c






A list as long as your .

For example:- A very long list.
"When I do a new vocabulary unit my list of things to do is as long as your
arm."

A shot in the .

For example:- Something which has a sudden and positive effect on something.
"His son's visits were a real shot in the arm for the old man."

Give your right .

For example:- To want something very much.
"When I'm in Germany I'd give my right arm for some decent bacon."

The long  of the law.

For example:- The police.
"I told him not to do it. You never escape the long arm of the law."

To chance your 

For example:- To take a chance in order to get something that you want.

"He chanced his arm on the horses ."

To cost an  and a  .

For example:- Extremely expensive.
"Running this web site costs me an arm and a leg."

Strong-
For example:- To use force and threats to make people do what you demand.
The police used strong-arm tactics to break up the protest.
To twist someone's .
For example:- To persuade someone to do something they do not want to do.
"She didn't want to study English, but the teacher twisted her arm."

 to 
For example:- To be close together and facing in opposite directions.
"British cities are full of back to back housing."

 passage
For example:- A polite phrase for rectum.
"The doctor examined his back passage."

Behind someone's  .

For example:- To do something without them knowing, in a way which is unfair.
"I bought the car behind his back and now he's really angry."

The shirt off someone's  .

For example:- The last thing that someone has left.
"He's so generous he'd give you the shirt off his back, if you asked him."

To break your  .

For example:- To work extremely hard.
"I don't know why English teachers break their backs for so little reward."

To get off someone's  .

For example:- To tell someone to stop criticizing.
"If you got off her back about studying she might do better."

To get someone's  up.

For example:-
To really annoy someone.
"She does it deliberately, even though she knows I don't like it, just to get
my back up."
To scratch someone's  .
For example:-
To offer to help someone if they help you.
"If I give you the planning permission you have to vote for me on the
council. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours."

To stab someone in the  .

For example:- To say nasty things about someone when they are not there.
"He thought they were his friends until they stabbed him in the back."

To turn your  on something/someone.

For example:- To stop being involved.
"I had to turn my back on it before I became ill."

Water off a duck's  .

For example:- Criticisms of or warnings to a particular person that have no effect
"The crowd was booing but he carried on anyway, it was water off a duck's on that person.
back to him.

To have a beer . A beer belly (or pot belly) is , is the accumulation of visceral fat
For example:- resulting in an increase in waist size. Aka: abdominal obesity,
Most women find a beer belly very unattractive. clinically known as central obesity.

As smooth as a baby's ,

For example:- Very smooth.
"Feel this cloth, it's as smooth as a baby's bottom."

 out.
To reach the lowest point in a continuously changing situation and to
For example:-
be about to improve.
"The economy has bottomed out and must start to get better this year."


 drain. The movement of people with education and skills from their own
For example:- country to another country where they are paid more for their work.
The country's 
 drain began to reverse as professors returned from
abroad.

To

 someone.
For example:- To hit someone on the head.
During the robbery the security guard was brained.

To be all brawn and no 
.

For example:- To be physically strong but not very intelligent.
The trouble with many footballers is that they're all brawn and no brains.

To beat your 


out.
To spend a lot of time worrying about a problem and thinking about
For example:-
how to deal with it.
I've been beating my brains out trying to remember more brain idioms.

To pick someone's 


To ask for information or advice from someone who knows more
For example:-
about a subject than you do.
People often pick my brain on the forum.

Tongue in  .
For example:- When you say something as a joke, although you might appear to be
They said that he was America's greatest President, although I suspect it serious.
was tongue in cheek.

To beat your  .

For example:-
To show grief or guilt in an obvious or public way.
"There's no point in beating your breast/chest about it - she won't come
back."

 length.
Clothing or boots that end at the middle point between the foot and
For example:-
the knee.
She wore a calf length dress to the party.
To get u
off   .
To tell someone about something that has been worrying you or
For example:-
making you feel guilty for a long time.
"When I told him I was leaving I was glad to get it off my chest."

To put hairs on your .

For example:- To drink something that is alcoholic or eat something nice.
"Get that down you, it'll put hairs on your chest."


 up.
For example:-
Something you say to someone to tell them to have confidence.
A. I've got my exams tomorrow.
B. Chin up, it will all be over soon.

Keep your

 up.
Something that you say to someone in a difficult situation in order to
For example:-
encourage them to be brave and to try not to be sad.
I told her to keep her chin up and everything would be ok in the end.

Take it on the 
.

For example:- To be brave and not complain when bad things happen to you or
In spite of the setbacks he took it all on the chin and set up the business people criticise you.
anyway.

To be all .
For example:-
When she heard their was an important message for her, Spitz was all To be waiting eagerly to hear about something.
ears.



  





  

To box someone's .

For example:- To hit someone on the ear, usually as a punishment.
The teacher threatened to box his ears if he didn't stop being cheeky.
To be out on your 
For example:-
To be forced to leave somewhere because you have done
One day, he was the CEO of a major company. The next, he was out on
something wrong, or because your work is not good enough.
his ear.







 

 grease.
For example:-
To do some hard work, especially when you are cleaning something.
If you use some elbow grease on your furniture it will make the wood look
lovely.

 room.
Enough space to move around in.
For example:-
or
I daren't invite friends to stay because there's no elbow room in my flat, it's
The freedom to do what you want to do.
so small.

To give someone the

.
For example:- To end a romantic relationship with someone.
He's very depressed, his girlfriend gave him the elbow last week.

The naked 

If something can be seen with the naked eye, it can be seen without
For example:-
the help of a microscope.
Amoebas are too small to be seen with the naked eye.

 -catching
For example:- When someone or something is particu larly attractive or noticeable.
She wore an eye-catching blouse.

In the blink of an  .

For example:- Extremely quickly.
In the blink of an eye, she was gone.
Keep an  on something / someone.
For example:- To watch or look after something or someone.
He kept an eye on the dogs whilst I went to the gym.

Keep an  out for something / someone.

For example:- To watch carefully for someone or something to appear.
Whilst his partner robbed the bank, he kept an eye out for the police.

Run your 

over.
For example:- To look quickly at the whole of something.
You should run your eye over that message before you send it.

Turn a blind  .

For example:-
To ignore something that you know is wrong.
Governments often turn a blind eye  corruption.

Keep your  on the ground.

For example:- To have a realistic understanding of your own ideas, actions, and
It is hard to keep your feet on the ground when you suddenly become decisions.
famous.

To drag your .

To be deliberately slow (usually because you don't want to do
For example:-
something).
I suspect the government is dragging its feet over lowering taxes.

To get cold .

To suddenly become too frightened to do something you had
For example:-
planned to do.
They're getting married next week - that's if he doesn't get cold feet!

To put your  up.

For example:- To relax.
After a long day shopping she looked forward to putting her feet up with a
nice cup of tea.

To be a butter 
 .

For example:- Somebody who often drops things
He had the ball, but he dropped it! What a butterfingers!

Cross 
 . People, usually children, sometimes cross their fingers behind their
For example:- back when they're telling a lie thinking it gives them immunity. (Not
It's no good crossing your fingers, I want to know the truth! to be confused with keeping your fingers crossed for luck.)

Keep your 
  crossed.

To literally cross your middle finger over your first finger to try and
For example:-
hope for a bit of luck, or a positive outcome.
I've got an exam tomorrow at 9am, so keep your fingers crossed for me.

To point the 
 .

To accuse someone of being responsible for something bad that has
For example:-
happened.
He knew that his next door neighbour had pointed the finger at him.

Pull your 
  out.

For example:- To start working harder.
To pass her exams she had to pull her finger out.

To put your 
  on something.

For example:- To discover the exact reason why a situation is the way it is,
She was worried about the project, but couldn't put her finger on what was especially when something is wrong.
wrong.

To be all 
  and .

For example:- To be clumsy and unable to hold things steadily without fear of
While I was baking the cake I dropped two eggs. I'm all fingers and dropping or damaging them.
thumbs today.
Best  forward .
For example:- To do your very best.
If you put your best foot forward you'll be sure to pass the exam.

To put your  in it.

To say something by accident which embarrasses or upsets
For example:-
someone.
I really put my foot in it with Alison. I had no idea she was married.

At first- .
For example:-
If you experience something first-hand, you experience it yourself.
"The applicant should have first -hand knowledge of accounting
procedures."

To be a dab  .
For example:- To be very good at something.
"She was a dab hand at drawing."

To have a free  .

For example:- To have the power to do what you want.
"When it comes to what appears on this web site, I have a free hand."

To have the upper  .

For example:- To have power and control over someone or a situation.
"In the UK the upper classes still have the upper hand."

"To be caught red   ."

For example: To be discovered doing something illegal or wrong.
They caught him red-handed as he tried to rob the bank ."

"To be  in glove."

For example: To have an extremely close relationship, especially at work.
"They make a great team. They work hand in glove."
Many   make light work.
For example:
When everyone helps to do something, it gets done quickly.
"We finished in no time at all with everyone's help. Many hands make light
work."

Eat your  out.

If someone says eat your heart out followed by the name of a
For example:-
famous person, they are joking that they are even better than that
"I'm going to pickle a gummy bear in a jar of fo rmaldehyde. Eat your heart
person.
out Damien Hirst!"

Have a .
For example:-
Ask someone to be kinder to you.
Student: Have you marked my homework yet?
Teacher: Have a heart! You only handed it in yesterday!

 warming
For example:-
Something that causes a feeling gladness and pleasure.
The story of the dog who saved the life of its owner was such a
heartwarming story.

Warmed
For example:- Someone who is very kind and generous.
She'll help anyone who needs it, she's such a warmhearted person.

To warm the cockles of your 

Something you see or hear that makes you feel happy because it
For example:-
shows that people can be kind and good.
A baby's smile will warm the cockles of even the meanest person's heart.

A .
For example:- A person who treats other people badly and unfairly.
"He took all her money, and then left her. What a heel!"
Achilles .
A small fault or weakness in a person or system that can result in its
For example:-
failure.
"Alcohol was always his Achilles heel."

Down at .
For example:- To look shabby due to a lack of money
"The restaurant looked very down at heel."

To be under the .

For example:- To be completely controlled by something or someone.
"The people rose up as one to get out from under the heel of oppression."

To have a  up.

For example:- To have a party.
"We had a good old knees up at the pub."

Break a  .
For example:- Used to wish someone good luck, especially used in the theatre.
"It's your debut tonight, isn't it? Well break a leg."

To cost an  and a  .

For example:- Extremely expensive.
"Running this web site costs me an arm and a leg."

To give someone a  up.

To help someone onto or over something or to help them improve
For example:-
their situation, especially at work.
She needed a leg up to get on the horse.

To pull someone's  .
To try to persuade someone to believe something which is not true
For example:-
as a joke.
She was very shocked until she realised he was only pulling her leg.
To talk the hind
 !" off a donkey.
For example:- To talk for a long time without stopping.
He is so boring. He could talk the hind legs of a donke y.

To cross someone's 
 .

For example:-
To think about something or someone.
Do I ever cross your mind?






 

Word of 
For example:- In speech but not in writing.
Most people find the web site by word of mouth.

To have a brass  .

Someone who is extremely confident about themselves and are
For example:-
unable to understand that their behaviour is unacceptable to others.
He's got a brass neck to take time off when we're so busy.

To breathe down sb's  .

To stay so close to someone, watching everything that they do, that
For example:-
it's annoying.
It's awful having a boss who breathes down your neck all the time.

To get it in the  .

For example:- To be punished or severely criticized for something that you have
She'll get it in the neck for not doing her homework.

To stick your  out.

For example:- To take a risk.
She really stuck her neck out expanding the business.

To be up to your  in sth,

To be very involved in a situation, or to have too much of the thing
For example:-
stated.
She's up to her neck in work.
To win by a  .
For example:- To win by a very small margin.
She won by a nose. It was a very close race.

Cut off your  to spite your  .

For example:- To do something because you are angry, even if it is not in your best
She should have gone with them, she would have enjoyed it. She's just interest.
cutting off her nose to spite her face.

Keep your  to the grindstone.

For example:-
To work hard.
If you want to pass your exams you'll have to keep your nose to the
grindstone.

It's no 
 off my  .

You can use this expression to show that you don't care if something
For example:-
happens or not.
It's no skin off my nose if I win or lose.

To powder your  .

When a woman says she is going to "powder her nose", she means
For example:-
she is going to the toilet.
Excuse me a moment, I'm just going to powder my nose.

To get up sb's  .

For example:- To annoy someone.
People who don't clean up after their dogs really get up my nose.

Turn your 

up at something.
For example:- To not like something because you think it is not good enough for
She turned her nose up at my homemade cakes, she only likes shop you.
bought ones.
By the 
 of your .
For example:- To only just manage to d o something.
He escaped by the skin of his teeth.

To have thick 
.

If you are thick-skinned, you do not notice or get upset when people
For example:-
criticize you.
If you work as a salesperson, you soon develop a thick skin.

To jump down someone's .

For example:-
To react angrily to something that someone says or does.
I know I annoyed her, but she didn't have to jump down my throat.

To ram something down someone's .

For example:- To try and force someone to accept something against their will.
She's a vegetarian, but she doesn't ram her views down your throat.

To have a frog in your .

To have a tight feeling in your throat and be unable to speak clearly
For example:-
until you give a slight cough.
Excuse me (cough cough), I've got a bit of a frog in my throat.

To have a green  If you have a green thumb or even green thumbs it means you are
For example:- good at gardening, or growing plants.
Her garden won many prizes. People said she had green thumbs. For Competent

To twiddle your .

For example:- To do nothing or to have nothing useful to do while you are waiting
They kept me waiting for two hours with nothing to do but twiddle my for something to happen.
thumbs.
A slip of the  .
For example:- When you say something something which you did not mean to say.
Be careful what you say, one slip of the tongue and we're all in trouble.

  in cheek.
For example:- When you say something as a joke, although you might appear to be
They said that he was America's greatest President, although I suspect it serious.
was tongue in cheek.

To be long in the .

For example:- To be too old for something.
He's a bit long in the tooth for her.
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