Essential idioms in english

y put his foot in his mouth when he called his supervisor by 
the wrong name. 
o I really put my foot in it when I forgot my girlfriend's birthday and 
didn't buy her anything. She almost lost her cool. 
to be up for grabs: to become available to others 
this idiom is used when something is highly desirable to many other people. 
o When one of the full-time contract instructors stepped down, her nice 
office overlooking the river was up for grabs. 
o Did you know that Senator Stone is retiring and that her Senate seat is 
up for grabs? 
to show off: to display one's ability in order to attract attention (S); to let 
others see, to expose to public view (S) 
This idiom can form the noun showoff for the first definition. 
o Elizabeth is an excellent swimmer, but I don't like the way she shows 
off in front of everyone. It's very obvious that she enjoys being a 
showoff. 
o Jacquie showed her large wedding ring off to all her friends. 
to learn the ropes: to become familiar with routine procedures at work or 
school 
o The job applicant didn't have much previous experience or knowledge, 
but she seemed intelligent enough to learn the ropes quickly. 
PRENTICE HALL REGENTS Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 07632 - 57 - 
ESSENTIAL IDIOMS IN ENGLISH by ROBERT J. DIXSON 
o It took the new schoolteacher a year to learn the ropes regarding 
administrative and curricular matters. 
to keep one's fingers crossed: to hope to have good results, to hope that 
nothing bad will happen 
This idiom reflects the way people cross their fingers to hope for good luck. 
o Let's keep our fingers crossed that we got passing grades on that 
college entrance exam. 
o Jerry kept his fingers crossed that the good weather would hold up for 
the picnic he was planning for the coming weekend. 
LESSON 38 
to land on one's feet: to recover safely form an unpleasant or dangerous 
situation 
o After a series of personal and professional difficulties, it's amazing that 
George has landed on his feet so quickly. 
o Some young adults get into so much trouble at school that they are 
never able to land on their feet again. They drop out before graduating. 
to dish out: to distribute in large quantity (S); to speak of others in a critical 
manner (S) 
o Mary's mom dished out two or three scoops of ice cream for each child 
at the birthday party. 
o Larry can't seem to take any criticism of his actions but he certainly 
likes to dish it out. 
to get through to: to communicate with, to make someone understand (also: 
to break through to) 
This idiom has the meaning of to make someone "catch on" (Lesson 29, eighth 
idiom, the first definition) 
o Some of the students in my reading class understand English so poorly 
that it is difficult to get through to them. 
o The doctors have never succeeded in breaking though to Mr. Ames, 
who is a silent and secretive patient. 
to keep one's word: to fulfill a promise, to be responsible 
An idiom with the opposite meaning is to break one's word. 
o Suzanne kept her word to me not to let on to others that I intend to 
step down next month. 
o Thomas always intends to keep his word, but invariably the end result 
is that he breaks his word. He just isn't capable of being a responsible 
person. 
to be over one's head: to be very busy, to have too much to do (also: to be 
up to one's ears); to be beyond one's ability to understand 
o I'd love to take a week off for a hiking trip, but at the moment I am over 
my head in work. Maybe next week when I'm only up to my ears! 
o It was impossible for the tutor to get through to Bill about the physics 
problem because the subject matter was over Bill's head. 
PRENTICE HALL REGENTS Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 07632 - 58 - 
ESSENTIAL IDIOMS IN ENGLISH by ROBERT J. DIXSON 
to ask for: to deserve, to receive a just punishment (also: to bring upon) 
o If you drink alcohol and then drive a car, you're only asking for trouble. 
o Don't complain about your cut in salary. You asked for it by refusing to 
heed our repeated warnings not to be late and inefficient. 
to be a far cry from: to be very different from 
o I enjoyed visiting Seattle, but it was a far cry from the ideal vacation 
spot I expected. 
o Ned is enjoying his new job, but his responsibilities are a far cry from 
what he was told they would be. 
by all means: certainly, definitely, naturally (also: of course); using any 
possible way or method 
o If the Johnsons invite us for dinner, then by all means we have to 
return the invitation. Of cause, we don't have to invite their children, 
too. 
o In order to ensure its survival, the ailing company has to obtain an 
infusion of cash by all means. 
to get out from under: to restore one's financial security, to resolve a 
difficult financial obligation 
o After years of struggling to get ahead, the young couple finally got out 
from under their debts. 
o The ailing company, succeeding in obtaining the necessary cash, was 
able to get out from under its financial burdens. 
to take the bull by the horns: to handle a difficult situation with 
determination 
This idiom is usually used when someone has been postponing an action for 
some time and finally wants or needs to resolve it. 
o After three years of faithful service, Jake decided to take the bull by the 
horns and ask his boss for a raise. 
o Vic has been engaged to Laura for a long time now, and I know that he 
loves her. He should take the bull by the horns and ask her to marry 
him. 
to give (someone) a hand: to assist, to aid, to help (also: to lend 
someone a hand) (S) 
o Would you give me a hand lifting this heavy box? 
o When Terry's car broke down at night on the highway, no one would 
stop to lend her a hand. 
to give (someone) a big hand: to clap one's hands in applause, to applaud 
(S) 
o After the talented new vocalist had sung her number, the audience 
gave her a big hand. 
o Should we give a big hand to each beauty contestant is as she is 
introduced, or should we wait until all the introductions are finished? 
PRENTICE HALL REGENTS Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 07632 - 59 - 
ESSENTIAL IDIOMS IN ENGLISH by ROBERT J. DIXSON 
LESSON 39 
to goof off: to waste time, to be idle 
o Some of the workers in our office always goof off when the boss is out. 
o On Saturday afternoons, I like to go to a movie or just goof off at home. 
to talk back to: to answer in a rude manner, to speak to disrespectfully 
o Billy, if you talk back to me like that once more, you're going to spend 
the rest of the day in your room. 
o The school principal had to reprimand the child for talking back to her 
teacher. 
to be in: to be popular or fashionable; to be available at one's work or home 
o Most young people tend to want anything that is in at the time, but a 
few don't care about current trends. 
o Could you please tell me when Mrs. Zachary will be in? I'd like to talk to 
her soon. 
to be out: to be unpopular or no longer in fashion; to be away from one's 
work or home 
o These days, designer jeans are in and long skirts are out. 
o I'm sorry, Mr. Jensen is out at the moment. Could I take a message? 
to draw the line at: to determine to be unacceptable, to refuse to consider 
o I don't mind helping him with his homework, but I draw the line at 
writing a term paper for him. 
o The conference organizers tried to accommodate the needs of the 
various interest groups, but they drew the line at extending the 
conference by two day. 
to get out of line: to disobey or ignore normal procedures or rules (also: to 
step out of line) 
o When a child gets out of line in that teacher's class, she uses the old-
fashioned method of making the child sit in the corner of the room. 
o Any employee who steps out of line by coming to work in an 
unacceptable condition will be fired. 
dry run: rehearsal, practice session 
o The college president requested a dry run of the graduation ceremony 
in order to ensure that all aspects went smoothly. 
o Before the manager present the reorganizational plans to the board of 
directors, he did several dry runs of his presentation. 
to play by ear: to play music that one has heard but never read (S); to 
proceed without plan, to do spontaneously (S) 
The pronoun it is often used with the second definition. 
o That pianist can play most popular music by ear. She never needs to 
read sheet music. 
o My husband wanted to plan our trip carefully, but I argued that it was 
more fun if we played it by ear. 
PRENTICE HALL REGENTS Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 07632 - 60 - 
ESSENTIAL IDIOMS IN ENGLISH by ROBERT J. DIXSON 
to be in (someone's) shoes: to be in another person's position, to face the 
same situation as another person 
o If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't take too many classes this semester. 
o When his boss finds out about that accounting error, I wouldn't want to 
be in his shoes. 
to keep after: to remind constantly, to nag 
o Lynn always has to keep after her children about cleaning up their 
rooms and doing chores around the house. 
o Lon is so forgetful that it's necessary to keep after him about every little 
thing. 
to fix up: to repair or put back in good condition (S); to arrange a date or an 
engagement for another person (S) 
o Instead of buying an expensive new home, we decided to buy an older 
home and fix it up ourselves. 
o Since my visiting friend didn't have a date for dinner, I fixed her up 
with a male friend of mine. They got along very well together. 
to be had: to be victimized or cheated 
o When the jeweler confirmed that the diamonds that the woman had 
purchased abroad were really fake, she exclaimed, "I've been had!" 
o The angry customer complained about being overcharged at the store, 
asserting that this was the third time that he had been had. 
PRENTICE HALL REGENTS Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 07632 - 61 -