Idioms

Front 1

to eat humble pie

Back 1

to admit your error and apologize

Ex. After his candidate had lost the election, the boastful campaign manager had to eat humble pie

Front 2

A pig in a poke

Back 2

an item you purchase without having seen; a disappointment

Ex. The mail order bicycle that my nephew bought turned out to be a pig in a poke, and he is now trying to get his money back

Front 3

a flash in the pan

Back 3

promising at the start but then disappointing

The rookie hit many home runs in spring training but once the season began he proved to be a flash in the pan

Front 4

to pour oil on troubled waters

Back 4

to make peace, to calm someone down

Ex. When I tried to pour oil on troubled waters, both the angry husband and his wife stopped their quarrel and began to attack me.

Front 5

the sword of Damocles

Back 5

/ˈdæm.ə.kliːz/

any imminent danger
(a king seated one of his subjects underneath a sword that was hanging by a hair, in order to teach him the dangers a king faces)

Ex. Although the president of the company seemed quite secure, he always complained that there was a sword of Damocles hanging over his head.

Front 6

Pyrrhic victory

Back 6

/ˌpɪr.ɪkˈvɪk.tər.i/ n

a too costly victory
(King Pyrrhus defeated the Romans but his losses were extremely heavy)

Ex. In heavy fighting the troops managed to recapture the hill, but it could only be considered a Pyrrhic victory

Front 7

a wet blank

Back 7

one who spoils the fun

Ex. Everyone wanted the party to go one, but Ronnie, the wet blank, decided to go home to bed

Front 8

to beard the lion (in his den)

Back 8

to visit and oppose a person on his own grounds

Ex. Having decided to beard the lion, I stormed into the manager's office to ask for a raise.

Front 9

crocodile tears

Back 9

/ˈkrɑk·əˌdɑɪl/ n [C]

insincere tears
(crocodiles were said to cry while eating their prey)

Ex. When the football player broke his leg, his substitute wept crocodile tears

Front 10

to carry the day

Back 10

to win the approval of the majority

The secretary's motion that we adjourn for lunch carried the day, and we headed for the restaurant

Front 11

Skid Row

Back 11

/ˈskɪd ˈroʊ/ n [C usually sing] infml

a street or part of a town that is poor and dirty, where many people who have no jobs or homes spend time

The presence of so many bars has turned our neighborhood into another Skid Row

Front 12

on the skids

Back 12

failing

Both of the government programs were on the skids.

Front 13

to go up in smoke

Back 13

to come to no practical result
(kindling smokes but will light a fire)

The mayor's plans to get the gubernatorial nomination went up in smoke when he couldn't end the costly strike.

Front 14

the throw down the gauntlet

Back 14

/'ɡɔ:ntlət, 'ɡɔ:ntlɪt $ ɡɒ:nt- /

to challenge someone
(when the gauntlet, or medieval glove, was thrown down, the challenger was required to pick it up)

Ex. The principle of our rival school threw down the gauntlet, and we had no choice but to accept the challenge.

Front 15

feeling no pain

Back 15

drunk

Ex. Although the party had just began, after his first drink he was feeling no pain.

Front 16

Hobson's choice

Back 16

Hob‧son’s choice /ˌhɒbsənz 'tʃɔɪs $ ˌhɑ:b-/ n [U]

To have no choice at all
(Mr. Hobson owned a livery stable but he did not allow the customers to pick their own horses)

Ex*. Despite all the talk about democracy in my family, my father usually gives the rest of us Hobson's choice.

Front 17

To rule the roost

Back 17

to be in charge, to be master
(roost /ru:st/: a place where birds rest and sleep

Ex*. Although he is a lowly private in the army, at home he rules the roost.

Front 18

private

Back 18

private 2 noun

2 [C] a soldier of the lowest rank

Front 19

stock in trade

Back 19

the goods, tools, and other requisites of a profession

Ex. A quick wit and a warm smile were the salesman's stock in trade.

Front 20

To take down a peg

Back 20

to show someone that they are not as important as they thought they were
(ship's colors used to be raised or lowered by pegs-the higher the colors, the greater the honor)

Ex*. The alumni thought they had a great basketball team, but our varsity took them down a peg

Front 21

to pass the buck

Back 21

to evade responsibility

(the "buck" may have been a piece of buckshot passed from one poker player to another to keep track of whose turn it was to deal)

Ex*. He always gives me a straight answer and never tries to pass the buck.

Front 22

To lionize a person

Back 22

/'laɪənaɪz/

to make a big fuss over someone

(the lions at the Tower of London were considered its main attraction)

Ex*. When the famous poet Dylan Thomas visited the United States, he was lionized wherever he lectured.

Front 23

I'm from Missouri

Back 23

/mə'sʊəri, mɪ'sʊəri, -'zʊəri/

a skeptic, one who is not easily convinced

You might swallow his promises, but I'm from Missouri.

Front 24

red-letter day

Back 24

day of happiness, time for rejoicing (holidays are red-letter days on our calendars)

My red-letter day came when I was chosen as senior class president.

Front 25

to let sleeping dogs lie

Back 25

to let well enough alone, to avoid stirring up old hostilities

Ex. The lawyer wanted to open up the old case, but his partner advised him to let sleeping dogs lie.

Front 26

stir up

Back 26

/stɜ: $ stɜr/ stir

stir somebody/something ↔ up
1. to deliberately try to cause arguments or bad feelings between people:

Ex. John was always stirring up trouble in class.

Ex. Dave’s just trying to stir things up because he’s jealous.

2. to make small pieces of something move around in the air or in water:

Ex. The wind had stirred up a powdery red dust.

Front 27

thumb's down

Back 27

signal of rejection (Roman emperors could condemn a gladiator who fought poorly by turning their thumbs down)

Ex. My father turned thumbs down on our plan to hitchhike to Florida during Easter

Front 28

cause célèbre

Back 28

/,kəʊz se'lebrə, ,kɔ:z- $ ,kɒ:z-, ,koʊz-/ n (plural causes célèbres (same pronunciation)) [C]


an event or legal case that a lot of people become interested in, because it is an exciting subject to discuss or argue about :

Ex. It was a minor dispute, but the ambitious lawyer sought to turn it into a cause celebre.

Ex. The case became a cause célèbre among feminists.

Front 29

one swallow does not make a summer

Back 29

don't jump to conclusions based on incomplete evidence

Ex. "Sure the Yankees won their opening game, but one swallow does not make a summer."

Front 30

swallow

Back 30

/'swɒləʊ $ 'swɑ:loʊ/ noun [C]

1 a small black and white bird that comes to northern countries in the summer

2 an action in which you make food or drink go down your throat :

Ex. He downed his whisky in one swallow.