Idiom 1

09:27, 22/11/2022 Thẻ ghi nhớ: IDIOMS IN USE INTERMEDIATE | Quizlet
IDIOMS IN USE INTERMEDIATE

Thuật ngữ trong học phần này (326)
someone or something that seems stupid or silly,

especially by trying to be serious or important and not
laughing stock succeeding: trò cười vì cứ ra vẻ ngầu ;)
Another performance like that and this team will be the

laughing stock of the league.
act the goat = act the fool
trả hoá đơn
pick up the bill/check

Ex: Your company will ~ your bill
ngừng viễn vông và bắt đầu suy nghĩ thực tế
Upon being told that she was not CUT OUT FOR writing
come down to earth with a bump
by twelve publishers, Melody CAME DOWN TO EARTH
WITH A BUMP.
to be unpleasant about someone, or try to harm someone:
put/ stick the knife in/into sb The reviewer in the magazine that I read really put the
knife in.
scare the (living) daylights out of to frighten someone very much:
someone You scared the daylights out of me, yelling like that.
against (all) the odds/ against all odds vượt qua mọi khó khăn gian khổ
to do or say something to someone that will upset them as

much as possible: chà muối vào vết thương
hit sb where it hurts

He's always worrying about his weight, so if you want to
hit him where it hurts, tell him he's looking a bit fat.

https://quizlet.com/vn/519932101/idioms-in-use-intermediate-flash-cards/ 1/37
be man enough to do sth (chỉ dùng to be brave enough to do Nhấp vào nút + để thêm học phần này vào
something:
lớp của bạn

cho con trai) He was man enough to admit he had made a mistake.
OK
1. worry sb
2. to confuse someone and make them unable to explain

something clearly
tie sb (up) in knots As well as having a stammer, I'd feel constantly worried
that the press could tie me in knots.
stammer: nói lắp
-) stammeringly (adv)
there's no rest for the wicked In

vẫn phải tiếp tục làm việc mặc dù là rất mệt
Ghép
Nhúng
An apple a day keeps the doctor away ăn táo rất tốt
Báo cáo
to eat a lot:
to stuff one's face

I've been stuffing my face all morning.
to cause (someone) to stop and think about something

carefully.
The latest economic news has given investors ________

for thought.
give someone pause (for thought)

A. pause
B. interval
C. lapse
D. spell
in the process of becoming healthy again
on the road to recovery

= on the mend
crazy; stupid acting.
You can't depend on Paul for much help. He's really not all
be not all there there.
~ off your rocker /ˈrɑː.kɚ/
*rocker: ghế bập bênh

chết
= bite the dust -) bit -) bitten the dust

give up the ghost bite the dust còn có nghĩa là thất bại
His career bit the dust when he lost his job.
a subject that someone prefers not to talk about because

a sore spot/point
it makes them angry or embarrassed
something that is very unpleasant but must be accepted:
a bitter pill to swallow

Losing to a younger player was a bitter pill to swallow.
to make something bad seem less unpleasant:
sugar/sweeten the pill Plans to improve public services are a way of sugaring the
pill of increased taxation.
get a (real) kick out of sth rất thích cái gì
làm cái gì vì nó rất exciting, mặc dù có hơi nguy hiểm
do sth for kicks

They made a few small bets for kicks.
to be very happy and excited because something very

be floating/walking on air good has happened to you:
Ever since she met Mark, she's been walking on air.
a misery guts an unhappy person who complains often or constantly.
to make something less enjoyable: làm cụt hứng
put a damper on The bad weather put a damper on this year's New Year
celebrations.
to be very angry with someone and threatening to harm

be after sb's blood them :
You'd better stay out of her way - she's after your blood.
tức điên lên
have/throw a fit
= go spare, blow a fuse, go off the deep end
to tell someone how angry you are about something they

give sb an earful have done
He gave me a real earful about being late so often.
to speak angrily to someone about something they have

done wrong
give sb a piece of your mind

e.g: I'm going to GIVE that mechanic PIECE OF MY MIND
if the car is not fixed this time.
ruffle one's feathers /ˈfeð.ɚ/

làm xù lông ai lên
*ruffle: làm xù lên -) làm ai đó tức điên
I am completely unable to do something (which is usually

stated after "me").
I just met that woman yesterday, but I can't for the life of
can't for the life of me me remember her name.
*for the life of you cũng có thể đứng cuối
for the life of you: although you are trying very hard:
I can't remember her name for the life of me.
doesn't ring any bells with me không quen với tôi
put it down to experience you will learn from something, rather than get upset by it
what I cannot understand
what beats me
It beats me how she got the job.
~ it beats me
What beats me is why she stays with him.
goes from strength to strength get better
giải quyết được vấn đề, đáp ứng được yêu cầu
I need something to put these papers in - this folder

do the trick should do the trick.
hoặc khi nêm muối cho vừa, thì ta có thể nói a handful of
salt will do the trick

to have problems because of your success:
There are now so many tourists that the area has become
be a victim of your own success
a victim of its own success.
doesn't have the ghost of a chance have no chance at all
would go places = hit the big time = make a go of
to be unable to make more progress with a plan because

come up against a brick wall
someone is stopping you
to try to do too many things at the same time, so that you

cannot give enough time or attention to any of them:
spread oneself too thin

I realized I'd been spreading myself too thin so I resigned
as secretary of the golf club.
phải hứng chịu trách nhiệm, vì người khác không nhận,

hoặc thất bại khi nhận
be left holding the baby
The other investors pulled out of the project and we were
left holding the baby.
stumbling block chướng ngại vật
to fail to get an answer or a result:
draw a blank He asked me for my phone number and I drew a blank - I

just couldn't remember it.
something that you may not like but have to accept

a fact of life because it is always there or always true
The need to ration healthcare resources is a fact of life.
chịu đựng ai quá nhiều và không còn chịu được nữa:
have had it (up to here) with I've had it up to here with you - get out!
I've had it with foreign holidays.
USE INTERMEDIATE= give it a try

give it a shot
IDIOMS IN
try to discover the truth about sth|
get to the bottom of I'm not sure what is causing the problem, but I'm
determined to get to the bottom of it.
trong tầm tay
in the bag
= under sb's thumb
something that someone wants or needs very much
an/the answer to somebody's prayers

The job was an answer to my prayers.
wave a magic wand tìm ra 1 cách thông minh để giải quyết việc gì
phải hoàn thành những công việc còn tồn đọng. "Tie up
tie up (some/a few) loose ends loose ends" có nghĩa là kết thúc hoặc giải quyết chúng.
We still have to tie up some loose ends of the project.
to try to return to a satisfactory situation:
pick up the pieces The fire was a blow, but we were determined to pick up
the pieces and get the business back on its feet.
to behave in a way that is independent and does not

follow the usual rules for a situation: bất chấp luật lệ
be a law unto yourself

Charlie, of course, never fills in the record forms but then
he's a law unto himself.
to allow (someone who has been caught doing something

get/let sb off the hook wrong or illegal) to go without being punished
If you ask me, they let him off the hook too easily.
leave sb to their own devices cho ai tự quyết định
hứng chịu những cái chỉ trích,...
be on/at the receiving end of sth They are often on the receiving end of verbal abuse from
angry customers.

someone who is skilled in public relations and who

advises political parties on how to present their policies
spin doctor
and actions.
mục đích ngầm
hidden agenda /əˈdʒen.də/ Some people were concerned about a hidden agenda
behind the management's proposal.
vòng tròn luẩn quẩn
a continuing unpleasant situation, created when one

problem causes another problem that then makes the first
vicious circle
problem worse:
Many people get caught/trapped in a vicious circle of

dieting and weight gain.
/ˈæs.ɪd ˌtest/
the acid test the true test of the value of something:
It looks good, but will people buy it? That's the acid test.
to be forced to explain something you did wrong, and

usually to be punished:
be brought/called to account
We must ensure that the people responsible for the
violence are brought to account.
(argument, discussion): không có tiến triển, bàn đi bàn lại

1 vấn đề
go/run round in circles

I've been running round in circles trying to get all the
reports finished before the meeting.
quả là vận đen (cái gì bạn hi vọng nhưng không xảy ra)
no such luck I was rather hoping it would rain today and I wouldn't have
to go for a walk, but no such luck.
there's nothing to it dễ ẹt
how time flies! thời gian trôi nhanh quá

not important, or not connected with the subject being

discussed:
neither here nor there

Her age is neither here nor there - the real question is, can
she do the job?
said about something that you like, but that you do not
love or need strongly: có cũng đc, ko có cũng đc
take it or leave it
My sister's absolutely crazy about chocolate whereas I
can take it or leave it.
vân vân
you name it
I've tried every diet going - you name it, I've tried it.
xử lí, làm y hệt những gì mà đối phương làm cho bạn

(argument)
give as good as you get

There's a lot of teasing and fighting among the crew, and
you have to be able to give as good as you get.
something that is very difficult to get because a lot of

like gold dust people want it:
Tickets for the concert are like gold dust.
to be very peaceful and friendly:
all sweetness and light They'd had a big argument yesterday, but by this morning
it was all sweetness and light again.
poke fun at sb nhạo báng ai
hoàn toàn (miêu tả tính cách xấu)

out-and-out
That's an out-and-out lie!
to be responsible for many bad things that have happened
have a lot to answer for

The company executives have a lot to answer for.
have the edge on/over sb/sth to be slightly better than someone or something else

more expensive than you want it to be
The dress is beautiful, but it's just a little on the expensive

on the big/expensive,... side
side for me.
a dead loss be completely useless
to annoy someone so much that they become angry or

drive someone to distraction upset
She was driven to distraction by his constant whistling.
to behave in a foolish or embarrassing way in public
make an exhibition of oneself He got drunk at the wedding and made an exhibition of
himself in front of everyone.
under false pretences giả vờ
never does anything by halves luôn luôn nỗ lực hết mình làm việc gì
to look at someone as if you cannot see them, either

intentionally or because you are thinking about something
look right/straight through sb
else:
I said hello but she looked straight through me.
bỏ mặc ai khi họ cần mình giúp đỡ ~ to leave someone at

leave sb in the lurch
a time when they need you to stay and help
keep a lid on sth control the level of sth and stop it increasing
to make things difficult or unpleasant for someone:
give sb a hard/tough/rough time Her kids always give her a hard time when she takes them
shopping.
let yourself go relax
think nothing of không coi cái gì là khó

to give you/to have a tight feeling in your throat because

you want to cry:
bring a lump to one's throat/ have a

It was quite a moving speech - it almost brought a lump to
lump in one's throat
my throat.
to seem not important when compared with something

else:
fade/pale into insignificance My good grades faded into insignificance once my sister
got home with news that she would be the lead in the
school play.
used for saying you do not believe something that

someone is telling you
you could've fooled me!

'Sam never meant to upset you.' 'Well, you could have
fooled me!'
you can't understand why sb likes or hates sth
it is impossible to know why somebody likes

There's no accounting for taste somebody/something that you don't like:
"I love working at weekends." "Well, there's no accounting

for taste!"
according to what other people say
by all accounts theo thông tin thu nhận được
By all accounts, it was a very useful meeting.
chớp thời cơ, do dự thì thiệt
He doesn't often make such offers - I'd strike while the iron
is hot if I were you.
Ex: "I considered too long before accepting the job offer,
and now they've given it to someone else."
strike while the iron is hot

" You should have _____ while the iron was hot."
A. struck
B. beaten
C. heated
D. smacked

Không bằng cách này thì bằng cách khác, chẳng hiểu sao
nhưng tự nó diễn ra thôi
one way or another

These bills have to be paid one way or another.
something happens to that person that they are not

prepared for:
The goalkeeper was caught napping and the ball went

straight in.
The other team scored because our defense was caught

catch sb napping
_________.
A. dozing (doze: ngủ lơ mơ, (n): giấc ngủ chợp mắt)
B. sleeping /doʊz/
C. snoozing (ngủ gà ngủ gật) /snuːz/
D. napping
to allow something to stay as it is because doing more

might make things worse: để nó yên đi
It's going to get in a muddle if you carry on. I should just

leave well alone if I were you.
To be honest, you're better off leaving well _____ at this

leave well alone point. She's so angry that anything you say will just make
things worse.
A. lonely
B. solely
C. only
D. alone
a situation in which people feel worried and nervous

because things need to be done quickly:
Two weeks before launching products, it's always panic

_______ as we realize how much we still have to prepare.
panic stations
A. terminals
B. stations
C. pit stops
D. depots

to be so close to you that you feel worried or frightened:
We won the match, but the results were rather too close
for ______.
rather/too close for comfort A. comfort
B. enjoyment
C. pleasure
D. relaxation
to cause people to begin to be aware of a problem in a

situation
set alarm bells ringing

The islanders' fight for compensation has set alarm bells
ringing round the world.
be hanging by a thread nguy hiểm, ngàn cân treo sợi tóc
give sth your all cố hết sức
cố gắng rất nhiều để làm việc gì đó (việc tốt)
go out of your way to do sth

He went out of his way to make us feel welcome.
to start working hard, especially after a period of low

activity:
pull your finger out

She's really going to have to pull her finger out if she
wants to finish before Friday.
can do it but it will be difficult:
at a push
At a push I could be there by eight o'clock.
to do something without making much effort to do it well ~

làm cho có lệ ~ to do something because you have to do it
go through the motions

He claimed that he was looking for a job, but he was really
just going through the motions.
something would be suitable or useful in a situation
something would not come/go amiss

A cup of tea wouldn't go amiss.

If something can be done if push comes to shove, it can

be done if the situation becomes so bad that you have to
if push comes to shove /ʃʌv/ xô đẩy do it: ~ nếu bị dồn đến đường cùng
If push comes to shove, we can always sell the car.
obligated ~ having as one's duty
duty bound He was duty bound to help.
~ feel duty bound
to not need or want something at all:
Extra work? I need that like I need a hole in the head.
Jennie? You mean that you need a little girl who is such a
real chatterbox ?
need sth like you need a hole in the Yeah, I need ... Hmm let me say again, I need her like I
head need a ______ in the head.
A. gap
B. pit
C. hole
D. blank
would never do it, usually because it would be too

wouldn't be seen dead embarrassing:
I wouldn't be seen dead wearing a dress like that.
to want something very much:
give anything for something

I'd give anything to see the pyramids of Egypt.
phù hợp với
in keeping with In keeping with tradition, they always have turkey on

Christmas Day.
to notice or realize that something is going to happen
I can't believe he resigned. I just didn't see it coming.
see something coming (a mile off)

The jokes were all so obvious you could see them coming
a mile off.

One who is a particularly respected, and influential

member of one's local social sphere.
a pillar of society My grandfather was a pillar of society because of how

many people his businesses employed.
a person who is kinder and more pleasant than they seem

rough diamond
to be from their appearance and manner
to pretend to be happier, less poor, etc. than you really

are, because you do not want people to know how bad
your situation is:
Their marriage was over, but they wanted to keep up

keep up appearances appearances for the children.
A. pretences
B. displays
C. appearances
D. emergences
anyone who is/was anyone ~ all the important people
different from or kept apart from others that form a group

or set:
the odd one out

She was always the odd one out at school - she didn't
have many friends.
to have or experience as much as you want of something:
have my fill of I go to my mother's house every week to get my fill of her

home cooking.
cool,calm and collected bình tĩnh, ko lo lắng
take shine to thích ai ngay lập tức
đặt mục tiêu cao
think big to have plans to be very successful or powerful:
You need to think big if you want to succeed.

larger than life more exciting and attracting than average people
have great importance or influence; become very

loom large important and often causes worry:
The issue of pay will loom large at this year's conference.
to be involved in a disagreement between other people:
be caught in the middle My parents are always arguing, and it's me who gets
caught in the middle.
a product, business, or idea that makes a lot of money:
be a money spinner Consumer finance is not necessarily a money spinner any

longer.
pull out all the stops nỗ lực hết sức
say two things that are so different that if one is true, the
other must be false:
in the same breath

You say he treats you badly but in the same breath you
tell me how much you love him!
If you ask someone what they are on about, you are

asking that person, often in a slightly annoyed way, what
be on about
they mean:
I dunno what you're on about.
for want of a better word nói thế cho thì đúng hơn
abscene makes the heart grow fonder xa càng làm yêu nhau nhiều hơn
Many hands make light work nhiều ng chung sức thì bớt đi công việc
said when there are too many people involved in trying to

too many cooks spoil the broth/soup
do the same thing, so that the final result will not be good

in all directions, or to everyone
left, right and centre They seem to be handing out bonuses left, right, and
centre.
a state of very strong emotion:
reach/be at fever pitch /ˈfiː.vɚ ˌpɪtʃ/

Excitement at the stadium had reached/was at fever pitch.
to start to become annoying or worrying:
get/go beyond a joke I don't mind helping her out occasionally, but this is getting
beyond a joke.
sự thật, không bị ảnh hưởng bởi tình cảm
matter-of-fact
The account is written in a calm matter-of-fact style.
to not be able to say anything because someone else is

talking all the time:
not get a word in edgeways

Rosa was talking so much that nobody else could get a
word in edgeways!
không biết sẽ xảy ra thế nào ...
a question mark (hanging) over

A question mark hangs over the future of the company.
to remember happy times in the past
take a stroll/trip/walk down memory

Every so often I like to dig out my photo albums from
lane
college and take a stroll down memory lane.
to enjoy an experience as much as possible because you

did not have the opportunity to do it earlier in life:
make up for lost time

I didn't travel much in my twenties but I'm certainly making
up for lost time now.
for an extremely long time:
since/from the year dot

He's been in the local pantomime since the year dot.
during the period of time that is not very far into the future
in the short term/run These measures may save money in the short term, but
IDIOMS IN USE INTERMEDIATEwe'll end up spending more later.
còn quá sớm để nói, quyết định
it's early days (yet) Our progress has been fairly slow so far, but it's early
days.
To be very busy.Three people are out at work, so I haven't

don't have a minute to call your own
had a minute to call my own in weeks.
to find someone or something after a lot of searching and

problems:
run to ground
Detectives finally ran the terrorists to ground in an
apartment building in Chicago.
If a request or a piece of advice falls on stony ground, it is

ignored or unpopular:
fall on stony ground

Her speech about the need for a peaceful solution to the
crisis fell on stony ground.
If an organization or person has deep pockets, they have

a lot of money:
deep pockets
Anyone who tries to save that company will need deep
pockets.
say something quickly, usually because a reply is

expected, without having thought about it or made certain
pluck sth out of the air it is correct:
"Where did you get those figures from?" "Oh, I just

plucked them out of the air."
not having the knowledge, experience, or skills to deal

with a particular subject or situation:
out of your depth

I was out of my depth in the advanced class, so I moved
to the intermediate class.
black and white giấy trắng mực đen

to agree to work with or help someone in the way they

have suggested:
play ball The family wanted him to be taken care of at home, but
the insurance company refused to play ball.
to deal with a situation in the right way, so that you are

play your cards right successful in getting what you want
If he plays his cards right, Tony might get a promotion.
to ask someone to do what they are threatening to do

because you believe they do not intend to do it, but want
call sb's bluff
to trick you in order to gain an advantage over you
He threatened to resign, and they called his bluff.
be wide of the mark be wrong or miss
on a level playing field một sân chơi bình đẳng
a lone wolf 1 ng không giao du với ai
a cold fish lạnh lùng, không thân thiện
a party animal người thích tiệc tùng
a strong desire to travel across the world
travel bug Tina has traveled around 10 countries in a year! Her travel
bug started when she was 15.
do in a forceful and energetic way:
She wasn't that interested at first, but she loved it once

get/take the bit between one's teeth she got the bit between her teeth.
*bit: hàm thiếc ngựa (để buộc vào miệng con ngựa để cho
người cưỡi có thể điều khiển chuyển động của nó)
not (enough) room to swing a cat phòng chật

the idea that people who care only about themselves will
be most likely to succeed in a society or organization:
the law of the jungle

We hope for a world where the rule of law, not the law of
the jungle, governs the conduct of nations.
to be very busy doing a lot of things, but in a way that is

to run around like a headless chicken
not very effective
xát muối vào vết thương
twist/turn the knife (in the wound) Just to turn the knife a little, he told me he'd seen my old
girlfriend with her new man.
have a shot at làm thử cái gì
likely to be criticized, attacked, or got rid of:
in the firing line

He found himself in the firing line for his sexist remarks.
kiểm soát, ra lệnh
call the shots to be in the position of being able to make the decisions
that will influence a situation
to delay making a decision:
Ideally we would settle the matter now, but I think we

hang/hold fire
should hang fire until the general situation becomes
clearer.
vướng vào 2 làn đạn
become involved in an unpleasant situation in which

people are arguing with each other, although you do not
be caught in the crossfire want to be involved or say which person you agree with.
The Health Minister, who resigned today, claims she is an

innocent victim caught in the crossfire of the current battle
over inflation.

to do something that makes it impossible for you to return

to the situation you were in before ~ giống kiểu chia tay thì
không nói chuyện lại ấy =))
burn your boats/bridges Be polite - you don't want to burn your bridges with her.
have a strong personal opinion about something that you

have an axe to grind
want people to accept
if/when a situation becomes extremely serious and a

decision must be made:
When it comes to the crunch

If it comes to the crunch and you and your husband do
split up, you can always stay with us.
something that makes a good situation even better:
the icing on the cake He was delighted to get the article published and the
payment was the icing on the cake.
to have or do two good things at the same time that are

impossible to have or do at the same time:
want to have your cake and eat it

You can't have your cake and eat it - if you want more
local services, you can't expect to pay less tax.
do sth to the bitter end do sth until something is finished
look stupid because of something that you have done:
have egg on one's face This latest scandal has left the government with egg on its
face.
kế sinh nhai
a job or activity that provides you with the money you

be your bread and butter
need to live:
Gardening is my bread and butter right now.
be the best/greatest thing since sliced to be an excellent person or thing

bread
not wanted or considered useful any more because they

are too old:
be past your sell-by date There's plenty of time to have a baby. I'm not past my sell-
by date yet.
*sell-by date: hạn bán
the most popular person at a particular time:
flavour of the month

Andy is certainly flavour of the month with the boss.
If two people's paths cross, the people meet:
paths cross It was a pleasure meeting you - I hope our paths cross
again.
too fixed in one particular type of job, activity, method,

etc., and needing to change:
stuck in a rut
I need to change jobs - after 15 years here I feel I'm
(stuck) in a rut.
to be the type of thing that you are interested in
right up your street/alley I have a little job for you which is right (= exactly) up your
street.
anger or violence between drivers, often caused by

difficult driving conditions:
road rage
Earlier today a man was arrested for attacking a motorist
in a road rage incident.
as safe as houses very safe
sb understand it clearly:
come home to me The danger really came home to me when I saw the
pictures on TV.
to have control of something:
Because the two main parties have won almost the same
hold the key to
number of votes, the minority group holds the key to the
IDIOMS IN USE INTERMEDIATEresult.
to copy something that someone else does because it will

bring you advantages:
take a leaf out of sb's book

Maybe I should take a leaf out of Rick's book and start
coming in early every morning.
If something is in the air, you feel that it is happening or

about to happen: ~ round the corner
Love/Change/Spring is in the air.
in the air
If a feeling is in the air, a lot of people feel it at the same
time
There was a sense of excitement in the air.
up in the air undecided
someone or something that is new and different and

makes everything seem more exciting:
a breath of fresh air

Angela's so cheerful and lively - she's like a breath of
fresh air when she visits.
to wait until you have all the available information about a

situation before you take any action
find out/see how the land lies

You should see how the land lies before going into
business on your own.
giới thượng lưu
Many treasures were brought back to Britain because its

the upper crust upper crust was wealthy and liked travelling abroad.
treasures: những thứ quý giá, đặc biệt là tác phẩm nghệ
thuật
Làm theo mọi người
to do what other people are doing or to agree with other

go with the flow
people because it is the easiest thing to do:
Just relax and go with the flow!

to be completely different from what you feel is right,

go against the grain natural, or normal for you
Shutting animals up in cages goes against the grain.
to spend a lot of money on celebrating something:
push the boat out

They really pushed the boat out for Annie's wedding.
To do something risky or dangerous, that may be illegal or

dishonest
sail close to the wind

If you keep sailing close to the wind, the police are going
to arrest you eventually.
to show someone how to do a job or activity:
show/teach sb the ropes

Lynn spent an afternoon showing the new girl the ropes.
someone who is very upset and worried
be a nervous wreck
After one day of teaching, I was a nervous wreck.
to remove unnecessary things so that you are ready for

action:
clear the decks

Let's clear the decks and then we can start cooking
dinner.
a passenger in a car who keeps giving the driver advice

back-seat driver
that he or she has not asked for
to slow down or stop an activity:
put the brakes on

The city has put the brakes on further spending.
1. If a business, job, or system is ticking over, it continues

to work but makes little progress: hoạt động nhưng không
tiến triển
tick over I'll be able to keep things ticking over in the office until you
get back.
2. Vận hành nhưng không di chuyển động cơ
I've left the car with the engine ticking over.

If you do something under your own steam, you do it

without help:
under your own steam Do you want a lift or will you get there under your own
steam?
being planned:
in the pipeline The theatre company has several new productions in the
pipeline for next season.
to suffer unpleasant results of an action, especially loss of

money, so you do not want to do the same thing again:
get/have your fingers burned

She'd invested extensively in stocks and got her fingers
burned when the market collapsed.
a sign of disapproval or opposition: công nhận/chối bỏ một

cái gì đó
give a thumbs up/down

We applied for a loan, but the bank gave us the thumbs
down.
you mean they could do it well, despite having no

experience of it:
turn one's hand to

Stella's very talented - she could turn her hand to
anything.
to try doing something for the first time:

try my hand at He decided to try his hand at knitting and discovered he
was good at it.
to refuse to have anything more to do with someone or

wash your hands of someone or
something:
something
You can't start a fight and then just wash your hands of it
to be able to provide all of the things you need for living

without help from anyone else:
stand on your own two feet

She'll have to get a job and learn to stand on her own two
feet sooner or later.
(v): có một bắt đầu không tốt (trong mối quan hệ với ai) -)
bắt đầu khiến cho 1 mối quan hệ không tốt
get off on the wrong foot

He got off on the wrong foot with my parents by arriving
late.
be near you in a way that is difficult and prevents you from

doing what you want to do:
under one's feet

The children were under my feet all day so I couldn't get
anything done.
the most important facts about something, to which more

the bare bones of detail might be added later:
I don't need all the details - just give me the bare bones.
= land on one's feet
fall on one's feet to be in good condition or in a good situation after having

a bad or difficult experience
to give someone or a group of people complete support

stand shoulder to shoulder with sb
during a difficult time
to intentionally ignore someone or treat someone in an

unfriendly way:
give me the cold shoulder

I thought she really liked me, but the next day she gave
me the cold shoulder.
to get someone to do what you want by making it very

difficult for him or her to refuse:
twist one's arm

I didn't want to go to the exhibition, but Linda twisted my
arm.
to not allow someone to become too friendly with you:

luôn giữ khoảng cách với ai
keep/hold sb at arm's length

I always had the feeling she was keeping me at arm's
length.

to laugh, shout, scream, etc. very noisily and for a long

time:
There I was lying face down on the pavement and you two
laugh/scream/shout your head off
were laughing your heads off!
suddenly becomes worse and has to be dealt with quickly:
come to a head
Things hadn't been good between us for a while and this

(also bring sth to a head)
incident just brought it to a head.
to make someone want to do something they had not

thought about before, especially something stupid: "tiêm
put ideas into sb's head nhiễm những thứ độc hại vào người ai"
Don't go putting ideas into his head. We can't afford a new

car.
cannot understand it:
can't get your head (a)round sth

I just can't get my head around these tax forms.
to attract a lot of attention
turn heads
Her new car was turning heads wherever she went.
to make someone feel more important, intelligent etc than

turn sb's head they really are
Don't let all the praise turn your head.
to prevent something from happening, or to finally finish

something:
knock sth on the head

It's nearly done - another couple of hours should knock it
on the head.
to speak to someone angrily:
bite/snap sb's head off

I asked what was wrong, but he just bit my head off.
to avoid trouble:
keep one's head down He's in a bad mood today - I'm just keeping my head
down.
to behave as if a problem is not important or does not

worry you:
put (on) a brave face on sth

She seems all right but I think she's just putting on a brave
face.
thấy sth như thế nào ở bề ngoài thì nghĩ như vậy, và chấp
nhận nó theo như những gì nó thể hiện mà không tìm hiểu
take sth at face value gì thêm
I took the offer at face value. I didn't think they might be

trying to trick me.
xét theo bề ngoài
on the face of it
On the face of it, the problem was easy to solve.
to be very worried or angry about something, especially

because you do not know what to do : vò đầu bứt tai
tear/pull one's hair out

Anyone else would have been tearing their hair out trying
to follow these instructions.
If two people are at each other's throats, they are arguing

be at each other's throats angrily:
Those two are always at each other's throats.
to tell the truth about something:
make a clean breast of it Julia finally made a clean breast of it and admitted that
she had stolen the money.
to stay close to someone, watching everything that they

do:
beathe down one's neck

It's awful having a boss who breathes down your neck all
the time.
someone or something that is very annoying:
a real pain in the neck

That child is a real pain in the neck.

to tell someone about something that has been worrying

you or making you feel guilty for a long time:
get it off one's chest I had spent two months worrying about it and I was glad to
get it off my chest.
1. to force someone who disagrees with you to listen to

your opinions:
I hate going to my friend's house, because her husband's

ram it down one's throat always ramming political rhetoric down my throat.
2. ép ai uống, nuốt cái gì
The only way to get the dog to take his medication is to

ram it down his throat.
catch one's eye thu hút sự chú ý của ai, khiến họ nhìn mình
you mean that you knew about the problems and

difficulties that you were likely to have.
with your eyes open

We want all our members to undertake this trip
responsibly, with their eyes open.
to cause surprise or shock:
raise (a few) eyebrows Jemma's miniskirt raised a few eyebrows at the board
meeting.
làm sáng mắt ra
open my eyes to
She really opened my eyes to how stupid I'd been.
mở rộng tầm mắt sth that surprises you and teaches you
a real eye-opener new facts about life, people
Living in another country can be a real eye-opener.
Chè chén nhậu nhoẹt. to start to drink too much alcohol
hit the bottle He started to HIT THE BOTTLE after his divorce and got
addicted.

to show respect to, or approval of, in word only, without

sincerely feeling it
pay lip service to something

Politicians tend to pay lip service to environmental issues
without actually doing anything about them.
said when you are promising to keep a secret:
my lips are sealed "Oh and please don't tell him you saw me here." "Don't
worry. My lips are sealed."
to annoy you a lot
get (right) up your nose

That superior attitude of his gets right up my nose.
1. nghiến răng
He gritted his teeth in silent fury.
2. to accept a difficult situation and deal with it in a

grit our teeth
determined way:
We had to grit our teeth and agree with their conditions

because we wanted the contract.
to tell someone something that you know is completely

false:
lie through one's teeth

He asked me how old I was and, lying through my teeth, I
said "29".
to tell someone your secret thoughts and feelings:
bare your heart/soul We don't know each other that well. I certainly wouldn't
bare my soul to her.
feel very excited or nervous:
your heart misses/skips a beat

Every time he looks at me my heart skips a beat.
break sb's heart make sb very sad
you feel disappointed and discouraged:
your heart sinks My heart sank when I opened the letter and realized I had
not been accepted into graduate school.

bao lâu tùy thích

to your heart's content
take sth to heart nghĩ về mấy cái gì (chỉ trích)
an occasion when a problem that has been worrying you

stops or is dealt with:
be a load/weight off your mind

I'm so relieved that I don't have to make a speech - it's
such a weight off my mind!
if a machine or object has a mind of its own, it behaves in

a way that you do not expect
have a mind of its own

This shopping trolley has a mind of its own.
shopping trolley: xe đẩy trong siêu thị
you intend to do it, but are not actively thinking about it:
at/in the back of your mind It's been at the back of my mind to call José for several
days now, but I haven't got round to it yet.
in your imagination or memory:
in your mind's eye In my mind's eye, she is still a little girl of six, although
she's actually a grown woman.
rất bạo lực
blood and guts There was too much blood and guts in the movie for my
liking. ~ theo cái sở thích của tôi
almost impossible
like getting blood out of a stone Getting the truth out of her is like getting blood out of a
stone.
to criticize someone several times in an annoying way:
be on sb's back She's on my back again about those sales figures - I just
haven't had a moment to do them.
to annoy someone:
get/put sb's back up

Just ignore him - he's only trying to put your back up.
phản bội ai, đâm sau lưng
He had been lied to and stabbed in the back by people

stab sb in the back
that he thought were his friends.
*stab: đâm ai bằng dao găm
to not deal with something now, but intend to deal with it at

a later time:
put sth on the back burner

We've all had to put our plans on the back burner for a
while.
in a secret or indirect way
by/through the back door He managed to get into the private club through the back
door because he has a friend who works there.
leave without a backward glance

completely happy to leave and have no sad feelings about
*backward: tụt lại phía sau, chậm hiểu
it:
When he was a child, his teachers She left the city where she had lived all her life without a
thought he was backward backward glance.
it is impossible to answer a question about how big

something is or how much time something will take
How long is a piece of string?

"How long will you be staying?" "How long is a piece of
string?"
long-winded Dài dòng, chán ngắt
a period of years, rather than days, weeks, or months:
the long haul /hɑːl/ I want to invest my money for the long haul, not just to get
rich quick.
come a long way make great progress
similar to
along the lines of I was thinking of doing a meal along the lines of that
dinner I did for Annie and Dave.

at some moment during a relationship or process:
I don't know what went wrong with our relationship, but

somewhere along the line somewhere along the line we just stopped loving each
other.
to behave in a way that is unacceptable or not expected:
step out of line

Step out of line one more time, Peters, and you're fired!
nghề
the work that a person does regularly in order to earn

line of work
money : job
He's in a dangerous line of work.
similar: ~ along the lines of
go along/on the same lines My sister works in publishing, and I'm hoping to do
something along the same lines.
to never do something because you think it is wrong:
draw the line at sth I swear a lot, but even I draw the line at saying certain
words.
to say that something is completely finished and you will

draw a line under sth not think about it again
I just want to draw a line under the relationship.
the most important fact in a situation: cái cốt lõi ở đây là
the bottom line is that

The bottom line is that if you don't work, you'll fail the test.
bị bắt quả tang
be caught in the act

He tried to rob a bank and was caught in the act.
a situation in which a person tries to give care and

attention to two or more activities at the same time:
balancing act
I found myself having to do a balancing act between work
and family.

a place where a lot of people are working very hard:
a hive of activity/industry
The whole house was a hive of activity on the day before

*hive: tổ ong /haɪv/
the wedding.
1. hỏng, ko dùng đc nữa
I'm afraid the TV's out of action.
2. (người) bị thương,ốm and cannot do things they usually

be out of action
do:
Jackson's torn ligaments will keep him out of action for the
rest of the season.
doing something again
be back in action After a two year break from baseball, he's finally back in
action.
A part of the profits, success or advantages that come

from an activity:
get a slice/ piece of the action Once Sarah heard that Mel was starting a new software
company, she decided she wanted a piece of the action
and asked to be his business partner.
be all talk and no action chỉ nói suông
act in a particular way

A plan and the series of actions that will follow.
follow/take a course of action

Our options are limited, but we have to decide on a course
of action instead of doing nothing.
to do something that is more advanced or more generous

than someone else:
I gave her a card, but my brother went one better and

go one better
bought her a present.
We need to find a way to go one better than our

competitors if we want to stay at the top.

not as good as the best and therefore not wanted as

much:
second best She refuses to settle for second best - she strives for
perfection.
can enjoy the advantages of two very different things at

the same time:
the best of both worlds

She works in the city and lives in the country, so she gets
the best of both worlds.
may seem bad now, but might have a good result later
for the best

I still don't want him to go, but maybe it's for the best.
to do one's best in difficult circumstances
make the best of a bad job I decided to make the best of a bad job, and rented the car
even though it was far from perfect.
be on your best behaviour cư xử tốt nhất
to stop doing something because you do not feel it is

give sth up as a bad job worth continuing:
After three attempts to mend it, I gave it up as a bad job.
to spoil someone's plans or achievements by doing

something better than them or by doing it before them
Cut the ground from under feet (mac)
When he announced that all my figures were out of date,

he really cut the ground from under my feet. (free)
to do something that is likely to cause a problem or upset

some people
tread on sacred/dangerous ground

If you criticize his mother you're treading on dangerous
ground.

retreat or lose one's advantage during a conflict or

competition. -) nhường lại đất diễn cho ai
The committee wants me to approach this project

give ground
differently, but I refuse to give my ground.
to change one's opinion
shift one's ground

She refused to shift her ground.
If a plan or activity gets off the ground or you get it off the
ground, it starts or succeeds:
get sth off the ground

A lot more money will be required to get this project off the
ground.
involved in something from its beginning:
get in on the ground floor Can someone tell me how you get in on the ground floor
of a deal like that?
(for an activity or a situation), you do something that will

help it to happen:
prepare the ground

The leaders of both countries are preparing the ground for
negotiations which may lead to peace.
ước có cái hố để chui xuống (vì quá xấu hổ)
wish the ground would swallow you

Hershel just asked me out in the middle of class in front of
up
everyone. I wish the ground would swallow me up.
be thick/thin on the ground có nhiều/ ít
it suits you perfectly, usually because it is convenient for

suit sb (right) down to the ground you:
Part-time work would suit me right down to the ground.
a place or area that someone is very familiar with and

stamping/stomping ground
where they like to spend time:
*stamp/stomp: dậm mạnh /stɑːmp/

Do you ever go back to any of our old stamping grounds?

like a bat out of hell rất nhanh, bạt mạng
to be certain to produce an angry or violent reaction:
like a red rag to a bull Don't tell him you're a vegetarian - it's like a red rag to a
bull.
look like something the cat to look very untidy and dirty
brought/dragged in
as slippery as an eel
lươn lẹo, không đáng tin cậy
*eel: lươn
as heavy as lead rất nặng
very fast:
like greased lightning
As soon as I mentioned work, he was out of the door like

*grease (v): tra dầu mỡ (vào xe)
greased lightning!
To pursue someone or something, often for selfish

have designs on sb reasons.
I don't trust him because I think he has designs on my job.
Không khôn hơn tí nào.
to still be confused about something even after it has been

be none the wiser /waɪz/
explained to you:
I've read the instructions twice and I'm still none the wiser.
chắc chắn là không
not on your life!

'Will you get married?' 'Not on your life!'
used to say that you feel the same way or have had the
same experience:
tell me about it!

"He's driving me crazy with his stupid jokes." "Tell me
about it!"
used for making a suggestion
I/you/they etc could always

You could always phone him yourself.
very much less:
nowhere/not anywhere near

He isn't anywhere near as popular as he used to be.
tôi không biết
heaven knows
Heaven knows what he's trying to do.
to depend on someone doing something or something

happening:
bank on someone/something
Chrissie might arrive on time, but I wouldn't bank on it. ~
Don't bank on it !
used for saying that something is true when you wish that
(all/only) too true it was not
Sadly the rumour is all too true.
not something that I can understand:
beyond me /biˈjɑːnd/
How they can live in such chaos is beyond me.
used to say that one does not think something that

dream on another person wants or expects will ever happen. "I think
my band will be famous one day." "Dream on."
same here me too
not sleep a wink/not get a wink of to not sleep at all: lưu ý là động từ get
sleep I didn't sleep a wink last night with all that noise.

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09:27, 22/11/2022 Thẻ ghi nhớ: IDIOMS IN USE INTERMEDIATE | Quizlet

IDIOMS IN USE INTERMEDIATE

someone or something that seems stupid or silly,

Another performance like that and this team will be the

act the goat = act the fool

trả hoá đơn

pick up the bill/check

ngừng viễn vông và bắt đầu suy nghĩ thực tế

to be unpleasant about someone, or try to harm someone:

scare the (living) daylights out of to frighten someone very much:

to do or say something to someone that will upset them as

hit sb where it hurts

IDIOMS IN USE INTERMEDIATE

lớp của bạn

2. to confuse someone and make them unable to explain

stammer: nói lắp

there's no rest for the wicked In

to stuff one's face

to cause (someone) to stop and think about something

The latest economic news has given investors ________

give someone pause (for thought)

in the process of becoming healthy again

on the road to recovery

crazy; stupid acting.

~ off your rocker /ˈrɑː.kɚ/

*rocker: ghế bập bênh

IDIOMS IN USE INTERMEDIATE

= bite the dust -) bit -) bitten the dust

His career bit the dust when he lost his job.

a subject that someone prefers not to talk about because

something that is very unpleasant but must be accepted:

a bitter pill to swallow

to make something bad seem less unpleasant:

get a (real) kick out of sth rất thích cái gì

làm cái gì vì nó rất exciting, mặc dù có hơi nguy hiểm

do sth for kicks

to be very happy and excited because something very

Ever since she met Mark, she's been walking on air.

a misery guts an unhappy person who complains often or constantly.

to make something less enjoyable: làm cụt hứng

to be very angry with someone and threatening to harm

tức điên lên

to tell someone how angry you are about something they

He gave me a real earful about being late so often.

to speak angrily to someone about something they have

give sb a piece of your mind

ruffle one's feathers /ˈfeð.ɚ/

*ruffle: làm xù lên -) làm ai đó tức điên

I am completely unable to do something (which is usually

*for the life of you cũng có thể đứng cuối

I can't remember her name for the life of me.

doesn't ring any bells with me không quen với tôi

what I cannot understand

It beats me how she got the job.

goes from strength to strength get better

I need something to put these papers in - this folder

IDIOMS IN USE INTERMEDIATE

to have problems because of your success:

doesn't have the ghost of a chance have no chance at all