雅思口语中的习惯用语
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Idioms
Meaning
Example
Note
about to
ready to, on the verge of
I'm very glad you're finally home. I was just about to have dinner without you.
after all
despite everything, when everything has been considered, the fact is
You'd better invite Ed to your party. After all, he's a good friend.
all along
throughout, from beginning to end
Jenny told Nicole she would vote for her, but all along she was planning on voting for Andrea.
all better
completely cured
"All better?" asked Maureen, after her son stopped crying.
all over
throughout, everywhere
Oh no! I got ketchup all over my white sweater.
all the rage
the latest fashion, popular right now
At Nate's high school, salsa dancing is all the rage this year.
as a matter of fact
in fact, actually
We need more milk? As a matter of fact, I was just going to ask you to go shopping.
at first
in the beginning
Nicole didn't like Don Quixote at first, but after 200 pages she started to get into it.
at least
anyway, the good thing is that…
We've run out of coffee, but at least we still have tea.
The second definition of this phrase is "no less than"
beside the point
not relevant, not important
The reason you're late is beside the point. The fact is your dinner is now cold.
better off
in a more fortunate position
We're better off leaving for France on Thursday evening, so we can spend the entire weekend there.
This expression is often used with conditional tense, especially when you're giving advice: "you would be better off doing something".
Big deal!
So what? That doesn't really matter.
You won five dollars in the lottery? Big deal!
big head
arrogant, too proud of oneself
Jenny has such a big head. No wonder nobody wants to be friends with her.
Synonym: to be full of oneself.
big shot
a powerful or important person
Adam is a big shot in Silicon Valley. He started a very successful software company.
This expression can also be used in the negative sense, to mean somebody who thinks they're very important.
bite off more than one can chew
to take on more than one is capable of, to take on too much
You agreed to host 50 exchange students from Korea? Aren't you afraid you've bitten off more than you can chew?
blow it
to spoil an opportunity
The actress got nervous and forgot all of her lines. She really blew it!
Synonym: to screw up
blow something
to spoil or botch something
Brenda blew the interview and didn't get the job offer.
break into
to enter or be let into a profession
These days it's difficult to break into investment banking.
"Break into" has several other meanings: Interrupt; Enter illegally or by force; To suddenly begin an activity, such as singing.
break the news
to make something known
Samantha and Michael are getting married, but they haven't yet broken the news to their parents.
break up with
to end a relationship with a romantic partner
After dating her boyfriend Dan for four years, Erica finally decided to break up with him.
bright and early
early in the morning
We have lots of coolies to bake so we'll have to start bright and early tomorrow.
Synonyms: at the crack of dawn
buckle down
to start working seriously
If Don buckles down now, he might be able to graduate from high school this year.
burn someone up
to make someone angry
Jenny didn't vote for Nicole. That really burns Nicole up.
burn the midnight oil
to stay up late studying or working
Michael burned the midnight oil studying for his algebra test.
butt in
to interrupt, to interfere
Nancy is always butting in to other people's business.
buy out
to purchase an entire business or someone's share of a business
Microsoft bought out Adam's company for $12 million.
buy time
to make more time available (in order to achieve a certain purpose)
I'm not sure whether or not I want to take the job offer. I'd better buy some time to think about it.
by far
by a wide margin, by a great difference
Some people think Tom Hanks is by far the best actor in America today.
Synonyms: by a long shot, far and away, hands down
call it a night
to stop an activity for the rest of the night
Let's call it a night and meet back at the office at seven o'clock tomorrow morning to finish preparing our report.
There is also the variation "to call it a day" which means to stop activity for the day.
can't complain
things are going well, I'm fine
"How are things going at your new job?" - "Can't complain."
can't stand
to hate
Nicole can't stand broccoli. She simply refuses to eat it.
change one's mind
to change one's opinion or decision
Why aren't you applying to medical school this year? Did you change your mind about becoming a doctor?
cheer someone up
to make someone happy
Susan called her friend in the hospital to cheer her up.
You can tell somebody to "cheer up!" if they are feeling sad.
chill out
to relax
Chill out! If we miss this train, we'll just take the next one.
chitchat
casual conversation, gossip
Peter told Heather to stop the chitchat and get back to work.
Synonym: to shoot the breeze Note: Chitchat can also be a verb.
come on in
enter
Come on in, the door's open!
This is a more conversational way of saying "come up."
come to an agreement
to reach an agreement
If we can come to an agreement now, I can start work on Monday.
conventional wisdom
a widely held belief
According to conventional wisdom, a diet high in salt can cause high blood pressure.
cost an arm and a leg
to be very expensive
A college education in America costs an arm and a leg.
count on someone
to depend or rely on someone
If I can count on you to wake me up, I won't set my alarm clock.
crazy about
to like very much
Amy is so crazy about golf; she'd like to play every day.
crunch time
a short period when there's high pressure to achieve a result
The entire month of December is crunch time for Santa Claus.
cup of tea
the type person or thing that one generally likes
Hockey isn't Alan's cup of tea. He prefers soccer.
This expression is almost always used in the negative. She's not my cup of tea.
cut class
to miss class without an excuse
Ted often cuts class to spend more time with his girlfriend.
cut it out
stop it, stop the annoying behavior
Cut it out! Stop trying to pull my shoes off!
dead-end job
a job that won't lead to anything else
Diane realized that working as a cashier was a dead-end job.
deliver the goods
to meet expectations, to do what's required
Peter thought Bob wasn't delivering the goods, so he fired him.
Synonym: to cut the mustard.
do one's best
to try as hard as possible
Although Ted did his best, he still failed his chemistry test.
Synonym: to give it one's all
do the trick
to achieve the desired results
Juan changed the light bulb and said, "That should do the trick!"
Don't mention it!
you're welcome
"Thanks for bringing the cookies," I said to Susan. "Don't mention it!" she replied.
down in the dumps
to feel sad, to be depressed
It's easy to feel down in the dumps when it's raining outside.
dragon lady
a nasty woman who misuses her power
Liz was nasty to you? I'm not surprised. She's a dragon lady.
Synonyms: bitch, shrew
drive a hard bargain
to be tough in negotiating an agreement, to negotiate something in one's favor
I wanted to pay less for the car, but the salesman drove a hard bargain.
drive one crazy
to annoy someone very much
Don't ask Mrs. Smith how old she is. It drives her crazy.
drop by
to pay a short, often unannounced visit
If we have time before the movie, let's drop by Bill's house.
easier said than done
more difficult than you think
Moving into a new home is easier said than done.
face it
accept a difficult reality
Let's face it, if Ted spent more time studying, he wouldn't be failing so many of his classes.
feel free
go ahead and do something, don't hesitate (to do something)
If you need legal advice, feel free to call my cousin Fred. He's a lawyer.
figure out
to solve, to determine
Susan is sure she'll never figure out why kids today behave the way they do.
find out
to learn, to discover
A1 is calling the theater to find out what time the movie starts.
first things first
let's focus on the most important thing or task first
You want to work here at Lulu's Dance Club? First things first, have you ever worked as a dancer before?
fool around
to waste time, or spend it in a silly way
Stop fooling around! You've got lots of work to do.
This expression also means to have casual sexual relations.
for heaven's sake!
A way of expressing emotions such as surprise, outrage, or impatience
Hurry up, for heaven's sake! You're going to be late for school.
Synonyms: for God's sake, for goodness sake, for Pete's sake
for sure
definitely
This year, Tom Cruise will win an Academy Award for sure.
freak out
to respond to something irrationally or crazily, to overreact
Don't freak out when I tell you this, but I lost the laptop you lent me last week.
from scratch
from the beginning, using all fresh ingredients rather using a prepared mix
You baked these muffins from scratch? They're delicious!
full of oneself
to think too much of oneself
Mitch thinks he's really great. He's so full of himself.
get down to business
to get serious about a task
Our dinner guests are arriving in two hours. We'd better get down to business and start preparing.
get going
to get started on something, to set off for a destination, to leave
If you don't get going on your homework soon, you're going to be up all night.
Synonyms: to get a move on, to get the show on the road
get it
to understand
Don't you get it? Your company is about to go out of business!
get on one's nerves
to annoy or irritate someone
Please stop whistling. It's getting on my nerves!
Synonyms: to get under someone's skin; to bug someone
get one's act together
to get organized, to start operating more effectively
If Ted gets his act together now, he might be able to get into a good college.
get out of the way
to move out of the way, to stop interfering with someone's plans or activities
Get out of the day! That truck is backing up and it might run you over.
Get real!
be serious or realistic about what's going on
You think you're going to win $1 million in the lottery? Get real!
get rid of
to free oneself of, to throw out
We finally got rid of our spider problem, but now we have ants.
get straight
to clarify, to understand
Are you sure you got the directions straight?
get the ball rolling
to get started
Let's get the ball rolling on this project. We've only got one week to finish it.
give a ring
to telephone someone
Give me a ring tomorrow so we can discuss plans for this weekend.
Synonym: to give (someone) a buzz [slang]
give a run for money
to be strong competition
Tina is a good tennis player and always gives me a run for my money.
give credit
to acknowledge someone's contribution, to recognize a positive trait in someone
The scientist gave his assistant credit for the discovery.
give it a shot
to try something
You can't open that jar? Let me give it a shot.
"To give it one's best shot" means to try as hard as one can. I know you're nervous about the interview-just give it your best shot.
give it one's best shot
to try as hard as one can
Courtney lost the race, but at least she gave it her best shot.
Give me a break!
that's ridiculous, that's outrageous
You want me to pay $3 for one cookie? Give me a break!
You might see this written in its informal, conversational form: "Gimme a break!" This is usually how the idiom is pronounced.
give up
to admit defeat, to surrender
Bill gave up golf after realizing he'd never be good at it.
go ahead
to continue, to proceed without hesitation
We have more than enough food for dinner. Go ahead and invite your friend to join us.
go back to the drawing board
to start a task over because the last try failed, to start again from the beginning
Frank's new business failed, so he had to go back to the drawing board.
go into
to enter a profession
Lisa enjoys arguing with people, so she decided to go into law.
go into business
to start a business
Jeff decided to go into business selling baseball cards.
go nuts
to react with great enthusiasm
When Eminem appeared on stage, everybody went nuts.
This expression also means "to go crazy" or "to become crazy with anger."
go wrong
to make a mistake, to go astray, to malfunction, to work incorrectly
Follow the directions I gave you, and you can't go wrong.
Good for you!
Good job! Well done!
You passed your math test? Good for you!
good thinking
good idea, smart planning
I'm glad you brought an umbrella-that was good thinking!
hang in there
to persevere, to not give up
Hang in there, Don! Your invention will soon be a success.
hang out
to spend time (often doing nothing)
Kathy and her friends like to hang out at the mall.
"Hang out with" means to keep company with someone.
hard times
a time of difficulty
Nancy's family is going through hard times. Her father just lost his job.
have a good time
to enjoy oneself
Nora and Jake had a good time on their honeymoon in Maui.
have a heart of gold
to be very kind and giving
Alexander has a heart of gold and always thinks of others before himself.
have one's heart set on
to really want something
Did you really have your heart set on going to Harvard?
help out
to give assistance, to help
Amber offered to help out in the kitchen by chopping nuts.
Synonyms: to lend a hand
Help yourself
serve yourself
"Help yourselves to coolies and coffee," said Maria before the meeting started.
Pay attention to the reflexive form: Help yourself in singular, help yourselves in plural.
hit the books
to start studying
Hit the books! I know you have a test tomorrow.
How's it going?
How are you?
"How's it going?" Vladimir asked me. "Not bad," I replied.
if worse comes to worst
in the worst case, if absolutely necessary
Ted's car isn't running well. If worst comes to worst, he can take the bus to school.
I'll say!
yes, definitely
"Did you enjoy the Madonna concert?" - "I'll say!"
in a bad mood
unhappy, depressed, irritable
I don't like to see you in a bad mood. How can I cheer you up?
in any case
whatever the fact is, certainly
You'll probably be too tired on Sunday to come over. In any case, give me a call in the morning to discuss.
in charge of
having responsibility for
John is in charge of all international sales for his company.
in good hands
in good, competent care
You're in good hands with Tony. He's an excellent driver.
in good spirits
happy, in a good mood
Sam was in good spirits after receiving his Christmas bonus.
in person
personally, in one's physical presence
Tim hoped that he and Svetlana would get along as well in person as they did over the Internet.
in progress
happening, under way, going on now
Once the test is in progress, you will not be allowed to leave the room.
in reality
in fact, actually
Ted thinks it'll be easy to become a rock star. In reality, it will take years of hard work.
in that case
under that circumstance
It's snowing? In that case, you'd better take the bus to school today instead of driving.
in touch with
to be or to get in contact with
I was surprised when Luis called me, since we hadn't been in touch with each other since high school.
it looks like
it's likely that
It looks like it's going to rain, so we'd better just cancel the picnic now.
it's a deal
I agree (to a proposal or offer)
"If you rake up all the leaves in front of the house, I'll do the dishes." -"It's a deal!"
just kidding
talking more to get a laugh than anything
I was just kidding when I said your new orange dress makes you look like a pumpkin.
keep one's chin up
to stay positive
Keep your chin up! You'll find your lost dog soon.
keep posted
to provide up-to-date information
Good luck selling your house and keep me posted! I'd love to know how much you get for it.
knock oneself out
to work very hard at something
Ted knocked himself out getting votes for Nicole, and she didn't even say thank you.
"Don't knock yourself out!" means don't work too hard at something or for someone; it's not worth it.
know one's stuff
to have an expertise in a field
Steve has been an auto mechanic for 25 years. He really knows his stuff.
lend a hand
to help
When Amber saw Susan washing the cookie sheets, she offered to lend a hand.
let go
to fire, dismiss employees
The Xerxes Corporation was doing so poorly; they had to let many workers go earlier this year.
lighten up
to stop taking things so seriously
Don always takes his job so seriously. He needs to lighten up!
Synonyms: chill out; take it easy
like crazy
with great speed or enthusiasm
Ann ran like crazy, but she still didn't manage to catch the bus.
live with it
to accept a difficult reality
Your boss is an idiot. Live with it!
There is also the expression "to learn to live with it," which means to get used to something annoying or difficult.
look forward to
to anticipate eagerly
I'm looking forward to my trip to Mexico next month.
look like
have the appearance of
Before agreeing to go out on a date with her, Keith wanted to know what my cousin Maria looked like.
The expression "it looks like" can mean "it is likely that…"
look on the bright side
to be optimistic, to think about the positive part or aspect of a situation
You lost your job? Look on the bright side, now you'll have more free time!
lose one's head
to lose control of one's behavior, to not know what one is doing
Nicole lost her head after losing the elections and started yelling at all her friends.
lose one's temper
to become very angry
When Ted handed in his essay two weeks late, his teacher really lost her temper.
love at first sight
an immediate attraction
Tony liked Tara immediately. It was love at first sight!
made of money
very rich
Max should be willing to loan you $10,000 to start your new business. He's made of money.
make a bundle
to make a lot of money
Bob's friend Charles made a bundle in the stock market and retired at age 45.
make a fool of oneself
to cause oneself to look stupid
Dan drank too much and then made a fool of himself.
make a fortune
to make a lot of money
Adam made a fortune when he sold his company to Microsoft.
Synonyms: to make a bundle, to make a killing
make a living
to earn enough money to support oneself
Many people laugh at him, but Bill actually makes a living selling gourmet dog food.
make one's day
to give one great satisfaction
Thanks for bringing over those cookie last week. That made my day!
make out
to kiss with much passion
Ted and Amber started making out at the stoplight and didn't realize that the light had turned green.
make time for
to put time in one's schedule for something
Don is a busy lawyer, but he always makes time for his family.
make up one's mind
to reach a decision, to decide
Stephanie couldn't make up her mind whether to attend Harvard or Stanford. Finally, she chose Stanford.
mess up
to make a mistake, to spoil an opportunity
Ted really messed up on his chemistry test. He got a "D."
Synonym: screw up
mixed feelings
to feel positive about one aspect of something and negative about another
I have mixed feelings about the president of our company. He's good with the clients, but he's nasty to his employees.
nervous wreck
a person feeling very worried
Ted was a nervous wreck before his chemistry test.
never mind
don't worry about something, forget it, it doesn't matter
Never mind what your friends say. You need to do what you think is right.
no hard feelings
no anger, no bitterness
After the elections, Andrea said to Nicole, "I hope there are no hard feelings."
no point in
no reason to, it's not worth(doing something)
There's no point in worrying about things you can't change.
no wonder
it's not surprising
Brian's entire body is in pain. It's no wonder since he ran a marathon yesterday!
Synonym: small wonder
not have a clue
to know nothing about
"Do you know how to fix a broken printer?"-"No, I don't have a clue!"
nothing to do with
not have any relationship with someone, to not get involves with something
After I found out that Nora shoplifted some lipstick from the drugstore, I wanted nothing to do with her.
now you're talking
you're saying the right thing
You want to offer me free tickets to the J. Lo concert? Now you're talking!
nuts about
to like very much
Ted has every single Metallica album - he's nuts about that band.
on the job
at work
Dan got fired for drinking on the job.
on thin ice
to be in a dangerous position, to be temporarily on somebody's bad side
Joey was on thin ice with his mom after he spent his lunch money on candy bars.
There is also the variation "to skate on thin ice."
out of practice
no longer good at doing something
I used to play tennis every day, but I haven't played in years. I'm out of practice.
out of the question
impossible
You want to borrow my new car and drive it across the country? I'm sorry, but that's out of the question.
out of work
unemployed, not working
Gary was out of work for a year before finding a new job.
over one's head
beyond one's understanding
The article on cloning was written for scientists. It was over my head.
pain in the neck
an annoyance
Yesterday I had to stay home all day and wait for the repairman. What a pain in the neck!
pay a compliment
to give someone a compliment, to offer someone an admiring comment
Professor Russo paid Jennifer a compliment. He said she had a beautiful smile.
pay back
to repay a loan or debt
Nicole paid her friend back the $10 she borrowed.
"Pay back" also means to "get revenge."
pick up
to require, to learn
Diana picked up some great new ideas at the workshop.
piece of cake
very easy
The driving test is a piece of cake. Don't worry about it.
Synonym: easy as pie. You should have to trouble passing the driving test. It's as easy as pie.
pitch in
to help
If you need my help, just ask. I'd be happy to pitch in.
Synonyms: to lend a hand, to lend a helping hand, to help out
put the blame on (someone)
to name somebody else as responsible for a misdeed or misfortune
Mrs. Lopez put the blame on her husband for losing their life saving in the stock market.
right away
immediately
You need some sugar for your cookies? I'll bring some over right away.
roll up one's sleeves
to prepare to work
Let's roll up our sleeves and finish making these cookies!
save the day
to prevent a disaster or misfortune
The Christmas tree was on fire, but Ted threw water on it and saved the day.
shut up
be quiet, stop speaking
The professor talked for hours. I thought he'd never shut up.
sick and tired of
completely bored with, sick of
I'm sick and tired of this nasty weather we've been having!
sit tight
to wait patiently
Sit tight, the doctor will be with you in a few minutes.
slack off
to waste time
Amanda doesn't get much done at the office. She's too busy slacking off.
small fortune
a good amount of money
You won $25,000 in the lottery? That's a small fortune!
sold out
completely sold
Susan's cookies were very popular at the bake sale. In fact, they sold out in just 20 minutes!
spending money
money for minor expenses
Before Tim left for Europe, his parents gave him $400 in spending money.
Synonym: pocket money
stab someone in the back
to betray someone
Jill and Heather were friends, until Heather stabbed Jill in the back by stealing her boyfriend.
stand a chance
to have the possibility of success
Wilton High School has the best soccer team in the state. I'm afraid we don't stand a chance against them.
stay up
not to go to bed; to stay awake
Whenever I stay up late, I regret it the next morning.
stop by
to pay a quick visit
Stop by my office on your way home tonight.
stressed out
under severe strain, very anxious
Al is so stressed out about his job that he can't sleep at night.
sure thing
an outcome that is assured
Gary bet all his money on a horse named Trixie, thinking she was a sure thing.
take a break
to stop and rest from an activity
Bob always works 10 hours straight, never taking a break.
take it easy
relax, don't worry
You lost your keys? Take it easy, I'm sure you'll find them.
take it or leave it
accept or reject an offer, usually a final one
The highest salary we can offer you is $50,000 a year - take it or leave it.
take off
to become popular, to grow suddenly
Julia Roberts' career took off with the film "Pretty Woman."
take over
to assume control
My new boss will be taking over some of my projects.
take something the wrong way
to take offense
Don't take this the wrong way, but I like your hair better before you got it cut.
This expression is often used in the negative form: "Don't take this the wrong way, but…"
talk into
to persuade, to convince
Chris didn't want to jump out of the plane, but Erin talked him into it.
talk over
to discuss
Dave and I spent hours talking over the details of the plan.
thank goodness
I'm grateful, I'm relieved
Thank goodness you didn't go to California on Monday. It rained there every day this week.
things are looking up
things are improving
Things are looking up with the economy.
think big
to set high goals
Why run for Governor of New York? Think big: run for President of the United States.
to tell you the truth
to speak openly, to admit
To tell you the truth, Ted isn't a very good student.
track record
a record of achievements or performances
The women's basketball team at the University of Connecticut has an excellent track record.
turn off
to cause to feel dislike or revulsion
I used to be friends with Monica, but she gossiped all the time and it really turned me off.
The noun form, turn-off, is also common and usually describes something that cause the opposite sex to respond negatively.
up in the air
not yet determined, uncertain
It might rain later, so our plans for the picnic are up in the air.
Way to go!
Good work!
That was an interesting article you wrote. Way to go!
well off
wealthy, financially secure
Debbie is a doctor and her husband is a lawyer. They're quite well off.
What's the matter?
What's the problem?
What's the matter, Bob? You don't look very happy.
What's up?
What's going on? What's new?
What's up? I haven't spoken to you in a long time.
wise guy
a smart aleck, one who makes a lot of sarcastic comments
That clerk in the video store is a real wise guy. He's always making nasty comments about the customers.
Synonyms: wise ass [rude], smart ass[rude]
work like a dog
to work very hard
Larry became an investment banker after college, and now he works like a dog.
work one's tail off
to work very hard
Don worked his tail off to save money for his son's education.
work out
to find a solution, to resolve
Nicole spent half the night helping Ted work out a very difficult chemistry problem.
"Work out" has several other meanings, including: succeed, endure, exercise
worth one's while
worthy of one's effort or time
It would be worth your while to audition for the game show Jeopardy. You'd probably win a lot of money.
wrap up
to finish
Okay folks, let's wrap up these exercises so we can go home early tonight.
you can say that again
I agree with you
"The weather is so nasty today." - "You can say that again! I don't even want to go outside!"
your guess is as good as mine
I don't know, I don't know any more than you do
Will Ted graduate on time? Your guess is as good as mine.