CHINH PHC IELTS TEAM TRN TRNG GII THIU

CONTENTS
1. Idioms ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
a. Idioms with animals .............................................................................................................................................................................. 4
b. Idioms about anger ................................................................................................................................................................................ 6
c.

Idioms with colours ............................................................................................................................................................................... 7

d. Idioms about entertainment ................................................................................................................................................................. 8

e.

Idioms about family and kinship ......................................................................................................................................................... 9

f.

Idioms with food and drink ................................................................................................................................................................ 10

g. Idioms about heath and illness ........................................................................................................................................................... 13

h. Idiomatic pairs ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
i.

Idioms about privilege ......................................................................................................................................................................... 15

j.

Idioms with clouds and sky ................................................................................................................................................................. 16

k. Idioms with head, feet and legs .......................................................................................................................................................... 16

l.
m.

Idioms with neck and nose .................................................................................................................................................................. 18

Idioms with skin and bones ............................................................................................................................................................. 19

2. Phrasal verbs ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 20

a. Phrasal verbs with up .......................................................................................................................................................................... 20
b. Pop in pop out pop around ........................................................................................................................................................... 21
c.

Phrasal verbs with work get put .................................................................................................................................................. 21

d. Prepostional and phrasal verbs .......................................................................................................................................................... 22

e.

Keep up ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 23

f.

End up be up to ................................................................................................................................................................................. 23

3. Miscellanies .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 24
a. No grass grew under his feet/ to not let the grass grow under your feet ........................................................................................ 24

b. In hand at hand ................................................................................................................................................................................. 24

c.

Inside job .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 24

d. In term of .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 24
e.

Throwaway society .............................................................................................................................................................................. 24

f.

Weather vocabulary ............................................................................................................................................................................ 25

IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS & PHRASAL VERBS

1. Idioms
a. Idioms with animals
fly-on-the-wall (adj)

: being watched without any notice

a fly on the wall (n)

: a person who watches others without being noticed

a bear market

: a period during which people are selling shares, etc. rather

than buying, because they expect the prices to fall
: a period during which share prices are rising and people are
buying shares

a bull market

do the donkey work

: to face a difficult or dangerous situation directly and with

courage
: do manual labour or jobs that are routine or least important

flog/ whip a dead horse

: waste time on something unlikely to be successful

a lions share

: the largest or best part of something when it is divided

a stag night

: a social/drinking evening for groom's male friends prior to

wedding
: social/drinking evening for bride's female friends
: earn enough to buy food and other essentials

take the bull by the horns

a hen night
keep the wolf from the
door
dog tired
let sleeping dogs lie

Big Brother is a famous fly-on-the-wall

film (=people are filmed going about their
normal lives as if the camera were not
there)
I'd like to have been a fly on the wall when
your boss heard he'd been fired.

The bull market of the Eighties and

Nineties is unlikely to return for some
time.
I decided to take the bull by the horns and
tell him he was upsetting Jane.
If you tell him to take it easy, he'll sit back
and let you do all the donkey work.
Invest in shares and the chances are you'll
be flogging a dead horse.
The lion's share of her money - over 80% went to her nephews and nieces.
I'm having my stag night on the same day
as my Sue is having her hen night.

If you can't get a better job, you won't be

able to keep the wolf from the door.
: very tired
He was dog tired - out on call all night
and then took surgery in the morning.
: not interfere; not mention something that could cause trouble She doesn't need to know he's been
unfaithful. Let sleeping dogs lie.

let the cat out of the bag

: reveal a secret

cat nap smell a rat

: sense that something is wrong

a wild goose chase

: a search that has no chance of success

up with the lark

: to get out of bed very early in the morning

chicken out

: stop participating in something which is too dangerous or

difficult
: a person who feels uncomfortable or awkward because he or
she is in surroundings that are not familiar
: a person who seems unfriendly and without strong emotions

a fish out of water

a cold fish
have other fish to fry

: have other things to do or more important matters to attend

to

a fly in the ointment

: a difficulty which prevents total enjoyment

not hurt a fly

: to be kind and gentle and unwilling to cause unhappiness

no flies on someone

: said of someone who is alert and clever, not easy to deceive

a busy bee

: very busy

have a bee in your bonnet

: be obsessed with something

the bee's knees

: someone who thinks they are very clever and important

He couldn't keep it secret, let the cat out

of the bag and told her everything.
They intended to trick him but they were
always larking about and he smelt a rat.
I didn't know her flight number so trying
to find Amy at Heathrow was a bit of a
wild goose chase.
We'll have to be up with the lark
tomorrow - the flight leaves at seven
thirty.
They are short of funds so I think they're
going to chicken out of this project.
I didn't know anyone at the reception so
felt like a fish out of water.
He showed no emotion at this aunt's
funeral - he's s cold sort of fish.
They wanted me to join them on this
project but I told them I had other fish to
fry.
The only fly in the ointment is that Sue
can't drive.
He has an awful temper but he wouldn't
hurt a fly.
There are no flies on Jacob - he is fully
aware of all aspects of the operation.
She's a busy bee all right - if there's a job
to do, she just has to get on with it.
She's got a bee in her bonnet about eating
raw fish to stay fit and healthy.
With her first class honours degree and
job with the UN, she thinks she's the bee'
knees.

b. Idioms about anger

to be steamed up

feel annoyed

to get hot under the collar

feel irritated

to be on the warpath

prepare to vent one's anger

to be up in arms

protest strongly

to be hopping mad

feel very angry

to fly off the handle

suddenly lose one's temper

to throw a wobbler

become suddenly angry with someone and

break down in tears

to do one's nut
to hit the ceiling / roof
to blow one's top / a fuse / a gasket
to rant and rave
to be miffed

totally lose one's temper

comprehensively lose one's temper
totally lose one's temper
to argue loudly and energetically
feel annoyed and disappointed

to be sick as a parrot
rub someone up the wrong way

annoy someone

When I failed to attend the first seminar,

my tutor got very steamed up about it.
Because I told him there's no more money
to spend on entertaining clients this month,
he got a bit hot under the collar this
morning.
I've stained the white carpet in the living
room, so my mother's on the warpath.
The unions are up in arms since
management declared there would be only
a 2 percent increase on basic wages this
year.
He's hopping mad because his daughter
has borrowed his car for the weekend
without first asking his permission.
I'm sorry. I shouldn't have flown off the
handle like that. Please forgive me.
When she learnt that Bill had been cheating
on her, she threw a wobbler and wouldn't
stop crying.
My mother did her nut / hit the roof / blew
her top when I told her I was quitting
university.
I was a bit miffed when I wasn't invited to
Julie's wedding.
I was sick as a parrot at the way we lost the
match in the last minute.
He certainly knows how to rub you up the
wrong way and he's only four years old.

It made my blood boil when I saw that he

had taken all the credit for the work I'd
done.

make someone's blood boil

c. Idioms with colours

go as white as a sheet

become extremely pale in the face

white coffee

coffee with milk (note: not white tea but

tea with milk)

white-collar worker

an office worker (note: blue-collar =

factory or physical work)

tell a white lie

telling a lie to avoid making someone upset

whiter than white

someone who is totally fair and honest

be in the red

have minus amounts on one's bank account

(in the black = in credit)

see red

lose one's temper; become suddenly angry

roll out the red carpet

put on a special welcome for an important

person

paint the town red

enjoy yourself by going to bars and/or

clubs

The news must've been bad. She went as

white as a sheet when she read the
telegram.
Do you want white or black coffee? - White
please. Well, dark brown, actually - just a
dash of milk.
He hopes to get a white-collar job, though,
with his level of education, he'll be lucky to
get a blue-collar one.
It's OK to tell a white lie. It doesn't do any
harm and it nearly always does some good.
She's whiter than white - the image of
perfection. In her entire life she has never
put a foot wrong.
She's always in the red, never in the black.
No overdraft would ever be big enough for
her.
When she realised saw that no housework
had been done all week, she saw red and
banished us from her holiday home.
It'll be time to roll out the red carpet when
Auntie Meg returns home. We haven't seen
her for twenty years.
They decided they would paint the town red
after winning so much money by gambling
on the horses.

a red-letter day

a very happy or exciting day

a blue movie

a film with explicit adult scenes

out of the blue

suddenly and unexpectedly

scream blue murder

make a lot of fuss; shout loudly and

emotionally in protest

the boys in blue

the uniformed police

a blue-eyed boy:

a young man (grudgingly) admired because

he is successful

It was a red-letter day for us when we were

able to move into our new holiday house the house of our dreams.
Blue movies, or adult videos as they are
sometimes called, are normally only
available from sex shops.
His suggestion that we should move to
Cyprus came completely out of the blue. I
wasn't expecting it.
They started to scream blue murder when I
told them they would have to work an extra
half an hour on Saturday afternoons.
It's a criminal offence. We can't sweep it
under the carpet. We should hand it over to
the boys in blue.
He's the blue-eyed boy of skateboarding all
right. He's won this competition five times.

d. Idioms about entertainment

send in the clowns

on the stage
showbiz
number
show stopper

road show

(1) provide some entertainment to cheer up

(2) when something goes wrong, there is a
need to keep everything go on (= the show
must go on)
working as an actor or actress in the theatre
show business
a song or musical and dance scene
a song or number that provokes such a
strong reaction from the audience it stops
the show
a radio broadcast live from different venues
or towns around the country

I'd love to be on the stage. I've always

wanted to be in showbiz.
I can guarantee that at least eight of these
numbers will be show stoppers.

Road shows used to be very popular during

the summer months.

to run the show

to steal the show

to take charge of any event or activity, not

necessarily connected with entertainment or
showbiz
to win the greatest applause and to be better
than all the other performers

Don't worry. She'll organise everything

while you're away. She's quite capable of
running the show.
Glynis Johns as Dsire in the original
production of Night Music stole the show.

e. Idioms about family and kinship

it runs in the family
your own flesh and blood

bad blood

blood is thicker than water

mum's the word

mother nature
a sugar daddy

a father figure
a chip off the old block

an ability or talent that is passed on through He has two daughters, both very athletic,
the generations
just like their mother. It runs in the family.
a member of your family, do not forget it!
You should take better care of your
younger sister. She is your own flesh and
blood.
hostility or unfriendliness between two
There is bad blood between the two
families or family members
brothers. They haven't spoken to each other
in two years.
family ties are stronger than any others,
His housekeeper had looked after him for
despite arguments
many years but he still left all his money to
his only son. Blood is thicker than water,
you know.
it's a secret, don't tell anyone
Dora doesn't know about Jim's affair with
Marion, so mum's the word.
nature and its benevolence towards human It's a nasty sprain but leave it all to mother
beings
nature and it will heal naturally.
a rich man who is generous to younger
She always liked older men with money and
women in return for sexual favours
there's no doubt that he was her sugar
daddy.
someone that you can turn to for advice and In his role as head of personnel, he became
support
a father figure for the whole company.
a son or daughter who is just like their
He's as stubborn as his father - a chip off
father in character, looks or temperament
the old block in other words.

child's play / kids' stuff

a confirmed bachelor
a blind date
a passing fancy
my old man / my old woman
old wives' tales

a bit on the side

an old flame

on the house

a home from home

home truths

an easy task that requires little effort

Getting Jack to undertake this difficult

assignment should be child's play / kids'
stuff. He's already very keen on the idea.
a man who has decided on principle never
David's a confirmed bachelor - lots of
to marry
girlfriends, but nothing serious.
an arranged meeting between two people of They've been married for fifteen years and,
the opposite sex who haven't met before
do you know, they first met on a blind date.
temporary liking for someone or something I don't like my daughter's new boyfriend. I
just hope he's a passing fancy.
a slightly derogatory term for husband /
My old man spends most afternoons at the
wife
bookmakers.
traditional beliefs which are proved wrong If you think this blend of herbs can cure
by science
you of this, well, that's an old wives' tale,
I'm afraid.
a sexual relationship outside marriage
They have an open marriage, but I don't
believe in that. I don't think you should
have a bit on the side.
someone of the opposite sex you were
Did you see how his eyes lit up when Claire
strongly attracted to in the past
entered the room. Claire's an old flame of
his.
provided free to the customer by the hotel, This is a famous victory for our country, so
bar or organisation
all the drinks this evening will be on the
house.
place where one feels very welcome
The people there were so friendly that
staying with them was just like a home from
home.
honest criticism which is often painful
He doesn't like to face up to home truths
but everybody knows he is a liar.

f. Idioms with food and drink

10

icing on the cake

food for thought

small beer

the hard stuff

a different kettle of fish

a couch potato

a hot potato

take with a pinch of salt

pie in the sky

the upper crust

fair game

something extra and not essential that is

added to an already good situation or
experience and that makes it even better

England's third goal in the second round

World Cup match against Denmark was the
icing on the cake and capped an extremely
efficient first-half performance.
an idea that makes you think seriously and The programme certainly provides plenty
carefully
of food for thought.
of little value or importance
I know that my collection of paintings is
small beer compared to yours, but you've
been collecting for much longer than I
have.
a drink with high alcohol content, e.g.
Oh, just a glass of dry white wine, please.
undiluted whisky
No spirits thanks. I'm not used to the hard
stuff.
something entirely different, more complex He practises a lot at home, but playing in
or demanding
the school orchestra will be a very different
kettle of fish.
someone who spends too much time
He used to play tennis and swim every day,
watching TV with no real interests or
but he's turned into real couch potato this
hobbies
summer.
an issue that is controversial, dangerous or Whether or not to allow fox hunting in
embarrassing
Britain is a real hot potato among country
people at the moment.
do not believe that what is referred to is
When she says she has absolutely no
completely true
money, you have to take that with a pinch
of salt. She's always been a real miser.
predictions or promises which are unlikely When he says the stock market is sure to
to be fulfilled
recover by the end of the year, that's
clearly pie in the sky.
the highest social classes; the aristocracy
That is a kind of lifestyle that only the
upper crust can afford.
someone who is easy to attack because they By insisting that he had never lied about it
have left themselves weak or exposed
when clearly he had, he became fair game
among the reporters in Fleet Street.

11

stew in your own juice

in a fair/pretty pickle

a raw deal

bread and butter

money for jam

not my cup of tea

a storm in a teacup

take the biscuit

a piece of cake

have your cake and eat it

suffer the consequences of your own

foolish actions with no help from others

He has totally rejected all the good advice

I've given him so I'm just going to let him
stew in his own juice for a while.
in a mess; in a difficult or unpleasant
You'd be in a fair/pretty pickle if John
situation
weren't around to help you with the
accounts.
unfair or harsh treatment usually of a
It was a bit of a raw deal really - 50 hours
financial or moral kind
a week, no holiday pay, no benefits of any
kind.
activity or work that provides your main or He is actually a literary translator but
regular income
driving a minicab is his bread-and-butter
job.
money earned with very little effort
All you have to do is sit around the pool
and make sure nobody drowns. It's money
for jam.
not the kind of thing that I like
Spending the whole evening in a smoky,
noisy pub where you can't hear yourself
speak, let alone anybody else, is certainly
not my cup of tea.
a lot of fuss, discussion or excitement about Their marriage is quite secure. They had
something which turns out to be
one massive quarrel, but it was just a storm
insignificant
in a teacup.
behaviour which is stupid, rude, selfish or
I thought your brother was bad enough, but
outrageous may be described as taking the
your behaviour at Sheila's this evening
biscuit
takes the biscuit.
an easy task
Can you do this quality control inspection
this afternoon? It should be a piece of cake
to someone with your experience.
expect the benefits of two things when it is He now needs to borrow 30,000 but insists
reasonable to expect the benefit of only one on maintaining his previous life style. He
just wants to have his cake and eat it.

12

in a nutshell

a hard nut to crack

a plum job

sour grapes

on the grapevine

to say or present something in a very brief

way using very few words

I don't need to know everything about it,

but can you just tell me how this video
camera works in a nutshell?
difficult to do or understand
I've got a degree in physics but I've never
really understood quantum mechanics or
chaos theory. They're certainly hard nuts to
crack.
a relatively easy, well-paid job
She's now one of the senior managers at
work. ~ She's landed herself a plum job,
hasn't she?
an attitude that describes something as
Ronnie says he thinks Bob's new
undesirable because you want it yourself
convertible is hideous. ~ Well, that sounds
but cannot have it
like sour grapes to me.
if you discover something on the grapevine, I heard it on the grapevine that the
you hear about it through casual
shipyard is going to make 1,500 workers
conversation or gossip
redundant.

g. Idioms about heath and illness

under the weather

slightly unwell

as fit as a fiddle

in very good physical condition

fighting fit

extremely fit or healthy

in good shape

if you are in good shape, you are able to do

a lot of physical activity without getting
tired
you are feeling a little bit better than
normal or a little bit worse than normal.
feeling slightly unwell

above par/ below par

so so/ off colour

John is under the weather today. This is

why he has not come to work.
You need to be as fit as a fiddle / fighting fit
to stand any chance of winning the London
marathon.
At 73, she's still fighting fit, walking five
miles a day.
I think I'm in fairly good shape and should
be able to swim 100 metres round the coast
to the next bay and back.
How are you today? ~ Oh, a bit above par
now. I've had some sleep and I feel better.
How's Kevin? ~ Oh, only so so. He should
really get some sleep, then he'll feel better.

13

in poor shape

being quite ill

in a bad way/at death's door

you are on the point of dying

He's in fairly poor shape. I don't think he'll

be able to walk from the car into the church
without some form of assistance.
I hear Dr Dyer is at death's door. ~ Yes,
that's true. He's in a very bad way. The
doctor doesn't think he'll live.

h. Idiomatic pairs
have/get/enjoy some peace and quiet

a period of quiet and calm

put body and soul into

physical and mental energy

life and limb

risk death or serious injury

grin and bear it

put up with something unpleasant because

it cannot be changed

bow and scrape

show too much respect to someone

rant and rave

protest or complain in a loud and excited

manner

here and there

to or in several places

now and again

occasionally

first and foremost

most importantly

It's impossible to get any peace and quiet in

this house with you two arguing all the
time.
She puts body and soul into her work with
the girl guides. She is an inspired leader.
You'll risk life and limb if you decide to go
white-water rafting after such heavy
rainfall.
I know this hotel isn't very good, but all the
better accommodation is taken, so we'll just
have to grin and bear it.
I've asked him politely already. Surely he
doesn't want me to bow and scrape.
He was ranting and raving about the price
of everything in Britain. Why doesn't he go
and live abroad, if he's unhappy?
I could see a number of houses scattered
here and there over the hillside.
How often do you see her now? ~ Every
now and again. Not as regularly as I used
to.
Why don't you get a job that pays more? ~
First and foremost because I really enjoy
the job I'm doing.

14

keep short and sweet

not too complicated

safe and sound

not harmed at all

sick and tired of hearing/listening

extremely annoyed with someone, often

with

go on and on

without pausing or stopping

again and again

repeatedly

go round and round

moving in circles or spinning

little by little

gradually or slowly

by/in leaps and bounds

making rapid or spectacular progress

all in all

taking everything into consideration

I'll try and keep this short and sweet. I

know you don't want to stay here longer
than you need to.
Oh, I'm so glad to have you back home safe
and sound. I was beginning to get worried
about you.
I'm sick and tired of hearing your excuses.
It's about time you did an honest day's
work.
You needn't go on and on about needing a
holiday. I know we haven't had a break for
over a year now.
I've told you again and again to stop
swearing in front of the children, but you
take no notice.
We're not making any progress by arguing
like this. We're just going round and round
in circles.
His heath improved and he was able to
walk further and further each day.
I feel that my English is coming on in leaps
and bounds now that I can understand
idioms.
All in all, it was a successful holiday in
spite of some scary moments.

i. Idioms about privilege

to be born with a silver spoon in the
mouth

to be born with lots of advantages that other Most of the students at the exclusive private
people dont have
college were born with silver spoons in
their mouths.

15

blue blood

to be royal with a lot of advantages

be jammy

very and very lucky

Because his great-grandparents made

millions, he is regarded as one of the city's
blue bloods.

j. Idioms with clouds and sky

once in a blue moon
over the moon / on cloud nine

very rarely
extremely happy

every cloud has a silver lining

even if things look very bad, there must be

some good outcome as well
(used to end a letter) I hope all will go well
for you in the future

blue skies

to have one's head in the clouds

pie in the sky

a cloud on the horizon

under a cloud

Charlotte had just been offered a job with a

modelling agency when I saw her, so, of
course, she was on cloud nine.

With all my good wishes for a speedy

recovery.
Blue skies,
Judith.
to be out of touch with reality
He may be a idealist, but you couldnt
accuse him of having his head in the clouds
all the time!
something which is promised or planned
When the government says that next year
but is most unlikely to happen
there will be no waiting lists for hospital
treatment, we all know that is pie in the sky.
some sort of threat or bad thing which may My company is doing well at the moment,
happen sooner or late
but the international economic recession is
a real cloud on the horizon.
if you are under a cloud, people have a poor After he caused the accident, Peter was
or unfavourable opinion of you
under a cloud for several weeks.

k. Idioms with head, feet and legs

have/ go around with your head in the
clouds

unrealistic

She walks around all day with her head in

the clouds. She must be in love.

16

feet are on the ground

sensible and realistic

put a foot wrong

make any mistakes

fall on ones feet

get/start off on the right/wrong foot

to be lucky in finding yourself in a good

situation, or in getting out of a difficult
situation
to be in a position where you are unable to
prove something or explain why something
is reasonable
used to tell somebody to start to do
something or to hurry
to start a relationship well/badly

the first/ second leg

one part of a journey or race

put your feet up

to sit down and relax, especially with your

feet raised and supported
to be very strict in opposing what
somebody wishes to do

not have a leg to stand on

shake a leg

put your foot down

brainwave

a sudden good idea

get your head round something

slip your mind

to be able to understand or accept

something
forget to do something

go straight to your head

to affect someone's brain

It is hard to keep your feet on the ground

when you suddenly become famous.
He hardly ever puts a foot wrong. He never
seems to make any mistakes.
They have really fallen on their feet. They
inherited a lot of money and bought a
lovely holiday house in the Bahamas.
He hasn't got a leg to stand on. What he did
was quite wrong and cannot be excused.
Come on, shake a leg. We haven't got all
day. We've got to finish this by lunchtime.
He started off on the wrong foot by arriving
late on his first day at work.
The first leg of the journey was from Paris
to Barcelona. The second leg was from
Barcelona to Rabat.
I like to put my feet up after a hard day's
work and spend the entire evening relaxing.
You will have to put your foot down. It's
about time he learnt that he cannot have
everything he wants.
It was a really tricky mathematical problem
that none of us could solve, but then I
suddenly had a brainwave.
I really can't get my head round this. It's
too complicated for me to understand.
I forgot to phone you last night. I'm sorry.
It slipped my mind.
I hadn't eaten all day and the champagne
went straight to my head.

17

an open mind

to listen to, think about or accept different

ideas

set your mind on doing something

decide firmly

brain drain

keep your head

the movement of highly skilled and

qualified people to a country where they
can work in better conditions and earn
more money
calm dowm

brainstorm

suggest as many ideas as possible

I have an open mind about mixed

marriages. There's no reason at all why
they shouldn't work.
He had set his mind on going to Australia
to study and nothing was going to stop him.
There is a real brain drain from England
now. All our top scientists, engineers and
academics are moving overseas to work.
She managed to keep her head even though
everyone else was panicking.
Let's brainstorm this idea to see if we can
highlight as many aspects as possible.

l. Idioms with neck and nose

the same neck of the woods

neck and neck

breathe down someone's neck

stick your neck out

save someone's neck

be up to your neck

the same area

I see we're in the same neck of the woods.

I'm studying social anthropology and
you're studying ethnography.
competitors who are level, each with an
The three horses were neck and neck and it
equal chance of winning
was hard to see which would win.
stand over somebody and watch them very She was breathing down my neck and I
closely
couldn't concentrate on the work I was
doing.
bravely say or do something which may
I decided I would stick my neck out and try
turn out to be wrong
to answer the question even though I knew
little about it.
prevent someone losing their job or
The politician tried to save his neck by
reputation
telling the truth.
be exceptionally busy or deeply involved in So will you get a holiday this year?
something
~ I doubt it. I've no spare cash and I'm up
to my neck in debt.

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a pain in the neck

kill or injure yourself badly by doing

something dangerous
an irritating, annoying or boring person

under your nose

right in front of you

keep your nose clean

stay out of trouble and behave well

get up someone's nose

annoy or irritate someone

poke your nose into something

interfere in something which does not

concern you

pay through the nose

pay too high a price for something

powder your nose

a euphemism for go to the toilet (ladies

only)
reject something because you think it is not
good enough

break your neck

turn up your nose at something

Those roller skates are not safe. You'll

break your neck one of these days.
He's a real pain in the neck. His only topic
of conversation is fast cars. So boring!
Have you seen my keys?
~ They're on the coffee table - right under
your nose.
Now that you're finally out of prison, just
try to keep your nose clean.
He's a real pain in the neck. He really gets
up my nose.
Don't go poking your nose into her
financial affairs and offering to lend her
money.
If you buy it in Britain, you'll be paying
through the nose for that car.
Excuse me for a minute. There's a ladies
over there and I must powder my nose.
I offered him a share in the business, but he
just turned up his nose.

m. Idioms with skin and bones

skin and bones

by the skin of one's teeth

jump out of one's skin

save one's own skin

extremely thin

She never puts on any weight whatever she

eats. She's a real bean pole. Nothing but
skin and bones.
you just manage to do something
I caught that train by the skin of my teeth.
They were already closing the gates when I
rushed through.
you are saying how much it surprised or
I almost jumped out of my skin when the
shocked you
gun went off. It was such a loud bang.
to save yourself from something unpleasant When I heard that the police had started
or dangerous
arresting the demonstrators, my first

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get under one's skin

something really irritates or annoys you

it's no skin off my nose

it doesn't matter to you at all if something

happens

bone idle

extremely lazy by nature

bone up on something

revise or study hard an area of interest

have a bone to pick with someone

you have something to complain about

make no bones about doing something

to do or say something frankly and without

hesitation

close to the bone

something that may be offensive because it

is too vulgar or too personal or too painful

the bare bones of something

you are referring to the essential or main

facts

work your fingers to the bone

extremely hard-working

instinct was to save my own skin and get

away as quickly as possible.
I know you don't get on very well with
Jamie - you always seem to be arguing but don't let him get under your skin.
It's no skin off my nose if Laura decides not
to come to Mexico with us. I couldn't care
less!
I've asked him five times for that
information on the US. But he hasn't lifted
a finger so far. He's just bone idle.
I'm going to bone up on the Pacific Rim.
There's bound to be a question about it in
the geography exam.
I've got a bone to pick with Jim. He gave
me the wrong information and when I
presented it, it was very embarrassing.
I'll make no bones about it. I think it's a
dreadful book and should never have been
written.
The song you sang at the charity concert
was a bit too close to the bone. There were
a lot of children in the audience.
So far you've only given me the bare bones
of what happened and I need much more
detail to fill the report form out properly
I've been working my fingers to the bone
while you've been out enjoying yourself.
Well, that's not good enough.

2. Phrasal verbs
a. Phrasal verbs with up

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visit ( from someone living further or

higher)
arise

come up

be about to happen
come up to

approach

buy up
fix up

spending large amounts of money for large

amounts of something
arrange for something to happen

write something down

write sth on paper in order to remember it

write something up

record something (usually notes) in neat

and complete form

Come up and see me some time.

A number of interesting points came up at
our meeting with ICI.
We've got a hectic period coming up so try
to work a shorter week this week.
He came up to me and asked me for a light,
but it's obvious I don't smoke.
They bought up all the old cinemas and
converted them into dance halls
We'd better fix up a meeting for next week.
There's a lot to talk about.
You don't have to write everything down
that the lecturer says.
I'm going to write up my lecture notes this
evening.

b. Pop in pop out pop around

pop out

leave a building you are in to letter, have

lunch or buy some milk etc
move out of a position because of being
pushed or under pressure

pop in

go into a building/ a room

pop around/ pop in

visit someone at home

I'm just popping out to get some milk. I'll be

back in a minute.
The cork unexpectedly popped out of the
champagne bottle. The champagne went
everywhere!
I'll just pop in to the shop to buy a paper.
Wait for me outside.
I'll pop in and see you on Saturday. I'll be
near your house anyway.

c. Phrasal verbs with work get put

work out

to be effective, satisfactory or to have a

good result

Things have worked out quite well for us

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to take strenuous and systematic exercise

to discuss something in order to come to an
agreement
to do a calculation

get into / get out of

get on (to) / get off

get up to

get off

put down

solve a problem
move into cars, taxis and small boats such
as canoes or rowing boats

I work out regularly to keep fit.

Weve only been sharing the flat for a few
days. We haven't worked out whos going
to do which bits of housework yet.
I've added up all the household expenses
and divided them between the three of us
and it works out at 63 a month each.
I've worked out a new way of doing it.
I wouldn't get into his car, if I were you.
He's a terrible driver.

start travelling by the tube, trains, busses,

planes, larger boats, bikes, motorbikes,
scooters, horses, camels, etc
do something which you are not supposed
to do

I had to change at Reading and getting on

(to) the right train was a nightmare - there
were so many platforms.
The children were playing in the garden. I
knew they were getting up to no good when
I saw one of them covered in mud. Their
parents were furious!
stop touching something
Will you get your feet off the table, please!
avoid punishment
Even though hed stolen a lot of money, he
got off with a fine.
publicly criticise
He hardly ever takes her out and he's
always putting her down in front of other
people.
humanely kill an animal to end its suffering We had to get our pet dog put down last
week. It had stomach cancer.

d. Prepostional and phrasal verbs

Xem xt cc v d phn bit ng t c gii t theo sau (prepositional verbs) v cm ng t (phrasal verbs)
-

I just didnt see them. I drove through the traffic lights

when they were red.

He broke down on the Dover to Canterbury Road.

I was too close to the car in front so I dropped back.

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- He wasnt tall enough and couldnt climb over the fence.

Trong trng hp ny, gii t through v over lun c dng
km vi mt vt: through the traffic lights v over the face
S kt hp ng t v gii t theo kiu ny th gi l prepositional
verbs

Sau cc t down v back (hai t ny trong trng hp ny khng

phi l gii t - gii t phi lun c danh t theo sau) nh cc
trng t nhm m rng ngha ca ng t break v drop
S kt hp ny gi l phrasal verbs
Ch : Nu sau cm ng t (phrasal verbs) l mt tn ng th
- nu tn ng l mt vt/ ngi c th th trng t c th t
trc hoc sau tn ng: He ripped the contract up /
ripped up the contract even before he had read it. ( the
contract l mt vt c th)
- nu tn ng l i t th i t ny phi ng trc trng t:
He ripped it up even before he had read it.

e. Keep up
stop something falling to the ground
hold a position or remain level with
something
continue doing something

keep up

to prevent somebody from going to bed

I am wearing a belt in order to keep my

trousers up
Come on, David, keep up with me!
Keep up the good work. You are doing very
well
I hope we're not keeping you up.

f. End up be up to
end up

to reach a final position

be up to

be capable of doing a task or facing a

challenge
to do something (used when you are
suspicious of something)
used to talk about someone's free time

They are travelling across Europe by train

and they'll end up in Paris
She's up to the job. In fact, she'll probably
deliver the report early.
Hearing a loud noise, the father shouted:
What have you been up to?
"What are you up to this weekend?

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3. Miscellanies
a. No grass grew under his feet/ to not let the grass grow under your feet
When we tell someone to not let the grass grow under their feet, we are telling them to get moving, to stop hesitating
E.g: We can't let the grass grow under our feet - we've really got to get going with this project.
b. In hand at hand
-

In hand
have something conveniently near you (a book, a tool or a
piece of information, etc): Make sure the safety equipment
is at hand when you start working, in case there are any
problems.

At hand
have an extra amount of something (time): Im not worried
about finishing this essay before the deadline as I still have
three days in hand.
play fewer matches in football: Chelsea are two points
behind the league leaders, Manchester United, but Chelsea
do have a game in hand.
deal with a job, situation, problem or topic: Please confine
your comments to the topic in hand.
be in control of a difficult situation: Dont worry about the
preparations for the party, Ive got everything in hand.

c. Inside job
An inside job: a crime committed by an individual who is in a position of trust and has access to "inside" knowledge in relation to the
crime committed.
d. In term of
-

In terms of
Explain precise relationships between things: We prefer to
measure our companys success in terms of satisfied
customers rather than yearly profit.

About
Concern a particular topic in general, not just one aspect of
it: Its a website about English. (not in terms of English)

e. Throwaway society

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(Disapproving) describes a society in which people do not keep things for very long, even if those things still work or are still useful.
f. Weather vocabulary
rainy
showery
drizzle/ drizzly
pouring
sleet
It's chucking it down!/ Nice weather for ducks!
boiling/ sweltering
scorching/ a scorcher
a heat wave
chilly
freezing
bitter/ bitterly cold
frost/ frosty
icicle
breeze/ breezy
blowy
blustery
high winds
Northerly/ North wind
It's a bit wild out there!

rain all day without breaks

rain for a while then stop
very soft, light rain, which usually continues for a long time
raining very heavily
freezing rain; a mixture of rain and snow together
It's raining really heavily
very hot
extremely hot
a period of extremely hot and dry weather that lasts for several
days or even weeks
quite cold
very cold
extremely cold
This is the name for the layer of ice crystals that forms on exposed
objects when the weather's very cold.
the kind-of pointed stick of ice which is formed by the freezing of
dripping water
a light wind, and is often quite refreshing when the weather is hot
quite windy
wind blowing in short but strong and frequent bursts
strong winds
this refers to wind direction, but it means where the wind comes
from, not where it's blowing to
we can say this when it's very windy and rainy

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