Phrasal Verbs and Idiom

Common phrasal verbs with examples

1)    abide by:

·       Respect or obey (the law, a decision, a rule...).
"If you want to stay at this school, you must abide by the rules."

2)    adhere to

·       Support; follow; act in accordance with.
"All contestants must adhere to the rules."

3)    agree with

·       Have the same opinion as some else.
"I agree with you entirely. I think she deserves the award too."

4)    aim at

·       Direct towards a target.
"The policeman aimed his gun straight at the hijacker."

5)    back off

·       Retreat; abandon an intention; become less aggressive
"The thugs backed off when they saw the police."

6)    back up

·       Give support or encouragement
"If I tell the boss we've got too much work, will you back me up? "

7)    back up

·       Make a copy of (file, document, program...) for security purposes.
"It is recommended to back up all files for safety."

8)    bear with

·       Be patient.
"Please bear with me please while I finish my explanation."

9)    blow up

·       Be destroyed by an explosion.
"The car blew up but luckily there was nobody in it."

10) break down

·       Go out of order; stop functioning.
"John's car broke down on the way to the airport."

11) break something down

·       Divide into smaller or simpler parts.
"The lesson will be easier to learn if you break it down into small sections."

12) break in/into

·       Enter by force in order to steal something.
"I saw a man outside the shop trying to break in.
"The burglars broke into the house around midnight."

13) break out

·       Start suddenly or erupt.
"Rioting broke out as a result of the strike."
"He was in such a nervous state that sweat started to break out on his forehead."

14) break through

·       Force a way through something.
"The car broke through the barrier set up by the police."

15) break up

·       Come to an end (marriage, a relationship ...).
"After her marriage broke up, Caroline went to live in London."

·       Separate into small pieces.
"Pablo had to use a fork to break up the soil."

16) bring up

·       Raise (a child).
"She stopped working for a few years in order to bring up her children."

17) bump into

·       Meet by accident or unexpectedly.
"Rafael bumped into his English teacher at the supermarket."

18) call on/upon

·       Formally request or invite.
"I now call upon the President to address the assembly."

19) call out

·       Shout something.
"The child disappeared from the playground. His mother called out his name but he didn't answer."

20) call round

·       Go to a place to see someone.
"The nurse said she would call round this afternoon to check on my mother."

21) carry on

·       Continue.
"Charlie carried on gardening in spite of the rain."

22) carry out

·       Do something as specified (plan, order, threat...)
"The plan was carried out to perfection."

·       Perform or conduct (test, experiment ...)
"Tests are carried out to determine the efficiency of a new drug."

23) check in

·       Register at a hotel or an airport.
"For security reasons, you have to check in two hours before your flight."

24) check out

·       Pay one's bill and leave (a hotel)
"Is Mr. Brown still at the hotel? No, he checked out this morning.

·       Investigate or verify something.
"I don't know if the address is still valid. I'll check it out. "

25) cheer up

·       Put someone in a better mood.
"I told her a joke to try and cheer her up.

26) close down

·       Stop operating (company, restaurant, cinema ...)
"When the factory closed down, the employees lost their jobs."

27) come across

·       Find by chance, encounter.
"Julie came across some photographs of her grandparents in the attic."

·       Appear, seem, make an impression.
"The candidate came across as a dynamic person during the interview."

28) come up with

·       Produce an idea or plan.
"Sacha came up with a great idea for the party."

29) cut off

·       Discontinue; interrupt.
"The operator cut off our conversation before we had finished."

·       Be separated or isolated.
"Our group was cut off from the others so we got lost!."

30) deal with

·       Handle, take care of, address (problem, situation).
"The manager is good at dealing with difficult customers."

31) dress up

·       Wear elegant clothes.
"Do people dress up to go to the opera in your country?"

·       Disguise oneself.
"You know how children love to dress up at Halloween. It's part of the fun!"

32) drop off

·       Deliver someone or something.
"I'll drop you off at the bus stop if you like. I'm going that way."

·       Fall asleep.
"Granddad often drops off in front of the television."

33) drop out

·       Stop going to classes before finishing a course of study or the school year.
"Emily decided to go to art school, then dropped out after the first term."

34) fall in

·       Collapse inwards
"The roof of the supermarket fell in and many customers were injured."

35) figure out

·       Understand; find the answer.
"I've bought a new oven. Now I'm trying to figure out how to set the timer.

36) fix up

·       Repair or renovate.
"They're going to fix up the house before moving in. "

37) freak out

·       Panic or go crazy.
"She nearly freaked out when she saw the colour of her hair. It was a disaster!"

38) get about/around

·       Move from place to place.
"It's not easy to get around the city without a map."

·       Spread, circulate.
"News of their separation soon got about."

39) get along (with)

·       Be on good terms; work well with.
"I must say I get along (well) with my mother-in-law.

40) get off

·       Leave (bus, train, plane).
"Your best option would be to get off the bus at Trafalgar Square."

·       Leave work (at the end of the day).
"I'll pick you up after work. What time do you get off ?"

·       Remove something (clothes, stains).
"I don't know how I'm going to get this stain off my dress!"

41) get on

·       Board (bus, train, plane).
"You can pay when you get on the bus."

42) get rid of

·       Eliminate.
"It's difficult to get rid of old habits."

43) get together

·         Meet each other.
"Let's get together for lunch one day next week."

44) get up

·       Rise; leave bed.
"Tony usually gets up at 7 o'clock."

45) give away

·       Give something free of charrge.
"The artist gave away most of his paintings."

·       Reveal something.
"The names of the witnesses will not be given away."

46) give back

·       Return something to its owner.
"He promised to give back the book he borrowed."

47) give up

·       Stop doing something.
"Sarah gave up smoking five years ago."

·       Admit defeat; capitulate.
"Have you found the answer? No, I give up."

48) go along (with)

·       Agree with; accept. 
"Alex tends to go along with anything his wife says."

49) go away

·       Leave a place.
We decided to go away for a few days. 

·       Disappear; fade.
"I've washed it twice but the stain still hasn't gone away."

50) go back

·       Return.
"Children go back to school after the holidays."

51) go by

·       Pass.
"A bus went by without stopping."
"Time goes by so quickly!"

52) go through

·       Experience or undergo something.
"Pete went through a lot of pain after the accident."

·       Examine or study carefully.
"I need time to go through the contract before I sign it."

53) hand in

·       Submit (report, homework).
"All application forms must be handed in before the end of the month."

54) hand out

·         Distribute.
"Samples will be handed out at the end of the demonstration."

55) hand over

·       Give to someone in authority.
"The boy was forced to hand over the mobile phone he had stolen."

56) hang back

·       Be reluctant to do something.
"All the children rushed towards the clown except one boy who hung back."

57) hang on

·       Wait.
"Hang on a minute. I'm nearly ready."

58) hang on to

·       Keep a hold on something.
"Be careful. Hang on to that rope and you'll be ok.

59) hang out

·       Spend time in a particular place or with a group of friends.
"Where does Danny hang out these days?"
"Who does he hang out with?"

60) hang up

·       End a telephone conversation.
"Please don't hang up. I haven't finished yet.

61) hold on

·       Wait for a short time.
"Hold on a moment please. I'll put you through to Mr. Brown."

62) hurry up

·       Be quick; act speedily.
"Come on Harry. Hurry up! We're going to miss the bus!

63) indulge in

·       Allow yourself to enjoy something.
"I’ve been dieting all week but today I'm going to indulge in a dessert."

64) jot down

·       Take quick notes.
"I jotted down the address while watching a documentary on television. "

65) keep on

·       Continue doing something.
"I told the children to be quiet but they kept on making noise."

66) keep up with

·       Stay at the same level as someone or something.
"Bill walks so fast it's difficult to keep up with him."

67) kick off

·           Begin; start.
"The football match is planned to kick off at 3 p.m."

68) knock down

·       Strike someone or something to the ground.
"The child was knocked down by a car on the way to school."
"The tree was knocked down during the storm."

69) let down

·       Disappoint.
"You promised to come to the party, so don't let me down!

·       Lengthen (skirt, pants).
"The skirt is too short? We can have it let down for you if you like."

70) light up

·       Illuminate.
"1 watched the floodlights light up the castle."
"Her face always lights up when she sees her grandson."
"The screen lights up when you turn on a computer."

71) line up

·       Stand in a row.
"The books were lined up neatly on the shelves."

72) live through

·       Experience something and survive.
"My grandparents lived through two wars and learned to survive."

73) look after

·       Take care of.
"A baby sitter looks after the children when their parents go out."

74) look at

·       Pay attention to something you see.
"Look at this picture of my grandfather when he was young."

75) look at

·       Read in order to give an opinion.
"Have you got time to look at my business plan?"

76) look at

·       Examine closely.
"That's a nasty bruise. You should ask a doctor to look at it."

77) look for

·       Try to find something.
"Jane went shopping to look for an outfit for the wedding."

78) look forward to

·       Await or anticipate with pleasure.
"I look forward to seeing you next week-end."

79) look into

·       Examine or investigate.
"Our after-sales service will look into the matter and call you back."

80) make fun of

·       Laugh at; make jokes about.
"The old lady dresses so strangely that the children make fun of her."

81) make (something) into

·       Convert or change into.
"We're going to make our garage into a playroom."

82) make up

·       Invent (excuse, story).
"Some employees make up excuses when they arrive late for work."

·       Prepare a bed for use.
"You can stay here tonight. I'll make up a bed for you in the spare room."

·       Form, constitute.
"In your opinion what qualities make up his character?

·       Put on powder, lipstick, etc.
"Cynthia spends ages making herself up/putting on make-up

83) pass away

·       Die.
"The old lady passed away peacefully."

84) pass on

·       Transmit.
"Don't forget to pass on the information to all the members."

85) pay back

·       Reimburse.
"I will lend you 20€ provided you pay me back before the end of the week. "

86) put off

·       Postpone; delay; arrange a later date.
"The meeting has been put off until next week because of the strike."

87) put on

·       Turn on / switch on.
Could you put on the light please?

·       Wear a garment or piece of clothing.
"You'd better put on your coat - it's cold outside today."

88) put out

·       Extinguish.
"It took the fire fighters a long time to put out the fire."

89) put up with

·       Tolerate.
"I don't know how you can put up with the noise of all that traffic."

90) point out

·       Indicate; direct attention to something.
"My mother pointed out the house where she grew up."

91) rely on

·       Count on; depend on; trust
"Don't worry. You can rely on me. I can keep a secret."

92) rule out

·       Eliminate.
"The police are still investigating but they have ruled out political motives."

93) run away

·       Escape from a place or suddenly leave.
"He ran away from home at the age of fourteen."

94) run after

·       Chase something.
"Tom threw the ball along the beach and the dog ran after it."

95) run into (also: bump into)

·       Meet by accident or unexpectedly.
"Sophie ran into Maria at the shopping centre."

96) run out

·       Expire, come to an end.
"Let’s order now before the offer runs out.”

97) run out of

·       Have no more of something.
"What a nuisance! We've run out of coffee."

98) set off

·       Start a journey.
"Early Saturday morning we set off for the ski slopes."

99) set up

·       Start a business.
"Victoria set up her own company 10 years ago."

100)       show off

·       Brag or want to be admired.
"There's Donald showing off in his new sports car!"

101)       show up

·       Appear; arrive.
"We expected William to come but he didn't show up."

102)       shut up (impolite)

·       Be silent, stop talking.
"Oh shut up you idiot!"

103)       sign in

·       Register (e.g. at a hotel).
"As soon as we've signed in we'll go and get something to eat ."

104)       sign out

·       Pay your bill and leave (e.g. a hotel).
"At 9 o'clock he signed out and left for the airport."

105)       sign over (to)

·       Transfer ownership of something.
"He signed over the house to his two children."

106)       sign up (for)

·       Enroll in an activity.
Emma signed up for a computer course.

107)       sign up (with)

·       Sign an agreement to work for somebody.
"Paul has signed up with a news agency."

108)       sleep over

·       Stay overnight at someone else's home.
"You're welcome to sleep over if you don't want to drive in this weather."

109)       sort out

·       Organise, resolve a problem.
"There was a misunderstanding but Lea sorted it out."
"Students should sort out their books at the end of the school year."

110)       stand for

·       Represent, mean.
"VAT stands for value added tax."

·       Tolerate.
"There's no way I'm going to stand for such bad behaviour!"

111)       stand up

·       Rise from a sitting position
"The pupils stood up when the headmaster arrived."

112)       stand up for

·       Support or defend someone or something.
"You must learn to be assertive and stand up for your personal views."

113)       stick to

·       Continue without changing anything.
"We must decide on a plan of action and stick to it."

114)       stick together

·       Support each other.
"Good friends always stick together."

115)       take away

·       Cause something to disappear.
"The doctor gave my father tablets to take away the pain."

·       Buy food at a restaurant and carry it elsewhere to eat it.
"Two beef curries to take away please."

116)       take care of

·       Look after.
"I'll take care of your plants while you're away."

117)       take off

·       Leave the ground.
"The plane took off at 7 o'clock."

118)       think over

·       Consider something fully.
"I'll have to think over your proposal before I decide."

119)       track down

·       Search until found.
"The police finally tracked down the main suspect."

120)       try on

·       Put on or wear something to see if it suits or fits.
"I'm not sure about the size. Can I try it on?"

121)       turn away

·       Refuse entrance to someone.
"Tickets were sold out and hundreds of fans were turned away from the football stadium."

122)       turn down

·       Lower the volume.
Please turn down the music; it's too loud.

·       Refuse.
"It would be silly to turn down a generous offer like that!

123)       turn off

·       Stop by turning a switch, tap or knob.
"Please remember to turn off the lights before you leave."

124)       turn up

·       Arrive; appear.
"Her train was delayed so she turned up an hour late at the meeting."

·       Raise the volume.
Could you turn up the radio please? I'd like to listen to the news.

125)       use up

·       Finish a product (so that there's none left).
"What a nuisance! The kids have used up all the toothpaste. "

126)       watch out

·       Be careful.
"Watch out! There's a car coming."

127)       wind up

·       Finish or put an end to something.
"Before winding up his speech he thanked everyone for their presence."
"Larry decided to wind up his business and retire."

·       Arrive finally in a place.
"After a long drive we finally wound up in a village with a spectacular view."

128)       wipe off

·       Clean (board, table).
"The teacher asked one of the children to wipe off the board."

129)       work out

·       Do physical exercise.
"Tanya works out twice a week at the gym club."

·       Find a solution or calculate something.
"It's going to be expensive but I haven't worked out the exact cost yet."

130)       wrap up

·       Cover; enclose.
"She's busy right now. She's wrapping up her Christmas presents."

·       Complete (a task, a discussion).
"The salesman hoped to wrap up a few deals at the end of  the demonstration."

131)       write back

·       Reply to a letter.
"Lucy and Steve sent me an invitation and I wrote back to accept it."

132)       write (something) down

·       Note something on a piece of paper.
"Richard wrote down the address of the hotel."

133)       zoom in (on)

·       Focus more closely on something
"The camera zoomed in on the crowd to show some famous faces. "

Some English Idioms

1)    answer the call of nature/answer nature's call

• When a person answers the call of nature, they go to the toilet.

"I had to get up in the middle of the night to answer the call of nature."

2)    bare your heart / soul

• If you bare you soul (or heart) to someone, you reveal your innermost thoughts and feelings to them.

"Mike couldn't keep things to himself any longer. He decided to bare his soul to his best friend."

3)    at all costs

•   If you are determined to obtain or achieve something at all costs, you want it regardless of the expense, effort or sacrifice involved.
  "The journalist was determined at all costs to get a report from the war zone."

4)    blood, sweat and tears

• A project or action which involves blood, sweat and tears requires a lot of effort and hard work.

"His success wasn't due to luck; it was blood, sweat and tears all the way."

5)    eat someone alive

• If you criticize someone severely because you are angry with them, you eat them alive.

(You can also be eaten alive - bitten repeatedly -  by insects.)
"The boss will eat me alive if the report arrives late."

6)    get on someone's nerves

• If you get on someone's nerves, you annoy or irritate them a great deal.

"The boys next door are so noisy they're getting on my nerves."

7)    mind your own business! (rude)

• Telling someone to mind their own business is a (rude) way of saying that they are too interested in what others are doing, or that they are interfering in something that does not concern them.

"Don't tell me what to do - just mind your own business!"

8)    (have a) quick temper

• Someone who has a quick temper gets angry very easily.

"He makes me nervous - he's got such a quick temper."

9)    that makes my blood boil!

• If something makes your blood boil, it makes you really angry.

"His condescending attitude towards women really makes my blood boil!"

10) (as) busy as a bee

• If someone is as busy as a bee they are very active and have a lot of things to do.

"Tom is as busy as a bee getting everything ready for the exhibition."

11) (as) busy as a bee

•  If someone is as busy as a bee, they are very active and have a lot of things to do.
  "Tom is as busy as a bee getting everything ready for the exhibition."

12) birds of a feather 

• If two people are birds of a feather, they are very similar in many ways, so they naturally spend time together.

"No wonder they get on well. They're birds of a feather!"

13) kill two birds with one stone

•  If you kill two birds with one stone, you succeed in doing two things at the same time.
  "By studying on the train on the way home, Claire kills two birds with one stone."

14) (have) butterflies in your stomach

• If you have butterflies in your stomach, you are feeling very nervous.

"At the beginning of an exam, I always have butterflies in my stomach."

15) a cat in gloves catches no mice

• This expression means that if you are too careful and polite, you may not obtain what you want.

"Negotiate carefully but remember: a cat in gloves catches no mice!"

16) let the cat out of the bag

• If you let the cat out of the bag, you reveal a secret, often unintentionally.

"When the child told her grandmother about the plans for her 70th birthday, she let the cat out of the bag.  It was supposed to be a secret!"

17) cat's whiskers (also: cat's pyjamas)

• This expression refers to someone who considers themselves to be better than others in a particular area: beauty, competence, intelligence, sport, etc.

"Ever since she got a promotion, she thinks she's the cat's whiskers!"

18) raining cats and dogs

•  If it's raining cats and dogs, it is raining very heavily.
  "We'll have to cancel the picnic I'm afraid. It's raining cats and dogs."

19) play cat and mouse

• To play cat and mouse with someone means to treat them alternately cruelly and kindly, so that they do not know what to expect.

"He's difficult to work for, always playing cat and mouse with the employees."

20) why buy a cow when you can get milk for free?

• This refers to not paying for something that you can obtain for free. (Sometimes refers to a decision not to marry when you can have the benefits of marriage without any commitment.)

"Rent is high so Bobby is still living with his parents.
He says: why buy a cow when you can get milk for free?"

21) crocodile tears

•   To shed crocodile tears means to shed false tears or show insincere grief.
  "Caroline pretended to be sad but we all knew her tears were crocodile tears."

22) a dog's breakfast

•  To describe something as a dog's breakfast means that it is a complete mess.
  "The new secretary made a dog's breakfast out of the filing system."

23) a dog's life

• People use this expression when complaining about a situation or job which they find unpleasant or unsatisfactory.

          "It's a dog's life working in the after-sales department."

24) every dog has its day

• This expression means that everyone can be successful at something at some time in their life.

"I didn't win this time, but I'll be lucky one day. Every dog has its day."

25) eagle eyes

• Someone who has eagle eyes see or notices things more easily than others.

"Tony will help us find it - he's got eagle eyes."

26) fish out of water

• If you feel like a fish out of water, you feel uncomfortable in unfamiliar surroundings.

"As a non-golfer, I felt like a fish out of water at the clubhouse."

27) could eat a horse

• To say that you could eat a horse means that you are very hungry.

"Let's get something to eat. I'm starving. I could eat a horse!"

28) dark horse

•  A dark horse is secretive person who keeps hidden a surprising ability or skill.
  "He is such a dark horse. I never knew he was a playwright!"

"He is such a dark horse. I never knew he was a playwright!"

29) as weak as a kitten

• Someone who is as weak as a kitten is very feeble or has no strength.

"During her illness she felt as weak as a kitten."

30) walk into the lion's den

•  If you walk into the lion's den, you find yourself in a difficult situation in which you have to face unfriendly or aggressive people.
  "After the failure of the negotiations, he had to walk into the lion's den and face the Press."

31) like a moth to a flame

• To say that a person is attracted to someone or something like a moth to a flame means that the attraction is so strong that they cannot resist.

"He's a heavy gambler. He's drawn to the casino like a moth to a flame."

32) (as) quiet as a mouse

• When someone is as quiet as a mouse, they make no noise at all.

"The burglar was a quiet as a mouse as he moved around the house."

33) (as) stubborn as a mule

• If someone is as stubborn as a mule, they are very obstinate and unwilling to listen to reason or change their mind.

"His friends advised him to accept the offer, but you know Larry - he's as stubborn as a mule!"

34) mutton dressed as lamb

•  This expression refers to a middle-aged woman who tries to look younger by dressing in clothes designed for younger people.

"The style doesn't suit her - it has a mutton-dressed-as-lamb effect on her!"

35) pigs might fly

• The expression 'pigs might fly' expresses disbelief, or the idea that miracles might happen but are extremely unlikely.

"My grandmother buying a computer? ... Yeah! ... and pigs might fly!"

36) black sheep (of the family)

• The black sheep is one who behaves very differently or badly, and is considered disreputable by the other members of the family.

"Joe was the black sheep of the family, always getting into trouble."

37) snake in the grass

• Someone who pretends to be your friend while actually betraying you is a snake in the grass.

"I thought I could trust my colleague, but he turned out to be a snake in the grass."

38) wolf in sheep's clothing

• To describe someone as a wolf in sheep's clothing means that although they look harmless, they are really very dangerous.

"Be careful. He looks kind but in fact he's a wolf in sheep's clothing."

39) worm's eye view

•  To offer a worm's eye view of a situation is to give your opinion based on what you see at close range from an inferior position, so it is therefore not a general view.
  "I'm not sure I can be of much help. I can only offer you a worm's eye view of the situation."

40) (have) butterflies in stomach

• If you have butterflies in your stomach, you are feeling very nervous.

"At the beginning of an exam, I always have butterflies in my stomach."

41) hold your breath

• If someone is holding their breath, they are waiting anxiously or excitedly for something to happen or be announced.

"I went for a second interview today - now I'm holding my breath!"

42) mutton dressed as lamb

• This expression refers to a middle-aged woman who tries to look younger by dressing in clothes designed for younger people.

"The style doesn't suit her - it has a mutton-dressed-as-lamb effect on her"

43) let bygones be bygones

• If you let bygones be bygones, you decide to forget about old arguments, or problems that happened in the past, and improve your relationship with someone.

"When Charlie's son was born, he decided to let bygones be bygones and contacted his parents."

44) make a mountain out of a molehill

• If someone makes a mountain out of a molehill, they make a small, unimportant problem seem much more serious than it is.

"Don't make a mountain out of molehill! It's not a major problem."

45) dance to someone's tune

• If you dance to someone's tune, you do whatever that person tells you to do.

"He is the company's major shareholder, so the management has to dance to his tune."

46) you can't judge a book by its cover

• This expression means that you should not form an opinion from appearance only.

"He leads a very simple life but in fact he's an extremely rich man. You can't judge a book by its cover!"

47) a bookworm

• Someone who loves books and spends a lot of time reading is called a bookworm.
  "A book would be the ideal gift. My mother has always been a bookworm."

48) about turn / about face

• The terms 'about turn' or 'about face' refer to a complete change of opinion or policy.

"The ambassador's recent declarations indicate an about turn in foreign policy."

49) change your mind

•  If you change your mind you change your original opinion, plan or choice.
  "At first I intended to rent a car, but then I changed my mind and decided to use public transport."

50) hang up your boots

• When a sports player hangs up their boots, they stop playing and retire. (This expression is often used to refer to retirement in general.)

"Dad says he's going to hang up his boots at the end of the year."

51) lick someone's boots

• To say that one person is licking another's boots means that they are trying to please that person, often in order to obtain something.

"Sam is licking the manager's boots in the hope of obtaining a pay rise."

52) buckle down (to something)

• If you buckle down to something, you start to work seriously at something and give it your full attention.

"Eva willl have to buckle down (to her revision work) if she wants to pass the exam."

53) once in a blue moon

• If something occurs once in a blue moon, it happens very rarely.

"Bill has very little contact with his brother. They see each other once in a blue moon."

54) red carpet

• To roll out the red carpet, or give someone the red-carpet treatment, means to give special treatment to a visitor of importance.

"The management is going to roll out the red carpet for the visit of the Nobel prize winner."

55) as busy as a bee

• If someone is as busy as a bee they are very active and have a lot of things to do.

"Tom is as busy as a bee getting everything ready for the exhibition."

56) as cool as a cucumber

• A person who is as cool as a cucumber is not anxious, but relaxed and non-emotional

"The bride's mother stayed as cool as a cucumber all through the ceremony."

57) as stubborn as a mule

•   If someone is as stubborn as a mule, they are very obstinate and unwilling to listen to reason or change their mind.
  "His friends advised him to accept the offer, but you know Larry - he's as stubborn as a mule!"

58) tit for tat

• This expression refers to an injury or insult given in return for one received.

"He kicked me, so I kicked him - it was tit for tat!"

59) Rome was not built in a day

•  To say that Rome was not built in a day means that you cannot expect to achieve important things in a short period of time.
  "He expects the product to be successful immmediately, but Rome was not built in a day"

60) when in Rome, do as the Romans do

• This expression means that you should adopt the customs of the people or country you are visiting and behave in the same way.

"It's important to respect their customs. When in Rome do as the Romans do."

61) down to earth

• Someone who is down to earth is not a dreamer but a realistic and practical person who has sensible reactions and expectations.

"Don't ask Suzy for help. She's fun, but not very down to earth.

62) bread and butter

• Your bread and butter is a job or activity that is your main source of income and provides you with enough money to cover your basic needs.

"I’m a writer but teaching is my bread and butter."

63) butter somebody up

• When you butter someone up, you flatter them or you are very nice to them, especially if you want to obtain something.

"He was so keen to get the job that he spent his time buttering up the boss."

64) piece of cake

• To refer to something as a piece of cake means that you consider it to be very easy.

"The English test was a piece of cake!"

65) (as) cool as a cucumber

• A person who is as cool as a cucumber is not anxious, but relaxed and non-emotional.

"The bride's mother stayed as cool as a cucumber all through the ceremony."

66) kick the bucket

• To kick the bucket is a lighthearted way of talking about death.

"Tony will inherit when his grandfather kicks the bucket."

67) meet your maker

• This expression is used to say (often humorously) that someone has died.

"Poor old Mr. Potter has gone to meet his maker."

68) under the weather

• If you are under the weather, you are not feeling very well.

"You look a bit under the weather. What's the matter?"

69) roll out the red carpet

• To roll out the red carpet means to give special treatment to an important or honoured visitor.

"The management is going to roll out the red carpet for the visit of the Nobel prize winner."

70) not have a clue

• If you don't have a clue about something, you don't know anything about it.

"My wife's grandmother's maiden name? I don't have a clue!"

71) come to your senses

•  If you come to your senses you start to think clearly and behave sensibly.
  "She finally came to her senses and realized that public transport was faster than driving in the city."

72) zero tolerance

• If an activity or a certain type of behaviour is given zero tolerance, it will not be accepted, not even once.

"The authorities have announced zero tolerance for smoking in public buildings."

73) odds and ends

• Odds and ends are small articles, or bits and pieces of all sorts, usually of little value.

"You'll probably find it in the top drawer. That's where I keep my odds and ends".

74) once in a blue moon

• If something occursonce in a blue moon, it happens very rarely.

"Bill has very little contact with his brother. They see each other once in a blue moon."

75) other side of the coin

•  When you want to mention a different or contradictory aspect of a situation, you refer to the other side of the coin.
  "The house is lovely and spacious, but the other side of the coin is that it is far from shops and schools."

76) out of the blue

•  If something happens out of the blue, it happens unexpectedly.
  "I had nearly given up hope when out of the blue I was offered a job."

77) over the moon

• If you are over the moon, you are absolutely delighted.

"We were all over the moon when we heard the good news."

78) To have butterflies in one’s stomach

•  You can use this phrase when you are excited or even in love. It may also represent a sense of fear or anguish.

          To get “butterflies in the stomach” is a very common expression to describe for nervous                      excitement.

79) Get cold feet

• The expression “cold feet’’ means that a person has become nervous or afraid of doing something that was already planned.

         Fox example:

         “He was planning to ask her out on a date but got cold feet at the very last minute.”

80) Chill out

• If someone says, “I’m going to chill out,” it means they’re going to relax and enjoy life.

For example: “After working late, at the end of the day, I go home where I can chill out.” (After working late, at the end of the day, I go home where I can relax.)

81) Go bananas/Go crazy:

• extremely excited

When Ellen heard that she made an “A” on her sociology paper, she went bananas!

82) Making a mountain out of a molehill:

• Making a large issue out of something insignificant.

George of the Jungle is really making a mountain out of a molehill.

83) Hit the sack

• Go to sleep.

It is already 11pm. I want to hit the sack.

84) Cry over spilled milk

• to express regret about something that has already happened or cannot be changed:

          Yes, we made a mistake, but there’s no point in crying over spilled milk.

85) A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

• What you have is worth more than what you might have later.

86) Birds of same feathers flock together

• said about people who have similar characters or interests, especially ones of which you disapprove, and who often spend time with each other

87) It’s raining cats and dogs!

•  something that you say when it is raining heavily

88) Kill two birds with one stone

•   to succeed in achieving two things in a single action:

89) Look before you leap

• to check that something is not going to cause problems or have a bad result before you do it:

        The general advice with a job offer is to do your research and look before you leap.
        The Government needs to look before it leaps into throwing huge amounts of money at             individual projects.

90) Don’t count your chickens before they hatch!

• you should not make plans that depend on something good happening before you know that it has actually happened:

         She wanted to buy a dress in case someone asked her to the dance, but I told her not to             count her chickens before they hatched.