IDIOMS WITH ANIMALS

Eager beaver.
Example: He works really hard. Hes an eager beaver.

No spring chicken.
Example: The new teacher is no spring chicken. She must be 40 or 50.

Every dog has its day.

Example: Dont lose heart. You will get a job eventually. Every dog has its day.

Feel like a fish out of water.

Example: All his classmates have girlfriends and he doesnt. He is starting to feel like a fish out of water.

Have bigger fish to fry.

Example: He broke up with me but Im not going to sit down and cry over it. I am really busy and honestly I
have bigger fish to fry.

Eat like a horse.

Example: Im worried about her health. She eats far too much. She eats like a horse!

A wolf in sheeps clothing.

Example: I wouldnt trust him if I was you. I think hes a wolf in sheeps clothing.

IDIOMS WITH COLOURS

Green with envy. (envious)

Example: She passed the exam but I didnt. Im green with envy.

In the red. (broken)

Example: Ive run out of money. Im going to be in the red all this month.

Scream blue murder. (angrily)

Example: She flew into a rage and screamed blue murder at him.

Purple prose. (difficult writing)

Example: I enjoyed her new book despite the purple prose.

IDIOMS WITH FOOD

A piece of cake- Example: The exam was really easy. It was a piece of cake.

Eat humble pie- Example: Things didn't work out the way she wanted them, so in the end she had to
swallow her own words and eat humble pie.

Sell like hot cakes- Example: That new product is very popular. Its selling like hot cakes.

Thats the way the cookie crumbles-Example: Well, you can't change the way things are in the school. That
s the way the cookie crumbles.
IDIOMS WITH HAPPINESS

BE AS HAPPY AS A CLAM- Example: Have you heard the good news? Matthew and Marina are together
again. I am as happy as a clam for them.

BE IN SEVENTH HEAVEN- Example: She has finally passed her driving test and her parents have
promised to buy her a car. She is in seventh heaven.

BE ON CLOUD NINE- Example: She has been on cloud nine ever since she heard that her favourite music
group, One Direction, is coming to town.

BE OVER THE MOON- He is over the moon with his brand-new car.

HAVE A WHALE OF A TIME- Our trip to Mexico was fantastic. We visited many tourist places and had a
whale of a time travelling in style and comfort.

IDIOMS WITH LIKE

Eat like a horse- Meaning: To eat a lot.

Fit like a glove- Meaning: To be perfect for something

Have a memory like a sieve- Meaning: To have bad memory

Shake like a leaf- Meaning: To be scared

Sleep lie a log- Meaning: To sleep a lot

Smoke like a chimney- Meaning: To smoke a lot

Spread like wildfire- Meaning: Spread the news fast

IDIOMS WITH PARTS OF THE BODY

BE ALL EARS-Example: Yes, you can talk to me. Tell me your problems. Im all ears.

BE A PAIN IN THE NECK- Example: I can't stand those naughty children. They are a pain in the neck.

BREAK A LEG- Example: Very good luck in the show. Break a leg !

COST AND ARM AND A LEG-Example: That new Bruno Mars CD was very expensive. It cost me an
arm and a leg.

IN ONE EAR AND OUT THE OTHER-Example: I talked to him but he didnt listen. I think my words
went in one ear and out the other.

ITCHY FEET- Example: Im getting itchy feet again. Im bored with the city. Im planning to travel again
soon.

HAVE A BIG MOUTH- Example: I would never tell Elena a secret. She has a big mouth.

KNOW SOMEONE LIKE THE BACK OF YOUR HAND- Example: I know exactly how he is going to
react. I know him like the back of my hand.

LEARN SOMETHING BY HEART- Example: In the school they expected us to have a very good
memory. They made us learn the names of the planets by heart.

LOSE YOUR HEAD- Example: Try to stay focus. Calm down, don't lose your head.
SWEET TOOTH-Example: My grandmother loves apple pies, cakes and all kinds of desserts really. She
definitely has a sweet tooth.

TURN A BLIND EYE TO SOMETHING- Example: I think they teacher let us copy in the exam. Really,
she just turned a blind eye to it.

IDIOMS WITH TIME

The time is ripe.- Its the perfect time to do something.

Its high time to do something.- "Its high time you stop thinking about your ex and move on with your life".

To be pressed for time.- Meaning to have very little time to do something. "We would have loved to visit the
National museum but we were really pressed for time".

To do time.- To spend some time in prison.

To buy time.- To try to gain some extra time.

To be in time/ on time.- To be punctual.

To kill time. To spend time doing something not important while waiting for something else to happen.

For the time being. For a short period of time but not permanently.

To arrive in the nick of time. Just in time.

To have a whale of a time. It means to have a good time. "We had a whale of a time in Mexico."

IN PLENTY OF TIME (sobrados de tiempo)

TAKE SBS TIME (tomarse uno su tiempo)

HAVE TIME TO SPARE (tener tiempo de sobra)= a minute to waste

ITS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME (es cuestin de tiempo)

THERES NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT (ahora o nunca)

HAVE (GOT) NO TIME FOR SB/STHG (no tener tiempo para algo o alguien)

GIVE SB A HARD TIME (hacer las cosas difciles para uno)

MAKE TIME FOR SB/STHG (buscar tiempo para algo o alguien)

= GET ROUND TO + ING: encontrar tiempo para algo
It takes many years to get round to changing the legal system
I havent got round to doing it yet reminder

MARK
Which word fits all 3 sentences?

1. There was a minutes silence to ______ the 250th anniversary of the birth of Joseph Priestley.
2. Our cost estimate was wide of the ________.
3. Growing up during the war had left its ________ on her.
Answer:
There was a minutes silence to mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of Joseph Priestley.
Our cost estimate was wide of the mark.
Growing up during the war had left its mark on her.
Notes:
Mark the anniversary of sth (date when sth happened)
Wide of the mark (inaccurate)- inexacto, equivocado
Leave a mark on something (to affect it permanently)

MORE
- Be born WITH A SILVER SPOON IN THE MOUTH (con un pan debajo del brazo)
- Be the CHINK in ones armour = Achilless heel (punto dbil)
- ONCE IN A BLUE MOON (de higos a brevas)
- Be FUSSED about doing sthg = not crazy about sthg (me da igual)
- Be UNPUTDOWNABLE (absorvente)
- UNREQUITED LOVE (amor no correspondido)
- TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT = the bottom line is (en resumidas cuentas)

SAYINGS:
- when theres a will, theres a way
- Rome wasnt built in a day
- Dont make a mountain out of a molehill
- Once bitten, once shy (no perder la oportunidad)
- Actions speak louder than words
- One mans meat is another mans poison
- Engage brain before mouth (piensa antes de hablar)
- Nothing ventured, nothing gained (el que no arriesga, no gana)
- Better late than never
- Hourses for courses (zapatero a tus zapatos)
- Why have a dog and bark yourself? (para qu intentar hacer algo si lo pueden hacer por ti?)
- If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys
- If you fly with the crows, you get shot with the crows (dime con quin andas)
- Lets cross that bridge when we come to it
IDIOMS:
- Shell be apples (everything is gonna be alright)
- Rave about something (talk enthusiastically about something)
- To hit the roof (get very angry)
- Call it a day (stop working or doing an activity because you are tired)
- Be up for something (want to do something)
- Talk shop (talk about work in relaxing moments)
- Lose your bottle (you dont have the courage to do something)
- To think outside the box (todos los caminos llevan a Roma)