A
Above all = most importantly
About to = almost ready to
A breeze = something very simple and easy to do
Add up = make sense; be logical
All at once = suddenly; without warning
All of sudden = all at once; suddenly
An arm and a leg = very expensive; costly
As a matter of fact = in reality; actually
As a rule = generally; customarily
At the drop of a hat = quickly; without any preparation time
At ease = not nervous; calm
B
Back out (of) = withdraw an offer
Bank on = depend on; count on
Be my guest = do what you want; feel free; help yourself
Be rusty = need practice or review
Beast me = I don’t know; I have no idea (often used in response to a question)
Best of both worlds = all the advantages
Better off = in an improved condition
Bite off more than one can chew = take on more responsibility than one can handle
Bound to = certain to; sure to
Break down = stop functioning (for example: a machine)
Break in (on) = interrupt
Break the ice = break through social barriers (as at a party)
Break the news (to) = inform; give bad news
Break up = end (for example: a meeting)
Break up (with) = stop being a couple (for example: a boyfriend and girlfriend)
Bring about = cause to happen
Bring up = raise (for example: a child); introduce (for example: a topic)
Brush up on = review; study; practice
Bump into = meet unexpectedly; run into
By and large =mostly; generally; on the whole
By heart = by memory; learn word for word
By no means = in no way; not at all
C
Call it a day = stop working for the day; go home
Call of = cancel
Call on = visit
Calm down = relax
Care for = take care of; like feel affection for
Catch on = become popular
Catch on (to) = understand; learn
Catch up (with) = go as fast as; catch
Check in (or into) = register (at a hotel)
Check out (of) = leave (a hotel); take material (example= from a library)
Cheer up = become cheerful; be happy
Chip in (on/for) = contribute
Clear up = clarify: make understandable; become nice and sunny( use to talk about the weather)
Come across = find; meet; encounter
Come around (to) = begin to change someone’s opinion; begin to agree with
Come down with= become sick with (an illness)
Come up with = think of (an idea)
Cost an arm and a leg = be very expensive
Count on = depend on; rely on; bank on
Count out = eliminate; no longer consider as a factor
Cut off = stop; discontinue (example: a service)
Cut out for = have an aptitude for; be qualified for
D
Day in and day out = constantly; for a long time
Die down = become less severe: quite down
Do over =do again: repeat
Do without = not have
Down the drain = wasted: done for no reason (example: work)
Dream up = invent; think of; come up with
Drop in (on) = visit informally
Drop (someone) a line = send someone a letter
Drop off = leave something (ex: a package), take (someone)home
Drop out (of) = stop attending (ex: classes)
E
Easy as pie = very simple; a piece of cake
Eyes bigger than one’s stomach = said of someone who takes more food than he or she can eat
F
Fall behind= not move as quickly as; lag behind
Fall through = fail no happen
A far cry from = not similar to; not as good as
Feel free= do something if one wants
Feel like= be inclined to; want to
Feel like a million dollars = feel very good
Feel up to = feel able to do something; ready to
Fed up (with) = not able to tolerate; disgusted with; annoyed by
Few and far between = uncommon; infrequent
Figure out = understand; solve
Fill in = write in a blank
Fill in (for) = substitute (for)
Fill one in = provide missing information
Fill out = complete
Find out = learn; discover
A fish out of water = someone not in his/her normal surroundings
Fix up = repair; renovate
Follow in one’s footsteps = do what someone else did (especially an older relative)
For good = permanently; forever
For the time being = temporarily; for now
From out of the blue = unexpectedly; without warning
G
Get along with = have good relation with
Get carried away = go too far; do too much; buy too much
Get in one’s blood = become a habit; become customary
Get in over one’s head = take on too much responsibility; bite off more than one can chew
Get in the way = block; obstruct
Get in touch with = contact
Get the hang of something = learn how to do something
Get a kick out of (doing something) = enjoy; have fun doing something
Get off = leave (a vehicle)
Get off the ground = start to be successful
Get on = board (a vehicle)
Get over = recover from (a disease)
Get rid of = discard; no longer have
Get under way = begin; start
Give away= distribute (for free)
Give (someone) a cold shoulder = act unfriendly toward someone; ignore
Give a hand = applaud; clap
Give a hand with = assist
Go easy on= not punish severely
Go on (with) = continue
Go with = accompany; look good together; complement
Go without saying = be clear; be obvious
Grow up = to mature; to become an adult
H
Hand in = give back to; return
Hand out = distribute
Hang on = wait
Hard to come by= difficult to find
Have on= wear
Have one’s hands full= be very busy; have a challenging job
Have a heart = be compassionate; show mercy
Have a hunch = have an intuitive feeling
Have a word with (someone) = talk to someone briefly
Have the time of one’s life = have fun; have a great time
Hear firsthand (from) = get information directly from someone
Hear from = be contacted by; be in touch with
Hear of = know about; be familiar with
Hit it off = become friendly (especially at the first meeting)
Hit the road = leave; go away
Hold on = wait
Hold on (to) = grasp
Hold still = not move
Hold up = delay
I
In hot water = in trouble
In the dark = not knowing; confused
In the long run = over a long period of time
In no time = very soon; very quickly
In a nutshell= in summery; in brief
In the same boat = in the same situation; having the same problem
In person = face to face (not by telephone, letter, etc)
In store = in the future; coming up
Iron out = solve (a problem)
J
Join the club = have the same problem
Jump to conclusions = from opinions without sufficient evidence
K
Keep an eye on = watch; take care of; look after
Keep an eye out (for) = look for
Keep on (with) = continue
Keep track of = know where something or someone is
Keep up (with) = maintain the same speed as
Kill time = spend time doing unimportant things
Know like the back of one’s hand = be very familiar with
L
Lay off = put out of work
Learn the ropes = become familiar with; get use to; get the hang of
Leave out = not include; omit
Leave someone/ something alone = don’t disturb
Let someone down = disappoint
Let up = decline in intensity (ex: rain)
Look after = take care of; mind
Look for = try to locate
Look forward to = anticipate (with pleasure)
Look into = investigate
Look like = resemble
Look out (for) = be careful
Look over = examine; read
Look up = find information (in a reference book), try to locate someone
Look up to = respect; admire
M
Make ends meet = balance a budget
Make a fool of oneself = act embarrassingly
Make sense (of) = be logical and clear; understand
Make up = invent; create
Make up one’s mind = decide
Make way for = allow space for; provide a path for
Mean to = intend to
Mixed up = confused
Music to one’s ears = something that sounds pleasant
N
A nervous wreck = someone who is very nervous
Next to nothing = very little; cheap
No doubt about it = certainly; definitely
No harm done = there was no damage done
Not at all = not in any way; not to any degree
Not believe one’s ears (or eyes) = be unable to believe what one hears (or sees)
Not think much of = not like; not have a good opinion of
O
Odds and ends = small, miscellaneous items
An old hand (at) = an experienced person
On edge = nervous
On end = consecutively; without a break
On hand = easily available
On needles and pins = nervous; anxious
On one’s own = independent
On second thought = after considering
On the go = always busy; always moving
On the tip of one’s tongue = almost able to remember
On the whole = in general
Out of (something) = not having something
Out of one’s mind = insane; illogical; irrational
Out of order = broken; not functioning properly
Out of the question = definitely not; impossible
Over and over = again and again; repeatedly
Over one’s head = not understandable; obscure
P
Part with = no longer have; get rid of; not be in the company of
Pass up = not accept; not choose
Pass with flying colors = do very well (on a test)
Pat oneself on the back = congratulate oneself
Pay attention (to) = concentrate on; focus on
Pick out = choose; select
Pick up = (1) take something from a surface, (2) go to a location and get someone or something, (3) learn
Pick up the tab (for) = pay for
The picture of = a perfect example of something
Play it by ear = do something without a definite plan
Play it safe = choose a cautious plan
Point out = indicate
A pretty penny = a lot of money
Pull one’s leg = joke with someone; make up a story
Push one’s luck = to continue doing something too long; to keep taking changes
Put aside = save for later; set aside
Put away = return something to its proper place
Put off = delay; postpone
Put on = begin to wear
Put together = assemble
Put up with = tolerate
R
Right away = immediately
Ring a bell (with) = sound familiar to
Rough it = experience somewhat difficult or primitive conditions
Rule out = say something is impossible; eliminate
Run a temperature= have a fever
Run for office = try to get elected
Run into = (1) meet unexpectedly (2) collide with
Run late = be late; be in a hurry
Run of the mil = ordinary
Run out of = exhaust the supply of
S
Save one’s breath = don’t bother asking someone
Search me = I don’t know; I have no idea; beats me
See eye to eye (with someone) (on something) = have the same opinion; be in agreement
See (someone) off = accompany
See to = take care of; check on; fix
Serve one right = receive the proper punishment; get the penalty one deserves
Short for = a nickname for
Show around = orient; give a tour
Show off = try to attract attention by unusual behavior
Show up = arrive
Shut down = close
Sign up (for) = enroll
Sign another tune = change one’s opinion; feel differently
Size up = measure; estimate
Sleep on it = postpone a decision until the next day
Slowly but surely = gradually; steadily but not quickly
Showed under = very busy
So far, so good = up until now; there are no problems
Sooner or later = at some indefinite future time
Speak one’s mind = say what one is thinking
Speak up = speak more loudly
Speak up for = support verbally
Spell out (for) = make something very clear; explain in detail
Spick and span = extremely clean; spotless
Stack up against = compare with
Stamp out = eliminate; wipe out
Stand for = (1) tolerate; put up with (2) symbolize; represent
Stand out = be noticeable
Stay out = not come home
Stay out (or up) to all hours = come home (or go to bed) very late
Stay up = not go to bed
Stick with = not change; stay with
Stock up on = get a large supply of something
A stone’s throw from = not far away from; close to
Stop by = visit informally; go to see
Straighten up = clean up; make tidy
Stuck with = have something one cannot get rid of
T
Take a break = stop working for a short time
Take a lot of nerve = require a lot of courage
Take a lot out of (someone) = be hard on someone; drain energy from someone
Take advantage of = utilize; make use of exploit
Take after = resemble; look like
Take apart = disassemble
Take it easy = relax; calm down
Take off = (1) remove (e.g.: clothing) (2) ascend (e.g.: plane) (3) become popular quickly
Take over = assume control or responsibility
Take part in = participate in
Take a shortcut = take a more direct or faster route than usual
Take the plunge = finally take action; do something different
Take time off (from) = take a vacation; break from work or school
Take up = begin to study some topic or engage in some activity
Take down to = speak to someone as if he or she were a child; patronize
Talk into = persuade; convince
Talk out of = dissuade; convince not to do something
Talk over = discuss
Tear oneself away from something = stop doing something interesting
Tear up = rip into small pieces
Tell apart = distinguish
Things are looking up = the situation is improving
Think over = consider
Throw away = discard; get rid of
Throw cold water on = discourage; force to cancel (e.g.: plan)
Throw the book at someone = give someone the maximum punishment
Try on = test clothing before buying (for size, style, and so on)
Try out = test a product before buying
Try out (for) = audition for; attempt to join
Turn around = face in a different direction
Turn down = (1) reject an offer (2) decrease in intensity
Turn in = (1) return; give back; hand in (2) go to bed
Turn into = change to; transform into
Turn off = stop the operation (e.g.: an appliance); shut off
Turn on = start the operation (e.g.: an appliance)
Turn out = (1) result; end up; be the final product (2) produce (3) arrive; gather
Turn up = (1) increase in intensity (2) arrive
U
Under the water = slightly ill
Use up = use completely
W
Wait on = serve
Walk on air = be very happy
Warm up = (1) heat (2) practice; prepare for
Warm up (to) = become friendly with; start to enjoy
Watch out (for) = be alert; look out for
Wear out = become no longer useful because of wear
What the doctor order = exactly what was needed; the perfect thing
Wipe out = eliminate; stamp out
Without a hitch = without a problem
Work out =(1) exercise (2) bring to a successful conclusion; solve
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