| No. | Item | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | a blessing in disguise | something good from bad |
| 2. | a dime a dozen | very common and cheap |
| 3. | add insult to injury | make a bad situation worse |
| 4. | all ears | listening attentively |
| 5. | all set | ready to go |
| 6. | as luck would have it | by chance; fortunately/unfortunately |
| 7. | at the drop of a hat | immediately; without hesitation |
| 8. | at the end of the day | ultimately; when all considered |
| 9. | back in a jiffy | return very soon |
| 10. | back to square one | return to the start |
| 11. | bark up the wrong tree | pursue the wrong idea |
| 12. | beat around the bush | avoid saying directly |
| 13. | bite the bullet | face something difficult |
| 14. | break the ice | start a friendly conversation |
| 15. | burn the midnight oil | work late into night |
| 16. | by the skin of your teeth | barely; narrowly |
| 17. | call it a day | stop working for now |
| 18. | call it quits | stop trying; end it |
| 19. | can’t judge a book by its cover | looks can be misleading |
| 20. | catch some Zs | get some sleep |
| 21. | caught red-handed | caught in the act |
| 22. | chill out | calm down |
| 23. | cost an arm and a leg | be very expensive |
| 24. | cut to the chase | get to the main point |
| 25. | don’t count your chickens | don’t assume success early |
| 26. | don’t hold your breath | don’t expect it soon |
| 27. | down to earth | practical and realistic |
| 28. | draw the line | set a limit |
| 29. | easy does it | go slowly and carefully |
| 30. | eat like a horse | eat a lot |
| 31. | every cloud has a silver lining | good in every bad situation |
| 32. | face the music | accept consequences |
| 33. | fair and square | honestly and legally |
| 34. | fall through the cracks | be overlooked |
| 35. | feeling blue | feeling sad |
| 36. | fish out of water | uncomfortable in new situation |
| 37. | fit as a fiddle | very healthy |
| 38. | for the birds | worthless; not good |
| 39. | get a kick out of | enjoy greatly |
| 40. | get out of hand | become uncontrollable |
| 41. | get the ball rolling | start something |
| 42. | get the hang of it | learn how to do it |
| 43. | get the short end | receive unfair disadvantage |
| 44. | get your act together | be more organized |
| 45. | give it a shot | try it |
| 46. | go the extra mile | make an extra effort |
| 47. | hang in there | keep going; don’t give up |
| 48. | hang on a sec | wait a moment |
| 49. | hang out | spend time casually |
| 50. | hard pill to swallow | difficult to accept |
| 51. | have a blast | have a great time |
| 52. | have a change of heart | change your mind |
| 53. | hit the nail on the head | be exactly right |
| 54. | hit the road | begin a journey |
| 55. | in a nutshell | briefly summarized |
| 56. | in hot water | in trouble |
| 57. | in the same boat | in the same situation |
| 58. | it takes two to tango | both share responsibility |
| 59. | jump the gun | act too soon |
| 60. | keep an eye on | watch carefully |
| 61. | keep your fingers crossed | hope for good luck |
| 62. | kill two birds with one stone | achieve two goals at once |
| 63. | know the ropes | understand how things work |
| 64. | last but not least | final item is important |
| 65. | let bygones be bygones | forget past conflicts |
| 66. | let the cat out of the bag | accidentally reveal a secret |
| 67. | let’s play it by ear | decide as we go |
| 68. | live and learn | learn from experience |
| 69. | look on the bright side | be optimistic |
| 70. | make a long story short | summarize briefly |
| 71. | make it up to you | compensate for a mistake |
| 72. | make yourself at home | feel comfortable here |
| 73. | miss the boat | miss an opportunity |
| 74. | more than meets the eye | there’s more than appears |
| 75. | my bad | my mistake |
| 76. | no big deal | not important |
| 77. | no worries | it’s fine; don’t worry |
| 78. | not my cup of tea | not something I like |
| 79. | off the beaten path | away from usual places |
| 80. | off the top of my head | from memory; without thinking |
| 81. | on the house | free of charge |
| 82. | on the same page | in agreement |
| 83. | once in a blue moon | very rarely |
| 84. | out of the blue | unexpectedly |
| 85. | pay through the nose | pay too much |
| 86. | piece of cake | very easy |
| 87. | play it safe | avoid risk |
| 88. | pull someone’s leg | joke or tease someone |
| 89. | rain check | postpone to another time |
| 90. | rule of thumb | general practical guideline |
| 91. | speak of the devil | the person appears unexpectedly |
| 92. | spill the beans | reveal a secret |
| 93. | take it easy | relax; don’t stress |
| 94. | the ball is in your court | it’s your decision now |
| 95. | the best of both worlds | two good things together |
| 96. | time flies | time passes quickly |
| 97. | under the weather | feeling ill |
| 98. | up in the air | not decided yet |
| 99. | when in Rome | follow local customs |
| 100. | you name it | anything you can think of |
