Unit 1 - idioms

38 flashcards · English · by Hanne Leysen

1. to be in the pipeline

   to be planned to do in the future

2. to be on a roll

   to have a long series of successes

3. to chow down

   to eat food

4. down time

   time to relax free time

5. to drone on

   to continue to speak even though everyone is bored

6. to get/have/be left with/end up with egg on your face

   to be humiliated, embarassed

7. to hype something up

   to make something seem better than it is

8. to know the score

   to understand the situation

9. lion's share

   the majority of something/ quick catchup

10. mental midget

    stupid

11. to pass the buck

    to try to give the responisiblity to someone else

12. to play with a full deck

    to have full mental capabilities

13. to put the kibosh on something

    to stop something from happening

14. to run amok

    to go crazy, to be out of control

15. to talk someone's ear off

    to talk for a very long time to someone (usually negative)

16. a tongue loosener

    a drink to make/ help someone speak about things

17. to work one's butt off

    to work very heard

18. when push comes to shove

    when things get a little pressed when the situation gets more active or intense

19. a 'dear jane/ dear john letter'

    a letter (or e-mail) written to spouse or girlfriend/boyfriend to inform them that it's over

20. a tomboy/butch woman

    a girl who acts like a guy

21. agony aunt/uncle

    an advice columnist

22. as happy as Larry

    extremely delighted

23. black maria

    the vehicle that transports prisoners

24. bloody mary

    a cocktail containing vodka, tomato juice, and usually other spices or flavourings such as Worcestershier sauce, peri-peri sauce,...

25. Bob's your uncle

    used to say how easy and quick something is

26. debbie downer

    a wet blanket a party pooper a spoilsport a killjoy

27. every Tom, Dick and Harry

    anyone, anybody

28. John/Jane Doe

    an unkownk or unidentified person

29. John bull

    the personification of the UK and England in particular

30. Jolly Roger

    the pirate symbol

31. Moaning Minnie

    a crybaby

32. negative nancy

    someone who commonly looks at the bad side of things

33. peeping tom

    a person who likes spying on others

34. plain jane

    an ugly duckling

35. the john

    the toilet

36. to keep up with the joneses

    to make it point to achieve your neighbour's lifestile

37. to rob Peter to pay Paul

    to give a temporary/ stopgap solution

38. Uncle Tom

    derogatory term for black person who shows a servile attitude