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English ( Precis & Composition) A test designed to assess the candidates' ability to handle GrammaticalStructures,Reading, Comprehension,Analysis,Precis Writing and Compostion

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Sunday, May 15, 2005 #1

ArgusAdministrator

Join Date: Mar 1998Location: IslamabadPosts: 792Thanks: 302Thanked 1,326 Times in 244 Posts

I d i om s ( A - Z )

A...

About to do something- On the point of doing something

She was about to leave when the phone rang.

About time- Something that should have happened earlierIt is about time that you returned that book to me.

Absent-minded- ForgetfulMy grandfather is very absent-minded and often forgets his key.

According to Hoyle- Strictly by the rules, the usual and correct way to do something

According to Hoyle you are not allowed to enter this room but if nobody is here I think it will be okay.

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Add up- seem consistent or reasonableThe things that he said about his boss dont really add up.

Ahead of time- Early

We started the meeting ahead of time so we could go home early.

air ones dirty laundry (linen) in public- make public something embarrassing that should be kept secretThe dinner party became uncomfortable when the host began to air his colleagues' dirty laundry in public.

All along- all the timeI knew all along that he would not get the promotion.

all at once- suddenly, without warningAll at once the fire alarm rang so we had to leave the building.

all day long- the whole dayShe has been sitting and waiting for the mail to arrive all day long.

all ears- eager to listen to someoneOkay, I`m all ears, please tell me about the party.

all in all- in summary, after considering everythingWe had a few problems but all in all the meeting was successful.

all of a sudden- suddenly, without advance warningAll of a sudden it became cloudy and began to rain.

all right- okay, satisfactoryShe said that it would be all right for me to bring my friend to the party.

all the time- continuallyShe asks for money all the time but I dont like to give it to her.

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all thumbs- have difficulty fixing things or working with one s hands, clumsyHe is all thumbs when it comes to fixing things around the house.

an arm and a leg

- (cost) a large amount of moneyHis new car must have cost him an arm and a leg.

Apple of ones eye- Ones favoriteHis youngest daughter is the apple of his eye.

As a rule- Usually, as a habit

As a rule I usually get up at 7 0 AM every morning.

As far as- To the extent or degree thatAs far as I know he will be here in a few minutes.

ask for trouble- behave in a way that trouble is likelyHe is asking for trouble if he misses another class.

Asleep at the switch- Not alert to an opportunityI think he was asleep at the switch. He didnt even know that the job was available so he never applied forit.

As long as- Provided that, on condition thatAs long as you promise to be careful you can borrow my car.

As the crow flies- By the most direct way, along a straight line between two placesAs the crow flies it is about 6 kilometers between my house and my company.

As usual- Most of the time, as is the customAs usual, she forgot to bring her book to class.

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As well as- In addition toPlease bring your swimming suit as well as your towel.

As yet- Until now, up to the presentAs yet, she has not told me about her plans to leave the company.

At cross purposes- have opposite ways to do something, opposing goalsThey are at cross purposes and are always arguing about what to do.

At fault- be responsible or to blame for somethingThe truck driver was at fault in the terrible accident.

at first- At the beginningAt first she didn`t want to go to a movie but later she changed her mind.

At first blush- When first seen, without careful studyAt first blush he seemed like a good worker but later we had many problems with him.

At heart- Basically, fundamentallyShe is a very nice person at heart although many people dislike her.

at home- in ones houseIm sorry but I left my money at home. Can you lend me some money?

At last

- Finally, after a long timeI was waiting all morning for her call but at last it came.

at loggerheads- having a quarrel, opposing each otherWe have been at loggerheads over their plans to build a new office complex.

at odds- in disagreement

He has been at odds with his boss over the new sales territory.

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at someones beck and call- Always ready to serve somebodyHis eldest daughter is always at his beck and call when he spends an evening at home.

at the end of ones rope- at the limit of ones ability to cope

I am at the end of my rope about what to do about my current situation at work.

Attend to someone- take care or deal with someoneThe doctor attended to the other patient before he got to my mother

B................................................. .....................

back on ones feet- Return to good financial or physical health

He is finally backed on his feet after his company went out of business.

Back out- withdraw from an agreement or promiseThe company backed out of the deal with the foreign firm.

Back to the drawing board- go back to start a project or idea from the beginningThe boss doesnt like our idea so I guess we must go back to the drawing board.

Bail someone or something out- Help or rescueThe government has decided to bail out the troubled bank.

Bank on

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- be sure of, count onYou can bank on them to come and help the company.

bark is worse than ones bite- Someone isnt as bad as they soundDon t worry if he gets angry - his bark is worse than his bite.

Bark up the wrong tree- make a wrong assumption about somethingThe police are barking up the wrong tree in their investigation of that person.

Beat around the bush- speak indirectly or evasivelyStop beating around the bush and give us your final decision.

beat someone to the punch (draw)

- do something before othersHe beat me to the punch and arrived at the interview first.

(have a) bee in ones bonnet- have an idea that continually occupies ones thoughts.He has a bee in his bonnet over whether or not to build a new house or not.

(Do something) behind someones back- Without someones knowledge

He is very angry because they borrowed the car behind his back.

Behind the times- Old fashionedMy aunt is a little behind the times.

be to blame- be responsible for something bad or unfortunateHes not to blame for breaking the computer.

Bend over backwards to do something- try very hardIf I can, I will bend over backwards to help you get a promotion in the company.

Beside ones self- Very upset or excited about somethingHe was beside himself with joy at winning the contest.

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Beside the point- Not relevant to the subject that you are considering or discussing"What you are saying is beside the point. We are not talking about salary now."

Bet on the wrong horse- misjudge a coming event, misread the futureI think that he bet on the wrong horse by putting all of his money into that new stock.

Better off- be in a better situation than beforeHe would be better off if he sold his old car and bought a new one.

beyond the pale- Outside the bounds of acceptable behaviorWhat they are doing is totally unacceptable and beyond the pale.

bide ones time- Patiently wait for an opportunity to occur.He is biding his time as he waits to become president of the company.

Big shot- An important and powerful personHe is a big shot in the oil and gas industry.

Birthday suit- Completely naked, no clothes onThe little boy was running down the street in his birthday suit.

Bite off more than one can chew- try to do more than one is able to doI think I bit off more than I can chew by taking on the new assignment.

Bite the bullet

- endure in a difficult situation, face a difficult situation bravelyI have decided to bite the bullet and begin studying for my Master s degree.

bite the dust- be killed, break down, be defeatedI think that my car has finally bitten the dust.

Bite the hand that feeds you- turn against a friend or supporter, repay kindness with wrong

He is biting the hand that feeds him if he continues to criticize and fight against his boss.

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Blind leading the blind- someone who doesnt understand something trying to explain it to othersIt is like the blind leading the blind watching him try and explain how to operate the new computer.

Blow it (something)- fail at something

I tried hard but I am sure that I blew the final math exam last week.

Blow ones own horn- praise one selfHe is always blowing his own horn and is very annoying at times.

Blow over- die down or calm downThe problem with the lost invoices has finally blown over and everyone is working hard again.

Blue in the face- Endlessly, fruitlesslyYou can argue with him until you are blue in the face but you will never change his mind.

Bone of contention- A reason for quarrels, the subject of a fightThe family cottage was a major bone of contention when their father died.

Boot out- make someone go or leave, get rid of someone, dismissHe was booted out of high school for smoking on the school grounds.

born with a silver spoon in ones mouth- Born rich, provided from birth with everything you needHe was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and has never worked in his life.

Brand new- Absolutely newHe was finally able to buy a brand-new car.

Break down- stop working because of mechanical failureThe car broke down on the lonely road so nobody knew about it.

Break down

- analyze

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We must break down these figures for further study.

Break fresh ground- Deal with something in a new wayThe researchers were able to break fresh ground in their search for a cancer cure.

Break the bank

- win all the money at a casino gambling tableHe didnt really break the bank but he did win a lot of money.

Break the ice- relax and start a conversation in a formal situationNobody was enjoying the party until the host finally was able to break the ice.

Break the news- tell some information first

He is planning to break the news to her about his transfer tomorrow.

Break up (with someone)- stop a relationshipShe broke up with her boyfriend last June.

bring home the bacon- work and earn money for your familyHe is out bringing home the bacon and is very busy.

Bring home the importance of something to someone- make someone fully realize somethingHe was unable to bring home the importance of arriving early for the meeting.

Bring some new facts to light- discover some new facts, make some new facts knownThe lawyers were able to bring some new facts to light in the trial of the killer.

Bring someone into line- persuade someone to agree with youHe was finally able to bring the other members of the committee into line.

Bring something on- cause to develop rapidlyI dont know what brought on his anger but you should avoid him until he calms down.

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Bring the house down- cause much laughter in the audienceThe comedian brought the house down with his jokes about the lost dog.

Bring to mind- recall somethingHer perfect acting brought to mind some of the great actresses of the past.

Bring up- introduce a subject into a discussionThey brought up the subject at the meeting but nobody wanted to talk about it.

Bring up- raise or care for a childMy grandmother brought up ten children.

Bring up the rear- be at the end of the line or in the last positionThe runner from the other school was bringing up the rear in the school relay race.

Broke- have no moneyI spent all of my money on my holiday and I am now broke.

Brush up on something

- review something one has already learnedIm going to brush up on my English before my trip to New York.

Brush with the law- A brief encounter or experience with the police because of a crimeHe had a brush with the law when he was young but now he is totally honest.

Bull in a china shop- Someone who is clumsy and upsets other people or plans

He was like a bull in a china shop when I saw him at the meeting last week.

Bundle up- put on warm clothes, dress warmlyWe bundled up and went for a walk in the park.

burn a hole in ones pocket- Money that you want to spend quicklyI just got paid today and this money is burning a hole in my pocket.

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Burn down- burn completely (usually used for buildings)The neighbors house burnt down completely during the night.

burn ones bridges behind one- do something that makes going back impossibleHe burned his bridges behind him and is unable to work in the same industry again.

Burn the candle at both ends- work or play too hard without enough restHe has been burning the candle at both ends with his work and his studies. That is why he became sick.

burn the midnight oil- study until very late at nightWe burned the midnight oil for three nights in a row in order to study for the exam.

Burn up- burn completely (usually things not buildings)The uniforms burned up in the fire.

Bury (hide) ones head in the sand- refuse to see or face something; keep from seeing or knowing something unpleasantHe always buries his head in the sand and never wants to deal with his family problems at all.

Bury the hatchet- stop quarreling and become friendly with someoneHe decided to bury the hatchet with his brother and they are now on friendly terms again.

Butter someone up- flatter someoneHe is trying to butter up his boss so that he can leave early on Friday.

Buy a pig in a poke- buy something without seeing it or knowing if it will be satisfactoryYou shouldnt buy that car without first inspecting it. It is like buying a pig in a poke.

By and large- On the whole, considering everythingBy and large we had a good meeting even though it was a little short.

By and by

- Before long

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By and by they will come and we can go out for dinner.

By far- Greatly, by a great marginHe is by far the smartest person in the company.

By fits and starts

- Irregularly, with many stops and startsBy fits and starts the company was finally able to begin business.

By hook or by crook- In any way necessaryShe says that she will go to Italy this year by hook or by crook.

By the way- Incidentally

By the way, could you please bring your computer tomorrow?

by the skin of ones teeth- by a very small margin, barelyI made the application date for the job by the skin of my teeth.

by the sweat of ones brow- By hard workHe managed to make enough money to buy the farm by the sweat of his brow.

C................................................. .....................

Calculated risk- An action that may fail but has a good chance to succeedThey took a calculated risk when they opened the new store but it has been very successful.

Call a spade a spade

- speak bluntly

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He was calling a spade a spade when he began to criticize his employee for being lazy.

Call for someone- come and get someoneCould you please come and call on me before you go to the game.

Call it quits

- Stop, finishHe called it quits and went home for the day.

Call of nature- The need to go to the toiletHe is answering the call of nature and cant talk to you for a few minutes.

Call off- cancelThe game was called off because of the rain.

Call on- visit someone

I plan to call on my brother when I am on my holidays.

Call on- ask someone to participate or contribute somethingThe teacher called on me three times to answer questions in the class.

Call on to the carpet- call someone before an authority to be scolded or reprimandedHe was called on to the carpet by his boss for losing the major sale.

call someones bluff

- Challenge someone to prove what they say is trueI decided to call his bluff and asked him to show me the evidence.

Call the shots

- be in charge, give orders

He is now calling the shots and is in control of the company.

Call up

- Telephone

He said that he would call up his parent s tomorrow night.

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Calm down

- relax

She finally calmed down after the accident.

Cancel out

- destroy the effect of something

The benefits of her exercise were cancelled out by her always overeating.

Can of worms

- a complicated situation or problem

The lawsuit opened up a can of worms for the company.

Cant see the forest for the trees

- Unable to judge or understand the whole picture because you are looking at the small parts of it

He has no real understanding of most problems as he always fails to see the forest for the trees.

Card up ones sleeve

- a plan or argument kept back to be produced if needed

I think that he has a card up his sleeve and will be able to help us later.

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(In) care of someone

- send something to one person at the address of another person

I sent the parcel to her in care of her friend at the university.

Carrot and stick

- The promise of reward and threat of punishment at the same time

The trade negotiators took a carrot and stick approach to the automobile talks.

(Get) carried away

- lose control or judgment due to strong feelings

I got a carried away and began to yell at her for losing my textbook.

Carry on

- continue, keep doing as before

We were permitted to carry on with the party after we had talked to the landlord.

Carry (something) out

- put into action, accomplish

The move to the new headquarters was carried out with a minimum of problems.

Carry over

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- save for another time

We plan to carry over the summer swimwear until next year.

Carry the ball

- take the most important or difficult part in an action or business

The vice-president was forced to carry the ball while the president was away.

Carry the day

- win or be successful

His fine performance in our company carried the day for us.

Carry the torch

- show loyalty to a cause or a person

He has been carrying the torch for the candidate for a long time.

Carry through

- put a plan into action

The company carried through with their plan to layoff 300 workers.

(a) Case in point

- An example that proves something or helps to make something clear

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What he just said was a case in point about what I have been saying all year.

Cash cow

- A good source of money

His new business is a great cash cow. I think that he is really making a lot of money.

Cash in

- exchange something for money

We decided to cash in the coupons because we needed some money.

Cash in on

- see and profit by a chance

The small town cashed in on their success with the winter Olympics.

Cash on the barrelhead

- Money paid when something is bought

It was a cash deal and we were forced to pay cash on the barrelhead.

Cast pearls before swine

- waste something valuable on someone who doesnt appreciate it

Giving her the gold earrings was casting pearls before swine.

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Cast the first stone

- be the first to blame someone

He was the one to cast the first stone and now he is having a major fight with his neighbor.

Castles in the air

- Daydreams

She is always building castles in the air and is very unrealistic.

Cat burglar

- A burglar who enters a building by climbing a wall etc.

We lost our stereo when a cat burglar entered our apartment.

Cat gets ones tongue

- cant talk

I think that the cat has got her tongue. She hasnt said anything at all since the meeting started.

Catch-22

- a situation where whatever you do the outcome will be bad, a no-win situation

It was a catch-22 situation where if I went to work there would be problems but if I didnt go to work therewould be more problems.

Catch a cold

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- become sick with a cold

I caught a cold because of the rain and the cold weather.

Catch-as-catch-can

- In any way possible

We are in the middle of moving house so the meals when you visit will be catch-as-catch-can.

Catch on

- understand, learn about

It was difficult to catch on at first but finally I was able to understand the math problem.

Catch on

- become popular

Recently ballroom dancing has begun to catch on among many people.

Catch ones breath

- stop to rest and regain ones normal breathing

After running from the station it took a moment to catch my breath.

Catch ones eye

- attract ones attention

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I tried to catch her eye but she didn t notice me.

Catch (someone) red-handed

- find someone in the middle of doing something wrong

He caught the boy red-handed when he was stealing the candy.

Catch up with (someone or something)

- become even with someone (in a race or in schoolwork etc.)

I think its too late to catch up with the rest of the class now.

Caught short

- Not having enough of something when you need it (usually money)

I was caught short last week and couldnt pay the weekly food bill.

Cave in

- To weaken and be forced to give up

The company finally caved in to the union s demand for more money.

Chalk up

- Record

The stock prices of the company chalked up a big gain last week.

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Change horses in midstream

- make new plans or choose a new leader in the middle of an important activity

They decided to change horses in midstream and that is probably why they lost the election.

Change of heart

- change the way one feels about something

She had a change of heart and decided to let her child go to the circus.

change (ones) mind

- change ones decision

He changed his mind and said that he would not go to the movie tonight.

Change (ones) tune

- make a change in ones story, statement or opinions

He has begun to change his tune recently and is beginning to agree that we need to do things a littledifferently.

(In) charge of something- be responsible for an activity or group of peopleHe is in charge of selling tickets for the school dance.

Cheat on (someone)- be unfaithful to someoneHe recently began cheating on his wife which was the main cause of their divorce.

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(Have the) cheek to do something- Rudeness, impudenceShe had the cheek to tell me that she was sick and couldnt come to work today.

Cheek by jowl- Side by side, in close intimacyThey were walking down the stairs cheek by jowl when the alarm sounded.

Chew the fat- chatThe two men were chewing the fat on the porch of the house.

Chew out (someone)- scold roughlyThe teacher chewed out the student for talking in class.

Chicken feed- A small amount of moneyWhat he sold his car for was chicken feed compared to the amount of money that he has in the bank.

Chicken out- stop doing something because of fearHe chickened out of jumping into the lake from the high diving board.

Chickens come home to roost

- Words or acts come back to cause trouble for a personHer chickens have finally come home to roost and she must now take responsibility for what she has done.

Chime in- join in (a song or conversation)We were having a nice conversation until she chimed in and started complaining about everything.

Chip in- contribute or pay jointly

We all chipped in and bought our father a present.

Chip off the old block- Person who looks or acts like one of his parentsHis son is a chip off the old block and acts exactly like his father.

(When the) chips are down- The time when one faces the greatest obstaclesWhen the chips were down he went to his father for advice and received his encouragement.

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Clam up- stop talkingShe clammed up as soon as her boyfriend entered the room.

Clean bill of health- The assurance that an animal or person is healthyThe astronaut was given a clean bill of health before he began training.

Clean slate- having no errors, past acts that are all goodHe started off with a clean slate and has never caused any problems for the company.

Clear the air- calm down and remove a misunderstandingWe had a big argument so I think it is time to clear the air.

Clear the decks

- clear away things and prepare for action

Let s clear the decks and get everyone out of the house so we can begin work.

Clear up

- solve or explain (a problem etc.)

They finally cleared up the problem that I was having with my salary at work.

Cliffhanger

- Sports event or movie where the outcome is uncertain until the very end

The playoff game was a cliffhanger and one of the most enjoyable games of the year.

Climb the wall

- be so bored that you become anxious and frustrated

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She began to climb the wall after only a few days at her new job.

Clip joint- A low-class business where people are cheatedThey went into a clip joint near the bus station and had to pay a lot of money.- limit ones activities or possibilitiesThey decided to clip his wings and took away his expense account.

Close call/shave- An accident almost happens (but doesnt happen)I had a close call this morning when the truck almost hit me.

Close ranks- come together for fighting, unite and work togetherThey decided to close ranks and stop arguing among themselves

Close to home- Near to someones personal feelings, wishes or interestsWhat I said about her work habits must have hit close to home as she seemed to become very quietsuddenly.

Coast is clear- No danger is in sight, no one can see youWhen the coast was clear we decided to enter the building.

(Bring) coals to Newcastle- bring something of which there is plentyBringing extra food to the farmers picnic was like bringing coals to Newcastle.

Cog in the machine- You are not important but only a small part of a large organizationThe employees felt like they were only cogs in a machine so the atmosphere at the company was not verygood.

Cold spell or cold snap- A sudden short period of cold weather (usually in winter)The cold snap lasted for five days.

Cold turkey- stop using drugs (heroin etc.) abruptly and without medical aidAlthough she was able to stop using drugs cold turkey she was very sick for awhile.

Come a cropper

- fail

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I think that he has come a cropper in the horse competition and that is why he is sad.

Come across- find something or meet someone by chanceI came across an interesting story in the newspaper the other day.

Come again.

- Please repeat, please say that againCome again. I didnt hear you the first time.

Come alive- brighten up and become activeShe finally came alive and began to enjoy the party.

Come along- make progress, thrive

The work on our new house is coming along very well at the moment.

Come a long way- make great progressHe has come a long way and has learned many things about his new company.

Come back- Return to the place you are nowShe came back from her holidays last week.

Come back- Return to ones memoryI cant remember clearly the events of last year but slowly everything is coming back to me.

Come back- become popular againRecently bell-bottom pants have come back into fashion.

Come betweendisrupt the relationship between (two people)His constant interfering finally came between his brother and his wife.

Come by- get, obtain, acquireShe came by a lot of money recently and is now enjoying her life.

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Come clean- tell the truthThe president of the company was forced to come clean and tell what really happened to the business.

(a) come-down- A lowering in status, income, influence or energyHer new job was a real come-down from her last one so she was not very happy.

Come down hard on- scold or punish severelyThe police have been coming down very hard on drunk drivers recently.

Come down to earth- stop imagining or dreaming, think and behave as usualHe has finally come down to earth and is preparing seriously to look for a job.

Come down with- become sick with or catch a cold etc.Her mother came down with a cold so was unable to attend the dinner.

Come from- be a native of a placeSeveral of the students in the class come from Mexico.

Come full circle

- Completely opposite from ones starting pointThey have come full circle since the new president started at the university.

Come hell or high water- No matter what happensCome hell or high water I plan to go to the concert next week.

Come in handy- prove to be usefulI think that the small hammer will come in handy to fix the desk.

Come into- receive, get possession ofThey came into a lot of money which they donated to charity.

Come into fashion- become fashionableShe says that although bell-bottom pants have come into fashion again she will never wear them.

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Come into ones own- become to perform or work well because of good circumstancesHe has really come into his own as a basketball player since he changed positions.

Come off- be successfulThe party came off without any problems so everyone was very happy.

come on strong- overwhelm with excessively strong language or personalityHe came on too strong during the job interview and was unable to get the job.

come out with- say, make knownThe child has recently come out with many strange and funny expressions.

come to- begin or learn to do or feel somethingAt first I disliked her a lot but recently I have come to accept her.

come to- regain consciousnessShe came to a couple of hours after the accident.

Come to blows- begin to fightThey almost came to blows when they were trying to fix the car.

Come to grief- have a bad accident or disappointmentHe has recently come to much grief because of his sons problems with the police.

Come to grips with

- struggle (successfully) with an idea or problemShe has finally been able to come to grips with her husbands drinking.

Come to light- be discovered, become knownIt has recently come to light that the company has lost millions of dollars.

Come to nothing- End in failure

All his efforts to help his sister find a job came to nothing.

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come to ones senses- begin to think clearly or act sensiblyHe finally came to his senses and decided to buy a cheaper car rather than borrow a lot of money for anexpensive one.

Come to pass

- To happen, occurIt came to pass that the company was never able to recover from their financial problems.

Come to terms- reach an agreementWe came to terms with the bank and were able to buy the house.

come to the point- be directHis speech was interesting but he never really came to the point.

Come up with- produce or find a thought, idea or answerPlease try to come up with a name for the new magazine.

Common touch- a friendly manner with everyoneHe has a nice common touch and everyone likes him a lot.

Conk out- fall asleep quickly with great fatigueAs soon as we returned from the hike I conked out in front of the TV.

cook ones goose- ruin ones chancesShe really cooked her own goose and has no chance of getting the new job.

Cook up- invent, plan and put something togetherI dont know what kind of plan she is cooking up now but it should be quite interesting.

Cool as a cucumber- Very calm and brave, not worried or anxiousShe was as cool as a cucumber when her canoe turned over in the river.

cool ones heels

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- be kept waiting because of anothers rudenessHe was forced to cool his heels for an hour in the waiting room before his boss would talk to him.

Cop a plea- plead guilty to a crime in order to get a lesser penaltyHe was forced to cop a plea when the evidence against him became too strong to dispute.

Cop out- avoid doing something that you were planning to doHe copped out from our plan to go to the beach for the day.

Copycat- Someone who copies another persons work or their actionsThe little boy was accused of being a copycat by the other children.

Cough up- give unwillinglyHe finally coughed up enough money to pay for the accident.

Count on

- depend onYou can never count on him to do anything right.

count ones chickens before theyre hatched- assume that something will be successful before it is certainDon t count your chickens before theyre hatched. Youre spending your money and you dont even have a

job yet.

Count out- leave something out of a plan, excludePlease count me out of your plans to go skiing for the weekend.

cover ones tracks

- hide or not say where one has been or what one has doneHe was trying to cover his tracks but it was easy to see where he had recently been.

Cover up- hide something wrong or badThey tried to cover up the facts regarding the illegal election campaign funds.

Cozy up to (someone)- try to be friendly to someoneI dont know what he wants but recently he has been trying to cozy up to me.

Crack a joke- tell a jokeHe was a lot of fun at the party because he was always cracking jokes.

crack a smile- let a smile show on ones faceHe never cracked a smile during the whole meeting.

crack down on

- enforce laws or rules strictly

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The school principal decided to crack down on people running in the halls.

Crack of dawn- Daybreak, early in the morningWe got up at the crack of dawn to go fishing.

Crackpot

- an eccentric person with ideas that dont make sense to othersHe is a total crackpot and you never know what he will do next.

Crack the whip- try to make someone work hard or obey you by threatening themWe had to crack the whip in order to get the job finished by the weekend.

(Buy something) on credit- pay for something not in cash

He decided to buy the stereo on credit

Crack up- burst into laughterI cracked up when he started talking about the incident with the taxi driver.

Cramp ones style- limit ones talk or actionWorking in the new section is beginning to cramp my style a little.

Crash the gate- enter without a ticket or without paying or with no invitationMany people didnt have a ticket for the concert so they decided to crash the gate.

Cream of the crop- The top choiceWhen they hire new employees they always look for the cream of the crop.

(The) creeps- A strong feeling of fear or disgustI get the creeps every time that I see a dead animal.

Creep up on- crawl quietly towardsThe thief crept up on the elderly women at the supermarket.

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Crocodile tears- a show of sorrow that is not really feltHe said that he was very sorry but his tears were just crocodile tears.

Crop up

- appear or happen unexpectedly

I will meet you early next week unless something crops up that keeps me busy.

Cross a bridge before one comes to it

- think and worry about future events or problems before they happen

We shouldnt worry about that problem now. We can cross that bridge when we come to it.

cross ones heart and hope to die- promise that what you are saying is trueI promise that I will pay you back the money next week. Cross my heart and hope to die.

cross ones mind

- think of, occur to someoneIt just crossed my mind that I would probably see him in the evening so I didn t phone him.

Cross (something) out- eliminate by drawing a line through somethingPlease cross out that amount and put in the correct amount.

Cross to bear/carry- Something you must do or continue with even though you are suffering

Looking after my sisters children every day is my cross to bear.

Cry out for- need something badly, be lackingThe new room that he built cries out for a new set of furniture.

cry over spilt milk- cry or complain about something that has already happenedDon`t cry over spilt milk. You can never change the past.

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cry uncle- admit defeat or that one has lostHe finally had to cry uncle when the other wrestler pinned him to the mat.

Cry wolf- warn of danger that is not thereHe has been crying wolf for years about various things and now nobody believes him.

(not ones) cup of tea- something one enjoys, special interestIt`s not really my cup of tea so I think I will stay home and not go to the art gallery.

curiosity killed the cat- being too nosy and interested in other peoples business may lead a person into troubleDon`t keep asking so many questions. Remember curiosity killed the cat.

curry favor- flatter someone to get his help or friendshipHe has been working hard to curry favor with the other members of the committee.

cut across- cross or go through something instead of going aroundWe decided to cut across the field because we were in a hurry to get to school.

cut and dried- completely decided, prearrangedThe decision was cut and dried and nobody asked for our opinion.

cut back- use fewer or use lessWe were forced to cut back on the number of people who were invited to the party.

cut both ways- serve both sides of an argumentWhat he said cuts both ways and we should carefully think about it.

cut corners- economizeWe will have to cut corners in order to save some money for our holiday.

cut down on

- use less of something

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Recently he has cut down on his drinking in order to start his new health program.

cut down to size- prove that someone is not as good as he thinksI was able to cut him down to size when I criticized what he said at the meeting.

cut (someone) off

- stop someone from saying something, disconnect someone on the phoneI tried to tell him about the accident but he cut me off before I had a chance.

cut off ones nose to spite ones face- make things worse for oneself because one is angry at someone elseHe is cutting off his nose to spite his face. Taking revenge on his neighbor will only cause more problems forhimself.

cut out

- eliminateShe decided to cut out chocolate in order to lose weight.

cut the mustard- reach the required standardHe doesn`t cut the mustard and will never be able to work here.

Last edited by Argus; Sunday, October 15, 2006 at 04:40 AM.

Monday, May 16, 2005 #2

ArgusAdministrator

Join Date: Mar 1998Location: IslamabadPosts: 792Thanks: 302Thanked 1,326 Times in 244 Posts

I d io m s( D - E- F )

D.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

dance to a different tune

- talk or act dif ferently (usual ly better) because things have changedHe has begun dancing to a different tune n ow t hat he kn ow s that his head salesman is thinking ofquitting.

dark horse- a candidate litt le know n to the general publicAt first he w as a dark horse candidate but he late r w on the election.

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dash off- do or finish quickly, leave quicklyI w i ll dash off a letter now but then I must go to w ork.

Dawn on

- be come clear I t f inally dawned on me as to why he w as angry.

Day and night- ContinuallyWe w orked day and night to finish the project before the end of the mont h.

Day in and day out- Regularly, all the tim eHe goes to that restaurant day in and day out and ne ver gets t ired of i t .

Dead ahead

- Exactly in front, beforeThere w as a truck dead ahead so w e put on t he car brakes suddenly.

Dead as a doornail- Very deadThe ma n w as dead as a doornai l as we could see after the accident.

Deadbeat- A person w ho never pays his debts

There is a policy to penalize deadbeat fa ther s by the local governm ent.

Dead center- Exact middleHe w as able to hit the target dead center.

Dead duck

- Person or thing in a hope less situation or conditionHe is a dead duck and ha s no hope of recovering his forme r position.

Dead end- The closed end of a road or an im passe The negotiat ions betw een the team and the ow ners have come to a dead end.

Deadpan- W ith an ex pressionless or em otionless faceHe had a deadpan expression w hen he told us the story.

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Dead set a gainst something- determ ined not to do somethingThey are dead set against the ir son going to Europe for a ye ar.

Dead tired- Ver y t ired, exhausted I w as dead t ired so I w ent to bed as soon as I got home.

Dead to the w orld- Fast asleepThe litt le boy w as dead to the w orld whe n his father t ook him out of the car.

Decked out- dressed in fancy clothesShe wa s all decked out in her best clothes for the par ty.

Deep-six- throw aw ay, dispose ofI decided to deep- six the videos as I didnt w ant them any longer.

Deep water- Serious trouble or difficultyHe w ill be in deep wa ter if he doesnt tel l us w here he spent the money.

Deliver the goods- succeed in doing wha t is expected w ellHe is the best manager tha t w e have ever had. He know s how to del iver the goods.

- Unworried, not caring w hat happensHe has a de vi l -m ay- care att i tude to his job and nothing ever bothers him.

Die dow n- come slow ly to an end, grow w eaker Wh en the sound of the m usic finally died down w e w ere able to get to sleep.

Die off

- die one after another unt il the num ber is smallThe house plants began to die off as soon as he moved to a new apartm ent.

Die out

- die or disappear slowly until all gone

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Dinosaurs died out m illions of yea rs ago.

Dig in

- begin eat ingLet s dig in and e at befor e ever ything is cold!

Dime a dozen

- Comm on, easy to get and of l it t le value

Used books are a dime a dozen so don t w orry if you can t sel l them .

Dirty look

- A look tha t shows dislike or disapproval

His mother gave him a dirty look when he smoked the cigarette.

Dish out

- serve food from a large bow l or plateHe bega n to dish out the food as soon as the guests arrived .

Dish out

- trea t or criticize roughlyHe likes to dish out criticism to other s but he doesn t l ike to hear criticism about himself.

Do a double take- look again in surprise at someone or somet hingShe did a double take w hen she saw her old boyfriend with anothe r w oman.

Do a job on- do harm to, m ake ugly or uselessHe rea lly did a job on the plans for the new house that he w as work ing on.

Do away with- put an end to, stop, and get rid ofThe company has decided to do aw ay w ith having f ixed holidays every year.

Dog - eat -dog- Ready or will ing to fight and hurt other s to get w hat you w ant I t is a dog- ea t- dog world out in the w orld of advertising and public relations.

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Do in

- To ruin, destroy He quickly did in the new shoes that he re ceived for his birthday.

Do in

- To make t ired, exhaust He w as real ly done in by the t ime t hat he f inished the m arathon.

Doll up

- Dress in fancy clothesShe was all dolled up for the party at the dow ntow n hotel.

Done for

- Ruined, defeated, dyingI think tha t the t eam is done for as far as this season is concerned.

Done wi th- be finished using somet hingHe w as finally done w ith the compute r and so he let his sister use it.

Do one s best - try to do something as we ll as you canI t r ied to do my best on the exam.

Do one s bit ( part)

- Share in a group project by contributing ones time a nd effort He did his bit for the planning of the party.

Do one s thing- do what one w ants to do and enjoysHe is an individualist and enj oys doing his thing w hen an d w here he chooses.

Do- or -die- make a great effort w hile disregarding danger

He w as in a position of do- or - die when he finally found another job.

Do out of

- cause to lose by tricker y or cheatingHe w as worried that the company w ould do him out of the large bonus that he w as expecting.

Do someone good- be good or beneficial for someone I t w ill do you good to go on a holiday.

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Do something rash

- take dra stic action ( usually w ithout thinking) She is extrem ely angry so I hope that she doesnt do anything rash.

Do the honors- perform the duty of a host (w hen serving a drink etc.) Would you like to do the honors and pour e veryone a glass of w ine?

Do the t r ick

- w ork w ell, achieve a good resultI think the ne w piece of equipment should do the trick and solve the problem.

Do t ime- spend time in prisonHe w as doing t ime w hen I f irst heard about him.

D o wi th

- bene fit from I have been w orking hard all day so now I could do with a cold drink.

D o wi th

- be a cquainted, involved or associated w ithI d on t have anything to do with the party this year.

Do w i thout

- m anage without somethingI f there is no sugar, w e l l have to do w ithout.

Double back- turn back from w here you are going or have been

We decided to double back from the ar ena to get some m oney to go to a movie.

Double-check

- check again to be sure someth ing is correct

He double- checked the price of the airplane ticket.

Double-cross

- deceive, promise one thing and do another

He tried to double- cross his partner but w as caught an d sent to ja il .

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Double- talk

- Talk that appears to have m eaning but does not

He gave the a udience a lot of double-t alk so nobody knew w hat he w anted to say.

Double up

- share a room or home w ith someone

The passengers had to double up in hotel rooms w hen the plane w as delayed because of theweather.

Down and out

- have no money

He has been down and out before but he has alwa ys been able to f ind a job eventual ly.

Down in the dumps

- Unhappy

She has been real ly dow n in the dum ps since her boyfriend m oved aw ay.

Down on ( someone)

- be critical of some one, angr y at

She is really down on her friend but I dont real ly know the reason.

Down one s alley

- suited to one s tastes and abilit ies

Comput ers are dow n his alley so I am sure tha t he w ill be interested in taking the job.

Down the l ine

- Straight ahea d, in future

There w ill be ma ny changes at this company dow n the line but for now y our job is safe.

Down t he dra in

- w asted or lost

He is just throw ing money down the drain w hen he goes to the horse races.

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D own - to -ear th

- Sensible and pra ctical

Her mother is a very dow n- to- earth person.

Down to the w i re

- nearing a deadline, running out of time

We w ent right dow n to the w ire but we w ere able to f inish the job on t ime.

Do w onders

- pr oduce excellent results

I f you begin to do some exer cise it will do w onders for your health.

Drag in

- insist on bringing a nothe r subje ct into a discussion

He alw ays drags in his personal problem s when w e are t alking about his perform ance on the job.

Drag on

- pass very slow ly, make longer

The speech seem ed to drag on and on so finally w e decided to leave early.

Drag one s feet / hee ls

- act slowly or reluctantly

He has been dragging his feet about w hether or not to take the job.

Draw a b lank

- obtain nothing in return for an effort m ade, get a negat ive result

He drew a blank w hen he w ent to the head off ice to try and re ceive some informat ion about themerger.

Draw f i re

- r eceive criticism or argum ent

He has been draw ing a lot of fire since he announced that he w ould not play basketba ll another

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year .

Draw f i re

- be a target, at tract or provoke shooting

The soldiers drew fire wh en they ent ered the sma ll vil lage.

Draw in one s horns

- spend less money

Their company is not doing we ll so they w ill have to dr aw in their horns for aw hile.

Draw ( someone) out

- make a person talk or tel l something

She was very quiet but we f inal ly w ere able to draw her out so that she w ould join the party.

Draw the l ine

- set a l imit

We have to draw the l ine somew here in regards to the costs of the party.

Draw up

- put in wri t ing

They were able to draw up the new contract w hile w e w ere w ait ing.

Dressed to kill

- w ear one s finest clothes

She was dressed to ki l l w hen I saw her at the concert last week .

Dressed to the nines ( teeth)

- dressed elegantly

The stars w ere all dressed to the nines during the Academy Aw ards cerem ony.

Dress up

- put on ones best clothes

He decided to dress up for dinner at the re staurant .

Drive a hard bargain

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- conclude a bargain w ithout m aking any concessions

Although he drives a hard bar gain I l ike doing business w ith him.

Drive at

- try or w ant to say something

I d on t know w hat he w as driving at in his speech.

Drive someone up a w all

- i rri tate or annoy someone greatly

His constant complaining is driving me up a w all.

Drop a hint

- Casually utter a h int or suggestion

He dropped a hint that he want ed to transfer to a new depart ment.

Drop (someone) a l ine

- w rite or mail a note or letter to someoneShe promised that she w ould drop me a line w hen she gets to Singapore.

Drop back- Move or step backwards, retreat During the hike his foot began to get sore so he decided to drop back and rest for aw hile.

Drop by- To visit someone or somew here He dropped by after work for a drink.

Drop by the w ayside

- give up or fail before the finishMany runners dropped by the w ayside as the m arathon continued.

Drop dead!- go aw ay and be quiet , stop bothering someone I told him to drop dead w hen he came into my room and now he is angry at m e.

Drop in

- ma ke a short or unplanned visitI decided to drop in and visit my friend after I f inished work for the day.

Drop in the bucket

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- Small amount The money he paid back was only a drop in the bucket compared t o w hat he ow es.

Drop out ( of school)- quit school or a course of some kindShe dropped out of the class after thre e mont hs.

Drown one s sorrow s- drink alcohol to forget one s problem sHe s in the bar drown ing his sorrow s with a beer .

Drown out

- ma ke so much noise that it is impossible to hea r The team captain w as drowned out by the cheering fans.

Drum up

- invent, encourage by ma king an effort

They w ere able to drum up a lot of business during the summ er.

Duck soup

- Easy, effortless

How w as the test last week? I t w as duck soup - no problem at al l .

Dumb bunny- A stupid gullible personHe is a dumb bunny and you never know w hat he w ill do next.

Dutch treat- Meal / movie etc. w here each person pays their own w ay, contribute equally to somethingWh en he goes out w ith his girlfriend it is alw ays a Dutch treat as he doesnt have much money.

Dw el l on- think about or talk about some thing all the tim eI w ish he wouldnt alw ays dwe ll on his personal problems.

E. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Each and ever y

- Every ( used for em phasis)

I w ould l ike each and every one of you to bring your textbooks tomorrow .

Eager beave r

- Person who is alw ays eager to w ork or do extra work

He is a real eager beaver and is always avai lable to work w hen w e need him.

Earful

- Scolding, a lot of inform ation ( often critical)

He real ly gave his daughter an ear ful when she came home late.

Early bird catches the w orm

- A person who ge ts up early in the m orning has the best chance of success

He alw ays goes to w ork before his colleagues because he know s that the ea rly bird catches theworm.

( keep / h ave o ne s) ear to the ground

- pay attention to the w ay things are going or the w ay people feel and think

He alw ays has his ear to the ground a nd know s everything that is going on in our company.

Ease off

- reduce in severity or pressure, relax

The president w as asked to ease off on his efforts to save mone y in the company.

Easy come, e asy go

- Somet hing that you get ea sily can be lost easi ly

He doesn t care if he loses his job or not . For him eve ryth ing is easy come, ea sy go.

Easy does it

- do something w ithout sudden movem ents or too fast

"Easy does it" he said as he helped to m ove the lar ge piano.

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Easy-going

- Tolerant and relaxed

He has a very ea sy-going management style.

Eat aw ay

- Rot, erode, destroy The mildew has been eat ing aw ay at the w indow frame al l summ er.

Eat crow- admit one is mistaken or defeated He w as forced to eat crow w hen the f igures that he gave us at the me eting were al l w rong.

Eat dirt

- a ccept another s insult or bad tre atm ent, act hum ble

He m ade the senior manager e at dirt as revenge for his bad treatm ent in the past.

Eat one s heart out

- suffer great ly from longing

You can eat your heart out. I m going to Hawaii for three w eeks!

Eat hum ble pie

- admit one s error and a pologize

He had to ea t hum ble pie in front of his friends when they discovered his mistake.

( Be) eat ing someone

- bothe ring or w orrying someone

I d on t know w hat is eating her but she doesn t seem t o be in a good mood today.

Eat like a bird

- e at very l i t t le

He ea ts like a bird. That s why he can t put on enough we ight to join the football team .

Eat l ike a horse

- eat a lot

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He eats l ike a horse but he never puts on any w eight.

Eat one s cake a nd have i t too

- use or spend somet hing and stil l keep it

He alw ays w ants to eat his cake and have i t too and is never prepared to sacrif ice anything.

Eat one s w ords

- adm it being wrong in something one has said, retract one s statem ent

He w as forced to eat his w ords after his boss proved that he w as wrong.

Eat out

- ea t in a restaurant

He eats out three or four t imes a we ek.

Egg (someone) on

- urge or push someone to do something

He is alw ays egging his friend on w hen he is angry w hich ma kes him even angr ier.

Eke out

- earn w ith di f f iculty

He w as unable to eke out a l iving on the farm so he sold it.

- Effort and strength to clean some thing

W e l l have t o use a lot of elbow grea se to get the kitchen cleaned.

Elbow room

- space ( enough to be comfortable)

They moved to the country in order to have a l i t t le more elbow r oom.

End in it

- A purpose or goal one w ants for itself alone and not as a w ay to someth ing else

For some pe ople traveling is an end in itself and the destination is not importan t.

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( At the) end of ones rope

- The last of ones ability or ideas about how to proceed or do somet hing

He is at the end of his rope regar ding wha t to do about his job.

End up

- finish, finally do some thing

We ended up going to the restaurant after the m ovie last night.

Even so

- Ne vertheless, however

He alw ays works hard but even so he has no money saved.

Every dog has his day

- Everyone w ill have his chance or turn; everyone w ill get w hat he deserves

You should be patient and w ait unti l you get a chance. Remem ber every dog has his day.

Every othe r

- a l ternate , every second one

She has to work every other Saturday evening.

Every so often

- Occasionally

You should walk ar ound every so often wh en you are on a long plane trip.

Every Tom , Dick and Ha rry

- The average person

He said he is not the same as every Tom, Dick and Harry.

Eyes are bigger t han one s stom ach- One want s more food than one can eat

His eyes are bigger tha n his stoma ch. He w ill never finish all of the food that h e took.

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Eyes in th e back of one s head

- Ability to know w hat is happening behind ones back

He has eyes in the back of his head and you can never borr ow a nything w ithout him know ing aboutit .

Eyes pop out

- Much surprised

Her eyes popped out w hen she saw her nam e in the new spaper.

F. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Face dow n

- confront boldly and w in, defy

They decided to face down t heir compet itors and w ere a ble to easily stay in business.

Face the mu sic

- accept t he consequences of something

He is going to hav e to face the m usic sooner or later .- accept somet hing that is not easy to accept You must face up to the fact that you are never going to have enough money to buy that car.

Face value- Value or price printed on a stamp/ bond/ paper money etc.He gave m e the face value that w as printed on the used stamps.

Face value

- Seeming value or truth of something

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He is a nice person but you must alw ays take at face value w hat he says.

Facts of life- What one should know about sex, marriage and birth?He seem s to be a litt le too young to k now about the facts of l ife.

Fair and square

- Honestly, just, straightforward The British team w on the game fair and square but still the other team complained.

Fair gam e- A likely obje ct of aggressive inter estThe company is fair game as a take over target by other internat ional companies.

Fair play

- Justice, equa l and right action

He believes in fair play and is a wonde rful person to have on our tea m.

Fair shake- Honest t reatment She wa s not given a fair shake at t he inquiry into her behavior.

Fair- w eather friend- A person who is a friend only w hen one is successfulHe is a fair-w eather friend only and you can t rely on him if you have a problem.

Fall apart- become to not w ork properlyThe equipment fell apart about six month s after I bought it .

Fall back- move back, go backThe runner fell back from t he rest of the runners w hen the ra ce was half over.

Fall back on somet hing/ someone

- turn to for help w hen something else has failedShe had to fall back on her fat her s money w hen her business had problem s.

Fall behind- fail to keep up w ith w ork or studies or payments etc.He fell behind w ith his homew ork at the beginning of the term and had problems throughout theyear .

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Fall by the w ayside- give up or fail before the finishHe had a good chance of winning the compet ition but he fell by the w ayside near the end.

Fall flat

- be unsuccessful, failI think that my attem pt at humor fel l flat and now she doesn t l ike m e.

Fall for- begin to like very m uch, begin to loveHe fel l for the w oman at the bank but he is afraid to ask her for a date.

Fall from grace- lose approvalThe politician fell from gra ce with the public over th e m oney scandal.

Falling- out- Argument, disagreement, quarrelWe ha d a falling-out dur ing our holiday and w e haven t spoken since.

Fall in love wit h- begin to love someone I fell in love w ith her the f irst t ime that I saw her at the restaurant.

Fall into line- go and stand properly in a row ( like soldiers) The students we re forced to fall into line as they w aited for the doors to open.

Fall in w ith

- become associated w ith a bad group of peopleHe fell in w ith a bad group of friends and began to get low er m arks.

Fall off- Decrease

The num ber of t ourists to visit the island has fallen off recently.

Fall off the w agon- Return to th e consumption of alcohol or drugs after stopping for aw hileHe fell off the w agon after he stopped drinking for three years.

Fall on- meet ( t roubles) The town ha d fal len on hard t imes before the new computer company m oved to town a nd created

ma ny jobs.

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Fall out of use- be no longer usedThat kind of stereo system has fallen out of use over the last 20 year s.

Fall over one- be extre mely eager t o do someth ing or please someone

They fell over them selves in their effort to please the ir host.

Fall short ( of one s expectations) - Not be as good as you expected, not succeedThe new movie fell short of everyone s expectat ions and att endance is very low.

Fall thr ough

- fail , not happen My plan to go abroad fell through when m y father refused to lend me some m oney.

Far and w ide- Everyw here, in all directionsWe looked far a nd w ide for the book but could not find it.

Far cry- Something very differentWhat he said to my friend is a far cry from w hat he told me over the telephone.

Farm out- have someone else do somet hing, send aw ay We farmed out al l of the print ing to another company in order to save money.

Fast buck- M oney earn ed quickly and easilyHe is alw ays trying to m ake a fast buck w ithout real ly trying to work very hard.

Fast talke r

- Con artist, clever talke r w ho convinces others easilyHe is a fast talke r so you should be care ful not to believe every thing tha t he says.

Fat chance

- Little or no possibility, almost no chance

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Fat chance that he w ill let me use his car. He never lets me borrow anything.

( Live off the) fat of the land

- have the be st of everyt hing, especially without ha ving to work for it

He plans to move to the m ountains and try and l ive off the fat of the land.

Favorite son

- A candidate support ed by his hom e state for President et c.

W e voted for him because he is the favorite son of our state.

Feather in one s cap

- Something you achieve and are proud of

Winning the new contract w as a real feather in his cap.

Feather one s nest

- look after one s own inter est ( w hile holding public office or a trusted job e tc.)

The mayor has been feathering his nest for m any years and is now very rich.

Fed up w ith

- disgusted or bored with someone or somet hing

I think that he is getting fed up w ith the constant de ma nds of his boss.

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Feed some one a l ine

- deceive

He w as feeding me a l ine about his plans to open a new restaurant downtow n.

Feel like a m illion dollars

- fee l wonder fu l

I fee l li ke a m i ll ion dollars today so I th ink that I w i ll go for a w alk .

Feel out

- talk or act carefully with someone and find out w hat he thinks

I w ill try and feel out my boss this week end and see wha t he thinks of my chance of prom otion.

Feel sorry for

- PityI feel sorry for him after losing his job.

Feel up to ( do somet hing)

- feel able ( healthy enough or rested enough) to do somethingI d on t feel up to going to the game.

Feet on the ground- Sensible ideas

He is a good family man a nd alw ays has his feet on the gr ound.

Few and far between

- N ot many, rare, few and scattered

The gas stat ions w ere few and far betw een on the highwa y through the m ountains.

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Fiddle around

- Tinker, does something in an unplanned wa y

I t r ied f idd l ing around w i th the computer pr inter for aw hi le but i t s t i l l w on t w ork.

Fifty- f i f ty

- Equally, evenly

We divided the cost of the tr ip fifty- fifty.

Fight tooth and na il

- f ight fiercely or w ith all ones might

He is fighting tooth and nail to get a tra nsfer to another depar tm ent.

Figure on

- depend on, be sure about

You can f igure on about 30 people coming to the party next w eek.

Figure out

- try to understand or solve

He finally figured out how t o use the new video recorder.

Fill ( someone) in

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- tel l someone the detai ls

I w i ll f il l you in la ter about our p lans for the w eekend.

Fill (something) in

- w rite words needed in blanks

Please fi l l in this form and give it to t he re ceptionist.

Fill one s shoes

- Substitute satisfactorily for

Although he is a good supervisor he is unable to fi l l the shoes of those w ho came before him .

Fill out- w rite down the facts that are asked for ( in a report etc.) We w ere asked to fi ll out the forms before we could have an interview for the job.

Fill the bill

- be suitable for w hat is required I think that t he new equipment should fi ll the bill for us.

Find faul t w ith

- criticize

He is alw ays finding fault w ith everything that I do.- learn, discover She is angry a t m e because she found out that I quit the night class.

( Go over w ith a) f ine-toothed comb- Very careful lyWe w ent over the apartme nt w ith a f ine- toothed comb but couldnt f ind her w atch.

Finger in the pie

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- Part ow nership or responsibilityHe has his finger in the pie of all the sma ll compan ies in the a rea.

First come, first serve d- The person who comes w ill have his turn first"First come , first serve d" she called as she put the food on the table.

Firsthand- DirectlyI learned the news from him f irsthand.

First- run- New , shown for the first time There are a lot of f irst-run m ovies that I haven t had t ime to see yet .

- try to get or to f ind out ( something) by hint ing at i tShe is alw ays fishing for compliments w hen I see her at w ork.

Fish out of wa ter- Someone w ho does not fit inHe w as like a f ish out of w ater at the expensive restaurant.

( Be) f ishy- Strange a nd suspiciousSomething is fishy w ith his excuse. Why did he ta ke the day before t he holiday off work?

Fit as a fiddle- I n good athletic condition or healthHer gr andfathe r is 92 years old but he is as fit as a fiddle.

Fit like a glove- fit perfectlyThe new pair of jeans that he bought fit l ike a glove.

Fit to be tied- Very angry or upset He w as fi t to be t ied when he heard that I w as going to take a m onth off work in the summer.

Fix someone up w ith someone- help someone get a date by arranging a meeting for the two I t ried to f ix m y sister up with a date w ith my friend but she refused me.

Fizzle out

- Fail after a good start , end in failure

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The party began to f izzle out about midnight w hen many people w ent home.

Flare u p- be come suddenly angry, begin again suddenly The fighting flared up a gain after th e United Nat ions soldiers left the tow n.

Flash in the pan

- Something that m akes a showy start and then fai lsHis sports career w as a flash in the pan. Recently I haven t heard of him at a ll .

Flat br oke- have no money I have been f lat broke since I stopped working last m onth.

Flat-out- Without hiding anything, plainly, openly

I to ld her f la t- out that I w ould not go w ith her to the party.

Flea in one s ear - An annoying hint , an idea or answer t hat is not welcomeI put a flea in his ear re garding the proposal deadline that he had m issed.

Flea mark et- A place w here a ntiques or secondhand things are soldWe w ent to a f lea ma rket last Saturday to try and buy some dishes.

Flesh and blood

- A close rela tive She is my ow n flesh and blood so of course I felt terrible w hen she got into trouble.

Flip one s lid- become very e xcited, lose ones temper He rea lly fl ipped his lid when I told him about the huge telephone bill.

Flip out- go insane, go out of one s mind, and become ver y angry She flipped out whe n she heard that I had sold her car.

Fly by the seat of one s pants- do a job instinctively rather th an by using concrete informa tionI had to f ly by the seat of my pants when the supervisor left me alone for a w eek.

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Flying high

- Very happy, joyful

She has been flying high since she hea rd that she had w on a new car.

Fly in the ointmen t

- A sma ll thing that spoils enjoym ent

The problem w ith the music w as a f ly in the ointment at the party.

Fly off the handle

- become angry

He really flew off the handle when he saw the bill for the mea l.

Fly-by- night

- Unreliable (business)

That new company is a real f ly-by - night operat ion.

Foam at the mouth

- be very angry ( l ike a mad dog)

He w as foaming at the mouth w hen I told him that I had had an accident with his car.

Follow in one s footsteps (t racks)

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- follow someone s example, fol low someone exactly

He is fol low ing in his father s footsteps and has decided to w ork for a ba nk.

Follow suit

- do as someone else has done, fol low some one s examp le, play a card of the sam e color and kindthat another has put dow n

He followed suit and be gan to leave w ork ea rly on Friday just as his boss w as doing.

Follow through

- continue or finish an action that one has started

He said that he w ould help me pa int my house but he has never followed th rough w ith his offer.

Follow u p

- Make ( one act ion) more successful by doing something more

He follow ed up his phone call in the m orning with a visit in the afternoon.

Foot in th e door

- An opening or opportunity

I f inally got a foot in the door w hen the y accepted m y application.

Food for t hought

- Somet hing worth thinking about

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I d on t rea lly agree w ith his proposal but at least it is food for thought.

Fool around- spend t ime playing rather than w orking, wa ste t imeI f he w ould spend less time fooling around he w ould be able to get some w ork done.

Foot the bill- p ay The company w ill foot the bill for his move to Chicago.

For all

- I n spite of , even withFor all the tim e that he spends studying his mark s are still very low.

For all one is w orth

- As hard a s one can I w i ll t ry for al l I am w orth to help you get the job at the supermarket.

For all the w orld- For anything, for any priceFor the entire w orld I do not know w hat he is trying to tel l me w ith the notes that he w rites.

For a song- For very l i t t le money

He w as able to buy his new car for a song.

For better or w orse

- Depending on how one looks at the m atter, w ith good or bad effectsFor better or w orse he has decided to quit his job and go to live in Brazil.

Force one s hand- mak e someone do somet hing sooner than plannedI forced his hand and he told me w hat he planned to do about the new contract for our company.

For certain- W ithout doubt, certa inly, surelyI t is for certain tha t he w ill not be playing in the gam e tonight.

For crying out loud- used to show that you ar e surprised or angry For crying out loud please turn your r adio down a litt le.

For dear life

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- As though a fraid of losing one s life The mount ain climber he ld on to the rock for dear l ife as he wa ited for some one to rescue him.

Forever and a day- Forever, a lwaysI t took forever and a day to get the book that w e ordered from the bookstore.

For good- Permanent lyHe ha s decided to m ove to Los Angeles for good.

For ke eps- For alw ays, forever He told the boy that he could have the baseball bat for kee ps.

Fork out- pay, pay outI had to fork out a lot of money to f ix m y car.

Fork over

- H and over, giveThe robber told me to fork over my m oney or he w as going to shoot me.

For love or m oney- By any meansWe w ere unable to get him to agree to the proposal for love or m oney.

For once- One t ime For once he listene d to w hat I said. Usually he ignores me.

For sure- W ithout doubt, certa inly, surelyI w i ll go to the movie with you for sure next w eek.

For that m at ter

- About that , w ith regard to thatI d on t w ant to go shopping with you and for that m atter I dont w ant to go anyw here w ith you.

For the asking

- By asking, on reque stYou can get a fr ee ticket to the concert for the asking from t he front office.

For the birds- Uninteresting, somet hing you don t l ike

Doing the cleaning all day is really for the birds.

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For the t ime being- For now, for aw hileWe r eal ly need a new car but for the t ime being we l l have to continue u sing the old one.

For the w orld- Under any conditions

I w ould not w ant to sell my car for the w orld.

Foul up- ruin or spoil by stupid mistake, go w rongThere w as a problem w ith our tickets so our plans wer e all fouled up.

Frame of mind ( good or bad)- One s mental state He m ade sure his boss was in a good frame of m ind before he asked him for t he tim e off.

Freak/ f reak out- become an gry or lose control of oneI f reaked out w hen I discovered that m y reservations had not been made.

Free and easy- I n fo rm a lHe has a free and e asy att i tude about his w ork.

Free hand

- Great freedom to do something We had a free han d in designing the new sport s program for the univer sity.

Freeload- accept food and housing at some one elses expense He w as angry at his brother because he w as always freeloading and never

w orried about finding a j ob.

Freeze out- k eep from a share in some thing by unfriendly or dishonest treatm ent They froze him out of the profi ts that they m ade on the sale of land.

From hand to hand- From one person to another and another The plate of food went from ha nd to hand unt il f inally it w as all finished.

From A to Z

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- know everything about somethingHe know s about cars from A to Z.

From the bottom of one s heart - W ith great feeling, sincerely I thanked him from the bottom of m y heart for helping my daughter w hen she was sick.

From the heart- Sincerely, hone stlyHe gave her some f low ers with a message straight from his heart .

From now on- From this mom ent forward From now on I w i ll study I tal ian every day.

From scratch

- From t he very beginningHe decided to build the h ouse from scratch.

From t ime to t ime- OccasionallyWe go to that restaurant from t ime to t ime.

From wa y back- Since a long time ago, for a long time

I know him from w ay back. I n fact w e w ent to elementary school together.

Full- f ledged- complete, having everyth ing that is needed to be somethingShe became a full- f ledged nurse before she we nt to Saudi Arabia to work for a year.

Full of bean s

- I n high spirits, energeticShe seems to be ful l of beans today. She must be ex cited about somet hing.

Fun and gam es- A very difficult task ( used ironically) I t was al l fun and games today when I w rote my tw o f inal exams.

Funny bone- The place at the back of the elbow that t ingles w hen hitI hit my funny bone and it stil l hurts a l itt le.

Last edited by Argus; Sunday, October 15, 2006 at 04:38 AM.

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Monday, May 16, 2005 #3

ArgusAdministrator

Join Date: Mar 1998Location: IslamabadPosts: 792Thanks: 302Thanked 1,326 Times in 244 Posts

I d io m s( G - H )

G.. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Gain ground

- go forw ard, make progressThe toy company ha s been gaining ground in their effort to sell more products.

Gang up on someone

- Attack in a group, get together to hurt someone The school children tried to gang up on the boy but he r an aw ay.

Gas up- fi ll up a gas tank We should gas up tonight before we leave on our holiday tomorrow .

Gee whiz- used as an exclam ation to show surprise or other strong feelings

Gee w hiz! Are w e rea lly going to go to go t o Disneyland for our h oliday?

Get a break

- get an opportunity or good dealI got a break w hen he sold the car for less than it w as worth.

Get across- explain, ma ke something understoodI had a ha rd time trying to get a cross to him the im portance of taking care of his comput er discs.

Get a fix on something- receive a reading of a distant object by electronic mea nsWe w ere able to get a f ix on the island and got the boat safely to the har bor.

Get a grip of oneself- take control of one s feelingsHe finally got a grip of himself and calmed dow n.

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Get after someone- urge or m ake someone do something he should do but has neglectedI l l get afte r him to fix the compute r as soon as he ret urns.

Get ahead- adva nce or be successfulShe real ly w orks hard at her job in order to get ahead.

Get a kick out of- en joyI think that my father got a kick out of seeing his old school friend.

Get a load of- take a good look at , see somet hingGet a load of that ma n over there w ith the four big dogs.

Get along- manage He is able to get along on very l it t le m oney.

Get along- l eave I t s late so I must be gett ing along now.

Get along w ith some one- have a good relat ionship with someone I d on t get along very well w ith the new w oman I w ork with.

Get a move on- hurry up Please get a m ove on. We are already over thr ee hours late.

Get a rise out of someone- tease, have fun with someone by m aking him or her angryWe r eally got a rise out of the teacher when w e left the window s open w hile it wa s raining.

Get around

- go to dif ferent places, move about He rea l ly gets around. He has been to almost every state in the United States.

Get around to- Finally find time t o do somet hingThe apartment manager f inal ly got around to f ixing the bath.

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Get at

- m e a n I really dont know w hat he w as trying to get at during the meeting.

Get aw ay- succeed in leav ing, escapeI w as able to get aw ay early from w ork today so I w ent shopping for awhile.

Get aw ay from it al l- go on a holiday We w ant to get awa y from it all this summ er and go and relax somew here.

Get aw ay with murder- do somet hing very bad w ithout being caught or punishedThe chi ld w as able to get aw ay w ith murder w hile the substitute teacher w as at the school.

Get aw ay w ith something- do somet hing one shouldnt and not get caught at i t The criminal got aw ay w ith the robbery and w as never caught.

Get a w iggle on- hurry up, get goingGet a wiggle on. We have to arrive at the par ty before the other guests arrive.

Get a w ord in- f ind a chance to say something w hen others are ta lkingThe customer couldn t get a w ord in while talking to the salesman so he decided to go to anothercompany.

Get a word in edgew ise- mana ge to break into a conversationI couldn t get a w ord in edgewise so I left the meeting.

Get back- return We got back from London early yesterday afternoon.

Get back at- do something bad to someone w ho has done something bad to you, hurt someone in return forsomethingShe is very angr y at her boyfriend and is getting back at him by not answ ering the te lephone.

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Get behind- go slow w hile doing something is late I f you get behind in the home w ork you w ill never be able to pass the course.

Get behind (a person or idea)- Support, helpThey decided to get behind the m ain candidate w hen he promised to cut ta xes.

Get by- sat isfy your needs or demands ( usually related to m oney) He is able to ea sily get by on h is salary be cause he doesn t spend a lot of money.

Get cold feet

- become a fraid at the last minute He got cold feet and cancelled his plan to go to China.

Get cracking- hurry up, start moving fast , and get started We w ill have to get cracking on this w ork if we w ant to finish it before dinner.

Get ( someone) down- Ma ke ( someone) unh appy, cause discourageme nt The long comm uting time has begun to get her dow n so she wa nts to quit her job.

Get down to

- get starte d onLet s get dow n to w ork so w e can go home early.

Get down t o brass tacks- be gin discussing the essential mat ter s imm ediate lyLet s get down t o brass tacks and begin to deal w ith the business at ha nd.

Get even- get revenge

He seems to want to get even w ith him for their past problems.

Get-go- The beginning Right from the get- go I never l iked the w ay that the new manager a cted.

Get ( someone s) goat - annoy someoneHe has been gett ing my goat recently and I am t ired of him.

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Get going

- excite, st ir up and m ake angry Once he gets going he w ill never stop complaining.

Get hold of ( something)- get possession of

W hen you get hold of a dictionary could you please let m e see it for a few minut es?

Get hold of (som eone)

- find a person so you can speak w ith him or her

I t ried to get hold of him last w eek but he w as out of town.

Get in on the ground floor- start at the beginning (in hopes of future gain) He m anaged to get in on the ground f loor of the new company.

Get in touch w ith someone- contact someone

I l l get in touch w i th h im w hen I ar r ive in New York in August .

Get in the swing of things- adapt to a new environment or situat ionHe got into the sw ing of things after the party started.

Get it all together

- be in full control and p ossession of ones me ntal facultiesHe finally got it all togethe r and applied for the job at the superm arke t.

Get it through one s head- understand, believeHe has got it through his head tha t he w ill get a job easily without rea lly making an effort.

Get lost!- go awayShe told her younger brother to get lost so she could finish her hom ew ork.

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Get m ixed up- become confusedI m sorry but I got mixed up with the dates. That s why I came today.

Get off

- come dow n from or out of ( a bus or train etc.) We decided to get off the tr ain at the stat ion next to our regular stat ion.

Get off easy- escape a w orse punishment The criminals got off easy even though th ey robbed the bank .

Get off one s back - leave someone alone and not bother them I w ish that the supervisor w ould get off my back.

Get off one s butt - get busy, start w orkingHe should get off his butt and try and get a job so he w ill have some m oney.

Get off on the w rong foot

- m ake a bad start I got off on the w rong foot with him a nd our relationship never really recovered.

Get off the ground- ma ke a successful beginning, go ahead His new business never r eally got off the ground so he must look for another job.

Get one s dander up- become or make angry You shouldn t talk to him early in the m orning or you will get his dander up.

Get one s feet w et - begin, do somet hing for the first time He has ma naged to get his feet w et in the publishing business and is ready to start his own businessnow.

Get one s own w ay- cause people to do what you w ant He alw ays gets his own w ay w ith his younger brothers.

Get one s rear in gear - hurry up, get going

Let s hurry up and get our rea r in gear before it is too late to go to a m ovie.

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Get on in years- To advance in age He is getting on in years and is not very h ealthy.

Get on one s high horse - behave w ith arrogance

He is back on his high h