VOCABULARY - IDIOMS

a slap in the face

Meaning: If you describe something as a slap in the face, you mean that you feel it as an insult or a rejection.

achilles heel

Meaning: said about a strong situation which contains an element of vulnerability.

an arm and a leg

Meaning: a lot of money.

an eye for an eye

Meaning: said to suggest that punishment should equal the crime. At the root of this principle is that one of the purposes of the law is to provide equitable retribution for an offended party.

are your ears burning?

Meaning: said about someone who was not present but was the topic of discussion.

at hand

Meaning: The phrase at hand is an idiomatic expression that means nearby, or close by in time or in space.

at your mother's knee

Meaning: said about something that you learned when you were a child.

back on ones feet

Meaning: The phrase back on one's feet refers to recovering from an illness or from a problem.

be glad to see the back of someone

Meaning: To be happy to get rid of someone; to be happy because someone has left.

behind one's back

Meaning: In one's absence

big head

Meaning: to a conceited or arrogant person.

big mouth

Meaning: said about someone who tend to say things which are meant to be kept secret.

bite your lip

Meaning: to make an effort not to react to something.

bring to knees

Meaning: to destroy or defeat someone or something.

burn one's fingers

Meaning: To burn one's fingers means to suffer consequences of one's actions. The expression is used especially in a financial context.

bury head in the sand

Meaning: If you bury your head in the sand, you avoid or try to avoid, a particularly problematic situation by pretending that it does not exist.

by the skin of one's teeth

Meaning: The phrase by the skin of one's teeth is an idiomatic expression that means just barely; by a narrow margin.

cannot stomach someone or something

Meaning: The phrase cannot stomach someone or something means not to be able to tolerate someone or something.

catch someone's eye

Meaning: The phrase to catch someone's eye means to get someone's attention.

clear your throat

Meaning: If you clear your throat, you cough slightly so as to speak more clearly, attract attention, or to express hesitancy before speaking.

close shave

Meaning: If a situation is described as a close shave, it means that you came very close to a dangerous situation and you avoided it at the last minute.

come to a head

Meaning: The phrase come to a head is an idiomatic expression. It is used to indicate that a situation suddenly becomes worse.

cost a bomb

Meaning: The phrase cost a bomb is an idiomatic expression that refers to something that is extremely expensive.

cross one's mind

Meaning: it occurs to one, especially transiently.

curl your lip

Meaning: an upward movement of the side of the mouth to show dislike and disrespect.

cut one's throat

Meaning: The phrase to cut one's throat or to cut one's own throat means to bring about one's own ruin and downfall.

dip your toe in the water

Meaning: said when you start something carefully because you are not sure whether it will work or not.

drag one's feet

Meaning: To procrastinate, put off; to dawdle, avoid, or make progress slowly and reluctantly.

easy on the ear

Meaning: something (music, voice...) pleasant to listen to.

easy on the eye

Meaning: attractive, pleasant to look at.

eat your heart out

Meaning: The phrase eat your heart out is meant as a joke that you are even better than another person.

face the music

Meaning: Dealing with consequences of one’s actions; To accept judgment or punishment

fall on deaf ears

Meaning: Of a request, complaint, etc, to be ignored.

feast for the eyes

Meaning: visually pleasing sight.

feel it in one's bones

Meaning: The phrase to feel something in one's bones means to have an intuition or hunch about something or to have a strong conviction as a result of one's own practical experience or instinct.

fly in the face of

Meaning: If an action flies in the face of conventions, it seems to be in direct opposition to them.

get in someone's hair

Meaning: Annoy someone.

get off my back!

Meaning: The phrase get off my back is an idiomatic expression that means stop annoying or harassing me.

get something off your chest

Meaning: To reveal something that is worrying you or making you feel guilty in order to feel relieved.

give somebody a leg up

Meaning: to help someone to achieve something, especially at work.

give somebody the elbow

Meaning: The phrase to give somebody the elbow is an idiomatic expression that means to end a romantic relationship or a friendship with someone.

give someone the cold shoulder

Meaning: act hostile toward someone; to ignore, snub

give your eye teeth for something

Meaning: said when you want to have or do something very much.

go in one ear and out the other

Meaning: said about something which is heard and then quickly forgotten.

grease someone palm

Meaning: If you grease someone's palm, you bribe them discretely.

hands are tied

Meaning: You are prevented from doing something. It is not within your power

have a chip on your shoulder

Meaning: The phrase to have a chip on one's shoulder means to be be angry about something that happened sometimes in the past or to hold a grudge.

have a leg up on somebody

Meaning: to have an advantage over someone.

have big ears

Meaning: to be nosy and listen to other people's private conversations.

head over heels

Meaning: completely in love.

heart of gold

Meaning: A person with a heart of gold is a person who is very kind and has a good nature.

hit the nail on the head

Meaning: To be absolutely correct (said of an utterance)

in a body

Meaning: said when a group of people do something together.

in front of one’s nose

Meaning: The phrase in front of one's nose refers to something that is plain, clearly apparent, or obvious.

in the blink of an eye

Meaning: Quickly, seemingly instantaneously

keep a civil tongue

Meaning: to speak politely.

keep an eye on

Meaning: To keep an eye on something or someone is to watch it periodically, to keep it under surveillance.

keep body and soul together

Meaning: to be able to pay for your food, clothing and somewhere to live.

keep one's eye open

Meaning: to remain alert and watchful.

keep one's eyes peeled

Meaning: to be on the alert, to be watchful

keep your chin up

Meaning: The phrase keep your chin up is an idiomatic expression used to encourage someone who has to bear some difficult circumstances.

keep your head above water

Meaning: be just able to make enough money to survive.

knit one's brow

Meaning: To frown or look worried, angry or puzzled.

lay something at the feet of someone

Meaning: If you lay something at the feet of someone, you make or hold someone, especially a group of people, responsible for something.

learn by heart

Meaning: to memorize something.

make a clean breast of

Meaning: to tell the truth; to confess.

make somebodys mouth water

Meaning: When the smell or sight of food is extremely good it makes your mouth water.

my gut tells me

Meaning: The phrase my gut tells me is an idiomatic expression that means my instincts tell me.

not bat an eyelid

Meaning: The phrase not bat an eyelid is an idiomatic expression that means to show no reaction or not to display even a hint of an emotional response.

not have a leg to stand on

Meaning: not have a sound justification, a firm foundation of facts to prove something.

on the face of it

Meaning: on the surface.

over my dead body

Meaning: Under no circumstances; absolutely not.

pain in the neck

Meaning: Someone or something making your life difficult

party hearty

Meaning: The phrase to party hearty means to have a good time; to celebrate.

pay lip service

Meaning: an insincere loyalty, respect, or support for something

poke one's nose in

Meaning: to be nosy ; to interfere with something. It has the sense of intruding in another's private life.

pull somebody's leg

Meaning: to tease or fool someone when trying to convince them to believe something which is not true as a joke.

Pull the other leg

Meaning: used when you do not believe what someone has just said.

put a smile on someone's face

Meaning: The phrase to put a smile on someone's face is an idiomatic expression that means to please someone or make someone happy.

put neck on the line

Meaning: If you put your neck on the line, you do something risky.

put on a brave face

Meaning: to pretend that a problem doesn't bother you.

put one's heart into something

Meaning: The phrase to put one's heart into something is an idiomatic expression that means to put all your energy and sincere effort into something; to work hard in order to do or get something.

put one's mind to it

Meaning: To apply oneself; to exert a directed effort.

put one's shoulder to the wheel

Meaning: to start hard work; to begin to toil.

put words in somebody's mouth

Meaning: To attribute to somebody something he or she did not say; to claim inaccurately that somebody said or intended something.

rack one's brain

Meaning: to think very hard about something.

raise eyebrows

Meaning: To cause surprise or mild disapproval.

save face

Meaning: To take an action or make a gesture intended to preserve one's reputation or honor.

scratch one's head

Meaning: The phrase scratch one's head is an idiomatic expression that means to think hard or wonder about something.

send shivers down someone's spine

Meaning: to terrify; to make someone feel extremely nervous.

shake a leg

Meaning: used to tell someone to rouse themselves from sleep and get out of bed.

shiver down one's spine

Meaning: The phrase a shiver down one's spine is an idiomatic expression that refers to a feeling of fear excitement, nervousness or anticipation.

shoulder to cry on

Meaning: said about a person someone to whom you can tell your problems to and then ask for sympathy, emotional support and advice.

skin and bones

Meaning: to be underweight and look bad, to be extremely thin.

skin someone alive

Meaning: to punish someone severely.

soaked to the bone

Meaning: The phrase to be soaked to the bone means to be completely wet or drenched.

stiff upper lip

Meaning: One who has a stiff upper lip displays fortitude in the face of adversity, or exercises self-restraint in the expression of emotion.

take it on the chin

Meaning: Be attacked; suffer an attack

take something or someone at face value

Meaning: you accept that they are as they seem without looking for a hidden meaning or ulterior motives.

take the bit between one's teeth

Meaning: to take charge.

tear your hair out

Meaning: said when you are feeling a lot of anxiety over a problem.

thumbs down

Meaning: The phrase thumbs downis an idiomatic expression that indicates rejection, disapproval or failure.

thumbs up

Meaning: The phrase thumbs upis an idiomatic expression that indicates satisfaction or approval.

to wash one's hands of

Meaning: to absolve oneself of responsibility or future blame for.

turn one's back on

Meaning: To turn one's back on may also mean to abandon or forsake.

under one's nose

Meaning: directly in front of one; clearly visible

under one's thumb

Meaning: completely controlled by someone; at someone's command.

wag one's chin

Meaning: to talk.

wait on someone hand and foot

Meaning: to serve someone well, satisfying all personal needs.

watch one's mouth

Meaning: to be careful about what one says, especially with regard to disrespectful or profane language.

weak at the knees

Meaning: If you are weak at the knees, you are affected by a strong emotion and you feel as if are going to fall down.

yoke around someone's neck

Meaning: a burden.