alphabetical list - f
TRANSCRIPT
-
7/23/2019 Alphabetical List - F
1/21
Alphabetical List - F
(Idioms F page 1 : face like a bulldog facts speak for themselves)
face like a
bulldogchewing a
wasp
To say that someone has aface like a bulldog chewing a wasp means
that you find them very unattractive because they have a screwedupugly e!pression on their face"
Not only was he rude but he had a face like a bulldogchewing a wasp!
face like
thunder
If someone has aface like thunder# they look very angry"
When Dad is really angry, he has a face like thunder!
face like a
wet week-
end
If someone has a face like a wet week-end# they look sad and
miserable"
What's wrong with Pete? He's got a face like a wet week-end!
face only amother could
love
This is a humoristic way of saying that someone is ugly or unattractive"he poor guy has a face only a other could lo"e#
face that
would stop a
clock
$omeone who has aface that would stop a clockhas a shockingly
unattractive face"
$ou'll recogni%e hi - he's tall and thin, with a face that wouldstop a clock!
face the
music
If you have to face the music,you have to accept the unpleasant
conse%uences of your actions"
He was caught stealing# Now he has to face the usic#
face value If youtake something at its face value,you assume that it is genuinely
what it appears to be"
he car sees to be in good condition, but don't take it at itsface "alue& get a echanic to check it out#
poker face If you have apoker face# you show no emotion at all"
ll during the trial the criinal kept a poker face#
straight face If you keep a straight face# you look serious although you really want
to laugh"
(ur teacher was dressed so strangely that it was hard to
keep a straight face!
fact of the
matter is
This e!pression is used to emphasi&e the reality of a situation# or what
is really true"
His other thinks )ay need help with his hoework, butthe fact of the atter is * he's +ust la%y!
facts speak 'hen the facts of a situation are co clear that no further e!planation or
-
7/23/2019 Alphabetical List - F
2/21
for
themselves
e!tra details are necessary# thefacts speak for themselves.
No need to tell you that the situation is disastrous# he factsspeak for thesel"es#
Alphabetical List - F
(page : fair and s%uare fall on deaf ears)
fair and square If something is obtained or wonfair and square# it is done in
an honest and open manner# the rules are respected and
there is no cheating or lying"
a"in won the copetition fair and suare - there wasno doubt about the result#
fair hearing 'hen accused of wrongdoing# if someone gets a fair hearing#
they get an opportunity to present evidence or give their side
of the story# usually in court"
. can guarantee that you will get a fair hearing#
fair-weather friend $omeone who acts as a friend when times are good# and is
not there when you are in trouble# is called afair-weather
friend.
. thought . could count on /ill, but .'"e disco"ered he's+ust a fair-weather friend#
fait accompli This French e!pression refers to something that has been
done and cannot be changed"
He used his sa"ings to buy a otorbike and then
presented his parents with a fait accopli#fall at first hurdle If youfall at the first hurdle# you fail to overcome the first
difficulty encountered"
)cott fell at the 0rst hurdle# He didn't study enoughand failed his 0rst e1a#
fall between stools If somethingfalls between two stools# it is neither totally one
thing nor another# and is therefore unsatisfactory"
he book didn't sell because it fell between twostools# .t appealed neither to historians nor to the
general public#
fall by the wayside If a plan or proectfalls by the wayside# it remains unfinished
or people stop trying to do it"
2ocal residents protested so strongly that plans for anew otorway
fell by the wayside#
fall flat If a oke# a story or a form of entertainmentfalls flat# it does
-
7/23/2019 Alphabetical List - F
3/21
not amuse people# or fails to have the effect that was
intended"
He ade a few attepts at huour during his speechbut ost of his +okes fell 3at#
fall from grace To say that someone has fallen from grace means that theyhave done something wrong# immoral or unacceptable# and
as a result have lost their good reputation"
he 4inance 5inister fell fro grace as a result of ase1 scandal#
fall into one's lap If something goodfalls into your lap# it happens to you without
any effort on your part"
)he's not aking uch e6ort to 0nd work# Does shethink a +ob is going to fall into her lap?
fall into place 'hen different elements fall into place# they fit well together
or become organi&ed so that progress can be achieved in asatisfactory manner"
he preparatory work was di7cult but graduallye"erything fell into place and the pro+ect was 0nished
on tie#
fall on deaf ears If something you sayfalls on deaf ears# it is either ignored or
attracts no attention"
Her warning about the need to repair the roof fell ondeaf ears#
(page * : fall on sword fat cat )
fall on one's sword If youfall on your sword# you accept the conse%uences of an
unsuccessful or wrong action"
he organi%er of the referendu resigned when thepoor results were announced# .t was said that he' fell
on his sword'#
fall off the back of a
lorry
+oods that havefallen off the back of a lorryare stolen
goods"
8udging by the price of that caera, it ust ha"efallen o6 the back of a lorry!
fall over backwards If you fall over backwardsto accomplish something# you do
everything you possibly can to please and impress"
)ally's other fell o"er backwards to ake herwedding reception a eorable e"ent#
fall short of If something proves inade%uate or insufficient# or does not
reach the re%uired standard# it falls short ofwhat is e!pected"
-
7/23/2019 Alphabetical List - F
4/21
)ales of the new product fell short of the copany'se1pectations#
false move In a dangerous or risky situation# if you make a false move#
you
do something which may have unpleasant conse%uences"He is under close sur"eillance# .f he akes one falseo"e he'll be arrested#
false pretences If you obtain something under false pretences# you deceive
others by lying about your identity# %ualifications# financial or
social position# in order to get what you want"
he +ournalist obtained the inter"iew under falsepretences#
take a fancyto If youtake a fancyto someone or something# you develop a
fondness for them or begin to like them"
. think Paul has taken a fancy to the new intern!
far from me be it This e!pression means that the speaker does not feel in a
position to say or do something"
(,sually said before giving advice or e!pressing an opinion")
4ar be it fro e to chose your friends, but . thinkyou should a"oid that an#
farm something out If something#such as work# isfarmed out# it is sent out to be
done by others"
We fared out the packaging to another copany#
fast and furious If an activity isfast and furious# it is done %uickly and with a lotof energy"
9ager to win the race, the copetitors cae fast andfurious around the bend#
fast talker - person who speaks %uickly and easily but cannot always be
trusted is called afast talker.
he salesan was a fast talker who persuaded the oldlady to buy a new washing achine#
fast track
something
If you decide tofast track something# such as a task or
proect# you give it high priority so that the obective is
reached as %uickly as possible"
.n "iew of the nuber of hoeless, it was decided tofast track the construction of low-cost housing#
fat cat To refer to a rich and powerfu person as afat cat means that
you disapprove of the way they use their money or power"
he place was full of fat cats on their big yachts#
-
7/23/2019 Alphabetical List - F
5/21
Alphabetical List - F
(page 4 : fat chance feet of clay)
fat chance The expressionfat chanceis used to indicate thatsomething is not very likely to happen.
The boss is thinking of me for the job !at chance"
fat hits the #re $hen trouble breaks out% or a situation deteriorates as a
result of something said or done% it is said that the fat hits
the 0re.
The situation &as already tense% but the fat hit the #re
&hen 'arry &as accused of cheating.
to a fault To say that someone has a good ualityto a faultmeans
that they have a lot% or even too much% of that uality.
y aunt is generous to a fault% al&ays ready to help anyone
&ho claims to be in need.
feast your eyes on *f youfeast your eyeson something% you are delighted and
grati#ed by &hat you see.
+s he drove along the coast% he feasted his eyes on the
beautiful scenery.
feather in one,s cap To describe someone,s achievement as afeather in their
capmeans that it is something they can be proud of.
The over&helming victory of the team &as a feather in the
cap for the ne& manager.
feather one,s nest To say of someone that they arefeathering their nest
means that they are taking advantage of their position in
order to obtain money and enjoy have a comfortable life.
knock do&n &ith a
feather
To say ,you could ha"e knocked e down with a feather'
emphasi-es the fact that you &ere extremely surprised.
$hen * heard the name of the &inner% you could haveknocked me do&n &ith a feather"
feed someone a line *f youfeed soeone a line% you tell them something that
may not be uite true% often as an excuse.
$hen * asked for a pay increase% the boss fed me a line
-
7/23/2019 Alphabetical List - F
6/21
about the number of contracts that had not been rene&ed.
feed the kitty *f youfeed the kitty% you contribute to a collection of
money called a ,kitty, in order to help a good cause.
ome on" /very little helps. 0ou should feed the kitty for a
good cause"
feeding fren-y + situation in &hich a lot of people attack% pursue or
compete &ith each other in an excited or frantic &ay%
because they all &ant to obtain something% is called a
feeding fren%y#
+s soon as the recontruction plan &as announced% there
&as a feeding fren-y among major companies to obtain
contracts.
feel on top of &orld *f youfeel on top of the world% you feel &onderful orecstatic about something.
*,ve been feeling on top of the &orld since * got the results 1
*,m uali#ed"
feel the pinch $hen someonefeels the pinch% they begin to su2er from a
lack of money.
$ith the drop in tourism% hotels and restaurants are
beginning to feel the pinch.
feet of clay *f someone &ho is admired is found to have a &eakness%fault or defect of character% they are said to have feet of
clay.
3o one is perfect. any successful people have feet of
clay.
Alphabetical List - F
(page . : back on feet play second fiddle)
back on your feet If you are back on your feet# after an illness or an accident#
you are physically healthy again"5y grandother had a bad '3u, but she's back on her
feet again#
drag one'sfeet If you say that a person isdragging their feet# you think they
are unnecessarily delaying a decision which is important to
you"
he go"ernent is dragging it's feet on easures to
-
7/23/2019 Alphabetical List - F
7/21
reduce pollution#
find one's feet To say that someone in a new position isfinding their feet
means that they are learning what to do and gaining self
confidence"
(ur new trainee is beginning to 0nd his feet#get coldfeet If you get cold feet about something# you begin to hesitate
about doing it/ you are no longer sure whether you want to do
it or not"
. wanted to enter the copetition but at the lastinute . got cold feet#
have itchyfeet - person whohas itchy feetis someone who finds it difficult to
stay in one place and likes to move often and discover new
places"
)cott ne"er stays long anywhere# He's got itchy feet!
keepfeeton ground - person whokeeps their feet on the groundcontinues to act
in a sensible and practical way# even if they become
successful"
)uccess hasn't changed hi# He has always kept hisfeet on the ground#
rushed off yourfeet If you arerushed off your feet# you are e!tremely busy"
.'d lo"e to ha"e lunch with you but .' rushed o6 yfeet at work!
think on one'sfeet - person whothinks on their feetis capable of making good
decisions without previous thinking or planning"ood lawyers need to be able to think on their feet
when pleading a case#
two left feet If you havetwo left feet# you are clumsy or awkward in your
movements"
.' afraid .' a bad dancer! .'"e got two left feet!
on the fence 'hen faced with a choice# a person who is on the fencehas
not yet reached a decision"
he candidates ha"e such siilar ideas that anyelectors are still on the fence#
fender-bender This e!pression refers to a minor car accident in which there
is little damage and no inuries"
. can't belie"e that a sall fender bender can cause aa+or tra7c +a!
fever pitch If a situation or feeling reachesfever pitch,it becomes very
intense and e!citing"
-
7/23/2019 Alphabetical List - F
8/21
:eaction to the a6air has reached fe"er pitch all o"erthe country#
few and far between Items# places or events which arefew and far between are
rarely found or do not happen very often"
:estaurants in this part of the country are few and farbetween"
play secondfiddle If youplay second fiddleto someone# you accept to be
second in importance to that person# or have a lower position"
8ohn resented ha"ing to play second 0ddle to thesales anager when the copany was restructured#
Alphabetical List - F
(page : #ddling &hile 5ome burns #nger in every pie)
#ddling &hile
5ome burns
To say that someone is0ddling while :oe burns means that
they are doing unimportant things &hile there are serious
problems to be dealt &ith.
6is visit to the trade fair &as ,#ddling &hile 5ome burns,
according to the strikers.
#eld day +0eld day refers to a day or period of great excitement and
activity.
7ournalists &ill have a #eld day &ith the latest political scandal.
#fth &heel This expression refers to a person &ho #nd themselves in a
situation &here their presence is unnecessary and as a result
they feel useless.
/veryone seemed to have a speci#c role except me. * felt like a
#fth &heel
#ght like cat
and dog
T&o people &ho #ght or arguelike cat and dogfreuently have
violent arguments% even though they are fond of each other.
They #ght like cat and dog but they,re still together after 89
years.
can,t 0ght the
city hall
This expression means that it is useless to try to &in a battle
against a politician% establishment or bureaucracy ingeneral.
rian decided it &as a &aste of energy trying to obtain a tax
refund 1 you can,t #ght the city hall.
#ght a losing *f someone is 0ghting a losing battle% they are trying to do
-
7/23/2019 Alphabetical List - F
9/21
battle something even &hen there is little chance of succeeding.
The headmaster is #ghting a losing battle trying to ban mobile
phones at school.
#ght shy *f you0ght shy of something% such as a task% a problem or a
duty% you &ant to avoid doing it or you are un&iling to confront
it.
6e had money problems for years but he fought shy of asking
his children for help.
#ght tooth and
nail
*f you0ght tooth and nail for something% you #ght &ith energy
and determination.
The Transport inister fought tooth and nail to have the
proposed road safety la& accepted.
#ght an uphillbattle
+ person faced &ithan uphill battle has to struggle against veryunfavourable circumstances.
+fter the terrible accident% his recovery &as an uphill battle all
the &ay.
#gment of
imagination
+0gent of one's iaginationis an appearance% event or
incident that is not considered to be real but only imaginary.
;ther people sa& the car% so it,s not a #gment of my
imagination"
(get it do&n to)a 0neart
$hen you learn to do something perfectly% you get it down to a0ne art#
/ntertaining her husband,s business associates is not a problem
for 7ane< she,s got that do&n to a #ne art"
#ne1tooth comb To go over something &ith a0ne-tooth cob means to examine
it closely and thoroughly so as not to miss any details.
The police are examining the scene of the crime &ith a #ne1
tooth comb.
#ne tuning =mall changes to something to improve it or make it &ork better
are called0ne tuning#
$e are still #ne1tuning our ne& &ebsite and appreciate your
patience.
have a0ngerin
every pie
*f someone has a #nger in every pie% they are involved in many
activities.
!or information about the activites in this to&n% you should talk
-
7/23/2019 Alphabetical List - F
10/21
to 7ohn ro&n. 6e,s got a #nger in every pie.
Alphabetical List - F
(page 0 : put a finger on in the first place)
put afingeron
something
If you are able to identify or understand something such as the
cause of a problem or the solution to it# you put your finger on it.
he atosphere at the eeting was strange, but5arie couldn't put a 0nger on the cause of it#
finger on the pulse If you keep your finger on the pulse# you are constantly aware of
the most recent events or developments"
successful in"estor keeps his 0nger on the pulse of
international business#
all fingers and
thumbs
If you areall fingers and thumbs,you are awkward and clumsy and
do things incorrectly"
Would you ind wrapping this for e? .' all 0ngersand thubs!
let slip through
fingers
If you let somethingslip through your fingers# such as a good
opportunity# you fail to obtain it or keep it"
He should ha"e accepted the +ob when it was o6ered#
He let the opportunity slip through his 0ngers#
workfingersto bone - person whoworks their fingers to the boneis e!tremely
hardworking"
He deser"es his success& he worked his 0ngers to thebone when he started the business#
fit to be tied If you are fit to be tied, you are e!tremely irritated# upset or angry"
Harry was 0t to be tied when his dog dug up the3owers he had planted"
five finger discount If somebody gets afive-finger discount# they take something
without paying/ in other words# they steal"
;How could he a6ord that watch?;;Who knows - perhaps with a 0"e-0nger discount?;
fire away If you tell someone tofire away,you encourage them to begin to
-
7/23/2019 Alphabetical List - F
11/21
talk or ask %uestions"
.f you'"e got any uestions, 0re away!
firing line $omeone who is in thefiring lineis in a position to be critici&ed
because of their responsibilities or the position they hold"
he anaging director of the bank is in the 0ring linesince the fraud was disco"ered#
first and foremost This e!pression is used to state what you consider to be more
important than anything ese"
4irst and foreost . want to thank our hosts for theirwonderful reception#
first base 'hen youget to (or reach) first base# you make progress or begin
to have success with someone or something"
.f you go to the inter"iew dressed like that, you won'tget to 0rst base!
fiirst come first
served
This e!pression means that there will be no favouritism or
preferential treatment" eople will be served strictly in the order
they arrive"
ickets for the atch will be sold on a '0rst coe 0rstser"ed' basis#
(at) first hand If you e!perience something yourself directly# without any
intermediary# you e!perience it(at) first hand.etting to see the perforance
-
7/23/2019 Alphabetical List - F
12/21
of the0rst&ater =omething that isof the 0rst water is of the #nest or most
exceptional uality (like being compared to a diamond).
The violinist gave a performance that &as of the #rst &ater.
other0shto fry *f you haveother 0sh to fry% you have more important
things to do.
* don,t think he,ll attend the o?ce party< he,s got other #sh
to fry.
big 0shin a small
pond
This term refers to an important or highly1ranked person in
a small group or organi-ation.
6e could get a job &ith a big company but he enjoys being
a big #sh in a small pond.
plenty of other0sh To say this means that there are many other people just as
good as the person mentioned.The candidate &e selected refused the job 3ever mind 1
there are (plenty of) other #sh in the sea"
#sh out of &ater *f you feellike a 0sh out of water% you feel uncomfortable in
unfamiliar surroundings.
+s a non1golfer% * felt like a #sh out of &ater at the
clubhouse.
#sh in troubled
&aters
*f you0sh in troubled waters% you try to gain advantages
for yourself from a disturbed state of a2airs.et&een the declaration of independence and the #rst
elections% some people &ere accused of #shing in troubled
&aters.
neither 0shnor fo&l This expression is used to describe people or things that
are di?cult to classify% that are neither one thing nor
another.
edical interns are neither #sh nor fo&l. They are neither
students nor fully uali#ed practitioners.
#shing expedition *f someone is on a0shing e1pedition% they are trying to
obtain information in any &ay possible.
The lunch invitation &as clearly a #shing expedition to
obtain information about his private life.
#shing for
compliments
$hen someone is obviously &aiting for you to say
something nice% they are 0shing for coplients#
-
7/23/2019 Alphabetical List - F
13/21
* kno& &hy she invited us to her ne& house 1 she,s just
#shing for compliments.
#t the bill *f someone or something0ts the bill% they are exactly right
for a particular situation.
They &anted a uiet place to stay and the country inn
#tted the bill.
#t as a #ddle + person &ho is as0t as a 0ddleis in an excellent state of
health or physical condition.
y grandfather is nearly ninety but he,s as #t as a #ddle.
#t like a glove *f something0ts like a glo"e% it #ts you perfectly.
* &as lucky" The #rst skirt * tried on #tted me like a glove"
#t of piue =omeone &ho reacts by sho&ing their resentment orannoyance &hen their pride has been &ounded% or they
feel insulted% is said
to have a0t of piue#
=he left the table in a #t of piue.
#t for purpose =omething that is suitable for a particular function and is
fully operational is said to be0t for purpose#
The mayor promised that the ne& leisure centre &ould be
ready on time and #t for purpose.
#t to be tied =omeone &ho is #t to be tied is extremely irritated% upset
or angry.
6arry &as #t to be tied &hen his dog dug up the @o&ers he
had planted.
in #ts and starts *f you do something in #ts and starts% you do it in an
irregular manner% often stopping and starting again.
0ou,ll never make progress in /nglish if you &ork in #ts and
starts.
#ve #nger discount *f somebody gets a #ve1#nger discount% they take
something &ithout paying. *n other &ords% they steal.
6o& could he a2ord that &atch $ho kno&s 1 perhaps &ith
a #ve1#nger discount"
#ve o,clock shado& This expression refers to a patch of stubble on the face of a
man &ho hasn,t shaved for at least a day.
-
7/23/2019 Alphabetical List - F
14/21
6e looked tired and had a #ve o,clock shado&.
#xed in your &ays Aeople &ho are #xed in their &ays do not &ant to change
their normal &ay of doing things.
y grandparents are very #xed in their &ays and dislike
any changes.
@ag of convenience *f a ship% boat or yacht sails under a @ag of convenience% it
is registered in a foreign country in order to avoid
regulations and taxes% and reduce operating costs.
getBtake @ak *f you get or take @ak% you receive severe criticism for
something you have done.
6e got a lot of @ak for the &ay he handled the situation.
@ash in the pan *f you refer to somebody,s success as a @ash in the pan%you mean that it is not likely to be repeated.
The manager hoped that the team,s unexpected victory
&as not just
a @ash in the pan.
@ea in one,s ear +fter an attempt at something% if you are sent a&ay &ith a
@ea in your ear% you are angrily reprimanded or humiliated.
$hen +ndy tried to put the blame on Aete% he &as sent
a&ay &ith a @ea in his ear.
make your @esh cra&l =omething that makes your @esh cra&l #lls you &ith
disgust or makes you feel very nervous.
7ust talking about snakes makes my @esh cra&l"
no @ies on (someone) To say that there are no @ies on someone means that they
are uick to understand and cannot be tricked or deceived
easily.
*t,s better to tell him all the facts. There are no @ies on
him.
@ight of fancy To refer to an idea or plan as a @ight of fancy means that it
is very imaginative but not at all practical or sensible.
6e often has good ideas but his latest proposal is just a
@ight of fancy"
@ing oneself into *f you @ing yourself into an activity% you do it &ith a lot of
energy and enthusiasm.
-
7/23/2019 Alphabetical List - F
15/21
/ver since she @ung herself in the anti1pollution campaign%
she rarely has a free moment"
@og a dead horse To say that someone is @ogging a dead horse means that
they
are &asting time and e2ort trying to do or achieve
something that is not possible.
ark is @ogging a dead horse trying to get his money
reimbursed.
The company has gone bankrupt"
@y1by1night + @y1by1night person% business or venture is considered
untrust&orthy because they operate brie@y and disappear
overnight
* bought it in one of those @y1by1night stores and no& *
can,t exchange it. The place has closed do&n.
Alphabetical List - F
(page C9 : @y by seat of pants fool,s errand)
@y by the seat of your
pants
*f you 3y by the seat of your pants, you do something
&ithout any kno&ledge or experience% using only your
instinct and hoping that you &ill succeed.
$ithout any formal training% he decided to @y by the seat
of his pants and try his luck in 3e& 0ork.
@y in the face of *f an action or statement3ies in the face of something% it is
completely opposite to &hat is usual or expected.
6is style of teaching @ies in the face of the school,s
established methods.
on the @y *f you do somethingon the 3y,you do it uickly% &ithout
thinking much about it% &hile doing something else.
*,m so busy * usually have lunch on the @y.
@y in the ointment +3y in the ointent refers to something that prevents a
situation from being completely satisfactory.
Tony,s poor /nglish &as a @y in the ointment &hen he
applied for the job.
@y o2 the handle + person &ho3ies o6 the handlebecomes suddenly very
-
7/23/2019 Alphabetical List - F
16/21
angry.
Dad @e& o2 the handle &hen * told him * had damaged his
ne& car.
@y on the &all + person &ho &atches a situation &ithout being noticed is
called a 3y on the wall#
*,d like to be a @y on the &all &hen the management
discusses my project.
it &ill never @y To say that something will ne"er 3y means that it &ill not
be successul.
6e,s got incredible ideas% but none that &ill ever @y"
&ith @ying colours To achieve something with 3ying colours means to do it
very successfully.
y daughter passed the entrance exam &ith @yingcolours. *,m so proud of her.
@ying start *f somethinggets o6 to a 3ying start% it is immediately
successful.
=ales of the book got o2 to a @ying start and exceeded our
expectations.
foam at the mouth =omeone &hofoas at the outh is extremely angry
about something.
The director &as foaming at the mouth &hen he sa& apicture of his children in the ne&spaper.
follo& one,s nose *f youfollow your nose% you go straight ahead.
This can also mean to follo& your instinct in life.
The station is at the end of the road 1 just follo& your nose.
follo& in someone,s
footsteps
*f you follow in soeone's footsteps% for example a parent%
you lead a similar life or do the same job.
'ily follo&ed in her her mother,s footsteps and became a
teacher.
follo& suit *f youfollow suit% you do the same as another person has
just done.
The #rst robber held up his hands% then the other t&o
follo&ed suit.
food for thought *f something give youfood for thought% it makes you think
-
7/23/2019 Alphabetical List - F
17/21
seriously about a particular subject.
The documentary on poverty in the &orld really gave me
food for thought.
fool,s errand *f you go on a fool's errand% you try to do something &hich
is useless% unnecessary or has no chance of success.
* reali-ed it &as a fool,s errand to look for a bank in such an
isolated region.
(page 11 : fool's paradise forewarned is forearmed)
fool's paradise If someone is living in a fool's paradise, they are in a state of
contentment that will not last because their happiness is based
on illusion or false hope.
isa is living in a fool's paradise if she thin!s her boss is going tomarry her.
my foot" #his e$pression is used to show that you do not believe something
that has %ust been said.
&e said he had a summer home y foot, I doubt if he owns a tent"
foot in the door #o say that someone has afoot in the doormeans that they have asmall but successful start in something and will possibly do well in
the future.
ith today's unemployment, it is difficult to get a foot in the door inany profession.
foot in the grave * person who is either very old or very ill and close to death has one
foot in the grave.It's no use talking to the owner. The poor man has one foot in thegrave.
foot in one's mouth If you put your foot in your mouth, you do or say something that
offends, upsets or embarrasses someone else.
+he really put her foot in her mouth when she mentioned thehousewarming party *ndy hadn't been invited"
put one'sfootdown #oput one's foot down means to e$ert authority to prevent something
from happening.
#he child wanted to sleep on the sofa, but his father put his foot
down and made him go to bed.
right-wrongfoot #o get off (or start off) on theright/wrong footmeans to start a
relationship well or badly.
I was loo!ing forward to wor!ing with *nna but we seem to have
started off on the wrong foot.
get afoothold If youget a footholdsomewhere, you secure a position for yourself
-
7/23/2019 Alphabetical List - F
18/21
in a business, profession or organisation.
#he contract got the firm a foothold in the local administration.
footloose and fancy free * person who isfootlose and fancy freehas few responsibilities or
commitments of any !ind and feels free to do as they please.ohn will never get married. &e says he prefers to be footloose and
fancy free.
for the birds If you thin! something isfor the birds, you consider it to be
uninteresting, useless or not to be ta!en seriously.*s far as I'm concerned, his theory is for the birds.
for the time being If you tal! about how a situation isfor the time being, you mean that
it is temporary and will probably change in the future.
aura has left /en and is living with her parents for the time being.
force of habit hen something is done out of force of habit, it has becomeautomatic through fre0uent repetition.
hy do I always par! here ut of force of habit I suppose.
force someone's hand If youforce someone's hand,you ma!e them do something
unwillingly or sooner than planned.#he interviewer forced /rad's hand and made him reveal his
relocation plans.
forewarned is forearmed #his e$pression means that if you !now something is going to
happen, you can be prepared for it.#he 2hairman is going to attend the meeting tomorrow. 3our
presentation had better be good. 4orewarned is forearmed"
Alphabetical List - F(page 1 : forty winks freudian slip)
forty winks If you have forty winks# you have a short sleep or rest# generally
during the day"
Dad likes to ha"e forty winks after a gae of golf#
foul one's own nest If you act in a way that harms your own interests# your position or
your reputation# youfoul your own nest"
He fouled his own nest by wrongly accusing his boss#
on all fours If you are on all fours# you are down on your hands and knees"
When . arri"ed, he was on all fours playing with hisgrandchildren#
fraught with danger -n activity or situation that is fraught with danger is full of risks or
-
7/23/2019 Alphabetical List - F
19/21
serious difficulties"
His +ourney across the ountains was fraught withdanger#
free as a bird If someone is asfree as a bird# they are completely free to do as
they please"
5y dad's "ery happy - he's as free as a bird since heretired#
free-for-all This term refers to an uncontrolled situation such as a discussion#
argument or fight where everyone present can do or say whatever
they like"
.t started as a serious debate but turned into a free-for-all#
free hand If you have a free hand# you have permission to make your own
decisions# especially in a ob"
5y bossga"e e a free handin the choice of supplier#
free lunch The e!pression'there's no such thing as a free lunch'means that
nothing is free" If somebody helps you# they always e!pect some
form of payment in return"
.f you accept his o6er, he'll be fore"er asking you forfa"ours# here's no such thing as a free lunch!
free ride $omeone who gets a free ride benefits from a collective activitywithout participating in it"
(nly those who share the work can share the bene0ts- nobody gets a free ride!
of your ownfreewill If you do something of your own free will# you do it voluntarily#
without any pressure from others"
He decided to tell the truth, and he did it of his ownfree will#
freeze someone out If you deliberately isolate someone or prevent them fromparticipating in a social or business activity by treating them unfairly
or harshly# youfreeze them out"
Pablo was treated unfairly# He was fro%en out of thepro+ect by the rest of the tea#
french leave If you leave an official or social event without notifying the person
-
7/23/2019 Alphabetical List - F
20/21
who invited you# youtake rench leave.
.s /ill coing back for the closing speech or has hetaken 4rench lea"e?
fresh as a daisy $omeone who is (as) fresh as a daisyis lively and attractive# in a
clean and fresh way"
. et 5olly the other day# )he looked as fresh as adaisy#
freudian slip - Freudian slip is a mistake made by a speaker which is considered
to reveal their true thoughts or feelings"
)o you got the +ob - .' so sad ### )orry, . ean 'glad'!
Alphabetical List - F
(page 1* : friends in high places fur coat)
friends in high
places
If you know important or influential people in business or government# you
havefriends in high places"
He wouldn't ha"e succeeded without help fro friends inhigh places#
frog in one's
throat
- person who hasa frog in their throat has difficulty in speaking clearly
because they have a cough or a sore throat"
eaching was di7cult today# . had a frog in y throat allorning#
from the word
go
The e!pression 'from the word go2 means from the very beginning of an
activity"
:ight fro the word go he was re+ected by the rest of thegroup#
front runner In a contest# race or election# thefront runneris the person who is most
likely to succeed or win"
Who are the front runners in the coing elections?
out of the
frying pan into
the fire
This e!pression means to go from one difficult situation to another one
which is usually even worse"
he 3ight was delayed because of snow# When the planee"entually took o6, it had to turn back because of engine
trouble - out of the frying pan into the 0re!
-
7/23/2019 Alphabetical List - F
21/21
full of beans - person who is full of beansis lively# active and healthy"
He ay be getting old but he's still full of beans#
full of hot air $omeone who isfull of hot air is full of nonsense and talks a lot without
saying anything worthwhile"
Don't listen to le1 - he's full of hot air!
full of the joys
of spring
If you are full of the !oys of spring,you are happy# enthusiastic and full of
energy"
/arbara is full of the +oys of spring at the oent! Has shegot a new boyfriend?
full of piss and
vinegar
eople who arefull of piss and vinegarare very lively# boisterous or full of
youthful vitality"
. had to look after a group of kids full of piss and "inegar#
in fullswing 'hen something# such as an event# getsinto full swing# it is at
its busiest or liveliest time"
When we got back to the o7ce, the >hristas party was infull swing#
full as a tick If someone is (as)full as a tick,they have eaten or drunk too much"
he little boy ate biscuits and drank leonade until he wasas full as a tick#
funny
business
- business which is conducted in a deceitful# dishonest or unethical
manner is calledfunny business"
.'"e got suspicions about that association# . think they're upto soe funny business#
fur coat and no
knickers
- person who tries to appear distinguished but has no real class is referred
to as 'fur coat and no knickers2"
Don't let her ipress you# )he's what we call 'fur coat andno knickers'!