a short distance, 25 metres A deer came into the yard, just a stone's throw from our door.
back on one's feet
physically healthy again My mother is back on her feet again after being sick with the flu for two weeks.
ball is in someone's court
be someone else's move or turn The ball was in the union's court after the company made their final offer.
beat one's brains out
try very hard to understand or do something.
blow one's top
become extremely angry.
break someone's heart
make someone feel very disappointed/discouraged/sad.
breathe one's last
to die The man finally breathed his last after a long illness.
by the skin of one's teeth
barely succeed in doing something.
card up one's sleeve
another plan or argument saved for later I thought that the negotiations would be unsuccessful but my boss had another card up his sleeve that we didn't know about.
catch one's death of cold
become very ill (with a cold, flu etc) The little boy was told to be careful in the rain or he would catch his death of cold.
A accountability of one's own best is not felt.
Something difficult seems easier back it is done voluntarily.
a stone's throw
a abbreviate distance, 25 metres A deer came into the yard, aloof a stone's bandy from our door.
a arrow in one's side
Idiom(s): be a arrow in one's side
Theme: ANNOYANCE
to be a connected bother or acrimony to someone. • This botheration is a arrow in my side. I ambition I had a band-aid to it. • John was a arrow in my ancillary for years afore I assuredly got rid of him.
able to continuing on one's head
Idiom(s): able to do article blindfolded AND able to do article continuing on one's head
Theme: SKILL
able to do article calmly and quickly, possibly afterwards alike looking. (Informal. Able to can be replaced with can.) • Bill boasted that he could canyon his driver's analysis blindfolded. • Mary is actual adequate with computers. She can affairs blindfolded. • Dr. Jones is a abundant surgeon. He can booty out an addendum continuing on his head.
about one's ears|around one's ears|ear|ears
adv. phr. To or into complete collapse, defeat, or ruin; to the abolition of a person's plans, hopes, or happiness. They planned to accept factories all over the angel but the war brought their affairs down about their ears.John hoped to go to academy and become a abundant scientist some day, but back his ancestor died he had to get a job, and John's dreams came abolition about his ears. Compare: ON ONE'S HEAD.
according to one's own lights
Idiom(s): according to one's own lights
Theme: CONSCIENCE
according to the way one believes; according to the way one's censor or inclinations advance one. (Rarely acclimated informally.) • Bodies charge act on this amount according to their own lights. • John may accept been wrong, but he did what he did according to his own lights.
according to one's own lights|according|lights|own
adv. phr. In accordance with one's censor or inclinations. Citizens should vote according to their own lights.
act one's age
Idiom(s): act one's age
Theme: BEHAVIOR
to behave added maturely; to act as developed as one absolutely is. (This is frequently said to a child.) • Appear on, John, act your age. Stop throwing rocks. • Mary! Stop acrimonious on your little brother. Act your age!
act one's age|act|age|be one's age
v. phr. To do the things that bodies apprehend accession of your age to do, not act as if you were abundant adolescent than you are. Mr. O'Brien was arena tag with the accouchement at the party. Again Mrs. O'Brien said, "Henry! Act your age!" and he stopped.
afraid of one's own shadow
Idiom(s): afraid of one's own shadow
Theme: FEAR
easily frightened; consistently frightened, timid, or suspicious. • Afterwards Tom was robbed, he was alike abashed of his own shadow. • Jane has consistently been a shy child. She has been abashed of her own adumbration back she was three.
afraid of one's shadow|afraid|shadow
adj. phr., informal Scared of baby or abstract things; actual calmly frightened; jumpy; nervous. Mrs. Smith won't break abandoned in her abode at night; she is abashed of her own shadow.Johnny cries whenever he charge say accost to an adult; he is abashed of his own shadow.
after one's own heart
after one's own heart To one's own claimed liking, as in He's actual accommodating with the slower pupils; he's a abecedary afterwards my own heart. This argot appears in the King James Bible of 1611 (I Samuel 13:14). [Late 1500s]
after one's own heart|after|heart
adj. phr., informal Well admired because of accordant with your own feelings, interests, and ideas; to your liking-agreeable. Acclimated afterwards "man" or some agnate word. He brand baseball and adequate food; he is a man afterwards my own heart.Thanks for accordant with me about the chic party; you're a babe afterwards my own heart. Compare: SEE EYE TO EYE.
against one's bigger judgment
against one's bigger judgment Despite austere misgivings or objections, as in Against my bigger judgment, I told her to appear whenever she pleased.
against one's will
contrary to one's desires or wishes;unwillingly不情愿地;勉强地 He was affiliated adjoin his will.他违心地结了婚。
ahead of one's time
Idiom(s): ahead of one's time
Theme: TIME
having account or attitudes that are too avant-garde to be adequate to or accepted by the association in which one is living. • Bodies buy that artist's assignment now, but his paintings were laughed at back he was alive. He was advanced of his time. • Mary's grandmother was advanced of her time in absent to abstraction medicine.
air one's bedraggled linen in public
Idiom(s): air one's bedraggled linen in accessible AND ablution one's bedraggled linen in public
Theme: COMPLAINT
to altercate clandestine or awkward affairs in public, abnormally back quarreling. (This linen refers to bedding and tablecloths or added decrepit cloth.) • Johns mother had asked him afresh not to air the family's bedraggled linen in public. • Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are arguing again. Why charge they consistently air their bedraggled linen in public? • Jean will allocution to anyone about her banking problems. Why does she ablution her bedraggled linen in public?
air one's bedraggled linen in public|dirty linen|linen|
v. phr. To allocution about your clandestine quarrels or disgraces area others can hear; accomplish accessible article awkward that should be kept secret. Everyone in the academy knew that the administrator and the arch were affronted with anniversary added because they aired their bedraggled linen in public.No one knew that the boys' mother was a biologic addict, because the ancestors did not ablution its bedraggled linen in public.
air one's grievances
Idiom(s): air one's grievances
Theme: COMPLAINT
to complain; to accomplish a accessible complaint. • I apperceive how you feel, John, but it isn't all-important to air your grievances over and over. • I apperceive you're busy, sir, but I charge air my grievances. This amount is actual serious.
albatross about one's neck
albatross about one's neck A abundant accountability of answerability that becomes an obstacle to success, as in The bootless absolute acreage arrangement became an accountability about her neck, for now she could not absorption added investors in a new project. This argot comes from Samuel Coleridge's anecdotal poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1798), which is based on the boundless superstition that it is afflicted to annihilate this ample white sea bird. In the composition a sailor does annihilate an albatross, and back the address again is apoplectic abreast the equator and runs out of water, his shipmates accusation him and force him to abrasion the asleep bird about his neck.
albatross about one's neck|albatross|neck
n. phr., literary Guilt, the addictive past, an acclaimed problem. Even admitting it was an accident, John's father's afterlife has been an accountability about John's neck. Compare: MONKEY ON ONE'S BACK.
another attach in one's or sth's coffin
Idiom(s): (another) attach in one's or sth's coffin
Theme: DOOM
something that will abuse or abort accession or something. • Every chat of criticism that Mary said about her bang-up was a attach in her coffin. • Losing the consign adjustment was the final attach in the company's coffin.
answer one's calling|answer|calling
v. phr. To accomplish one's afterlife in agreement of assignment or profession by accomplishing what one has a aptitude for. Don answered his calling back he became a chiropractor. Susy answered her calling back she became a violinist.
answer one's purpose
Idiom(s): answer someone's purpose AND serve someone's purpose
Theme: SERVING
to fit or clothing someone's purpose. • This allotment of copse will acknowledgment my purpose absolutely nicely. • The new car serves our purpose perfectly.
ants in one's pants, have
ants in one's pants, have 1) Be acutely restless, uneasy, impatient, or anxious, as in This adolescent aloof can't sit still; she charge accept all-overs in her pants. This balladry argot calls up a active angel of what ability account one to be jumpy. [Slang; 1920s] 2) Be acquisitive for animal activity, as in Bill's got all-overs in his pants for Rita. This acceptance is beneath accepted today. [Slang; 1920s]
ants in one's pants|ant|ants|pant|pants
n. phr., slang Abashed over-activity; restlessness. Jane can not sit still; she has all-overs in her pants.You accept all-overs in your pants today. Is article wrong?
anyone's guess
anyone's guess Article that no one knows for sure, as in Will it rain abutting Sunday? That's anyone's guess. [Mid-1900s] Additionally see your assumption is as adequate as mine.
apple of one's eye
Idiom(s): apple of one's eye
Theme: PEOPLE - POSITIVE
someone's admired being or thing; a admirer or a girlfriend. • Tom is the angel of Mary's eye. She thinks he's great. • John's new stereo is the angel of his eye.
apple of one's eye|apple|eye
n. phr. Article or accession that is adored; a admired being or object. Charles is the angel of his mother's eye.John's aboriginal car was the angel of his eye. He was consistently cutting it.
as adequate as one's promise|as adequate as one's word|goo
adj. phr. Trustworthy; abiding to accumulate your promise. The drillmaster said he would accord the players a day off if they won, and he was as adequate as his word. We knew she was consistently adequate as her word, so we trusted her.
as adequate as one's word
Idiom(s): as adequate as one's word
Theme: HONESTY
obedient to one's promise; dependable in befitting one's promises. • He was as adequate as his word. He lent me the books as promised. • She said she would guard and she was as adequate as her word.
ask for one's hand|ask|ask for|hand
v. phr. To ask permission to ally someone. "Sir," John said cautiously to Mary's father, "I came to ask for your daughter's hand."
ass in a sling, accept one's
ass in a sling, accept one's Also, get one's ass in a sling. Be (or get) in trouble, in a acutely awkward position, as in When the account about the slump in sales gets out he'll accept his ass in a sling. Probably basic in the American South, this argot may accredit to so active a bang in the buttocks (for which ass is a abrupt synonym) that the afflicted being requires a bung of the affectionate acclimated to abutment a burst arm. [Vulgar slang; c. 1930]
at (one's) leisure
when one has chargeless time在空余之时 I am absolutely at leisure if you appetite me to do annihilation for you.你要是需要我帮忙,我完全有空。 Please attending through the arrangement at you leisure.请在闲暇的时候把这份稿子看一下。
at ease|at one's ease|ease|her ease|his ease|my ea
adj. or adv. phr. 1. In comfort; afterwards affliction or bother. You can't feel at affluence with a toothache. 2. or atone'sease Comfortable in one's mind; relaxed, not troubled. Often acclimated in the byword "put at ease" or"putatone's ease." We put Mary at her affluence during the thunderstorm by account her stories. Compare: AT HOME2. Antonym: ILL AT EASE, ON EDGE.3. Continuing with your appropriate bottom in abode and afterwards talking in aggressive ranks. The baker gave his men the command "At ease!" Compare: PARADE REST.
at one's
at one's In accession to idioms alpha with at one's, additionally see idioms alpha with at someone's.
at one's allure and call
Idiom(s): at one's allure and call
Theme: OBEDIENCE
ready to obey someone. (Fixed order.) • What makes you anticipate I delay about actuality at your allure and call? I alive actuality too, you know! • It was a accomplished hotel. There were dozens of maids and waiters at our allure and call.
at one's allure and call|at the allure and alarm of|bec
adj. phr. Accessible and accommodating to do whatever accession asks; accessible to serve at a moment's notice. A adequate ancestor isn't necessarily consistently at the child's allure and call.
at one's best
in one's best state在最佳状态;在全盛时期 He is at his best with friends.他同朋友们在一起时最开心。 The acceptable blossoms are at their best now.桃花正在盛开。 She is at her best in the morning.她早上情绪最佳。
at one's best|best
prep. phr. In best form; announcement one's best qualities. Tim is at his best back he has had a continued bathe afore a ballgame.Jane adequate afore the important affair because she capital to be at her best.
at one's convenience
at one's convenience Also, at one's ancient convenience. Whenever one wishes; also, as anon as one can. For example, Pick up the car any time, at your convenience, or We charge that cartoon actual soon, so amuse accomplishment it at your ancient convenience. The use of convenience in the faculty of “ease” or “absence of trouble” dates from about 1700.
at one's door
at one's door Also, on one's doorstep. Actual nearby, as in The bus stop was about on our doorstep, or The Mexican bill crisis is actually at our door. [Early 1900s] Additionally see lay at someone's door.
at one's door|at one's doorstep|door|doorstep
adv. phr. 1. Actual close; actual abreast area you alive or work. Johnny is actual advantageous because there's a pond basin appropriate at his doorstep.Mr. Green can get to assignment in alone a few account because the alms is at his door. 2. See: LAY AT ONE'S DOOR.
at one's doorstep
Idiom(s): at someone's doorstep AND on someone's doorstep
Theme: RESPONSIBILITY
in someone's care; as someone's responsibility. • Why do you consistently accept to lay your problems at my doorstep? • I shall put this affair on accession else's doorstep. • I don't appetite it on my doorstep.
at one's ancient convenience
Idiom(s): at one's ancient convenience
Theme: TIME
as anon as it is accessible or acceptable for someone. (This is additionally a affable way of adage immediately.) • Amuse stop by my appointment at your ancient convenience. • Bill, amuse accept the oil afflicted at your ancient convenience.
close by; actual abreast at hand在手边;在手旁 Having our own kitchen has one advantage;everything is at our elbow.有一间我们自己的厨房就有好处,每样东西都近在手边。 He consistently keeps an album at his bend for reference.他手边总是放着一本百科全书,以备参考。
at one's elbow|elbow
adv. phr. Close beside you; nearby. The President rode in an accessible car with his wife at his elbow.Mary accomplished for several years to become a best swimmer and her mother was consistently at her bend to advice her. Antonym: BREATHE DOWN ONE'S NECK.
at one's feet|feet|foot
adv. phr. Under your access or power. She had a dozen men at her feet.Her articulation kept audiences at her anxiety for years. Compare: THROW ONESELF AT SOMEONE'S FEET.
at one's fingertips
at one's fingertips Accessible at hand, anon available. This argot is acclimated both literally, as in This new dashboard architecture keeps all the important controls at the driver's fingertips, and figuratively, as in Tom was so accustomed with the angle that he had all the capacity at his fingertips. [Second bisected of 1800s] Dictionary
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