First set of 8 idioms and their uses

IDIOMS
Idiom Meaning Examples
Fail to understand STH Part 3: environment
1. Miss the boat
I am afraid many people miss the boat on bio-diversity.
Very easy to do STH Part 3. Youth’s way of life
2. A piece of cake
Independent children find it a piece of cake to live abroad on their own.
Sth a person prefers Part 2:
Reading and listening to music is my cup of tea.
3. Someone’s cup of tea
Part 3:
(compare between young and old people)
While the young may find out that doing yoga is not their cup of tea, the elderly are partial towards it.
Genuine, not fake (product) Part 2 (describe a product)
Although some other products are promoted as the real Mc Coy, my mobile is a genuine Japanese one.
4. a real MC coy Part 3:
What do you think about food quality in restaurants in your home town?
Honestly speaking, some restaurants are offering
Very expensive Part 3:
5. cost an arm and a leg What do you think about food quality in restaurants in your home town?
Honestly speaking, some restaurants are offering poor quality food that cost an arm and a leg.
A person to cry on Part 2: describe a family member
6. soulmate
My father is my adorable dad and is also my soulmate.
In the future Part 1:
7. down the road What’s your plan?
I may run my own business but it’s down the road.
Seem to be luxurious Part 3: People’s way of life:
8. Look like a million dollars
Some people want to show off. They even buy cars that look like a million dollars.

What idioms could you use in the following part 3 questions?

1. Do you think Vietnamese wedding is waste lots of money?
2. Do you think male members should take care of babies? Why?
3. Do you think it is good for people buy expensive clothes? Why?
4. Why some people learn a foreign language fast while others are slow?
5. Do you think children’s wise decisions are influenced by their parents? What about those who are not?

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 First set of 8 idioms and their uses

IDIOMS

Idiom Meaning Examples

Part 2- describe your happy moment
1. be over the moon To be extremely happy
When I got the news of passing the exam, I felt over the moon.
Part 3 – do you think advertisement is necessary?
2. good wine needs no bush An item of good quality needs no advertisement.  + Only for poor – quality products because good wine needs no bush.

 Part 2 – describe a business you want to do in the future

3. sell like hot cakes  Be a great commercial success, + I believe local traditional foods will sell like hot cakes so I will choose to run a
local food store.
Part 2 – Describe unfavorable weather condition you have experienced
+ As far as I could remember, that day was a stormy day. It was raining cats and
4. it's raining cats and dogs
It is raining extremely heavily dogs.

Part 3 – What is different between young and old strength?

5. be your strong point/suit
 be a thing that you do well + I believe it depends. While carefulness could be the old’s strong point, the young
are better at being quick and dynamic.
6. beauty is in the eye of the Part 3 – What is your perspective of the beauty?
An approximation of beauty will differ greatly betw
beholder + To be honest, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
een different people
Concrete or physical evidence is more convincing t Part 3 – What is the difference of knowing a place from a book and visiting it?
7. seeing is believing
han words alone.  + Seeing is believing. Reading is just an imagination.

8. a woman's work is never Part 3 – How is the woman’s role changed today?
 Housework and raising children are jobs that have 
done + In the past, a woman’s work was never done. However, today, …
no end.
Part 3 – What difficulties does a person face when living abroad?
One who does not feel comfortable in a new enviro
9. fish out of water + At the beginning, he feels like a fish out of water. Gradually, he will develop
nment
problem-solving skills to adapt to the new enrivonment.

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 First set of 8 idioms and their uses

Part 3 – What determines a marriage’s happiness?

To become wealthy or financially secure by marryi
10. marry into money + To my thinking, happiness does not come to those marry into money.
ng someone who is wealthy or has awealthy family. 

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First set of 8 idioms and their uses

Set 1

Common Idioms Definitions

It cost me an arm and a leg to take my trip to Very expensive

Australia.

I was over the moon when he asked me to marry him. Extremely pleased or happy

You are taking your IELTS test next week?? Aren’t Doing or starting something too early
you jumping the gun. You’ve only just started
studying.

He comes round to see me once in a blue moon. Happening very rarely

He’s got a chip on his shoulder. Feeling inferior or having a grievance

about something

I reckon getting a band 7 in IELTS will be a piece of Very easy

cake! I’m very good at English.

The money sent by comic relief to help poverty in A very small part of something much bigger
Africa is just a drop in the ocean. They need far more
than this.

Getting a low score the first time I took IELTS was a Something positive that isn’t recognized
blessing in disguise. It forced me to study extremely until later
hard so I got a much better score the next time.

We have to actually do something about global It’s better to actually do something rather
warming. Actions speak louder than words. than just talking about it

I bumped into Jenny in town the other day. It's a small Meeting someone you would not have
world. expected to

Set 2

Common Idioms Definitions

Oh well, I got 5.5 in IELTS again. Back to the drawing When an attempt to do something fails and
board! it's time to start all over again using
different methods

I hate my job so much I can’t bare going to work, but if Having two very bad choices.
I quit I don’t think I can get another job. I’m
really stuck / caught between a rock and a hard

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First set of 8 idioms and their uses

place. (note: stuck/caught can be omitted)

I have to bite my tongue so I don’t say what I really Wanting to say something but stopping
think of him! yourself.

Come on, cut to the chase. We haven’t got all day! Leave out all the unnecessary details and
just get to the point

Are you putting all of your savings into that company? Putting all of ones resources into one
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. possibility

Try not to worry about it. Every cloud has a silver Believing that every bad situation has a
lining. positive side / eventually leads to something
good

It was difficult when I moved to another country but I To become comfortable in what you are
eventually found my feet. doing

My parents are very fixed in their ways. They won’t Not wanting to change from the normal
start using the internet. ways of doing things

I think he got up on the wrong side of the bed this To refer to someone who is having a bad
morning. He is in a terrible mood. day

My mother will always go the extra mile to help Doing much more than is required when
people. doing something

Set 3

Common Idioms Definitions

I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. That’s the Say exactly the right thing
reason he didn’t get the job.

Today’s going so badly. If it’s not one thing, it’s the When everything seems to be going wrong
other.

I just said it in the heat of the moment. I was angry. I Saying or doing something suddenly without
know I shouldn’t have. thinking about it

Keep an eye on him. I think he may cheat in the exam. Watch someone or something carefully

Have you heard? John down the road has kicked the Died
bucket.

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First set of 8 idioms and their uses

I don’t want to argue with him again. It’s better to let Avoid a conflict
sleeping dogs lie.

I told him what gift you have bought him for his Tell someone something that you were not
birthday. Sorry, I didn’t mean to let the cat out of the supposed to
bag.

Don’t tell her what you really think of her if she’s Hurt or upset someone who is helping you
helping you with your English! Don’t bite the hand
that feeds you.

I’m not sure which party he is going to vote for. Not making a firm decision between
He’s sitting on the fence. different choices

Everything she does is very over the top. She can’t just Excessive
have a few drinks – se has to get really drunk.

Set 4

Common Idioms Definitions

Let’s keep studying for IELTS. Practice makes Continuously doing something to improve
perfect.

Don’t get upset about what he said. He’s just pulling Joking around
your leg.

Sorry but I think I’ll take a rain check on that. To decline an offer that you will take up
later

As a rule of thumb, I don’t study at weekends. I spend Principal that is strictly adhered / kept to
the time with my family.

I can smell a rat. He said he has a PhD but he can’t To sense that something is not right
even remember which university he studied at.

She’s the spitting image of her mother. To look exactly like someone else

The ball's in your court now. What are you going to Telling someone it's now their turn to make
do? a decision

Unfortunately I think he’ll be studying for IELTS until For a very long time
the cows come home. His English is very poor.

It was all tongue-in-cheek. He didn’t really mean what Something said in humour rather than
he said. seriously

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First set of 8 idioms and their uses

She’s feeling under the weather today so she won’t be Unwell

going to work.

Set 5

Common Idioms Definitions

We've had some big disagreements over the years, but Things from the past that are not important
it’s all water under the bridge now. We get on fine. anymore

You are what you eat so it’s better to have a healthy If you eat bad food, you’ll be unhealthy, if
diet. you eat good food, you’ll be healthy

You can’t judge a book by its cover. I need to get to The belief that outside appearances do not
know him before I decide what he is like. reveal what someone or something is really
like

We're really working against the clock now. We must Not having enough time to do something
hurry.

Why are we bothering? We're flogging a dead horse. Attempting to continue with something that
Our online business is making no money, so we should is finished / over
move on and do something else.

I bent over backwards to help him. I hope he Doing all you can to help someone
appreciates it.

So you have the IELTS test today?? Break a leg. Good luck

Ok, I'm playing devil's advocate here, but if marijuana To put forward a side in an argument that
is legalized, isn't it more likely young people will smoke may not be your own in order to show the
it? counter-argument / ensure all sides are
discussed

Hold your horses! We haven't won anything yet. Telling someone who is getting ahead of
themselves to wait / be patient

Annoying or irritating somebody

She is driving me up the wall. She won't stop talking.

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