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144 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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ahead of the game
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You are ahead of the game if you have an advantage over your competitors in any activity in which you try to do better than others, such as in business, academia, sports, etc.
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all hell broke loose
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You can say "all hell broke loose" if a situation suddenly became violent or chaotic
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an acid test
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An acid test is something that shows the true worth or value of something or someone.
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an axe to grind
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If you have an axe to grind, you have a strong opinion about something and you express this opinion whenever you can.
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asking for trouble
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If someone is asking for trouble, they're doing something risky that could lead to a problem.
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at the drop of a hat
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If you do something at the drop of a hat, you do it immediately, without preparation or planning.
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at your wits' end
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If you're at your wits' end, you're upset and frustrated because you've tried everything you can think of to solve a problem, and nothing has worked.
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a ballpark figure
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If you give a ballpark figure or a ballpark estimate, you give a number which you think is fairly close to the actual one.
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back to square one
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If you have to go back to square one, you have to stop and start again, usually because something isn't working as well as expected.
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back to the drawing board
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You can say "back to the drawing board" when a plan or a design has failed, and you decide to begin all over again.
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beyond a shadow of a doubt
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Something is true "beyond a shadow of a doubt" if there is no possibility at all that it isn't true.
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bite your tongue
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If you bite your tongue, or hold your tongue, you force yourself not to say something you really want to to say.
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break the ice
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If you break the ice you say or do something to create a more relaxed atmosphere when meeting people for the first time.
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break your heart
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If someone breaks your heart, they cause you a lot of emotional pain by ending a romantic relationship, or by deeply hurting you in some other way.
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by word of mouth
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If something becomes well-known by word of mouth, it becomes well-known because people are telling each other about it, and not because of advertising or other marketing tools.
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call a spade a spade
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If you call a spade a spade, you tell the truth in a straightforward and direct way, even if the truth is not pleasant.
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call it a day
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If you call it a day, you stop doing something that's usually related to work.
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can of worms
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If you say a situation or an issue is a can of worms, you think that getting involved in it could lead to problems.
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carte blanche
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If you give someone carte blanche, you give them freedom to do whatever they want in a situation.
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chickens come home to roost
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If chickens are coming home to roost, someone is suffering the unpleasant consequences of their bad actions in the past.
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clean as a whistle
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If something is as clean as a whistle, it's extremely clean, or for a person it can mean they have a perfect record and have never done anything illegal.
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come to grips with | get to grips with
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If you come to grips with something, or get to grips with something, you deal with the problems or challenges it poses.
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come to your senses
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If you come to your senses, you see things clearly and begin to act sensibly after a period of confusion and unwise behaviour.
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couldn't care less
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You can say "I couldn't care less" when you don't care about something, or it doesn't matter to you.
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cover your tracks
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If you cover your tracks, you make sure no-one can find evidence of what you've done.
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cross that bridge when we come to it
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You can say "we'll cross that bridge when we come to it" if someone mentions a problem that might occur in the future, but you want them to think about what's happening now instead.
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cut to the chase
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If you tell someone to cut to the chase, you want them to get straight to the main point of what they are saying.
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the cream of the crop
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If something or someone is in the cream of the crop, they are among the best of a class of things or people.
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a done deal
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A done deal is an agreement or a decision that is final.
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dead in the water
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If something is dead in the water, it has no chance of succeeding or of making any progress.
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deep pockets
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You can say a person or an organisation has deep pockets if they have lots of money.
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dig one's own grave
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If you dig your own grave, you do something unwise that will result in your own failure or downfall in the future.
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dig up dirt
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If you dig up dirt on someone, you try to find details from their past to make them look bad in the present.
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dig your heels in
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If you dig your heels in, you stubbornly resist something or refuse to change.
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dirt cheap
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You can say something is dirt cheap if it costs very little money.
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do someone's dirty work
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If you do someone's dirty work for them, you do something unpleasant for them because they don't want to do it for themselves.
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down in the dumps | down in the mouth Informal
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If you're down in the dumps, or down in the mouth, you're feeling sad.
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down to earth
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If someone is down to earth, they are practical and sensible.
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draw a blank
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If you draw a blank, you get no response when you ask for something, or get no results when you search for something.
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dressed (up) to the nines
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If you are dressed to the nines, or dressed up to the nines, you are wearing very smart clothes for a special occasion.
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drink like a fish
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If someone drinks like a fish, they drink a lot of alcohol.
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drop a bombshell
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If you drop a bombshell, you announce some shocking news.
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the die is cast
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We can say the die is cast after a decision has been made that will strongly affect a situation, and it can't be reversed.
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easier said than done
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You say something is easier said than done when it looks easy to do, but in fact it's quite difficult to do.
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eat your words
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If you eat your words, you admit that something you said was wrong.
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err on the side of caution
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If you err on the side of caution, you are overly careful in your approach to something.
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every trick in the book
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If someone uses every trick in the book to achieve something, they use any method available, even if it involves some deception.
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expand | broaden | widen your horizons
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If you expand your horizons, you broaden your outlook on life and its possibilities.
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a fair-weather friend
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A fair-weather friend is a person who will only be your friend when things are going well for you.
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a flash in the pan
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You can say something or someone is a flash in the pan if they're popular or effective for a short time only.
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face the music
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If someone has to face the music, they have to accept the consequences of doing something wrong.
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fair and square
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If something was done fair and square, it was done in an honest and straightforward way, without cheating.
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fall from grace
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If you fall from grace, you do something that results in a loss of respect and support, especially among those who influence your life or career.
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feel the pinch
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If you are feeling the pinch, you're finding it harder to survive on your income.
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few and far between
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You can say things are few and far between when there aren't many of them around.
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fight a losing battle
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If you fight a losing battle, you try to do something even though it can't be done.
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fill somebody's shoes
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If you can fill somebody's shoes, you can replace them and do what they do.
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for the time being
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If something will be the way it is "for the time being", it will be that way for a limited period of time only.
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friends in high places
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If you have friends in high places, you know people in powerful positions in business or government.
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from every walk of life | from all walks of life
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If you meet people from every walk of life, or from all walks of life, you meet different types of people from different levels of society.
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full of yourself
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If you are full of yourself you think you're better or more important than you really are.
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from now on
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If you do something "from now on", you do it from now until some unknown time in the future.
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a gut feeling
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If you have a gut feeling, you sense something about a person or a situation, without knowing why, but you're sure what you sense is true.
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get a look in
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If you get a look in, you get a fair chance to do something.
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get away from it all
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If you get away from it all, you go somewhere to escape from your usual daily routine.
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get it off your chest
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If you get it off your chest, you tell somebody about something that's been bothering you and you've been thinking about a lot.
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get off on the wrong foot
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If you get off on the wrong foot, you start something poorly, or begin with a mistake.
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get to the bottom of
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If you get to the bottom of something, you find out its real cause or the true story behind it.
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get your act together
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If you get your act together, you greatly improve your attitude and peformance in relation to something such as your work, or to life in general.
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give it a shot
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If you give something a shot, or give it a whirl, you try doing something for the first time, usually for fun.
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give someone a hard time
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If you give someone a hard time, you bother them or make trouble for them.
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give the green light
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If you give something the green light, you give permission for it to be done, or allow it to happen.
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go overboard
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If you go overboard, you do something too much or you do it with excessive enthusiasm.
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go with the flow
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If you go with the flow, you relax and go along with whatever is happening.
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going great guns
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If you're going great guns, you're going really well in whatever you're doing.
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(your) heart goes out to (someone)
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If your heart goes out to someone, you feel great sympathy for them.
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(your) hands are tied
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You can say your hands are tied if you're prevented from doing something that you'd normally have the power or the authority to do.
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a head start
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If you have a head start, you start something ahead of others or with an advantage over others.
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a hidden agenda
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If someone has a hidden agenda, they have a secret plan or motive for doing something.
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hang in there | hang on in there
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You can tell someone to hang in there, or hang on in there, if they're in a difficult situation and you want to encourage them, or tell them not to give up.
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hard to come by
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If something is hard to come by, it is difficult to find.
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hard to swallow
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Something that someone has said is hard to swallow if it's difficult to believe.
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have second thoughts
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If you're having second thoughts about something, you're having doubts about a decision you've made.
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have your hands full
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If you have your hands full, you're busy.
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have your work cut out (for you)
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If you have your work cut out for you, you have a difficult task to do or a challenging situation to face.
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heads will roll
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You can say "heads will roll" if people are going to lose their jobs after making a mistake.
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hit the hay | hit the sack
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If you hit the hay, or hit the sack, you go to bed.
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hit the nail on the head
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If you hit the nail on the head, you describe the exact nature of something such as a problem, a solution, or a situation.
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hit the roof
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You can say someone hits the roof if they lose their temper and show their anger.
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hold your head high | hold your head up high
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hold your head high | hold your head up high
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hold your own
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If you hold your own, you are as successful as other people in a situation, or as good as others at an activity.
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hot under the collar
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If you are hot under the collar, you feel angry or annoyed about something.
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an ivory tower
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You can say someone's in an ivory tower if they're in a place that separates them from everyday life, such as a university.
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I owe you one
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You can say "I owe you one!" when someone has done something for you and you'd be happy to return the favour one day.
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if all else fails
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You can say "if all else fails" before saying what you'll do if your plans don't work out as well as you'd like.
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if I were you
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You can say "if I were you" when giving advice to someone.
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if push comes to shove
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You can say "if push comes to shove" before saying what you'll do if things don't go as well as you'd like, and you're forced to do something that you'd rather not do.
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worst comes to worst
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You can say "if worst comes to worst" before saying what you'll do if your plans don't work out.
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in a bind | fix | jam
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If someone is in a bind, or in a jam, or in a fix, they're in a bad or difficult situation.
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in a nutshell
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You can say "in a nutshell" if you're about to describe something as briefly as possible, or you're going to sum something up.
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in deep water
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If you're in deep water, you're in some sort of trouble or in a difficult situation.
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in someone's bad books
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If you're in someone's bad books, they are not pleased with you.
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in the black
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If a person or a company is in the black, their assets are greater than their debts.
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in the dark
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If you're in the dark about something, you don't know about it.
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in the long run
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If you're in the dark about something, you don't know about it.
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in the red
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If a person or a company is in the red, their debts are greater than their assets.
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it's high time
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If you say it's high time something was done, you think it should have been done already, and is overdue.
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It's written all over your face.
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If you say "it's written all over your face", you're saying that the expression on someone's face is showing their true feelings or thoughts.
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a jack of all trades
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If you're a jack of all trades, you have many skills and can do many different jobs.
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jockey for position
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If you jockey for position, you try to get yourself in a good position in relation to others who're competing for the same opportunity or the same goal.
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jog your memory
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If something jogs your memory, it helps you to remember something.
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Join the club!
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You can "Join the club!" to someone who has just experienced something unpleasant that you've also experienced, or to someone who's in an unfortunate position that's similar to your own.
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join the ranks of
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If someone joins the ranks of a group or class of people, they become part of that group.
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jump the gun
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If you jump the gun, you start doing something too soon.
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jump to conclusions
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If you jump to conclusions, you decide something is true, or make a judgement about something, before having enough information to be sure you're right.
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just in case
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You can say "just in case" when describing a possible future problem and a precaution that has been, or should be, taken against it.
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just in time | just in the nick of time
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If you do something just in time, or just in the nick of time, you do it just before time runs out.
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just shy of
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You can say something is just shy of an amount if it's just short of that amount.
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the jury is still out
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We can say the jury is still out when a decision still hasn't been made about something.
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a kick in the teeth
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If you get a kick in the teeth, something bad happens to you or you feel that you've been treated poorly.
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a knuckle sandwich
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If you give someone a knuckle sandwich, you punch them.
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keep a low profile
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If you keep a low profile, you try not to do anything that will draw attention to you or create interest in you.
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keep an eye on
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If you keep an eye on someone, you make sure you know what they're doing.
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keep it under your hat
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someone tells you a secret and you keep it under your hat, you don't tell anyone.
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keep something at bay
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If you keep something at bay, you stop something that could be a problem for you from getting too close or from getting worse.
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keep something in mind
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If you keep something in mind, you remember some information or advice and consider it at some time in the future.
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keep track of
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If you keep track of something or someone, you continue to know what's happening with them.
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keep your nose clean
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If you keep your nose clean, you stay out of trouble by making sure you don't do anything wrong.
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keep your word
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If you keep your word, you do what you promised to do.
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kick the bucket
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If someone kicks the bucket, they die.
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a knuckle sandwich
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If you give someone a knuckle sandwich, you punch them.
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keep a low profile
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If you keep a low profile, you try not to do anything that will draw attention to you or create interest in you.
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keep an eye on
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If you keep an eye on someone, you make sure you know what they're doing.
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keep it under your hat
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someone tells you a secret and you keep it under your hat, you don't tell anyone.
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keep something at bay
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If you keep something at bay, you stop something that could be a problem for you from getting too close or from getting worse.
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keep something in mind
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If you keep something in mind, you remember some information or advice and consider it at some time in the future.
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keep track of
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If you keep track of something or someone, you continue to know what's happening with them.
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keep your nose clean
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If you keep your nose clean, you stay out of trouble by making sure you don't do anything wrong.
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keep your word
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If you keep your word, you do what you promised to do.
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kick the bucket
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If someone kicks the bucket, they die.
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kick the habit
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If you kick the habit, you manage to stop doing something that has become a bad habit.
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kill time
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You kill time when you do something to amuse yourself while waiting for something.
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kiss and make up
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If you kiss and make up with someone, you get over a disagreement and become friendly again.
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Knock it off!
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You can say "Knock it off!" when someone is doing something wrong, or something that's annoying you, and you want them to stop it.
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