100 English Expressions – & Idioms – 1 to 25 – B2 English – How to Speak like a Native!

100 English Expressions – & Idioms – 1 to 25 – B2 English – How to Speak like a Native!

Comprehension Exercise

100 English Expressions – & Idioms – 1 to 25 – B2 English

Whole bag of tricks.
trying all the clever means to achieve something.
hotel managers are using a whole new bag of tricks to attract their guests.
Chase your tail.
Spending a lot of time and energy doing a lot of things but actually achieving
too little. He’s been chasing his tail all week
collecting data but the report is still not ready.
Acid test.
Acid test proves the effectiveness of something.
The politician made a lot of promises but the acid test would come when he
assumes office and starts delivering on them.
Fine-tooth comb.
Examining something carefully to not miss out any details.
The policeman went through that house with a fine-tooth comb.
Get the show on the road.
Putting up a plan or idea into action.
Now that they have completed all the legal formalities let them get the show
on the road.
Deliver the goods.
Do what is expected or promised.
Unfortunately the government failed to deliver the goods as demanded or
expected, it couldn’t keep its promises.
Cut the ground from under( your) feet.
When you cut the ground from under someone’s feet you do something which
weakens their position.
When the Australian team hit more than 350 runs in the ODI they cut the ground
from under the opponent’s feet.

Get ducks in a row.
Getting your things well-organized.
To ensure a successful product launch they must get their ducks in a row.
Explore all avenues.
Trying out every possibility to get a result.
I owe it to myself to explore all avenues as I continue my quest for
international honors.

FastTrack something.
Rating something higher on your priority list, to achieve the desired result.
There is no fast track to success and no highway to happiness.
Get the axe.
Lose the job.
A lot of people in the waxworks will get the axe.
Backroom boys.
People who perform important work but have no contact with the public.
The backroom boys of the agency deserve real praise for the success of this
project.
Deadwood.
People or things which are no longer useful or necessary.
Based on these consistently lonw numbers there’s a lot of dead wood in that
department.
Not let grass grow under feet.
Don’t delay in getting something done.
As soon as Mary finished all the registration formalities
she put the house on sale, she doesn’t let the grass grow under her feet.
Like a charm.
Works very well or has the desired effect.
I took anti-inflammatory tablets for my sore throat and they
worked like a charm.
Tricks of the trade.
Clever or expert way of doing something.
being into the digital marketing business for the last seven years Peter
knows all tricks of the trade.
Think on your feet.
Adjusting quickly to changes and making fast decisions.
Sometimes thinking on your feet can be the most creative.
Sail through something.
Being successful in doing something without difficulty.
Some students seem to sail through and some stumble through on their own.
Keep your fingers on the pulse.
Being constantly aware of the most recent developments.
In order to be successful it is a must for an entrepreneur to keep his fingers
on the pulse of the market.
Means business.
Being serious about what you announced.
This decision shows the public that we mean business.
Waiting in the wings.
Waiting for an opportunity to take action mostly to replace someone else in
their job.
The team has several talented young players waiting in the wings.
Golden handshake.
Big sum of money given to a person when they leave a company or retire.
We are now in a position where almost everyone is looking for a golden
handshake.
Separate sheep from goats.
Examining a group of people and deciding their suitability.
The audition test was conducted last week by the director to separate sheep
from goats.
Plum job.
Desirable position which is paid and considered relatively easy.
The latest offer looks like a plum job however all is not what it seems.
Shape up or ship out.
This expression is used to warn someone that if they do not improve their ways
they will have to leave their job.
When Linda stopped taking care of the customers she was told to shape up or
ship out.

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