idiom_advance
Essential Idioms in English
Advanced
CONTENTS
LESSON 28................................................................................................................3
LESSON 29................................................................................................................5
LESSON 30................................................................................................................8
LESSON 31.............................................................................................................. 10
LESSON 32.............................................................................................................. 12
LESSON 33.............................................................................................................. 14
LESSON 34.............................................................................................................. 17
LESSON 35.............................................................................................................. 19
LESSON 36.............................................................................................................. 21
LESSON 37.............................................................................................................. 23
LESSON 38.............................................................................................................. 26
LESSON 39.............................................................................................................. 28
REVIEW-LESSON 28 TO 39 ................................................................................... 31
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3
LESSON 28
to let up:
to slacken, to lessen in intensity; to relax or ease one's effort (also: related idiom:
to take it easy
)
,
• If the rain doesn't
let up
soon, we won't be able to have our picnic.
• When Jane is working, she never
lets up
for a moment.
• Jane should
take it easy
or she'll get exhausted.
to lay off:
to abstain from, stop using as a habit; to release or discharge from a job (also: related idiom:
to let go
) (
S
)
• If you're trying to lose weight , you should
lay off
sweet things.
• If business continues to be slow, we will have to
lay off
some workers.
• It will be necessary to
let
the youngest employees
go
first.
to bring out:
to show or introduce (to the public) (
S
); to make available (
S
)
• Most automobile companies
bring out
new models each year.
• My mother
brought
some snacks
out
for my friends and me to have.
to bring back:
to return a bought or borrowed item (also:
to take back
) (
S
)
To bring back
is used when you are speaking at the place that an item is bought or borrowed;
to take back
is used
when speaking at another place.
• Ma'a m, our store policy is that you can
bring back
the dress as long as you have your sales receipt .
• You can borrow my car if you promise to
bring
it
back
by six o'clock.
• I have to
take
this book
back
to the library today.
to wait up for:
to wait until late at night without going to bed
• Don't
wait up for
me. I may be back after midnight.
• We
waited up for
our son until two o'clock in the morning before we called the police.
to leave
(
someone or something
)
alone:
not to disturb, to stay away from (
S
) (also:
to let alone
)
•
Leave
the baby
alone
for a while and she may go to sleep.
• After the cat had scratched Peter twice, he
let
it
alone
.
let alone:
and certainly not (a lso:
not to mention
,
to say nothing of
)
Let alone
is used after negative forms. The example that follows
let alone
is much less possible than
the example that precedes
let alone
.
• I'm too sick today to walk to the kitchen,
let alone
to go to the zoo with you.
• He doesn't even speak his own language well,
let alone
French.
to break off:
to terminate, to discontinue (
S
)
• After war bega n, the two countries
broke off
diplomat ic relations.
• Else and Bob were once engaged, but they have already
broken
it
off
.
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4
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to wear off:
to disappear gradually
• My heada che isn't serious. It will
wear off
a fter an hour or so.
• The effect of the painkilling drug didn't
wear off
for several hours.
to wear down:
to become worn gradually through use (also:
to wear away
,
to wear through
) (
S
)
Compare with
to wear out
(to become useless from wear) in Lesson 8.
• If you dra g your feet while you walk, you'll
wear down
your shoes quickly.
• The pounding of ocean wa ves against t he coast gradually
wears
it
away
.
• Johnny has
worn through
the seat of his pants.
• Helga threw away that dress because she had
worn
it
out
.
on the whole:
in general, in most ways (also:
by and large
)
• He is,
on the whole
, a good student.
•
By and large
, I agree with your suggestions.
touch and go:
risky, uncertain until the end
• The complicated medical operation was
touch and
go
for several hours.
• The outcome of the soccer final was
touch and go
for the entire match.
EXERCISES
* S ubstitute an idiomatic expression for the word or words in italics, making any necessary grammatical changes as
well. Then complete each sent ence appropriately wit h your own idea. Also try t o use idioms from previous
lessons.
Example:
1. Mary
discontinued
her relationship with Paul because she couldn't...
Mary broke off her relationship with Paul because she couldn't put up with him anymore.
2. The effect of the wine
disappeared gradually
after I...
3. I think that we should
wait without going to bed
for our daughter until she...
4.
In general
, it is best for a student learning English to...
5. The company was forced
to release
hundreds of workers because business...
6. S ir, you can
return
your jacket to the st ore if you...
7. The outcome of the 100-meter ra ce was
uncertain
because the four runners...
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5
8. I have no time to visit the park,
and certainty not
the...
9. If the snowstorm doesn't
slacken
, we won't be able to...
10. I want you
not to disturb me
so that I...
* Answer these questions orally by making use of the idiomat ic expressions studied in this lesson.
1. If you want to keep a favorite pair of shoes, what can you do when the sole (bot tom) of t he shoes
wears down
?
2. Have you ever been worried and had to
wait up
for
someone? Why was t he person late?
3. In your country, is it possible
to take back
an item to a store after you have bought it?
4. Why is it important
to let up
if you have been working for several hours without a break?
5. Give an example of when you should
leave
a child
alone
.
6. Why should smokers
lay off
smoking cigarettes?
7. How long does it take for the effects of a drug such as alcohol
to wear off
?
8. For what reasons would one country
break off
relations with anot her country?
9.
On the whole
, what is your favorite music?
LESSON 29
to work out:
to exercise; to develop, to devise (a plan) (
S
)
• Jane
works out
at the fitness cent er every other morning before going to school.
• The advertising department
worked out
a plan to increase company sales.
• We couldn't come up with a good plan for solving the problem, but we agreed to
work
it
out
at a later date.
to back up:
to drive or go backwards (
S
), to defend, to support (
S
); to return to a previous thought
• I couldn't
back
my car
up
because there was a bicycle in t he driveway behind me.
• Ursula asked her friends to
back
her
up
when she went to court to fight a ticket for an illegal lane change on the
highway.
• Wait a minute. Could you
back up
and say that again?
to back out:
to drive a vehicle out of a parking space (
S
); to withdraw support, to fail to fulfill a promise or
obligation
• The parking lot attendant had to
back
anot her car
out
before he could get to mine.
• We were all ready to sign the contracts when one of the parties to the agreement
backed out.
to have one's heart set on:
to desire greatly, to be determined to
• She
has her heart set on
taking a trip abroad. She's been thinking about it for months.
• Todd
has his heart set on
going to medical school and becoming a doctor.
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to buy up:
to buy the complete stock of (
S
) -
• Before the hurricane struck, residents
bought up
all the food and water in local stores.
• The government plans t o
buy up
all surplus grain in order to st abilize the price.
to buy out:
to purchase a business or company (
S
); to purchase all of a person's shares or stock (
S
)
This idiom is similar in meaning to
t o take over
in Lesson 23.
• Larger companies often
buy out
smaller companies that are having financia l difficulties.
• Mr. Lee has been trying for some time to
buy
his part ner
out
so that he can control the company by himself.
to sell out:
to sell all items (
S
); to arrange for the sale of a company or business (
S
)
• That store is closing its doors for good and is
selling out
everyt hing this weekend.
• If my new business enterprise is successful, I'll
sell
it
out
for a few million dollars.
to catch on:
to become popular or widespread; to underst and, to appreciate a joke
This idiom is often used with the preposition
to
for the second definition.
• F ashions of the past often
catch on
again among young people.
• When the t eacher speaks quickly like that, can you
catch on
easily?
• His joke was very funny at the time, but when I t old it to others later, nobody seemed to
catch on.
I had to tell the
joke again before anyone could
catch on to
it.
to be cut out for:
to have the necessary skills or talent for
This idiom is most oft en used in the negative or in questions.
• John
is
certainly not
cut out for
the work of a t rial lawyer.
• Are you cert ain that you
are cut out for
that kind of job?
to throw out:
to discard (
S
); to remove by force (
S
); to refuse to consider, to reject (
S
)
• Inst ead of
throwing out
our paper waste in the office, we should recycle it.
• When a fight broke out between two people on t he dance floor, the management
threw
them
out
.
• The judge
threw
the case
out
because there was insufficient evidence t o try the defendant successfully.
to throw up:
to erect or construct quickly (
S
); t o vomit (
S
)
• The Red Cross
threw up
temporary shelters for the homeless victims of the earthquake.
• The ill patient is unable to digest her food properly, so she is
throwing
all of it
up.
to cl ear up:
to make understa ndable (also:
to straighten out
) (
S
); to become sunny
• The teacher tried to
clear up
our confusion about the meaning of the difficult paragraph in the reading.
• It's rather cloudy this morning. Do you think that it will
clear up
lat er?
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7
EXERCISES
* Substitute an idiomat ic expression for the word or words in italics, making any necessary grammatical changes as
well. Then complete each sentence appropriately with your own idea. Also try to use idioms from previous
lessons.
1. After Jane
exerci sed
for an hour at the gym, she...
2. Larry
defended
his friend who was accused of...
3. The company
withdrew support
for
the joint venture when...
4. This weekend I rea lly
am determined to
...
5. That company will have to
sell all its items
if...
6. When a new product
becomes popular
, stores should...
7. I don't think that F elix
doesn't have the necessary talent for
parenthood because he...
8. Instead of
discarding
newspapers and plastics, people should...
9. The teacher tried to
make understandable
the problem in class, but the students...
10. If the weather
becomes sunny
this afternoon, we'll...
* Answer these questions orally by making use of the idiomat ic expressions studied in this lesson.
1. When you a re telling a complicated story to someone, when might you have to
back up
?
2. Is there anything at the moment that you
have your heart set on
? What is it ?
3. If you can't
catch on to
a joke, but everyone else does, what do you do?
4. Do you think that you would be
cut out for
the job of politician? Why or why not?
5. Do you
throw out
it ems of clothing when they are worn out, or do you find ways to reuse them? Give
examples of how some items might be reused.
6. For what reason might a person be
thrown
out
of a private affair?
7. Suppose tha t you have a serious misunderstanding with a friend. When would you want to
clear up
the
misunderstanding right away, and when would you let some time pass by before
straightening it out
?
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8
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LESSON 30
8
.
to slow down:
to go, or cause to go, more slowly (also:
to slow up
) (
S
)
This idiom can be used both with and without an object.
• The car was going so fast that the mot orist couldn't
slow
it
down
enough to make the sharp curve.
• You're eating too fast to digest your food well.
Slow down
!
•
Slow up
a bit! You're talking so quickly that I can't catch on well.
to dry up:
t o lose, or cause to lose, all moisture (
S
); to be depleted
• Every summer the extreme heat in this valley
dries
the stream
up
.
• All funds for the project
dried up
when the local government faced a budget crisis.
to dry out:
to lose, or cause to lose, moisture gradually (
S
); to stop drinking alcohol in excess (also:
to sober up
)
• Martha hung the t owel outside on the clothesline in order to
dry
it
out
.
• S ome people go to alcohol recovery centers in order to
dry
out
.
to be up to
(
something
): to be doing something; to be planning or plott ing something, scheming
The first definition usually takes the form of a question.
• Hi, Jake. I haven't seen you in a long t ime. What have you
been up to
?
• Those boys hiding behind the building must
be up to
somet hing bad.
to beat around the bush:
to avoid discussing directly, to evade the issue
Our boss
beats around the bush
so much that no one in the office knows exactly what he wants us to do.
Instead of
beating around
the
bush, Melinda explained her objection in very clear t erms.
to come to an end:
to end, to stop
This idiom is used with
finally
a nd
never
when some activity lasts too long.
• The meeting finally
came to an end
a t ten o'clock in the evening.
• Even though my friend seemed to enjoy the movie, I thought tha t it would never
come to an end
.
to put an end to:
to cause to end, to terminate in a definite manner (also:
to do away with
)
• The dictatorial government
put an end
to
organized opposition in the country by making it illegal to form a
political party.
• It may never be possible to
do away with
all forms of prejudice and discrimination in the world.
to get even with:
to seek revenge, to retaliate
This idiom is similar in meaning to
to have
it in for
in Lesson 27.
• Bill has had it in for his boss for a long time. He told me he's planning to
get even with
his boss by
giving some company secrets to a compet it or.
• I want to
get even with
Steve for beating me so badly in tennis last time. The scores were 6-1 and 6-2.
to fool around:
to waste time; to joke, not to be serious
• The teacher got angry because her students
were
fooling around
and couldn't finish t heir work before the end of
class.
• Sometimes I wish that Pat would stop
fooling around
so much and talk about something more interesting to
others.
to look out on:
to face, to overlook
• We really enjoy our new apartment that
looks out
on
a river.
• Their rear window
looks out
on
a lovely garden.
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9
to stir up:
to cause anger (
S
); to create (trouble or difficulty) (
S
)
• The senseless murder of a s mall child
stirred up
the whole neighborhood.
• The boss is in a ba d mood today so don't
stir
her
up
with any more customer complaints.
to take in:
to visit in order to enjoy (
S
); to decrease the size of clothes (
S
); to deceive, to fool (
S
)
• We decided to
take in
Toronto on our trip to Canada, a nd that is where we
took in
the most memorable outdoor
stage play we have ever seen.
• Lois lost so much weight that she had her skirts a nd slacks
taken in
by her tailor.
• The fraudulent investment advisor
took
everyone
in
with his sincere manner and generous promises. Most
investors lost all their money.
EXERCISES
* Substitute an idiomat ic expression for the word or words in italics, making any necessary grammatical changes as
well. Then complete each sentence appropriately with your own idea. Also try to use idioms from previous
lessons.
1. Many of the lakes in this part of the count ry have
lost all moisture
because...
2. When I asked Ted what he
was doing
, he responded that...
3. Karen hopes this meeting
stops
soon because...
4. If the government wants to
terminate
drug abuse in this country, it will have t o...
5. Ruth
sought revenge on
the girl who stole her boyfriend away from her by...
6. Because our son Alien is always
joking
, nobody...
7. The house for sale was a valuable piece of property because it
faced
...
8. Old-time residents in the neighborhood became
angered
when t heir new neighbor...
9. Marge has lost so much weight in t he last month t hat she has had to
decrease the size of
...
10. We visited the San Diego Zoo in order to
visit and enjoy
...
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* Answer these questions orally by making use of t he idiomatic expressions studied in this lesson.
1. If someone asked you what you
were up to
these days, how would you respond?
2. How can you tell when young children
are up to
something? Can you remember any personal experience when
you were a child?
3. When might someone choose to
beat around the bush
? Wha t could you do to avoid this?
4. What problems in the world would you like to
put an end to
? Do you think that there is hope for this?
5. Has someone ever
stirred
you
up
so much that you wanted to
get even with
him or her? What did you do?
6. What attractions in the area tha t you a re living now have you already
taken in
?
7. Have you ever been
taken in
by someone such as a salesperson or a stranger on t he street? What happened?
LESSON 31
to go through
:
to undergo, to experience; to consume, to use (also:
to use up
)
The first definition is used when someone is having some hardship or difficulty.
• I can't believe what she
went through
to get that job. She had four interviews with the hiring committee in one
week!
• F rank said that they had
gone through
all the toilet paper in the house, but Steve couldn't believe that they had
used
it all
up
.
to go without saying:
to be known without the need to mention
This idiom occurs with a
that
-clause, often with the pronoun it as the subject.
• It
goes without saying
that you shouldn't drive quickly in bad weather.
• That he will gain weight if he continues t o eat and drink so much
goes without saying
.
to put
(
someone
)
on:
to mislead by joking or tricking (
S
)
This idiom is usually used in a continuous tense form. A noun object must divide the idiom.
• Don't worry. I wouldn't expect you do all that work by yourself. I'm just
putting
you
on
.
• Jack can't be serious about what he said. He must be
putting
us
on
.
to keep one's head:
to remain calm during an emergency
• When the heater caused a fire, Gloria
kept her head
and phoned for a ssista nce right away; otherwise, the whole
house might have burned down.
• When the boat starting sinking in heavy seas, t he crew members
kept their heads
and led the passengers t o the
lifeboats.
to lose one's head:
not to think clearly, to lose one's self-control
• When Mel saw a dog in the street right in front of his car, he
lost his head
and drove ont o the sidewalk and into a
tree.
• If the politician hadn't gotten stirred up and
lost his head
, he never would have criticized his opponent unfairly.
narrow-minded:
not willing to accept the ideas of others (the opposite of narrow minded is
broad-minded
)
•
Narrow-minded
people t end to discriminate against groups of people with which they have nothing in common.
• Ted is so
broad-minded
that he has almost no standards by which he judges others.
to stand up:
to withstand use or wear; to fail to appear for a date or social engagement (
S
)
• My old car has .
stood up
well over the years. I haven't had any ma jor problems at all.
• Janet was very angry because her new boyfriend
stood
her
up
on their second dat e. She waited over an hour for
him before returning home.
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11
to get the better of
: to win or defeat by gaining an advantage over someone
• Jim doesn't seem very athletic a t tennis, but if you're not careful, he'll
get the better of
you.
• Lynn gets frustrated when Bruce
gets the better of
her in argument s. No matter wha t she says, he always has a
clever res ponse.
to break loose:
to become free or loose, to escape
• During the bad st orm, the boat
broke loose
from the landing and drifted out t o sea.
• One bicyclist
broke loose
from the pack of racers and pulled ahead towards the finish line.
on edge:
nervous, anxious; upset, irritable
• Cynthia was
on edge
all da y about the important presentation she had to give t o the local citizens group.
• I don't like being around Jake when he's
on edge
like that. Someone should tell him to calm down and relax.
to waste one's breath:
not be able to convince someone
This idiom is used when someone is wasting time trying to convince another person. The idiom
to save one's breath
is related and means
not to waste effort trying to convince someone
.
• Don't argue with Frank any longer. You
are wasting your breath
trying to get him to agree wit h you.
• I have already decided what I'm going to do. You can't change my mind, so
save your breat h
.
to cut short:
to make shorter, to interrupt (
S
)
• The moderator asked the speaker to
cut short
his talk because there wasn't much time remaining for questions
from the audience.
• We were very unfortunate when we received bad news from home that forced us to
cut
our trip
short
.
EXERCISES
* Substitute an idiomat ic expression for the word or words in italics, making any necessary grammatical changes as
well. Then complete each sentence appropriately with your own idea. Also try to use idioms from previous
lessons.
1. Mr. Larsen is in the hospital
undergoing
emergency surgery because he...
2. When you feel sick, it
doesn't need to be mentioned
that...
3. St eve wa s
misleading
me
when he told me that...
4. Aft er the serious earthquake, most people
remained
calm
, but unfortunately some people...
5. You
are not able
to convince someone
if he or she is
not willing to accept the ideas of others
, so it is better to...
6. Betty
failed to appear
for her date because she...
7. Your car will
withstand use
longer if you...
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8. Our team was able to
win by gaining an advantage over
the other team because...
9. The politician was
nervous
before she...
10. The meet ing was suddenly
interrupted
beca use...
* Answer these questions orally by making use of t he idiomatic expressions studied in this lesson.
1. Do you
go through
money quickly? What is your biggest expense?
2. Have you ever
gone through
a medical operation? What was it?
3. Do you enjoy
putting
others
on
, or are you a rather serious person?
4. During an emergency, how can you
keep your head
?
5. In what kind of emergency might you be likely to
lose your head
?
6. Have you ever
stood
anyone
up
? What were the circumstances of the situation that caused you t o do so?
7. In what sport would an athlete try t o
break loose
from a n opponent ?
8. Does t alking in front of a large audience put you
on edge
? Why or why not?
LESSON 32
to step in:
to become involved or concerned with something; to enter a place for a brief time (also:
to step into
)
• When the children sta rted fighting on the playground, a teacher had t o
step in
and stop the fight .
• The supervisor asked one of the employees to
step in
her office for a moment.
• Would you
step into
the hallway so t hat I can show you the information posted on the bulletin board?
to step down:
to retire or leave a top position, to resign
• Next May the principal will
step down
after thirty-five years of service to t he school.
• The angry shareholders wanted the company president to
step down
because of the stock scandal.
to step on:
to treat severely, to discipline; to go faster, to work more quickly
For the second definition, t he idiom is followed by the pronoun
if
.
• Sometimes it's necessary to
step on
children when they do something dangerous.
• We're going to be late for the movies. You'd better
step on it
!
a steal:
very inexpensive, a bargain
This idiom is often used in an exclamat ion using
what
.
• I can't believe that I paid only $2,000 for this three-year-old car. What
a steal
!
• S cott considered it
a steal
when he bought a complete bedroom set for only $99.
to play up to:
to behave so as to gain favor wit h someone
• The other students in the class resent Jim because he
plays up
to the teacher in order to get better grades.
• When my children asked me t o go shopping for a new video game, I knew why they had been
playing up to
me all
morning.
more or less:
approximately, almost; somewhat, to a certain degree
• Although your bedroom feels smaller, it's
more or less
the same size as mine.
• Ted
more or less
agreed with our decision to put off the meet ing until more members could show up. At least he
didn't object strongly.
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13
to goof up:
to perform badly, t o make a mistake (also:
to mess up
,
to slip up
)
• I really
goofed up
on the exam today; did you
mess up
, t oo?
• Karen
slipped
up
when she forgot to deposit money into her checking account.
to go off the deep end:
to get very angry and do something hastily
• Just because you had a serious argument with your supervisor, you didn't have to
go off the deep end
a nd resign,
did you?
• When Dan's wife demanded a divorce, he
went of f the deep end
again. This time he was shouting so that the
whole neighborhood could hear.
to lose one's touch:
to fail at what one used to do well
• Milton used to be the best salesman at the car dealership, but recently he seems to have
lost his touch
.
• I used to play tennis very well, but today you beat me easily. I must be
losing my touch
.
in hand:
under firm cont rol, well managed
• The copilot asked the pilot if he had the plane
in hand
or whether he needed any help navigating through the
severe thunderstorm.
• The police officer radioed to the sta tion that she had the emergency situation
in hand
and didn't require any
assistance.
on hand:
available, nearby
This idiom is oft en followed by
in case
.
• I a lways keep some extra money
on hand
in case I forget to get cash from the bank.
• The concert organizers arranged to have some security guards
on hand
in case there were a ny problems during
the performance.
EXERCISES
* Substitute an idiomatic expression for the word or words in italics, making any necessary grammatical changes as well.
Then complete each sentence appropriately with your own idea. Als o try to use idioms from previous lessons.
1. During the lengthy workers' strike, the police had to
become involved
when...
2. After leaving his office down t he hall, my supervisor
briefly entered
my office to...
3. The old man who founded the company decided to
retire
when...
4. Because the mean boss
severely
treated his employees on many occa sions, none of t hem...
5. Mike thought that the camera advertised in the newspaper was a
bargain
, so he...
6. The children
behaved
so as to gain favor with
their parents in order to...
7. The young child
caused problems in
his bicycle by...
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8. Lenny
performed badly
on the physics test because he...
9. I hope t hat the football coach doesn't
get angry and do something hastily
because he seems to be
failing at
what he usually does well
; recently his football team...
10. The st ores in t own didn't have enough drinking water
available
after the typhoon, so hundreds of people...
* Answer these questions orally by making use of t he idiomatic expressions studied in this lesson.
1. If someone was being attacked by a thief, would you
step in
and help the person? Why or why not?
2. Why might you have to
step on it
in the morning? Does this happen often to you?
3. Have you ever
goofed up
on a n important test? Why did it happen?
4. Have you ever
gone off the deep end
? What happened?
5. For what reasons might an athlete
lose his or her touch
at a sport
6. Is there a ny special skill that you have well
in hand
? What is it?
7. How much money do you have
on hand
right now?
LESSON 33
to kick
(
something
)
around:
to discuss informally (over a period of time) (
S
) (also:
to toss around
)
• At first my friends were reluctant to consider my suggestion, but they fina lly were willing t o
kick
it
around
for a
while.
• Herb thought that we should
kick around
the idea of establishing a special fund for supporting needy members of
the club.
be on the ball:
be att entive, competent, alert
• Jim was t he only one who caught that serious error in the bookkeeping statements. He's really
on the ball
.
• Ella was certainly
on the ball
when she remembered to reconfirm our flight arrangements. All t he rest of us would
have forgotten.
to make up:
to meet or fulfill a missed obligation at a later time (
S
); to create, to invent (an idea) (
S
), to apply
cosmetics to (
S
), to comprise, to be composed of
Note that all of the definitions are separa ble except the last one.
• The teacher allowed several students who missed the exam to
make
it
up
during the next class.
• The little boy
made up
a bad excuse for wearing his dirty shoes in the house, so his mother punished him.
• Dee was able to
make
her face
up
in half the normal t ime because she didn't use much
makeup
.
• Two sepa rat e bodies - the House of Representatives and t he S enat e -
make up
the Congress of the United
States
to make up with:
to resolve differences with
This idiom is used for differences of opinion between friends and lovers.
• Helen
made up with
her roommate after t heir serious misunderstanding about arrangements for the party.
• After the bad quarrel t he two lovers kissed and
made up with
each other.
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15
to pull together:
to ga ther, to collect (information) (
S
); to gain control of one's emot ions (
S
)
A reflexive pronoun must be used for the second definition.
• The reporter
pulled together
information from several sources in preparing the newspaper article.
• Mr. S impson was so frightened when he heard footsteps behind him on the lonely, dark street that it t ook several
minutes to
pull himself together
.
to be looking up:
to appear promising or optimistic, to be improving
This idiom is used in a cont inuous tense, very often with the subject
things
.
• The board chairman is glad to report that things
are looking up
for the company after several years of declining
sales.
• Prospects for building that new library in the downtown area
are looking up
.
to kick the habit:
to stop a bad habit
• Once a child becomes accustomed to chewing his nails, it's difficult to
kick the habit
.
• The doctor advised the heavy cigarette smoker that her heart had become damaged and that she should
kick the
habit
right away.
to cover up:
to conceal, t o hide (
S
)
This idiom is used for event s which are potentially embarrassing to one's reputat ion, as well as against the law. The
noun
coverup
can be formed.
• The office worker tried to
cover up
his crimes, but everyone knew t hat he had been stealing office supplies all
along.
• The political
coverup
of the bribery scandal failed and was reported by all the major media.
to drop off:
to fall asleep; to take to a certa in location (
S
); t o decrease (for the third definition, also:
to fall off
)
• My mother
dropped off
during the boring television show; her head was nodding up a nd down.
• I don't mind
dropping
you
off
at t he store on my way to work.
• Business has been
dropping off
rapidly recently, but fortunately it hasn't been
falling off
as quickly as for our
competitors.
to turn over:
to place upside down (
S
); to flip, t o turn upside down; to pass or give control to someone (
S
)
• The teacher asked the students to
turn
the answer s heet
over
a nd to write a short essay on the back.
• The ca r was going too fast around the corner and
turned
over twice.
• Mr. Collins ha s decided to
turn over
his jewelry st ore to his son at the end of the year.
to go through channels:
to send a request through the normal way
This idiom can be used with the adjective
proper
.
• If you
go through proper channels
in this company, it's somet imes impossible to get anything done quickly.
• The police t old the import ant civic leader t hat even s he had to
go through
channels
in reporting the burglary of
her house.
the last straw:
the final event in a series of unacceptable actions
( It is t he last straw that breaks the camel's bask.)
This idiom is always used with the definit e article
the
.
• When John asked to borrow money from me for the fourth time, it was
the last straw
. I finally told him t hat I
couldn't lend him any more.
• I can't believe that my roommate left t he door to our apartment unlocked again. It's
the last straw
; I'm moving
out.
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EXERCISES
* S ubstitute an idiomatic expression for the word or words in italics, making any necessary grammatical changes as
well. Then complete each sent ence appropriately wit h your own idea. Also try t o use idioms from previous
lessons.
1. When the committee members..., they decided to discuss the matt er
informally
for a while.
2. In playing sports, you have t o be
alert
if...
3. The child tried to
invent
an excus e when...
4. Lynn doesn't ever have to
apply cosmetics
to her face; she...
5. The two lovers
resolved differences with
ea ch other after...
6. Even though I've..., things
appear promising
now.
7. Business
had decreased
so much that the company was forced to...
8. You should
place
the bread in the toaster
upside down
because...
9. Old Mr. Jenkins
gave control
of his company to his associate when...
10. The office worker didn't t hink that... if he
sent a request through the normal way
because...
* Answer these questions orally by making use of t he idiomatic expressions studied in this lesson.
1. What is the benefit of
kicking
an idea
around
instea d of making an immediat e decision?
2. What kind of excuses do people
make up
for being late to an important event, a class? Have you ever done
this?
3. Do you know how many states
made up
the original United States in 1776? How many states
make up
the
United Sta tes now?
4. Have you ever
made up with
someone? How did you feel about
making up with
the person?
5. Where could you go to
pull together
information for a research report? Would you enjoy doing so, or not?
6. Have you ever ha d to cover up an embarrassing situation? Can you now explain what it was?
7. When someone manages to
kick the habit
of smoking or drinking, there is an interesting expression,
to turn
over a new leaf
, that applies. Can you imagine what this expression means?
8. Have you ever faced a situation which you would describe as
the last straw
? What happened?
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17
LESSON 34
to get cold feet:
to become unable or afraid to do something
This idiom is usually used in t he case of an import ant or dangerous action
• Karl was supposed to marry Elaine this weekend, but at the last moment he
got cold feet
.
• Only one of the rock climbers
got cold feet
when the group reached the base of the hundred-meter cliff.
to trade in:
to receive credit for the value of an old item towards the purchase of a new item (
S
)
This idiom is used to form the noun
trade-in
.
• The ca r dealership offered me $1,000 for my old car if I
traded
it
in
for a new model.
• The appliance company was offering a $50
trade-in
during the special promotion for its new line of refrigerators.
face-to-face:
direct, personal; directly, personally (written without hyphens)
This idiom can be used both as on adjective (the first definition) and as an adverb (the second definition).
• The workers' repres ent atives had a
face-to-face
meeting with management to resolve the salary issue.
• The stepmother and her teenage son t alked
face to face
about his troubles in school.
to be with
(
someone
)
:
to support, to back (also:
to go along with
); to understa nd or follow wha t someone is saying
• Although ot hers t hought that we shouldn't
go along with
Jerry, I told Jerry that I
was with
him on his proposal
for reorganizing the staff.
• After turning left at the traffic light, go two blocks and t urn right on Madison. After three more blocks, turn right
again.
Are
you still
with
me?
to be with it:
to be able to focus or concentrate on (also:
to get with it
)
To be with it
in t he negat ive has the same meaning as
to feel out of it
. The related form
to get with it
is used in
commands.
• Jack'
s
really
with it
today. I've never seen him play such good soccer.
• You've done only a small amount of work in two hours. You'
re
not
with it
today, are you?
• It's no excuse to say that you
feel out of it
. We need everyone's help on this, so
get with it!
to fall for:
to fall in love quickly; to be fooled or tricked by
• Samantha and John never expected to
fall for
each other like they did, but they got married within two weeks of
having met.
• The Masons wanted to believe their son, but unfortunately they had
fallen for
his lies too many times to be
deceived once again.
it figures:
it s eems likely, reasonable, or typical
This idiom is either followed by a
that
-clause or by no other part of grammar.
•
It figures
that the children were willing to help with t he yardwork only if they received a rewa rd for doing so.
• When I told Evan t hat his secretary was unhappy about not getting a raise, he said t hat
it figured
.
to fill
(
someone
)
in:
to inform, to give background information to (also:
to clue in
) (
S
)
This idiom is oft en followed by the preposition
on
and a noun phrase containing the pertinent informat ion.
• Could you
fill
me
in
on what is going to be discussed a t tomorrow's meeting?
• Not ha ving been to the convention, my associate asked me to
cl ue
him
in
on the proceedings.
to make
(
someone
)
tick:
to motivate to behave or act in a certain way (
S
)
This idiom is used within a
what
-cla use.
• If a salesperson knows what
makes
a customer
tick
, he will be able t o sell a lot of merchandise.
• It's been impossible for us to figure out what
makes
our new boss
tick
. One moment she seems pleas ant and then
the next moment she's upset.
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to cover for:
to take someone's place temporarily, to substitute for; to protect someone by lying or deceiving
• Go ahead and take your coffee break. I'll
cover for
you unt il you return.
• The criminal made his wife
cover for
him when t he police asked if the man had been home all day. S he swore that
he had been there.
to give
(
someone
)
a break:
to provide a person with another opportunity or chance (
S
); not t o expect too much work
from (
S
); not to expect someone to believe (
S
)
Command forms are most common with this idiom. For t he third definition, the pronoun me must be used.
• The driver pleaded with the police officer t o
give
him
a break
and not issue him a ticket for speeding.
• When the students heard how much homework the teacher wanted them to do over the holiday, they begged,
«
Gi ve us a break,
Professor Doyle!»
• Oh, Jim,
give me a break
! That's a terrible excuse for being late.
to bow out:
to stop doing as a regular act ivity, to remove oneself from a situation
The related idiom
to want out
indicates that someone desires to bow out .
• She
bowed out
a s the school's registrar aft er sixteen years of service.
• One of the two partners
wanted
out
of the deal because they couldn't a gree on the terms of the contract
EXERCISES
* S ubstitute an idiomatic expression for the word or words in italics, making any necessary grammatical changes as
well. Then complete each sent ence appropriately wit h your own idea . Also try t o use idioms from previous lessons
1. At the amusement center, Scan was about to... when he
became afraid to do it
.
2. Tanya talked to her supervisor
directly
about...
3. The politician asked his friends if they
supported
him on...
4. Ted
fell in love with
t he actress as soon as...
5. When Mrs. Garcia told her husband that t heir son..., Mr. Garcia responded,
«That seems likely.»
6. Joseph's roommate had been sick, so Joseph
gave
him
information
on...
7. I don't understand what
motivates
Diana
to behave
that way
, she...
8. The boss
gave
his employee
another opportunity
when...
9. When the teacher told the students that..., the students said, «
Don't expect too much work from us!
»
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19
10. One of the members of the committ ee
removed herself from the situation
because...
* Answer these questions orally by making use of the idiomat ic expressions studied in this lesson.
1. Have you ever been about to do something important or dangerous, and then
gotten cold feet
? What was it?
2. Why might a student need to have a
face-to-face
talk with a teacher?
3. For what reasons might you not
be with it
?
Are
you
with it
today? Why or why not?
4. In genera l, who would you feel compelled to
cover f or
? Have you ever had to do this?
5. What unbelievable st atement might someone make that would cause you to respond,
«Give me a break!»
?
6. Why might you choose to
bow out
of a situation?
LESSON 35
to pin on:
to find guilty of a crime or offense (
S
) (also:
to hang on
)
This idiom is divided by a noun phrase containing the crime or offense. The accused person is mentioned after the
preposition
on
.
• The prosecuting attorney t ried to
pin
the murder
on
the victim's husband, but the jury returned a verdict of «not
guilty.»
• I wasn't anywhere near t he window when it got broken. You can't
pin
that
on
me.
to get a rise out of:
to provoke a response from
This idiom is usually used when someone is t eased int o responding in anger or annoyance.
• You can kid me all day about my mist ake, but you won't
get a rise out of me
.
• I
got a rise out
of
Marvin when I teased him about his weight . Marvin weighs over two-hundred pounds.
to stick around:
to stay or remain where one is, to wait
This idiom is used when someone is waiting for something to happen or for someone to arrive.
• Todd had to
stick around
the house all day until the new furniture was finally delivered in the late afternoon.
• Why don't you
stick around
for a while and see if Sarah eventua lly shows up?
to pick up the tab:
to pay the cost or bill
This idiom applies when someone pays for the cost of another person's meal, tickets, etc.
• The advertising ma nager is flying to Puerto Rico for a conference, and her firm is
picking up the tab
.
• The government
picked up the tab
for the visiting dignitary. It paid for all of the lodging and meals, as well as
transportat ion, during his sta y.
by the way:
incidentally
This idiom is used when someone thinks of something further in the course of a conversation.
• Movies are my favorite form of entertainment . Oh,
by the way
, have you seen the new picture that's playing at the
Bijou?
• Vera's been divorced for t hree yea rs now. She told me,
by the way
, that she never plans to remarry.
to go to town:
to do somet hing with enthusiasm and thoroughness
• Our interior decorator really
went to town
in remodeling our living room. I'm afraid to ask how much it's going to
cost .
• Charlie really
went to town
on his research project. He consulted over fort y reference works a nd wrote a ninety-
page report.
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to let slide:
to neglect a duty (
S
); to ignore a sit uation (
S
)
• Terry knew that she should have paid the electric bill on time instead of
letting
it
slide
. Now the utility company
has turned off her service.
• When he tried to get a rise out of me by mentioning my failure to receive a promotion at work, I just
let
it
slide
.
search me:
I don't know (a lso:
beats me
) This idiom is used informally, usually as a command form.
• When Elmer asked his wife if she knew why the new neighbors left their ga rage door open all night, she
responded, «
Search me
.»
• When I asked Derek why his girlfriend wasn't at the part y yet, he said, «
Beats me
. I expected her an hour ago.»
to get off ones chest
to express ones true feelings (
S
)
This idiom is used when someone has long waited to express themselves.
• Ellen felt a lot better when she finally talked to a counselor a nd
got
the problem
off her chest
.
• F aye hasn't shared her concern about her marriage with her husband yet. I think that she should
get
it
off her
chest soon
.
to live it up:
to spend money freely, to live luxuriously
• Kyle and Eric saved up money for two years so tha t they could travel to Europe and
live it up
.
• After receiving a large inheritance from a rich aunt, I was able to
live it up
for years.
to liven up:
to energize, to make more active (also:
to pick up
) (
S
)
• The teacher occasionally took the class on field trips just t o
liven
things
up
a bit.
• The animals in t he zoo began to
l iven up
when evening came and the temperatures dropped.
• Many people have to drink coffee every morning just to
pick
thems elves
up
.
to have a voice in:
to share involvement in
• The new vice-president was promised that she would
have a voice in
developing t he company's internat ional
expansion.
• The students are trying to
have a voice in
college affairs by gaining representation on administrative committees.
EXERCISES
* S ubstitute an idiomatic expression for the word or words in italics, making any necessary grammatical changes as
well. Then complete each sent ence appropriately wit h your own idea. Also try t o use idioms from previous
lessons.
1. The police were successful in
finding
the criminal
guilty
of the robbery because...
2. My older brother is always able to
provoke a response from
me when he...
3. Why don't you
stay here
for a while longer? We're still...
4. The direct or
paid the bill
for the meal when he invited...
5. The neighbors really
did something with enthusiasm
when they worked together to...
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21
6. I underst and that Bill ... because he
neglected his responsibilities
again and again.
7. In order to
express their true feelings about a problem
, some people...
8. On their honeymoon, the young couple
lived luxuriously
by...
9. In order to
energize
the party, the host and host ess...
10. The preferred candidate for the new position would not ... until ma nagement agreed that she would
share
involvement in
budget matters.
Answer these questions orally by making use of the idiomatic expressions studied in this lesson.
1. When you were a child, do you remember your brother, sister, or friend ever t rying to
pin
something
on
you?
What wa s it?
2. If someone is lat e in meeting you, about how long would you
stick around
before leaving?
3. Can you think of a reason why t he expression
search me
is used to mean
I don't know
? (In other words, why
is the verb
search
used in this way?)
4. Have you ever had a chance
to live it up
? Describe what you did.
5. What are some different ways of
livening up
an event such as a wedding?
LESSON 36
to check in:
to register at a hotel or motel; to leave or deposit for transport ing or safekeeping (
S
)
The adjective form
check-in
derives from this idiom.
• Courtney arrived in town at mid-day and promptly
checked i n
at the Plaza Hotel. The hotel permitted an early
check-in
time.
• There were dozens of people at the airline counters waiting to
check
their bags
in
for their flights.
to check out:
to pay the bill at a hotel or motel and then leave; to investigate, to examine (
S
)
The adjective form
check-out
derives from this idiom.
• The latest you should
check
out
of t he hotel is 12 noon. However, in your case, we can set a special
check-out
time of 2:00
.
.
P
M
• The police received a call from someone claiming to have witnessed a murder. The police sent t wo detectives to
check
the call
out
right away.
to take somebody at one's word:
to accept what one says as true, to believe
• When he offered to be responsible for the fund raiser, I
took him at his word
. Now he's saying t hat he's not
available to do it.
• You should be careful about
taking her at her word
. S he's been known to say one thing but to do another.
to serve
(
the/one's
)
purpose:
to be useful, to suit one's needs or requirements
• I don't have a screwdriver to open this, but I t hink that a knife
will serve the purpose
.
• Jane prefers working to studying, so it
served her purpose
to drop out of school and take tha t job.
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in the worst way:
very much, greatly
• Jim and Claudia want to have children
in the worst way
.
• Because Umer has relatives in Turkey, he wants t o visit there
in the worst way
.
to cop out:
to avoid one's responsibility, to quit
This idiom is an informal version of the second definition
to back out
(Lesson 29). The noun form
copout
means
an
excuse for avoiding responsibility
.
• Evelyn ha d agreed to help us with arrangements for the party, but she
copped out
at the last minute.
• I can't believe that Cindy offered such an explanation for falling to show up. What a poor
copout!
to line up:
to form a line; to arrange to have, to manage to obtain (
S
)
• The moviegoers
lined up
in front of the theater showing the most popula r film of the summer.
• Rob is going to schedule the famous author to speak at the convention if he can
line
her
up
in time.
to lose one's cool:
to get excited, angry, or flustered
• Despit e the boos from some in the audience, the a ctors on stage never
lost their cool
.
• Although the group of skiers were in danger from an apparent avalanche, their ski guide never
lost his cool
.
to leave open:
to delay making a decision on (
S
)
• In making up the job announcement, the firm decided to
leave
the salary
open
until a qualified candidate wa s
found.
• We know that the annual summer camp will be held in August, but let's
leave
the exact dates
open
for now.
to turn on:
to interest greatly, to excite (
S
)
The idiom with the opposite meaning is
to turn off
. These idioms are us ed to form the nouns
turnon
and
turnoff
.
• Does great art
turn
you
on
? I find going to a museum a nd viewing classic works of art a real
turnon
.
• Going to a bar and having silly conversation with strangers really
turns
me
off
. In fact, most bar scenes are really
turnoffs
to me.
to miss the boat:
to lose an opportunity, t o fail in some undertaking
• The precious metals market was looking up several months ago, but unfortunately most investors
missed the
boat
.
• Mr. Vlasic's new business went bankrupt within a short time. He really
missed the boat
by opening a tanning
salon near the bea ch.
to think up:
to invent, to crea te (also:
to dream up
)
This idiom is often used for an unusual or foolish thought.
• Who
thought up
the idea of painting the living room walls bright red?
• When asked by the teacher why she was late, the student
dreamed up
a plausible excuse.
EXERCISES
* S ubstitute an idiomatic expression for the word or words in italics, making any necessary grammatical changes as
well. Then complete each sent ence appropriately wit h your own idea. Also try t o use idioms from previous
lessons.
1. The Smiths
registered
at the hotel as soon as...
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23
2. The Smiths also
deposited
some jewelry at the front desk because...
3. The jealous husband hired a priva te detect ive to
investigate
the possibility that...
4.
I accepted what my financial advisor had to say
about...
5. While shopping in the expensive store, Mrs. Thurston ...
very much
.
6. To ensure..., the politician
managed to obtain
the support of his colleagues in the Senate.
7. The athlete
got angry and flustered
on national television when...
8. We
delayed making a decision on
the arrangements for the wedding because...
9. Even though I had urged my parent s to..., my parents
lost an opportunity
when the stock market...
* Answer these questions orally by making use of the idiomat ic expressions studied in this lesson.
1. If you and a friend are walking on a beach, what do you think your friend could mean if he or she says,
«
Check that out!
»
2. Have you ever
taken someone at his or her word
, only to be disappointed at a later t ime? What happened?
3. What is it that you want at the present time
in the worst way
?
4. Have you ever
copped out
of a responsibility by
thinking
up
a reasonable excuse? How do you feel when you
do this? Why?
5. Think of different kinds of event s or situations where people have t o
line up
.
6. What kind of situation might cause you to
lose your cool
? Does this happen easily to you, or not?
7. What kinds of sport s or hobbies
turn
you
on
?
LESSON 37
to throw
(
someone
)
a curve:
to introduce an unexpected topic, causing embarrassment (
S
)
• The first week of class was going very well until a student
threw
the tea cher
a curve
by suggesting that the
textbook was too difficult .
• The director asked us in advance t o stick to the meet ing agenda and not to
throw
him
any curves
.
to make waves:
to create a disturbance, usually by complaining
This idiom is similar in meaning to the previous idiom, but the emphasis is on the aspect of complaining rather than
causing embarrassment.
• In mos t companies, an employee who
makes waves
is not appreciat ed.
• The meeting was going smoothly until one of the participants
made waves
about the newly revised compensation
package.
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<<< EASY ENGLISH >>>
to carry on:
to continue as before; to conduct, to engage in; to behave in an immature manner -
; , ; ;
Even in the face of disaster, t he inhabitants
carried on
as t hough nothing had happened.
• The business associates decided to
carry on
t heir discussion in the hotel bar instead of the conference room.
• I can't believe that John
carried on
so much just because his dog died. He looked depressed and cried for weeks
after it ha ppened.
not on your life:
absolut ely not (also:
no way
)
This idiom is used as a kind of exclamation by itself.
• You're asking me to invest in that poorly rated company just because you know the son of the president?
Not on
your life!
• When a friend tried t o get Mark t o jump out of a plane with a para chute, he immediately responded, «
No way!
»
to cover ground:
to be extensive, to discuss much material
Forms such as
a lot of
,
too much
,
too little
are used before the noun
ground
.
• That nationa l commission's report on urban ghettos
covers a lot of ground
. Many of the recommendations are t oo
costly to implement.
• In his first lecture on Greek philosophers, I thought that our professor
covered too little ground
.
to mind the store:
to be responsible for an office while others are gone
• It seems that all of our employees are ta king a lunch break at the same time. I wonder who's
minding the store
.
• Lynne agreed to
mind the store
while the ot hers went outside to watch the parade pa ssing by.
to throw the book at:
to punish with full penalty, to be harsh on
• Because the criminal was a repeat offender, the judge
threw the book at
him wit h heavy fines and a long prison
term.
• My boss
threw the book at
me when he discovered that I had been using company time for personal business. I
was severely reprimanded and forced to make up t he lost time.
to put one's foot in:
to say or do the wrong thing
This idiom is used with the noun phrase
one's mouth
or the pronoun
it
.
• F red rea lly
put his foot in his mouth
when he called his supervisor by the wrong name.
• I really
put my foot in it
when I forgot my girlfriend's birthday and didn't buy her anything. S he almost lost her
cool.
to be up for grabs:
to become available to others
This idiom is used when somet hing is highly desirable to many other people.
• When one of t he full-time contract instructors stepped down, her nice office overlooking the river
was up for
grabs
.
• Did you know that Senator S tone is retiring and that her Senate seat
is up for grabs
?
to show off:
to display one's abilit y in order t o attract attention (
S
), to let others see, to expose to public view (
S
)
This idiom can form the noun
showoff
for the first definition.
• Elizabeth is an excellent swimmer, but I don't like the way she
shows off
in front of everyone. It's very obvious
that she enjoys being a
showoff
.
• Mary
showed
her large wedding ring
off
to all her friends.
to learn the ropes:
to become familiar with routine procedures at work or school
• The job applicant didn't have much previous experience or knowledge, but she seemed intelligent enough t o
learn
the ropes
quickly.
• It took the new schooltea cher a year t o
learn the ropes
regarding administrative and curricular matters.
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<<< EASY ENGLISH >>>
25
to keep one's fingers crossed:
to hope t o have good results, to hope that nothing bad will happen
This idiom reflects the way people cross t heir fingers to hope for good luck.
• Let's
keep our fingers crossed
that we got passing grades on that college entrance exam.
• Jerry
kept his fingers crossed
that the good weather would hold up for the picnic he was planning for the coming
weekend.
EXERCISES
* Substitute an idiomatic expression for the word or words in italics, making any necessary grammatical changes as well.
Then complete each sentence appropriately with your own idea. Als o try to use idioms from previous lessons.
1. Aft er discovering some improper cont racts arranged by his company, a worker
created a disturbance by
...
2. The professor decided to
conduct
her class in the park because...
3. The teenager
behaved in an immature manner
for quite a while when his parents...
4. Martha answered, «
Absolutely not!
», when her friend...
5. Because the instructor would
discuss too many matters
in the course, the student...
6. When t he boss went out for lunch with some visitors, she asked ...
to be responsible for the office
.
7. The judge
was harsh
on
the defendant who...
8. The long-time manager's office suddenly
became available to others
, and many associat es...
9. The excellent athlete
displayed his ability and attracted attention
at the regional track meet by...
10. It was difficult for ...
to become familiar with the routine procedures
at the univers ity.
* Answer these questions orally by making use of the idiomat ic expressions studied in this lesson.
1. Has anyone
thrown you a curve
recently? What happened?
2. Do you remember ever
carrying on
when you were a child? What did your parents do to stop you?
3. Do you like to take classes that
cover a lot of ground
or
cover little ground
? Why?
4. Would it ever be appropriate to throw the book at someone for
putting their foot in their mouth
? Why or why
not?
5. Do you know anyone who likes to
show off
? What do they do?
6. Give an example of when you might
keep your fingers crossed
.
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26
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LESSON 38
to land on one's feet:
to recover safely from an unpleasant or dangerous situat ion
• After a series of personal and professional difficulties, it's amazing that George
has landed on his feet
so quickly.
• S ome young adults get into so much t rouble at school that they are never able
to land on their feet
again. They
drop out before graduating.
to dish out:
to distribute in large quantity (
S
), to speak of others in a critical manner (
S
)
• Mary's mom
dished out
two or three scoops of ice cream for each child at the birthday party.
• Larry can't seem to t ake any criticism of his actions but he certainly likes to
dish
it
out
.
to get through to:
to communicate with, to make someone understand (also:
to break through to
)
This idiom has the meaning of
to make someone «catch on»
(Lesson 29, eight h idiom, the first definition)
• S ome of the students in my reading class understand English so poorly that it is difficult to
get through to
them.
• The doctors have never succeeded in
breaking through to
Mr. Ames, who is a silent and secretive patient.
to keep one's word:
to fulfill a promise, to be responsible
An idiom with the opposite meaning is
to break one's word
.
• S uzanne
kept her word
to me not to let on to others that I intend to step down next month.
• Thomas always int ends to
keep his word
, but invariably the end result is that he
breaks his word
. He just isn't
capable of being a responsible person.
to be over one's head:
to be very busy, to have t oo much to do (also:
to be up to one's ears
); to be beyond one's
ability to understand
• I'd love to take a week off for a hiking trip, but at t he moment I
am over my head
in work. Maybe next week
when I'm only
up to my ears
!
• It was impossible for the t utor to get through to Bill about the physics problem because the subject matter was
over Bill's head
.
to ask for:
to deserve, to receive a just punishment (also:
to bring upon
)
• If you drink alcohol and then drive a car, you're only
asking
for
trouble.
• Don't complain about your cut in salary. You
asked for
it by refusing t o heed our repeat ed warnings not to be lat e
and inefficient.
to be a far cry from:
to be very different from
• I enjoyed visiting Seat tle, but it
was a far cry from
the ideal vacation spot I expected.
• Ned is enjoying his new job, but his responsibilit ies
are a far cry from
what he was told they would be.
by all means:
certainly, definit ely, nat urally (also:
of course
); using any possible way or method
• If the Johnsons invite us for dinner, then
by all means
we have to return the invitation.
Of course
, we don't have
to invite t heir children, too.
• In order to ensure its survival, the ailing company has to obtain an infusion of cash
by all means
.
to get out from under:
to restore one's financial security, to resolve a difficult financial obligation
• After years of struggling to get ahead, the young couple finally
got out from under
their debts.
• The ailing company, succeeding in obtaining the necessary cash, was able
to get out from under
its financial
burdens.
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<<< EASY ENGLISH >>>
27
to take the bull by the horns:
to handle a difficult situation with det ermination
This idiom is usually used when someone has been postponing an act ion for some time and finally wants or needs to
resolve it.
• After three years of faithful service, Jake decided to
take the bull by the horns
a nd ask his boss for a raise.
• Vic has been engaged to Laura for a long time now, and I know that he loves her. He should
take the bull by the
horns
and ask her to marry him.
to give (someone) a hand:
to assist, to aid, to help (also:
t o lend someone a hand
) (
S
)
• Would you
give
me
a hand
lift ing this heavy box?
• When Terry's car broke down at night on the highway, no one would stop to
lend
her
a hand
.
to give (someone) a big hand:
to clap one's hands in applause, t o applaud (
S
)
• After the talent ed new vocalist had sung her number, the audience
gave
her
a big hand
.
• Should we
give a big hand
to each beaut y contestant is as she is introduced, or should we wait until all the
introductions are finished?
EXERCISES
* Substitute an idiomat ic expression for the word or words in italics, making any necessary grammatical changes as
well. Then complete each sentence appropriately with your own idea. Also try to use idioms from previous
lessons.
1. It took some time for the artist to
recover from the difficult situation
...
2. Billy's mother
distributed in large quantity
... to all the kids at the birthday party.
3. When parents are having trouble
communicating with
their children, they can...
4. When I decided to change apart ments, my friend
fulfilled her promise
about...
5. Larry
has too much to do
at work because...
6. The child running on t he wet pavement beside the swimming pool
deserved it
when...
7. The new immigra nt thought that ... in the United S tates
was very different from
...
8. Aft er days of postponing necessary yardwork, Mr. Johnson
handled the difficult situation and
...
9. When Kim's car broke down on the highway, a passing motorist
assisted
her by...
10. The Pres ident
was applauded
when he announced...
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28
<<< EASY ENGLISH >>>
* Answer these questions orally by making use of t he idiomatic expressions studied in this lesson.
1. The idiom
to land on one's feet
is related to a special ability of cats. Do you know what this is?
2. Why is it often difficult
to get through to
young children? Is t his sometimes true for adults?
3. Is it always important for you to
keep your word
? Ca n you think of a situation where you would
break your
word
?
4. Have you ever had a clas s where the s ubject matt er
was over your head
? Wha t did you do?
5. If you run across a street wit hout looking first, you
are asking for trouble
. Try to think of other situations
where you're
asking for trouble
.
6. What parts of an adult's life
are a far cry from
the life of a child?
7. Are t here any things in life that you want to have or want to do
by all means
?
8. Have you ever been forced to
take the bull by the horns
? What was the situation?
9. In what case might you refuse to
give someone a hand
?
LESSON 39
to goof off:
to waste time, to be idle
• S ome of the workers in our office always
goof off
when the bos s is out.
• On S aturday afternoons, I like to go to a movie or just
goof off
at home.
to talk back to:
to answer in a rude manner, to speak disrespectfully
• Billy, if you
talk back to
me like that once more, you're going to spend the rest of the day in your room.
• The school principal had to reprimand the child for
talking back
to
her teacher.
to be in:
to be popular or fashionable, to be available at one's work or home
• Most young people t end to want anyt hing that
is in
at t he time, but a few don't care about current trends.
• Could you please tell me when Mrs. Zachary
will be in
? I'd like to talk t o her soon.
to be out:
to be unpopular or no longer in fashion; to be away from one's work or home
• These days, designer jeans are in and long skirts
are out
.
• I'm sorry, Mr. Jensen
is out
at the moment. Could I take a message?
to draw the line at:
to determine to be unaccepta ble, to refuse to consider
• I don't mind helping him with his homework, but I
draw the line at
writing a term paper for him.
• The conference organizers t ried to accommodate the needs of the various interest groups, but they
drew the line at
extending the conference by two days.
to get out of line:
to disobey or ignore normal procedures or rules (also:
to step out of line
)
• When a child
gets out of line
in that teacher's class, she uses t he old-fashioned met hod of making the child sit in
the corner of the room.
• Any employee who
steps out of line
by coming t o work in an unaccept able condition will be fired.
dry run:
rehearsal, practice session
• The college president requested a dry run of the gradua tion ceremony in order to ensure that all aspects went
smoothly.
• Before the manager presented the reorganizational plans to the board of directors, he did several
dry runs
of his
pres enta tion.
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29
to play by ear:
to play music that one has heard but never read (
S
); to proceed without pla n, to do spontaneously (
S
)
The pronoun
it
is oft en used wit h the second definit ion.
• That pianist can
play
most popular music
by ear
. S he never needs to read sheet music.
• My husband wanted to plan our t rip carefully, but I argued that it was more fun if we
played
it
by ear
.
to be in (someone's) shoes:
to be in another person's position, to face the same situation as another person
• If I
were in your shoes
, I wouldn't take too many classes t his semester.
• When his boss finds out about that account ing error, I wouldn't want to
be in his shoes
.
to keep after:
to remind constantly, to nag
• Lynn always has
to keep after
her children about cleaning up t heir rooms and doing chores around the house.
• Lon is so forgetful that it's necessary t o
keep after
him about every little t hing.
to fix up:
to repair or put back in good condition (
S
); to arrange a date or an engagement for another person (
S
)
• Instead of buying an expensive new home, we decided to buy an older home and
fix
it
up
ourselves.
• Since my visiting friend didn't have a date for dinner, I
fixed
her
up
wit h a male friend of mine. They got a long
very well together.
to be had:
to be victimized or cheated
• When the jeweler confirmed that the diamonds that the woman had purchased abroad were really fake, she
exclaimed, «
I've been had!
»
• The angry customer complained about being overcharged at the store, asserting that this was the third time that he
had been had.
EXERCISES
* Substitute an idiomat ic expression for the word or words in italics, making any necessary grammatical changes as
well. Then complete each sentence appropriately with your own idea. Also try to use idioms from previous
lessons.
1. Because most of her elementary school students
were wasting time
, the teacher...
2. When J oey
spoke disrespectfully to
his mother, she...
3. When he learned t hat the owner
wasn't available
, the visiting salesperson...
4. Greg is willing to help his brother with some household chores, but he
refuses to consider
...
5. If you
disobey the rules
one more time, I will...
6. The theater group did a
rehearsal
of the play before...
7. Mrs. Dixson has the specia l abilit y
to play
music
she has heard but never read
. She doesn't have to...
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8. I wouldn't want
to be in Ted's position
. The police have discovered that he...
9. Every day a fter school, Harriet's parents have
to nag
her to...
10. I decided t o
arrange an engagement for
him because he...
* Answer these questions orally by making use of t he idiomatic expressions studied in this lesson.
1. Are you usually a serious person, or do you like to
goof off
a lot? Why might
goofing
off
sometimes be healthy
for you?
2. When (If) you were (are) young, did (do) you
talk back
to
your parents? Why or why not ?
3. Do you pay att ention to whether clothing fashions
are in
or
out
? What is an advantage of not paying attention?
4. If you had to give a speech in class, would you do
a dry run
? Why or why not ?
5. When (If) you were (are) young, what did (do) your parent s have to
keep af ter
you about? Did you ever learn
t o remember it, or do you still forget ?
6. Have you ever
fixed
someone
up
with a date, or ha ve you ever been
fixed up
with a date yourself? Can you
imagine why the t erm
blind date
is sometimes used in such cases?
7. Have you ever
been had
by someone you just met, such as a store clerk or a stranger on the street ? What
happened?
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31
REVIEW-LESSON 28 TO 39
A.
Match the idiom in the left column with the definition in the right column.
1. let alone a) I don't know
2. on the ball b) cert ainly, definitely
3. search me c) nervous, irritable
4. by the way d) rehearsal, practice session
5. on hand e) and certainly not
6. by all means f) incidentally
7. more or less g) available, nearby
8. a st eal h) in general
9. dry run i) att ent ive, alert
10. on the whole j) directly, personally
11. on edge k) approximately, almost
12. face-to-face l) very inexpensive
B.
In the space provided, mark whether each sentence is true (
T
) or false (
F
).
1. If you ha ve succeeded in
landing on your feet
after financial difficulties, things probably
are looking up
in
your life. ____
2. If you
go through channels
in submit ting a complaint, you are probably
making waves
in your
company. ____
3. If someone asks why you did something and you can't
think up
a good reason, you might respond, «
Search
me.
» ____
4. If you know someone who likes to
put
ot hers
on
, you can usually
take
that person
at their word.
____
5. If the subject matter of an academic field often
is over your
head, you may not
be cut out for
that field. ____
6. Parents might
go of f the deep end
if t hey have
to wait up for
their child very late without knowing what he or
she
is up to.
____
7. If you get a problem
off your
chest
, you are
beating around the bush
. ____
8. If you are able to
get through to
someone, you have
wasted your breath.
____
9. If you
are
not with
someone while they are explaining something, you
are catching on.
____
10. You might
back out
of an act ivity that could cause you
to get cold feet
a t the last minute. ____
11. If you dislike
playing
something
by ear
you will probably
leave it open.
____
12. If you are
learning the ropes
, it is possible that you might
goof up
once in a while. ____
C.
Fill in each blank with the appropriate form of the idioms using
give
listed below. Some expressions come
from Lessons l to 27.
give and take to give up to give in
to give off to give out to give one a break
to give birth to to give one a hand to give one a big hand
1. Mrs. Johnson was very surprised when she _____________________ twin boys.
2. Because it was the first time that I had fooled around in class I asked the teacher _____________________.
3. A successful marriage is mostly a matter of _____________________ between husband and wife.
4. This box is too heavy for me to lift alone. Could you _____________________.
5. The lecturer was so interesting that the a udience _____________________ at the end of the talk.
6. The man stood on the street corner and _____________________ advertising flyers to the people passing by.
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7. Could you please take this garbage outside? It _____________________ a very bad smell.
8. The army forces _____________________ when they discovered that they were surrounded by the enemy.
9. I usually don't _____________________ so easily, but this work is too hard for me to do.
D.
F ill in each blank with t he appropriate form of the idioms using
keep
listed below. Some expressions come
from Lessons 1-27.
to keep one s head to keep up with to keep in touch with
to keep one's word to keep after to keep in mind
to keep track of to keep away to keep one s fingers crossed
1. In the emergency situation, Alex was able _____________________ and save the child from drowning in the
ocean.
2. At the racetrack, none of the horses were able _____________________ the horse that was expected to win
the race.
3. When we visited Disneyland, we had to be careful _____________________ our children in the large crowds
of people.
4. You have _____________________ Tanya to return the typewriter or she will forget time and again.
5. You should _____________________ about doing that important task and not neglect to attend to it any
longer.
6. Even though you're moving to another city, we should _____________________ each other as much as
possible.
7. While I was cooking with hot grease on the stove, I warned ot hers _____________________ in order not to
get burned.
8. When teaching beginning-level English students, it is important _____________________ that their range of
vocabulary is quite limited.
9. The weather forecast is calling for cloudy skies tomorrow. We should _____________________ that it
doesn't rain during the picnic.
E.
F ill in each blank with t he appropriate form of the idioms using
go
listed below. Some expressions come from
Lessons 1 to 27.
to go through to go to town to go without saying
touch and go to go in for to go around
to go over to go off to go with
1. I was too tired to get up in the morning when my alarm clock _____________________, so I turned it off and
went back to sleep.
2. My presentation to the class _____________________ so well that the students gave me a big hand.
3. The delicate operation was _____________________ for several hours, but fina lly the surgeons were able to
finish successfully.
4. We just went t o the store an hour ago to buy more beer, and already there isn't enough
_____________________.
5. I can't understa nd how we _____________________ so much beer in such a short time.
6. When we remodeled our house, we added a master bedroom, a large bat hroom with jacuzzi, and a walk-in
closet. We really _____________________.
7. I really enjoy playing chess. Do you _____________________ playing chess as well?
8. That you should sta y home if you are very sick _____________________.
9. Do you think that this grey shirt _____________________ these beige pants?
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