useful idiom in listening 2

flyingty

Above all most importantly
About to almost ready to
Add up make sense ; be logical
All at once suddenly; without warning
All of a sudden all at once; suddenly
As a matter of fact in reality; actually
As a rule generally; customarily
At the drop of a hat quickly; without any preparation time
At ease not nervous; calm
Back out(of) withdraw an offer
Bank on depend on; count on
Be my guest do what you want; feel free; help yourself
Be rusty need practice or review
Beats me I don't know; I have no idea(often used in response to a question
Better off in an improved condition
Bite off more than one can chew take on more responsibility than one can handle
Bound to certain to; sure to
Break down stop functioning (a machine ,for example)
Break in(on) interrupt
Break the ice break through social barriers (as at a party)
Break the news(to) inform; give bad news
Break up end(a meeting ,for example)
Break up (with) stop being a couple( a boyfriend and girlfriend ,for example)
A breeze something very simple and easy to do
Bring about cause to happen
Bring up (1)raise (a child) ; (2) introduce( a topic, for example)
Brush up on review; study; practice
Bump into meet unexpectedly ; run into
By and large mostly; generally ; on the whole
By heart by memory; learned word for word
By no means in on way; not at all
Call it a day stop working for the day; go home
Call off cancel
Call on visit
Calm down relax
Care for (1)take care of; (2) like; feel affection for
Catch on become popular
Catch on (to) understand ,learn
Catch up (with) go as fast as ;catch
Check in (into) register(at a hotel)
Check out (of) (1)leave (a hotel); (2) take material (from a library, for example)
Cheer up become cheerful; be happy
Chip in (on/for) contribute
Clear up (1) clarity; make understandable; (2) become nice and sunny (used to talk about the weather)
Come across find; meet ; encounter
Come around (to) begin to change one’s opinion; begin to agree with
Come down with become sick with (an illness)
Come up with think of (an idea)
Cost an arm and a leg be very expensive
Count on depend on ;rely on; bank on
Count out eliminate ; no longer consider as a factor
Cut off stop ; discontinue (a service , for example)
Cut out for have an aptitude for ;be qualified for
Day in and day out constantly; for a long time
Die down become less severe; quiet down
Do over do again ; repeat
Do without not have
Down the drain wasted ;done for no reason(work, for example)
Dream up invent; think of ; come up with
Drop in (on) visit informally
Drop (someone) a line send someone a letter
Drop off (1)leave something (a package, for example); (2) take (someone) home; let someone out of a car
Drop out (of) stop attending (classes, for example)
Easy as pie very simple; a piece of cake
Eyes bigger than one’s stomach said of someone who takes more food than he or she can eat
Fall behind not move as quickly as ; lag behind
Fall through fail to happen
A far cry from not similar to; not as good as
Feel free do something if one wants
Feel like be inclined to; want to
Feel like a million dollars feel very good
Feel up to feel able to do something ;ready to
Fed up( with ) not able to tolerate; disgusted with ; annoyed by
Few and far between uncommon and infrequent
Figure out understand ; solve
Fill in write in a blank (on an application form, for example)
Fill in (for) substitute for
Fill one in provide missing information
Fill out complete (an application form ,for example)
Find out learn ;discover
A fish out of water someone not in his or her normal surroundings
Fix up repair; renovate
Follow in one’s footsteps do what someone else did (especially an older relative)
For good permanently; forever
For the time being temporarily; for now
From out of the blue unexpectedly; without warning
Get along with have good relations with
Get carried away go too far; do too much; buy too much
Get in one’s blood become a habit; become customary
Get in over one’s head take on too much responsibility ;bite off more than one can chew
Get in the way block; obstruct
Get in touch with contact
Get the hang of something learn how to do something
Get a kick out of (doing something) enjoy; have fun doing something
Get off leave (a vehicle)
Get off the ground start to be successful
Get on board (a vehicle)
Get over recover from (a disease)
Get rid of discard; no longer have
Get under way begin; start
Give away distribute (for free)
Give(someone) a cold shoulder act unfriendly toward someone; ignore
Give a hand applaud ;clap
Give a hand (with) assist
Go easy on not punish severely
Go on (with) continue
Go with (1)accompany; (2) look good together; complement(for example, two articles of clothing)
Go without saying be clear; be obvious
Grow up to mature; to become an adult
Hand in give back to; return
Hand out distribute
Hang on wait
Hard to come by difficult to find
Have on wear
Have one’s hands full be very busy; have a challenging job
Have a heart be compassionate ; show mercy
Have a hunch have an intuitive feeling
Have a word with(someone) talk to someone briefly
Have the time of one’s life have fun; have a great of time
Hear firsthand (from) get information directly from someone
Hear from be contacted by; be in touch with
Hear of know about; be familiar with
Hit it off become friendly (especially at a first meeting)
Hit the road leave ,go away
Hold on wait
Hold on (to) grasp
Hold still not move
Hold up delay
In hot water in trouble
In the dark not knowing ;confused
In the long run over a long period of time
In no time very soon; very quickly
In a nutshell in summary; in brief
In the same boat in the same situation; having the same problem
In person face to face (not by telephone, letter, etc.)
In store in the future; coming up
Iron out solve (a problem)
Join the club have the same problem
Jump to conclusions form opinions without sufficient evidence
Keep an eye on watch ; take care of ; look after
Keep an eye out (for) look for
Keep on (with) continue
Keep track of know where something or someone is
Keep up (with) maintain the same speed as
Kill time spend time doing unimportant things (before an appointment ,for example)
Know like the back of one’s hand be very familiar with
Lay off put out of work
Learn the ropes become familiar with ; get used to ; get the hang of
Leave out not include; omit
Leave someone/something alone not disturb
Let someone down disappoint
Let up decline in intensity (rain, for example)
Look after take care of ; mind
Look for try to locate
Look forward to anticipate(with pleasure)
Look into investigate
Look like resemble
Look out(for) be careful
Look over examine; read
Look up (1)find information (especially in a reference book); (2) try to locate someone
Look up to respect; admire
Make ends meet balance a budget
Make a fool of oneself act embarrassingly
Make a point of make a special effort
Make sense(of) be logical and clear; understand
Make up invent, create
Make up one’s mind decide
Make way for allow space for; provide a path for
Mean to intend to
Mixed up confused
Music to one’s ears something that sounds pleasant
A nervous wreck someone who is very nervous
Next to nothing very little( money, for example); cheap
No doubt about it certainly; definitely
No harm done there was no damage done
Not at all not in any way; not to an degree
Not believe one’s ears( or eyes) be unable to believe what one hears (or sees)
Not think much of not like; not have a good opinion of
Odds and ends small ,miscellaneous items
An old hand (at) an experienced person
On edge nervous
On end consecutively, without a break (days on end, for example)
On hand easily available
On needles and pins nervous ;anxious
On one’s own independent
On second thought after reconsidering
On the go always busy; always moving
On the tip of one’s tongue almost able to remember
On the whole in general
Out of (something) not having something
Out of one’s mind insane; illogical; irrational
Out of order broken; not functioning properly
Out of the question definitely not ; impossible
Over and over again and again ; repeatedly
Over one’s head not understandable (a joke, for example); obscure
Part with no longer have; get rid of; not be in the company of
Pass up not accept; not choose
Pass with flying colors do very well(on a test)
Pat oneself on the back congratulate oneself
Pay attention to concentrate on; focus on
Pick out choose; select
Pick up (1) take something from a surface(for example, a floor); (2) go to a location and get someone or something; (3) learn(specially without formal training)
Pick up the tab (for) pay for
The picture of a perfect example of something
Play it by ear do something without a definite plan
Play it safe choose a cautious plan
Point out indicate
A pretty penny a lot of money
Pull one’s leg joke with someone; make up a story
Push one’s luck to continue doing something too long ; to keep taking chances
Put aside save for later; set aside
Put away return something to its proper place
Put off delay; postpone
Put on begin to wear
Put together assemble
Put up with tolerate
Right away immediately
Ring a bell(with) sound familiar to
Rough it experience somewhat difficult or primitive conditions
Rule out say something is impossible ;eliminate
Run a temperature have a fever
Run for office try to get elected
Run into (1)meet unexpectedly; bump into; (2) collide with
Run late be late ; be in a hurry
Run of the mill ordinary
Run out of exhaust the supply of
Save one’s breath don’t bother asking someone
Search me I don’t know; I have no idea; beats me
See eye to eye (with someone) (on something) have the same opinion; be in agreement
See (someone) off accompany(to an airport or train station, for example)
See to take care of ; check on; fix
Serve one right receive the proper punishment; get the penalty one deserves
Short for a nickname for
Show around orient; give a tour
Show off try to attract attention by unusual behavior
Show up arrive
Shut down close
Sign up (for) enroll(for a class ,for example)
Sing another tune change one’s opinion; feel differently
Size up measure; estimate
Sleep on it postpone a decision until the next day
Slowly but surely gradually; steadily but not quickly
Snowed under very busy
So far, so good up until now, there are no problems
Sooner or later at some indefinite future time
Speak one’ s mind say what one is thinking
Speak up speak more loudly
Speak up for support verbally
Spell out(for) make something very clear; explain in detail
Spick and span extremely clean; spotless
Stack up against compare with
Stamp out eliminate; wipe out
Stand for (1)tolerate; put up with; (2)symbolize; represent
Stand out be noticeable
Stay out not come home
Stay out(or up) to all hours come home(or go to bed) very late
Stay up not go to bed
Stick with not change; stay with
Stock up on get a large supply of something
A stone’s throw from not far away from ;close to
Stop by visit informally ;go to see
Straighten up clean up ;make tidy
Stuck with have something one cannot get rid of
Take a break stop working for a short time
Take a lot of nerve require a lot of courage
Take a lot out of (someone) be hard on someone; drain energy from someone
Take advantage of utilize; make use of ;exploit
Take after resemble; look like (especially an older relative)
Take apart disassemble
Take it easy relax; calm down
Take off (1)remove (clothing ,for example) (2)ascend(a plane, for example); (3) become popular quickly
Take over assume control or responsibility
Take part in participate in
Take a shortcut take a more direct or faster route than usual
Take the plunge finally take action; do something different
Take time off (from) take a vacation or a break from work or school
Take up begin to study some topic or engage in some activity
Talk down to speak to someone as if he or she were a child; patronize
Talk into persuade ;convince
Talk out of dissuade ;convince not to do something
Talk over discuss
Tear oneself away from something stop doing something interesting
Tear up rip into small pieces
Tell apart distinguish
Things are looking up the situation is improving
Think over consider
Throw away discard; get rid of
Throw cold water on discourage; force to cancel(a plan, for example)
Throw the book at someone give someone the maximum punishment
Try on test clothing before buying(for size ,style, and so on)
Try out test a product before buying
Try out (for) audition for (a role in a play, for example); attempt to join (a team, for example)
Turn around face in a different direction
Turn down (1)reject an offer; (2) decrease in intensity
Turn in (1)return; give back ; hand in;(2)go to bed
Turn into change to ; transform into
Turn off stop the operation (of an appliance, for example); shut off
Turn on start the operation (of an appliance, for example)
Turn out (1) result; end up ; be the final product; (2)produce; (3)arrive ;gather(for a meeting, for example)
Turn up (1)increase in intensity; (2)arrive
Under the weather slightly ill
Use up use completely
Wait on serve
Walk on chair be very happy
Warm up (1) heat; (2) practice; prepare for
Warm up (to) become friendly with; start to enjoy
Watch out (for) be alert; look out for
Wear out become no longer useful because of wear
What the doctor ordered exactly what was needed; the perfect thing
Wipe out eliminate; stamp out
Without a hitch without a problem
Work out (1)exercise; (2)bring to a successful conclusion ;solve