(^_^) Mỗi ngày 1 bài học tiếng Anh online (^_^)(Chủ đề SỬ DỤNG THÀNH NGỮ TRONG TIẾNG ANH từ trang 5)

1. Kỷ nguyên Edo kéo dài trong bao nhiêu lâu? Nó kéo dài gần 270 năm.
How long did the Edo period last? It lasted almost 270 years.

2. Bay đến Hồng Kông mất 3 tiếng đồng hồ.
It takes 3 hours to fly to Hong kong.


3. Ngày xửa ngày xưa có 1 nàng công chúa xinh đẹp.
Long long ago there was a beautiful princess.

4. 10 phút nữa anh có thể bắt đầu.
You may begin in 10 minutes from now.

55.Anh đã sống ở đây từ khi nào? Kể từ năm 1997.
Since when have you lived here? Since 1997.

5. Thời gian thấm thoắt thoi đưa! Đã là kỉ niệm 12 năm kể từ lần đầu chúng ta gặp gỡ.
Time flies! It’s already the 12th anniversary of our first meeting.

6. Kỷ niệm 100 năm ngày mất của nhà phát minh này.
The centennial/ centenary of the inventor’s death.


7. Ước gì tôi được sống vào những năm 1890.
I wish I had lived in 1890s.

8. Anh thích giai đoạn cuối thế kỷ 20 phải không? À, nó tốt hơn giai đoạn giữa thế kỉ 20.
Did you enjoy the late 20th century? Well, it was better than the mid- 20th century.

9. Tên trộm bao nhiêu tuổi? Trong độ tuổi 30.
How old was the thief? In his 30s

10. Ước gì tôi vẫn còn ở tuổi thanh thiếu niên.
I wish I were still in my teens.

11. Tôi nhớ rất rõ nửa sau độ tuổi 20 của tôi.
I remember my late 20s very well.

12. Nếu dòng điện vượt quá 50 amp thì cầu dao sẽ tự động ngắt điện.
If the current exceeds 50 amp, the breaker will cut out.

13. Chương trình của anh phát ở tần số nào? Tần số FM 36.6
What wavelength is your program on? 36.6 FM.

14. Chúng ta sẽ nghe quảng cáo trong 30 giây và trở lại chương trình ngay.
We’ll take a commercial break for 30 seconds. Back soon!

15. Đĩa cứng trong máy vi tính mới của anh có dung lượng bao nhiêu? Nó chứa 4GB.
What size is the hard disk on your new computer? It has 4 Gb.

16. Địa chỉ email của bạn là gì? Thuy_ed@yahoo.com<o
What’s your email address? Thuy (underline) at yahoo dot com.

17. Anh có số máy nhánh không? Có, 6226.
Do you have an extension number? Yes, 6226.

18. Vĩ độ và kinh độ của Tokyo là bao nhiêu? 35o vĩ Bắc, 140o kinh Đông.
What is Tokyo’s latitude and longitude? It’ s 35o N, 140 o E.

19. Có 1 nhà trọ cách đây khoảng 8 dặm về hướng tây nam.
There’s a motel about 8 miles southwest from here.

20. Quan tòa đã phạt anh bao nhiêu tiền? Tôi bị phạt 600 đôla.
How much did the judge fine you? I was fined 600 dollars.

21. Anh ấy bị cầm tù 18 tháng.
He was sent to jail for 18 months./ He was sentenced to 18 months in jail.

22. Tiền bảo lãnh được ấn định là 50.000 đôla.
Bail was fixed at 50.000 dollars.

23. Giấy phép này có hiệu lực đến ngày 08.03.
This permit is valid until March 8th.

24. Ông sẽ thanh toán bằng đôla phải không? Không, thanh toán bằng đồng yên.
Will you pay in dollars? No, in yen, please.

25. Hóa đơn lên đến bao nhiêu? Kể cả thuế và phí phục vụ là 767 đôla 55 xu.
What does the bill come to? Including tax and service, $ 767.55 cents.

26. Hôm nay tỷ giá hối đoái là bao nhiêu? Khoảng 128.
What’s the exchange rate today? About 128.

27. Vào lúc đó, bảng Anh thì mạnh so với các loại tiền tệ khác.
At that time, the pound was strong against other currencies.


28. Anh nhận lãi cho tài khoản này là bao nhiêu? 3% 1 năm.
How much do you get on this account? Three percent a year.

29. Cô có thể giảm giá cho tôi được không? À, tôi sẽ giảm cho cô 10%.
Can you give me a discount? Well, I’ll give you 10% off.

[r32)] hôm nào phải lượn lờ qua nhà chị thùy mua ít thuốc mới đc.[]

Úi ... em nèo mà bít nhà mình bán rượu thuốc đéy []
BÀI HỌC CHỦ NHẬT 17.4.2011: IDIOMS "ANIMALS":

Animals​

act as a guinea pig


- to allow some kind of test to be performed on someone
I was not happy to act as a guinea pig for the new training material.

ahead of the pack


- to be more successful than other people who are doing the same thing as you (a pack is a group of animals like dogs or wolves who live together)
The girl studied hard all summer and was ahead of the pack when she returned to school in the autumn.

alley cat


- a stray cat
I began to feed the alley cat and now it comes to my house every day.

as awkward as a cow on roller skates


- very awkward
The little girl was as awkward as a cow on roller skates when she first began riding her bicycle.

as blind as a bat


- blind
The man is as blind as a bat and cannot see more than a small distance ahead.

as busy as a beaver


- very busy
I have been as busy as a beaver all morning.

as clean as a hound's tooth


- very clean
The classroom was as clean as a hound's tooth when the students finished cleaning it.

as conceited as a barber's cat


- very conceited, vain
My friend became as conceited as a barber's cat after she won the award at school.

as crooked as a dog's hind leg


- dishonest
The politician is as crooked as a dog's hind leg and nobody trusts him.

as drunk as a skunk


- very drunk
The man was as drunk as a skunk when he walked into the restaurant.

as fat as a pig


- very fat
The woman in the supermarket was as fat as a pig.

as gentle as a lamb


- very gentle
The girl is as gentle as a lamb when she is with her little sister.

as gruff as a bear


- gruff, unsociable
Our neighbor is as gruff as a bear when we meet him in the morning.

as hungry as a bear


- very hungry
I was as hungry as a bear when I arrived home from work.

as innocent as a lamb


- having no guilt, naive
The little girl is as innocent as a lamb and everybody loves her.

as meek as a lamb


- quiet, docile, meek
The secretary was as meek as a lamb when she went to ask her boss for a salary increase.

as nervous as a cat


- very nervous
The man was as nervous as a cat when he talked to the woman.

as poor as a church mouse


- very poor
My cousin is as poor as a church mouse and never has any money to spend.

as quiet as a mouse


- very quiet, shy
I was as quiet as a mouse when I left my house early this morning.

as scared as a rabbit


- very scared
I was as scared as a rabbit when I entered the empty room.

as sick as a dog


- very sick
My friend was as sick as a dog when he left the restaurant last night.

as sly as a fox


- smart and clever
The manager of our apartment is as sly as a fox.

as strong as a horse/ox


- very strong
The man was as strong as an ox and easily helped us move the sofa.

as stubborn as a mule


- very stubborn
My friend is as stubborn as a mule and you can never make her change her mind.

as weak as a kitten


- weak, sickly
The girl is as weak as a kitten and cannot carry the books.

as wild as a tiger


- very wild
The little boy was as wild as a tiger when we were trying to look after him.

back the wrong horse


- *****pport someone or something that cannot or does not win or succeed
We backed the wrong horse when we supported the candidate for mayor.

badger (someone)


- to get someone to do something by repeated questions or by bothering them
I always have to badger my friend in order to make him return my computer games.

one's bark is worse than one's bite


- one's words are worse than one's actions
You should not worry about the secretary. Her bark is worse than her bite and she is really a very nice person.

bark up the wrong tree


- to choose the wrong course of action, to ask the wrong person (a hunting dog may make a mistake when chasing an animal and bark up the wrong tree)
My boss is barking up the wrong tree. I did not cause the computer problem.

beat a dead horse


- to continue fighting a battle that has been won, to continue to argue a point that has been settled
I was beating a dead horse when I was arguing with my boss.

the best-laid plans of mice and men


- the best thought-out plans that anyone can make
The best-laid plans of mice and men could not prevent our travel problems.

bet on the wrong horse


- to misread the future, to not choose the winning person or solution
The man is betting on the wrong horse if he supports the other city in their bid for the Olympic games.

the black sheep of the family


- the worst or the most unpopular or disliked member of a family
My cousin is the black sheep of the family and nobody likes to talk about him.

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed


- to be very cheerful and eager (like a squirrel with bright eyes and a bushy tail)
The children were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when they woke up in the morning.

a bull in a china shop


- a tactless person who upsets others or upsets plans, a very clumsy person
The boy is like a bull in a china shop so you should be careful if you invite him to your house.

buy a pig in a poke


- to buy something without seeing it or knowing anything about it
You can buy the used computer but it will be like buying a pig in a poke if you do not look at it first.

by shank's mare


- by foot
I came to the meeting by shank's mare.

call the dogs off or call off the dogs


- to stop threatening or chasing or hounding someone
The police decided to call the dogs off and stop hunting for the man.

a cash cow


- a product or service that makes much money
Our new business is a cash cow. We are making much money now.

cast pearls before swine


- to waste something on someone who will not be thankful or care about it
Giving the jewellery to the woman will be casting pearls before swine. She will not appreciate it at all.

cat gets one`s tongue


- one cannot speak because of shyness
The cat got the woman's tongue and she could not say anything at all.

a cat nap


- a short sleep taken during the day
I had a cat nap in the afternoon so that I would feel refreshed in the evening.

a cat on a hot tin roof


- full of lively activity
The boy was jumping around like a cat on a hot tin roof and we could not make him be quiet.

champ/chomp at the bit


- to be ready and anxious to do something (a bit is put into a horse's mouth for control of the horse)
Everyone was chomping at the bit to get started on their holiday.

change horses in midstream


- to make new plans or choose a new leader in an activity that has already begun
They have decided to change lawyers but I told them that they should not change horses in midstream.

a ****-and-bull story


- a silly story that is not true
Our neighbor gave us a ****-and-bull story about how our window was broken.

a copycat


- someone who copies another person`s work etc.
The boy is a copycat and often copies the other students' work.

cry wolf


- to give a false alarm, to warn of a danger that is not there
The man is crying wolf. There is no danger from the electrical system.

curiosity killed the cat


- being too nosy may lead a person into trouble
"You should not worry about what your friend is doing. Remember, curiosity killed the cat."

a dark horse


- a candidate who is little known to the general public
The candidate for mayor was a dark horse until he gave some good speeches on TV.

dog and pony show


- something that you disapprove of because you think that it has only been organized to impress you (like a dog and pony show in a circus)
We had serious questions about the project but we only got a dog and pony show when we questioned our business partners.

dog-eat-dog


- ready or willing to fight and hurt others to get what one wants
It is a dog-eat-dog world in our company.

dog in the manger


- someone who prevents others from doing what they themselves do not want to do (in Aesop's Fables a dog that cannot eat hay lays in the hayrack and prevents the other animals from eating the hay)
My friend always acts like a dog in the manger and often tries to prevent us from enjoying ourselves.

donkey's years


- a very long time
I was happy to see my friend because I had not seen her in donkey's years.

a dumb bunny


- a stupid or gullible person
"He really is a dumb bunny. He does such stupid things."

eager beaver


- a person who is always eager to work or do something extra
The woman is an eager beaver and will do very well in this company.

eat high on/off the hog


- to eat good or expensive food
We were eating high off the hog during our ocean cruise.

eat like a horse


- to eat a lot
My brother eats like a horse.

every dog has his day


- everyone will have his chance or turn, everyone will get what he deserves
"Don`t worry about him. Every dog has his day and he will eventually suffer for all the bad things that he is doing."

ferret (information or something) out of (someone)


- to get something from someone by being persistent
I worked hard to ferret the location of the party out of my friend.

fight like cats and dogs


- to argue and fight with someone (usually used for people who know each other)
The two children were fighting like cats and dogs when we entered the room.

flog a dead horse


- to continue fighting a battle that has been won, to continue to argue a point that has been settled
My friend was flogging a dead horse when she would not stop arguing about the mistake on her paycheck.

a fraidy-cat


- someone who is easily frightened (usually used by children)
The little boy called his friend a fraidy-cat because his friend would not climb the tree.

get (someone`s) goat


- to annoy someone
My friend is always complaining about the way that I do things which gets my goat.

get off one`s high horse


- to begin to be humble and agreeable
I wish that my supervisor would get off her high horse and begin to think about how other people feel about things.

get on one`s high horse


- to behave with arrogance
My friend is always getting on her high horse and telling people what to do.

go ape (over someone or something)


- to become highly excited or angry about someone or something
Our teacher will go ape if you do not finish the work that was due today.

go hog-wild


- to behave wildly
The soccer fans went hog-wild when they arrived in the city for the game.

go to the dogs


- to deteriorate, to become bad
Many things in our city have gone to the dogs during the last ten years.

go whole hog


- to do everything possible, to be extravagant
We went whole hog in our effort to make the convention a success.

the hair of the dog that bit one


- a drink of alcohol that one takes when recovering from a hangover
The man had the hair of the dog that bit him before he ate breakfast.

have a cow


- to become very angry and upset about something
Our teacher had a cow when nobody prepared for the class.

have a whale of a time


- to have an exciting and interesting time
We had a whale of a time at the party last night.

have bats in one's belfry


- to be a little bit crazy
I think that our neighbor has bats in her belfry.

hit the bulls-eye


- to reach or focus on the main point of something
Our manager hit the bulls-eye when he talked about the problems in the company.

hold one`s horses


- to wait, to be patient
"Hold your horses for a moment while I make a phone call."

Holy cow


- used to express strong feelings of astonishment or pleasure or anger
"Holy cow," the man said when he saw the car that hit the street lamp.

hoof it


- to walk or run (a hoof is the foot of a horse or sheep or cow etc.)
I decided to hoof it when I came downtown this morning.

horse around


- to play around (in a rough way)
The teacher told the children not to horse around while they were getting ready for class.

a horse of a different color


- another matter entirely, something else, something different than the subject that is being discussed
Changing locations is a horse of a different color and was never discussed in the meeting.

horse sense


- common sense, practical thinking
The boy does not have any horse sense and often makes the wrong decision.

horse trade


- to bargain in a hard and skillful way
We had to do some horse trading but finally we were able to buy the new house.

to hound (someone)


- to pursue or chase someone, to harass someone
The manager is always hounding the younger members of her staff to make them work hard.

in a pig`s eye


- unlikely, not so, never
Never in a pig`s eye will my friend be able to save enough money to go to Mexico for the winter.

in the doghouse


- in disgrace or disfavor, in trouble
The man is in the doghouse with his wife because he came home late last night.

in two shakes of a lamb's tail


- very quickly
I promised that I would meet my friend in two shakes of a lamb's tail.

kangaroo court


- an illegal court formed by a group of people to settle a dispute among themselves
The military court in the small country was a kangaroo court that permitted the military to do whatever they wanted.

keep the wolf from the door


- to maintain oneself at the most basic level
My friend's part-time job is enough for him to keep the wolf from the door.

keep the wolves at bay


- to fight against some kind of trouble
Many people are angry about the new tax. The government has to work hard to keep the wolves at bay.

kill the fatted calf


- to prepare an elaborate banquet for someone
We will kill the fatted calf and have a big feast for my parents.

lead a dog`s life


- to lead a miserable life
The man is leading a dog`s life since he married the woman who everyone told him not to marry.

a leopard can't change its spots


- you cannot change someone's basic human nature or bad qualities
The manager wrote a letter of apology to the customer but a leopard can't change its spots. The manager has not changed and the letter does not mean anything.

let sleeping dogs lie


- do not make trouble if you do not have to
You should let sleeping dogs lie and not ask our boss about the dispute.

let the cat out of the bag


- to tell something that is supposed to be a secret
The teacher let the cat out of the bag when she began talking about the plans to close the school.

like a bat out of hell


- with great speed and force
I ran like a bat out of hell to catch the bus.

like a deer caught in the headlights


- like someone who is very confused and does not know what to do
The boy looked like a deer caught in the headlights when we discovered him in the locked room.

like lambs to the slaughter


- quietly and without complaining about the dangers that may lie ahead
Our football team went like lambs to the slaughter to play against the best football team in the country.

lion's share of (something)


- the larger part or share of something
We found the lion's share of the lost tickets but some are still missing.

live high on/off the hog


- to have the best of everything
My friend has been living high on the hog since he changed jobs.

loaded for bear


- very angry
The man was loaded for bear when he went in to see the supervisor.

lock horns with (someone)


- to get into an argument with someone
I locked horns with my neighbor yesterday morning.

lock the barn door after the horse is gone


- to try to deal with something after it is too late
My friend wants to fix his house. However, it is like locking the barn door after the horse is gone. There was a flood and the damage is already done.

a lone wolf


- someone who prefers to spend time alone and has few friends
The boy was a lone wolf and spent most of his time alone.

look a gift horse in the mouth


- to complain if a gift is not perfect
The girl should not look a gift horse in the mouth. She should be happy that she received a present from her friends.

look like something the cat dragged in


- to look tired or worn out or dirty
I was very tired and I looked like something the cat dragged in.

look like the cat that swallowed/ate the canary


- to look smug and self-satisfied, to look as if you have just had a great success
"You look like the cat that swallowed the canary. What happened?"

make a monkey out of (someone)


- to make someone look foolish
My friend made a monkey out of me when he started arguing with me in front of my boss.

make a mountain out of a molehill


- to make something that is unimportant seem important
You are making a mountain out of a molehill when you talk about the mistake.

make a silk purse out of a sow's ear


- to create something of value from something of no value
You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. There is no point in trying to teach that woman manners.

monkey around with (someone or something)


- to play with or waste time with someone or something
The boy spent the morning monkeying around with the old radio.

monkey business


- unethical or illegal activity, mischief
The boy should stop the monkey business and do the job correctly.

a monkey on one's back


- a serious problem that stops someone from being successful at something
Seven games without scoring a goal was a monkey on the back of the famous soccer player.

monkey see, monkey do


- someone copies something that someone else does
It is monkey see, monkey do for the boy. He copies everything that his friend does.

more fun than a barrel of monkeys


- very funny, fun
The children love their teacher because he is more fun than a barrel of monkeys.

not enough room to swing a cat


- not very much space
There was not enough room to swing a cat in the small apartment.

on horseback


- on the back of a horse
We rode to the river on horseback.

a paper tiger


- a person or organization that is supposed to have a lot of power but is actually very weak
The manager was a paper tiger and did not have any power in the company.

piggy bank


- a small bank (sometimes in the shape of a pig) for saving money
The boy has been putting money into his piggy bank to save for a bicycle.

piggyback


- sitting or being carried on someone`s back and shoulders
The boy was riding piggyback on his father`s shoulders.

play cat and mouse with (someone)


- to tease or fool someone, to change between different types of behavior when dealing with someone
The man is playing cat and mouse with his company about his plans to quit or not.

play possum


- to pretend to be inactive or asleep or dead
I think that the man is playing possum and is not really sleeping.

put on the dog


- to dress or entertain in a luxurious and extravagant manner
We put on the dog for my parents when they came to visit us.

put (someone or something) out to pasture


- to retire someone or something (just as you would put a horse that is too old to work out to pasture)
We finally decided to put our old car out to pasture and buy a new one.

put the cart before the horse


- to do things in the wrong order
Buying a ticket before we make our holiday plans is putting the cart before the horse.

put the cat among the pigeons


- to cause trouble
Sending the unpopular supervisor to talk to the angry workers was like putting the cat among the pigeons.

rain cats and dogs


- to rain very hard
It has been raining cats and dogs all day.

rat on (someone)


- to report someone's bad behavior to someone
The little boy ratted on his friend at school.

rat out on (someone)


- to desert or betray someone
The boy ratted out on his friends. Now they won`t talk to him.

rat race


- a rushed and confusing way of living that does not seem to have a purpose
My uncle is tired of being in the rat race every day. He plans to quit his job soon and do something else.

ride herd on (someone)


- to watch closely and strictly supervise someone (as a cowboy would supervise a herd of cattle)
The manager has been riding herd on his employees so that they can finish the job quickly.

a road hog


- a car driver who uses more than his share of the road
The person in front of me on the highway was a road hog but I tried not to get angry.

rub (someone/someone's fur) the wrong way


- to irritate someone (just as you would irritate a dog or cat if you rub their fur the wrong way)
The woman who I work with always rubs me the wrong way.

a sacred cow


- a person or thing that is never criticized or changed even if it should be (from a cow which is sacred in India)
The school lunch program is a sacred cow which they do not want to change.

a scaredy-cat


- someone who is easily frightened (usually used by children)
The children called their friend a scaredy-cat because she would not enter the empty house.

see a man about a dog


- to leave for some unmentioned purpose (often to go to the washroom)
I left our table in the restaurant to go and see a man about a dog.

separate the sheep from the goats


- to divide people into two groups
We had to separate the sheep from the goats when we began to make selections for the school choir.

serve as a guinea pig


- to allow some kind of test to be performed on someone
I was not happy that I had to serve as a guinea pig for the new training material.

a shaggy dog story


- a long and often pointless story that is told as a joke and often ends in a very silly or unexpected way
My friend told me a shaggy dog story about how he lost his bicycle.

smell a rat


- to be suspicious of someone or something, to feel that something is wrong
I smell a rat. There is something wrong with the free cre*** card offer.

squirrel away (something) or squirrel (something) away


- to hide or store something
My niece likes to squirrel away as much money as possible from her part-time job.

straight from the horse`s mouth


- directly from the person who said something, directly from a dependable source
I heard it straight from the horse`s mouth that our supervisor will be leaving the company next week.

the straw that broke the camel`s back


- a small final trouble or problem which follows other troubles and causes everything to collapse or something to happen
The mistake on the bill was the straw that broke the camel`s back. We finally fired the new accounting clerk.

one's tail between one`s legs


- feeling beaten or humiliated (like a frightened or defeated dog as it walks away)
The manager left the meeting with his tail between his legs after he was criticized by the company president.

the tail wagging the dog


- a situation where a small part controls the whole thing
The tail is wagging the dog. The receptionist controls everything in the office.

take the bull by the horns


- to take decisive and direct action
My aunt decided to take the bull by the horns and begin preparations for the family reunion.

there is more than one way to skin a cat


- there is more than one way to do something
I knew that there was more than one way to skin a cat so I did not worry about the rules and time limit of my project.

throw (someone) to the lions


- to permit someone to be blamed or criticized for something without trying to help or protect him or her
The company threw the manager to the lions and made him take responsibility for the problem.

throw (someone) to the wolves


- to send someone into danger without protection, to sacrifice someone
The salesman decided to throw his coworker to the wolves when he asked him to meet the angry customer.

top dog


- the most important person in an organization
My uncle is the top dog in his company.

turn tail


- to run away from trouble or danger
We decided to turn tail and leave the restaurant before there was an argument.

until the cows come home


- until very late, for a long time
We can talk until the cows come home this evening.

weasel out of (something)


- to not have to do something (like a weasel which can move through small openings)
My friend was able to weasel out of going to the store for his mother.

when the cat's away, the mice will play


- when you are not watching someone they may get into trouble
When the cat's away, the mice will play and when the teacher left the classroom the students began to play around.

a white elephant


- something that is not useful and costs a lot of money to maintain
The airport is a white elephant and nobody liked to use it.

wild horses could not drag (someone away)


- there is nothing that will force someone to go somewhere or do something
Wild horses could not drag me away from my favorite TV show last night.

a wildcat strike


- a strike spontaneously arranged by a group of workers
There was a wildcat strike at the factory and the workers stopped work.

wolf down (something)


- to gulp down something, to eat something quickly
I wolfed down my dinner and left the house for the movie.

a wolf in sheep`s clothing


- a person who pretends to be good but really is bad
"Be careful of that man. He is a wolf in sheep`s clothing."

work like a dog


- to work very hard
The boy worked like a dog on his school project.

work like a horse


- to work very hard
My grandfather worked like a horse when he was a young man.

you can lead a horse to water (but you can't make it drink)


- you can give someone the opportunity to do something but you cannot force him or her to do it if they do not want to
You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink and no matter how hard we try to help my cousin get a job he will not make any effort to find one.

you can't teach an old dog new tricks


- it is difficult for older people to learn new things
You can't teach an old dog new tricks and I do not think that my father will ever change his eating habits.

cat Idioms​

alley cat


- a stray cat
I began to feed the alley cat and now it comes to my house every day.

as conceited as a barber's cat


- very conceited, vain
My friend became as conceited as a barber's cat after she won the award at school.

as weak as a kitten


- weak, sickly
The girl is as weak as a kitten and cannot carry the books.

cat gets one`s tongue


- one cannot speak because of shyness
The cat got the woman's tongue and she could not say anything at all.

a cat nap


- a short sleep taken during the day
I had a cat nap during the afternoon so that I would feel refreshed in the evening.

a cat on a hot tin roof


- full of lively activity
The boy was jumping around like a cat on a hot tin roof and we could not make him be quiet.

a copycat


- someone who copies another person`s work etc.
The boy is a copycat and copies the other students' work.

curiosity killed the cat


- being too nosy may lead a person into trouble
"You should not worry about what your friend is doing. Remember, curiosity killed the cat."

fight like cats and dogs


- to argue and fight with someone (usually used for people who know each other)
The two children were fighting like cats and dogs when we entered the room.

a fraidy-cat


- someone who is easily frightened (usually used by children)
The little boy called his friend a fraidy-cat because his friend would not climb the tree.

let the cat out of the bag


- to tell something that is supposed to be a secret
The teacher let the cat out of the bag when she began talking about the plans to close the school.

look like something the cat dragged in


- to look tired or worn out or dirty
I was very tired and I looked like something the cat dragged in.

look like the cat that swallowed/ate the canary


- to look smug and self-satisfied, to look as if you have just had a great success
"You look like the cat that swallowed the canary. What happened?"

not enough room to swing a cat


- not very much space
There was not enough room to swing a cat in the small apartment.

play cat and mouse with (someone)


- to tease or fool someone, to change between different types of behavior when dealing with someone
The man is playing cat and mouse with his company about his plans to quit or not.

put the cat among the pigeons


- to cause trouble
Sending the unpopular supervisor to talk to the angry workers was like putting the cat among the pigeons.

rain cats and dogs


- to rain very hard
It has been raining cats and dogs all day.

rub (someone) the wrong way


- to irritate someone (just as you would irritate a dog or cat if you rub their fur the wrong way)
The woman who I work with rubs me the wrong way.

a scaredy-cat


- someone who is easily frightened (usually used by children)
The children called their friend a scaredy-cat because she would not enter the empty house.

there is more than one way to skin a cat


- there is more than one way to do something
I knew that there was more than one way to skin a cat so I did not worry about the rules and time limit of my project.

when the cat's away, the mice will play


- when you are not watching someone they may get into trouble
When the cat's away, the mice will play and when the teacher left the classroom the students began to play around.

cow Idioms​

as awkward as a cow on roller skates


- very awkward
The little girl was as awkward as a cow on roller skates when she began riding her bicycle.

a bull in a china shop


- a tactless person who upsets others or upsets plans, a very clumsy person
The boy is like a bull in a china shop so you should be careful if you invite him to your house.

a cash cow


- a product or service that makes much money
Our new business is a cash cow. We are making much money now.

have a cow


- to become very angry and upset about something
Our teacher had a cow when nobody prepared for the class.

hit the bulls-eye


- to reach or focus on the main point of something
Our manager hit the bulls-eye when he talked about the problems in the company.

Holy cow


- used to express strong feelings of astonishment or pleasure or anger
"Holy cow," the man said when he saw the car that hit the street lamp.

a sacred cow


- a person or thing that is never criticized or changed even if it should be (from a cow which is sacred in India)
The school lunch program is a sacred cow which they will never change.

take the bull by the horns


- to take decisive and direct action
My aunt decided to take the bull by the horns and begin preparations for the family reunion.

until the cows come home


- until very late, for a long time
We can talk until the cows come home this evening.

dog Idioms​

as clean as a hound's tooth


- very clean
The classroom was as clean as a hound's tooth when the students finished cleaning it.

as crooked as a dog's hind leg


- dishonest
The politician is as crooked as a dog's hind leg and nobody likes him.

as sick as a dog


- very sick
My friend was as sick as a dog when he left the restaurant last night.

one's bark is worse than one's bite


- one's words are worse than one's actions
You should not worry about the secretary. Her bark is worse than her bite and she is really a very nice person.

bark up the wrong tree


- to choose the wrong course of action, to ask the wrong person (a hunting dog may make a mistake when chasing an animal and bark up the wrong tree)
My boss is barking up the wrong tree. I did not cause the computer problem.

call the dogs off or call off the dogs


- to stop threatening or chasing or hounding someone
The police decided to call the dogs off and stop hunting for the man.

dog and pony show


- something that you disapprove of because you think that it has only been organized to impress you (like a dog and pony show in a circus)
We had serious questions about the project but we only got a dog and pony show when we questioned our business partners.

dog-eat-dog


- ready or willing to fight and hurt others to get what one wants
It is a dog-eat-dog world in our company.

dog in the manger


- someone who prevents others from doing what they themselves do not want to do (in Aesop's Fables a dog that cannot eat hay lays in the hayrack and prevents the other animals from eating the hay)
My friend always acts like a dog in the manger and often tries to prevent us from enjoying ourselves.

every dog has his day


- everyone will have his chance or turn, everyone will get what he deserves
"Don`t worry about him. Every dog has his day and he will eventually suffer for all the bad things that he is doing."

fight like cats and dogs


- to argue and fight with someone (usually used for people who know each other)
The two children were fighting like cats and dogs when we entered the room.

go to the dogs


- to deteriorate, to become bad
Many things in our city have gone to the dogs during the last ten years.

the hair of the dog that bit one


- a drink of alcohol that one takes when recovering from a hangover
The man had the hair of the dog that bit him before he ate breakfast.

to hound (someone)


- to pursue or chase someone, to harass someone
The manager is always hounding the younger members of her staff to make them work hard.

in the doghouse


- in disgrace or disfavor, in trouble
The man is in the doghouse with his wife because he came home late last night.

lead a dog`s life


- to lead a miserable life
The man is leading a dog`s life since he married the woman who everyone told him not to marry.

let sleeping dogs lie


- do not make trouble if you do not have to
You should let sleeping dogs lie and not ask our boss about the dispute.

put on the dog


- to dress or entertain in a luxurious and extravagant manner
We put on the dog for my parents when they came to visit us.

rub (someone/someone's fur) the wrong way


- to irritate someone (just as you would irritate a dog or cat if you rub their fur the wrong way)
The woman who I work with always rubs me the wrong way.

see a man about a dog


- to leave for some unmentioned purpose (often to go to the washroom)
I left our table in the restaurant to go and see a man about a dog.

a shaggy dog story


- a long and often pointless story that is told as a joke and often ends in a very silly or unexpected way
My friend told me a shaggy dog story about how he lost his bicycle.

one's tail between one`s legs


- feeling beaten or humiliated (like a frightened or defeated dog as it walks away)
The manager left the meeting with his tail between his legs after he was criticized by the company president.

the tail wagging the dog


- a situation where a small part of something controls the whole thing
The tail is wagging the dog. The receptionist controls everything in the office.

top dog


- the most important person in an organization
My uncle is the top dog in his company.

turn tail


- to run away from trouble or danger
We decided to turn tail and leave the restaurant before there was an argument.

work like a dog


- to work very hard
The boy worked like a dog on his school project.

you can't teach an old dog new tricks


- it is difficult for older people to learn new things
You can't teach an old dog new tricks and I do not think that my father will ever change his eating habits.

horse Idioms​

as strong as a horse/ox


- very strong
The man was as strong as an ox and easily helped us move the sofa.

as stubborn as a mule


- very stubborn
My friend is as stubborn as a mule and you can never make her change her mind.

back the wrong horse


- *****pport someone or something that cannot or does not win or succeed
We backed the wrong horse when we supported the candidate for mayor.

beat a dead horse


- to continue fighting a battle that has been won, to continue to argue a point that has been settled
I was beating a dead horse when I was arguing with my boss.

bet on the wrong horse


- to misread the future, to not choose the winning person or solution
The man is betting on the wrong horse if he supports the other city in their bid for the Olympic games.

by shank's mare


- by foot
I came to the meeting by shank's mare.

champ/chomp at the bit


- to be ready and anxious to do something (a bit is put into a horse's mouth for control of the horse)
Everyone was chomping at the bit to get started on their holiday.

change horses in midstream


- to make new plans or choose a new leader in an activity that has already begun
They have decided to change lawyers but I told them that they should not change horses in midstream.

a dark horse


- a candidate who is little known to the general public
The candidate for mayor was a dark horse until he gave some good speeches on TV.

dog and pony show


- something that you disapprove of because you think that it has only been organized to impress you (like a dog and pony show in a circus)
We had serious questions about the project but we only got a dog and pony show when we questioned our business partners.

donkey's years


- a very long time
I was happy to see my friend because I had not seen her in donkey's years.

eat like a horse


- to eat a lot
My brother eats like a horse.

flog a dead horse


- to continue fighting a battle that has been won, to continue to argue a point that has been settled
My friend was flogging a dead horse when she would not stop arguing about the mistake on her paycheck.

get off one`s high horse


- to begin to be humble and agreeable
I wish that my supervisor would get off her high horse and begin to think about how other people feel about things.

get on one`s high horse


- to behave with arrogance
My friend is always getting on her high horse and telling people what to do.

hold one`s horses


- to wait, to be patient
"Hold your horses for a moment while I make a phone call."

hoof it


- to walk or run (a hoof is the foot of a horse or sheep or cow etc.)
I decided to hoof it when I came downtown this morning.

horse around


- to play around (in a rough way)
The teacher told the children not to horse around while they were getting ready for class.

a horse of a different color


- another matter entirely, something else, something different than the subject that is being discussed
Changing locations is a horse of a different color and was never discussed in any of our meetings.

horse sense


- common sense, practical thinking
The boy does not have any horse sense and often makes the wrong decision.

horse trade


- to bargain in a hard and skillful way
We had to do some horse trading but finally we were able to buy the new house.

lock the barn door after the horse is gone


- to try to deal with something after it is too late
My friend wants to fix his house. However, it is like locking the barn door after the horse is gone. There was a flood and the damage is already done.

look a gift horse in the mouth


- to complain if a gift is not perfect
The girl should not look a gift horse in the mouth. She should be happy that she received a present from her friends.

on horseback


- on the back of a horse
We rode to the river on horseback.

put (someone or something) out to pasture


- to retire someone or something (just as you would put a horse that is too old to work out to pasture)
We finally decided to put our old car out to pasture and buy a new one.

put the cart before the horse


- to do things in the wrong order
Buying a ticket before we make our holiday plans is putting the cart before the horse.

ride herd on (someone)


- to watch closely and strictly supervise someone (as a cowboy would supervise a herd of cattle)
The manager has been riding herd on his employees so that they can finish the job quickly.

straight from the horse`s mouth


- directly from the person who said something, directly from a dependable source
I heard it straight from the horse`s mouth that our supervisor will be leaving the company next week.

wild horses could not drag (someone away)


- there is nothing that will force someone to go somewhere or do something
Wild horses could not drag me away from my favorite TV show last night.

work like a horse


- to work very hard
My grandfather worked like a horse when he was a young man.

you can lead a horse to water (but you can't make it drink)


- you can give someone the opportunity to do something but you cannot force him or her to do it if they do not want to
You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink and no matter how hard we try to help my cousin get a job he will not make any effort to find one.

Thank bạn (chẳng nhìn thấy nút thank ở đâu cả )

BUSINESS IDIOMS

Business​

accept an offer


- to agree to an offer or proposal
I accepted the offer to buy my car.

across the board


- including everyone or everything
The computer company decided to give the workers an across-the-board increase in their salary.

adjourn a meeting


- to end a meeting
We adjourned the meeting until the next day.

at a loss


- at less than the cost, at a financial loss
The store was selling things at a loss so the prices were very low.

bail a company out or bail out a company


- to rescue a company that has financial problems
The government bailed out the bank to maintain stability in the economy.

balance the books


- to check that all the money in a business is accounted for
The accountant spent several days trying to balance the books of his company.

ball park figure/estimate


- a rough estimate or figure
The contractor gave us a ball park figure for the cost of repairing the new building.

bang for the buck


- value for the money spent
We were able to get much bang for the buck when we advertised on the Internet.

banker's hours


- short work hours (similar to a bank)
My friend owns his own company and works banker's hours most days.

bankroll someone


- *****pply someone with money, to finance someone
The movie actor bankrolled his son while the son was producing his first movie.

bean counter


- an accountant
We asked the bean counters to look at the figures in the new budget.

big cheese/gun/wheel


- an important person, a leader
The new director was a big wheel in his previous company.

bigwig


- an important person, a leader
Some of the bigwigs of our company came to visit our factory.

blow a deal


- to ruin a business deal with someone
We are working hard so that we do not blow the deal with our new customer.

bottom drops/falls out of (something)


- a collapse occurs and prices fall below an earlier low price
When the bottom fell out of the coffee market many companies had to stop doing business.

bottom line


- the total, the final figure on a balance sheet, the results (of a business)
After we examined the bottom line of the company we decided not to invest in it.

bottom line


- the central issue of a discussion, the main point
My friend wants to open a restaurant. However, the bottom line for me is that we need more research before I invest any money.

bottom out


- to reach the lowest or worst point
The value of my stock has begun to bottom out and it should soon begin to increase in value.

bounce a check


- to write a check in which you do not have enough money in your bank account
The young man bounced a check when he tried to pay his rent.

boys in the backroom


- a group of men making decisions behind the scenes
The boys in the backroom told us that the factory will close next year.

break even


- to have expenses equal to profits
After three months the company was able to break even and begin to make a profit.

bring (something) to the table


- to have something to offer during a negotiation
We were able to bring a new offer to the table during the negotiations.

budget crunch/squeeze


- a situation where there is not enough money in the budget
There is a severe budget squeeze at our company.

buy a stake in (something)


- to buy part ownership of a company or other enterprise
The large bank is planning to buy a stake in the small stock trading company.

buy off (someone) or buy (someone) off


- to use a gift or money to divert someone from their duty (similar to a bribe and sometimes illegal)
The land developer tried to buy off the politician but he was not successful.

buy out (someone or something) or buy (someone or something) out


- to buy the ownership or a majority share of something
The large company decided to buy out the small textile company.

buy (something) on cre***


- to buy something without paying cash
My friend had no money so he decided to buy some furniture on cre***.

by a long shot


- by a big difference
Our company beat out the bids of the other companies by a long shot.

a calculated risk


- an action that may fail but has a good chance *****cceed
The company took a calculated risk when they put the new computer on the market.

call a loan


- to demand the immediate and complete payment of a debt/loan
The bank recently called the loan of the small business.

call a meeting to order


- to start a meeting
Our supervisor called the meeting to order after everyone arrived.

call on (someone) to speak


- to ask someone to speak, to give someone permission to speak at a meeting
The chairman called on me to speak at the meeting.

captain of industry


- a top corporation officer
The president of our company was a captain of industry and when he retired he was appointed to many government boards.

carry a motion


- *****pport or win acceptance for a motion or proposal or idea in a meeting
I was able to carry a motion at last night's meeting.

carry over figures/numbers/costs


- to transfer a figure or number or cost from one column or time to another
Our company will carry over last year's losses to this year.

carry over (something) or carry (something) over


- to save or postpone something for another time
The department store will carry over their sale until after the national holiday.

carry the day


- to win complete support
The manager's idea carried the day and everyone supported him with enthusiasm.

carry through with (something)


- to put something into action, to do something
The steel company will carry through with their plan to restructure operations.

carve out a niche (for a product)


- to create a speciality or product or market that nobody else has
The company was able to carve out a niche for their product among university students.

circulate the agenda


- to distribute a list or other information about what will be discussed in a meeting
We circulated the agenda for the meeting last week.

close out (something) or close (something) out


- to sell the whole or all of something
The company decided to close out the store and sell the remaining stock very cheap.

close the books


- to stop taking orders, to end a bookkeeping period
The company will close the books at the end of December.

close up shop


- to stop doing business (for a variety of reasons - not only financial reasons)
The university bookstore will close up shop next month.

come down in price


- to lower the price of one's product, to become cheaper
We were forced to come down in price in order to sell our target number of cars for the month.

come in high


- to charge too much for your services, to ask for a price that is too high
The salesman came in high during the negotiations and could not sell his product.

come in low


- to offer a low amount of money for a product or service
The company came in low with an offer for our product.

come on strong


- to overwhelm others with very strong language or personality
The salesman came on strong at the meeting and angered the other members of the team.

company man


- a person who always works hard for his company and supports the company policies
My father was a company man and he always put in an extra effort for his company.

company town


- a town dominated by one industry or company
The company town faced severe economic times when the coal mine closed.

corner the market


- to dominate a particular market with your product
The large company has cornered the market for cell phones in our city.

crunch numbers


- to do mathematical calculations
The accountant loves to crunch numbers and he is one of the top managers in our company.

cut a deal


- to make a business arrangement or contract with someone
I was able to cut a deal with the contractor and we paid very little for our new kitchen.

cut back


- to use fewer or less of something
The company has been cutting back on entertainment expenses recently.

cut corners


- to economize, to try to spend less money
We have been forced to economize on expenses during these severe economic times.

cut off (someone or something) or cut (someone or something) off


- to interrupt or stop someone or something
The speech by our manager was cut off when the electricity went off in the building.

cut one's losses


- to do something in order to stop losing ad***ional money or time etc.
We should sell the old machinery soon and try to cut our losses.

defeat a motion


- to defeat an idea or proposal in a meeting
We easily defeated the motion to change the dates for next year's convention.

deliver the goods


- *****cceed in doing a good job of something
The new manager is not very popular but he is able to deliver the goods.

double check (something)


- to check something again to confirm that it is correct
We must double check the new product prices before the price list is printed.

draw up a contract


- to make or draft a contract
The lawyer spent several hours drawing up a new contract.

drop the price (of something)


- to lower the price of something
We dropped the price of our product during the negotiation.

spam quảng cáo

spam quảng cáo

Negotiations​

accept an offer


- to agree to an offer or proposal
I accepted the offer to buy my car.

at stake


- something that can be gained or lost
There was much at stake during the negotiations between the nurses and the government.

back down


- to yield in one's position during negotiations, to not follow up on a threat
The government backed down on their threat to give less money to the school district.

back out (of something)


- to get out of an agreement, to fail to keep a promise
The property developer backed out of the plan to build the new apartment building.

ball is in (someone's) court


- it is the decision of another person or group to do something
The ball is in the union's court after the company made their final offer.

beat around the bush


- to talk about something without giving a direct answer
The manager was beating around the bush and never said anything important.

blow a deal


- to ruin a business deal with someone
We are working hard so that we do not blow the deal with our new customer.

bog down


- to slow down and make no progress (a bog is an area of land that is wet and muddy - like a swamp)
The negotiations bogged down over the issue of part-time workers.

bone of contention


- the subject or reason for a fight or dispute
The size of the project was a bone of contention between the city and the developer.

break down


- to fail, to stop
The negotiations broke down last night when both sides refused to compromise.

break off (something) or break (something) off


- to stop or end suddenly
The government decided to break off talks about extending the trade agreement.

break through


- to be successful after overcoming a difficulty
We were able to break through in our efforts to find a solution to the problem.

breakthrough


- a success that comes after overcoming a difficulty
There was a breakthrough in the talks to end the teacher's strike.

bring off (something) or bring (something) off


- to achieve something
We were unable to bring off a deal to buy the new computer system for our company.

bring (someone) to terms


- to make someone agree to something or do something
The government worked hard to bring the two sides to terms.

bring (something) to the table


- to have something to offer during a negotiation
We were able to bring a new offer to the table during the negotiations.

bring up (something) or bring ( something) up


- to begin a discussion about something, to mention something
I tried to bring up the subject of sales commissions during the meeting.

call off (something) or call (something) off


- to stop or quit or cancel something
We called off the meeting because everybody was busy.

call (someone's) bluff


- to try to make someone prove that they can actually do what they say they can
The government called the union's bluff when the union threatened to go on strike.

call the shots


- to be in charge
During the meeting the vice-president was calling the shots.

**** in to (someone or something)


- to weaken and be forced to give up
The company was forced to **** in to the demands of the workers for more money.

close a deal


- to end a negotiation successfully
We had to work hard but we were finally able to close the deal.

close ranks


- to unite and fight together
During the meeting we closed ranks and refused to compromise on any issue.

come back with an offer


- to return to negotiations with a new offer
We came back with a new offer and the negotiations continued smoothly.

come down in price


- to lower the price of one's product
We decided to come down in price and try and sell our products quickly.

come in high


- to charge too much for your services, to ask for a price that is too high
The salesman came in high during the negotiations and could not sell his product.

come in low


- to offer a low amount of money for a product or service
The company came in low with an offer for our product.

come to terms


- to reach an agreement
After negotiating all night the government and the company came to terms on an arrangement for the new water system.

come up in a discussion


- to become a subject in a discussion
Nothing related to the issue of quality came up in the discussion.

come up with (an idea or something)


- to produce or find a thought or idea or answer
My boss was happy when I came up with some good ideas during the meeting.

common ground


- shared beliefs or interests
There was no common ground between the two sides and the negotiations did not go well.

consider an offer


- to think about an offer or proposal
The man considered the offer to buy his car.

continue down to the wire


- to near a deadline, to have little time remaining
The negotiations continued down to the wire but they ended successfully.

cover ground


- to talk about the important facts and details of something
The questions were endless and we were unable to cover much ground during the meeting.

cut a deal


- to make an agreement, to make a deal or arrangement
We cut a deal and left the meeting in a positive mood.

cut (someone) off or cut off (someone)


- to stop someone from saying something, to interrupt someone
My friend cut me off when I was speaking.

down to the wire


- near a deadline, with little time remaining
They went down to the wire but the two sides finally agreed to a new contract.

drag on


- to be prolonged, to continue for a long time
The talks between the company and the lawyers dragged on for several weeks.

drag one's heels


- to act slowly or reluctantly
The government dragged their heels in talks with the union about the new contract.

draw the line


- to set a limit about what will be done or discussed
The union was flexible on the salary issue but they drew the line at talking about health benefits.

draw up (something) or draw (something) up


- to put something (a contract or a plan) in writing
The lawyers drew up a contract for the new housing development on the government land.

drive a hard bargain


- to bargain hard and try to make an agreement to one's advantage
The sales manager drives a hard bargain and it is difficult to negotiate with him.

drive at (something)


- to mean something, to want to say something
I could not understand what the other negotiators in the meeting were driving at.

drop the price (of something)


- to lower the price of something
We dropped the price of our product during the negotiation.

face down (someone) or face (someone) down


- to confront someone boldly
The government decided to face down the striking transportation workers.

fall through


- to fail, to be ruined, to not happen
The deal for the new machinery fell through and we will have to look for another supplier.

fifty-fifty


- equally, evenly
We shared the profits with the other company fifty-fifty.

follow through on/with (something)


- to finish an action, to keep a promise
Our boss said that wages would improve soon but he never followed through with his promise.

force (someone's) hand


- to make someone do something that they do not want to do at that time
We decided to force our opponent's hand because we wanted to finish the negotiations quickly.

get behind (a person or idea)


- *****pport a person or idea
Although we did not agree with the manager we got behind his proposal at the meeting.

get down to brass tacks


- to begin the work or business that must be done
"Let's get down to brass tacks and begin talking about the new contract."

get down to business


- to start working or doing the business at hand
We must get down to business and finish our work quickly.

get the ball rolling


- to start an activity or action
We should get the ball rolling and begin the meeting at once.

get the message


- to understand clearly what someone means
I do not think that the opposite side got the message about where the negotiations are heading.

get the raw end of the deal


- to do badly in a negotiation or a similar situation
I got the raw end of the deal when I received my new work schedule.

get to first base


- to make a good start, *****cceed
We have not been able to get to first base regarding the terms of the new contract.

get to the bottom of (something)


- to discover or understand the real cause of something
It will be difficult to get to the bottom of the financial problems in the company.

get to the heart of (something)


- to find the most important facts or central meaning of something
We spent the morning trying to get to the heart of the problem with the computer supplier.

give a little


- to compromise during a negotiation
We know that we must give a little if we want to complete the negotiations.

give and take (give-and-take)


- to share, to give up part of what you want in order to make an agreement
After much give and take we reached an agreement regarding the property transfer.

give away the farm


- to offer too much during a negotiation
I tried not to give away the farm during the negotiation.

give ground


- to move back or retreat from one's position
We bargained hard but the other sales representative refused to give ground.

give in to (someone)


- to do what another person wants rather than to fight and argue with him or her
After eight weeks of negotiations we gave in and agreed to sell the machinery at a discount.

go back on (something)


- to not be faithful or loyal to one's word or an agreement
The company directors went back on their word to give the employees a salary increase.

go back to square one


- to go back to the beginning
The meeting was a failure and we were forced to go back to square one.

go back to the drawing board


- to go back and start something from the beginning
The negotiations failed so we had to go back to the drawing board and start over.

go down to the wire


- to near a deadline, to have little time remaining
The negotiations went down to the wire last night.

go for broke


- to risk everything on one big effort, to try as hard as possible
After going for broke at the meeting we were able to reach an agreement.

go over like a lead balloon


- to fail to generate a positive response
The sales manager's proposal went over like a lead balloon at the meeting

go over well


- to be liked or successful
My idea about employee evaluations went over well with the new manager.

hammer out (an agreement or a deal)


- to negotiate a deal or agreement by discussion and debate
The negotiations lasted all night but finally we were able to hammer out an agreement.

hang in the balance


- to have two equally possible results, to be uncertain
The outcome of the election was hanging in the balance after the top candidates had an equal number of votes.

hard-nosed


- to be very strict, to be stubborn, to be uncompromising
The negotiatiors were hard-nosed during the talks for a new contract.

have a card up one's sleeve


- to hide something of value
I thought that the negotiations would not succeed but my boss had a card up his sleeve that we did not know about.

have a poker face


- to not show any reaction or emotion
Our boss had a poker face when he told us that our office would soon close.

hold all the aces/cards/trumps


- to have all of the advantages
The management group was holding all the aces during the meeting with the union.

hold out for (something)


- to keep resisting or refuse to give up until you get the desired results
The union is holding out for a better deal and they do not plan to end their strike.

hold out on (someone)


- to refuse to give information or something to someone who has a right to it
The new manager has been holding out on the company and he will not tell anyone his plans.

horse-trade


- to make a business agreement or deal after careful bargaining and compromise
After several hours of horse-trading we reached an agreement to buy the new computers.

in the bag


- to be certain
The contract for the new insurance policy is in the bag.

iron (something) out or iron out (something)


- to solve a problem
We spent several hours ironing out the final details of the contract.

knock down the price of (something)


- to decrease a price
The department store has knocked down the price of many of their products.

lay one's cards on the table


- to be open and honest about one's intentions
Our boss laid his cards on the table during the meeting.

make a concession


- to change your position in favor of the other person/side when you are negotiating
The union made a big concession in their negotiations with their company.

make an offer


- to make a financial or other proposal for a product or service
I will make an offer and try to buy the house that I like.

make headway


- to make progress
We are bargaining hard and making headway with the new agreement.

meet (someone) halfway


- to compromise with someone
The price for the truck was too high but we met the salesman halfway and made an agreement to buy it.

nail down the terms of an agreement


- to discuss and agree on the terms of a contract
We must try and nail down the terms of the agreement at the meeting tomorrow.

nail (something) down or nail down (something)


- to make certain or sure
We nailed down an agreement to build the staff room as quickly as possible.

off the record


- to be not published or revealed, to be a secret
I told my boss off the record that I would probably not return after the summer holiday.

paint oneself into a corner


- to get into a bad situation that is difficult or impossible to escape
The negotiations became easier when the other side painted themselves into a corner.

play hardball (with someone)


- to act strong and aggressive with someone
The union played hardball during the contract talks.

play into (someone's) hands


- to do something that another person can use against you
Our manager played into the hands of the other side when he became angry during the meeting.

play one's ace


- to use one's best resource (the ace is the most powerful card), to use all of one's power
I played my ace when I asked my boss for more money.

play one's cards close to one's chest


- to be secretive and cautious about something
My colleague was playing his cards close to his chest when he began to talk to our competitor.

pull (something) off or pull off (something)


- *****cceed in doing something difficult or impossible
The contract seemed impossible to win but we pulled it off through our skillful negotiating.

pull (something) out of a hat


- to get something as if by magic, to invent something, to imagine something
The problem was difficult but somehow we were able to pull a solution out of a hat.

put one's cards on the table


- to be open and honest about one's intentions
We put our cards on the table and tried to solve the problem.

raise the ante


- to increase what is at stake or under discussion in a dispute or conflict
The small country raised the ante in the trade dispute with the other countries.

a raw deal


- treatment that is not fair
The sales manager received a raw deal when he was forced to give up his former position.

reach a stalemate


- to arrive at a position where no progress is being made
The talks to buy the new computers have reached a stalemate and it will be difficult to start them again.

reach first base


- to make a good start, *****cceed
We were unable to reach first base in the discussions.

read between the lines


- to understand the meaning of something by guessing what is not said
The salesman did not say that no products were available but we could read between the lines and we knew that there were none available.

rock-bottom offer


- the lowest price that one can offer to buy something
The buyer made a rock-bottom offer to buy our product.

a setback


- a change from better to worse, a delay, a reversal
The bad weather was a setback in our efforts to get the material delivered on time.

smooth (something) over or smooth over (something)


- to make something seem better or less severe
We tried to smooth over the problems between the two managers.

stack the deck against (someone)


- to trick someone, to arrange things unfairly (a deck is a deck of cards)
The manager stacked the deck against his opponent when he went into the meeting.

stand one's ground


- to maintain and defend one's position
The other negotiating team was very aggressive but we stood our ground and bargained hard.

start the ball rolling


- to begin an activity or action
I will start the ball rolling by making some telephone calls to my coworkers.

stick to one's guns


- to defend an action or opinion despite an unfavorable reaction
We stuck to our guns during the meeting and asked for more time to consider the proposal.

sweeten the deal


- to offer something during a negotiation that is attractive to the other side
We sweetened the deal during the negotiations in order to win the new contract.

take sides


- to join one group against another in a debate or quarrel
I did not take sides in the discussion about buying a new computer.

talk (someone) into (something)


- to get someone to agree to something, to persuade someone to do something
We were unable to talk the other members of our team into delaying the meeting until next week.

talk (someone) out of (something)


- to persuade someone not to do something
I tried to talk our sales manager out of offering a price for the product that was too low.

talk (something) over or talk over (something)


- to discuss something
We asked for some time during the meeting to talk over the new proposal.

throw (someone) a curve


- to mislead or deceive someone
The purchasing manager threw us a curve when he said that he would not need any of our products until next year.

to the letter


- exactly, nothing done wrong or left undone, perfectly
The union representative followed the contract agreement to the letter.

trump card


- something that is kept back to be used to win success if nothing else works
Although we appeared weak during the negotiations we had some new information to use as our trump card.

turn thumbs down on (something)


- to reject something
The other negotiating team turned thumbs down on our wish to postpone the meeting until tomorrow.

under the wire


- at the very last moment
We were able to send the documents to the lawyer under the wire.

undercut (someone)


- to sell your product for less than a competitor
The new discount store is trying hard to undercut other stores in the area.

up the ante


- to increase what is at stake or under discussion in a dispute or conflict
The union upped the ante in their dispute with the company.

water (something) down or water down (something)


- to change and make something weaker
The manager tried to water down our proposal for the new quality control system.

wheel and deal


- to negotiate to buy and sell something (often in a way that is very close to being dishonest or illegal)
The salesman likes to wheel and deal with his customers.

wind up (something) or wind (something) up


- to end, to finish, to stop
We would like to wind up the meeting early tomorrow.

wrap up (something) or wrap (something) up


- to finish something (a job, a meeting etc.)
We wrapped up the meeting and went home for the weekend.

HEART IDIOMS

Heart​

aching heart


- a feeling of sadness that one has when love has been lost or has faded
The young woman spent the weekend alone with her aching heart.

after one`s own heart


- to be liked for agreeing with one`s own feelings or interests or ideas
My new boss loves to go fishing. He is a man after my own heart.

at heart


- basically, essentially, what one really is rather than what one appears to be
The man seems to be angry all the time but actually he is a very gentle person at heart.

bleeding heart


- someone who feels too much sympathy for people such as poor people or criminals etc.
The man is a bleeding heart and is always asked by other people for money to help others.

break (someone`s) heart


- to make someone feel sad or hopeless (usually because of love or a similar loss)
It broke my heart to see the boy who had lost his dog.

close to (someone's) heart


- an idea or something that is important to you and that you care about
The plan to improve the downtown area is very close to the mayor's heart.

cross one`s heart and hope to die


- to say or promise that what you have said is true (often used by children)
"I promise that I will meet you tomorrow. Cross my heart and hope to die."

die of a broken heart


- to die of emotional distress, *****ffer from emotional distress (often from a failed romance)
The man almost died of a broken heart when he was a teenager.

do (someone's) heart good


- to make someone feel good, to make someone healthy
It does one's heart good to get some exercise every day.

do (something) in a heartbeat


- to do something almost immediately if you have the chance
I will change jobs in a heartbeat if I have the chance.

eat one`s heart out


- to feel much jealousy about something, to feel bitter anguish or grief about something
"You can eat your heart out but I will not give you a piece of this chocolate cake."
The pain from the man's sorrow is eating his heart out.

find it in one's heart to (do something)


- to have the courage or compassion to do something
I could not find it in my heart to tell the young woman that she could not continue to work at our company.

follow one's heart


- to act according to one's feelings
The boy followed his heart and decided to study music at school.

from the bottom of one`s heart


- with great feeling, sincerely
The girl thanked the man from the bottom of her heart for saving her dog`s life.

from the heart


- sincerely, honestly
The speech by the politician was from the heart.

get to the heart of (something)


- to understand the most important or essential thing about something
It took a long time but we finally got to the heart of the problem with the new computer.

go (somewhere) in a heartbeat


- to go somewhere almost immediately if you have the chance
I would go camping in a heartbeat if I had the chance.

have a big heart


- to be very kind or generous or helpful
The man has a big heart and he will always try to help other people.

have a change of heart


- to change the way one feels or thinks about something
I had a change of heart and I decided to go to a movie with my friend.

have a heart


- to be a generous and forgiving person
I wish that our boss would have a heart and try to help other people.

Have a heart!


- Don't be unkind or do something mean or cruel!
"Have a heart," I told my supervisor when he said that I must work during the weekend.

have a heart of gold


- to be kind or generous or friendly
My grandmother has a heart of gold and she is always willing to help a stranger.

have a heart of stone


- to be cold and unfriendly
The man who murdered his family has a heart of stone.

have a heart-to-heart talk with (someone)


- to have a sincere and intimate talk with someone
I had a heart-to-heart talk with my girlfriend last evening.

have a soft spot in one's heart for (someone or something)


- to be fond of someone or something
My grandfather always had a soft spot in his heart for his youngest child.

have one`s heart set on (something)


- to want something very much
The little boy has his heart set on getting a dog for his birthday.

heart and soul


- with all of one's energy, with all of one's efforts
The girl loved her boyfriend heart and soul.
My friend is putting his heart and soul into his new job.

heart bleeds for (someone)


- to feel sympathy for someone
My heart bleeds for the family who lost their father in the accident.

heart goes out to (someone)


- to feel great sympathy for someone
My heart goes out to the victims of the hurricane.

heart is dead set against (something)


- to be totally against something
My mother's heart is dead set against my plan to go to art school.

heart is in one's mouth


- one feels very nervous or frightened and has strong emotions about something
My heart was in my mouth when I saw the little boy standing on the ladder.

heart is in the right place


- to be kindhearted or sympathetic, to have good intentions (even if the results may be bad)
Although the girl makes a lot of mistakes her heart is in the right place.

heart is not in (something)


- to not really want to do what you are doing
The boy's heart was not in the swimming club so he quit the team.

heart is set against (something)


- to be totally against something
Our principal's heart is set against expanding the music program in our school.

heart is set on (something)


- to want something very much
The little boy's heart is set on getting a dog for his birthday.

heart misses/skips a beat


- one is startled or excited from surprise or joy or fright
My heart skipped a beat when I heard my name on the radio.

heart stands still


- to be very frightened or worried about something
My heart stood still when the truck almost hit our car.

heart to heart


- candid, intimate
Our conversation was heart to heart and we both felt very good afterwords.

heartbeat away from (something)


- the next person to take over someone's position if they die
The prince is a heartbeat away from becoming the next king of his country.

heavy heart


- a feeling of being weighed down with sorrow, a sad feeling
We left the meeting with a heavy heart when we heard that our boss would soon leave the company because of illness.

in one's heart of hearts


- to know that something is true even though you may not want to admit it or believe it
In my heart of hearts I know that I will soon have to change jobs.

know (something) by heart


- to know something perfectly, to have memorized something
The little boy knows many stories by heart.

learn (something) by heart


- to memorize something
The children had to learn the poem by heart.

lose heart


- to feel discouraged because of failure, to lose the hope of success
I tried not to lose heart even though I had failed my driver`s exam for the second time.

near to (someone's) heart


- an idea or something that is important to you and that you care about
The man's model airplane hobby is very near to his heart.

not have the heart to do (something)


- to be unwilling to say or do something that may hurt or upset others
I did not have the heart to tell the woman that soon she may lose her job.

open one`s heart to (someone)


- to talk about one`s feelings honestly, to confide in someone
The woman suddenly opened her heart to me after I began talking to her on the bus.

pour one's heart out (to someone)


- to tell all of one's hopes or fears or feelings to someone
My friend poured her heart out to me when we went to the coffee shop last evening.

search one`s heart/soul


- to study one`s reasons and acts, to try to discover if one has been fair and honest about something
I searched my soul to try and discover why my girlfriend had left me.

set one's heart against (something)


- to turn against something, to become totally against something
From the beginning, my friend set his heart against my proposal for having a birthday party for our teacher.

set one's heart on (something)


- to select something as one's goal
The young runner set his heart on winning the marathon.

sick at heart


- very sad or upset about something
The woman was sick at heart over the illness of her cat.

strike at the heart of (something)


- to do something that damages or destroys the basic idea or way of doing something that is very important to someone or to a group
The decision to change the law struck at the heart of how the people wanted to live.

take heart


- to be encouraged, to be brave
The father took heart in the fact that his son was still going to university even though he was failing most of his courses.

take (something) to heart


- to be strongly affected by something that someone says to you, to take something seriously, to be upset by something
I did not expect my friend to take my criticism to heart when I complained that he was always late.

to one's heart's content


- as much as one wants
The little boy was able to play in the water to his heart's content.

tug at (someone's) heartstrings


- to make someone feel very sad, to make someone feel great sympathy for someone else
Seeing the young boy and his dog tugged at my heartstrings.

warm the ****les of (someone's) heart


- to make someone feel warm and happy
The ending of the movie warmed the ****les of my heart.

way to (someone's) heart


- the best way to please someone or make them like you
The way to my grandfather's heart was through his stomach as he always liked good food.

wear one`s heart on one`s sleeve


- to show one`s feelings openly
The man wore his heart on his sleeve when he talked about his sick son.

win (someone's) heart


- to do nice things for someone to make him or her love you, to have the qualities to make you like something - music or art or a book
The young man won the girl's heart by his kind and caring attitude toward her.

with all one`s heart (and soul)


- with all one's energy and feeling
I tried with all my heart to get my friend a job at my company.

young at heart


- doing things that usually younger people enjoy (usually used for an older person)
The older couple were young at heart and they had much fun together.