IDIOMS

COLOURS
1) have green fingers to be good at growing plants

2) red-letter day a very happy or exciting day

3) grey matter your intelligence, or your brain

4) lend colour to sth to make something appear likely or true

5) once in a blue moon very rarely

6) be (kept) in the dark knowing nothing about something important

7) be in the black to have money in your bank account

8) white-collar relating to the people who work in an office

9) yellow-bellied not having courage, cowardly

10) be tickled pink be very pleased or amused

TIME
1) in next to no time very quickly or soon

2) not be born yesterday not be stupid or easy to deceive

3) work against the clock try to do sth in a very limited amount of time

4) on the spur of the moment on impulse, without planning in advance

5) live on borrowed time likely to fail or die very soon

6) in the long run over or after a long period of time, eventually

7) since time immemorial for a very long time

8) on the dot exactly on time

9) in the nick of time only just in time

 10) from the cradle to the grave for all of a person's life

PARTS OF THE BODY (NOUNS)

1) poke one's nose into sth try to become involved in sth that does not concern you

2) set eyes on sth/sb see someone or something, especially for the first time

3) put a brave face on sth try to hide the fact that you are feeling upset

4) get sth off your chest talk to sb about something that has been worrying you

5) put your back into sth use a lot of effort and energy on a particular task

6) by the skin of one's teeth by a very narrow margin, only just

7) pull somebody’s leg tell somebody something that is not true, as a joke

8) have a change of heart have a change in one's opinion or feelings

9) cost an arm and a leg be extremely expensive

10) have sth on the brain be always thinking about something

PARTS OF THE BODY (VERBS)

1) foot the bill be responsible for paying the cost of something

accept punishment or criticism for sth you have done

2) face the music
wrong

shoulder a
3) deal with or accept something difficult
responsibility

4) elbow your way force one's way in, to, or through a crowded place

5) thumb a lift make a signal with your thumb to passing drivers

6) hand it to sb give credit or recognition to sb for sth they have done

7) back the wrong horse support sb/sth that is not successful

8) head lead or be in charge of (a department/agency)

9) toe the line accept rules and to obey people in authority

10) nose around look for sth, especially information about sb

APPEARANCE
1) down at heel looking old and no longer in good condition

2) beauty is in the eye of the beholder the perception of beauty is subjective

3) a sight for sore eyes something that you are very pleased to see

4) not a hair out of place look very tidy and clean

5) in your birthday suit not wearing any clothes

6) be thin on top losing your hair

7) don't judge a book by its cover do not form opinion using appearance

8) look like a drowned rat look very wet and uncomfortable

9) put years on somebody cause to look or feel older

10) grin/smile from ear to ear smile widely

ANIMALS
1) take to sth like a duck to water take to something very readily

2) have a bee in your bonnet be preoccupied or obsessed with something

deal with a difficult situation in a very confident

3) take the bull by the horns
way

4) let the cat out of the bag reveal a secret

5) cry crocodile tears become extremely emotional, moved

have butterflies in one's

6) feel very nervous or excited about something
stomach

7) till the cows come home for a very long time, forever
 8) hold one's horses wait a moment

9) have a whale of a time enjoy oneself very much

10) wild goose chase an attempt to find something that does not exist

1) flog a dead horse waste energy on a lost cause

2) like water off a duck’s back having no effect on someone

3) the lion's share the largest or best part of something

4) as the crow flies in a straight line

5) eager beaver an enthusiastic person who works very hard

6) kill two birds with one stone to achieve two things, both at the same time

7) let sleeping dogs lie to leave things undisturbed

8) not enough room to swing a cat very little or no space, very cramped

9) mutton dressed as lamb a woman who tries to make herself look younger

10) cook someone's goose spoil someone's plans

TRAVEL AND TRANSPORT

1) be in the same boat be in the same difficult situation

2) be flying high be having a lot of success

3) come to a standstill slow down and finally stop

4) a backseat driver a passenger of the car who criticizes the driver

5) carry/take coals to Newcastle take something to a place where it is not needed

6) life in the fast lane a way of living that is full of excitement

7) off the beaten track far away from the places that people usually visit

8) put the cart before the horse do two things in the wrong order
 9) drive sb round the bend annoy someone

10) take sb for a ride deceive or cheat someone

NATURE
1) come rain or shine whether it rains or not, whatever the weather

2) beat about the bush discuss a matter without coming to the point

3) bark up the wrong tree doing sth that will not get the result you want

4) not hold water not be or not appear to be true

5) not see the wood for the trees not understand the main point about something

great outrage or excitement about a trivial

6) a storm in a teacup
matter

7) walk on air feel very happy

8) under a cloud under suspicion or discredited

9) be in the land the living not dead, alive

make a mountain out of a

10) make an unimportant matter seem important
molehill

1) in broad daylight during the day with many witnesses

2) a bolt from the blue a sudden and unexpected event

3) down to earth practical and sensible

4) sell somebody down the river betray sb, especially so as to benefit yourself

5) leave no stone unturned look for something in every possible place

6) stand your ground refuse to change your opinion

7) take something by storm quickly become very successful or popular

8) the tip of the iceberg only a small part of a much larger problem
 9) muddy the waters make a situation more confused or complicated

10) at the crack of dawn a time very early in the morning, daybreak

LIFE/DEATH
1) pay your last respects honour someone after their death

2) look on the bright side be optimistic or cheerful in spite of difficulties

3) be six feet under be dead and buried

4) be in the family way be pregnant

5) take the bad with the good accept all the features or parts of something

6) live on the breadline be extremely poor

7) from beyond the grave after a person has died

8) life is not all beer and skittles life is not pleasurable all the time

9) be pushing up (the) daisies be dead

10) a matter of life and death a matter of vital importance

NUMBERS
1) second to none better than all others of the same kind

2) dressed (up) to the nines very well-dressed, typically for a formal event

3) at the eleventh hour at the last possible moment, just in time

4) knock someone for six affect somebody very deeply

5) kill two birds with one stone achieve two aims at once

6) back to square one back to the very first stage of something

7) at sixes and sevens in a confused or difficult situation

 8) never in a million years not at any point, under no circumstances

9) be scattered to the four winds be dispersed across a wide area

10) on cloud nine extremely happy

COMPARING
1) as different as chalk and cheese completely different from each other

2) be in a league of one's own completely superior to others of one's or its kind

3) not fit to hold a candle be much less good, beautiful, impressive etc.

4) bear a striking resemblance be similar to someone or something

5) be on the same wavelength be in agreement, think or behave similarly

6) a world of difference between a stark contrast, a vast improvement

7) be a chip off the old block look or behave like one of your parents

8) be head and shoulders above be significantly better than sb or sth

9) not to be a patch on sth be much less good than something

10) pale into significance seem not important when compared with sth else

CLOTHES
1) wear the trousers be the dominant partner in a relationship

2) at the drop of a hat immediately, without hesitating

3) burst at the seams be very full or crowded

4) hot under the collar angry or embarrassed

5) to cap it all as the final unfortunate incident in a long series

6) hand in glove in close collusion or association

 7) pull up one's socks try to improve your performance, work, behaviour, etc

8) give somebody the boot be fired

9) on a shoestring using very little money

10) keep your shirt on don't lose your temper, stay calm

FOOD
1) bring home the bacon earn money for a family to live on

2) take something with a pinch of salt not fully believe in something

3) have a finger in every pie be involved in a lot of different things

4) the icing on the cake an attractive but inessential addition

5) the apple of sb's eye someone most cherished, above others

6) spill the beans reveal secret information unintentionally

7) live off the fat of the land live in great wealth

8) not one's cup of tea not what one likes or is interested in

9) eat someone out of house and home eat a lot of someone else's food

10) in a nutshell very briefly, giving only the main points

HAPPINESS/SADNESS
1) like a dog with two tails very pleased and happy

2) cry your eyes out cry in an uncontrolled way

3) have a whale of a time enjoy yourself very much

4) be tickled pink be very pleased

5) down in the dumps/mouth feeling unhappy or without hope

 6) paint the town red go out and celebrate, to get drunk

7) be full of the joys of spring be lively and cheerful

8) feel hard done-by feel that you have been treated unfairly

9) hit/reach rock bottom reach the lowest point possible

10) let your hair down enjoy yourself and start to relax

MONEY
1) from rags to riches from extreme poverty to great wealth

2) make ends meet earn just enough money to live on

3) be rolling in it be very rich

4) in the region of approximately

5) be strapped for cash having little or no money at the moment

6) go Dutch share the cost of something, especially a meal, equally

7) grease someone's palm bribe someone

8) money is the root of all evil people do many evil things in order to get rich

9) pay through the nose pay much more than a fair price

10) cook the books falsify financial records for a company

CARACTHER/PERSONALITY
1) behind the times not aware of or using the latest ideas or techniques

2) a jack of all trades someone who has skill in many different areas

3) a fair weather friend someone who stands by you when things are going well

4) a rolling stone someone who doesn’t like to stay in one place

5) keep oneself to oneself stay apart from other people

6) the salt of the earth a person of great kindness, reliability or honesty

7) dead wood useless personnel or material

8) a sitting duck someone who is easy to attack or easy to cheat

9) a stick-in-the-mud someone who refuses to try anything new

10) not be cut out for sth to not be the right type of person for something

FRIENDSHIP
1) birds of a feather flock together form groups with people with similar interests

2) a fair-weather friend sb who is a good friend when it is easy to be

3) to live in each other's pockets enjoy yourself very much

4) through thick and thin support someone through good and bad times

5) to get on like a house on fire have a very good and friendly relationship

6) see eye to eye with someone agree with each other

7) have friends in high places know important people who can help you

8) a shoulder to cry on a person who gives sympathy and support

9) bury the hatchet end a quarrel or conflict and become friendly

10) be (as) thick as thieves be very close friends and share secrets

SUCCESS/FAILURE
1) bring the house down make an audience laugh or applaud very enthusiastically

2) blind alley a course of action leading nowhere

3) nail in the coffin an event, decision etc., that can lead to the failure
4) rise to the occasion perform better than usual in response to a special situation

5) with flying colours with distinction

6) bite the dust die, fail, or be defeated

7) set your heart on sth want to get or achieve something very much

8) draw a blank fail to find something that you are looking for

9) feather in one's cap an achievement to be proud of

10) make a clean sweep get rid of everything unnecessary or unwanted

WORK
1) dead end job a job with low wages and no chance of progress

2) golden handshake a payment given to someone who retires early

3) be snowed under have too much work

4) work your fingers to the bone work very hard

5) burn the midnight oil work or study late into the night

6) talk shop talk about work-related things

7) call it a day stop doing something, especially working

8) red tape excessive bureaucracy

9) a hive of activity a place that is full of people who are very busy

10) get the axe lose your job

HEALTH
1) be the picture of health look very healthy

2) kick the bucket die

 3) look/feel like death warmed up look or feel very ill

4) on the mend improving in health or condition

5) as fit as a fiddle in very good health

6) feel on top of the world feel extremely happy and healthy

7) go under the knife have a medical operation

8) be green around the gills look ill and pale

9) have one foot in the grave be near death through old age or illness

10) prevention is better than cure it is better to prevent a disease than to cure it

PAIRS
1) kith and kin acquaintances and relatives

2) haves and have-nots the rich people and the poor people

3) prim and proper having very traditional conservative beliefs

4) cut and dried already decided and unlikely to be changed

5) toss and turn move around restlessly while sleeping

6) bow and scrape show too much politeness or attention to someone

7) bright-eyed and bushy-tailed happy and full of energy

8) the nuts and bolts the most basic, fundamental aspects of something

9) part and parcel an essential or integral component

10) null and void having no legal force

1) nook and cranny every part of a place

2) odds and ends small things of various kinds without much value
 3) to wheel and deal do a lot of complicated and sometimes dishonest deals

4) to go rack and ruin become decayed, decline or fall apart

5) all and sundry everybody without discrimination

6) to wine and dine entertain someone well with a meal, wine etc.

7) hale and hearty (especially of old people) healthy and strong

8) hammer and tongs energetically, enthusiastically, or with great vehemence

9) nearest and dearest one's closest and fondest friends or relatives

10) airs and graces used to describe an overly superior or proud way of behaving

CRIME/PUNISHMENT
1) bring someone to book punish someone for breaking laws or rules

2) catch sb red-handed find somebody while they are doing something wrong

3) pull the wool over sb's eyes deceive someone by not telling the truth

4) get away with murder murder someone without being captured or punished

5) line your pocket(s) earn money using dishonest or illegal methods

6) the long arm of the law the power of the police and legal system

7) on the straight and narrow the honest and morally acceptable way of living

8) blow the whistle on sb to tell sb in authority about sth wrong that sb is doing

9) be behind bars be in prison

10) face the music accept criticism or punishment for sth you have done

BUYING/SELLING
1) cost an arm and a leg be extremely expensive
2) come/go under the hammer be sold at an auction

3) do a roaring trade sell a lot of goods very quickly

4) buy a pig in a poke buy something without inspecting it thoroughly

5) pay through the nose for something pay too much money for something

6) settle an account pay a bill

7) in mint condition new or as good as new

8) drive a hard bargain force somebody to agree on the best possible price

9) under the counter bought or sold secretly and illegally

10) buy in bulk buy large quantities of an article, usually cheaply

PROVERBS
1) Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. the perception of beauty is subjective

2) Don’t bite off more than you can chew. try to do something that is too difficult for you

Lightning never strikes twice in the same

3) misfortune does not occur twice in the same way
place.

4) When in Rome do as the Romans do. it's good to follow the local customs for visitor

5) The grass is always greener on the other side. believe that someone else's life is better their own

6) Birds of a feather flock together. people of same interest gets together in groups

one who arrives first has the best chance for

7) The early bird catches the worm.
success

8) Too many cooks spoil the broth. fail because of too many opinions on how to do sth.

9) Life is not all beer and skittles. life is not pleasurable all the time

10) All good things must come to an end. nothing great will last forever
 1) Don't count your chickens before they're hatched. don't expect all your hopes to come true

2) A bad workman always blames his tools. failure on the job due to lack of necessary talent

3) A fool and his money are soon parted. foolish people spend money, without thinking

4) Throw good money after bad. continue spending money when sth. is failing

5) Every cloud has a silver lining. there is something good in everything that's bad

6) Don't make a mountain out of a molehill. don't make big issues on a very small thing

7) One swallow doesn't make a summer. a single instance of sth doesn't indicate a trend

8) It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good. even misfortune can benefit someone or somethin

9) The end justifies the means. any methods are allowed to achieve something

10) Two wrongs don't make a right. a second mistake does not cancel the first

SIMILES (LIKE)
1) like water off a duck's back easily, without any apparent effect

2) like a bat out of hell very fast and wildly

3) be like a red rag to a bull be certain to produce an angry or violent reaction

4) get on like a house on fire have a very good and friendly relationship

5) fight like Kilkenny cats fight until both parties are destroyed

6) like a lamb to the slaughter innocently and helplessly, without realizing the danger

7) go down like a lead balloon be completely unsuccessful or unpopular

8) like a toad under the harrow with thousands of worries and unsolved problems

9) have a memory like a sieve have difficulty remembering things

10) like a bump on a log with little motion or activity

SIMILES (AS…AS)
1) as dead as the dodo not be important or popular any longer

2) as different as chalk and cheese have nothing in common with sb or sth else

3) as mad as a hatter completely crazy

4) as large as life conspicuously present

5) as brown as a berry having tanned skin due to sun exposure

6) as snug as a bug in a rug in a very comfortable position

7) as thick as two short planks remarkably stupid

8) as keen as mustard very enthusiastic

9) as regular as clockwork never late or always at the same time

10) as slippery as an eel a person who is not trustworthy

MUSIC
1) to play the second fiddle play a minor role in relation to sb else

2) to face the music accept responsibility for something you have done

3) to strike a chord cause someone to feel sympathy or enthusiasm

4) be on the horns of a dilemma be unable to decide which of two things to do

5) to bang the drum voice one's support for something

6) to ring a bell sound familiar

7) bells and whistles features added to a product, extras

8) and all that jazz and such similar things

9) to blow your own trumpet talk a lot about your own achievements

10) be like a broken record say the same thing many times