idioms (a-z)a...about to do something- (14)

7/30/2019 Idioms (a-Z)a...About to Do Something- (14)

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Idioms (A-Z)A...About to do something- (14)lately and is not accomplishing very much of anything.

spring chicken- a young person (usually negative)She is no spring chicken. She is almost 96 years old.

spruce up- clean, redecorateThey spruced up the community center for the summer holidays.

(on the) spur of the moment- suddenlyHe decided to go to Hong Kong on the spur of the moment.

square away- put right for use or actionHave you squared away your plans for your holidays yet?

square one- in the beginningWe had to go back to square one and start the project over.

square peg in a round hole- a person who does not fit into a job or positionHe is like a square peg in a round hole trying to do the job of an accountant.

squawk about- complain aboutHe is always squawking about the bad service in that restaurant.

stab someone in the back- betray someone

I dislike him because he tried to stab me in the back during the last meeting.

stack the cards- arrange things (unfairly) for or against a person

They are stacking the cards against him with their constant demands for more andmore qualifications for the job.

stamping grounds

- a place where a person spends much of his time

He went back to his old stamping grounds which he remembered as a teenager.

stamp out

- destroy completely and make disappear

The government is making a great effort to stamp out smoking among teenagers.

(can`t) stand


2/13

- can`t tolerate, dislike

She can`t stand the other people in her class.

stand a chance

- have a possibility

They stand a good chance of winning the game.

stand by

- be near, waiting to do something when needed

There is a doctor standing by in case there is a medical emergency.

stand by

- follow or keep (one`s promise), be loyal to or support

She always stands by her husband when he has a problem.

stand clear of something

- keep away from something

Please stand clear of the door while we are moving the piano.

stand for

- be a sign of, make one think of

I didn`t know what the letters stood for so I was not able to write the correctname of the company.

stand for

- speak in favor of something or show that one supports it

All of the candidates stand for a platform of law and order.

stand for

- allow to happen or be done, permit

He will not stand for anybody to come to his classes late.

stand in awe of

- look upon with wonder, feel respectful to

He stands in awe of the former coach in the football department.

stand in for someone

- be a substitute for someone else

The other actor stood in for her when she was sick.


3/13

stand (someone) in good stead- be a great advantage to someoneIt will stand you in good stead with the company if you do the extra work.

stand off- stay at a distance, stay apartHe always stands off from the rest of the students in his class.

stand off- keep someone or something from coming near or winningThere was a stand-off at the bank between the police and the bank robbers.

stand on ceremony- be formalYou don`t need to stand on ceremony. You can relax.

stand one`s ground- maintain and defend one`s positionHe stood his ground over his decision to fire the employee.

stand on one`s own two feet- be independentHe learned to stand on his own two feet when he was very young.

stand out- be more noticeable in some way than those around oneHe likes to wear clothes that make him stand out from the crowd.

stand over

- watch closely, keep checking all the timeHe stood over his son all day to make sure that he was studying for his final exams.

stand pat- be satisfied with things and be against a changeWe should stand pat for awhile and not do anything to cause any problems with the negotiations.

stand to reason- make sense, be logical

If he told a lie about that it stands to reason that he will probably lie to youabout other things too.

stand up- strong enough to use for a long timeThe new carpet is able to stand up to the use of many people.

stand up and be counted


4/13

- be willing to say what one thinks in publicThe union members thought it was time that they stood up and were counted beforemanagement took away their benefits.

stand (someone) up- fail to keep an appointment or date with your boyfriend or girlfriend

He stood her up on a date last Saturday and now she won`t talk to him.

stand up for

- defend against attack, fight for

The citizens of the town were ready to stand up for their rights,

stand up to someone

- be brave in confronting someone

He stood up to his boss during the meeting when his boss criticized his work.

stars in one`s eyes

- an appearance or feeling of very great happiness

She had stars in her eyes when she saw the beautiful ring that her boyfriend hadbought for her.

start in

- begin a career

He started in as a mailroom clerk but soon he began to have more and more important jobs in the company.

start the ball rolling

- begin to do something

He finally started the ball rolling on their plans to build a new house.

start up


5/13

- begin operating, begin to play

He started up a small business when he was 20 years old.

stay away from

- avoid

He has been staying away from salty foods for several months now.

stay put- stay in one place, not leaveWe decided to stay put for our holidays rather than go away.

steal one`s thunder- do or say something that another person had planned to say

He stole my thunder when he announced that he was leaving the company before me.

steal the show- act or do so well in a performance that you get most of the attentionThe little boy stole the show at the music festival.

steer clear of someone- avoidI have been steering clear of that person ever since our argument.

step by step- gradually

He has made a great effort and step by step he has learned how to use a computer.

step down- leave an important positionMy father stepped down from his job as president of his company recently.

step on it- go faster, hurry"Step on it," he yelled as the taxi took him to the airport a little late.

step on one`s toes- do something that embarrasses or offends someone else

He stepped on a lot of people`s toes at work and now has many enemies.

step on the gas- go faster, hurryI decided to step on the gas in order to get to work on time.

step up- make something go faster or more activelyRecently we had to step up our effort to hire some new computer programmers forour company.


6/13

step up- rise to a higher or more important position, be promotedHe stepped up to the position of manager after the old manager was fired.

stew in one`s own juice- suffer from something that one has caused to happen oneselfHe is stewing in his own juice after he got into trouble for being late.

stick around- stay or wait nearbyWe decided to stick around after the game to talk for awhile.

stick-in-the-mud- someone who is old-fashioned, someone who doesn`t want to join in with othersHe is a stick-in-the-mud and will never join in any of the activities at a party.

stick one`s neck out- take risks, support someoneHe never sticks his neck out for anyone at work and therefore has few friends.

stick it out- endure, continue

She doesn`t like her new job but plans to stick it out until she saves enough money to go to Europe.

stick to (a story/the facts)- remain faithful to somethingPlease stick to the facts when you tell the story to the police.

stick to one`s guns- defend an action or opinion despite an unfavorable reactionHe is sticking to his guns on his decision to fire the manager of the store.

stick up- rob with a gun

A man with a gun tried to stick up my mother when I was a child.

stick up for- defend, help, supportHe always sticks up for the younger workers at his company.

stick with- continue doing, not quitHe has been able to stick with his trumpet lessons since he was a child.

stick with- stay with, not leaveIf you stick with your job for a few years you will be able to save a lot of mon

ey.

stick (someone) with- leave someone with something unpleasantI was stuck with paying the bill when I went to the restaurant with my friends.

sticky fingers- the habit of stealing things that one sees and wantsThe young boy has sticky fingers and you must watch him all the time.


7/13

stink- terrible, bad qualityDo you like that new policy at your company? No, I think it stinks.

stir up- cause some action to occur, rouseThe man`s angry words stirred up the crowd and made them very angry.

stir up a hornet`s nest- make many people angry, do something that many people don`t likeHe stirred up a hornet`s nest when he began to talk about the problems with thebonus system at his job.

stone-broke- having no moneyHe was stone-broke after he came back from his holiday in Greece.

stop by- visit, pass byWhy don`t you stop by my house on your way home?

stop dead/cold- stop very quickly or with great forceHe stopped dead when he saw the bear in the middle of the road.

stop in one`s tracks- stop very quickly or with great forceThe elephant was forced to stop in its tracks by the electric fence.

stop off- stop at a place for a short time while going somewhereWe decided to stop off in New York City on our way to Egypt.

stop over- stay at a place overnight or for a short time while on a tripThe plane had to stop over in Alaska because one of the passengers had a heart attack.

straight from the horse`s mouth- directly from the person involvedI went over to my friend`s house so that I could hear about her wedding straightfrom the horse`s mouth.

straight from the shoulder- open and honest way of speakingHe always speaks straight from the shoulder.

straight out- plainly, in a way that hides nothingHe was told straight out by his boss that his work was not satisfactory.

straighten up- put in order, clean upHe had to straighten up the house before inviting his parents over for dinner.

strapped for cash- have no money availableI am a little strapped for cash so I won`t be able to go away this summer.

straw in the wind


8/13

- a small sign of what may happenWhen the company began to try and cut back on expenses it was a straw in the wind as to what would happen in the future.

straw that breaks the camel`s back- a small problem which follows other troubles that makes you lose patience andbe unable to continue as beforeRecently she has caused many problems in this company. However, when she lost the key to the front door of the office it was the straw that broke the camel`s back and we decided to fire her.

stretch a point- agree to something beyond the limit of what is normally allowedI think it is stretching a point to think you can go and take a two-hour lunch break.

strike it rich- become rich or successful suddenlyHe struck it rich when he got a job at the computer company and was able to buysome stock very cheap.

strike out- be put out of action through one`s own errorsHe struck out in his attempt to gather enough support to build a new cafeteria i

n the building.

strike while the iron is hot- take advantage of an opportunityHe decided to strike while the iron was hot and quickly applied for the job.

string along- deceive or foolHe tried to string me along with his story about his sick mother.

string out- make something extend over a great distance or over a long period of timeThe games of the soccer tournament were strung out over a period of about 3 week

s.

strings attached- obligations, restraining conditionsHe was able to borrow the money for the furniture with no strings attached.

stuck on- very much in love with, crazy aboutMy niece has been stuck on the boy next door for several months now.

stuck up- acting as if other people are not as good as one is, conceitedWe don`t like the new woman at work because she is very stuck up and thinks she

is much better than the rest of us.

stuffed shirt- a person who is too rigid or too formalHe is a stuffed shirt and I never feel comfortable to try and talk with him.

sucker list- a list of easily-fooled people who are easily persuaded to buy somethingThe salesmen used a sucker list to try and get people to buy his new product.


9/13

sugar daddy- a rich older man who gives money to a younger woman for her companionshipThe woman went off on a nice winter holiday with her sugar daddy.

sum up- put something into a few words, summarizeHe summed up his presentation and asked for questions from the audience.

sunny-side up- eggs fried on one side onlyWe asked for our eggs to be fried sunny-side up at the restaurant.

sure thing- something sure to happen, something about which there is no doubtHis promotion to senior manager is a sure thing according to the president.

sure thing- of course, certainly"Sure thing, I would be glad to help you with your homework tonight."

swallow one`s pride- bring one`s pride under control, become humbleI had to swallow my pride and go and ask my supervisor for some extra money.

swamped- overwhelmedI am a little swamped with work at the moment so I can`t meet you tonight.

swan song- final appearanceHe was a big hit during his swan song at the party last week.

swear by- use as the support or authority that what one is saying is truthfulThe accused criminal was asked to swear on a bible at the trial.

swear by

- have complete confidence in , be sure of somethingHe swears by the walk that he takes every morning.

swear in- have a person promise to do his duty as a member of an organization or government dept. etc.The new Prime Minister was sworn in last night at the parliament.

swear off- decide to give up something that you are in the habit of usingMy friend swore off alcohol several years ago.

sweat bullets/blood

- be nervous, be very worriedI was sweating bullets during the interview but after it started I was able to calm down.

sweat out- wait anxiously, worry while waitingI spent the evening sweating out whether or not I would get the job or not.

sweep off one`s feet- overcome with strong feelings


10/13

We were swept off our feet over the excitement of the ceremony.

sweep under the rug- hide or dismiss casuallyThey always sweep their problems under the rug and never want to discuss them.

sweetie pie- darling, sweetheartHe always calls his wife sweetie pie. Even after they have been married for 30 years.

sweet on- in love with, very fond ofHe was sweet on his next door neighbor when he was a child.

sweet talk- praise or flatter someone to get what you wantMy sister tried to sweet talk our father into giving her the car but he said no.

swelled head- a feeling that one is more important than one really isHe has a swelled head since he got the new position in his company.

swim against the tide/current- do the opposite of what most people want to doHe is always swimming against the tide and never wants to do what his friends are doing.

switched on- in tune with the latest fads, ideas and fashionsHis aunt is really switched on and looks much younger than her age.Last edited by Argus; Sunday, October 15, 2006 at 03:21 AM.

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Friday, October 28, 2005

AmoebaSenior Member

Join Date: Sep 2005Posts: 161Thanks: 0

Thanked 309 Times in 52 Posts

IDIOMS,MEANINGS AND ITS USAGE:

Idiom #1DON'T GIVE UP THE DAY JOBExplanation of Idiom #1YOU ARE NOT VERY GOOD AT THAT. YOU COULD DEFINITELY NOT DO IT PROFESSIONALLY.Example of Idiom #1


11/13

"I REALLY LIKE THE WAY YOU SING BUT DON'T GIVE UP YOUR DAY JOB."

Idiom #2A CASH COWExplanation of Idiom #2AN EASY WAY TO EARN MONEY REGULARLY.Example of Idiom #2"INCOME TAX IS A REAL CASH COW FOR THE GOVERNMENT."

Idiom #3CLEAR THE AIRExplanation of Idiom #3DISCUSS SOMETHING THAT WAS CAUSING PEOPLE TO FEEL UPSET.Example of Idiom #3"THERE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A MISUNDERSTANDING. I'D LIKE TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED,JUST TO CLEAR THE AIR."

Idiom #4TURN YOUR BACK ONExplanation of Idiom #4GIVE UP ON, OR ABANDON.Example of Idiom #4"I NEED YOUR HELP BUT YOU JUST TURNED YOUR BACK ON ME.

"Idiom #5NOT CUT OUT FORExplanation of Idiom #5NOT SUITABLE FOR SOMETHING.Example of Idiom #5"HE TRIED MOUNTAIN CLIMBING BUT HE SIMPLY WAS NOT CUT OUT FOR IT."

Idiom #6A CLASS ACTExplanation of Idiom #6SOPHISTICATED, ABOVE AVERAGE.Example of Idiom #6

"HE OFFERED TO HELP, EVEN THOUGH HE DOESN'T KNOW ME. HE'S A REAL CLASS ACT."

Idiom #7CLEAN UP YOUR ACTExplanation of Idiom #7IMPROVE YOUR BEHAVIOR.Example of Idiom #7"IF YOU ARE EVER GOING TO IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH SKILLS, YOU MUST START GETTING TOCLASS ON TIME AND DOING YOUR HOMEWORK. WHY DON'T YOU CLEAN UP YOUR ACT?"

Idiom #8GET YOUR ACT TOGETHERExplanation of Idiom # 8

GET MORE ORGANIZED.Example of Idiom #8"YOU HAVE BEEN LATE FOR WORK EVERY DAY THIS WEEK. IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THIS JOB,YOU MUST GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER."

Idiom #9IN THE AIRExplanation of Idiom #9BEING DISCUSSED. GENERALLY OBVIOUS.Example of Idiom #9


12/13

"THE DAYS ARE GETTING LONGER AND THE FLOWERS ARE BLOOMING. SPRING IS IN THE AIR."

Idiom #10UP IN ARMSExplanation of idom #10ANGRY.Example of Idiom #10"THE CROWD WAS AGITATED. EVERYONE WAS UP IN ARMS OVER THE GOVERNMENT DECISION."

Idiom #11SCRATCH THE SURFACEExplanation of Idiom #11EXAMINE ONLY A PART OF SOMETHING. UNCOVER ONLY A FEW FACTS ABOUT SOMETHING.Example of Idiom #11"CANCER RESEARCH IS A VERY LONG-TERM PROCESS. SO FAR, WE HAVE JUST BEGUN TO SCRATCH THE SURFACE."

Idiom #12SPILL THE BEANSExplanation of Idiom #12TELL A SECRET.Example of Idiom #12

"I WON'T BE THE ONE TO SPILL THE BEANS."

Idiom #13GIVE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBTExplanation of Idiom #13BELIEVE SOMEONE'S STATEMENT, WITHOUT PROOF.Example of Idiom #13"THE TEACHER'S EXPLANATION DID NOT SEEM LOGICAL, BUT I GAVE HER THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT."

Idiom #14BLACK AND BLUEExplanation of Idiom #14

BRUISED.Example of Idiom #14"HE WAS BEATEN UNTIL HE WAS BLACK AND BLUE."

Idiom #15BY THE BOOKExplanation of Idiom #15DOING SOMETHING ACCORDING TO THE RULES.Example of Idiom #15"HE IS A GOOD COP. HE DOES EVERYTHING BY THE BOOK."

Idiom #16

IN THE CLEARExplanation of Idiom #16OUT OF TROUBLE.Example of Idiom #16"HIS INNOCENCE HAS BEEN PROVEN. HE IS IN THE CLEAR."

Idiom #17STEER CLEAR OFExplanation of Idiom #17AVOID.


13/13

Example of Idiom #17"SHE IS NOT VERY NICE. I THINK WE SHOULD STEER CLEAR OF HER."

Idiom #18ROUND THE CLOCKExplanation of Idiom #18ALL DAY.Example of Idiom #18"HE IS A VERY HARD WORKER. HE USUALLY WORKS ROUND THE CLOCK."

Idiom #19TURN BACK THE CLOCKExplanation of Idiom #19GO BACK IN TIME.Example of Idiom #19"I FEEL OLD. I WISH I COULD TURN BACK THE CLOCK."

Idiom #20LIKE CLOCKWORKExplanation of Idiom #20WITH MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY.Example of Idiom #20"HE IS VERY PREDICTABLE. HE ALWAYS EATS AT THE SAME TIME, LIKE CLOCKWORK."

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Monday, October 31, 2005

Abdul Salam KhanMemberJoin Date: Oct 2005Location: QuettaPosts: 69

Thanks: 1Thanked 21 Times in 6 Posts

Abdul Salam Khan has strived to post impressive Idioms for kind perusal of forumMembers.A

Across the board, at a loss

B

bail a company out, ball park figure/estimate, bang for the buck, banker's hours

, bean-counter, big gun/cheese/wheel/wig, bottom fall out/drop out, bottom line,bottom out, boys/men in the backroom, break even, budget squeeze/crunch, buy off, buy out, by a long shot

C

calculated risk, captain o

idioms (a-z)a...about to do something- (14)

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