English Idioms in Use: Advanced

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60 units of vocabulary
reference and practice

Second Edition

Advanced

60 units of vocabulary
reference and practice
Self-study and
classroom use
Second Edition

Advanced
Felicity O'Dell
Michael McCarthy

. .,. , , .,. CAMBRIDGE
:::

UNIVERSITY PRESS

CAMBRIDGE
UNIVERSITY PRESS
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First published 2010
Second Edition 2017
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Contents
Acknowledgements

3

Idioms to talk about ...

Using this book

4

In this section the units are organised around the
topic or functional area where they are most likely
to be used.

Learning about idioms
In this section the units deal with key aspects of what
idioms are and how you can use them.

D
IJ
U
II
II

a

D
D

What are idioms?
When and how are idioms used?
Using reference resources
Common metaphors in idioms
Using idioms accurately
Playing with idioms
Idioms from other varieties of English
Modern idioms

Types of idiom
In this section the units deal with specific types
of idiom.

D

IIiJ
OJ

m
m

Similes

Films, plays and books
Relationships - friends and family
People - character and behaviour
Crime and punishment
Work
Business news
Business meetings
Money
Society
Daily life
Positive feelings
Negative feelings
Problems
Arguing

Binomials

Idioms used in ...

Proverbs

This section focuses on some of the written contexts
where idioms are frequently found.

Cliches and fixed statements
Other languages

Idioms from the topic area of ...
In this section the units are organised around the
aspect of life from which the idioms have originated.

m
m
m
ID
m
m
m
m
m
m
m

m
m
m
m
m
m
m
m
m
m
m
III
m
m

Sailing
War and conflict
Transport
Animals
Parts of the body
Games and sport
Ancient myths and history

m
Gm
m

Journalism
Advertising
Formal writing

Idioms used in conversation
This section focuses on ways in which idioms are
typically used in spoken language.

m
ID

EIJ

ID

cm
li,I

Advising and warning
Telling stories
Responding to what people say
Agreeing and disagreeing
Expressing success and failure
Emphasising

Shakespeare
Literature
Learning
Science and technology

English Idioms in Use Advanced

1

Idioms using these keywords:
In this section each unit focuses on one keyword
which has given rise to a particularly large number
of English idioms.

m
m
Im)
m
m
m
m

2

Play and game
Half

m
m
m
Im
m

Life and live
Dead and death
Mind
Hard
Fall

Two

rm

All

Key

126

Phonemic symbols

158

Index

159

No
Hand
Heart

English Idioms in Use Advanced

Own

Acknowledgements
Joy Godwin wrote two new units for the Second Edition: Unit 23, Learning, and Unit 38, Arguing.
The publishers would like to thank Joy for her contribution to this edition.

The authors and publishers acknowledge the following sources of copyright material and
are grateful for the permissions granted. While every effort has been made, it has not always
been possible to identify the sources of all the material used, or to trace all copyright holders.
If any omissions are brought to our notice, we will be happy to include the appropriate
acknowledgements on reprinting & in the next update to the digital edition, as applicable.
Key: TR= Top Right.

Photographs
All the photographs are sourced from Getty Images.
p. 7: Oleh_Slobodeniuk/E+; p. 11: lisafx/iStock/Getty Images Plus; p. 17 (photo 1): Ryuichi Sato/Taxi
Japan; p. 17 (photo 2): Simon Winnall/Taxi; p. 17 (photo 3): Richard Thwaites/Moment; p. 18: David
Madison/The Image Bank; p. 21 (boat): Marek Jagoda/EyeEm; p. 21 (radar): lvcandy/DigitalVision
Vectors; p. 21 (runners) : Tetra Images; p. 21 (clock): malerapaso/E+; p. 21 (woman) : Dan Hallman/
Photographer's Choice; p. 25 (photo 1): Doug McKinlay/Perspectives; p. 25 (photo 2) : Michael Steele/
Getty Images Europe; p. 25 (photo 3) : Gerville/E+; p. 25 (photo 4): Anthony Lee/OJO Images; p. 32:
Thinkstock lmages/Stockbyte; p. 40: Michael Blann/lconica; p. 50 (TR): Jack Hollingsworth/Blend
Images; p. 50 (Kasi a): Adam Orzechowski/Stone; p. 50 (Sadiq): petekarici/iStock/Getty Images Plus;
p. 50 (Massimo) : ajr_images/iStock/Getty Images Plus; p. 50 (Farah): Ryoko Uyama/Taxi; p. 50 (Ana) :
NADOFOTOS/iStock/Getty Images Plus; p. 54: Victor Chavez/Wirelmage; p. 60: Mgkaya/E+; p. 68:
Jonathan Lansangan/EyeEm; p. 72: Maskot; p. 80: JohnnyGreig/E+; p. 81 (photo 1): Allan Baxter/The
Images Bank; p. 81 (photo 2): Jana Leon/DigitalVision; p. 81 (photo 3): Stephanie McDowell/Moment
Open; p. 81 (photo 4): Martin Shields/Photographer's Choice; p. 81 (photo 5): b-d-s/iStock; p. 81
(photo 6): Kami/arabianEye; p. 84 (photo 1): EasyBuy4u/E+; p. 84 (photo 2): Resolution Productions/
Blend Images; p. 84 (photo 3) : Lauren Burke/DigitalVision; p. 90: Adrianko/Cultura ; p. 92: andresr/E+;
p. 98 (photo 1): Sam Edwards/OJO Images; p. 98 (photo 2) : Ezra Bailey/Taxi; p. 102: wundervisuals/
E+; p. 106: Dougal Waters/DigitalVision; p. 117 (photo 1): Guillaume Souvant/Stringer/AFP; p. 117
(photo 2) : Image Source; p. 117 (photo 3): ChoochartSansong/iStock; p. 117 (photo 4) : Dimitrios
Stefanidis/iStock; p. 117 (photo 5): Chris Howes/Canopy; p. 117 (photo 6): ChrisAt/E+.

Illustrations
emc design Ltd: pp. 48, 56, and 112; Christopher Flint (Lemonade Illustration) : 19 and 59;
John Goodwin (Eye Candy Illustration) : pp. 10, 37, 45 and 105; 419 Ludm ila (KJA Artists) :
pp. 13, 47, 49, 65, 101 and 119; John Lund (Beehive Illustration): pp. 40, 55, 67 and 79; Katie Mac
(NB Illustration): pp. 15, 43, 63, 94 and 97; 302 Martina (KJA Artists): pp. 9, 22, 39, 75 and 89.

English Idioms in Use Advanced

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Using this book
Why was this book written?
It was written to help you take your knowledge of idioms to a more advanced level. The ability to use
idioms accurately and appropriately is an indicator that you have a truly advanced level of English,
and so this book pays attention to the productive use of idioms as well as to the comprehension
of their meaning. Many of you will have already worked with English Idioms in Use Intermediate,
and this book builds on the work done there. However, it does not matter if you have gained your
knowledge of idioms in a different way. We do not assume that you have used English idioms in Use
Intermediate, although we do present and practise different idioms from those that were presented
in the lower-level book.

How were the idioms in this book selected?
The idioms which are presented in this book were mainly selected from those identified as significant
by the CANCODE corpus of spoken English, developed at the University of Nottingham in association
with Cambridge University Press, and the Cambridge International Corpus of written and spoken
English (now known as the Cambridge English Corpus). The idioms selected are all also to be found
in the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary 4th Edition, where you can find additional usage notes
and examples. You can search this dictionary on line by going to the following website:
http://dictionary.cambridge.org

How is the book organised?
The book has 60 two-page un its. The left-hand page explains the idioms that are presented in the
unit. You will usually find an explanation of the meaning of the idiom, an example of it in use and,
where appropriate, some comments on when and how it is used. The exercises on the right-hand
page check that you have understood the information on the left-hand page and give you practice in
using the material presented.
The units are organised into seven sections:
Learning about idioms (Units 1-8) gives important information relating to idioms in general, such as
what they are and how to use them accurately.
Types of idiom (Units 9-13) looks at some different types of idiom, dealing with such areas as Similes
and idioms from other languages.
Idioms from the topic area of ... (Units 14-24) focuses on idioms originating from different topic
areas. For example, a great many idioms in English are based on sailing, a result of Britain's history
as an island with a strong dependence on the sea. This section therefore opens with a unit dealing
with id ioms originating from the topic area of Sailing. Other units in this section deal with, for
example, idioms based on Parts of the body, Games and sport and Literature. Many of us find it
interesting to learn about the origins of idioms, and studying them in this way can also help to fix
their meaning in your memory.
Idioms to talk about . . . (Units 25-38) focuses on the topic areas where certain idioms are frequently
used. For instance, there are units dealing with idioms used when talking about Money, about Society
or about Problems.
Idioms used in . .. (Units 39-41) looks at three types of w riting where distinct types of idioms are
used - Journalism , Advertising and Formal writing .
Idioms used in conversation (Units 42-47) presents idioms used in conversations from a functional
point of view. For example, there are units dealing with Telling stories, Agreeing and disagreeing and
Emphasising .
Idioms using these keywords (Units 48-60) groups idioms according to the keywords that they centre
on. Unit 53, for instance, presents and practises idioms using the word hand, while Unit 59 focuses
on idioms using the verb fall.

4

English Idioms in Use Advanced

The book also contains a key and an index, listing the idioms we deal with and indicating the units
where they can be found.

How should I use this book?
We strongly recommend that you do the first two units in the book first - What are idioms? and When
and how are idioms used? - as these give you basic information that underpins all the other units.
After that, you may work on the units in any order that you prefer.

What else do I need in order to work with this book?
You need a notebook or file so that you can write down the idioms that you study in the book as well
as any others that you come across elsewhere.
You also need to have access to a good dictionary. We strongly recommend the Cambridge Advanced
Learner's Dictionary, as this gives you exactly the kind of information that you need to have about
idioms. Your teacher, however, may also be able to recommend other dictionaries that you may
find useful.
So all that remains is to say if you want to stand out from the crowd (Unit 40), start studying t he
idioms in this book. There 's no time like the present! (Unit 40). We hope you'll find this an enjoyable
and useful way to keep up and extend your knowledge of English idioms in use.

English Idioms in Use Advanced

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1

What are idioms?
Formulaic language
Idioms are a type of formulaic language. Formulaic language consists of fixed expressions
which you learn and understand as units rather than as individual words, for example:
type of formulaic language

I examples

greetings and good wishes

Hi there! See you soon! Happy birthday!

prepositional phrases

at the moment, in a hurry, from time to time

sayings, proverbs and quotations

It's a small world! Don't put all your eggs in one basket. To be or
not to be - that is the question.

compounds

car park, bus stop, home-made

phrasal verbs

take off, look after, turn down

collocations

blonde hair, deeply disappointed

Idioms
Idioms are fixed combinations of words whose meaning is often difficult to guess from the
meaning of each individual word .
For example, if I say 'I put my foot in it the other day at Linda's house - I asked her if she
was going to marry Simon ', what does it mean? If you do not know that put your foot in
it means say something accidentally which upsets or embarrasses someone, it is difficult to
know exactly what the sentence means. It has a non-literal or idiomatic meaning.
Idioms are constructed in different ways, and this book gives you practice in a wide variety
of types of idiom. Here are some examples:
Tim took a shine to [immediately liked] his teacher. (verb+ object+ preposition)
The band's number one hit was just a flash in the pan [something that happens only once]
(idiomatic noun phrase)
Little Jimmy has been as quiet as a mouse [extremely quiet] all day. (simile. See Unit 9 for
more similes.)
We arrived safe and sound [safely] . (binomial. See Unit 10 for more binomials.)
Idioms are often based on everyday things and ideas, for example, the human body:
Mark and Alistair don't see eye to eye. [don't agree with each other]

How can I use idioms?
Many idioms are quite informal, so use them carefully. You will need to be able to
understand a lot of idioms if you want to read English fiction, newspapers or magazines,
or understand TV shows, films and songs. People also often use idioms for humour or to
comment on themselves, other people and situations.
You will sound more natural and fluent if you can use idioms in everyday conversation or
informal writing. Be careful not to use too many, though!

Language help
The words and word order of idioms are usually fixed , and we cannot change them in
any way. For example, we cannot say gave a shine to or sound and safe.

6

English Idioms in Use Advanced

Exercises
1.1

Read the beginning of this story and label the type of formulaic language used in the
words in bold. Use the information in A opposite to help you.

In 2009, I set off on a long journey. As I left my house, my
neighbour shouted, 'Good luck!' I didn't know at that moment
that I would not see him again for three years. I boarded the plane
at Heathrow, and soon it took off for Malaysia. When we touched
down in Kuala Lumpur, I couldn't wait to get off the plane. I took
a bus to the city centre and spent the night at a youth hostel The
first person I met was someone I had been at school with years ago.
'It's a small world!' he said when he saw me.

1.2

Underline the seven idioms in the rest of the story you read in 1.1.

My friend suggested that we join forces. 'There's safety in numbers,' he said. 'Let's
hit the road together.' I was in two minds whether to go with him but finally decided
to say yes. We travelled together for six months and had a whale of a time. We spent
money like there was no tomorrow. I had to twist my dad's arm and persuade him to
send me some more money so I could travel further.

1.3

Choose the correct answer.

1 His first novel was just a) a flash in a pan b) a flash of the pan c) a flash in the pan.
b) taken a shine to c) got a shine to his new babysitter.
3 I hope you have a good trip and come home a) safely and soundly b) sound and safe
c) safe and sound .
4 Oh dear! I think I've a) had a foot in it b) put my foot in it c) got my foot in it!
5 Kate is really noisy, but her best friend is a) as quiet as a cat b) as quiet as a mouse
c) as quiet like a mouse.
2 I think Philip has a) given a shine to

1.4

Look at these newspaper headlines. Each one has an idiom based on a part of the
human body. What do you think they mean? Choose the correct answer.

1

2

University goes cap in hand to
finance minister

Airline foots the bill for delays
and cancellations

3

4

Rita Soraz is the apple of
Hollywood's eye
Government is burying its bead
in the sand, says Opposition leader

1 A university a) apologises to the minister b) asks the minister for fin ancial help
c) awards the minister a great honou r.
2 An airline a) has refused to pay th e costs b) sends t he bill to someone else
c) will pay the costs.
3 Rita Soraz is a) loved by everyone in Hollywood b) hated by everyone in Hollywood
c) missed by everyone in Hollywood .
4 The government is a) refu sin g to face a difficult sit uation b) about to resign
c) making unpopular plans.

English Idioms in Use Advanced

7

2

When and how are idioms used?
Idioms and change
Idioms frequently change in English. Although many idioms last for a long time, some
disappear very quickly. Therefore, some idioms that were popular 50 years ago may sound
very old-fashioned and odd today. For example, the idiom as stiff/ straight as a ramrod
[sitting or standing with a very straight and stiff back] is not frequently used nowadays. It is
therefore important to be careful if you learn an idiom from, say, an older novel, as it may
sound unnatural if you use it in your own speech or writing. In this book we focus only on
up-to-date idioms which are still commonly used.

What are idioms used for?
• For emphasis, e.g. 'The singer's second album sank like a stone.' [failed completely]
• To agree with a previous speaker, e.g.
A: Did you notice how Lisa started listening when you said her name?
B: Yes, that certainly made her prick her ears up. [start listening carefully]
• To comment on people, e.g. 'Did you hear Tom has been invited for dinner with the
prime minister? He's certainly gone up in the world!' [gained a better social position - or
more money - than before]
• To comment on a situation, e.g. 'The new finance minister wants to knock the economy
into shape.' [take action to get something into a good condition]
• To make an anecdote more interesting, e.g. 'It was just one disaster after another today,
a sort of domino effect.' [when something, usually bad, happens and causes a series of other
things to happen]
• To catch the reader's eye. Idioms - particularly those with strong images - are often
used in headlines, advertising slogans and the names of small businesses. The writer
may play with the idiom or make a pun (a joke involving a play on words} in order to
create a special effect, e.g. a debt of dishonour instead of the usual debt of honour. [a
debt that you owe someone for moral rather than financial reasons]
• To indicate membership of a particular group, e.g. surfers drop in on someone,
meaning to get on a wave another surfer is already on. This kind of group-specific idiom
is outside the focus of this book.

Where will you see or hear idioms?
You will see and hear idioms in all sorts of speaking and writing. They are particularly
common in everyday conversation and in popular journalism. For example, they are often
found in magazine horoscopes, e.g. You'll spend much of this week licking your wounds
[trying to recover from a bad experience], or in problem pages, e.g. 'Do you think that my
relationship has run its course?' [come to a natural end] However, idioms are also used in
more formal contexts, such as lectures, academic essays and business reports, e.g. 'It is
hoped the regulations will open the door to better management.' [let something new start]
See Unit 41 for more idioms used in formal writing.

Language help
Look out for idioms being used in headlines and advertisements. Make a note of any
interesting examples that you find .

8

English Idioms in Use Advanced

Exercises
2.1

Are these sentences true or false? If the answer is false, say why.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

2.2

Few idioms stay in frequent usage for a long time.
Your English may sound unnatural if you use certain idioms.
Idioms can be used for dramatic effect.
Idioms are frequently used to comment on people and situations.
Headline writers always use idioms in their correct form.
Idioms are only used in some types of speaking and writing.
Newspapers and magazines are a good place to find idioms in use.
Idioms are not used in academic writing.

Complete each idiom.

1 My essay is really not very good. Could you please help me knock it into
2 It's time you stopped...
................... your wounds and got back to your normal life.
3 Although the film cost a lot of money to make, it enjoyed no success at all; in fact, it sank
like a.
4 There was a kind of domino .......................................................... when Jill left the company. Others in her
team decided to follow her example, and that then gave the idea to other employees too.
5 Ben and Sarah went out together for a long time, but the relationship eventually ran its
........... ..................
.. ... - they're both happily married to other people now.
6 The child ren ............................ ............................ up their ears when they heard the word 'chocolate'.

2.3

Which idioms do these pictures make you think of?
4

2.4

Answer these questions.

1 Would Going up in the world be a better name for a mountain-climbing organisation or
a furniture business?
2 Would Knock yourself into shape be a better slogan for dance classes or a boxing club?
3 Would Let things run their course be advising someone to act quickly or to be patient?
4 If a headline mentioned a debt of honour, would it be suggesting that the law or the person's
conscience should be encouraging them to pay something back?
5 Would This'll make you prick your ears up be a better slogan for a hi-fi company or an earring
business?

Over to you
Do an Internet search for 'company names with puns'. Find three puns that
you can explain.

English Idioms in Use Advanced

9

3

Using reference resources
At advanced level, your aim will be not only to understand idioms, but also to use them
accurately and appropriately. This book will help you achieve these aims. There are other
resources which you should use too.

Dictionaries
To help you study idioms, you need a good learner's dictionary, ideally one which
focuses on idioms. The Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary gives you examples
of how idioms are used and also gives information on their use, e.g. whether they are
used humorously, or informally, or in a more literary context. It also highlights the most
important idioms to learn. You can access this dictionary on line at www.dictionary.
cambridge.org. The best learner's dictionaries are corpus-based, i.e. they focus on idioms
that people actually use and give authentic examples of their use. English Idioms in Use
Advanced is based on the Cambridge International Corpus, which is a collection of over
one billion words of real spoken and written English. Here is an example of how idioms are
presented in the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

like it or lump it informal
if you tell someone to like it or lump it, you
mean they must accept a situation they do
not like, because they cannot change it• The
fact remains, that's all we're going to pay him
and he can like it or lump it. • Like it or lump it,
romantic fiction is read regularly by thousands.

The Internet
You can use the Internet to find out more about the meanings and origins of idioms, and to
see more examples of their use.
• The website http://www.phrases.org.uk lists the meanings and origins of many idioms,
and the site provides examples of how the idioms are used. There is also a link to a
Phrase Finder Facebook page, where you can ask questions about the meaning and
origin of idioms.
• Use a search engine such as Google to find further examples of idioms in use. You could
specify the context in which you want to find examples, for example by typing 'like it or
lump it news', to find examples of the idiom used in newspaper headlines or articles.

Vocabulary notebooks
Always make good , detailed notes about idioms in your vocabulary notebook. Include an
example of the idiom in context, as well as its meaning. Add any notes about its usage, e.g.
informal or literary. Doing a qu ick drawing of an idiom may help you to learn it.

IJ A

Each time they asked him a question, he was like a rabbit ca ught in the headlights.
The speaker unfortunat ely looked like a ra bbit caught in the headlights during
most of the discussion.

= looked very frightened, unable to move or think
(also 'd eer ' inst ead of 'rabbit ')

10

English Idioms in Use Advanced

~

£L

,,.

Exercises
3.1

Answer these questions. Use the information in A opposite to help you.

1 What two things does a good learner's dictionary do, as well as explain the meaning of idioms?
2 How much language and what kind of language is in the Cambridge International Corpus?
3 What does the dictionary say about the usage of like it or lump it?

3.2

Use the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary {book or online) to match each
idiom on the left with the label used in the dictionary on the right. Can you explain
the meaning of the idioms?

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

3.3

get off your backside
have occasion to do something
the shit hits the fan
know something inside out
not soil your hands
send someone to Coventry
pigs might fly

informal
formal
slang
old-fashioned
offensive
humorous
literary

Complete each sentence with an idiom from 3.2. You may need to change the form of
the verb.

1 Henry will help you deal with these forms. He .......... .

.............................. the system

2 They think he's the boss of the criminal gang, but he never .
by committing crimes personally.
3 Joey can be so lazy. I wish he'd ........... .
4 'I won't be late to work ever again.' 'Oh yes, and .................................................................................................................. 1'
5 If Greg finds out what you've done, .................................................................................................................... .
6 I live very dose to the hospital, but luckily I've never ................................................................
go there.
7 She had lied to them, and so they

3.4

Search for "like it or lump it" in the two ways described in Bon the opposite page.
What information did you get?

3.5

Underline the eight idioms in this newspaper article. What do you think each idiom
means? Use a dictionary to help you.

SPORTS MINISTER HOPPING MAD
John Hamilton has made a name
for himself by running a tight
ship at the Ministry of Sport.
So it was no surprise to his staff
that he reportedly 'went spare'
when he learnt what had been
going on behind his back. Two
of his leading advisors had been

feathering their own nests with
government money intended for
young people's sports organisations. 'Such behaviour is quite
beyond the pale,' said Hamilton,
'and the two people concerned
have already been given the sack'.

English Idioms in Use Advanced

11

4

Common metaphors in idioms
What is a metaphor?
Metaphors describe a person, object or situation by comparing it to something else with
similar characteristics. They are often used in poetry and literature. In Shakespeare's
Romeo and Juliet, for example, Romeo says 'Juliet is my sun,' suggesting that she is the
most important force in his life, bringing him light and warmth .
Many idioms are based on metaphors. However, idioms are expressions that are used
so frequently and are so fixed in the language that people often do not think about the
metaphors behind them . The metaphors used in idioms are therefore much less original
and thought-provoking than those used in literary contexts. People say, for example, 'The
new president was/ took centre stage at the meeting' [was the most important or noticeable
th ing or person], without thinking of the original image of a theatre.

Work=war
The language of idioms seems to suggest that English speakers see work and business life
as a kind of war, with many work and business idioms based on images connected with
war and fighting. For example, companies launch marketing campaigns, and they may
join forces with one anothe r. Business people might say that a situation is a minefield [is
potentially dangerous] or that a company is a casualty of a difficult economic situation [was
badly affected by it]. A manager may pull rank on his employees [use the power his position
gives him to make them do something], and he may have to get/ take the flak for a problem
[receive strong criticism]. An employee may be given or get his marching orders [lose his
job]. See Unit 15 for more idioms based on war and conflict.

Understanding= seeing
Idioms often equate seeing with understanding. For example, we talk about seeing sense
or seeing reason [becoming sensible / reasonable] or seeing the point [understanding the
importance of something]. Similarly, if someone sees the joke, they understand it. To see
the light can mean to suddenly understand something.

Some other metaphors
Emotion= colour
Red can suggest anger, e.g. 'My brother saw red when I broke his phone.' Black is often
associated with unpleasant feelings: if you get a black mark for something, it means
people think you have done something bad, and they will remember it in future.
Life= a journey
If someone is at a crossroads, they are at a stage in life when they have to make an
important decision. If you say that you are going/ getting nowhere, you mean you are
making no progress. If you say something is taking you into uncharted territory/ waters,
you mean it is taking you into unknown areas of experience.
Life= a gamble
If you have something up your sleeve, you have a secret plan or idea (someone playing
cards for money may hide a card up their sleeve). If you bluff your way into or out of a
situation, you get yourself there by deception in the same way that a gambler may bluff
(pretend to be in a weaker or stronger position than is really the case) .

Language help
Noticing the metaphors underlying many idioms will help you understand and learn
them . Look out for other common concepts such as time= money.

12

English Idioms in Use Advanced

Exercises
4.1

Answer these questions. Use the information in A opposite to help you.

1
2
3
4

4.2

How do metaphors describe people, objects and situations?
In what kind of writing are metaphors frequently used?
How are the metaphors used in literary contexts different from those used in idioms?
Why do you think it can sometimes be useful for you to be aware of the origins of idioms?

Which idioms do these pictures make you think of?

1

3

2

4.3

Complete each idiom.

1 Tax legislation can be a
.. ................................. for new businesses; there are so many rules to
follow.
2 Our company is planning to ...................................................... a new marketing campaign in April.
3 Shouting at his manager got Tom a black ......................................................... at work.
4 I'm sure your boss will .....:................................................... sense eventually and agree to your plan.
5 At first I didn't see the .....
........ of going to university or college, but then I saw
the ......................................................... and realised studying would give me more choices for the future.
6 If she doesn't offer to write the report, I'll
................ rank on her and tell her to do it.
7 Noor is ... .......................
.............. a crossroads in her life now that she has finished her medical
degree. She has to decide what she is going to specialise in.
8 George doesn't know much about the job, but I'm sure he'll be able to ....................................................... .
his way through the interview.

4.4

Replace the underlined part of each sentence with an idiom.

1
2
3
4
5
6

Everyone else was laughing, but Katie couldn't understand what was funny.
Eva is making no progress with her research .
BritTel is going to work together with SatCom to lobby the government.
The teacher was furious when Matt refused to do his homework.
The errors in the report really weren't Sam 's fault, but he was blamed for them.
Tina is hoping her father will eventually become more reasonable and let her drive the
family car.
7 Unfortunately, my brother's transport business was very seriously affected by the rise in
fuel prices.
8 As the president of a major company, Ross is used to being the focus of attention.

English Idioms in Use Advanced

13

I

5

Using idioms accurately
All the examples in this unit come from the Cambridge Learner Corpus. This is a collection
of over 95,000 exam scripts by students from over 190 countries taking Cambridge ESOL
exams. The errors in this unit were actually made by learners in advanced-level exams,
including CAE, Proficiency and IELTS (level 6+}.
A major difficulty with idioms is that they are fixed expressions which cannot be changed except when you are deliberately playing with the language. It is therefore very important
to use idioms accurately. See Unit 6 for more information on playing with idioms.

Getting the keywords right
You say that rising unemployment figures are just the tip of the iceberg [a small part of a
much bigger problem], NOT the te-p of the iceberg.
You say that the state is responsible for its citizens' welfare from the cradle to the grave
[from birth to death], NOT from the cradle to the eeffifl.
If you want to talk about people that you do not know or that you do not think are
important, you can say every Tom, Dick and/ or Harry could do that job, NOT every +em-and Jerry!
If you pay for something yourself, you pay for it out of your own pocket, NOT out of your
own wal-l€t.
If someone is in a bad mood, you can say they are like a bear with a sore head, NOT like a
bear with a sore #H:eat.
When you remember the past nostalgically, you talk about the good old days, NOT the
good old tfffie.
To say that someone or something will not exist for much longer, you can say their days
are numbered, NOT their days are counted.
To talk about limiting someone's freedom, you can use the idiom to clip someone's
wings, NOT to w-t someone's wings.

Getting the details right
Using idioms accurately also means getting even the little words exactly right.
You must not add articles where they are not needed: someone has a spirit of adventure
[enthusiasm for adventurous activities], NOT spirit of aR adventure. You must not leave out
articles either: fashion can be described as up-to-the-minute [new], NOT up to minute.
Take care with prepositions too: someone can be at a loss for words [not know what to say],
NOT at a loss ef words.
Make sure that you also use singular and plural forms correctly: you talk about a couple
tying the knot [getting married (informal)], NOT tying the lrnots.
Word order is very important too : you can be sick and tired of something [angry and
bored], NOT tired and sick of it.

Translating idioms word for word can cause problems. For example, we make a
mountain out of a molehill [make a small difficulty seem like a serious problem], NOT
make an elephant out of a mouse. Always check in a good dictionary before translating
an idiom from your own language.

14

English Idioms in Use Advanced

Exercises
5.1

Which idioms do these pictures make you think of?
3

2

5.2

4

Are the idioms in these sentences used correctly? If not, correct them.
1
2
3
4

My sister is always buying up-to-minute gadgets.
I'm sick and tired of listening to him complaining all the time.
My grand ad's always talking about good old days.
They've been engaged for six months but haven't made any plans about when they're
going to tie the knots.
5 Magda was at a loss for words when her son told her he had quit his new job.
6 Engineering isn't the kind of job that every Tom, Dick or Henry could do.

5.3

Complete each idiom.
1 Don 't make such a ...........................
.......... out of a molehill.
2 Everyone uses mobile phones now, so the days of the land line are .................................. ..................... .
3 My son's got a real ......................................................... of adventure. He's going travelling around the
world for a year.
4 We won free train tickets to Paris in the competition, but we had to pay for the hotel out
of our own....
.. ...................... .
5 Freddie keeps shouting at everyone today. I don't know why he's behaving like a
................................................... with a sore head.

5.4

Here are some errors made with idioms by candidates in advanced-level exams. Can
you correct them? Looking up the word in brackets in a good idioms dictionary should
help you find the correct idiom.
1 You'll pass your driving test if you really want to - where there's a will. there's a power.
[WILL]

2 I get bored if I always do the same things at the weekend - change is a spice of life.
[VARIETY]
3 Sh ! Be quiet! There's no need to talk at the top of your head . [TOP]
4 He never saves any money. He spends whatever he has. Easy com ing easy going is his
motto. [EASY]
5 I was so upset when I failed the exam . I wept my eyes out of my head. [CRY]
6 She's a total optimist - she always manages to look the good part. [LOOK]

English Idioms in Use Advanced

15

6

Playing with idioms
People often play with idioms for humorous effect or to make something more
memorable. This wordplay is particularly common in journalism and advertising. See Unit
40 for more examples of idioms used in advertising.

Memorable names for businesses
Here are some catchy names of hairdressers' salons.
name of salon

I explanation

FRINGE BENEFITS

Fringe benefits are something extra you get because of your job in addition to your
pay, e.g. a company car. A fringe is the hair that hangs down over your forehead .

BLOWN AWAY

If you are blown away by something (e.g. a performance or a piece of music) ,
it amazes you because it is so good . A hairdresser blows hair dry w ith a hair dryer.

WAVELENGTHS

If two people are on the same wavelength, they think in the same way. People
often have, or want, waves in their hair.

News headlines
News headlines often play with idioms in some way, to attract people to read the article.
headline

16

I explanation

DELIVERY DELAYS PART AND PARCEL OF POST
OFFICE PROBLEMS
Recent delays in the postal service are symptoms
of wider problems, a government report claims.

a necessary part of an event or experience which
cannot be avoided . (The Post Office delivers
letters and parcels. )

FIREWORKS FUND BURNING A HOLE IN THE
POCKET OF CITY COUNCIL
The city council today voted to spencj £100,000 on
a massive public fireworks display.

If you have money burning a hole in your pocket,
you want to spend it as soon as possible.
(Fireworks burn, and if one burnt in your pocket,
it would make a hole!)

OPTICIANS FAIL TO SEE EYE TO EYE
The National Assoc iation of British Opticians
(NABO) today disagreed about a new set of
standards for the industry.

If two people do not see eye to eye, they
disagree with each other. (Opticians care for
people's eyes and help them see better.)

THEATRE MANAGERS FI NALLY GET THEIR ACT
TOGETHER
The managers of the Cleo Theatre have come up
with a rescue package to save the theatre.

organise themselves so that they do things
efficiently (informal) . (Actors act in a theatre,
and performers have an act which they
perform.)

AGRICULTURAL REFORM POLICY - FARMERS SIT
ON THE FENCE
The Farmers' Union has stated that it remains
neutral over the latest plans for reform .

delay making a decision when they have to
choose between two different options in a
dispute.
(Farms often have fences which sepa rate the
fields.)

CHESS COMPUTER BEATEN BY HUMAN DESIGNERS ARE BACK TO SQUARE ONE
Software engineers now have to rethink the
design of the Redray software that failed to work
as planned .

have to work on a plan from the beginning
again because a previous attempt failed and the
progress made was wasted. (A chessboard has
64 squares on it.)

English Idioms in Use Advanced

Exercises
6.1

Look at the salon names in A opposite. Which idioms do these pictures make you
think of?

1

6.2

2

3

These sentences all use idioms from the opposite page. Why are they humorous?
Use a dictionary to find both the idiomatic and literal meanings of the expressions
if necessary.
1 I was offered a job at a hairdresser's salon but the fringe benefits weren 't very good,
so I turned it down.
2 Both John and Emma work as newsreaders for the local radio station, so I'm not surprised
they're always on the same wavelength.
3 The audience were blown away by Tom's solo in the wind instrument competition .
4 Walking a lot and carrying heavy bags is part and parcel of working as a postman.
5 The two film stars have got their act together and resolved their marital problems.
:>

6.3

Complete each idiom.
................................ my pocket.
1 The money was burning ................ .
2 Her two brothers don't see .............. .
................................... and haven't spoken to each other for
over a year.
3 Learning how to manage your finances is part .................................................
...... of becoming an adult.
4 It's time you got ...................................................................... and found a job!
5 The president refused to make a decision and was accused of sitting ..........................
6 My computer crashed, so I'm back to .................................
...................... with my assignment.

6.4

Match the idioms on the left with the companies or organisations on the right.

1 BACK TO SQUARE ONE
2 GETTING OUR ACT TOGETHER
3 PART AND PARCEL

4 SITTING ON THE FENCE

D
D
D
D

a a delivery firm
b a gardening company
c a company that makes boa rd games
d a local drama cl ub

What products, organisations or services do you think these idioms from other units in
this book could be used to advertise?
it never rains but it pours (Unit 11)
fighting fit (Unit 47)
two left feet (Unit 50)

English Idioms in Use Advanced

17

7

Idioms from other varieties of English
In this book we focus mainly on idioms which are widely understood throughout the
English-speaking world. However, there are many other idioms which are typical of specific
English-speaking countries, such as the US, Scotland, Australia and South Africa. There is
not space in this book to include idioms from all these different countries, but a few idioms
from the US are included here for interest.

Idioms from the US
Many US idioms originate from baseball. For example, if you do
something right off the bat, you do it immediately; if you throw
someone a curveball, you surprise them with something difficult
or unpleasant to deal with . If someone is batting a thousand, they
are doing something extremely well, better than they had hoped. If
someone drops the ball, they do something stupid or careless.
Other examples of US idioms:
He's trying to catch some z's/z1:s/. [sleep (informal)]
The store is fresh out of tomatoes. [has just finished or sold all its supply]
His advice isn't worth a dime. [has little or no value]

Variations between British and American English
There are sometimes slightly different forms of idioms in US and British English. Here are
some examples:
British English idiom

I

US English idiom

I

meaning

the icing on the cake

the frosting on the cake

something that makes a good thing even better

fight like cat and dog

fight like cats and dogs

argue violently all the time

donkey work

grunt work

hard, boring work

take the biscuit

take the cake

used informally to describe something the
speaker finds very annoying

weep buckets

cry buckets

cry a lot (informal)

hard cash

cold cash

money in the form of cash or notes, not a
cheque or credit card

like the cat that got the
cream

like the cat that ate the
canary

very pleased with oneself (informal, usually
collocates with 'look', 'grin' or 'smile')

Language ht:' Ip
Idioms that are used mainly in one specific country will often not be easily understood
by native English speakers from other parts of the world. You may not see or hear them
outside the countries where they originate, so it's safer to use the idioms in this unit
when you are in the appropriate country.

18

English Idioms in Use Advanced

Exercises
7.1

Complete each US idiom.

1 I'm exhausted after such a difficult day at work. I'm going to try to .................
....... some
z's before I have to go out again this evening.
2 I'm afraid we're
........ out of milk. Try next door - maybe they have some.
3 Will was doing well at college until he had some problems with his girlfriend and
......................................................... the ball.
4 Joe is very efficient - he always deals with jobs right off the ......................................................... .
5 Her ring may look expensive, but it isn't ..........................
.............. a dime.
6 Rachel's batting a
.... at the moment - she's making a great success of her
new job.
7 The speaker found it hard to answer the questions. He clearly wasn 't expecting the audience to
......................................................... him so many curveballs.

7 .2

Is each speaker more likely to be from the US or from Britain?

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

You have to pay the deposit for hiring the boat in cold cash .
Rhiannon and her sister have always fought like cat and dog.
It was such a sad film - I wept buckets.
There's a lot of grunt work to be done before we can open the new restaurant.
Having such perfect weather on holiday was the frosting on the cake .
Having to stay late at work on a holiday weekend really took the biscuit.
What's happened? You look like the cat that got the cream.

7 .3

Rewrite the sentences in 7 .2. If the speaker used US idioms, change them to the
equivalent British idiom and vice versa.

7 .4

Which idioms do these pictures make you think of?

1

2

Over to

3

J(1u

Find out more about a variety of English th at interests you by going to the website
http://www.wo rld-english.org/ accent. htm. The site includes recordings so you can
listen to the speech of people from different regions too.

....

English idioms in Use Advanced

19

8

Modern idioms
Where do new idioms come from?
As Units 15-24 show, many English idioms have very deep roots in history and culture.
They have their origins in traditional skills, such as sailing (Unit 14), and in such areas as
war (Unit 15), ancient myths (Unit 20) and literature (Unit 22).
However, new idioms evolve all the time from TV, advertising, politics and business. These
idioms often quickly become expressions understood and used by many people in their
everyday lives. Some of these idioms will be popular for a few years but then get forgotten;
others may last. In this unit, we look at some examples of common, but relatively new, idioms.

Some modern idioms
example

I meaning

Is Madonna still the first lady of pop?

the expert, or the best (by analogy with how the wife of a US
president is referred to as the First Lady)

This programme looks at one couple 's
experience of living next to neighbours

People frequently refer to difficult people or unpopular
things as being the .. . from hell, e.g. the neighbours from hell
or the airport from hell.

from hell.
That young politician was in the news
every day for weeks, but now he seems
to have fallen off the radar.

been forgotten

Sofia is a wonderful nurse. She'll always

go the extra mile for her patients.

make an extra big effort or do things that are more than is
strictly necessary

The website www.cheapholidays.org

does exactly what it claims to do

does exactly what it says on the tin.
nailing jelly to a wall.

difficult to understand or describe because it is not clear or
focused enough

I'm cool with that.

I'm happy with a suggestion

Finding out what really happened is li_ke

It doesn't float my boat!

I don't agree with what you like or are interested in. (Also

Whatever floats your boat!)
I'm fed up with him big time./ He's into
judo big time.

extremely

Modern conversational fixed expressions
If you do not want to discuss anything further, you can say 'That's it! End of (story)!'
If you think that someone is telling you about very personal things that you do not want to
hear about, you can stop them by saying 'Too much information!'
lf a friend starts talking about a subject you do not want to discuss, you could respond
'Don't even go there!'

20

English Idioms in Use Advanced

Exercises
8.1

Look at B opposite. Are the idioms in these sentences used correctly? If not,
correct them.
1 You have to be prepared to go the further mile if you want to get promoted .
2 Whatever happened to that pop star you used to like so much? He seems to have completely
fallen off the radar now.
3 This shampoo is great - it does exactly what it writes on the tin .
4 I'd never share an apartment with her - she'd be the flatmate of hell.
5 Stella McCartney is often called the 'first lady of fashion '.

8.2

Complete the dialogue with idioms from B and C opposite. Use one word per space.
Jo: Hi, Meg. Great to see you again. Where's Kate?
Meg: She just texted. She's not coming. Apparently she's really sick and has been throwing
up all night.
........................................ ........................................ ! I don't want to know!
Jo:
(1) .............................. ..
What shall we do then?
Meg: I really want to go that new photography exhibition .
.............................................. .
Jo: Mmm,(2) ................
.......................................................... ! I know you ' re into art (3) .................................... .
.'
but I'm not. How about the cinema instead?
.................................... .................................................... ...............................
Meg: Yeah, (4)
............ . Is Matt coming too?
(5) ................
Jo:
............................................ ········································· ············································ ............ !
We broke up.
Meg: Really? What happened?
Jo: I don't want to talk about it. We're finished . (6) .................. .
........................ .. ······················································ !

8.3

Which idioms do these pictures make you think of?

1

3

2

4

8.4

Do these sentences make sense? Explain why/ why not.
1
2
3
4

It could be fun to live next door to the neighbours from hell.
Tilly's father was happy about her plans to marry, but her mother was cool with it.
Rani loves that painter's work, but it doesn't float my boat.
Getting him to say what he thinks is like nailing jelly to a wall - he's always honest and open.
English Idioms in Use Advanced

21

9

Similes
What are similes?
Similes are expressions which compare two things; they always include the words as or
like. You can use similes to make your spoken and written English more colourful and your
comparisons more powerful. For example:
My brother's as thin as a rake. [extremely thin]
The baby's skin is as smooth as silk. [extremely smooth]
Pilar is as bright as a button. [extremely clever]
I slept really well, so I feel as fresh as a daisy this morning. [extremely fresh
and full of energy]
George ran like the wind to get the message to Paula before she left. [ran
extremely fast]
I don't want to go in the car with Lottie. She drives like a maniac! [drives fast and badly]
My new sweater fits like a glove. I'm so pleased with it. [fits extremely well]
The two men were in the next room, but I could hear every word they said as clear as
crystal. [very clearly]
Ben claimed to be as poor as a church mouse, but we knew he was rich. [very poor]
As Beth walked in, the house was as silent as the grave. [totally silent]
You should learn similes as whole phrases, because it is usually not possible to change the
individual words (e.g. we do not say as thin as a stick or as thin as a pole). Where it is possible
to change the individual words, the meaning of the simile often changes, for example:
I needed a drink of water. My mouth was as dry as a bone. [extremely dry/ thirsty]
His lecture was as dry as dust, and everyone was bored. [extremely boring]

Everyday similes
The similes in these emails are often used in everyday conversation and informal writing .

•••

•••

Hi Jacek,

Hi Freya,

It's so obvious you like Anna! You went
as red as a beetroot when Stefan
was talking about her, so it must be
true! And you were all over her like
a rash at the party last week too.Ask
her out!
Hiroshi

Have you noticed how Chiara and Rita are as thick as thieves
lately? Rita said she needed some help and as quick as a flash
Chiara volunteered - you know, as keen as mustard.And just think,
they used to hate each other and were always fighting like cat and
dog over the most stupid things.Any idea what's happened? Anyway,
speak later.
Fatima

• •

Forww

Hello Manami,
I'll be late for the restaurant tonight - having a bad day at work. I've been
working like a dog, but the boss just came in with a face like thunder and
said I'd made a mess of some sales figures . I've tried to argue with him, but he's
as stubborn as a mule, and you can never convince him that he's wrong.
Time to change my job! Mariusz

Language help
Be careful how you use similes. They have strong meanings and are often used in a humorous
or sarcastic way, e.g. My teacher's explanations are as clear as mud [not clear at all] .

22

English Idioms in Use Advanced

Exercises
9.1

Look at A opposite. Match the beginning of each sentence with its ending. Then
complete the sentence with as or like.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

9.2

Choose the correct word to complete each simile.

1
2
3
4
5

9.3

a maniac.
silk.
a button.
a bone.
a rake.
a glove.
the wind to catch the train .
a daisy.

My new dress fits
You 'll need to run ...................... .
She's as thin ..................................................
Ana always looks as fresh ..................................
He drove off ........................................................ .
Her mouth felt as dry .... .
Their son is as bright .................. .
Her hair felt as smooth ..................................

That book was so boring. It was as dry as [a bone / dust] .
You explained it so well - it's a difficult concept, but it's as clear as [crystal / mud] now.
I wonder what they're plotting - they look as thick as [two short planks / thieves] .
After working in that airless room my mouth feels as dry as [a bone / dust] .
I can 't understand what he's trying to say - it's as clear as [crystal / mud].

Replace the underlined part of each sentence with a simile.

1 Tom and Rosa have been arguing all the time recently.
2 Amy blushed and looked very embarrassed when Lasse commented on her new dress.
3 When our teacher asks the class a difficult question, Hatsuki usually answers without a
moment's hesitation .
4 It was ea rly Sunday morning, and the house was strangely silent.
5 Emma was behaving towards Jakob in a very affectionate way at the barbecue last week.
6 All her sisters are extremely poor.
7 Caterina felt full of energy after her shower.
8 The students in my class are great - hardworking, punctual and very enthusiastic.

9.4

Agree with what A says. Complete each response with a simile.

B:

1 A:

He looked
really angry.
2 A:

[ Yes, heha~

_

---

· (

B: - - - - - - - - - - - - - It's impossible to get him to
change his mind .

3 A:

He drove off very
quickly, didn't he?
4 A:

[ Yes,

he's . . . ........ .... ............... ...... ....... (

B: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Yes, he was drivin g
[-····················_
- - - ·······················_········· ············_·········

t/

_[

y
----y

B: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . .
You 've been very busy at
work, haven't you?

[ Y~s, I've ~ee~ ··················································

B:

5 A:

You can always re ly on Suzie to
organise the school co ncert.

[-Y-e-s,-.sh- e-'s-.....- ..-.....-.....-.....-.....-....-.....-.....-.....-.....-....-.....-....

English Idioms in Use Advanced

23

10

Binomials
What are binomials?
Binomials are a type of idiom in which two words are joined by a conjunction (linking
word), usually and. The order of the two words is fixed . For example, we always say black
and white, NOT white and black: 'Managing climate change isn't a black and white issue.'
[separate and clear]

The words can be
• synonyms (words which mean the same): Sara's work is always very neat and tidy.
• opposites: If you go for cheaper speakers, the sound quality may be a bit hit and miss.
[sometimes good, sometimes bad (informal)]

•
•
•
•

the same word : They finished the race neck and neck. [equal]
rhyming: Tables in the canteen take a lot of wear and tear. [damage through everyday use]
alliterative: After the match, the players' legs were black and blue. [very bruised]
joined by words other than and: The traffic was bumper to bumper all the way to the
coast. [very heavy] Little by little, Vera gained the horse's confidence. [gradually] The
house must be worth a quarter of a million, give or take a few thousand. [plus or minus
(informal)]

Trinomials are a similar type of idiom, in which three words are joined, e.g. 'I've looked
here, there and everywhere for my glasses but can't find them.' [everywhere]

Other examples
example

24

I meaning

Let's toss a coin to see who starts. You call: heads
or tails?

heads is the side of a British coin with the
monarch's head on it; tails is the other side

We're at sixes and sevens at work this week.

in a state of confusion (informal)

Hannah had flu last week, but she's out and about
again now.

active, doing her usual activities (informal)

Although the twins look the same, when you talk
to them you realise they're like chalk and cheese.

totally different (informal)

It's great to leave the hustle and bustle of the city
at the weekend .

crowds and noise

I can't do up these tiny buttons - I'm all fingers
and thumbs today.

am awkward with my hands, unable to do what I
want to do (informal)

The money for the charity appeal came in in dribs
and drabs, but we reached our target in the end.

small amounts at a time (informal)

It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get the
business going.

hard work

I've asked you time after time not to do that.

many times (usually suggests irritation)

Her interest in painting waxed and waned over
the years.

fluctuated (The literal meaning of wax and wane
relates to the moon's changes in shape.)

She really doesn't enjoy living in the countryside.
She's a city person, through and through.

completely (typically used about people)

We had a great holiday and explored every nook
and cranny of the island.

every small place

English Idioms in Use Advanced

Exercises
10.1

Combine the words in the box to form ten binomials or t rinomials from A opposite.
For each, you will need to add and or another joining word .
black
neck
little
bumper
bumper
miss
neat
blue

10.2

everywhere
neck
nook

give
take

cranny
here
tear
there

hit
t idy

little
wear

Complete each dialogue with an idiom from the opposite page.
1 A: Was the traffic bad on the way here?
B:
2 A:
B:
3 A:
B:
4 A:
B:
5 A:
B:
6 A:
B:
7 A:
B:
8 A:
B:

10.3

Yes, it was
.......................................................... the whole way.
Did you get everything you needed today?
Yes, but I had to go .... ............................ ............................................................................ to find it all.
This sofa is only six months old, but it looks really old.
Well, it gets a lot of...............
...................... .
We're making very slow progress with this project.
But we're getting there .................................................................... .
Have you found your watch yet?
No, I've searched in every .................................................................................................................. but I still can't find it!
What's Galya's flat like?
Well, you know how organised she is! It's very ...... .
Which horse won the race?
Two of them finished ................................................... .
Were there a lot of people at the party?
About a hundred, ...........................................................................
....................... a few.

Which binomials do these pictures make you think of? Complete the captions.
1

2

'The ....................................
of market day.'

10.4

3

'He's a United
supporter

•

4

....................................... ?'

' Her two dogs
are like

Rewrite each sentence using t he word in brackets.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

People sta rted t o grad ually enter t he room. [DRIBS]
Jack's com mitment to work went up and down throughout the year. [WAXED]
Have a few days' rest, and you 'll be fully recovered in no time. [ABOUT]
I've often told him not t o leave his ca r unlocked . [TIME]
The work required a lot of effort, but it was worth it. [BLOOD]
The whole team's been in a state of confusion since Kay resigned . [SEVENS]
I keep dropping things today - I'm so clumsy. [THUMBS]
My mum and I are completely different people, but we get on well. [CHALK]

English Idioms in Use Advanced

25

11

Proverbs
Proverbs are short sentences which refer to something most people have experienced and
which give advice or warnings. Like id ioms, their form is fixed, and it is not always possible
to guess the meaning from looking at the individual words.

Positive situations
In these conversations, the second speaker uses a proverb to repeat and sum up what the
first speaker says.

A: We all want to solve this problem, and I'm sure we'll find a solution.
B: Yes. Where there's a will, there's a way. [if we really want to achieve something, we can]

A: Well, we'll have to invest all of our savings and work really hard, and there's still a
chance the project won't succeed.
B: I know, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. [you need to take risks to achieve
something]

A: I was upset when I didn 't get into university, but at least it leaves me free to go
travelling.
B: Yeah . Every cloud has a silver lining. [there is something good in every bad situation]

A: My job is different every day. It's never boring.
B: Well, variety is the spice of life, isn't it? [change makes life interesting]

A: Josh found it impossible to get a new job, so he set up his own business instead.
B: Yes, well, necessity is the mother of invention. [if people really need to do something,
they will find a way to do it]

Negative situations
In these conversations, the second speaker uses a proverb to repeat and sum up what the
first speake r says.

A: Marta ended her relationship with Jakob, and the next day her friend Ellie met Jakob
for a drink.
B: All's fair in love and war! [all behaviour is acceptable in extreme situations, especially in
romantic situations and competitions]

A: What a day! My car broke down and my wallet has been stolen .
B: It never rains but it pours. [problems always happen together]

A: I wonder why Sylvia and Ben have broken up.
B: Well, it takes two to tango. [two people are equally responsible]

Other popular proverbs
I'm really impatient to finish decorating my flat, but Rome wasn't built in a day! [it takes a
long time to do important things properly]
We should buy extra travel insurance for our skiing trip. Better safe than sorry. [it is better
not to take risks, even if it seems boring or hard work]
I have to study hard and do a lot of exams to become an accountant, but no pain no gain.
[there must be some suffering in order to succeed]
We don't have enough tickets for everybody, so it's a case of first come, first served. [the
first to arrive will get something]

26

English Idioms in Use Advanced

Exercises
11.1

Look at A opposite. Match the beginning of each sentence with its ending.

1 Every cloud
2 Nothing ventured ,
3 Necessity is the
4 Where there's a will,
5 Variety is the

11.2

D
D
D
D
D

a mother of invention .
b there's a way.
c spice of life.
d nothing gained .
e has a silver lining.

Write a suitable response to each remark with a proverb from B opposite.

1 A friend tells you that Max and Lydia are getting divorced because they've both been
having affairs.
2 Someone tells you about three bad things that happened to them all on the same day.
3 Someone tells you about a small lie they told in order to meet somebody that they really like.
4 A friend tells you that they missed the train they wanted to get, but the next train was cheaper
and faster.
5 A friend tells you that they are frustrated that it is taking a long time to set up their own
business.
6 A friend tells you that they are determined to save up enough money to go travelling, but they
don't know how to do this.

11.3

Correct the mistakes in these proverbs.

1 We had no tent, so we made a shelter out of branches and leaves to protect ourselves from the
storm. It was a case of need is the mother of invention.
2 I'm doing three jobs at the moment to pay for my studies. Still, they say that change is the
spice of life!
3 I went to the gym every day for three months and felt so much fitter. It was very hard work but
nothing pained, nothing gained.
4 I decided that bungee jumping was too dangerous and didn't go with my friends - better to be
safe than dead .
5 We've got ten laptops at half-price. But hurry - it's first come, first serve.
6 Three big bills at the same time? It never pours but it rains!

11.4

Complete each proverb.

1 When we got there, they had given away all the free tickets. It was a case of first
......................................................... , first ......................................................... .
2 Take your time and don't be impatient. Rome wasn 't ............ ........................................... in

........................................................................................................... !
3 It's a shame you missed your flight, but at least we can spend more time together. They do say
every ......................
.. ........ has ......................................................... silver ......................................................... .
4 All my problems seem to come at the same time. It's true what they say: it never
.......................
.. ................................................ it pours!
5 It's going to be a lot of hard work, but nothing ......................................................... , nothing
6 They are both in the wrong. It takes ............................................. .......... to

English Idioms in Use Advanced

27

12

Cliches and fixed statements
Cliches
A cliche is a comment that is often used in certain common, everyday situations. It is a
comment that most people are familiar with and is therefore not original. Cliches are often
used in everyday conversation, and they are also frequently played with in advertising
slogans and newspaper headlines.

There are plenty more fish in the sea. [There are plenty more people or possibilities. Often
used to cheer up someone who has found one person or opportunity unsuccessful.]

Look on the bright side. [Try to see something good in a bad situation. This is usually followed by
an explanation of what the bright side might be, e.g. after failing a job interview you are told that you
probably wouldn't have enjoyed the job if you'd got it.]
It's easy to be wise after the event or Hindsight is a wonderful thing. [When you know
what happens next, it's easy to say what you or others should have done.]

It's not over until the fat lady sings. [You cannot be sure what will happen until the very end
of something, often a sports event. The expression refers to a long opera which ends with a female
singing the final song.]
Enough is as good as a feast. [You shouldn't have more of something than you need, e.g. food.]
Ignorance is bliss. [You may be happier sometimes when you do not know all the facts about a
situation.]

You can lead a horse to water {but you can't make it drink). [You can give someone the
opportunity to do something, but you cannot force them to do it. The second part of the idiom (but
you can't make it drink) is often not actually said .]

Truth will out! [The truth will always become known.]

Fixed statements
fixed statement

I meaning

Get your skates on! (informal)

Hurry up!

I'll believe it when I see it.

I'm doubtful that it will happen.

Mum's the word. (informal)

I promise not to tell a secret.

Good riddance! (informal)

I'm happy something or someone has gone.

Take it easy!

Calm down! Relax!

Fair's fair. (informal)

Their behaviour is reasonable.

So far, so good .

Things are going well up to this point.

Give me a break! (informal)

Stop criticising me!

Language help
It is best not to use cliches in formal writing or when you want to express an original
or complex idea.

28

English Idioms in Use Advanced

Exercises
12.1

Answer these questions about the idioms in A opposite.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

12.2

Who do we say has to sing before we can be confident something has finished?
What do we say is as good as a feast?
What side do we say you have to look on if you are trying to be optimistic?
What do we say there are plenty more of in the sea?
What do we say that ignorance is?
When do we say that it is easy to be wise?
Which animal do we say you can lead to water but not make drink?
What do we say will happen with truth?

Complete each dialogue with a suitable idiom from the opposite page.
1 A:
B:
2 A:
B:
3 A:
B:
4 A:
B:
5 A:
B:
6 A:
B:
7 A:
B:
8 A:
B:
9 A:
B:

12.3

You won't tell anyone what I told you, will you?
No, I promise ................................................................................................................... .
You're always late. It's just not good enough .
That's not fair.
...................... ! It's only the third time this week.
Lucy says she'll have finished her dissertation by Friday.
Hmm.
..........................
............................... .
.... ...................... .................................................................................... !We need to leave in five minutes.
Don't worry - I'm nearly ready.
I'm not sorry Boris is leaving our office. Are you?
Not at all. ................................................................................................................ ,
I'm never going to get this finished in time.
................................................................................................................. ! Don't panic. I'll help you, if you like.
Sonia's made a bit of a mess of this work, hasn't she?
Just.............................
........... It's only her second day here.
How are you enjoying your new job?
........................... ........................................... ...................... ....... . But it's early days yet.
Who do you think was behind the plot to bring down the government?
I don't know, but I'm sure we'll find out. ................................................................................................

Correct the mistakes in these idioms.
1
2
3
4
5
6

Let me a break!
There are plenty more sharks in the sea.
So long, so good.
It's not over until the fat lady dies.
Truth will escape.
Dad's the word.

Over to
Search on line to find examples of the following cliches: Any friend of yours is a friend of
mine. Beauty is only skin deep. Money is the root of all evil. What does each cliche mean?
Write a short dialogue illustrating it in use.

English Idioms in Use Advanced

29

13

Other languages
As you probably know, English includes many words from other languages. The idiomatic
expressions in this unit all come from Latin or French.

Latin
idiom

I example

I meaning

ad hoc
/red'hok/

He was paid on an ad hoc basis.

not planned but arranged or done
when needed

ad infinitum
/redmf1'na1tam/

Their list of demands seemed to go on
ad infinitum.

without end, forever

compos mentis
/kompos 'men tis/

My grandfather is nearly 100, but he is perfectly
compos mentis.

in control of his actions, mentally
healthy

de facto
/de1 1frekt:iu/

Jorge is the de facto head of the organisation.

existing but not officially agreed
(formal)

non sequitur
/non'sekw1ta/

Keiko's response seemed like a complete non
sequitur to me.

a statement which does not seem to be
connected with what was said before

status quo
/ste1tas 'kw:iu/

The Conservatives favoured maintaining the
status quo, while the Liberals hoped for change.

the present situation

French
A: Are you familiar with our health and safety procedures?
B: No, I'm not really au fait /au'fe1/ with them yet.

[fully knowledgeable about]

A: I hate people who talk loudly on their mobile phones on trains .
B: I agree. They're my absolute bete noire /bet'nwa:/.

[what the speaker hates most]

A: It's always beautiful weather when you have to study for exams.

B: I know. It's always the way. C'est la vie /se1.lre'vi:/!

[you say this when something happens that you
do not like but which you have to accept]

A: Only the very best students are accepted on this course.

B: I know. They really are the creme de la creme /krem.da. la:'krem/.

[very best]

A: I wish he'd consulted with us first about changing the computer systems.

B: Yes, he just presented us with a fait accompli /fet.akom'pli:/.

[a decision that has been made or a
completed action that cannot be chang

A: I think she should make more effort to control her children .

B: Yes, she has quite a laissez-faire /le1se1'fea/ approach , doesn't she?

[desire not to control]

A: The older generation criticising young people! There's nothing new about that.
B: Yes, plus ~a change /plu: sre' Jon3"!

30

English Idioms in Use Advanced

[times change, but some things stay the same.]

Exercises
13.1

Complete each sentence with a Latin expression from A opposite.
1 We don't receive many complaints, so we just deal with them on an
...................................................................................................... basis.
2 They are now the ......................... ................................................................................... government and will remain in
power until the election results are finalised.
3 This sentence in your essay is a ............................
.............................. ...... - it's not logically
connected to your previous point.
4 I could go on ............
............................................. about the advantages of moving to the
countryside.
5 Whenever a new person takes over as manager, they disturb the
..................................................... , at least to some extent.
6 His lawyer claims he wasn't fully ......................................................................................
................. when he admitted
he was guilty.

13.2

Replace the underlined part of each sentence with a suitable expression.
1 There were no opportunities for discussion . The reform was presented as a decision
which had already been made.
2 All players must be confident that they know the rules of the game.
3 I can't come out tonight because I have to work late. Oh well, it can't be helped.
4 Of course, I love being a movie star, but I must say that awards ceremonies are what I
most detest.
5 So Dan has been arguing with his boss again. Things don't change!
6 A lot of the parents are not very happy about the new headmaster's liberal attitude to
behaviour.

13.3

Are these sentences true or false? If the answer is false, say why.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

A laissez-faire approach is strict and intolerant.
A de facto leader is the officially recognised leader of an organisation.
The creme de la creme of applicants are the best applicants for the job.
It is good to include non sequiturs in your writing.
Abete noire is something that you do not like.
If you are compos mentis, you are not responsible for your actions.
A fait accompli can easily and quickly be changed .
If someone talks about something ad infinitum , they talk about it for a long time.

Over to

11(,1,

Match the following literal translations to idioms on the opposite page: cream of the
cream, it does not follow, a done deed. What is the connection between the translat ion
and the way the idiom is used in English? Can you work out any more literal
translations to idioms in this unit?

English Idioms in Use Advanced

31

14

Sailing
As Britain is an island nation, with the sea playing a major role in the country's history and
its economy, it is not surprising that the language has developed many idioms from sailing.

Talking about a business
Read this magazine article about a couple who bought a hotel.

When we took over the hotel five years ago, the business was on the rocks 1•
The economy was doing badly and people were giving luxury hotels like ours
a wide berth 2 . The previous owners had decided to cut and run 3, but we
loved the place and were sure we could make a go of it. We battened down
the hatches4 by cutting costs as much as possible and did all we could to run
a tight ship 5 . Holidays and any other luxuries for our own family went by the
board6 for two years. However, we managed to weather the storm7 and are
now making good headway 8. We have lots of major bookings in the offing 9
and are confident of making excellent profits this year.
1

in serious difficulty
avoiding (berth is an old sailing term meaning the
distance a ship should leave between itself and a
potential danger such as rocks)
3
avoid a difficult situation by leaving suddenly (the
image comes from cutting mooring ropes in order
to make a quick departure)
4
got ready for a difficult situation by preparing in
every way possible (the image comes from closing
the ship's doors securely when a storm is likely)
2

5

control a business or organisation firmly and
effectively
6
were abandoned (the image comes from
something being thrown overboard into the sea)
7
survive difficult times
8
making good progress
9
likely to happen soon (offing was a term
used to refer to the part of the sea on the
horizon)

More sailing idioms
idiom

32

I example

I explanation

be taken
aback

We were taken aback when Ben
announced his resignation .

were very surprised (If a boat is taken aback, it
is suddenly attacked from behind .)

leave high
and dry

Many holidaymakers were left high
and dry when the tour company
collapsed .

put in a difficult situation which they could
not improve (The image is of a boat stuck on a
sandbank and unable to move.)

take the
wind out of
sb's sails

Amelia was keen to become an actor,
but her teacher's criticism of her
performance took the wind out of
her sails.

made her feel less confident, by saying or doing
something unexpected (If there is no wind in a
boat's sails, then it is unable to move.)

in the wake
of sb / sth
or in sb's /
sth's wake

Thousands of people lost their jobs
in the wake of the recession.
The consultant strode through the
hospital, several students in his
wake.

following closely behind (The wake is the trail
of foam left by a boat as it moves.)

all hands
on deck

We'll need all hands on deck if
we're going to be ready for the party
on time.

everyone must help (A hand is a sailing term
for a sailor and deck is the area you walk on
outside on a boat.)

any port in
a storm

I really don't like staying there, but
I had no choice but to accept Jan's
offer. Any port in a storm, I'm afraid!

You must accept any help you're offered
when you're in a difficult situation . (When
there is a storm at sea, a boat has to go to
the nearest port.)

English Idioms in Use Advanced

Exercises
14.1

Choose the correct answers.

1 Are you more likely to cut and run if a) things are going badly or b) things are going well?
2 Would you give a wide berth to a) something that attracts you or b) something that you
do not want to approach?
3 If a politician is said to have weathered the storm, has he a) got through some problems
or b) created some problems?
4 Would you batten down the hatches if you are a) expecting problems or b) expecting a
relaxed period?
5 Is your daily exercise regime more likely to go by the board if a) you have some extra time
or b) you are very busy?
6 If you were making good headway with your language studies, would you be a) pleased
or b) upset?
7 If an event is in the offing, a) has it already happened or b) is it still in the future?
8 If a boss likes to run a tight ship, is he/she a) strict or b) relaxed?
9 If you had a business which was on the rocks would you be a) pleased or b) worried?

14.2

Complete each idiom.

1 I'd like all hands on .... ................................................... for the next few hours, please.
2 The bad reviews of his first album took the ......................................................... out of the singer's sails.
3 He wrote an interesting article about European politics .......
......................... the wake of
the war.
4 I was quite ........................................................ aback to hear that Maura had handed in her not ice.
5 Alex went home early, leaving me ......................................... .............. and dry at the party with no one else
to talk to.
6 Unfortunately, our plans to go on holiday this summer have had to go by the
....................................................... , as we're moving house.
7 I didn't want to sleep on my aunt's sofa for two weeks, but any port in a ..................................................... ,
as they say.
8 Despite the financial problems, I am confident that the company will succeed in
......................................................... the storm.

14.3

Match the beginning of each sentence with its ending.

1 There's trouble ahead, so we'd better batten down the
2 It's a long journey, but we're making good
3 The business is doing so badly that I'm tempted to cut and
4 There are some interesting plans for new projects in the

5 The film star left the room with a group of journalists in her
6 It's about time someone took the wind out of Marco's

14.4

D
D
D
D
D
D

a offing.
b wake.
c hatches.
d sails.
e run .
f headway.

Rewrite the underlined part of each sentence using the word in brackets.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

I try to avoid the city centre on Saturdays if I possibly can. [BERTH]
Jaime's mother was very surprised by his decision to leave school. [ABACK]
Amy's plans to buy a new car were abandoned when she lost her job. [BOARD]
Their relationship has been in serious difficulty for some months. [ROCKS]
Asim controls the business in a firm and efficient way. [SHIP]
The cost of home insurance has risen as a result of last summer's floods. [WAKE]
We were in a difficult situation when the babysitter didn't turn up. [HIGH]
I know it's been hard for you, but I'm sure you 'll get through the bad times. [STORM]

English Idioms in Use Advanced

33

15

War and conflict
Idioms based on war
Many idioms come from the topic of war. They are used to refer to actions and events that
are seen as similar to battles, conflicts or struggles.
In these newspaper cuttings, the first sentence explains the idiom in the headline.

Emotional call to arms inspires a generation

Minister drops an economic bombshell

President Forga's recent challenge to young
people to show solidarity and vote in the next
election has won widespread support.

The shock announcement by Ms Hanaria that the
country is in a deep economic crisis, and that the
currency must be devalued, stunned city economists
today.

Sales tax - PM beats a retreat
After widespread negative reaction to his
suggestion yesterday that sales tax should be
raised, the prime minister today said there
were 'no immediate plans for an increase'.

More bad news for
shell-shocked investors
Investors, who are already suffering from the financial
crisis, are feeling nervous today as Southern Bank
prepares to announce unexpectedly high losses.

School closures - parents on
the warpath
'Parents are very angry and have decided to
take action immediately,' said a spokesperson.
Demonstrations are planned for all major cities.

Teachers come out fighting
The head of the teachers' union said today that
teachers would not accept a drop in salary and
would oppose the decision to the very end.

Idioms connected with firearms
I think you shot yourself in the foot by leaving your old job before getting a new one.
[unintentionally did or said something foolish which made your situation worse]
When I suggested raising the membership fee, Sergio shot me down in flames.
[immediately criticised my idea and refused to accept it]
I think we should hang/ hold fire before making any rash decisions about redundancies.
[delay making a decision]

Idioms connected with violent events, armies, conflict and struggle
Now that I have a PhD, I've at least got a fighting chance of getting a teaching job in a
university. [a small but real possibility]
Winning the cup in 1998 was just a flash in the pan - they haven't won a match since then!
[something that happened only once and was not repeated]
Our new IT manager had a baptism of fire on her first day at work - all the computers
crashed! [very difficult first experience of something]
As she left the studio, Dana Freen had to run the gauntlet of reporters asking her about
her controversial new film . [face a lot of people who were criticising or attacking her]
Sometimes it's a real battle of wills between me and my dog - he wants to go one way across
the park and I want to go another! [conflict between two different, strong desires or intentions]
After college, I joined the ranks of the unemployed for a year before I got my first job.
[became (unemployed)]
Zetec stole a march on its rivals by launching its new car model six months earlier than
expected. [got an advantage by acting before their rivals did]
34

English Idioms in Use Advanced

Exercises
15.1

Complete the text with idioms from A opposite.
Teachers are on the (1) ..........................................................
after the education minister yesterday dropped
his (2) .......................................................... about government
plans to reduce teachers' pay and increase
their working hours. Teaching unions have
issued a call to (3) .......................................................... , and
(4) .......................................................... -shocked teachers

15.2

Match words from each box to form six idioms.
shoot down in
a battle
run

15.3

baptism
a flash in
hang/ hold

of fire
fi re

the pan
the gauntlet

of wills

flames

Complete each dialogue with an idiom from 15.2. You may need to change the form of
the verb.

1 A:
B:
2 A:
B:
3 A:
B:
4 A:
B:
5 A:
B:
6 A:
B:

15.4

have instantly agreed to oppose the plans, with
strike action if necessary. 'All our members
have come out (5) .......................................................... and
we are confident that the government will be
forced to (6) .......................................................... a retreat,'
said union leader Chris Banks at a press
conference this afternoon.

I think it would be better to postpone making a decision for a bit.
Yes, let's ............................
......................................... until the situation is clearer.
Well, your first day at work was certainly full of drama.
Yes, it was a real ............................................................................................................ .
Has he written any other books?
No, I think the fi rst one was just
Would you like to be a celebrity?
No, I'd hate to have to.
.......... of the paparazzi
whenever I left the house.
He's very critical, isn 't he, your boss?
Yes, all my ideas usually get ...........................................................................................
Why do parents and teenagers always seem to clash?
Well, you often have ................................................................................................................ , especially between sons
and fathers.

Correct the ten mistakes with idioms in this paragraph.
When Ali graduated, he decided he didn 't want to meet the ranks of co mmuters struggling to
work every day. He wanted to set up his own online gift-ordering busin ess so that he could
work from home. He knew it was a risk but felt he would have at least a fighting opportunity of
success. Initially, he and a college friend planned to start t he business together. Ali had the idea
and Igor, his friend , had the money to invest in the co mpany. But then ju st weeks before the
launch, Igor dropped a bomb: he sa id he no longer wanted to be part of Ali's plans. Despite Ali's
attempts to persuade him to wait fi re on his decision, Igor said he was no longer prepared to
take the risk and was goin g to hit a retreat before it was too late. However, two weeks later Igor
took a march on Ali by launching his own online gift-orderin g company. Ali was gun-shocked by
this betrayal, but he soo n ca me out battling. He took Igor's behaviour as a call to weapons and
has persuaded a bank to lend him th e money he needs. Ali 's introduction to the business world
has certainly been a beginn ing of fi re, but I'm su re he will be really successful.

Over to

~

Use a search engine to sea rch for these words: warpath, shell-shocked, bombshell,
gauntlet. Write down an example sentence where each word is used in an idiom.

English Idioms in Use Advanced

35

16

Transport
As transport is such an everyday experience for many people, it is unsurprisingly a rich
source of idioms.

Trains
Karl was full of enthusiasm when he started his university course. He worked extremely hard at first,
but, after a couple of years, he ran out of steam 1 and lost interest in his studies. He spent much more
time going to parties and staying out all night than studying, and his tutor worried that he had gone
off the rai1s2. But then Karl fell in love with a student in his department. Now, six months down the
line 3, he is back on track4 towards gaining an excellent degree and fulfilling his dreams.
1
2

lost energy or interest
started behaving in an unacceptable way

3

4

later
again on the way to achieving something

Cars
We use at/ behind the wheel to mean 'be the driver' (NB in this expression, wheel refers to
the steering wheel): I saw their car this morning but couldn't make out who was at the wheel.
We talk about someone being in the driving seat to mean that they are in control of the
situation: Although the general manager is officially in charge, everyone knows his deputy
is really in the driving seat.
We talk about life in the fast lane to mean a life that is active, exciting and dangerous.
Life in the slow lane is correspondingly lacking in excitement and danger: I've had
enough of life in the fast lane, so I'm giving up my executive sales job and moving to the
countryside.
Doing a U-turn means changing direction, and it is used idiomatically when talking about
politics: Initially, the minister was against increasing road tax, but he has now done a
U-turn and is defending the plan.

If we go/ move/ step up a gear, we start to work or play more effectively or quickly than
before: After half-time, the team stepped up a gear and managed to score three goals.

Planes
idiom

I example

be flying high

The company had some initial problems
but now it is flying high.

is very successful

fly by the seat of your
pants

We had no business experience before
opening the shop, so we were really flying
by the seat of our pants at first.

doing something difficult without
much experience or ability
(informal)

do something on
autopilot

I've written so many references now that I
can more or less do it on autopilot.

do something without thinking
(informal)

take a nosedive

Share prices took a nosedive last week.

went down suddenly and fast

be on a collision
course

The two countries are on a collision
course, and it seems that nothing can be

are behaving in such a way
that is likely to cause a major
disagreement or fight

done to prevent serious trouble.
come to a standstill

36

I meaning

Production has come to a standstill
because of the strike.

English Idioms in Use Advanced

stopped

Exercises
16.1

Which idioms do these pictures make you think of?

1

2

go ...................................

16.2

3

run ...................................................................

do ........................... .

Complete each dialogue with an idiom from the opposite page.

1 Tim:
Ruth :
2 Rob:
Pierre:
3 Mona:
Leon:
4 Rajiv:

Edward's moving to New York. He said he needs more excitement in his life.
Yes, I think he's tired of .................................................................................... ........................ .
The government have changed their mind completely on the new vehicle tax!
Yes, they've .............................................................................................................. .
Their son has started getting into trouble with the police.
Yes, he seems to have ............................................... ............................................................... .
They were so enthusiastic when they started the new conservation scheme, but
now it all seems to have slowed down.
Nick:
Yes, the whole project seems to have ................................................................................................ .
We need to start doing things more effectively and quickly.
5 Ursula:
Mark:
Yes, we definitely need to ................................................................................................................ .
6 Freda:
Did you see who was driving when the accident happened?
Krishnan: No, I couldn't see who was
....................................... .

16.3

Match the beginning of each sentence with its ending.

1 I'm glad to say that things are now back
2 We don't know what could happen a year down
3 Things are out of control. Nobody seems to be in the
4 Profits of Internet-based companies have taken
5 I think the employers and the unions are on
6 Nothing's happening. Things have come to

16.4

D
D
D
D
D
D

a driving seat any more.
b a collision course.
c the line.
d a complete standstill.
e on track.
f a nosedive recently.

Choose the correct answer.

1 If a business is flying high, it is a) failing b) just starting up c) doing well and is profitable.
2 If you do something on autopilot, you do it a) without thinking
b) using a computer c) deliberately.
3 If someone is back on track, they are a) being punished for bad behaviour
b) behaving in a less responsible way c) behaving responsibly again.
4 If you are flying by the seat of your pants, you are doing something a) without much ability or
experience b) without thinking about it c) which is very exciting.

Over to

--~'

_.,_._,....,.

~

_,.

Find the meanings of these idioms in a dictionary or on line and make a note of them in your
notebook under the heading 'Transport idioms'. Note down the definition, an example sentence
and any other useful information, such as whether it is formal or informal, etc.: drive someone

round the bend, a back-seat driver, step on it, put the brakes on, give / get the green light.
English Idioms in Use Advanced

37

17

Animals

·

Cats and dogs
A: Matt and Jess are so arrogant.
B: Yes, they think they're the cat's whiskers. [better than everyone else]
A: Do you think he'll get the job?
B: With no qualifications or experience? He hasn't got a cat in hell's chance! [no chance at all]
A: It's not fair that we have exams immediately after the school holidays!
B: I know, it's a dog's life! [life is hard and unpleasant]
A: I know I don 't need the car over the weekend, but I don't want you to use it either.
B: Don't be such a dog in the manger! [keeping something so that other people can't use it,
not because you really want it yourself]

Farm animals
idiom

I example

I meaning

flog a dead horse

You're flogging a dead horse
trying to persuade Kim to move
house again .

wasting time trying to do something
that won 't succeed (usually used in
continuous tenses)

(straight) from the
horse's mouth

Guess what? Juan is going to work
in Moscow! I got it straight from
the horse's mouth!

from the person concerned

until the cows come
home

You can argue until the cows come
home, but I'll never agree.

for a very long time

sort (out) the sheep
from the goats

Setting the class such a difficult
exercise will certainly sort the
sheep from the goats.

find the people or things of high quality
from a group of mixed quality

might as well be
hung for a sheep as
a lamb

You 're already late, so just take all
day off. You might as well be hung
for a sheep as a lamb!

might as well do something more serious
as you are going to be punished anyway

Other animals
In these conversations, the second speaker uses an idiom to repeat and sum up what the
first speaker says.

A: The president's just pretending to be upset about the situation, don 't you think?
B: Yes, he's shedding crocodile tears to get popular support.
A: Thomas was really upset when his team let in an own goal.
B: Yes, he was sick as a parrot, wasn't he?
A: Ana's hoping that Carlos will stop gambling once they're married, but I doubt
he will.

B: No, a leopard can't change its spots.
A: He complained his business was about to fail so often that no one believed him when it
finally did.

B: Yes, he cried wolf once too often .
A: He looks kind and gentle, but he's not like that at all.
B: You 're right. He really is a wolf in sheep's clothing.
A: I'm sure everyone is thinking about the divorce, but no one ever mentions it.
B: That's right. It's certainly the elephant in the room .

38

English Idioms in Use Advanced

Exercises
17 .1

Complete each dialogue with an idiom from A opposite.

1 A:
B:
2 A:
B:
3 A:
B:
4 A:
B:

17 .2

She obviously thinks she looks really good in that new dress, doesn't she?
Yes, she thinks ......
................................................................... ..
Things are pretty hard for you at the moment, I guess.
Yes, it's ................................. ............................................................................. !
Do you think you 'll pass your driving test?
No, I haven't got ............................................................. ............................................ ..
Her husband is so selfish. he never shares anything, even if he doesn't want it.
Yes, he has a real ............. ..........................................
.. .............................. ..... attitude.

Which idioms do these pictures make you think of?

5

2

4

"

i

17.3

~

Ji~

~

I'

1

~

J\ JI

6

I'

'

1

Complete each idiom.

1 He's flogging a dead ............

....... trying to revive that old idea .
2 He'll never stop causing trouble - a ......................... .............................. can 't change its spots.
3 Lucy will argue with you about that until the ........
.. .... come home.
4 He was sick as a ......................................................... not to make the finals.
.............................. ........... as a
5 Let's stay out a bit longer. We might as well be hung for a

17.4

Replace the underlined part of each sentence with an idiom.

1 Don't pretend there's an emergency. or no one will help when you really need it.
2 The minister pretends to be upset about homelessness, but does nothing about it.
3 I hate our neighbours' selfish attitude - they don't want the parking space, but they won 't let
us have it.
4 We can discuss it for a very long time, but I won't change my mind .

Over to

yllu

Look up these animals in your dictionary: snake,
fish, rat. Can you find an idiom using each of them?

....

English Idioms in Use Advanced

39

18

Parts of the body
The head and face
You should face up to your
problems. Don't just bury
your head in the sand 1

Kate is head and shoulders
above 2 her twin sister when
it comes to passing exams.

It was one in the eye for3
his critics when he won the
tennis tournament.

My dad has a good head
for4 figures. He can do
complicated sums in seconds.

I just held / bit my
tongue 5 and said nothing.
As an English speaker, I find
it difficult to get my tongue
round 7 Scandinavian names.

There's more to this news
story than meets the eye 6.
Let's put our heads together8
and organise a surprise
birthday party for Sam.

After some teething
troubles 9, our new wireless
network is working well.

I think the success of his first
film has gone to his head 10 .
He thinks he's wonderful.

She won 't apologise
because she doesn 't want
to lose face 12 .

I like my economic history
class. I've enjoyed getting my
teeth into 11 a new subject.

I don 't know why I didn 't
get the job. Perhaps my
face just didn't fit 13 .

In a face-saving 14 exercise,
the minister agreed to meet
the demands of the striking
firefighters.

1

refuse to think about unpleasant facts or problems because you do not want to deal with them
a lot better than 3 a disappointment for 4 is good at something; collocates strongly with business, figures or
heights 5 stopped myself from saying something which I really wanted to say 6 it is more difficult to understand
or involves more things than one thought 7 pronounce 8 plan something together 9 problems in the early
stages of doing something new 10 made him think he's very important and made him a less pleasant person
11
becoming involved in something enthusiastically 12 lose the respect of others 13 my appearance or
personality was not suitable