Toggle navigation
Strongmemo
Subjects
Register
Login
Home
Advance English Idioms
Advance English Idioms
put your foot in it
say something accidentally which upsets or embarrasses someone
take a shine to
to immediately like something/someone
a flash in a pan
something that happens only once
sink like a stone
failed completely
prick ones ears up
start to listen carefully
going up in the world
gained a better position, or more money, than before
knock into shape
take action to get something into a good condition
debt of honour
a debt that one owes someone for moral rather than financial reason
run its course
come to a natural end
open the door to
give something a new start
get off your backside
stop being lazy (very informal)
know no bounds
be extreme
curl your lip
to sneer; show disrespect
know your place
accept your low position within society without trying to improve it
hopping mad
very angry
make a name for
become famous or respected for
run a tight ship
control something firmly and effectively
feather one's own nest
dishonestly use your position to get money for yourself
be beyond the pale
be unacceptable
get the sack
be dismissed from your job
to take center stage
to be the most important or noticeable thing or person
to get/ take flak
recieve strong criticism
be given/ get his marching order
lose his job
to pull rank
use the power his (manager) position gives him to make them (employees) do something
to see reason
become sensible/ reasonable
to se the point
understanding the importance of something
to see light
suddenly understanding something
see the joke
understand something
bluff your way
pretend to be in a weaker or stronger position than is really the case
every Tom, Dick and/or Harry
people that you don't know or think are not important
the good old days
remembering the past nostalgically
to clip someone's wings
to limit someone's freedom
up-to-the-minute
new
spirit of adventure
enthusiasm for adventurous activities
part and parcel
a necessary part of an event or experience which cannot be avoided
sit on the fence
delay making a decision when they have to choose between two different options in a dispute
right of the bat
immediately
throw someone a curveball
surprise them with something difficult or unpleasant to deal with
someone is batting a thousand
doing something extremely well, better than they had hoped
someone drops the ball
do something careless or stupid
catch some z's
sleep (informal)
is fresh out of
has just finished or sold all its supply
the frosting on the cake
something that makes a good thing even better
fight like cats and dogs
argue violently all the time
grunt work
hard, boring work
take the cake
used informally to describe something the speaker finds very annoying
cry buckets
cry a lot (informal)
cold cash
money in form of cash or notes, not a cheque or credit card
like the cat that ate the canary
very pleased with oneself (informal, usually collocates with 'look', 'grin' or 'smile')
not worth a dime
has little or no value