ought to get a grip on himself - he's behaving like a child.
 Stop being hysterical and get a grip on yourself.
 Damn you, get a grip on yourself.
 He must take a grip on himself.
 I got a grip on myself and made it back to my office.
 I had to get a grip on myself and put this whole wretched business behind
me.
 I must get a grip on myself, she told herself firmly.
35. hang on in there (ALSO hang in there) SPOKEN (track #67)
said as a way of telling someone to not give up, despite difficulties ///
to remain brave and determined when you are in a difficult situation:
 Work can get tough in the middle of a term but hang on in there and it'll be
OK.
 Don’t worry. Just hang on in there.
 But I was hanging in there academically.
 Can you kind of hang in there to uh to maybe uh later on this evening,
okay.‧ Do you hang in there, or cut your losses?‧
 In the meantime, just hang on in there

36. get the hang of sth INFORMAL (track #58)

to learn how to do something, especially if it is not obvious or simple
 "I've never used a word processor before." "Don't worry - you'll soon get
the hang of it."
 It seems difficult at first, but you’ll soon get the hang of it.
 After that she got the hang of what was news.
 He side-slipped neatly; he was getting the hang of the thing.
 I've got the hang of it now.
 I haven't played it in a week, I was just getting the hang of it.
 It can get tough, but you will get the hang of it.
37. be hard on sb
a) to criticize someone in a way that is unfair, or to be too strict with them:
 Don't be too hard on him - he's new to the job.
 Perhaps I’m too hard on her.
 You're harder on Donald than you are on Monica.
 Carolyn knew that day last week had to be hard on her old friend, Terry.

b) to have a bad effect on someone:
 Divorce can be very hard on children.
 It's going to be hard on the kids if you move away.
 He was hard on David but David certainly was talented.‧
 This life was harder on her than on anyone else.

38. hard to swallow

difficult to believe a story, explanation etc that is not actually true:
 I found her story rather hard to swallow.
 Do they really think we are stupid enough to swallow that?

39. take your hat off to sb
used to say you admire someone very much because of what they have done:

 I take my hat off to Leo – without him we’d have never finished this project
on time.
 So Emma actually manages to juggle two small children and a full-time job,
does she? Well, I take my hat off to her.
 Cindy starts hers at four, for which I take my hat off to her.
 Whatever it was though, I take my hat off to Bob.
40. can't get your head around INFORMAL
Not be able to understand something
 I just can't get my head around these tax forms.
 I just can’t get my head round what’s been going on here
.
41. head over heels (in love)
completely in love
 The two of them fell head over heels in love.
 I met Sam at college, and immediately fell head-over-heels in love with
him.
 I was head-over-heels in love with someone who barely even noticed me.

42. in the heat of the moment (track #54)

If you say or do something in the heat of the moment, you say or do it
without thinking because you are very angry or excited
  He didn't mean it - he said it in the heat of the moment.

43. hit it off INFORMAL track #49)

to like someone and become friendly immediately
 I didn't really hit it off with his friends. Jake and Sue hit it off immediately.
 I knew you’d hit it off with Mike
 She and I hit it off immediately.
 They hit it off from the first.
 They ended up in the same case study group and hit it off immediately.

44. hit the ceiling/roof

to become extremely angry
 Dad'll hit the ceiling when he finds out I've left school.
 Ranieri returned, saw the mess, and hit the roof.

45. hit the nail on the head INFORMAL
to describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem
used to say that what someone has said is exactly right:
 I think Mick hit the nail on the head when he said that what's lacking from
this company is a feeling of confidence.
 You’ve hit the nail on the head there, David.
 If Jack had been trying to find a way to impress Polly he had hit the nail on
the head.
 My friend, you have hit the nail on the head.
 She might dislike Piers Morrison, but he had a knack of hitting the nail on
the head.

46. hit the road

to leave a place or begin a journey
 I'd love to stay longer but I must be hitting the road.
 Read in studio Well it's time now to hit the road with the London Sydney car
marathon.
 So next time you hit the road make sure it doesn't hit back.‧ Time to hit the
road again.
 Travelers will find it more comfortable and interesting to hit the road this
year.

47. hit the spot (track #23)

to be exactly what is needed
 That bacon sandwich really hit the spot!
 A cold beer sure would hit the spot.
 The cognac was not quite up to Skipton's fine Napoleonic standards, but it
hit the spot with unerring accuracy.
48. hold that thought (track #64)
used for telling someone to remember an idea or thought that has just
been mentioned, especially because it will be useful later

49. You can't judge a book by its cover. SAYING

said to show that you cannot know what something or someone is like by
looking only at their appearance /// used to say that you should not form an opinion
based only on the way something looks

50. the jury is (still) out

If the jury is (still) out on a subject, people do not yet know the answer or
have a definite opinion about it. /// used to say that something has not been finally
decided: ///
 The jury's still out on the safety of irradiated food.
 Is it good value? The jury is still out on that.

51. kill two birds with one stone

to succeed in achieving two things in a single action
 I killed two birds with one stone and picked the kids up on the way to the
station.
 Deedee killed two birds with one stone, both shopping and looking for a
shop of her own to rent.
 Adding five examples to the chapters that at present lack them would kill
two birds with one stone.

52. know-all noun [C ] (US know-it-all) INFORMAL DISAPPROVING

a person who thinks that they know much more than other people
 OK, if you're such a know-it-all, you try and do it, then.
 I just wish he'd stop being such a know-all all the time.
 Bob had proved to be his own worst enemy on television, creating an
impression of an arrogant know-it-all spouting reactionary bromides

53. Get a life! INFORMAL -SPOKEN

something you say to a boring person when you want them to do more
exciting things
 Don't tell me you're cleaning the house on a Saturday night? Get a life,
Hannah!
 You guys should just stop moaning and get a life!
 Get a life dude!How long are you planning to stay in your room playing
games?
54. lead/live the life of Riley OLD-FASHIONED INFORMAL
 to live an easy and comfortable life, without any need to work hard
 He spends all day lounging by the pool and living the life of Riley.
 I hear that all the older boys are driving big expensive cars and living the
life of Riley

55. have come a long way

to have advanced to an improved or more developed state /// to have made
a lot of progress:
 Information technology has come a long way in the last twenty years.
 Computer technology has come a long way since the 1970s.
 Psychiatry has come a long way since the 1920s.
 There are still many gaps, but we have come a long way.
 They have come a long way, so they spend the first few hours greeting
each other.
56. To make a long story short US (track #53)
to not tell all the details
 Long story short, I got fired.
 To make a long story short, he still stays in the apartment but now it is
owned by someone else.

57. be in the loop/be out of the loop INFORMAL
to have or not have the special knowledge or power that belongs to a
particular group of people /// to be or not be part of a group of
people who make important decisions
 You can tell she's in the loop. She always knows about policy decisions
before the rest of us.
 I've been out of the loop since I changed jobs. I didn't realize Wendy and
Bob had got engaged.
 During the Covid-19 pandemic, the company was spending a lot of money
to keep employees in the loop.
 I made an extra effort to watch the news today, so I was in the loop with
what was going on in the world.
 Please can you call me later to keep me in the loop with dinner plans for
the weekend?

58. lose your touch
If you lose your touch, you can no longer do something as well as you
could before /// become less skilled at doing something you used to do well
 It's good to see their goalkeeper's not losing his touch.
 This latest movie proves Altman is by no means losing his touch.

59. meet sb halfway
 to do some of the things that someone wants you to do, in order to show
that you want to reach an agreement or improve your relationship with
them
 Democrats plan to meet the Governor halfway on welfare cuts.
 Parents will be unable to afford their children's education unless colleges
are prepared to meet them halfway.
 They won't pay all our expenses, but they might be prepared to meet us
halfway.
 I understand that you do not agree with the policies of the new CEO. I
will meet you halfway if you just promise to give it a chance.

60. look/feel (like) a million bucks (dollars) (US ) INFORMAL

to look or feel extremely good, often because you are experiencing
something that costs a lot of money /// to feel or look very healthy, happy, and beautiful
 "You look a million dollars in that dress, honey!"
 I felt like a million dollars.
 Wow, you look like a million dollars

61. (looking for/trying to find) a needle in a haystack

something which is impossible or extremely difficult to find, especially
because the area you have to search is too large
 Searching for one man in this city is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
 Saying you will achieve this task is similar to saying you will find a needle in
a haystack
 She was trying to find her daughter like a needle in a haystack when she
got separated in the mall. Instead she could have approached the
authorities to help her find the girl.

62. in a nutshell
to be brief and straight to the point; in a very clear way, using few words
 Well, to put it in a nutshell, we're lost.
 To put it in a nutshell, we're bankrupt.
 Okay, that’s our proposal in a nutshell. Any questions?
 A study of women at work says, in a nutshell, that opportunities have
opened up dramatically.
 Bob put it in a nutshell when he said the problems was essentially a lack of
communication
 She had summed up his immediate task in a nutshell.
 That, for me, sums up the movie in a nutshell.

63. be/get over sth

to feel physically or mentally better after an illness or an upsetting
experience /// to return to your usual state of health, happiness, etc. after an illness, a shock, the end of
a relationship, etc.
  It takes you a while to get over an illness like that.
 His girlfriend finished with him last year and he's not over her yet.
 He's not fully recovered, but he's over the worst (= has experienced the
worst stage of the illness and is now improving) .
 He was disappointed at not getting the job, but he'll get over it.

64. In/out of the picture

involved/not involved in a situation
 He used to be in the team, but he's gradually drifted out of the picture.
 Morris is likely to win, with Jones out of the picture now.
 Injury has effectively put Tiger Woods out of the picture as far as
international matches are concerned.
 Glen had told me she dropped out of the picture after the accident, but she
might remember something from that period.
 If you live long enough on South Vermont, you begin to feel not just
excluded but out of the picture entirely.
 Sharif is out of the picture, unable to return for 10 years under his exile
agreement.

65. piece of cake INFORMAL (track #47)

something which is very easy to do
 The exam was a piece of cake.
 Creating graphs is a piece of cake on the computer.‧ Getting tickets to the
game will be a piece of cake.
 But there is no use pretending the Saturn-Pluto effect will be a piece of
cake.
 My bone marrow was harvested a couple of weeks ago and the whole thing
was a piece of cake.

66. be smooth sailing

to be easy and without problems
 The roads were busy as we drove out of town, but after that it was plain
sailing.
 Things should be plain sailing from now on.


67. Pull yourself together

to become calm and behave normally again after being angry or upset
 Just pull yourself together. There's no point crying about it.
 Stop crying and pull yourself together!
 With an effort Mary pulled herself together
 Pull yourself together - you don't want him to see you crying like that.
 Pull yourself together. It's ridiculous to get upset about such a silly little
thing.
  But then she pulled herself together.
 Head in her hands, she tried to pull herself together.
 It's about time Joe pulled himself together.
 It took them seconds to pull themselves together and reorganize
themselves.

68. reinvent the wheel

to waste time trying to create something that someone else has already
created

 He had set out to reinvent the wheel; actually he wound up inventing it.
 I mean, why reinvent the wheel if it rolls?
 Learning by discovery doesn't mean reinventing the wheel each time you
need to move the wagon.

69. Rise and shine! HUMOROUS
said to tell someone to wake up and get out of bed
Wakey wakey, rise and shine!

70. be (caught) between a rock and a hard place

to be in a very difficult situation and to have to make a hard decision
 I can't make up my mind whose side I am on; I'm caught between a rock
and a hard place.
 I hate my job but cannot quit owing to my economic condition. I'm stuck
between a rock and a hard place.
 They are both my brothers! I can't go against either of them. I am
stuck between a rock and a hard place.

71. it's not rocket science (ALSO it doesn't take a rocket scientist)
HUMOROUS
used to say that something is not difficult to do or understand:
 Come on, it's only a crossword, it's not rocket science.
 Drugs equals crime. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.
 Go on, you can do it. It's not exactly rocket science, is it?
 Designing a website may be a lot of work but it’s not rocket science.

72. ˌSECOND ˈTHOUGHT noun [C ]

1. without a second thought

Used to say that someone does not think or worry about something:
 She dismissed the rumour without a second thought.
 If She'll spend a hundred pounds on a dress without a second thought.

2. have second thoughts

 to change your opinion about something or start to doubt it
 You're not having second thoughts about getting married, are you?
 She’d had second thoughts about the whole project

3. on second thoughts UK (US on second thought)

used when you want to change a decision you have made
 But perhaps, on second thoughts, it wasn't so strange: Luke was special,
unique.
 He was decisive and never wasted time on second thoughts.
 I'd like a cup of coffee, please - actually, on second thoughts, I'll have a
beer.

73. be set in your ways

to do the same things every day and to not want to change those habits

 As people get older, they often become set in their ways.

74. shoot the breeze US INFORMAL
to talk with someone or a group of people about things which are not
important
 We sat out on the porch, just shooting the breeze.
 Cal and I were sitting on the porch, shooting the breeze.
 Here I found four or five members slouched around a deal table shooting
the breeze
 Invited into a back room, I shot the breeze with a married couple who said
they ran the place

75. sit tight

to stay where you are and not move
 You'd better sit tight and I'll call the doctor.
 Just sit tight – I’ll be there in five minutes.
 You sit tight while I go and get some help.
 You might want to sit tight a few months and see what happens to the
stock market.
 He might just sit tight inside the castle.
 She is loath to encourage folks to sit tight.

76. a slap in the face INFORMAL

an action that insults or upsets someone
 It was a real slap in the face for him when she refused to go out to dinner
with him.
 George considered the salary they were offering a slap in the face.
  And make no mistake: He considers the Padres' offer a slap in the face --
even mimicking such a blow.
 Barnes's decision therefore came as somewhat of a slap in the face to
these well rehearsed points.

77. a slap on the back

when someone hits you in a friendly way on the back in order to show
praise for something you have done
 He's won - give him a slap on the back.
 Forbes slapped me on the back.
 He rushed over and slapped me on the back as I lifted a highball to my
lips.
 I go to slap her on the back but she waves my arm away impatiently.
 In those days it was considered bad form even to slap you on the back.‧
Jack said, and he slapped Streeter on the back of the head with his gun
hand.
 She slapped him on the back.

 a slap on the wrist INFORMAL

a warning or punishment that you think is not severe enough.
 The judge gave Minna a slap on the wrist for not wearing her seat belt.
 The fine was so low, it was little more than a slap on the wrist.
 So instead of a slap on the wrist I got promoted to high-flying executive
symptoms


 stab in the back

to do something harmful to someone who trusted you
 He had been lied to and stabbed in the back by people that he thought
were his friends.
 I was stabbed in the back because I don't have those problems with Steve
 It's so many stabs in the back… It's the whole system which is tucking us
up.
 MacQuillan had been stabbed in the back, there were no palm or
fingerprints on the weapon.
 let/blow off steam (track #42)
to do or say something that helps you to get rid of strong feelings or energy
 He lifts weights after work to let off steam.
 Jody lets her blow off steam first.
 Others have behavioural problems and need to let off steam in a safe and
controlled setting.
 She just needed to blow off steam.
 We let off steam in graffiti, vandalism and football hooliganism.
  You got upset, blew off steam.
 You want to let off steam?

 be struck dumb
to be so surprised by something that you cannot say anything
 We were struck dumb when she announced she was pregnant.
 I was told it was Duart was struck dumb.
 Once again I was struck dumb by the mystery of the world.
 One edged remark, and she would be struck dumb.

 get sth out of your system INFORMAL

you get rid of a wish or emotion, especially a negative one, by allowing
yourself to express it /// to do something that helps you get rid of unpleasant strong
feelings:
 I had a really good shout at him this morning and got it out of my system.
 I was furious, so I went for a run to get it out of my system.
 I couldn't get the feelings of guilt out of my system.

 talk turkey US INFORMAL

to discuss something honestly and directly
 OK, enough joking around - let's talk turkey.
 They said they would be willing to talk turkey at $125 per shipment.
 First, let's talk turkey.

 think outside the box (track #55)

to think imaginatively using new ideas instead of traditional or expected
ideas

 What the risk analysis approach in dam safety brought was the ability for
people to think outside the box


 tip of the iceberg

a small noticeable part of a problem, the total size of which is really much
greater
 These small local protests are just the tip of the iceberg.
 The reported cases of food poisoning are only the tip of the iceberg.
 Despite these praiseworthy efforts, only the tip of the iceberg has been
noticeably affected.
  However, revolutionary technological innovation represents only the tip of
the iceberg.
 This glitch would prove but the tip of the iceberg.
 Advertising, however, turned out to be only the tip of the iceberg.
 And that could be just the tip of the iceberg as official monitoring picks up
only a fraction of illegal pollution.
 off the top of your head INFORMAL
from the knowledge you have in your memory /// if you say something off the top
of your head, you say it immediately, without thinking carefully about it or checking the facts:
 "What's the capital of Mauritania?" "I couldn't tell you off the top of my
head, but I could go and look it up."
 There are some good restaurants around here, but I can't tell you their
names off the top of my head.
 I keep doing stuff off the top of my head.
 In my imagination, I can lift off the top of my head, just like a lid.
 "How old is Chris?" "I don't know off the top of my head."
 "Do you remember her name?" "Not off the top of my head."
 touch base
to talk to someone for a short time to find out how they are or what they
think about something
 I just wanted to quickly touch base with you: did you get an email from my
secretary about the meeting?
 It's important to touch base with our allies in this issue.
 I just wanted to touch base with you.

 be in/out of touch
If you are in touch/out of touch with a subject, activity or situation, your
knowledge about it is recent/not recent. /// to have the latest information or knowledge
about something:

 He's not really in touch with what young people are interested in.
 I didn't look at a newspaper all the time I was on holiday, so I'm
completely out of touch.
 A regular newsletter keeps people in touch with local events.
 The speech was good and you felt he was in touch with people’s needs.
 Rescuers were kept in touch through radio links.
 I don't know what kind of music kids listen to these days -- I'm really out
of touch.
 The press accused MacGregor of being out of touch with the campaign he
was supposed to be running.


 get off the track SPOKEN

 to start talking about something that is not part of what you should be
talking about. /// To begin to deal with a new subject rather than the main one which was
being discussed:
 I think we're getting off the track here - we're supposed to be discussing
our advertising campaign.
 Don’t get off the track, we’re looking at this year’s figures not last year’s.
 After debating, I decided that I should not get off the track.
 I almost wet in my pants before I got off the track to relieve myself.


 be treading water
to not be advancing in any way /// to make no progress in a particular situation,
especially because you are waiting for something to happen:
 I think she feels that she's just treading water in that job.
 All I could do was tread water until the contracts arrived.
 A few persist in southern Florida, where, literally and figuratively, they
appear to be treading water.
 All the time he thought he was gaining westward, he had been virtually
treading water.
 He treads water in heavy seas, yelling to search planes overhead.
 He trod water and realized at once how cold he was
 .
 turn over a new leaf
to start behaving in a better way /// to change the way you behave and become a better
person:
 Apparently he's turned over a new leaf and he's not smoking any more.
 I see fatherhood as a chance to turn over a new leaf
 Faldo, perhaps above all, will be hoping to turn over a new leaf.
 Like all fathers, I see fatherhood as a chance to turn over a new leaf.
 Monnett agrees too, so much that he has turned over a new leaf.
 There is no indication that Hollywood is turning over a new leaf, free of
bloodstains.
 We urge them to turn over a new leaf.

 twist sb's arm INFORMAL

to persuade someone to do something they do not want to do
 I didn't want to go but Linda twisted my arm.
 No one twisted my arm about coming to see you.
 "Go on, have another drink." "Oh well, if you twist my arm."
 I'm sure he would never have come if I hadn't twisted his arm a little.
 We had to twist her arm to get her to come.
 be/feel under the weather INFORMAL
to be or feel slightly ill.
 I'm feeling a bit under the weather - I think I've caught a cold.
 You look a bit under the weather.
 And young Curtis has been a bit under the weather, missed training this
week, so he's out.
 I began to feel under the weather on Thursday morning after leaving Coro.
 It was too early in the trip for a serious attempt and all of us were
decidedly under the weather.
 Like our own, Botham's finances are a little under the weather.
 Marie's pretty under the weather for the next couple of days.
 You will have off days when you are tired or a bit under the weather.
 on the whole
generally true
 We have our bad times but on the whole we're fairly happy.
 On the whole, I thought the film was pretty good.
 But on the whole we had found less pollution than we anticipated.
 He appeared on the whole to be middle-aged.
 He next appears alone, and yet maintains his infected speech: The
vengeance on the whole camp
 On the whole, he seems like an intelligent, likable person.

 Not be out of the wood(s) yet INFORMAL
used to say that there are likely to be more difficulties before things improve

 The club has been given funding for another year, but it's not out of the
woods yet.

 man/woman of his/her word
someone who keeps their promises /// man or woman who does what they have
promised to do)

 Roz was talking so much that nobody else could get a word in edgeways!
 He was a man of his word, and I had great respect for his intellect.
 But Dan is a man of his word.
 Crazy Horse was a man of his word and was furious at the duplicity of the
white man....
 He was, as much as was possible in a world where the buck was almighty,
a man of his word.

 not get a word in (edgewise ) INFORMAL

to not be able to say anything because someone else is talking all the
time.
  Once George starts talking it’s difficult to get a word in edgeways.
 He found that even if he could get a word in edgewise it was encircled and
cut off right away.
 He told her it had not been easy to get a word in
 No one else can get a word in edgeways.
 She barely got a word in.

 Rip off (track #15)

something that is not worth what you pay for it
 "It cost £200 to get it fixed." "What a rip-off!"
 The meal cost me $80 - it was a total rip-off.
 The meal was a rip-off and the service was appalling
 the 100 dollar jacket is such a rip off.
 I came to rip off any of this dusty old shit that the man has.
 That's a rip off. You shouldn't have spent so much

 Squeaky clean (track #13)

Completely clean
 I like my hair to be squeaky clean.
 An all-American boy with a squeaky clean image.
 The floor is squeaky clean.
 How squeaky clean can I get?
 John has a squeaky clean reputation.
 Verily, Jacob's Mouse are squeaky clean.


 Bestie (track #12)

Someone´s best friend
 an all-American boy with a squeaky clean image.
 The floor is squeaky clean.
 How squeaky clean can I get?
 John has a squeaky clean reputation.
 Verily, Jacob's Mouse are squeaky clean.

 Train wreck (track #11)

something that fails completely or goes extremely badly
/// A disastrous outcome or occurrence; a catastrophe:

 Lindsay Lohan did make very kid-friendly movies, but her personal life was,
to say the least, a train-wreck before she hit her twenties.
  The Chicago Bulls, despite all their money and semi-recent championships,
are a train wreck.
 What we're witnessing here in what was supposed to have been a
championship season for Democrats is a potential train wreck.

 Douchebag (track #10)

An unpleasant person /// an unpleasant, offensive, or contemptible person: a mildly vulgar
term /// used to refer to a person, especially a man, that you find extremely unpleasant and offensive
 But that douchebag Ron wasn't returning any of my phone calls.


 Full of crap (track #09)

Very bad ///something someone says that you think is completely wrong or untrue SYN rubbish:
 Television is full of crap about election time.
 I think the old guy is full of crap and what he has done in the years
wouldn't help any organization much.


 Pig out (track #08) INFORMAL

To eat a lot of or too much all at once

 I found Sam in front of the TV, pigging out on pizza and fries.
 Last night we pigged out and ate three pizzas.
 Alicia concentrated on the eggs and caviar, making a pig out of herself,
slapping full spoons of caviar on the eggs.
 Bella can pig out whenever there's a carton of Ben Jerry's in the freezer.
 You crave steak because you need protein, scarf up sardines for the salt,
and pig out on potatoes because they are energy-dense
 I found Sam in front of the TV, pigging out on pizza and fries.
 We pigged out on all the lovely cakes and pastries.
 Last night we pigged out and ate three pizzas.
 We pigged out on pizza in front of the TV.

 Uptight (track #06)

worried or nervous and not able to relax /// behaving in a bad-tempered way
towards other people, especially because you are always nervous or worried about something ‧
 I wish you would stop being so uptight.
 My parents have always been uptight about me dating boys.
 Try to laugh at it instead of getting uptight.
 Tonight he is manic, wired and uptight.
 I was too uptight.
 Don't get so uptight.
  Relax! You're getting too uptight about it.
 He's feeling a bit uptight about his exam tomorrow.
 He gets all uptight if anyone criticizes him!

 In no time (track #05)

Very quickly
 And in no time at all, they see their dreams come true.
 He got back to normal in no time.‧ He made Tracy in no time.
 If Sien went back with them, she would be driven back to her old life in no
time.
 If you're telling the truth, Peter, you can be back here in no time.
 (1)The children ate their dinner in no time.
 (2) We'll do up your car in no time at all.
 (3) He reached the bottom of the steps in no time.
 (4) His mother whipped up a cake in no time on his birthday. Sentencedict.com
 (5) In no time the locusts came down and started eating everything.


 Jonesing (track #04)

To want sth very much
 I'm jonesing for a coffee - can we take a break?
 And as for the sweets thing, he must be jonesing for a candy bar big time,
by now.
 The rain tree at sunset was exquisite, but after a few minutes Pender found
himself jonesing for a football game.
 Trust me, it's the kind of movie you'll be jonesing for in about a month
once the Bruckheimers and Bays are through brutalizing your brainpan

 don't quote me on that (track #03)

1.- I'm not 100% sure, so don't consider this as indisputable truth. Don't
consider me a reference. /// that usually it just means that the speaker is not
100% sure about the accuracy of the statement.
2.- I'm telling you this in confidence. Please don't tell anyone that I said it. I
don't want people to know that I was the source of this information.

 I don't think the company is doing very well, but don't quote me on that.

No me lo crean a min; No digan que se los dije

 To rub elbows (track #02)

o meet or spend time with someone socially, esp. someone important
or famous
  As a reporter he gets to rub shoulders with all the big names in politics.
 We enjoyed being able to rub elbows with other young people from all over the
world.
 How could you rub elbows with others and help them at this moment?
 Apparently she prefers not to rub elbows with his friends.
 It is important for a politician to rub elbows with influential people.
 My parents are worried that I might rub elbows with the wrong people.
 She always told me not to rub elbows with those people.
 It will be interesting to rub elbows with all those famous people.

 what the heck is going on (track #01)

 goody goody (track #33)

a person who behaves extremely well in order to please a superior

 quality time (track #32)

time that you spend with someone, giving them your full attention
because you value the relationship

 go-getter (N) (track #31)

someone who is very energetic, determined to be successful, and able
to deal with new or difficult situations easily:
 George was a go-getter; he wasn't afraid to take a risk.
 You can´t just wait for opportunities to be handed to you. You need to be
more of go-getter
 You can't help admiring Debbie -- she's a real go-getter

 behind the times (track #30)
not fashionable or modern
 Our equipment is a bit behind the times.
 My mom doesn´t have an email. She is a little behind the times.
 Dad´s a bit behind the times.
 I was about fifty years behind the times.
 New York was not behind the times in strange smells

 down to earth (track #29)

practical, reasonable, realistic and direct in a sensible honest way:
 I like to work with Helen because she is so down to earth, she planning
every details.
 Fran’s a friendly, down-to-earth person.
 She's sophisticated, but also practical and down-to-earth.
  People are surprised by what an unpretentious, down-to-earth guy he
really is.

 couch potato (track #28)

someone who spends a lot of time sitting and watching television
 "I was a complete couch potato," Lewis said, "I didn't even like walking to
the store."
 Mitchell is a self-described "couch potato".
 Joel! Stop behind a couch Potato, turn off the TV.

 Cheapskate INFORMAL (track #27)
SYN: mean ///Someone who spends as little money as possible –
used to show disapproval:
 Howard rode with us in the taxi, but the cheapskate didn't offer to pay any
of the fare.
 I'm not going out with those cheapskates again - they didn't buy a drink all
night!
 My Dad´s such a a cheapskate that he cuts his hair himself.

 Busybody (track #26)

a person who is too interested in things that do not involve them.
 I can't believe the number of busybodies who ask me when I'm going to
have another baby.
 My aunt is such a busybody, She is always asking noisy questions about
my love life.


 my bad SPOKEN –INFORMAL (track #25)

used to say that you have made a mistake or that something is your
fault
 That was my bad! I need to apologize
 You brought the wrong book, Ok My bad, I´ll go get it”

 heads up (track #24)

a warning that something is going to happen, usually so that you can
prepare for it
 This email is just to give you a heads up that Lucy will be arriving next
week.


 chick flick (track #21)

a movie about (track #21) relationships, love, etc. that attracts
mainly women
  chick flick (book, show, movies)

 wicked (track #17)

morally wrong and bad

 loose cannon (track #16)

someone who behaves in an uncontrolled or unexpected way and is
likely to cause problems for other people

 hit on (track #52)

to show someone that you are sexually attracted to them

 kick it off (track #51)

If you kick off a discussion or an activity, you start it

 Take guts (track #50)

You need a lot of courage to..., You have to be brave to...

 Sound like a broken record (track #44)

to say the same thing over and over again

 it is up to you
you are responsible for a decision ; it´s your decision
 Hey Mon; so you really think I should donate these? .-Its´s up to you,
honey, whatever you wanna do
 Honey, would you want me to take your name? .- Oh, It´s up to you. You
gotta live with it…

 Make it up to (sb) 
To do sth useful or good for someone in exchange for their
forgiveness

 I´m sorry I was such a jerk, I feel like I should make it up to you somehow
  I haven´t been that nice to you, and I´m sorry. If there´s any way I can
make it up to you…. Hey! I know
 See picture:

 Be up to do sth 
To be well enough, strong enough, or good enough for a particular
activity
 Well If I didn´t think you were up tp the task, you wouldn´t have been
fifth on my list.

a hot potato
Meaning: a controversial issue or situation that is awkward or unpleasant to deal with.
Example: The subject of bullying and fighting in my school is a hot potato.
Source: theidioms.com

a bed of roses
Meaning: easy option
Example: Taking care of my younger sister is no bed of roses; she is very silly
Source: theidioms.com

Source: theidioms.com

devil's advocate
Meaning: one who presents a counter argument
Example: Hey Jack! You're always playing devil's advocate! Give it a rest and mind your own
business
Source: theidioms.com

zip your lip

Meaning: to stop talking
 Example: I don't want to hear another sound out of you. Now do as you're told and zip your lip.

 To Fall through the cracks

To overlook something

 To be in the limelight:
To receive attention and ineptest from, the public; at the center of
public attention
 Tad loves being in the limelight
 How do her children feel about having a mother who's constantly in the
limelight
 The band is in the limelight again because of its recent hit single.
 He´s been in the limelight recently, following the release of his new movie.

 Take a trip down memory lane

To deliberately recall pleasant or sentimental memories. //
when you spend some time remembering the past:
 She returned to her old school yesterday for a trip down memory lane.
 The doctor calls it a panic attack, I call it a trip down memory lane for big
bro.
 This will be a trip down memory lane for the right hon. Gentleman.
 Let´s go there and take a trip down memory lane.
 Before we take a trip down memory lane, let´s look at the facts.

 Crank out sth:

to produce a lot of something very quickly:
 He cranked out three novels last year.
 The creative-writing industry is cranking out reams of stuff that nobody in
his or her right mind would ever want to read.
 But even without the construction project, she'd still struggle to crank out
prose.
 Roger can crank out a lot of essays in single day.

 Know/learn the ropes

all the things someone needs to know to do a job or deal with a
system: (=has a lot of experience)
 I spent the first month just learning the ropes.
 He works repairing streets, and knows the ropes when it comes to safety.
 Once I learn the ropes at my new job, I won´t be so nervous.

 Line of work
Job or occupation, the principal activity in your life that you do to
earn money.
  In my line of work, being surrounded by gadgets is an occupational
requirement.

 the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree

used to say that children are usually similar qualities or talents to
their parents, especially in a bad way.
 Just like her father, She´s always dishonest. The apple doesn´t fall far
from the tree.

A bad apple:
A person who creates problems.
 Frank was expelled from school because his teachers said that he was a
bad apple.

bite the bullet informal ACCEPT

to force yourself to do sth that´s unpleasant or difficult, because
you cannot avoid it any longer:
 I finally bit the bullet and left.

To burn one´s bridges: Informal DECIDE

to do something with the result that you will not be able to return
to a previous situation again, even if you want to:

 I’m really tempted to take up that job offer in Washington, but I don’t
want to burn my boats with this company.

by the skin of your teeth informal JUST/A MOMENT AGO

if you do something by the skin of your teeth, you only just
succeed in doing it, and very nearly failed to do it:
 Two others made it by the skin of their teeth.
 Jeff just got into college by the skin of his teeth.
 The business is surviving, but only by the skin of its teeth
 Frank passed his driving test by the skin of his teeth.
 He escaped from the secret police by the skin of his teeth.

cost an arm and a leg

(=have a price that is much too high) To be very expensive
 A skiing holiday needn’t cost you an arm and a leg.
 Angel crashed my car and it cost an arm and a leg to get it fixed.

the elephant in the (living) room

an important subject or problem that everyone knows about but no
one mentions:
  The race issue is the elephant in the room in this election.
 At the meeting today nobody mentioned the elephant in the room, which
was that our boss was clearly drunk.

Fit as a fiddle
In good health /// fit and strong

 I had surgery a couple of months ago, but I feel as fit as a fiddle now.
 Her grandfather is almost 90, but he´s fit as a fiddle.

food for thought THINK STH/HAVE A THOUGHT

something that makes you think carefully:
 The teacher’s advice certainly gave me food for thought.
 The study on poverty certainly offers food for thought to America's leaders.
 And there is plenty of food for thought
 He never got past the words food for thought.

give somebody the cold shoulder informal IGNORE

to deliberately ignore someone or be unfriendly to them, especially
because they have upset or offended you
 She was sure that at some point she'd given some one the cold shoulder
and hurt them badly without noticing.
 So they have given girlfriends the cold shoulder
 Cindy is annoyed with frank so now she´s giving him the cold shoulder.

Cold Turkey:
an unpleasant physical condition suffered by people who stop taking a
drug that they are addicted to:
 addicts who are made to go cold turkey.
 I quit that shit cold turkey and never did it again.

go with the flow (SAME)

to agree that you will do the thing that most people want to do:
 I don’t mind, I’ll just go with the flow.
 If you want to stay sane, just go with the flow.
 Chretien is an opportunist who goes with the flow.
 Relax - and go with the flow.
 Then allow yourself to be carried gently downstream, going with the flow.

grin and bear it

(=accept sth that´s difficult or unpleasant without complaining)
  It was a horrible job but she had to grin and bear it.

have a sweet tooth
to really like eating sweet things that taste of sugar (chocolates, cake.
Etc)
 Danny's always had a sweet tooth.
 If you have a sweet tooth, it is much better to make them part of a meal.

have your head in the clouds SPEND TIME

to think about something in a way that is not practical or sensible,
especially when you think things are much better than they really are
 I wouldn´t start a business with him if I were you because he always has
his head in the clouds.

 Hit the book

To study (intensely)
 I have an important exam next week, so I really need to hit the books this
weekend.

 To hit the nail on the head: Informal

used to say that what someone has said is exactly right:
 You’ve hit the nail on the head there, David.
 If Jack had been trying to find a way to impress Polly he had hit the nail on
the head.
 She might dislike Piers Morrison, but he had a knack of hitting the nail on
the head.

 In hot water:
if someone is in hot water, they are in trouble because they have
done something wrong:
 The finance minister found himself in hot water over his business interests.
 Frank is frequently in hot water

(keep your) chin up! Spoken

HAPPY: used to tell someone to make an effort to stay brave and
confident when they are in a difficult situation:
 Chin up! It’ll be over soon.
 She lost her job recently but she´s trying to keep her chin up.
 Keep your chin up! We'll get through this together!

the last straw (also final straw)

 LAST: the last problem in a series of problems that finally makes
you give up, get angry etc:
 Making me work late on Friday was the last straw.
 Suzy lying to me about the money was the last straw
 For some, the effort to silence Zundel was the last straw.
 His electoral thefts were the last straw
 When he arrived late the third time, it was the last straw, and his boss
fired him:

To be like riding a bike:

Said of sth that you never forget how to do
 A: I haven´t been swimming in years.
B: Don´t worry. It´s like riding a bike

 like two peas in a pod informal

SAME: exactly the same in appearance, behaviour etc
 They´re like two peas in the pod, so it´s not surprising that people often
think they´re brothers.

 make ends meet SURVIVE

to have only just enough money to buy the things you need:
 When Mike lost his job, we could barely make ends meet.
 My mother had to work 12 hours a day in a factory just to make ends meet
 Old people on pensions are finding it hard to make ends meet
 To make ends meet, she works for a travel company and makes dumplings
for a cafeteria.

 no pain, no gain
You need to work hard, to achieve sth/// used to say that you can
only achieve something, for example become fitter, by suffering or
working hard.

 not be your cup of tea spoken

DON'T LIKE: to not be the type of thing that you like:
 Jazz just isn’t my cup of tea – I prefer classical music.

 on the ball informal

INTELLIGENT able to think or act quickly and intelligently:
 an assistant who’s really on the ball.
 He was turning on the ball right away against veteran pitchers.
 Parks is a man who knows how to keep his eye on the ball.
 A photographer who was on the ball got some great pictures of the
incident.

 pull sb’s leg JOKE

to tell someone something that is not true, as a joke:
 I haven’t won, have I? You’re pulling my leg.
 Did Ronnie really call or are you just pulling my leg?
 Don't worry. I was just pulling your leg about moving - I'm not going
anywhere
 I think he was just pulling your leg.

 (come) rain or shine spoken

WEATHER: whatever happens or whatever the weather is like:
 Don’t worry. We’ll be there – rain or shine.
 The working week began every Monday, rain or shine.


 Burrow runs two miles, rain or shine, everyday.

 give something away (also spill the beans) informal

to tell someone something that you want to keep secret:
 He was careful not to give away any trade secrets.
 I’m not going to give away how much I paid for it!
 John was having an affair and his colleague spilled the beans to his wife.

 To take a rain check spoken

use this to tell someone that you cannot accept their invitation at
the time they have suggested, but would like to do it at some time
in the future
 Care for a drink?’ ‘I’ll take a rain check, thanks.’
 The warning voice could go take a rain check, she thought
 "How about dinner tonight?" "Sorry -- I'll have to take a rain check on that.

teach somebody a lesson INFORMAL

PUNISH: if someone or something teaches you a lesson, you are
punished for something you have done, so that you will not want
to do it again
 He was treating me badly, so I left - I just wanted to teach him a lesson.
 I hope a night in the cells has taught you a lesson
 They say they beat Scott up to teach him a lesson.
 The risk of inflation teaches us another lesson: Do not play it too safe.
 They need to be taught a lesson!

through thick and thin

PROBLEM: in spite of any difficulties or problems:

 Then, families stuck together through thick and thin.

 I'm so grateful to Barb- she's supported me through thick and thin.
 The old pull of party allegiance, support for your party through thick and
thin, is fading.

under the table informal

ILLEGAL money that is paid under the table is paid secretly and
illegally:
 Payments were made under the table to local officials.
 Andrea suddenly ducked under the table to avoid Heather
 He looks under the table and sees a bare toe rubbing the toe of his
sneaker.

your guess is as good as mine spoken (I don´t know)

DON'T CARE: used to tell someone that you do not know any more
than they do about something.

 "When's the next bus coming?" "Your guess is as good as mine."

 "Who do you think will win the World Cup?" "Your guess is as good as
mine."

 A little bird toll me

You heard sth from a secret source;
 A little bird told me that you’ve got engaged.
 A little bird told me it was your birthday today

 AS THE CROW FLIES

in a straight line:
 ten miles from here as the crow flies

 KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE

to achieve two things with one action
 Adding five examples to the chapters that at present lack them would kill
two birds with one stone.
 By promoting these new investors, Mr Alphandéry could kill two birds with
one stone

 CURIOSITY KILL THE CAT

used to tell someone not to ask too many questions about
something
 The townspeople had learned the hard way that curiosity killed the cat -
you stayed indoors if there was trouble.

Cat got your tongue? (also Lost your tongue?) spoken

TALK TO SB: used to ask someone why they are not talking
 What's happened to all your brains, Frankie boy? Cat got your tongue?
 What are you so quiet?- Cat got your tongue
  bark up the wrong tree informal
WRONG/INCORRECT to have a wrong idea, or do something in a way that
will not give you the information or result you want:
 The police spent three months barking up the wrong tree on the murder
investigation.
 Could he once again be barking up the wrong tree?
 In retrospect it now seems that both camps were barking up the wrong
tree
 My sister was barking up the wrong tree when she accused me of taking
her favorite shirt,

 be packed like sardines

CROWD: to be crowded tightly together in a small space:
 commuters packed like sardines on the evening train
 We were packed like sardines on the train
 On the other side of the building turtles are packed like sardines into more
tanks.

 when pigs fly

something that will never happen or is impossible.
 William will keep quiet only when pigs fly.
 I told my husband that I would stop eating chocolate when pigs fly

 don’t count your chickens (before they’re hatched)

EXPECT: spoken used to say that you should not make plans that depend on
something good happening, because it might not:
 I wouldn’t count your chickens, Mr Vass. I’ve agreed to sign the contract,
but that’s all.
 If you want to go on a date sometime, you can ask me. But don't count
your chickens.
 You'll probably get the job, but don't count your chickens just yet.

 put the cart before the horse

to do two things in the wrong order
 It seems to me that Mr Topolski is putting the cart before the horse.
 This may sound like putting the cart before the horse and being
unnecessarily pessimistic.
 Don´t put the cart before the horse by quitting your job before you have
another one.

 Straight from the horse´s mouth

To get information directly from the source
  If you don´t believe me, ask him and hear it straight from the horse´s
mouth

 Hit the hay
To go to bed
 After learning these fifty idioms, you are probably going to be ready to hit
the hay.

 Keep an eye open/out

to watch carefully so that you will notice when someone or
something appears:
 Keep an eye out for snakes in the field.
 Always keeping an eye out in case of thieves.
 And we had to keep an eye open for police patrols

 Keep your eyes peeled/skinned spoken

to watch carefully and continuously for something
 She stumbled along, keeping her eyes peeled for a phone box.
 f you are interested, keep your eyes peeled for nomination lists to that
effect
 One final word on buying components, keep your eyes peeled for products
that are about to be discontinued.
 She still kept her eyes skinned for people coming up the drive though
 The village was in complete wilderness, our toilet a local bush - keeping
our eyes peeled for lions!
 We keep our eyes peeled for Forest Service Road 670.

 see eye to eye

if two people see eye to eye, they agree with each other:
 We didn’t exactly see eye to eye.
 I don’t always see eye to eye with my father.

 Eyes bigger than your stomach

When you take more food than you can eat
 When I put all this food on my plate for Thanksgiving, my Eyes were bigger
than my stomach

 Chip on your shoulder
holding grudge or grievance or feeling wronged.///
///feel you are not as good as other people /// easily become offended
or angry because you think you have been treated unfairly in the past
/// to be sensitive about sth that happened in the past and become
easily offended if it is mentioned because you think that you were
treated unfairly /// to feel inferior or badly treated and so act in an
oversensitive and resentful manner (informal)

 He has a real chip on his shoulder about being adopted.

 The Doyle kid has had a chip on his shoulder ever since his mom and dad
divorced.
 In some cases folks are just mad and have a chip on their shoulder.
 He's got a chip on his shoulder about not having been to university.

 bend over backwards (to do something)

TRY TO DO OR GET STH: to make great effort
 We bent over backwards to finish it on time.
 The authors, however, bend over backwards to avoid consideration of that
particular class scenario.
 You should bend over backwards to avoid bitter personal rows and the
holding of grudges.

 to add insult to injury

to make a bad situation worse for someone who has already been
treated badly:
 She not only deceived him but, to add insult to injury, allowed him to pay
for her meal.
 People over age 65 who work get fewer benefits and, to add insult to injury
, they have to pay more in taxes.
 The, to add insult to injury, it started raining heavily

rub salt into the wound informal

to make a bad situation even worse for someone
 Ronald rubbed salt into the wound by scoring with their first genuine
scoring attempt.
 To rub salt into the wound, they had Michael Mols sent off.

behind sb’s back SECRET

to do sth bad secretively /// if you do something behind someone’s
back, you do it without them knowing:
 I don’t like the idea of the two of them talking about me behind my back.
 I should have realized that he’d go behind my back (=do something
without telling me).
 I'm not happy about you going behind my back like that. You should have
told me
 I'm sure the other girls are talking about me behind my back.
 I thought you were my friend. Now I find you've been talking about me
behind my back.
 People laughed at him behind his back
 burn the candle at both ends
use energy without being efficient
 I have been burning the candle at both ends by working a morning job and
a night time job.

burn the midnight oil informal

to work hard or study until late at night
 Five worlds split into several sections is certainly enough to keep you
burning the midnight oil.
 Ingrid and other loyal friends spent long hours burning the midnight oil
with her when it came to the final typing
 I´ve been burning the midnight oil to finish my project on time.

 Running on fumes
Working until you are exhausted.
 Making holiday preparations has left me so tired I feel like I am running on
fumes!

 Cut corners
To do sth in the quickest, easiest, cheapest way.
 I tried to cut corners when I was making the meal, but I just ruined the
whole thing.

 set/start/keep/ get the ball rolling

To get sth started /// to start something happening:
 You want to get the ball rolling on your English skills, so you’re watching
this lesson!
 To start the ball rolling, the government was asked to contribute £1 million.
 Ali MacGraw set the ball rolling with Love Story
 And laughter is infectious ... so a little bit of effort on the small screen
could start the ball rolling
 Does that make a difference, or did he and others just start the ball rolling?

 (go) back to the drawing board (track #115)

PLAN: if you go back to the drawing board, you start again with a
completely new plan or idea, after the one you tried before has
failed :
 The current system just isn’t working – we need to go back to the drawing
board and start afresh.
 They must go back to the drawing board and review the whole of youth
training

 That ship has sailed (track #114)

 Missed an opportunity
I wanted to buy some shoes at 50% off but when I went back to the store I
realize that ship has sailed, the sale is over.

 Train has left the station (track #113)

The process is already underway
 My husband said he didn´t want to go to the party but that train had
already left the station because I told the host that we would be there.


 Drive sb up the wall spoken (track #112)

To make sb be very angry, irritated or annoyed:
 That noise is driving me up the wall (=making me annoyed).
 When my neighbor’s dog was barking all night it was driving me up the wall

 On the fence (track #111)

Unable to make a decision
 You can't sit on the fence any longer - what's it going to be

 hear something on (through) the grapevine (track #110)

RUMOR to hear about something because the information has been
passed from one person to another in conversation:
 I heard about his resignation on the grapevine.
 How did you hear that she´s pregnant? .-I heard it through the grapevine

 a short fuse (track #109)
BAD-TEMPERED: if someone has a short fuse, they get angry very
easily
 Tom's a chap with a temper on a short fuse anyway
 And you don't fool with those because things are on a shorter fuse in
Beirut.
 Girls today sure have short fuses.
 Mrs Popple had long been known to have a short temper.


 A stone´s throw away (track #108)

A short distance
 I´m so happy that the closest grocery store is just a stone´s throw away
 My grandfather, my father's father, literally lived a stone's throw away
from the Juarez
 

 at the drop of a hat (track #107)

Immediately and without delay:
 Some of these corporations threaten to sue at the drop of a hat
 He's willing to organize anything guests want at the drop of a hat.
 I know that my friend will help me at the drop of a hat.
 Don´t worry, I will come to your house at the drop of a hat.

 Cut to the chase (track #106)

Get to the point, get on with it
 In business meetings, Richardson likes to cut to the chase.
 I told her to cut to the chase: Are you going on a date or not?

 cross that bridge when you come to it (track #105)

WORRIED: used to say that you will not think or worry about something
until it actually happens.
 "What if they refuse?" "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

 cry over spilt milk (track #104)

REGRET/FEEL SORRY: to waste time feeling sorry about an earlier
mistake or problem that cannot be changed:
 It’s no use crying over spilt milk.
 It is now too late to cry over spilt milk.
 It was disappointing, to say the least, but there's no point crying over spilt
milk
 Nora Simpson didn't believe in crying over spilt milk.

 Thick headed (track #116)

extremely stupid, dull–witted; inflexible
 He’s so thick-headed he can’t understand simple instructions.
 Don´t be thick in the head: Think logically about this situation.
 You already know that he is thick in the head, so don´t stress yourself.


 let your hair down INFORMAL (track #117)

RELAXED: to enjoy yourself and start to relax, especially after
working very hard:
 The party gave us all a chance to really let our hair down.
 Playing softball is just a good way to let your hair down and have fun.
 You can really let your hair down and do what you want at the club
 You feel like you can let your hair down, you can be yourself.
 I had a really stress day today. I think. I´m just going to let my hair down.
 Sindy spent the weekends letting her hair down by watching 3 movies back
to back.
 It´s Saturday night! Why don´t you stop being so serious and just let your
hair down for a change?

 Face the music informal (track #118)

to accept responsibility, criticism or punishment for something
you have done
 I had to face the music, I had to face myself
 It was hard to believe that it was almost time to face the music.
 It was not just Diana who had to face the music but her parents as well.
 Now she can face the music.
 Robert broke a vase, and have to face the music when his father got home.
 After failing a Math exam, Sara had to go home and face the music.
 Stop worrying about it and just face the music.

 (have) egg on your face (track #119)

EMBARRASSED: if someone, especially someone in authority, has
egg on their face, they have been made to look stupid by
something embarrassing:
 The Pentagon’s been left with egg on its face.
 People like me, who believed the firing squad had been assembled, were
left with egg on our faces
 Sarah had egg on her face after saying she was much better than anyone
else in math, ant hen receiving the lowest score in the final math test.
 I was completely wrong and now I have egg of my face.
 Alex had egg on his face after saying he could easily do fifty push-ups and
then giving up after doing just twenty.

 Come to your senses (track #120)

(=to start to think clearly and behave sensibly again) To become
reasonable after being foolish
 One day he’ll come to his senses and see what a fool he’s been.
 I wish you would come to your senses and look for a better job.
 They are waiting for him to come to his senses and realizes that he was
wrong.
 His mother wanted him to come to his senses and start studying for his
exam.
 I wish you would come to your senses and break up with him. He is not a
good guy.
 have something/be written all over your face
OBVIOUS: to show very clearly what you are feeling or thinking:
 He had guilt written all over his face
 know you’re lying, Tyrell – it’s written all over your face.
 I know she´s guilty. It´s written all over her face.
 I can tell something amazing has happened. It´s written all over your face.
Tell me what it is!

 Lose face
To suffer a loss of respect /// to be humiliated
 He doesn’t want to back down (=accept defeat in an argument) and risk
losing face.

 give somebody a hard time informal

a)to treat someone badly or cause problems for them :
 Giving you a hard time, is she?
 She left the company because her boss was giving her a really hard time.
 Stop giving me such a hard time. I'm doing my best.
 They reached the border where officials gave them a hard time.

b)to criticize someone a lot:

 Hostile critics have given Hartman a hard time.
 Why do you give me such a hard time?

 cut it/that out spoken

used to tell someone to stop doing something because it is
annoying you:
 Hey, you guys, cut it out – Mom’s trying to get some sleep.
 Rusty, cut it out, I'm trying to study in here.
 As for refined sugar - cut it out, as much as you can.
 Come on, kid, cut that out

 a tough call
a difficult decision
 It was a tough call but we had to cancel the game because of the weather.
 It´s a very tough call

 It´s /that´s a bummer

a situation that is disappointing, annoying and makes you unhappy:
 It was a real bummer being ill on holiday.
 Screw it/that sth
It means: “I don´t really care about I”
 Screw the roommate agreement.

 No biggie
Used to say that sth is not a serious problem or not difficult at all; not
a big deal
 ‘Oh, I’m sorry.’ ‘No biggie.’
 "Oh, I'm sorry." "That's okay, no biggie."

 Dorky
Stupid, foolish, ridiculous ///physically or socially awkward or not
fashionable.
 I look like a real dork in this uniform.
 You lost the tickets? How could you be such a dorky?
 She was a dorky to drink so much on an empty stomach
 Right, You are so dorky!

 Snooty
rude and unfriendly, because you think you are better than other people
SYN snotty:
 snooty neighbours
 Now, you just follow me and act snooty.
 I called over the smart and snooty shop assistant to ask why such a pricey
outfit sported such ` crinkles'.
 And I´m going to kick your snooty ass all the way to Miami,

 Lame
Sth uninspiring, unsophisticated or stupid; failing to be cool, funny or
interesting.
2.- weak, unsatisfactory or not deserving to be believed.
 God, we were lame back then.
 9:00! God! Oh this party was lame
 You wanna see my time machine? Its at my friend´s house” How lame is
that?

 Perky T-140
confident, happy, and active:
 a perky salesgirl
 I´m speechless too, everything´s as perky as we´ve always imagined.
 No, They said I was too perky
 I wanted to be cute and perky, but I wasn't.
 she lost her perky personality, her sense of humor

 Icky T-139
very unpleasant, especially to look at, taste, or feel SYN yucky:
2.- too sentimental or emotional
 There was some icky black stuff between the tiles.
 What's this icky black stuff on the tree?
 Though late one night, not much light, I stepped in some icky.
 We often feel like talking about it is this icky, embarrassing, ugly thing,

 When it rains, it pours T-138
Bad things happen at the same time
 I would just go, when it rains, it pours, I would just go the full way and I'd
listen
 Hotter air holds more water, so when it rains, it pours. Floods wash away
 And as the saying goes, "When it rains it pours."


 Nip something in the bud T-137

Stop a bad situation from becoming worse by taking quick action
 Try to nip this kind of bad behaviour in the bud.
 When my 3 year-old son first lied to me, I knew that I needed to nip it in
the bud.
 but the key is to get rid of it, nip in the bud right away.
 So all that motivation that we may be lacking because of the depression is
something we can kind of nip in the bud now
 It would have been so much easier to nip that habit in the bud
 Please go get me those things so I can nip this in the bud


 The best of both world.

An ideal situation
 They live in a village but it’s only an hour from London, so they have the
best of both worlds.

 Get wind of something T-136
Hear news about something secret
to hear or find out about something secret or private
 You’d better hope the press doesn’t get wind of this.
 If the media gets wind of the political scandal, they are going to be talking
about it for days.
 Once people started to get wind of that, they kind of figured out where to g
o.
 So the American public started to get wind of this thing
 Call it a day T-135
To stop working on a project for the day
 Come on, let’s call it a day and go home.
 Great job, team! You did it. Let’s call it a day
 so two final questions and then we'll call it a day.
 So I think I'm gonna call it a day and I head back down to camp


 Go on a wild goose chase T-134

To do sth pointless /// a situation where you are looking for something that
does not exist or that you are very unlikely to find, so that you waste a lot of
time:
 It looks like they’ve sent us on a wild goose chase.
 The search for types is a wild goose chase
 Like, I'm being pulled into this wild goose chase


 Crying wolf (track #133)

To lie many time so no one believes you.
 Weather forecasters cry wolf about dangerous hurricanes so many times
that people stop believing them.
 Stop crying Wolf all the time, unnecessary issue here, get over it.
 She thought it was like crying wolf at first and so I was just like I'll just wai
t it out
 why are we crying wolf? Why are Christians singling one point out about ho
mosexuality?

 Butter me up (track 132)
To flatter sb in order to get sth
 They are probably trying to butter you up to get some money.
 He knows how to butter me up, right?
 You're not trying to butter me up now, are you?

 Take it with a grain of salt (track #131)
Don’t believe sth seriously
 Most of what he says should be taken with a pinch of salt.

 Spice thing up (track #13)

To take sth more interesting
 When you work for a new journal, don´t spice things up, just rite the facts.

 Rule of thumb (track #130)

A general rule or guideline
 As a general rule of thumb, children this age should not spend more than
one hour on homework.
 Texting your friend before you go to his house is a good rule of thumb.
in space, the general rule of thumb is to follow the water.
 But by, as a rule of thumb, if you don't have any pain or dysfunction…

 By the skin of my teeth (track #129)


To just barely make it
 Two others made it by the skin of their teeth.
 You passed by the skin of you teeth
 not because I had just made it by the skin of my teeth
 We escaped that one by the skin of our teeth, but escaped it, I think, we did.
 and I graduated by the skin of my teeth.
 You know, they're barely surviving by the skin of their teeth


 put your foot in your mouth (track #128)

say sth you shouldn´t have said
 I’ve really put my foot in it this time. I didn’t realize that was her
husband!
 I really put my foot in my mouth when I asked my neighbor about her
husband, I didn´t realize she was divorced.

 Get out of hand

Get out of control
 A classroom of 20 three years old children can quickly get out of hand.
 The demonstration was getting out of hand.

 Wrap you head around something (track #127)

Understand sth complicated.
 I find it hard to get my mind around such complex issues.
 As a high school student, I couldn´t wrap my head around complex math
problems.
 If you can't wrap your head around this, there truly is no hope for you
 to wrap your head around everything that you should know

 break the bank (track #126)

to cost a lot of money, to be really expensive

 A new hard drive doesn’t have to break the bank.

 Learning English on You Tube doesn´t break the bank.

 Give you a run for your money (track #125)

 
To be challenge ///to make your opponent in a competition use all their skill
and effort to defeat you

 They’ve given some of the top teams a run for their money this season.
 The Italian soccer football team gave the German soccer team a run for
their money

 Up the ante (track #124)


To do or request more than before
 Small firms that want to expand must ante up large legal fees

 To cut some slack (track #123)


To not judge too harshly
 "Andrew's late again." "Cut him some slack - his wife just had a baby."
 Hey, cut me some slack, man. I’m only a few bucks short.
 Sorry, I forgot to call you. Please cut me some slack…. I haven´t slept in
weeks.

 Rings a bell (track #122)

To sound familiar
 The name rang a bell but I couldn't remember where I had heard it before.
 No, I'm sorry, that description doesn't ring any bells with me.
 Mile

 so far so good (track #121)


things are going well so far (at this particular time)
used to say that an activity has gone well until now:
 I've found a can of beans. So far so good, but where is the can opener?
 I've been making videos on you tube for almost 5 years. So far so good

 (to be thrown in the deep end)

You are put into a new or difficult situation without any preparation
 Saras´s been so stressed lately. She started a new job last month, but
they´ve really thrown her in a deep end.
 I´m not afraid of being thrown in the deep end. I Thnks is the best way to
learn.
  Climb the corporate ladder

The progression of roles throughout the career ///to move to a better

position in your social or professional life:
 Men who climbed the career ladder in the 1980s.
 James has never been interested in climbing the corporate ladder.
 I feel inspired by women who climb the corporate ladder araise a family at
the same time

 Steep learning curve

Someone has to learn sth really quickly

 Everyone in the centre has been through a very
steep learning curve
 Going from employee to business owner was a
really steep learning for me

 for hours (on end)
for a long time /// continuously
 it’ll keep the children amused for hours on end.
 Those boys played video game for hours on end.

 Nothing could be further from the truth
It´s completely false /// it´s no true at all.
 People often described him as a bitter academic, but nothing could be
further from the truth
 People think she´s in love with him, but nothing could be further from the
true

 Wiggle around.
to move with small movements from side to
side or up and down, or to make something move
like this:
 Henry wiggled his toes.

 Without further ado:
Immediately/// without delaying
 So without further ado, I’ll now ask Mr Davis to open the debate.
 So without further ado ladies and gentleman and snail, start your engines.
