ENGLISH AND VOCAB BUILDING

IDIOMS DESCRIBING HEALTH  1.UNDER THE WEATHER:- Not very well e.g. "she was sufficiently under the weather to have to pull out of the championship" 2.LOOK LIKE DEATH WARMED UP:- Looking extremely ill e.g. He shouldn't be working when he's so ill - he looks like death warmed up!  3.RECHARGE ONE'S BATTERIES:- Do something to gain fresh energy and enthusiasm e.g. "you said you wanted to get away from it all and recharge your batteries" 4.FEEL OFF-COLOR:- Feel unwell e.g. For three weeks Maurice felt off-color but did not have any dramatic symptoms. 5.ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY:- Getting better e.g. The road to recovery from cancer is a long and draining one, she would need all the help she can get. 6.ON THE MEND:- Getting better e.g. the economy is on the mend 7.AS FIT AS A FIDDLE:- perfectly well  e.g. My grandmother's 89, but she's as fit as a fiddle. INFORMAL IDIOMS FOR DIE 1. POPPED HER CLOGS 2. GIVE UP THE GHOST 3.KICK THE BUCKET 4.BITE THE DUS

IDIOMS :- Idioms are expressions which have a meaning that is not obvious from the individual words. For example, the idiom drive somebody round the bend means make somebody angry or frustrated, but we cannot know this just by looking at the words. TYPES OF IDIOMS 👈 CLICK HERE YOUR VIDEOS  

A. IDIOMS FOR EXTREME HAPPINESS 1.THRILLED TO BITS 2. CLOUD NINE 3. ON TOP OF THE WORLD 4.OVER THE MOON 5. SEVENTH HEAVEN OTHER HAPPINESS IDIOMS 1.GET A (REAL) KICK OUT OF SOMETHING:- very much enjoy doing something  e.g. What made you want to look up get a kick out of? 2.DO SOMETHING FOR KICKS:- do something because it is exciting. usually something dangerous e.g. There's a group of kids who go around smashing car windows for kicks . 3.JUMP FOR JOY:- be very happy and excited about something that has happened e.g. "So how did Robert take the news?" "He didn't exactly jump for joy." 4.BE FLOATING/WALKING ON AIR:- be very happy about something good e.g. Ever since she met Mark, she's been walking on air. 5.SOMETHING MAKES YOUR DAY:- something makes you feel very happy e.g.When my neighbors surprised me with homemade chocolate chip cookies, it really made my day. IDIOMS FOR SADNESS 1.OUT OF SORTS:- slightly unhappy or slightly ill e.g.I think you should ge

  IDIOMS FOR SADNESS 1.OUT OF SORTS:- slightly unhappy or slightly ill e.g.I think you should get to bed earlier because you always wake up feeling so out of sorts in the morning. 2.DOWN IN THE DUMPS:- unhappy(informal) e.g. Rob has been down in the dumps ever since Gloria broke up with him. 3.NOT THE END OF THE WORLD:- what has happened won't cause any serious problems e.g.It would be great if I got this teaching position, but I guess it isn't the end of the world if they pass me over. 4.GRIN AND BEAR IT:- accept the situation you don't like because you can't change it e.g.I really don't want to go, but I guess I'll just have to grin and bear it. 5.A MISERY GUTS:- someone who complains all the the time and is never happy e.g. I don't like talking to Paul because he's such a misery guts and always squashes my good mood. 6.SOUR GRAPES:- being jealous about something you can't have e.g.I don't think it's such a great job - and that's not ju

IDIOMS BASED ON SUCCESS  1.MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE (TO SOMETHING):- very good effect on a situation or a thing e.g.A good night's sleep, proper meals, and a bit of exercise can make all the difference in the world to your outlook on life. 2.WORK/GO/RUN LIKE A DREAM:- to work or go extremely well, without any problems: e.g.He let me drive his new car last night - it goes like a dream. 3.WORK LIKE MAGIC:- work immediately and very well indeed e.g.Flattery usually works like a charm on him. 4.GO FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH:- get better and better e.g.I was nervous when I initially invested in that company, but it has gone from strength to strength, thank goodness. 5.DO THE TRICK:- solve the problem very well e.g.The movie's plot, such as it is, won't go on to win any awards, but the gory special effects will do the trick for any fans of the horror genre. 6.BLESSING IN DISGUISE:- good effect even though at first it seemed it would be bad e.g.Running late for work turned out to be

A.DESCRIBING THE PROBLEM 1.HIT/COME UP AGAINST A BRICK WALL:- unable to continue or make progress because something stops e.g.The discussions in parliament hit a brick wall. 2.BE LEFT HOLDING THE BABY:- be left with an unwelcome responsibility, typically without warning. e.g.The other investors pulled out of the project and we were left holding the baby. 3.PUT ONE'S FOOT IN IT(PUT ONE'S FOOT IN ONE'S MOUTH):-say or do something tactless or embarrassing. e.g.I really put my foot in it when I asked her about her job. I didn't know she had just been fired. 4.IN DIRE STRAITS:-in a very bad or difficult situation e.g.With its best player out of the game, the team found itself in dire straits. 5.BACK/PAINT ONESELF INTO A CORNER:-to put oneself in a bad position e.g.The candidate backed/painted himself into a corner by proposing a tax increase. 6.DIG YOURSELF INTO A HOLE:-to get yourself into a difficult situation e.g.The party has really dug itself into a hole with its econom

 11.CHICKEN OUT:- to decide not to do something because one is afraid e.g.He was going to ask her on a date, but he chickened out at the last minute. 12.A COLD FISH:- someone who seems unfriendly and who does not share their feelings e.g.She's a lovely person, but her husband's a bit of a cold fish. 13.HAVE A OTHER FISH TO FRY:- to have other activities to do, esp more important ones e.g.They are too big and powerful and we have other fish to fry at the moment. 14.CHICKEN OUT:- to decide not to do something because you are too frightened e.g.I was going to go bungee jumping, but I chickened out. 15.A FLY IN THE OINTMENT:- A flaw or imperfection that detracts from something positive. e.g.The party was great-the only fly in the ointment was that my grumpy uncle was there. 16.A FISH OUT OF WATER:- someone who is uncomfortable in a specific situation e.g.I felt like a fish out of water at my new school. 17.SMELL A RAT:- to detect something suspicious e.g.When I got an e-mail asking

A.BEING ANGRY  1.FED UP:- very tired of (something) : angry about (something that has continued for a long time) e.g.I am fed up with trying to live on such a small wage. 2.AT WITS' END:- so worried, confused, or annoyed that you do not know what to do next e.g. I am at my wits' end trying to keep things in order. 3.HAVE/THROW A FIT:- to become very angry or worried, often shouting a lot e.g. Your boss will have a fit when he finds out you forgot to reply to those letters. 4.BE AFTER SOMEONE'S BLOOD:- to be very angry with someone and be trying to find them so that you can punish them e.g.Lisa is looking for you, and she’s after your blood. 5.OUT FOR(SOMEONE'S) BLOOD:- set on getting revenge e.g. if you are out for blood, you are determined to find someone to attack or blame for something bad that has happened. B. MAKE SOMEONE VERY ANGRY OR ANNOYED  1.DRIVE SOMEONE UP THE WALL  2.DRIVE/SEND SOMEONE ROUND THE BEND/TWIST 3.RUB SOMEONE UP THE WRONG WAY 4.RUFFLE SOMEONE'

1.A BULL/BEAR MARKET:- very careless in the way that may damage things or upset someone e.g.We told her it was a delicate situation but she went into the meeting like a bull in a china shop 2.FLY ON THE WALL:- having or involving an inconspicuous but effective point of observation e.g.I'd love to be a fly on the wall when those two get home! 3.TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORNS:- to deal with a difficult situation in a very direct or confident way e.g.I decided to take the bull by the horns and ask him to leave. 4.THE LION'S SHARE:- the largest part of something e.g.Basic women'swear categories now constitute the lion's share of clothing industry sales. 5.A STAG NIGHT:- an occasion when a group of men celebrate together because one of them is soon to be married e.g.Vedik comes in and tells her he is going out on his stag night. 6.FLOG A DEAD HORSE:- to waste time and effort trying to do something that is impossible e.g.He keeps trying to get it published but I think he's be

 FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES 1.BE ON THE BREADLINE:-be very poor, e.g.If I don't make a big sale this week, my family will be on the breadline in no time. 2.LIVE IN THE LAP OF LUXURY:-live in conditions of great comfort and wealth e.g.Some are paying hundreds of pounds a week to live in the lap of luxury. 3.MONEY SPINNER:-earns a lot of money for someone e.g.The film "Bahubali-the conclusion" has been fantastic money spinner. 4.MAKE A KILLING:-make a large profit very quickly and easily e.g.Her new business was a fantastic success; she made a killing in its first two months. 5.SPEND MONEY LIKE WATER:-to spend too much money in a careless way e.g.She spends money like water to create a luxurious home far beyond her means. 6.TIGHTEN YOUR BELT:-to spend less money e.g.We’re tightening our belts after the holidays. 7.WELL OFF/WELL-TO-DO/WELL HEELED:-having plenty of money  e.g.Her husband, who had died three years previously, had left her well-off. 8.BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN O

A. LAWS AND RULES Add caption 1.TAKING THE LAW INTO THEIR  OWN HAND:- to try to punish someone for breaking a law even though one does not have the right to do that e.g.What made you want to look up take the law into one's own hands? Please tell us where you read or heard it. 2.BE LAW UNTO YOURSELF:- Completely out of control and simply ignore the law e.g.Charlie, of course, never fills in the record forms but then he's a law unto himself. 3.LAY DOWN THE LAW:- be very firm and clear about the law and enforce it e.g.She can't just come into this office and start laying down the law. 4.BEND THE RULES:- to break the rules in a way that you consider unimportant or not harmful e.g. You’ve got to know when to bend the rules a little. B. AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY  1.CARRY THE CAN:- accept the blame/responsibility alone, even though other people were responsible e.g.As usual, I was left to carry the can. 2.LET/GET SOMEONE OFF THE HOOK:- are free/leave someone from all responsibi

EVALUATING PEOPLE OR THINGS 1.HAVE A LOT TO ANSWER FOR:- main course of the problems e.g.Parents want don't control their children have a lot to answer for. 2.ALL IT'S CRACKED UP TO BE:- as good as people say e.g.The restaurant is not all it's cracked up to be.  3.HAS THE EDGE OVER:- is slightly better than e.g.This computer has the edge over other models because it has such a huge hard drive. 4.LEAVE A LOT TO BE DESIRED:- not as good as it should be /as we might expect e.g.Her spoken English leaves a lot to be desired. 5.HAVE ALL THE MAKINGS OF:- likely to develop into e.g.The recent events have all the makings of a big political scandal. 6.ON THE BIG/EXPENSIVE SIDE:- heavier than you want it to be  e.g.This suitcase is a bit on the heavy side.  7.A DEAD LOSS:- completely useless e.g.This bottle-opener's a dead loss. 8.ROUGH AND READY:- crude and lacking sophistication  e.g.The accommodation was a bit rough and ready. 👈 CLICK HERE YOUR VIDEOS  

KNOWING AND NOT KNOWING  1.INSIDE OUT:- every detail of something 2.KNOW YOUR STUFF:- to know a lot about something and be able to use your knowledge e.g. If you have any questions, John really knows his stuff. 3.HAVE A FAMILIAR RING (TO SOMETHING):- to seem or sound like something you have heard or seen before e.g. I didn't know who was speaking, but his voice had a familiar ring. 4.RING A BELL:- to sound familiar e.g.The name rang a bell but I couldn't remember where I had heard it before. 5.NOT HAVE A CLUE:- not know at all.  e.g.He doesn’t have a clue about how to fix a car. 6.NOT HAVE THE FOGGIEST(IDEA):- to not know or understand something at all e.g.I didn't have the foggiest idea what he was talking about. 7.NOT HAVE MUCH UPSTAIRS:- to not be very intelligent e.g.People think he hasn't got much upstairs but in fact he is very intelligent when it comes to computers. 8.OUT OF TOUCH:- To be or to not be in contact with someone/something e.g.A few of the older teach

IN DANGER 1.CATCH NAPPING:-to suddenly put (someone) in a position of being unprepared to deal with a situation because of not paying attention e.g.When the problem appeared again, the government was caught napping. 2.OUT ON A LIMB:-in or into a position where one is not joined or supported by anyone else. e.g."I wouldn't go out on a limb like this if I didn't have the data to justify it" 3.LEAD ASTRAY:-to mislead so as to cause error or wrongdoing e.g.I'm afraid the GPS led us astray. We should have turned right back there. 4.LEAVE WELL ALONG:-to stop changing something that is already good enough e.g.He just doesn't know when to leave well alone. 5.A NECESSARY EVIL:-Something bad that must exist or occur in order for something good to happen. e.g.These days, student loans are a necessary evil in order to get an education that leads to a well-paying job.  6.IN A TIGHT CORNER:-in a situation which is difficult to deal with or escape from e.g.He’s in a bit of a

ARGUMENTS  1.IN A NUTSHELL:- in a very brief statement,using as few words as possible e.g.My own drive that's a big question to answer ,but in a nutshell, I want the work I do to matter. 2.PROS AND CONS:- arguments for and against,good points and bad points e.g.Congress weighed the pros and cons of the new tax plan. 3.A VICIOUS CIRCLE:- a chain of events in which the response to one difficulty creates a new problem that aggravates the original difficulty e.g.Many people get caught/trapped in a vicious circle of dieting and weight gain. 4.A CAN OF WORMS:- a situation that causes a lot of problems for you when you start to deal with it e.g.Corruption is a serious problem, but nobody has yet been willing to open up that can of worms. 5.ACID TEST:- a severe or crucial test,true test e.g.The new team faced its first acid test when it played the national champions 6.THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN:- a different aspect of a situation, especially a bad aspect e.g.The economy is improving, but t

A. FEELINGS  1.OPEN YOUR HEART:- share your deepest feelings e.g.She opened her heart to me.  2.BARE YOUR HEART/SOUL:- share secret(often dramatic) feelings with someone else e.g.I find it rather painful to bare heart to anyone else. 3.POUR YOUR HEART OUT:- share secret worries with someone else e.g.Imelda poured her heart out to me, I wish i could help her. 4.YOUR HEART MISS/SKIP A BEAT:- you suddenly feel so excited or frightened that your heart beats faster e.g. When I first saw Pamela anderson my heart missed a beat. 5.HEART IS IN THE RIGHT PLACE:- someone is good even if they sometimes behave the wrong way e.g.Bandit is bit rude sometimes, but his heart is in the right place. 6.BREAK SOMEONE'S HEART:- make someone very sad(often someone who loves you) 7.YOUR HEART SINKS:- start feel sad or worried e.g.my heart sand as she broke up with me .  8.HAVE A CHANGE OF HEART:- change your opinion or the way you feel e.g. Ben wants to by the boat before his wife has a change of heart. 9

A.  PRAISE 1.GROUND BREAKING:-introducing new ideas or methods,innovative; pioneering. e.g.She was honored for her groundbreaking work in nuclear physics.  2.SECOND TO NONE:-as good as or better than all others e.g.The conditions that these prisoners are kept in are second to none. 3.A HARD/TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW:-someone or something that has been so successful that it is very difficult for the person or thing coming next to be as good e.g.His presidency was very successful - it'll be a hard act to follow. 4.LIKE GOLD DUST:-very valuable or difficult to get because a lot of people want it e.g.Even with so many people looking to rent in the city at the moment, good tenants are still like gold dust here. 5.MADE FOR(SOMETHING):-to result in or make possible e.g.Having faster computers would make for a more efficient system. 6.OUT OF THIS WORLD:-extremely good e.g.What a restaurant - the food was out of this world! B.CRITICISM 1.ASKING FOR TROUBLE:-behaving in a way that is likely to cau

A. AIR 1.UP IN THE AIR:- Undecided e.g.With his contract expiring during the summer, the defender's future is up in the air.  2.A BREATH OF FRESH AIR:- something new/more exciting  e.g.Angela's so cheerful and lively - she's like a breath of fresh air when she visits. 3.OUT OF THE BLUE:- Completely unexpected (the blue=the sky) e.g.My old roommate called me out of the blue. 4.CLEAR THE AIR:- Make bad feelings disappear e.g.I had a massive argument with Sue, but at least it has cleared the air. B.THE EARTH, PLANETS, GROUND 1.DOWN TO EARTH:- very practical e.g.She's a down-to-earth woman with no pretensions. 2.COME(BACK)DOWN TO EARTH WITH A BANG:- suddenly back to reality  e.g.The realization of how little work I'd done for the exams brought me abruptly back down to earth 3.BITE THE DUST:- fail/die e.g.The climax of most Westerns comes when the villain bites the dust. 4.BE ON ANOTHER PLANET:- not aware of the real world e.g.Some days that girl seems as if she's on