Idioms

[Lazy cat]

Idioms from Geography
1. dirt cheap: very inexpensive
Eg: She needed money badly. So she has a garage sale in which she sold a lot of her things dirt cheap.
2. down-to-earth: honest and direct, sensible and practical.
Eg: Oleg is always willing to give advice, and his advice is usually valuable. He's down-to-earth.
3. to go downhill: to go down in numbers or in quality, get worse.
Eg: The company is going to go downhill rapidly. It needs to produce and sell more and better products.
4. to make a mountain out of a molehill.
Eg: Sally usually get good grades, but she didn't do well on the last test. Now she is making a mountain out of a molehill.
5. once in a blue moon: almost never, very seldom.
Eg: Katie is so busy that she sees her brother Kevin only once in a blue moon.
6. out of this world: excellent, very wood.
Eg: The ice-cream at that store is out of this world. I'd walk a mile to buy some.
7. out of the woods: out of the trouble or difficult.
Eg: He was very ill, but he's getting better. He's out of the wood.
8. over the hill: getting too old.
Eg: I used to be able to run five miles a day without any problem. Now I have trouble running just two miles. I must be getting over the hill.

summarize
A Down-To-Earth-Town
Nothing much ever happens in our town. But, once in a blue moon, everyone gets excited about something. The town picnic in the middle of summer is the big event of the year. People come to it from all over. But basically Bobtown is a quiet, sleepy old town. Some people say that it's going downhill. Is it true that many citizens have moved away. There are empty houses, and real estate is dirt cheap. But the people who stayed have kept the spirit. Yes, Bobtown is a simple place for simple people. People here are down-to-earth. They're not afraid to say what they think. They don't make a mountain out of a molehill. If a problem comes up, they solve it and don't waste time talking about how bad the situation is. Every election, the same mayor wins by a landslide. She gets all eighty votes.
Fill in the gap:
1. ..................... almost never, very seldom.
2. ...................... getting too old
3. ....................... to get almost all of the votes.
4......................... honest and direct, sensible and practical.
5. ........................ very inexpensive
6. ........................ out of the trouble or difficulty.
7. ......................... excellent, very good.
8. ......................... small part of a large problem
9. ......................... to make a big problem out of a small problem.
10. ........................ in trouble
11. ......................... to go down in numbers or in quality, get worse.

[Lazy cat]

Idioms from colors
1. the black market: the market not controlled by the government, where things are sold in private and often against the law.

Eg: You can go to the bank to change dollars. But if you change money on the black market, you often get more money for each dollar.
2. to feel blue: to feel sad

Eg: I was alone on my birthday and feeling blue. Then Arny called and invited me out, and I felt better.
3. the green light: the okay to start something

Eg: The bank has given us the money. now we have the green light to start the project.

[Lazy cat]

Idioms from colors (tiếp)
4. green with envy: jealous of someone else's good fortune
Eg: I was green with envy when I learned that Luis had won a trip to Europe.
5. in black and white: very clear and easy to understand
Eg: I couldn't believe it, but there it was in black and white, as clear as it could be. The letter said that I had won a trip to Europe.
6. in the black: having money
Eg: He earns a thousand dollars a week. He doesn't have to worry about having enough money. He is always in the black.
7. in the red: owing money, in debt
Eg: I never have enough money to pay my bills. I'm always in the red.

[Lazy cat]

Idioms from colors (tiếp)
8. out of the blue: by surprise, unexpectedly
Eg: The news of the factory's closing came out of the blue. No one was expecting it.
9. the red carpet: special honors for a special or important person.
When the movie star visited, our town rolled out the red carpet. There was a parade and a special dinner inn her honor.
10. red tape: complicated official procedures and forms.
Eg: Every time you want to get a new passport, you have to go through a lot of red tape. It's not easy and it takes a lot of time.
11. a white lie: something that is not true but that causes no harm.
Eg: I didn't feel like going out. So I told a white lie, and I said I didn't feel well.

[Lazy cat]

Idioms from food
1. the apple of one'eye: someone's favourite person.
Eg: The baby is the apple of her grandfather's eye. He thinks that she is wonderful.
2. baloney: suspicious, not right or honest.
Eg: His speech about the importance of helping the poor is baloney. He wouldn't even give his best friend a dime.
3. to cream someone: to totally beat someone in a game.
Eg: Our baseketball team really creamed its opponent. Our team won by a score of 120 to 60.
4. fishy: suspicious, not right or honest.
On our return home, we found the front door openm and we suspected that something fishy was going on.
5. to go bananas:: to go crazy
Eg: She went bananas when she heard she had won the first prize in the talent contest.
6. in a pickle: in trouble
Eg: Bill was in a pickle. After filling his car with gas, he could not find the money to pay.
7. a lemon: something that does not work, usually an electrical appliance or mechanical item.
Eg: The new tape player I bought was a lemon, and I'm going to take it back to the store for a new one.
8. nuts: very crazy, very upset.
Eg: Tony must be nuts to pay over a hundred dollars for a shirt.
9. peach: a very nice person.
Eg: When I was sick last week, Susan visited me and bought groceries for me. She is a peach.
10. peanuts: a very small amount of money.
Eg: Rose buys used clothes at secondhand stores, and she gets nicelooking clothes for peanuts.
11. a piece of cake: something that is very easy to do.
Eg: The math test was a piece of cake for Erik.
summarize
A real Lemon
The used car I bought for three hundred dollars was a lemon. My friends said I was nuts to believe the baloney the seller gave.The seller said that the car was like new, with only ten thousand miles on it. She called it reliable transportation at a very low price. She said she was really selling it for peanuts.
Starting the engine of the car was a piece of cake. I just turned the key no problem. However, soon I was in a pickle: the brakes didn't work! The owner of the Cadillac I hit went bananas when he saw the damage to the front of his car. He started shouting at me and wouln't stop. Now I have to pay him two thousand dollars to repair his car. But my friend Nina was a peach. She took my car to the garbage dump so that I didn't have to see it again.

[Lazy cat]

Idioms from Numbers
1, at first sight: after a quick look, before really thinking about one's feeling about.
Eg: I don't know what to think about the new boss. At first sight, she seems okay, but I may change my mind later.
2, forty winks: a short sleep, a nap.
Eg: I sometimes take forty winks on Saturday afternoon, so that I can continue working around the house afterward.
3, in a seventh heaven: extremely happy.
Eg: Maxwell was in seventh heaven when he learned he had gotten the job.
4, of two minds: having trouble making decision.
Eg: Betty was of two minds about her future: Should she study to be a teacher or an actress?
5. second nature: easy and natural to someone.
Eg: Learning to golf is second nature to some people. They can hit the ball well with no problem the very first time.
6. second to none: the very best.
Eg: The food in that restaurant is second to none. You really get the best meals there.
7. six of one, half a dozen of the other: no difference, either choice okay.
Eg: We can either stay at home or go to the movie. I don't care. For me, it's six of one, half a dozen of the other.
8. sixth sense: a special feeling for something, or a special understanding of things.
Eg: Lisa has a sixth sense for directions. She always knows which road to take to get where she wants to go.
9. on cloud nine: extremely happy.
Eg: Juanita was on cloud nine when she graduated from college at the top of her class.
10. on second thought: changing one's mind after thinking more about something.
Eg: You know that large screen TV I was going to buy? On second thought, I decided to keep my old TV for a while.
11. to put two and two together: to finally understand something, to come to a conclusion about something.
Eg, We saw our neighbours putting suitcases into theirs car. So we put two and two together and concluded that they were going away on a trip.
Summarize
To Go Fishing, or Not to Go Fishing
For some people, fishing is so enjoyable that it puts them in seventh heaven. For others, fishing is a good time to relax and catch forty winks. I'm of two minds about it. At first sight, fishing seems like funs. But, on second thought, I just don't like to handle a fish when I catch it. To many people who like fishing, it's second nature to look at a river or a lake and know where the fish are. They have sixth sense that helps them do this. Soon they're catching fish, while I'm still trying to put the worm on the hook.
Exercises
1. ........................., I thought the price was a bargain, but now I'm not so sure.
2. Arthur never needed piano lessons. For him, playing was just ...........
3. American jeans are the best in the world. They're ............................
4. Hiroshi is .................. about whether he wants to continue school or get a job.
5. ......................., I've changed my mind, and I don't want the extra cheese on my burger.
6. Bert finally ..................... He had forgotten to plug in the computer.
7. Avril has been .................... since she passed her exams.
8. Lin needed a short rest, so she took .........................
9. My .......................... tells me that it's going to rain and that I'll need my umbrella today.
For me, it's ........................... We can go either for Chinese food or for Italian food.

[Lazy cat]

Idioms from Parts of the body
1. a big mouth: always wanting to know other people's business and what other people are doing.
Eg: My brother has such a big mouth. He told everything I said to our mother.
2. by heart: by memory
Eg: I know all my friends' telephone numbers by heart. I never have to look in the telephone book.
3. to cost an arm and a leg: to be very expensive
Eg: Everything in that fancy department store costs an arm and a leg. I can't afford to buy anything there, not even a pencil.
4. to have a sweet tooth: to like sweet foods very much.
Eg: I know you have a sweet tooth, so I bought you a box of chocolates.
5. head over heels in love: very much in love
Eg: Pam and Tony are head over heels in love. They're planning to get married.
6. a long face: a sad, dissatisfied expression
Eg: Because Judy didn't get an invitation to the party, she's walked around with a long face since yesterday.
7. nosy: always wanting to know other people's business and what other people are doing.
Eg: Every time I go out, I notice my nosy neighbours watching me. They must know everything about me.
8. a pain in the neck: trouble.
Eg: Waiting for the bus on the cold, windy corner is a pain in the neck.
9. to pull someone's leg: to joke, to kid or trick someone.
Eg: Tomorrow is not a holiday. Don't believe Rich. He's just pulling your leg.
10. to see eye to eye: to agree completely.
Eg: Lucy and Dick never argue. They see eye to eye on almost everything.
11. to shake a leg: to hurry, to move faster.
Eg: Shake a leg! We have to be at school in twenty minutes.


Summary
What a group
Last year my English class was full of characters. That's a polite way of saying it had some unusual people that I'll never forget. One student was such a hard worker that he learned all the idioms in our book by heart. He was always saying things like "I'm on cloud nine", or "I'm green with envy". We never knew if he meant what he said or if he was just practicing English. Another student had a sweet tooth. She would bake lots of breads and cakes and bring them to every class for us to share during breaks. Two students met in the class and fell head over heels in love. We were all invited to their wedding and had a great time. Then there was a student who was always pulling someone's leg. For example, one day before class, he put a long homework assignment on the board and made us think that the teacher had given it. We all had long faces until the teacher came in. Then we realized that someone had played a jokes on us.


Exercise
Fill in the blank:
1. Barbara and Bob are always fighting. They ......
2. Alice never says a word. She .......
3. Our neighbor Christine keeps coming to our house for no reason. Is it possible that she's being .......?
4. Sid loves to eat pickles, olives, and anything salty. She has ..........
5. Joseph thinks Maggie is the most wonderful person in the world. All he thinks about is Maggie. Is he ...........?
6. The only problem with this school is the parking. There are no spaces, and it takes an hour to find a spot. Is parking .........?
7. I got this book in the sale. It was eighty percent off the original price and cost almost nothing. This means it didn't..............
8. Yoko did not get the job she applied for. She looks very unhappy. She has a ..........
9. Walter told us it was his birthday, but it wasn't true. He was .........
10. I can count from one to ten in French, Italian, and Greek. I learn this ............
11. Derek had to .......... because he wanted to get the movie on time.

[Lazy cat]

Idioms from People
1. to go Dutch: to share the cost, to pay one's own bill.
Eg: When I go out with my friends, we usually go Dutch. This way everyone knows what he or she is spending.
2. a jack of all trades: someone who does a large variety of tasks on the job.
Eg: Louise can fix TV, paint houses, and build shelves. She's a jack of all trades.
3. to keep up with the Joneses: to want the same nice things that other people have.
Eg: Kate and Kent just bought the same car as Mavis and Mick, the same drapes as Dinah and Dick, the same chihuahua as Antonio and Antonia. They're really keeping up with the Joneses.
4. a man/girl Friday: a person who can do many things.
Eg: Griselda wants to get some work experience, and she likes to do a lot of different things. So she's gotten a job as a girl Friday at the local TV studio.
5. a man/woman of means: a rich person.
Eg: My cousin has an business whick makes a large profit every year. He's a man of means.
6. the real McCoy: genuine
Eg: The large diamond in her ring isn't an imitation. It's the real McCoy.
7. to run in the family: to be characterized by something common to many members of a family.
Eg: Omar and his sister are both very thin. Being skinny must run in the family.
8. a smart aleck: someone who acts as if he or she know everything and is often rude about it.
Eg: Alexandra is such a smart aleck. She always thinks she's right about everything and always makes you think that you're wrong.
9. Tom, Dick, or Harry: nobody special, just any person.
Eg: The boss was very careful about whom he hired for the job, and he interviewed several people. He didn't just hire any Tom, Dick or Harry.


Summary
The Real McCoy
Our boss is a very original person. He started a business from nothing, and now he's a millionaire. Although he is such a man of means, he remains a sincere, helpful person. If any of his friends needs help, he is the first to give it. He's a true friend, the real McCoy.
He does all sorts of jobs in his company, from typing out his own letters to repairing big machines. He's a jack of all trades. And he doesn't bother about with keeping up with the Joneses. He doesn't care what people think of his life-style; He doesn't have to have a lot of expensive things. He still drives the old car that he bought ten years ago, and he sometimes wears jeans to work.


Exercises: Fill in the gab with the idioms from people.
1. When the neighbors bought a Mercedes, Frieda told her husband they had to have one too. Frieda is trying to ............
2. George always wears the same old pants and shirts, and he drives a broken-down old car. George doesn't look like .......................
3. Fabian spends a lot of time and money trying to look different from anyone else. He doesn't want to look like ..................
4. Kevin and Mary went out on a date, and Kevin paid for the meal and movie. It means they ...............
5. Tom is always polite and is willing to listen to other people's opinions in discussions. Tom is ..................
6. Emma is a very good plumber, but she can't do painting or carpentry or other things around the house. Emma is not ...................
7. Elaine's father and mother are doctors, and Elaine is studying to become one. Being a doctor .................
8. This wooden bed is a genuine antique. It's two hundred years old. It is ...................
9. Mathilda's only job at the office is to answer the telephone. She is ..................
10. When I suggested that we go to a restaurant for our class party, Liz said that I had made a stupid suggestion, as usual. Liz was ...............

3. a wise guy: a person who can do many things.
Eg: Don't be such a wise guy and act as if you know it all. Other people won't like you.

[Lazy cat]

Idioms from Animals
1. as blind as a bat: not able to see well because of very bad eyesight.
Eg: I'm as blind as a bat without my glasses
2. a quiet as a mouse: make almost no noise, being shy and not talking much.
Eg: When the teacher walked into the room, each student was at his or her desk, reading a book, as quiet as a mouse.
3. a book worm: someone who reads a lot.
Eg: Howard reads twelve books a week. He's a real bookworm.
4. a copycat: a person who wants to do the same thing as other people.
Eg: My little brother Marvin is a copycat. If I get back sneakers, he wants to have black sneakers, too.
5. chicken: afraid, scared.
Eg: Richard is too chicken to try water-skiing.
6. an early bird: the first person to be somewhere, a person who gets out of bed very quickly.
Eg: Allan arrives at the office before everyone else. He's an early bird.
7. to eat like a horse: to eat a lot.
Eg: Every time Jess goes walking in the mountains, he comes home with a big appetite, and he eats like a horse.
8. pigheaded: not taking advice, stuborn.
Eg: Adam is so pigheaded that he never listens to anyone. He always does what he decided.
9. to smell a rat: to think there may be something wrong.
Eg: I could smell a rat. Someone stopped me on the street and offered to sell me a gold watch for five dollars.
10. to talk turkey: to talk openly and directly.
Eg: Let's stop being polite and talking around the problem. Let's start to talk turkey.
11. to work like a dog: to work very hard.
Eg: Javier works two jobs and goes to college. He works like a dog because he wants to get a good education.


Sumarize
Different Brothers
At school, Randy was shy and as quiet as a mouse. He was also very clever. He had a twin brother, Jason. Jason loved football and had to work like a dog to make good grades. In school, Randy was the bookworm. He loved to read. But without his glasses he could not see. He was as blind as a bat. Jason ate like a horse and was two hundred pounds at age seventeen. Both of them were early birds and got out of bed at four every morning. Randy read and studied. Jason went training. Today, because they were pigheaded and did not give up, Jason is quarterback for the Glendale Geeks, and Randy is the owner of the team.
Exercise
1. Janos goes to school all day and then works two evening jobs. He ...................
2. At the sale, the .................. will get all the bargains before anyone else arrives.
3. Andrew never speaks at meetings. He's .................
4. Reiko always wears the same clothes as her friends. She is such a ...............
5. Every time we invite Tony to dinner, he finishes every dish. He ..............
6. The store was advertising TVs for one hundred dollars. I ....................
7. Let's .................. We need to solve this problem quickly.
8. James goes to the library three times a week because he's a ................
9. You're just ....................... Every one can ride a bike.
10. Roger won't take advice from anyone. He's just plain .....................
11. I'm .......................... without my glasses.

[evietnam]

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