My Idioms & Phrases

Front 1

1) A contest in which two teams pull at opposite ends of a rope until one drags the other over a central line.
2) A situation in which two evenly matched people or factions are striving to keep or obtain the same thing.

Back 1

tug of war

Front 2

To manage to survive a difficult experience.

Back 2

keep one's head above water

Front 3

To contact someone.

Back 3

drop... a line

Front 4

[of a thought or idea] about to be said or almost remembered. (*Typically: be ~; have something ~.)

Back 4

on the tip of one's tongue

Front 5

Risk everything in one big effort.

Back 5

go for broke

Front 6

To double one's wager; to double or significantly increase a risk, investment, or other commitment.

Back 6

double down

Front 7

Finish up; finally be or do something; end up.

Back 7

wind up

Front 8

To diminish gradually in energy, intensity, or scope.

Back 8

wind down

Front 9

The highest level of general development, as of a device, technique, or scientific field achieved at a particular time.

Back 9

state of the art

Front 10

Immediately; without any delay.

Back 10

right off the bat

Front 11

(Done) while something or someone is operating or moving.

Back 11

on the fly

Front 12

Steer a vehicle to the side of the road.

Back 12

pull over

Front 13

If a writer could infuse a "human interest and a semblance of truth" into a fantastic tale, the reader would suspend judgment concerning the implausibility of the narrative.

Back 13

suspension of disbelief

Front 14

Where a character tells the whole story or explains the action, like what some older crime dramas have the crime buster do at the end of the story. They sum up how the bad guy was caught.

Back 14

forced exposition

Front 15

A risky/unreliable assumption.

Back 15

dodgy premise

Front 16

To remember to consider someone or something.

Back 16

take... into account

Front 17

(For a problem or dilemma) to come from an unexpected place.

Back 17

come out of left field

Front 18

Being under the influence of a substance that is extremely altering your mental and/or spiritual state.

Back 18

tripping balls

Front 19

To make someone laugh very hard; to make someone break out laughing.

Back 19

crack... up

Front 20

A few days ago.

Back 20

the other day

Front 21

Not intended seriously; jocular or humorous.
"Take what I am saying with a grain of salt."

Back 21

tongue in cheek

Front 22

An introduction to a statement that will be brief, usually because it is already known or obvious.

Back 22

suffice it to say

Hint 22

只要說…就夠了；一句話；總而言之

Front 23

The best or most desirable among some selection.

Back 23

the cream of the crop

Front 24

Used to introduce the underlying implementation of a product (hardware, software, or idea). Implies that the implementation is not intuitively obvious from the appearance, but the speaker is about to enable the listener to grok it.

Back 24

under the hood

Front 25

When one becomes rich and successful.

Back 25

when one's ship comes in

Front 26

To tease someone; to encourage someone's romantic or sexual interest without sincerity.

Back 26

lead... on

Front 27

Unpleasant feelings or animosity between people.

Back 27

bad blood between...

Front 28

Suffice or be adequate for a while or to a certain extent.
If you say that someone will __, you mean that they will be successful.

Back 28

go a long way

Front 29

In water that is deeper than one is tall.
Too deeply involved with someone or something, beyond what one can deal with.

Back 29

in over one's head

Front 30

Beyond one's comprehension.

Back 30

over one's head

Front 31

That which is conspicuously different in most important respects.

Back 31

polar opposite

Front 32

To move beyond the limit of what has usually been done or was the accepted standard.

Back 32

push the envelope

Front 33

To decide firmly an arbitrary boundary between two things. To decide firmly the limit of what one will tolerate or participate in.

Back 33

draw the line

Front 34

To have a special fear or dislike of someone or something. To have a craving for someone or something.

Back 34

have a thing about...

Front 35

To allow someone to do something that is not usually allowed, or to treat someone less severely than is usual.

Back 35

cut... some slack

Hint 35

放某人一馬

Front 36

To understand in a general way what someone is telling you.

Back 36

catch one's drift

Hint 36

"懂"某人的意思

Front 37

An early start on something, [before someone else starts]. (Typically: get _; have _; give someone _.)

Back 37

a head start on...

Front 38

Unfair play in a game or sport. Unlawful or dishonest behavior, in particular violent crime resulting in another's death.

Back 38

a foul play

Hint 38

不公平的比賽；謀殺

Front 39

To work very hard, to put in a lot of effort.

Back 39

bust one's ass

Front 40

Used to say that you do not think that something is very difficult to do or to understand.

Back 40

not rocket science

Front 41

To chat casually; to gossip.

Back 41

shoot the sh_t

Front 42

To discover the exact reason why a situation is the way it is, especially when something is wrong (often negative).

Back 42

put one's finger on...

Hint 42

明確指出...之所以錯誤／不好的原因

Front 43

To wear trousers with no underpants.

Back 43

go commando

Front 44

To be serious about achieving something, even if other people disagree with you.

Back 44

mean business

Hint 44

玩真的

Front 45

A completely different situation, often one which is difficult or which you know very little about.

Back 45

a totally different ball game

Front 46

A situation where something very unpleasant or dangerous nearly happened.

Back 46

a close call

Hint 46

千鈞一髮

Front 47

Starting with nothing.

Back 47

from the ground up

Front 48

A person who is interesting or amusing. A difficult person. A person who has one or more extreme (and usually negative) characteristics.

Back 48

a real piece of work

Front 49

Removed from the surrounding context of theevent, thereby misrepresenting the intent of the utterance or report.

Back 49

taken out of context

Hint 49

斷章取義

Front 50

In one direction and then the other repeatedly; from one place to another repeatedly.

Back 50

back and forth

Hint 50

反覆地；來來回回地

Front 51

Formed, arranged, or done for a particular purpose only.

Back 51

ad hoc

Hint 51

/ˈad ˈhäk/

特設的；即設的；非常設的

Front 52

To reveal something about something; to clarify something.

To help people understand a situation.

Back 52

shed a light on...

Hint 52

釐清

Front 53

Not one's choice or preference.

Back 53

not one's cup of tea

Hint 53

不是某人的菜

Front 54

It's really strange. I do not understand this. Just try to figure it out.

Back 54

go figure

Hint 54

真搞不懂

Front 55

It is a signal to say something which will contrast or disagree with what was said a moment ago.

Back 55

having said that

Hint 55

雖然如此；就算這麼說

= that being said

Front 56

A general term for deaths, injuries, or other damage inflicted on an unintended target.

Back 56

collateral damage

Hint 56

間接傷害連帶傷害

Front 57

People who are ​considered ​old enough, and ​therefore​responsible enough, to ​decide if they ​want ​sex and who they ​want to have ​sex with.

Back 57

consenting adults

Hint 57

能決定自己性行爲的已達法定性成熟年齡的成年人