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