Idiomatic and phrasal Expressions

(To) bank on something:
             To count or rely on something.


(To) blow someone's cover:
To reveal someone's secret, or true identity. ex. "The spy was very careful not to blow her cover."


To) break even:
To neither win nor lose. ex. "Michael thought he would lose $200, but he ended up breaking even."


To) call it a day:
To end work and go home. ex. "Let's call it a day. It's getting late."

A) clean bill of health:
A report from the doctor that one's health is good; good results from a doctor's medical examination. ex. "I went in for my yearly physical and got a clean bill of health from Dr. Jones

(To) come away empty handed:
To return without anything. To expect to receive something but to end up receiving nothing. ex. "The union workers came away empty handed from the negotiations."


(To) come out of the closet:
To reveal that one is gay. ex. "The Republican senator shocked his constituents last June by coming out of the closet."

(To) cover a lot of ground:
To go through a lot of information. ex. "We've covered a lot of ground in my English class in the past two months."

(At the) crack of dawn:
Right at dawn (when the sun comes up). ex. "When the road came to an end, we turned left."

(A) cut above (something):
Superior/ better (than something). ex. "The commercial claimed that this car company was a cut above the rest."

About time:
Nearly time, high time. ex. "It's about time you bought a new car!"


Absence makes the heart grow fonder:
Proverb that means that our feeling for those we love increases when we are apart from them

Don't let it get you down:
Don't let it upset you; don't allow it to make you feel bad.

(To) drive a hard bargain:
To be firm when bargaining about something. ex. "You drive a hard bargain, but alright, I'll pay you $10 for the lam

To) drive someone crazy:
To make someone very agitated, upset, or emotional (either in a good or bad way).ex. "That teacher is so awful! He drives me crazy with his attitude."




(To) drown one's sorrows:
To get/ become drunk. ex. "Drowning your sorrows won't solve anything."


(To) dump someone: (very informal)
To end a relationship with someone; to break up with someone. To stop seeing someone (romantically). ex. "She dumped me."


(To) enter one's mind:
To cross one's mind; to start thinking about something. ex. "You want me to become a doctor? The thought never even entered my mind."



  Every so often:
Once in while; occasionally. ex. "I think about her every so often."

Every other:
Every second. Alternate. ex. "In Los Angeles, every other person is an actor."

Expecting:
Pregnant. ex. "She is expecting."


(A) falling out:
A disagreement/break in a friendship. ex. "We had a falling out over what she said."


(A) fine line:
Not much difference. ex. "Sometimes there's a fine line between love and infatuation."


To) fix someone (some food - like cocoa, oatmeal, etc.):
To prepare (some food) for someone. ex. "I'll fix you a cup of cocoa."


(To) follow one's heart:
To act according to your feelings/ emotions. ex. "I couldn't decide what to do, so I just followed my heart."




(To) get a move on:
To go or do something quickly, to get going, etc. ex. "Hey if we want to make the 8:00 PM show we should get a move on."

(To) get carried away:
To exaggerate/ go too far/ to become emotional. ex. "I got carried away. I bought 10 shirts!"; "She got carried away when she started talking about the war."

(To) get caught up:
To become involved, especially emotionally. ex. "I just got caught up in his plan and couldn't think straight."

(To) get cold feet:
To become timid or frightened. ex. "I usually get cold feet when I have to speak in public."

(To) get down to business:
To start working seriously. ex. "Enough playing around. Let's get down to business.


To) get something straight:
To clarify something. To understand something clearly. ex. "Let me get this straight. Your mother's cousin stole money from your father's cousin's daughter?"



(To) give someone the benefit of the doubt:
To believe in someone despite information that makes them seem guilty of something. ex. "Hey, don't believe the rumors. Give him the benefit of the doubt."


 To) go overboard:
To do too much; to exaggerate. ex. "They really went overboard with the party preparation



(To) have one's heart set on something:
To really want (and/or expect) something to happen. ex. "Julie has her heart set on going to London this summer."


(To) hit the spot:
To satisfy a need exactly. To be exactly right (often said about food or drinks). ex. "That was a delicious meal. It hit the spot."


(To) hit the road:
To leave, start on a trip, etc. ex. "It's already 9:00 AM. We have to hit the road!"



To) hit a snag:
To run into a problem. ex. "The project hit a snag when testing failed to produce favorable results."


In the long run:
Over a long period of time; ultimately. ex. "He smokes a lot now, and I'm afraid that in the long run it will cost him his health."

Just about:
Almost. ex. "I'm just about finished."

Just now:
Just a minute ago. ex. "He called me just now to tell me he was going to quit his job



To) keep a straight face:
To force oneself not to laugh, even though one wants to. ex. "He was saying the stupidest things, and I was finding it hard to keep a straight face."

(To) keep one's cool:
To remain calm. ex. "It's not easy to keep one's cool in stressful situations."


To) keep someone posted:
To keep someone informed. ex. "I'm not sure what the plan is for this evening, but I'll keep you posted."


(To) kill time:
To waste time. ex. "I'm just killing time until my brother arrives."


To) know something inside-out:
To know something completely and thoroughly. ex. "Let me show you around. I know this neighborhood inside-out."




To) lay a finger on someone:
To touch someone even very slightly. ex. "If you so much as lay a finger on him, you will be in trouble."


(To) lose one's temper:
To become angry. ex. "He has a short fuse, and loses his temper quite often."


(A) lucky break:
Good luck, good fortune. ex. "I was supposed to speak at the meeting today, but I found out it was cancelled. What a lucky break!"




(To) make a pass (at someone):
To make romantic advances; to hit on (someone). ex. "Karl was fired because he made a pass at his co-worker Fiona."


(To) meet someone halfway:
To compromise with someone. ex. "They settled the argument by deciding to meet each other halfway."


(A) must:
A necessity. ex. "In Los Angeles, having a car is a must."

To) need a hand:
To need help. ex. "Do you need a hand? (Would you like some help?)"

No rush:
You don't have to hurry. ex. "P1: Do you want this done by this evening? No, there's no rush - you can finish it tomorrow."


Pressed for time:
In a hurry. ex. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm a little pressed for time."


To) promise someone the moon:
To promise someone lots of extravagant things (unrealistically). ex. "He promised her the moon, but couldn't deliver on any of his promises."

(To) put up a good fight:
To try very hard. ex. "Well, although my team lost, they put up a good fight, so I'm not upset."


Quite a few:
Many. ex. "There were quite a few people at the concert yesterday."

Quite a bit:
A lot. ex. "There is quite a bit to do still."


Quick on the uptake:
Quick to understand. ex. "Many of the people in town thought that Thomas wasn't too quick on the uptake, but he was actually a very bright boy."

(To) rack one's brain:
To try very hard to think of something. ex. "I racked my brain, but I couldn't remember his name."




To) raise (some) eyebrows:
To shock. ex. "The art show raised some eyebrows due to its explicit content


To) rest one's case:
When people say "I rest my case", it usually means that they feel that they just proved that they are correct.

(To) run a fever:
To have a fever. ex. "Jamie has been running a fever all day."

(To) run in the family:
To happen/ occur often in the family (through generations). ex. "P1: Frank is always so angry. P2: Yeah, his bad temper runs in the family."


A) score to settle:
To get even. To pay someone back for something negative that they did. ex. "Don't stop me. I have a score to settle with him."


To) scratch the surface:
To begin finding out about something. ex. "We've only begun to scratch the surface in this field."

Second nature (to someone):
Easy and natural. ex. "Scoring goals is second nature to him."

To) see fit:
To deem/believe to be appropriate. ex. "You can do that any way you see fit."

(To) serve someone right:
To serve as appropriate punishment for someone. ex. "They put him in jail for 5 years? Serves him right!"


(To) set one's sights on something:
To select something as one's goal. ex. "We would like to buy out one of our competitors. We've got our sights set on


To) stir up trouble:
To cause trouble. ex. "Sometimes I think she gets great pleasure from stirring up trouble."

(To) take its toll:
To cause damage (or loss). ex. "The long hours he puts in at work have begun to take their toll on his health."

(To) take something/ someone for granted:
To accept something/ someone (without gratitude) as a matter of course. ex. "We tend to take a lot of things for granted."


(To) think straight:
To think clearly. ex. "I was so tired that I couldn't think straight."


(To) tie the knot:
To get married. ex. "They tied the knot in Puerto Vallarta."

(To) tighten one's belt
To spend less money. ex. "After Becky lost her job, we really had to tighten our belts for a while."
Up in the air:
Uncertain. ex. "His future at this company is up in the air."


(To) use every trick in the book:
To use every method possible. ex. "He used every trick in the book to get her to go out on a date with h


(To) vanish into thin air:
To disappear without leaving a trace. ex. "Whatever happened to that actor? He seemed to have vanished into thin air."

Variety is the spice of life:
Proverb meaning life is made more interesting by doing new or different things.

Very last:
The last. ex. "We were able to buy the very last tickets to the concert."

Very well:
OK. Agreed.

Vicious circle:
Sequence of cause and effect with bad results. ex. "He had fallen into a vicious circle of drinking too much and then losing his job and then drinking even more."



To) wait tables:
To work as a waiter/ waitress in a restaurant. ex. "Becky waited tables while she was in college."


(To) wear out one's welcome:
To stay too long (at an event, at someone's house, etc.) ex. "Let's only stay with them for 2 days. I don't want us to wear out our welcome.


What makes someone tick:
What motivates someone. ex. "He's such a mysterious guy. I don't quite know what makes him tick."



(To) work out for the best.
To work out in the best possible way. ex. "It seems bad now, but things will work out for the best.

Year-round (adj./adv.)
Operating all year. ex. "This facility is open year-round."


You can say that again:
That is true (stress on "that"). ex. "P1: It sure is hot today! P2: You can say that again!"

You can't teach an old dog new tricks:
A proverb meaning that old people can't learn anything new.

(To) zero in on something:
To aim or focus directly on something. ex. "I would like to zero in on another important issue."

(To) zonk out:
To fall asleep.

It is what it is.
It's so fun.
just as an FYI
kick the can down the road
Let me be clear.
Let me be honest with you.
Let's agree to disagree.
Listen up, people.
looks to be (as in "Wow, that looks to be a real bad accident")
love me some
magic and miracle (as used by advertisers)
please excuse (when used without an object)














  1. * A good book is the life-blood of its author.
  2. * The facts speak for themselves.
  3. * We will get to the root of the matter.
  4. * I don't believe in hair-splitting.
  5. * You can't escape from clutches of law.
  6. * It takes ages to build a reputation.
  7. * He frequently picked fights with other.
  8. * A reply would be made in the same vein.
  9. * He accused the centre of meting out ‘step-motherly’ treatment to the state,
  10. * At last fortune smiled on him.
  11. * Attack jolted the government out of its deep slumber.
  12. * Attackers were condemned in the strongest words.
  13. * 9/11 strike sent shock waves across the globe.
  14. * I see the moon smiling down at me.
  15. * Bombing rocked the heart of the regime.
  16. * He had tried to lob the ball in CM’s court.
  17. * Now ball is in the government’s court.
  18. * We broke the back of terrorist groups.
  19. * Building collapsed like house of cards.
  20. * Cartoon was not in good taste.
  21. * Case has begun to look more like a cat and mouse game.
  22. * Investigating Agency found holes in the state police theory.
  23. * Centre will add more teeth to RTI law.
  24. * Clarification didn’t clear the air.* Defects in the new vehicle had already left a bad taste in his mouth.
  25. * Fingers are also being raised at the police failure in exposing the case.
  26. * For years she thought this was due to sins committed in a past life.
  27. * Battered by scams, his ship is sinking.
  28. * Governor has given the green light to MCD’s project.
  29. * Don’t jump to any conclusion.
  30. * Don’t leave the cause of freedom.
  31. * Turning a deaf ear will not sort out the problem.
  32. * If I open my mouth, a lot of people will be in trouble.
  33. * The news came as a shock.
  34. * Even the stoniest of hearts melts before flower.
  35. * We don't want to get on the wrong side of the judiciary.
  36. * He always stands in my way.
  37. * He appeared close to tears.
  38. * He can’t hurt a fly.
  39. * He created a storm.
  40. * Democrats and Republicans are neck and neck on 57 seats.
  41. * Department is behaving deaf and dumb.
  42. * Desire without work is day-dreaming.
  43. * Differences came to the fore.
  44. * DIMTS washed its hands of the incident.
  45. * Aspirants have made both online and over the counter submissions to be on the safe side.
  46. * He gave me a flat refusal.
  47. * He has escaped a bid on his life.
  48. * He is an apple of my eye.
  49. * We will go to any lengths to ensure that the guilty are punished.
  50. * They have unfurled the flag of revolt.
  51. * It all happened in a fraction of second.
  52. * He spotted the body and raised an alarm.
  53. * It happens only once in a blue moon.
  54. * Don’t try to tighten the noose around social media.
  55. * Investigating agency slowly and steadily tightening the noose around him.
  56. * There is the other side of the coin as well. -
  57.    Sleep Tight
  58.    Have a good nights slee
  59.    I’ll get back to you later on
  60.    I got caught up in the thick of things
  61. He's been carrying the torch for Julie since their college days, before she married Ted
  62. * Cold water poured over President’s plans.

  1. that s the end of being friendly with you
  2. you are good company
  3. i love that quality about her
  4. I find it increasingly hard to
  5. but perhaps it might be better to
  6. but i just cann t forget sth bad


(of) no fixed abode
A person of no fixed abode has nowhere permanent to live.
A 30-year-old man of no fixed abode was charged with the burglary



more by accident than by design
Something that happens more by accident than (by) design is done without deliberate intention.
I became an interpreter more by accident than design; nobody else could speak the language of the refugees.



accidentally on purpose
If you do something intentionally, but pretend it was an accident, you do it accidentally on purpose.
I accidentally-on-purpose erased his email address so I couldn't contact him again.


an accomplished fact (also 'fait accompli')
Something that has been done or completed, before those affected by it can intervene or change it, is called an accomplished fact.





no accounting for taste
This expression is used to indicate surprise at another person's likes or dislikes.
She fell in love with a guy who is short, fat, bald and poor ... there's no accounting for taste!

ace a test
If you obtain a very high score or an excellent result, you ace a test or exam.
Maria's parents said she could go to the party if she aced her English test.



acquired taste
Something that you dislike when you first taste it, but begin to like after trying it several times, is an acquired taste.
Tony has always loved olives, but for me it was an acquired taste.



against one's better judgement
If you do something, even though you feel it is not a sensible thing to do, you do it against your better judgement.
Bob persuaded her to go by car, against her better judgement, and she regretted it as soon as she saw the heavy traffic.
against the clock
If you do something against the clock, you are rushed and have very little time to do it.
They are working against the clock to have the presentation ready for Monday.
ahead of the pack
If a person or organization is ahead of the pack, they are better or more successful than their rivals.
Our products will have to be more innovative if we want to stay ahead of the pack.

alarm bells start to ring
If something sets the alarm bells ringing, it makes you begin to worry, because it shows that there may be a problem.
Alarm bells started to ring when my old neighbour didn't open his shutters all day and didn't answer his phone.



all along
If something has existed or been somewhere all along, it has been there all the time, from the beginning.
I had been looking for my keys for some time before I realized they had been in my pocket all along.
all the better for (something)
If you are all the better for something, you benefit from it or feel much better as a result of it.
You'll be all the better for a good night's rest.
all brawn and no brain
Someone who is physically very strong but not very intelligent is said to be all brawn and no brain.
He's an impressive player to watch, but he's all brawn and no brain.
all clear
If you are allowed to do something after a check-up to make sure that everything is all right, you get the all clear.
Dad says he's going to play golf again as soon as he gets the all clear from his doctor.

everything ready in time.
all in your head
If something is all in your head, it is not real.  It is in your imagination.
Don't be silly. Nobody is trying to harm you. It's all in your head!
all hell broke loose
If you say that all hell broke loose, you mean that there was a sudden angry or noisy reaction to something.
All hell broke loose when it was announced that the plant was going to close down.


all systems go
When everything is ready for an activity or event to begin, you can say that all systems go.
We've got an office, a telephone and the internet, so on Monday it's all systems go!
all things to all people
If you are all things to all people, you please or satisfy everyone.
She's exhausted trying to be a good wife, a good mother and a good teacher, but she can't be all things to all people.
all things being equal
This expression refers to a probable situation if, in all other ways, the conditions remain unchanged or equal.
All (other) things being equal, a reduction in the cost of transport should enable us to lower our prices.
all the rage
When something is all the rage, it has become very popular or trendy.
Twittering text messages is all the rage these days, both among individuals and companies.







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asking for trouble
Someone who is asking for trouble is behaving so stupidly that he/she is likely to have problems.
Driving fast on these roads is really asking for trouble!
bane of one's life
To say that something is the bane of your life means that it is the cause of your problems or your unhappiness.
The heating system is always breaking down. It's the bane of my life!


come hell or high water
            If you say that you will do something come hell or high water, you mean that you will do it in spite of the difficulties involved.
Come hell or high water, I've got to be on time for the interview.



cross that bridge when we come to it
This is another way of saying 'we will deal with that problem when it occurs and not worry about it before'.
"What will happen if we can't repay the loan?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."


when the going gets tough ...
This expression means that when faced with a difficult or dangerous situation, strong people take action in order to solve the problem.
Tom has a positive attitude. He often says 'when the going gets tough, the tough get going


hang out to dry
If you abandon someone who is in difficulty, without giving any assistance or support, you hang them out to dry.
You'll get no help from Jack. He'll hang you out to dry if your plan fails.




in dire straits
If a person or organization is in dire straits, they are in a very difficult situation.
The loss of major contracts has put the company in dire straits.


in over your head
            If you are in over your head, you are involved in something that is too difficult for you to handle.
I accepted to organize the festival, but I quickly realized that I was in over my head.



one's number is up
To say that one's number is up means that either a person is in serious difficulty and something bad is going to happen, or the time has come when they will die.
The police have located the escaped prisoner so it looks as if his number is up!




ostrich strategy/politics
Someone who adopts an ostrich strategy or policy chooses to ignore or evade an obvious problem in the hope that it will resolve itself or disappear.
Adopting an ostrich strategy will only make matters worse - we've got to find a solution.



(no) quick fix
To say that there is no quick fix to a problem means that there is no simple solution.
There is no quick fix for unemployment; major reforms are necessary.


paper over the cracks
To say that someone is papering over the cracks means that they are concealing a problem rather than dealing with it effectively.
The measures taken to reduce unemployment are just paper over the cracks.



stop the rot
When you prevent a situation from deteriorating, especially in business or politics, you stop the rot.
There was so much conflict in the office that a new manager was appointed to stop the rot.



teething problems
The difficulties encountered during the initial stage of an activity or project are called teething problems.
We had some teething problems when we first opened the bookshop, but now everything is okay.



thorny issue
If you are faced with a thorny issue, you have to deal with a difficult or unpleasant problem.
Copyright and content duplication are thorny issues these days.


tight spot
Someone who is in a tight spot is in a very difficult situation.
The recent strike has put the airline company in a tight spot.


unmitigated disaster
An unmitigated disaster is a complete failure or a total catastrophe.
The organization of the tournament was an unmitigated disaster!



uphill battle
A person faced with an uphill battle has to struggle against very unfavourable circumstances.
After the terrible accident, his recovery was an uphill battle all the way.



vicious circle
When the solution to a problem creates another problem similar to the original, or makes it worse, so that the process starts all over again, the situation is called a vicious circle.
I borrowed money to reimburse Paul. Now I've got to reimburse the bank, with interest.  It's a vicious circle.


wave a dead chicken
When faced with a serious problem, if you take steps that you  know in advance will be futile, to show that you made an effort, you wave a



without a hitch
If something happens without a hitch, it takes place exactly as planned, without any difficulties.
The ceremony went off without a hitch, to our great relief!


work cut out for you
If you have to face a difficult task or a challenging situation, you have your work cut out for you.
I've got a month to reorganize the accounts department.  I have my work cut out for me!


yoke around neck
An obligation, commitment or restraint that becomes an oppressive burden is called a yoke around one's neck.
When John lost his job, the repayments on the house became a yoke around his neck.




HOW ARE YOU FIXED FOR?

what s the drill for sth?
what s eating sb?
what s your game?
not that I know of
what have you got to say for yourself
what(it) beats me 
there s not help for it but to call the police.


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