Idioms List

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do the trick
To work; to cause the desired results.

I need something to quench my thirst. This bottle of water should do the trick.

down and out
Without money and without prospects.

Max is pretty down and out. He has lost his job, car, and home.

down the drain
Wasted, lost.

Everything I spent on guitar lessons was just money down the drain. I can't play a thing.

drag one's feet
To deliberately hold back or delay; to intentionally go or work slowly.

Whenever I ask for the information, they say they're working on it. I think they're just dragging their feet.

draw a blank
To suddenly forget; to fail to remember a piece of information.

I know the answer to that question, but I'm drawing a blank.

drop out
To leave school or a social group; to withdraw from competition.

Man, I'm tired of school. I think I'll drop out and do a little traveling.

easy as pie
Very easily completed or accomplished.

That puzzle was as easy as pie.

easy come, easy go
Easily won and easily lost.

The government took half of my lottery winnings in taxes. Oh well, easy come, easy go.

easy on the eyes
Attractive; beautiful.

Mary is quite easy on the eyes.

eat like a bird
To eat very little.

How does Mary keep such a nice figure? I bet she eats like a bird.

eat like a pig
To eat noisily, with one's mouth open; to eat a lot.

Don?t invite Max to your dinner party; he eats like a pig.

elbow grease
hard work or physical effort.

The floor is very dirty. It will take some elbow grease to get it clean.

face the music
To confront the unpleasant consequences of one's actions.

The police are here to arrest Max. I guess it?s time for him to face the music.

face to face
In person; in the physical presence of somebody.

I?m tired of discussing this over the phone. Let?s meet and discuss it face to face.

fall on deaf ears
To be ignored or disregarded.

Every time Mary ask Max to do something, her requests fall on deaf ears.

fall through the cracks
To be missed or overlooked.

How did they overlook that million dollar account. Somehow it just fell through the cracks.

feel free
Be my guest; be uninhibited about doing something.

Please feel free to eat anything in the refrigerator.

few and far between
Rare and scarce; occurring infrequently.

People who actually like Max are few and far between.

fill someone's shoes
To do someone's job; to assume someone's role.

It will be very difficult to fill Max?s shoes when he retires.

filthy rich
Extremely wealthy.

Max married Mary because she was filthy rich. All he cared about was her money.

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