idioms in english. carlos mirasierras
DESCRIPTION
This is a collection of idioms that will certainly be very helpful for those who want to upgrade their level of English. Memorizing sentences, in which phrasal verbs and idiomatic expressions are used, is OK, but it's better to familiarize oneself with them, that is, to become acquainted with the way Yanks and Brits speak when they are trying to communicate with each other. So, my advice is: try to imagine you are in the situation the idiom describes, and add your own comments or pieces of imagination. Good luck.TRANSCRIPT
Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
Idioms in English.
(Text reviewed, corrected & Augmented by Carlos Mirasierras)
It consists of three columns that contain, on the reading direction, the idiom, its meaning, and the example.
(Have a look at: Phrasal Verbs by Carlos Mirasierras, an Approach Towards Bilingualism)
Idiom Meaning Example
a babe in arms
a baby, or a child who is still wet behind the ears, and it means that he, or she is still quite young
David was just a babe in arms when we emigrated to US. He was still very young.
There was a young girl with a babe in arms waiting for a bus, but no bus came along .
a babe in the woods
a defenseless person; a naive and young person
He's just a babe in the woods, so he needs someone to protect him because he's an inexperienced person .
a bad taste a feeling that I left the meeting with a
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Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
in my mouth something is false or unfair, a feeling of ill will
bad taste in my mouth. There was a lot of dishonesty in the room. So it left me a bad taste in my mouth
a bad time To cause a lot of teasing, to give a rough time
The classmates gave John a bad time because of his pink shorts. He was wearing a pair of shorts that are not, in any case, appropriate for a boy.
a ball-park figure
a number that is near the total; it's an approximate figure
Fifty is a ball-park figure, because it's close to the number of people in our class.
a bar fly a person who often goes to bars or lounges
Every evening Penny goes to John's pub to have some fun. So, she's quite a bar fly.
a bar star a girl who goes to bars to drink and find friends
Lola was known to be a bar star during her youth, but now she's a different person.
a bare-faced lie
a deliberate lie, a planned
His statement to the police was false. The
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Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
lie cops could see that it was a bare-faced lie.
a barnburner
an exciting event; an impressive success
The group played their old songs and it was indeed a barnburner, and an event to be remembered for years.
a barrel of laughs
a lot of fun, a person who makes you laugh
Hey guys, let's invite Joe to our party. He's a barrel of laughs, and we'll have a whale of a time.
a basket case
a person who is very nervous, or in bad shape
If Gloria undergoes a nervous breakdown, she'll be a basket case to be treated by a doctor.
a bawling out
To give somebody a scolding, a lecture, an earful
Dad gave me a bawling out because I forgot to do my chores. He gave a bawling out, a scolding, a lecture, a telling-off, etc.
a bed of roses
an easy life, a pleasant place where to work or stay
Who said that retirement is a bed of roses? To be in Miami surrounded by beauties would be
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Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
indeed a bed of roses.
a bee in one's bonnet
To be upset, a bit angry, to be on edge
Aunt Betsy was kind of cranky, as if she had a bee in her bonnet. (Kind of:
somewhat, rather)
a beehive of activity
This is a busy place, or a room full of working people
The kids are making crafts. It's indeed a beehive of activity in the class.
a big rig (in USA & Canada)
a big truck, a semi-trailer truck
Do you have a driver's license? Have you ever driven a big rig?
a big shot, to be a big shot
To be an important person, to be a boss, a big wheel
On payday he spends money like a big shot; he buys drinks for all and gives the barmen good tips.
a big wheel a person with power, a big shot
Barry has been acting like a big wheel since he got promoted.
a big wig an important person, a president etc., a VIP
Barry is a big wig in Gulf Oil, I think he's a vice president or something like that.
a bimbo A good Don't call John's
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Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
looking foolish girl, an airhead
girlfriend a bimbo, she's not a piece of meat, she's very intelligent.
a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
It means that having one is better than seeing many
You must remember that when searching for a better job: a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush; you must not forget that my friend
a bit at sea To be a bit unsure, uncertain
He seems a bit at sea since his brother died because they were very close.
(a bit) dense
To be difficult to understand because of complexity.
This novel is, to my taste, a bit dense. Math is for all students a dense subject.
a bit off, or a little off
To be a little crazy, unbalanced
Kate talks to herself when she's alone. Do you think she's a bit off?
a bitch a complaining What a bitch! She
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Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
woman, a woman who nags
complains to us and criticizes her classmates for our supporting the teacher .
a bite to eat a lunch, a snack
We can grab a bite to eat at the arena. They sell snacks there.
a bitter pill to swallow
a negative event, a loss, a painful experience
Divorce is a bitter pill to swallow for Marianne, because she believes in the marriage institution.
a black mark
a mark beside your name that indicates something bad about you.
If you cause an accident, you get a black mark beside your name. We were given a black mark for our behavior.
a blackout A cutoff of electrical power as a result of a shortage of electricity.
The blackout was caused by technical difficulties at the power station; the electricity supply was restored at around 4:30.
a blackout (this is in case of war)
a policy that requires lights to be turned off in the event of a
Blackouts prevented bombers from seeing their targets at night. State officials ordered
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Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
bombardment. blackouts during WW II.
(To give s. o.) a blank look
To look back at s.o. with a neutral look on one's face
When I called her name, she gave me a blank look, as though she didn't know me.
(To have) a blast
To have a great time, have a lot of fun
The students were having a blast until the teacher walked in, and all the fun came to an end.
a blessing in disguise
A problem that becomes a benefit or advantage
The rainstorm was a blessing in disguise because it stopped the fire.
blow-by-blow account, (blow-by-blow description)
A detailed description of an event
The lawyer got the witness to give a blow-by-blow description of the argument.
a blowout To win by a large score, have an easy victory.
"Did the Flames win?" "Yea, it was a blowout, they won 11-2".
a blowout To have a flat tire, a tire that breaks
We were late because our van had a blowout on
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Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
suddenly the freeway.
a bone to pick
something to argue about; a matter to discuss
Joe sounded angry when he said that he had a bone to pick with you.
a breath of fresh air
A welcome relief, a nice change, a new presence
Having Lisa around the house is a breath of fresh air, because she's so nice.
a breath of wind
a breeze, a light wind
In the evening, the lake was calm. There wasn't even a breath of wind.
a brick a dependable person, a friend who always helps
Paul helped me get through my divorce. He's a real brick!
(To be) a brick short of a full load
To be mentally slow; lack intellectual ability
He's a brick short of a full load if he thinks that he can buy my car at that price.
a budding genius
a child who appears to be very intelligent
The newspaper described Pam as "a budding genius" on the violin.
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Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
a bull in a china shop
a big, reckless person in a room full of fragile things.
Imagine a 300-pound football player at a tea party, and you have a bull in a china shop.
a bum rap; To take the rap
unfair blame, unjust sentence, a false charge.__
Take the blame for doing
something.
It was a bum rap. Eddie didn't steal those paintings._____________
I won't take the rap for a crime I didn't commit.
a bummer an unfortunate event, a bad experience.
"Somebody broke a window in his car and stole his stereo." "That's a bummer."
a bun in the oven
Pregnant woman, expecting a baby
Mabel has a bun in the oven. The baby's due in April.
a bunch of malarkey
an untrue story, insincere or foolish talk, a lot of bunk
"Do you believe what the futurologist said about your future?" "No, to me It's a bunch of malarkey."
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Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
(To be) a bundle of nerves
a very nervous person; uptight person
Mary has so many problems - she's just a bundle of nerves.
a card a witty amusing person who makes jokes
He is such a card, he's always making jokes of everything.
a case of an example of, it's a case of
Look at Bosnia. That's a case of ethnic civil war.
a caution a very amusing or surprising person
She's a caution, she told her friends that she was a victim of ugliness in the presence of handsome men.
a cheap drunk
a person who gets drunk on one or two drinks
Joan admits she's a cheap drunk. Her limit is two drinks.
a checkup a doctor's examination, a medical examination
If you are not feeling well, go to the doctor for a checkup.
a chicken in every pot
enough food for every family,
Delinquency would be a problem of the past if there'd be a chicken in
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Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
prosperity for all
every pot.
a chin wag a light informal conversation, a chat.
The grandmothers were gathered around the table having a chin wag about their grandchildren.
a chip off the old block
a boy who is like his dad - like father, like son
Eric is a chip off the old block: He has his mother's looks and his father's personality.
a chunk of change
a large amount of money, a few grand, big bucks
I bet he paid a chunk of change for that car; at least 300 grand ($ 300,000).
a clean bill of health
a good report from the doctor
You'll never get a clean bill of health if you don't stop eating fat meat!
a cliff-hanger
an episode that ends in suspense
The match was indeed a cliffhanger.
a close call close to danger or an accident, a narrow
It can be described as a close call as the train nearly hit the bus when both were in the middle
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Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
escape, close shave
of the crossing.
a close shave
very close to serious injury or death, close call
The old man described his fight with the bear as a close shave; he had a narrow escape
a clutch hitter (baseball)
a batter who hits when runners are on base
Joe's a clutch hitter. He's batting .431 with runners on base.
a common thread
A similar idea or pattern to a series of events
All of these incidents are related. There is a common thread to all of them.
(To put) a contract out on s.o.
to order someone to kill someone else
There's a contract out on Mike. The boss doesn't like him.
a coon's age
A long time, many years
We haven't been out to the coast in a coon's age. It's (it has) been years.
a crash course
a short and intense course that has the
He took a crash course in cooking and bought a
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Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
main facts and skills
cafe near the port.
a crush on sudden feeling of love or romance
Judy has a crush on Tim. See the way she looks at him.
a crying shame
a very unfortunate situation; a real shame
It's a crying shame that they didn't have fire insurance.
a cut above superior, better
Your shirt is beautiful, but mine is a cut above yours.
a cut-up someone who plays practical jokes on others
When Marsha takes a couple of drinks she becomes a real cut-up and spoils the fun.
a daredevil a daring person
What a daredevil! She jumped across a ten-foot chasm!
a dead giveaway
something that reveals a fact or an intention completely
The smile on her face was a dead giveaway that she got the job.
a dead heat a race that A photograph of the
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Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
finishes in a tie for first place
finish line proved that the race ended in a dead heat.
a dead loss a complete loss; a write-off (a vehicle that is too damaged to repair)
My investment was a dead loss. This car is a dead loss after the accident; it's a complete write-off because it cannot be repaired.
a dead ringer
a person who is identical to another.
Chad is a dead ringer for Mel Gibson. They look like twins.
a hell of a time; a dickens of a time
a difficult task, a task with problems,
I had a hell of a time with the Social Security Administration. They had a dickens of a time with their new neighbors.
(To be) a different kettle of fish
(to be) different, be not the same
A cult is not a religion. A cult is a different kettle of fish, so they are completely different.
a dialogue of the deaf
a waste of time
The negotiations resulted in a dialogue of the deaf.
To be a dime a dozen
very cheap, low priced, dirt cheap; to be
He can still remember when eggs were cheap, when they were a dime a
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Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
abundant, cheap and common
dozen.
People who can write good books are not a dime a dozen nowadays.
a dog's age a long time, a coon's age
Mel! I haven't seen you for a dog's age; it's been at least ten years!
a dog's breakfast (UK)
something that has been done very badly
This book is a dog's breakfast. It's very badly written and contains a lot of useless info.
(To lead) a dog's life
To lead a poor life.
She's certainly leading a dog's life.
a doggy baga bag or container for that food you don't eat at the restaurant or café
If we can't eat all the lobster, ask for a doggy bag and we'll take it home. We can have it for lunch tomorrow.
a double-edged sword
a device that can help you and hurt you
Truth is a double-edged sword. It can imprison me or set me free.
a downer (drug)
a drug that relaxes you; a
Before bedtime he took a downer to help him relax
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Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
sedative and sleep.
a downer (sadness)
a depressing experience
News of the war was a downer. Most of the people dreaded war.
a drag a boring time Mary's party was a drag. We ended up talking about our jobs.
a dressing down
a scolding, a lecture
Mother gave me a dressing down when she learned that I'd been fired.
a drop in the bucket
an insignificant contribution toward solving a large problem
This donation is only a drop in the bucket, but it is appreciated anyway.
a duke's mixture
an odd combination of things, a strange mixture of items.
When Lynn opened the lid of the box she found a duke's mixture - everything from jewelry to birdseed!
a dust-up a fight, a skirmish; set-
The boys argued and had a little dust-up, but
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Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
to no one got hurt.
a fair shake a fair deal, a just settlement
The insurance company gave us a fair shake - paid all our damages.
a falling out a disagreement, a break in friendship
Guy and Jean had a falling out. They argued about religion.
a false move
a wrong move, a threatening action
A man with a gun said, "If you make a false move, you're dead."
a far cry not similar, very different
This is a good sherry, but it's a far cry from the Port.
a faraway look
the eyes show thoughts of a distant place or friend
When I mention horses, you get a faraway look in your eyes.
a fart in a windstorm
(A fart is a discharge of intestinal gas)
an act that has no effect, an unimportant event
A letter to the editor of a paper is like a fart in a windstorm.
a fat lip a hit on the lip, an injured lip
Stop bothering her or I'll give you a fat lip. I'll hit you.
a feather in an honor, a Because you are Karen's 17
Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
your cap credit to you. An achievement you can be proud of
teacher, her award is a feather in your cap. - An order for 28 new aircraft is quite a feather in Boeing's cap.
a few bricks short of a full load
Lacking in intellectual ability
When Moe began eating bugs, we knew that he was a few bricks short.
a fifth wheel a useless object, an unnecessary device
The team already had two guards, so I felt like a fifth wheel.
a fighting chance
a fair chance, a good chance
If I can get a job interview, I'll have a fighting chance.
a fill-up a full tank of gasoline
We got a fill-up before we left Winnipeg. The truck needed gas.
a fine line a close relationship, not much difference
Sometimes there is a fine line between love and lust.
a fine-toothed comb
a careful search, a search for a
She read the file carefully, and went over it with a fine-
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Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
detail toothed comb.
a firm hand a strong sense of management; a high degree of discipline and direction
I had to use a firm hand with Perry when he was a child. He had a problem with discipline.
a flash in the pan
someone or something that draws a lot of attention for a very brief time
I'm afraid that my success as a painter was just a flash in the pan. My career was only a flash in the pan
a fleeting glance
a very brief look, a quick glance
A fleeting glance from Jane would make his heart beat wildly.
a fly on the wall
someone who can secretly see and hear what happens
I would love to be a fly on the wall at that meeting.
a fool and his money are soon parted
people who aren't careful with their money spend it quickly.
After he had spent his fortune, he remembered this saying: A fool and his money are soon parted.
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Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
a foregone conclusion
a certain conclusion, a predictable result
That he'll graduate is a foregone conclusion because he's a good student.
a free-for-all a fight without rules
There was a free-for-all after the dance, and Bryan got hurt.
a free hand complete authority, freedom to do or decide as one sees fit.
The President gave Ms. Drake a free hand in choosing the means of transportation.
a freeze on a stoppage; a decision to stop spending, hiring etc.
Right now there's a freeze on hiring new personnel for the power station.
a fresh pair of eyes
a different reader, one who has not seen the writing
A fresh pair of eyes may find many errors in this report.
a fresh start starting again, a new life
In Canada, you will have a fresh start, and so begin a new life.
a full house (cards)
a pair plus three of a kind,
In our last game of poker, you dealt me a
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Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
e.g., 2 kings and 3 aces
full house.
a full plate a busy schedule, a lot to do
Nancy has a full plate these days. She has many bills to pay.
a gaggle of geese
a flock of geese, a bunch of geese
A gaggle of geese met us as we drove into the farmyard.
a game one a willing player I can see that Jim's a game one. She plays hard and doesn't quit.
a ghost of a chance
a very small possibility.
That car doesn't have a ghost of a chance. It's too slow!
(To have) a glow on
(to be) slightly drunk, to be tipsy
Myrna had a glow on after having drunk two glasses of wine.
(To give sth) a go
make an attempt at something
I never sat on a horse before but I'll give it a go
a go-getter someone who has a lot of energy and confidence and
I remember him as a real go-getter despite all the setbacks he had to face.
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Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
wants to succeed
a going concern,
going concern is a business that works very well, it's going great guns
The book-keepers affirm that the business is a going concern. So there's nothing to be worried about
a golden opportunity
a good chance to succeed, an excellent opportunity
I missed my golden opportunity to prepare myself for a good job.
a goner A person who is in need of help, or beyond help
he was a goner because he was too far away for the lifeguards to see him.
a good arm the ability to throw a baseball or a football
Doug is short, but he has a good arm. He's an excellent passer.
a good egg a good-natured person,
Everybody likes Marsha, she's a good egg.
(To have) a good head on one's shoulders
To be intelligent and sensible, have common sense
Mary doesn't do well in school, but she's got a good head on her shoulders
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Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
a good sport a person who is fair and friendly
What a good sport! You never complain, even when you lose.
(with) a grain of salt, or with a pinch of salt
take it with a grain of salt (with a suspicion)
I took his story with a grain of salt, or with a pinch of salt
a grain of truth
a bit of truth There's not a grain of truth in what Brian says. It's all untrue.
a handful a child who is difficult to manage
Jason is a real handful for his mother because he's not easy to manage.
a handout free food or money, alms
I'm not asking for a handout. I'll pay you back when I find work.
a hard day a day full of hard work
You look tired, Dear. Did you have a hard day at the office?
a hard-on an erect penis, a hard penis
I saw he had a hard-on but tried to conceal it using a tablecloth.
a hard row to hoe
a difficult task or situation to
Teachers have a tough row to hoe in today's
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Idioms in English by Carlos Mirasierras
deal with, many problems
schools because of money problems
a hard time teasing or bugging, annoying
Ken will give you a hard time because you missed the chance of promotion.
a hassle a problem, a bother
The tax reform is a hassle this year. It's difficult to understand.
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