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T H O IV IS O IM ------------ * ------------- AGuide to Idioms Editors Kay Cullen, Panny Hands, Una McGovern and John Wright Published by arrangement with Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. Copyright © Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd 2000. Publisher/Global ELT: Christopher Wenger Executive Marketing Manager, Global ELT/ESL: Amy Mab/ey Printed in Croatia by Zrinski d.d 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10' 06 05 04 03 02 01 Heinle, Thomson and the Thomson logo are trademarks used herein under license. For more information contact Heinle, 25 Thomson Place, Boston, M A 02210 USA, or you can visit our Internet site at http: / /www.heinle.com All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means-graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping,Web distribution or information storage and retrieval systems-without the written permission of the publisher. A CIPcatalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. We have made every effort to mark as such all words which we believe to be trademarks. We should also like to make it clear that the presence of a word in this book, whether marked or unmarked, in no way affects its legal status as a trademark. 13 digit ISBN: 978 1 84480 525 9 10 digit ISBN: 1 84480 525 5 The publishers would like to thank Imogen Preston for her contribution to this project. Typeset by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd Introduction What is an idiom? The term ‘idiom’ is not an easily defined one - it can refer to many kinds of words and phrases. The traditional definition of an idiom is ‘a group of words which has a different mean ing from the sum of its parts’. For example, you can make someone’s blood boil or say they are a sight for sore eyes. Knowing the meanings of all the words in such a phrase will not necessarily help you to understand the meaning of the whole phrase. This guide is designed to help anyone who wants to know about idioms, including not only what they mean, but also how to use them. It provides an introduction to the most com monly used idioms in British and American English. Each idiom has its own entry with a full-sentence definition. These not only define the idiom but also show it in grammat ical context. Further usage information is given in the ex amples, which have all been based on a corpus. Idioms are clearly labelled to show whether they are common in British or American English and which register or level of language the idiom belongs to. When the idiom has any synonyms or near-synonyms these are also shown. To make this guide as easy to use as possible, idioms are listed according to a strict ordering system. Under this sys tem, any idiom that you are looking for which contains a noun will be found under the first noun that occurs within it. So make someone’s blood boil will be found under blood. If there is no noun in the idiom, look for the first verb. For example not much to look at will be found under look. If there is no noun or verb in the idiom that you are looking for, it will be found at the first adjective. An example of this kind of idiom would be alive and kicking, which will be found under alive. If there is no noun, verb, or adjective, look for the first adverb. So anywhere from, will be found under anywhere. m There is one notable exception to this rule. This is that idioms of the type happy as a clam, or cool as a cucumber, although they contain a noun, will always be found under the first adjective. This is because there are often several possible nouns which can go with the adjective, and so it is more useful to see them grouped together. This guide also includes Idioms Study panels which present a variety of idioms that can be used in particular situations. Turn to the panel on anger and you will find sections called being angry, suddenly becoming angry, making some one angry, and speaking angrily to someone. These will help you to express anger in many different ways. Idioms Study Panels Page Anger 4 Appearance 5 Change 29 Difficulties 46 Dishonesty 47 Failure 59 Fear 60 Happiness and sadness 74 Intelligence and stupidity 81 Liking and not liking 95 Money 112 Success 180 Surprise 181 Work 216 Contributors Publishing Manager Elaine Higgleton Editors Kay Cullen Penny Hands Una McGovern John Wright Organization of entries books Definitions are o cook the books (informal) written as whole Someone cooks the books when they sentences, Register labels change the numbers in their, or their showing the show if an idiom idiom being used company’s, accounts in order to gain is formal, in a natural and money for themselves or the company: informal, grammatically They are now saying that everyone is insulting or correct way. cooking the books. If its true, its a very vulgar. They will also tell you if serious allegation. the idiom is used boom Idioms are humorously, or if labelled to show o lower the boom on someone (AmE; it was more whether they are informal) commonly used common in When you lower the boom on some in the past. British English one, you severely scold or punish them: (.BrE) or If my daughter stays out late again, I ’m American going to lower the boom on her. English (AmE). card Variants are have a card up your sleeve or keep a always given in card up your sleeve full. You have, or are keeping, a card up Notes of interest your sleeve if other people think that (i) explain the you are in a difficult situation, but you Examples, history of certain have a secret solution which you plan supported by the idioms, (ii) British National define words to surprise them with: Don’t cry. Just Corpus, show within idioms wait and see. Your old grandad has still how the idiom is and (iii) give got plenty of cards up his sleeve. used. variants and information on When people cheat at cards they some usage. times hide an extra card up their sleeve. American spellings are The mark 1 shows colour (AmE color) shown in where the main brackets. stress occurs in add colour to something the idiom. If the Something that adds colour to some main stress thing else brings some energy, interest Cross-references shifts to another or variety to that thing: His enthusias to other idioms part of the tic lecturing style adds colour to a subject are marked with sentence in that many people regard as dull. a diamond and speech, this is shown in the day (see also days) introduced with example. 3 all in a day's work the words see also. These draw You can say that something is all in a your attention to day’s work if it forms part of your variations and Cross-references everyday activities, and must be ac other idioms to other cepted as normal, even if you find it un with similar headwords help pleasant or difficult in some way: meanings to help you to find the Controlling a class of excitable seven you to expand idiom you are year olds is all in a day’s work if you are your knowledge looking for. in particular a teacher on a placement scheme. !♦ see subject areas. also a necessary evil >evil The arrow r> tells you where to find the idiom. vi in return for something unpleasant that they have done to you in the past: It has been suggested that the murder was committed as a way of settling an account between the two gangs. ace 3 have an ace up your sleeve or (AmE) have an ace in the hole You have an ace up your sleeve or have an ace in the hole when you have a secret or hidden advantage that you can use against an opponent: I bet he's A got an ace up his sleeve; he wouldn't let d go from A to ' B or get from A to ' B anybody beat him that easily. You go or get from A to B when you go act from one place to another: How long o act of God does it take to get from A to B? An act of God is a totally unexpected 3 A to Z natural event, such as an earthquake, From A to Z means from the beginning which you could not have predicted or to the end, or, of a subject, covered prevented: Famine caused by drought is thoroughly: She went through the whole not an unstoppable act of God. It is explanation again from A toZ. □ an A to simply the most dramatic manifestation Z of London. [= book of maps showing of soil degradation, caused by poor agri all the roads in London] cultural techniques. accident o an accident waiting to happen Act of God’ is a legal term referring I You can say that someone or something to events for which you cannot expect is an accident waiting to happen if compensation from insurance. you feel sure that they are going to be \_________________ J involved in some kind of disaster at 3 catch someone in the act some time: That son of theirs is an acci You catch someone in the act when dent waiting to happen, you discover them while they are doing o more by accident than de sign something wrong: ♦ see also catch Something desirable that happens someone red-handed >catch more by accident than design, hap 3 clean up your act pens more through chance than be Someone cleans up their act when cause of anyone’s skill or judgement: they start complying with general stan He got the job more by accident than de dards of behaviour: I think its about sign, since it was he who had to take over time I cleaned up my act and started tak when his boss first went off sick. ing my responsibilities a bit more ser account iously. o on no ac count 3 get in on the act 1 You say that on no account will you You get in on the act when you get do something, or will something hap yourself involved in some profitable pen, when you will not do it, or it will deal or activity in order to share the not happen, under any circumstances: benefits: Everybody's getting in on the On no account will I ask them for money. act now; the market's totally flooded with 2 You say that something should on no computer games of this type. account, or not on any account, be 3 get your act together done, if it must never be done: Don't on You get your act together when you any account switch off the computer. organize yourself, your time and your o settle an ac count work efficiently: We're going to have You settle an account with someone to get our act together if we want to when you do something to harm them finish this job by the end of the month. arm 4 arm IDIOMS anger sUAy The next time you write or talk about anger you might try to use some of the following idioms. (Remember you can see how to use each idiom correctly by looking at its entry, which you can find under the word printed in heavy type.) being angry up in arms hopping mad like a bear with a sore head foam at the mouth beside yourself on the warpath suddenly becoming angry throw up your arms blow, or flip, your lid blow your stack cut up rough do your nut throw a tantrum go off the deep end lose your rag lose your temper blow a fuse fly into a rage blow your top fly off the handle see red throw a wobbly lose your head go spare making someone angry make someone’s blood boil set someone’s teeth on edge get a rise out of someone speaking angrily to someone send someone away with a rant and rave flea in their ear give someone the rough side of give someone hell your tongue let fly cause a stink take it out on someone tear someone off a strip give someone a piece of your jump down someone’s throat mind have words with someone o cost an arm and a leg something, if you would like it very Something costs an arm and a leg much: I would have given my right arm when it is very expensive: I can’t believe to be there with a camera. these shoes have broken already; they 3 put the arm on someone {AmE) cost an arm and a leg. ♦ see also a pret You put the arm on someone when ty penny >penny you put pressure on them for something, especially a loan: Jeff is put d give your right arm ting the arm on his best friend for $200. You say that you would give your right arm for something, or to do o twist someone's arm arms 0 awakening IDIOMS*?*/** appearance The next time you write or talk about appearance you might try to use some of the following idioms. (Remember you can see how to use each idiom correctly by looking at its entry, which you can find under the word printed in heavy type.) attractive a bit of all right a sight for sore eyes unattractive a blot on the landscape not much to look at like nothing on earth as ugly as sin dressed up cut a dash dressed up to the nines You twist someone’s arm when you 3 you could have cut the atmosphere try hard to persuade them to do some with a knife thing; people often say, humorously, You say that you could have cut the that someone has twisted their arm if atmosphere with a knife when you they accept an offer readily: ‘Have an are describing a situation in which other drink! ‘Oh go on then, you’ve you felt that there were very unplea twisted my arm/ sant or unfriendly feelings between arms people there: I think they must have been having a row just before I arrived - o throw up your arms you could have cut the atmosphere with a You say that someone throws up their knife in there. arms when they express a strong emo auction tion such as anger or despair: She threw up her arms in despair when I told 3 put something up at auction (AmE) her Fd crashed the car again. You put something up at auction 3 up in arms when you offer an item for sale at an People are up in arms when they are auction: Now I know where my records very angry, and are protesting about went. Dad put them up at auction. something: My lads are really up in avail arms. Nobody believes this story about 3 to no a vail the sacking incident. You do something to no avail when you art do not get the desired result: I have 3 get something down to a fine art scoured magazines for any information You say you have got something on this subject, but so far to no avail. down to a fine art if after a lot awakening of practice you have discovered the 3 a rude a wakening best way of doing it: Over the years You experience a rude awakening Fve got it down to a fine art. I make when you have an unpleasant surprise: lists. Jones is an idealist, and will probably atmosphere face a rude awakening when confronted axe 6 back with the realities of bureaucracy. water axe (AmE ax) You throw the baby out with the ) have an axe to grind bathwater when you are so enthusias You have an axe to grind when you tic about change and getting rid of old have a strong belief or desire that ideas that you destroy or dispose of something should happen, and you things that remain essential: The more keep telling people about it, and trying ambitious supporters of the new method to persuade them to see its importance; threw the baby out with the bathwater. you have no axe to grind if you are back not very concerned about a particular the back of be yond (informal) matter, or if you do not disapprove of A place that is in, or at, the back of it: We all have an axe to grind ?iow that beyond is a long way from any public our working conditions have become so facilities or houses: You feel as if you re unbearable. □ Mr Doe insists that he is in the back of beyond, yet its only forty- no opponent of privatization as such five minutes from London. ♦ see also in and has no political axe to grind. the middle of nowhere ^ m iddle; out in the sticks ^ sticks; off the beaten track >track; out of the way > way This idiom is often used to speak about a place in a critical way. er break the back of something You say you have broken the back of something, such as a task, when you have completed most of it, or the most difficult part of it: They are confident that they have finally broken the back of the technical problem. babe o get off someone's back (informal) If you tell someone to get off your o babe in the woods (AmE) back you mean that you want them to A babe in the woods is a person who is stop criticizing and pressurizing you: innocent and can easily be deceived: If I can just pay this last instalment, the Mary only knew the countryside, and bank manager might get off my back for a was a babe in the woods when she moved while. to Miami. o have your back to the wall baby You have your back to the wall when o leave someone holding the baby you are forced into a difficult situation (BrE) which you feel you cannot escape from: You leave someone holding the baby Of course, if your back is to the wall and when you stop working on a problem you have to fight, then that is also or project, and leave someone else to classed as self-defence. deal with it on their own; you are left ( " 7~" ’ " \ holding the baby when you are the This idiom comes from sword fighting, person who has to deal with a problem when the person who is losing has or organize something because every walked backwards as far as they can one else has left you to do it on your go, and must continue to defend them own: Fve been left holding the baby; job selves from a fixed position. less, practically penniless, worrying about how I ’m going to pay the rent. ♦ o put your back into something (infor see also leave someone in the lurch mal) !>LURCH You put your back into something ) throw the baby out with the bath when you try hard to do it well: If he