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IDIOMS
● Idioms with colours: 🌈 ➔ TO BE TOO YELLOW (TO STAND UP): Someone who is cowardly or lacking courage: ◆ The bully taunted the other kids, knowing they were too yellow to stand up to him and defend themselves. ◆ Despite being a skilled boxer, John always backs down from a fight. He's too yellow to stand up to anybody. ➔ TO GIVE SOMEONE A BLACK LOOK: To look at someone with anger, disapproval, or resentment. ◆ The teacher gave the students a black look when they continued talking during the lecture. ◆ When she arrived late for the appointment, her friend gave her a black look of annoyance. ➔ BLUE MOVIES: Pornographic or sexually explicit films. ◆ My parents were shocked to discover that I had been secretly watching blue movies online. ◆ The authorities cracked down on the illegal distribution of blue movies in the area.
➔ TO HAVE GREEN FINGERS / A GREEN THUMB: A person who has a natural talent or skill in gardening or growing plants. ◆ Sarah's garden is filled with beautiful flowers. She definitely has green fingers. ◆ No matter how much I try, my houseplants never seem to survive. I guess I just don't have a green thumb ➔ TO BE TICKLED PINK: To be extremely pleased, delighted, or amused by something. ◆ Winning the award made him feel proud and tickled pink. ◆ When she received the surprise gift, she was tickled pink. ➔ TO GIVE SOMEONE THE RED CARPET TREATMENT: To treat someone with special attention, hospitality, and respect, often in a formal or prestigious setting. ◆ The hotel staff gave Taylor Swift the red carpet treatment upon arrival. ◆ The bride and groom were given the red carpet treatment on their wedding day with lavish decorations and luxurious accommodations. ➔ TO SCREAM BLUE MURDER: To scream or shout loudly and in a highly distressed or alarmed manner. ◆ When the child saw the spider, she screamed blue murder and ran out of the room.
◆ John is always complimenting the boss and volunteering for extra work. He's such a brownnoser. ◆ I don't trust her; she's just a brownnoser trying to get ahead in the company. ➔ TO BE LIKE A RED RAG TO A BULL: To describe something or someone that provokes a strong and uncontrollable negative reaction or anger in someone else. ◆ Don't mention her ex-boyfriend, it's like a red rag to a bull for her. ◆ His criticism of her work was like a red rag to a bull, and she responded with intense frustration and anger. ➔ TO BE IN THE RED: To describe a situation where a person, organisation, or business is experiencing financial loss or debt. ◆ The company has been struggling financially and is currently in the red. ◆ I bought a ticket for The Eras Tour and I found myself in the red after it. ➔ BLACK SPOT: It is often used metaphorically to describe a dangerous or problematic area or situation. ◆ Constitución and Plaza Miserere are known as black spots, you shouldn’t go there at night alone. ◆ The neighbourhood has several black spots where crime rates are high. ➔ RED-LETTER DAY: A special or significant day
◆ Graduation day was a red-letter day in her life. ◆ Our wedding anniversary is always a red-letter day for us. ➔ TO BE BLACK AND BLUE (ALL OVER): Someone who has been physically injured or hurt. To have extensive bruises ◆ She slipped and fell down the stairs, ending up black and blue all over. ◆ After the intense boxing match, his opponent was left black and blue. ➔ TO PAINT THE TOWN RED: A celebration/night out filled with partying and having a great time. It implies engaging in wild and uninhibited behaviour. ◆ After their exams were over, they decided to paint the town red and celebrate all night. ◆ It's my birthday tomorrow, and I plan to gather my friends and paint the town red. ➔ TO SEE RED: To become extremely angry or furious. ◆ The boss saw red when she found out that the project deadline had been missed for the third time. ◆ I warned him not to touch my belongings, but he did anyway, and I saw red. ➔ TO BE BLUE IN THE FACE: An extreme or prolonged effort in trying to convince or persuade someone, without success. ◆ I tried to explain the situation to her, but she just ignored me and kept arguing until I was blue in the face.
➔ OUT OF THE BLUE/LIKE A BOLT FROM THE BLUE: Something that happens unexpectedly or suddenly, by surprise. ◆ I hadn't spoken to him in years, and then out of the blue, he called me. ◆ The announcement of his resignation came like a bolt from the blue. ➔ WHITE LIE: A harmless or trivial lie that is told to avoid hurting someone's feelings or to maintain social harmony. ◆ She told her friend a white lie about liking her new haircut, even though she didn't really think it looked good ◆ He told a little white lie as his excuse for missing the party ➔ ONCE IN A BLUE MOON: Something that happens very rarely or infrequently. ◆ She hardly ever goes out to parties, only on special occasions or once in a blue moon. ◆ I only visit my hometown once in a blue moon. ➔ GREEN WITH ENVY: Someone who is extremely jealous or envious of another person's success, possessions, or advantages. ◆ When she saw her friend's new car, she turned green with envy. ◆ He was green with envy when he heard about his coworker's promotion ➔ TO BE RED AS A BEET: To be extremely embarrassed
◆ When he realised he had forgotten his lines on stage, he turned red as a beet. ◆ She was caught stealing and turned red as a beet when confronted. ➔ TO BE TOO GREEN: Inexperienced or naive. ◆ He's too green to handle such a responsibility ◆ She won't understand those types of jokes, she's too green. ➔ GREEN LIGHT: Giving permission or approval to proceed with something. ◆ The manager gave us the green light to start the project. ◆ I'm waiting for the green light from my mom so I can use her credit card ➔ TO GET CAUGHT RED-HANDED: A situation where someone is caught in the act of doing something wrong or illegal ◆ The thief was caught red-handed with the stolen jewellery. ◆ They were caught red-handed cheating on the exam. ➔ BLACK DAY: A day that is marked by tragedy, disaster, or significant negative events. ◆ 9/11 was a black day for the US. ◆ 1939-1945 were such black days for Jews ➔ BLACK PICTURE: Presenting a negative or pessimistic view of a situation. ◆ The economic forecast painted a black picture of rising unemployment and declining growth.
◆ After I missed the deadline for the project, I'm afraid I'm in my boss's black books now. ➔ [COLOUR] MARKET: ◆ Black: Illegal or unofficial trading of goods or services outside of regular channels ◆ Green: a sector/products environmentally friendly. ➔ [COLOUR] COLLAR WORKERS ◆ White: Individuals who work in professional or administrative roles, often in office settings. ◆ Blue: Individuals who perform manual labour or work in skilled trades such as manufacturing, construction, and maintenance. ◆ Pink: Women working in jobs traditionally held by women, such as nursing, teaching, secretarial work, or other service-oriented roles. ● Idioms with eye: 👁 ➔ IN THE PUBLIC EYE: Being in a position of public attention, scrutiny, or observation. ◆ As a celebrity, she's always in the public eye, and her every move is scrutinised.
◆ The politician's scandalous behaviour put him in the public eye, and he faced intense media scrutiny. ➔ SEE EYE TO EYE: To agree or have the same opinion as someone else. ◆ The team members need to see eye to eye in order to work effectively together. ◆ We may have different perspectives, but it's important to find areas where we can see eye to eye. ➔ PULL THE WOOL OVER MY EYES: To deceive or trick someone by hiding the truth or manipulating their perception of a situation. ◆ Don't think you can pull the wool over my eyes with your excuses. I know what really happened. ◆ He tried to pull the wool over her eyes by pretending to be someone he wasn't. ➔ EYES IN THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD/KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED: Someone who is very vigilant, observant, aware of everything that is happening around them. ◆ We're expecting the package to arrive today, so keep your eyes peeled for the mailman. ◆ The security guard had eyes in the back of his head, spotting any suspicious behaviour in the crowded mall. ➔ UP TO MY EYES: To be very busy, overwhelmed.
◆ The teacher turned a blind eye to the students whispering during the exam. ➔ TO NOT BAT AN EYELID: To remain calm, composed, or unaffected ◆ Despite the shocking news, she did not bat an eyelid and remained calm. ◆ He lost his job, but he didn't bat an eyelid and started looking for a new one immediately. ➔ CATCH SOMEONE’S EYE: To attract someone's attention or to be noticed by someone. ◆ Her stunning outfit caught everyone's eye at the party. ◆ The colourful advertisement caught my eye while I was walking down the street. ➔ TO RUN YOUR EYE OVER SOMETHING: To quickly, casually read or scan through something without paying too much attention to detail. ◆ Before submitting the report, I'll run my eye over it to check for any errors. ◆ The editor ran her eye over the manuscript to make sure it was ready for publication. ➔ TO RAISE A FEW EYEBROWS: To cause surprise, shock, or disapproval among others ◆ His extravagant spending habits raised a few eyebrows among his friends.
◆ The controversial decision by the government raised a few eyebrows in the community. ➔ TO KEEP AND EYE ON SOMETHING: To monitor or watch something closely ◆ Please keep an eye on the baby while I prepare dinner. ◆ The security guard keeps an eye on the surveillance cameras to ensure safety. ➔ TO GET AN EYE FOR SOMETHING: To have a natural talent, skill in some field. ◆ She has an eye for interior design and can create beautiful spaces. ◆ He has an eye for detail and can spot even the tiniest mistakes. ➔ COULDN’T TAKE HIS EYES OFF: Someone who is captivated or intensely focused on something or someone. ◆ The magician's performance was so captivating that I couldn't take my eyes off him for a single moment. ◆ The stunning diamond necklace on display in the jewellery store's window was so mesmerising that I couldn't take my eyes off it. ● Idioms with face: 😶
◆ He didn't want to admit defeat, so he tried to keep face by downplaying the significance of the loss. ➔ TO HAVE A LONG FACE: Someone who looks sad, unhappy, or disappointed ◆ She came home from work with a long face, indicating that something had gone wrong during her day. ◆ The team had a long face after their defeat in the championship game. ➔ TO PUT A BRAVE FACE: To act or appear brave, confident, or positive in a difficult or challenging situation. ◆ She wore a smile and put on a brave face at the farewell party, even though she was sad to say goodbye. ◆ The students put on a brave face after receiving their exam results, even if they were disappointed. ➔ PUT A FACE TO A NAME: To meet or see someone in person after knowing their name or hearing about them ◆ I've been hearing so much about John, but I finally put a face to the name when we met at the conference. ◆ I recognized her voice from the radio, but it was great to put a face to the name when I saw her at the event. ➔ TO SAVE FACE: To take actions or measures to avoid embarrassment, humiliation, or loss of reputation in a given situation.
◆ She made up an excuse to save face and avoid admitting that she had forgotten about the appointment. ◆ The politician resigned from his position to save face amidst the scandal. ➔ TO FACE WORK/TO FACE A FULL MEAL: Literal meaning ➔ OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH: Someone or something that has disappeared or vanished completely, leaving no trace behind. ◆ The lost treasure was rumoured to be hidden deep in the jungle, but it has eluded explorers for centuries, as if it had disappeared off the face of the earth. ◆ I tried to contact my old friend, but her phone was disconnected, and she has no social media presence. It's like she dropped off the face of the earth. ➔ BLUE IN THE FACE: Someone who is exhausted, frustrated, or unsuccessful after making repeated efforts to convince or persuade someone of something. ◆ I've explained the concept to him a hundred times, but he still doesn't understand. I could talk until I'm blue in the face, but it won't make a difference. ◆ She argued with her parents for hours, presenting all the reasons why she should be allowed to go to the party, but they remained stubborn. She pleaded until she was blue in the face, but they didn't budge.
➔ FLAT ON HIS FACE: Someone falling in a dramatic or embarrassing way ◆ He confidently attempted a backflip but ended up landing flat on his face. ◆ After boasting about his skills, he tripped on the stage and fell flat on his face. ➔ TO HIS FACE: Confronting or addressing someone directly. ◆ Instead of talking behind her back, I decided to tell her my concerns to her face. ◆ He insulted his boss to his face, not caring about the consequences. ● Idioms with Fingers and Thumbs: ✌ ➔ TO TWIDDLE YOUR THUMBS: To be idle, do nothing, or waste time in a situation where one should be productive or active. ◆ Instead of twiddling your thumbs, why don't you help me with this project? ◆ The students were twiddling their thumbs during the lecture because they found it boring. ➔ TO LIFT A FINGER: To make an effort, take action, or do something to help or contribute to a task or situation. ◆ She's always quick to criticise, but she never lifts a finger to help.
◆ I've been doing all the housework while my roommate hasn't lifted a finger. ➔ TO POINT THE FINGER: To blame or accuse someone for something. ◆ It's easy to point the finger at him, but we should consider all the facts before making accusations. ◆ Instead of pointing the finger at others, we should focus on finding solutions. ➔ TO GET YOUR FINGERS BURNT: To experience a negative outcome financially. ◆ He got his fingers burnt when he invested all his money in that risky business venture. ◆ The company got its fingers burnt by ignoring market trends and now faces financial difficulties. ➔ GET YOUR FINGER OUT: To urge someone to act or work more quickly, efficiently, or diligently. ◆ Come on, get your fingers out! We're running late and need to leave soon. ◆ The coach shouted at the players to get their fingers out and put more effort into the game. ➔ TO BE ALL FINGERS AND THUMBS: To describe someone who is clumsy when handling objects. ◆ I can't seem to tie this knot properly. I'm feeling all fingers and thumbs.
