101 American English Idioms, Idioms - Phrasal Verbs - Prepositions - Collocations - Slang Language
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101 American English Idioms
Section One
It’s a Zoo Out There
1-
Smell a Rat
(feel that something is wrong)
-How come the front door is open? Didn’t you close it before we went shopping?
-I’m sure I did. I can’t understand it.
-Frankly, I
smell a rat.
-Me, too. I’m
convinced that something is definitely wrnog
here.
-We’d better call the police.
2-
Go to the Dogs
(become run down)
-Have you seen their house lately? It’s really
gone to the dogs
.
-It’s true that it has
become run-down and in serious need of repair
, but I’m sure that
it can be fixed up to look like new.
-I guess with a little carpentery work and some paint it could look pretty decent.
3-
Fishy
(strange and suspicious)
When the security guard saw a light in the store after closing hours, it seemed to him that
there were sometihgn
fishy
going on. He called the central office and explained to his
superior that he thought something
strange and suspicious
was occuring.
4-
Take the Bull by the Horns
(take decisive action in a difficult situation)
Julie had always felt that she was missing out on a lot of fun because of her clumsiness
on the dance floor. She had been putting of taking lessons, but she finally
took the bull
by the horns
and went to a professional dance studio for help. She was tired of feeling
left out and
acted decisivelyl to correct the situation
.
5-
Horse of a Diffrent Color
(quite a different matter)
Eric likes to play jokes on his friends, but he makes sure that nobody is hurt by any of his
pranks. A prank that hurts someone is
a horse horse of diffrent color
! Being playful is
one thing, but hurting someone by one’s prank is
quite a different matter
.
6-
Let the Cat Out of the Bag
(inform beforehand)
Bob was going to retire from teaching in June, and the foreign language department was
planning on presenting him with some luggage at his retirement dinner. He wasn’t
supposed to know about it, but someone
let the cat out of the bag
. At dinner Bob acted
suprised, even though someone
had told him what he was getting before the official
presentation
.
7-
For the Birds
(uninteresting an meaningless)
They went to a poetry reading, but they got bored and restless. As far as they were
concerned, it was
for the birds
! They left during an intermission because they found the
reading
totally uninteresting and meaningless
.
8-
Straight From the Horse’s Mouth
(from a reliable source)
-How did you find out that Jill was engaged? I got the information
from a very reliable
soruce
.
-You mean Jill told you so herself?
-That’s right. I got it
straight from the horse’s mouth
!
9-
Horse Around
(play around)
Did you hear about Dave’s back injury?
No. How did he get hurt?
Well, after the coach left the gym he decided to stay and
horse around
on the parallel
bars. He somehow lost his grip and fell on his back.
That’s too bad, but he shouldn’t have been
aimlessly playing around
on the equipment
without proper supervision.
10-
Cat Got Your Tounge?
(can’t talk)
Come on, Connie! Tell us what you think about our little ride down the rapidsy
yesterday.
Well, uh...
Wasn’t it excititing?
I, uh...
What’s the matter?
Cat got your tounge?
If you must know, I’m
keeping quiet
because I was scared out of my wits!
Section Two
The Body Has Many Uses
11-
Get in Someone’s hair
(bother someone)
-Children! Would you please stop making so much noise! And for heaven’s sake, pick up
your clothes and toys! It’s hard enough trying to keep this house clean without your
throwing your things all over the place!
-Clara, I know that the children
get in your hair
, but you should try not to let it upset
you so much.
-Listen, Jim. I can’t help it. The children
bother me and make me very angry
when
they’re so noisy and messy.
12-
Shoot Off One’s Mouth
(express one’s opinions loudly)
Jim doesn’t play tennis very much, but he’s always
shooting off his mouth
about how
good he is. Yet he is fooling nobody. Jim is somewhat of a braggart and everyone knows
that he gives opinions without knowing all the facts and
talks as if he knew everything
about the game.
13-
Jump Down Someone’s Throat
(become angry with someone)
-That’s it, Greg! You’d better not come in after midnight again tonight!
-I know, dad. You don’t have to
jump down on my throat
! I told you taht I’d make it
home around 11:30. I don’t inted to be late!
-Well, you’ve said that before and in your come at 2:30 in the morning. You can’t blame
me for
getting angry and scolding you
. I’ve got good reason.
14-
Pay Through the Nose
(pay too high a price)
At last Mr.Smith came upon the rare stamp he had been seeking at an auction. Since
many other stamp collectors would also be bidding for it, he realized that he would have
to
pay through the nose
in order to have it. After considering the increasing value of the
stamp, he decided that he would not mind
paying such a high price
for something so
rare.
15-
Tongue-In Cheek
(not serious)
-Why were you teasing Sonia about her new hairdo? She really took offense at what you
said.
-I didn’t mean to offend her. I was simply making a
tounge-in-check
remark when I said
that it was too elaborate for a girl of her young, tender age.
-Well, she thought you were serious. She had no idea that you were just saying that
as a
joke
.
-I’m really sorry. I suppose I owe her an apology.
16-
Pull Someone’s Leg
(fool someone)
-Hey, Al. I was invited to be a judge for the Miss America Beauty Peagant!
-Oh, really? Come on, you’re
pulling my leg
!
-No, honestly. Do you really think that I’m
trying to fool you with a ridiculous story
?
-Well, you’ve told me foolish stories before.
-I can assure you that this one is for real.
17-
Play It by Ear
(improvise as one goes along)
-Let’s go to the movies, agreed?
-Sure. And what’ll we do after that?
-Oh, I don’t know. Let’s
play by the ear
.
-Well, I would like to have a more definite plan of action.
-Don’t be like that. It’s always more fun
not knowing what to expect and deciding
what to do as we go along
.
18-
Stick Out One’s Neck
(take a risk)
-How come they’re asking me to act as their guide through the jungle?
-Evidently they think you’re teh only one who can lead them to the lost temple.
-That jungle has danger lurking around every corner. Why should I
stick my neck out
for them? They didn’t pay me for my services.
-They know that you would be
taking a great risk and could possibly get hurt
, but
you’re the only one with enough knowladge to take them to their destination. I’m sure
you’ll be amply rewarded.
19-
Shake a Leg
(hurry!)
-Mary, you always take such a long time to put on your makeup. Come on,
shake a leg
!
-I’ll be finished in a minute. Be patient.
-You’ve got to
hurry
or else we won’t arrive on time to see the last show.
20-
All Thumbs
(clumsy)
-Hey, Bea. Can you help me out? I don’t seem to be able to button up the back of my
dress.
-Sure. Let’s see if I can do it for you.
-I guess I’m
all thumbs
because I’m so nervous. I’m already late for my date.
-Well, I suppose that being so nervous would make you
clumsy and awkward
. But
don’t worry. I’m sure your date will wait.
21-
Not Have a Leg to Stand On
(to have no good defense for one’s opinions or actions)
Tom maintains that the firm owes him some back wages for having worked overtime.
However, he
won’t have a leg to stand on
unless he can provide that he put in all those
extra hours. He doesn’t stand a chance of getting his money
without a strong
foundation of facts to support his position
.
22-
Get Off Someone’s Back
(stop bothering someone)
-Hey, John. I’m bored. Come on, let’s go out and do something.
-Sorry, I’m right in the middle of studying for a physics exam. I won’t be able to make it
tonight.
-You’ve been studying for a long time. Why don’t you take a break? Come on! Forget
studying for a while!
-Look!
Get off my back
! I can’t go anywhere!
-OK. I’ll
stop bothering you
only if you promise to let me know the minute you’re
finished.
Section Three
That’s Not Nice
23-
Drive Someone Up a Wall
(annoy someone greatly)
-Wow! What a great set of drums!
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