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You are here: Home / Lessons / Common idiomatic expressions in English

Common idiomatic expressions in English

August 26, 2015 - pdf

Here is a list of common idiomatic expressions in English.

Eat humble pie

To eat humble pie is to apologize humbly.

Eat your words

To eat your words is to retract something you have said.

Meet someone halfway

To meet someone halfway is to come to a compromise with them.

Meet trouble half-way

To meet trouble halfway is to worry about it even before it comes.

Put someone on their mettle

To put someone on their mettle is to encourage them to do their best.

Not worth their salt

If somebody is not worth their salt, they are worthless.

Set your face against somebody/something

To set your face against somebody or something is to oppose them sternly.

Be within an ace of

If you are within an ace of something, you are on the brink of it.

Lose ground

If something is losing ground, it is becoming less acceptable or powerful.

With open arms

To receive someone with open arms is to give them a warm welcome.

Play fast and loose

To play fast and loose is to say one thing and do another.

Take someone to task

To take someone to task is to rebuke them.

Turn a deaf ear

To turn a deaf ear to something is to disregard it.

Hold water

If something holds water, it stands scrutiny.

By hook or by crook

To achieve something by hook or by crook is to do it by fair means or foul means.

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