...
The taxes increased across the board and everyone must pay more.
act high and mighty
- to act proud and powerful
The woman always acts high and mighty and nobody likes her.
act one's ... energy
The man stood up and belted out several old songs.
Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 29
B
back Idioms
back and forth
- backwards and forwards, first one way an...
... Use This Dictionary
xii
of variation is similar to wild card terms. Here are
examples of the sets of limited sets of verbs.
be ahead of Tom
get ahead of Tom
keep ahead of Tom
remain ahead of Tom
stay ... collocations, idioms, idiomatic expressions,
clichés, proverbs, set phrases, fixed phrases,
phrasal verbs, common phrases, prepositional
verbs, and phrasal/ prepos...
... too much and then losing his job and
then drinking even more.
vim and vigor
- energy and enthusiasm
Our great aunt is always full of vim and vigor when we see her.
vote down
- defeat ...
retirement.
well-to-do
- have lots of money
He comes from a rather well-to-do family.
well up in years
- old
My father is well up in years but he is very healthy.
wet b...
...
Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 1
Commonly-Used Idioms, Sayings and phrasal verbs
What is the meaning of idioms?
Words that come together and change the whole meaning of the statement like "it
rains cats and dogs", ... will not attend.
all-out-effort
- a very good and thorough effort
We are making an all-out-effort to finish our work.
all over but the sh...
... bowled me over with his energetic sales talk.
brand-new
- absolutely new
I was finally able to buy a brand-new car.
break Idioms
break a habit
- to end a habit
My sister worked very hard ...
Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 29
B
back Idioms
back and forth
- backwards and forwards, first one way and then the other way
The argument went back and forth befo...
... account.
cloak -and- dagger
- involving secercy and plotting
The agents were involved in cloak -and- dagger diplomacy over the spy scandal.
close Idioms
close at hand
- to be within ... person.
cash -and- carry
- a system where you pay cash for some goods and then carry them away
The supermarkets in our city always operate on a cash -and- carry basis.
c...
... politicians put on a dog and pony show to make everyone forget about the
scandal.
dog-eat-dog
- to be ready or willing to fight and hurt others to get what you want
It is a dog-eat-dog world in the ... (something)
- to think or talk about something all the time
I wish that my friend would not dwell on his personal problems.
dyed-in-the-wool
- permanent, stubborn
M...
... of the storm
- the center of a problem
The politician was in the eye of the storm because of the accounting scandal.
eyeball-to-eyeball
- face to face
I sat eyeball-to-eyeball with our ... (someone's) hand
- to do what someone else wants
The secretary had her boss eating out of her hand and she could do whatever she
wanted.
eat (someone) out of house and home...
...
Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 248
get-up -and- go
- energy, enthusiasm, drive
The man has lots of get-up -and- go and it is difficult to follow him around.
get up enough nerve (to do something)
- to become brave ... understand (something)
- to understand something plainly and clearly
I was given to understand that I could rent an apartment very cheaply in this area.
gl...
... very poor when she was a child and always wore hand-me-down clothing.
a hand-out
- a gift (usually from the government)
The government stopped giving hand-outs to the university students ... 292
to hand it to (someone)
- to give credit or praise to someone
You have to hand it to our manager for working hard and being successful with his
business.
a hand-me-down
-...
... Hancock
- one's signature
"Please sign your John Henry here and we will process your order right away."
Johnny-come-lately
- a new-comer
He`s a Johnny-come-lately and doesn`t ... know what he is talking about.
Johnny-on-the-spot
- someone who is at the right place when needed or is right on time
He is always Johnny-on-the-spot. Just when we need him...
... of months.
a knock-down-drag-out fight
- a serious fight or argument
My friend and his brother had a knock-down-drag-out fight last evening.
Knock it off!
- stop doing something, quit ... or going.
a know-it-all
- a person who acts as if he or she knows everything
He is a know-it-all and nobody likes to be around him.
know of (someone or something)
- to b...
... lame-duck leader so it was difficult for him to accomplish some things.
land of Nod
- sleep
I entered the land of Nod as soon as my head hit the pillow.
land on one`s feet/both feet
- ...
a left-handed compliment
- an ambiguous compliment interpreted as offensive
He gave her a left-handed compliment when he said that her dyed hair looked nice.
a leg man
- s...
... man-about-town and goes out almost every evening.
man in the street
- an average or ordinary person
According to the man in the street the government is not very popular.
man-to-man
- ...
a matter-of-fact manner/way
- simply telling or showing the truth, seeming not to care much
The witness described the murder in a matter-of-fact way.
as a matter of fact
-...
... Grammar and phrasal verbs exercise
This exercise tests your understanding of grammar and phrasal verbs. Each question is followed by four
suggested ... The book must be old for its cover
is torn.
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