# tbl_idioms

idiom_text: work to rule
sentence: In protest against the new measures, the employees decided to work to rule.
type: I
meaning:
  During a conflict, when employees decide to do only the minimum amount of work required by company rules, and refuse any overtime, etc., they work to rule. 


idiom_text: work the system
sentence: He hasn't changed his lifestyle since he lost his job - he must know to work the system!
type: I
meaning:
  People who work the system learn how a state or public organisation works in order to benefit as much as possible from the system. 


idiom_text: world of difference
sentence: A swimming pool would make a world of difference in this hot climate.
type: I
meaning:
  When comparing two things or situations, the expression a world of difference means that there is a vast difference between them. 


idiom_text: in a world of your own
sentence: Dad's out there in the garden in a world of how own.
type: I
meaning:
  If you are in a world of your own, you are so preoccupied by your own concerns that you are unaware of what is happening around you. 


idiom_text: do a world of good
sentence: Why don't you go away for a few days? A break would do you a world of good.
type: I
meaning:
  If something does you a world of good, it is beneficial and makes you feel a lot better. Why don't you go away for a few days? A break would do you a world of good.


idiom_text: have the world by its tail
sentence: Due to her intelligence and hard work, she now has the world by its tail.
type: I
meaning:
  Someone who has the world by its tail is very successful and has many opportunities to choose from. 


idiom_text: not for all the world
sentence: I would not live in that building for (all) the world!
type: I
meaning:
  If you say that you would not to something for (all) the world, you mean that you never do it, no matter what you were offered. I would not live in that building for (all) the world!


idiom_text: worm one's way out of
sentence: You're not going to worm your way out of this. You must do your share
type: I
meaning:
  If a person worms their way out of something, they use artful or devious means in order to avoid participating in it. 


idiom_text: even a worm will turn
sentence: Don't treat him so severely. He never protests, but even a worm will turn!
type: I
meaning:
  This expression means that even someone who never complains will react to an intolerable situation. 


idiom_text: worm's eye view
sentence: I'm not sure I can be of much help. I can only offer you a worm's eye view of the situation.
type: I
meaning:
  To offer a worm's eye view of a situation is to give your opinion based on what you see at close range from an inferior position, so it is therefore not a general view. 


idiom_text: the worse for wear
sentence: He came back from New York rather the worse for wear!
type: I
meaning:
  If someone or something is the worse for wear, they are in poor condition, either worn, damaged or tired. 


idiom_text: written all over your face
sentence: Her affection for her grandson was written all over the old lady's face.
type: I
meaning:
  When someone's feelings or thoughts are very clear, you can say that they are written all over their face. 


idiom_text: a dab hand at
type: I
meaning:
  : – expert – adept at – one skillful at – a person who is an expert at a particular activity – someone specially skilled at a task

sentence:
  : 1. My friend was too weak in all computer studies, but now he’s become a dab hand at Internet and Software. 2. Try one spoon of this pasta and you’ll agree she is a dab hand at making great Italian foods. 3. George is a dab hand at tennis, he always in this game. 4. Barbara is a dab hand at chopping onions fast and without tears. 5. For our new car garage, we are required a experienced mechanic who is a dab hand at engine repairing. 6. My 4 years old son is amazingly a dab hand at using mobile phones. 7. If you want to be a dab hand at chess you need to work hard. 8. Practice makes it perfect, keep practicing, you will be a dab hand at playing guitars one day. 9. I am a dab hand in touch typing on computer keyboard and typewriters more than you do on mobile phones to send texts.


idiom_text: at a discount
type: I
meaning:
   – not valuable or not in worth – at a lower price than usual – below the nominal value – held in low esteem – out of favor – poorly esteemed – depreciated – offering or selling at reduced prices

sentence:
   1. Freedom fighters are at a discount in the present politics. 2. Carl bought that necklace at a discount which Emily wanted to have since last 2 years. 3. I won’t purchase an Apple iPhone until i can get one at a discount. 4. Honesty and goodness is at a discount in this selfish and cruel world. 5. It’s a winter sale at this garment shop today and you can purchase your favorite cloths at a discount. 6. Yesterday, I bought two burgers at a discount at McDonald’s restaurant.


idiom_text: a rough diamond or a diamond in the rough
type: I
meaning:
   – a person of exceptional character – a person with great potential but lacking polish and refinement – a person who does not seem very polite or well educated at first, although they have a good character – a person who has good qualities despite a rough exterior – someone or something whose good qualities are hidden – a person who is kinder and more amusing than they seem to be from their appearance and behavior

sentence:
   1. Bob is intelligent and trustworthy but lacks sophistication, he is a rough diamond. 2. Mitchell may have been a rough diamond, but he was absolutely loyal to his employer. 3. Rickey looks a little messy, but he’s a diamond in the rough. 4. She’s a diamond in the rough – a little hard to take at times, but very elegant and cooperative. 5. This show is one of those diamonds in the rough, a wonderful gem that almost no one has noticed. 6. Her singing voice is beautiful, but she needs help with her gestures; she’s a rough diamond. 7. Jack is intelligent and loyal but lacks manners – he’s a rough diamond.


idiom_text: at death’s door
type: I
meaning:
   – on the point of dying – very ill – in serious danger of death – very near the end of one’s life (Often an exaggeration) – in a life,threatening state of health

sentence:
   1. Most of the survivors of the airplane crash are still at death’s door. 2. Don’t overstate, it was only flu – you were barely at death’s door. 3. Jane was so ill that she was at death’s door for three days. 4. Whenever she had a bad cold she acted as though she were at death’s door. 5. Owing to coming up of malls and super market every other day in the town the old neighborhood store is at death’s door. 6. The family cat was at death’s door for three days, and then it finally died. 7. She literally was at death’s door when a kidney became available for transplant. 8. Jack lay at death’s door for over a month. 9. I do not want to lie at death’s door suffering. I hope to pass on quickly. 10. Poor Jon! He has blood cancer and I fear he’s at death’s door. 11. The young man was at death’s door after that catastrophic accident.


idiom_text: like or as a duck to water
type: I
meaning:
   – to do something very quickly and enjoy doing it – easily and naturally – to have a usual aptitude to do something

sentence:
   1. She’s taken to the home of her grandma like a duck to water. 2. Miranda just took to motherhood like a duck to water. 3. She started skating and she learned how quickly, like a duck takes to water. 4. Chris is really a natural surfing. He took to surfing like a duck to water even before he started it as a profession. 5. This baby adapted to the bottle as a duck takes to water.


idiom_text: a drop in the ocean
type: I
meaning:
   – insignificant amount – a very small amount compared to the amount needed – unimportant amount – a very small proportion of the whole

sentence:
   1. Her cry was only a single drop in the ocean compared to the billions of tears shed by mourners after the war. 2. A hundred thousand may seem a lot but it’s a drop in the ocean compared to the millions that need to be spent. 3. I always try to give money to charity but sometimes I feel it is just a drop in the ocean. 4. Our government’s sending a thousand tons of food, but that’s just a drop in the ocean compared to what’s needed. 5. My letter of protest was just a drop in the ocean. 6. I know twenty dollars is just a drop in the ocean, but if everyone gave that much it’d make a big difference. 7. A few thousand pounds is a drop in the ocean when you think about the millions that will be spent on this project.


idiom_text: at the drop of a hat
type: I
meaning:
   – at the slightest signal – immediately, without delay – without any hesitation – without any planning and for no obvious reason

sentence:
   1. We now have a situation where laws are bent at the drop of a hat. 2. Dustin was always ready to go fishing at the drop of a hat. 3. If you need help, just call on Mike. He can come at the drop of a hat. 4. I can’t go rushing off to Edinburgh at the drop of a hat. 5. She’d purchase her expensive jewelry at the drop of a hat and worry about how she would pay for it later. 6. We’re expected to just do it at the drop of a hat – no notice or anything. It’s disgraceful. 7. People will file lawsuits at the drop of a hat these days. 8. I’d quit my job at the drop of a hat if I didn’t have a family to support. 9. That girl is so emotional; she’ll start crying at the drop of a hat.


idiom_text: in the dock
type: I
meaning:
   – on trial in court, especially in a criminal case. – under intense scrutiny. – being tried in a court, especially a criminal court; on trial.

sentence:
   1. The accused stood in the dock through the entire proceeding. 2. The accused was very calmed and serious while taking him in the dock. 3. The accused lady fell in the dock when she heard the punishment.


idiom_text: a damp squib
meaning: an event which people think will be exciting but which is disappointing when it happens.
type: I
sentence:
  The party turned out to be a bit of a damp squib. Half the people who’d been invited didn’t turn up.


idiom_text: at daggers drawn
meaning: about to or ready to fight.
type: I
sentence:
  The two neighboring countries have several times been at daggers drawn over extraction of the natural resources from the ocean.


idiom_text: as the crow flies
meaning: in a straight line, by the shortest route.
type: I
sentence:
  it’s only three miles to Square Tower as the crow flies, but it’s all of ten miles if the Glasgow Hamilton Road is closed and one has to drive round the Johnstone Road.


idiom_text: a sacred cow
meaning: something that people do not like to question; a taboo subject.
type: I
sentence:
  The judiciary remains a sacred cow, despite increasing evidence that serious mistakes have been made.


idiom_text: at the crack of dawn
meaning: very early in the morning.
type: I
sentence:
  The tsunami hit the shores of Japan at the crack of dawn, which shattered the entire shore to one miles deep.


idiom_text: a wet blanket
meaning: person who spoils other people’s fun.
type: I
sentence:
  She was indisposed so she decided to skip the party, not wanting to be a wet blanket on such a happy occasion.


idiom_text: a bolt from the blue
meaning: unexpected happening; complete surprise.
type: I
sentence:
  The sudden uprising in many parts of the country was completely a bolt from the blue for the ministry.


idiom_text: a blessing in disguise
meaning: misfortune which turns out to have advantages; good outcome from evil situation, etc.
type: I
sentence:
  Losing that job turned out to be a blessing in disguise for him as it forced him to plunge into business.


idiom_text: a bird in the hand
meaning: something in one’s possession, often modest but better than nothing.
type: I
sentence:
  It may not be the best of jobs, but it’s a bird in the hand and you should not give it up till you can find a better one.


idiom_text: a bit much
type: I
meaning:
  if one says something is a bit much, he or she thinks that it is not fair or that it is more than one can deal with.

sentence:
  I think it’s a bit much to expect a pace bowler to bowl more than 50 overs in one day, in cricket game.


idiom_text: as broad as long
meaning: the same, whatever way you look at it.
type: I
sentence:
  He could not decide which formal suit to purchase – he thought the choice was just about as broad as it was long.


idiom_text: all hell will let loose
type: I
meaning:
  uproar, confusion, if all hell breaks loose, a situation suddenly becomes noisy and violent, usually with a lot of people arguing or fighting.

sentence:
  Don’t take her into the party fold or all hell will let loose.  This big guy walked up to the bar and hit Freddie and suddenly all hell broke loose.


idiom_text: all up with
meaning: no hope is left for somebody.
type: I
sentence:
  It is all up with now finding some good crane operator, they couldn’t have survived so long in these conditions.


idiom_text: avante-garde
sentence: Since early fifties, the trade fair has been a major showcase for the avant-grade.
type: I
meaning:
  the artists, writers, musicians etc. of any period whose work is very modern and very different to what has been done before.


idiom_text: arm in arm
meaning: closely allied or intimate.
type: I
sentence:
  On the new year’s eve party Tom was arm in arm with Jerry.  The Cogress political party cancelled former minister’s candidature as he was arm in arm with the opposition.


idiom_text: armed to the teeth
meaning: fully equipped (with weapons, arguments, etc.).
type: I
sentence:
  The alleged tax-defaulter was ready for all their questions, and armed to the teeth with proof of his innocence.


idiom_text: apple of eye
meaning: the person of whom one is extremely fond, favorite, loving.
type: I
sentence:
  She has three children, but her youngest son is the apple of her eye.  Poor Richard was to me as an eldest son, the apple of my eye.  He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.


idiom_text: alive and kicking
meaning: continue to live or exist and be full of energy, to continue to be popular or successful.
type: I
sentence:
  She hadn’t met her younger sister after her marriage and was delighted to see her alive and kicking at a social event last weekend.


idiom_text: across the board
meaning: happening or having an effect on people at every level and in every area.
type: I
sentence:
  The improvement is seen across the board, with all divisions either recording profits or reducing losses.


idiom_text: be on a collision course
meaning: doing or saying things which are certain to cause a serious disagreement or a fight between them.
type: I
sentence:
  All the ambassadorial attempts have failed and the United States and Iran emerges to be on a collision course.


idiom_text: burst at the seams
meaning: be full to capacity.
type: I
sentence:
  All hill stations were bursting at the seams and they had to settle for spending the weekend at home only.


idiom_text: beg to differ
meaning: refuse politely.
type: I
sentence:
  Larry Smith is in favour of setup a new production unit of mobiles at Glassgow, but the managing director beg to differ.


idiom_text: buzz word
sentence: Minimalism is the latest buzz word in modern architecture.
type: I
meaning:
  a word or phrase that people in a particular group start to use a lot because they think it is important.


idiom_text: blue-collar
meaning: of or relating to industrial work, especially the semiskilled and unskilled.
type: I
sentence:
  They hope the new manufacturing unit on the outskirts of the small town will open up the doors for many more blue-collar jobs.


idiom_text: bitter medicine or pill
meaning: hard thing to accept.
type: I
sentence:
  Reduced salaries are a dose of bitter medicine the companies will have to accept for their survival.


idiom_text: big mouth
meaning: who speak a lot, be loquacious, often nosily or boastfully; be tactless or reveal secrets.
type: I
sentence:
  His friends are scared of inviting his at the parties as after a few drinks he turns into a big mouth.


idiom_text: be (or get) in bed with
type: I
meaning:
  work with a person or organisation, or to be involved with them, in a way which causes other people distrust you.

sentence:
  All those 5 people were accused of being in bed with the terrorists responsible for 7th July, 2005 London Bombing.


idiom_text: bad mouth
sentence: Why do you always bad mouth your acquaintances?
type: I
meaning:
  say unpleasant things about somebody or something, especially in order to spoil other people’s opinions of them.


idiom_text: by and by
meaning: later; in due course; before long.
type: I
sentence:
  The British Metro train moved in and out of tunnels on that rocky terrain and, by and by they arrived at a big town of Glasgow.


idiom_text: break the news
meaning: make something known for everybody.
type: I
sentence:
  It was a really too hard work to break the news of that catastrophic accident to the families of the victims.


idiom_text: bosom friends
meaning: close friends who share confidences.
type: I
sentence:
  The two ladies who were arrested in case of injuring each other for one man, were bosom friends for years.


idiom_text: bona fide
meaning: genuine; real.
type: I
sentence:
  The Google says, “We gives priority to the bona fide content and text on a website.”  The new immigration policy is implemented so blindly that it sometimes leads to rejection of bona fide political refugees.


idiom_text: bury head in the sand
type: I
meaning:
  refuse to think about an unpleasant situation, hoping that it will improve so that you will not have to deal with it.

sentence:
  Parents and Principal said ragging was being ignored and accused the girls hostel’s warden of burying her head in the sand, in Perth city of Australia.


idiom_text: burst the bubble or bubble burst
meaning: sudden end of a very happy or successful period.
type: I
sentence:
  The economic strength of India was booming and then the bubble burst with the crash of stock market in last decade.burst the bubble, she ruined my life.


idiom_text: burn the candle at both the ends
meaning: exhaust someone’s energies or resources by leading a hectic life.
type: I
sentence:
  She has been burning the candle at both ends by doing a full-time job and preparing for her International English Language Test exams.


idiom_text: bear the burnt of
meaning: take the main force, often of a criticism or unpleasant event.
type: I
sentence:
  When the teachers and other government employees went on a strike, they did not realize they’d have to bear the burnt of public anger when they go back to work.


idiom_text: big brother
type: I
meaning:
  the authorities / a government or a large organisation which tries to control every part of people’s lives and to know everything about them.

sentence:
  The Teachers and the industrialists have complained against the “Big Brother” approach of the government.


idiom_text: burn bridges
meaning: destroy someone’s possibility of retreat, act decisively.
type: I
sentence:
  She has already burned his bridges with his previous employer by publicly criticizing their marketing policy.


idiom_text: break new or fresh ground
meaning: do something innovative.
type: I
sentence:
  It is an interesting discovery in energy conservation field of United Kingdom which definitely breaks new ground in the country’s energy program.


idiom_text: break back
meaning: overpower, get through the hardest part of something, to put a lot of efforts into doing something.
type: I
sentence:
  He is very talented and should refuse to break your back working for him for a salary of $200 a month.


idiom_text: bring to book
meaning: make somebody accountable for his conduct, punish somebody.
type: I
sentence:
  It was frustrating for the victims’ kin as the police and court failed to bring anyone to book for the crime.


idiom_text: be in the same boat
meaning: be in the same unpleasant situation as other people.
type: I
sentence:
  When he lost his job, he twittered that it was not bad to know he was in the same boat as about three hundred thousand others in the country.


idiom_text: blind date
sentence: She agreed to go on a blind date with one of her friend’s former boyfriend.
type: I
meaning:
  an arranged meeting for two people have never met each other before, in order to try to start a romantic relationship.


idiom_text: a blank cheque (check)
meaning: complete authority or unrestricted freedom of action or a free hand.
type: I
sentence:
  Several people expressed their concern when the Chairman desired to give the blank cheque for the company’s future in the hands of the 25-year-old director.


idiom_text: bite the hand that feed
meaning: show ingratitude, turn against a benefactor.
type: I
sentence:
  The institution offered me a scholarship , so I shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds me and criticize its policies.


idiom_text: a bird’s eye view
meaning: an overview.
type: I
sentence:
  This website gives you abird’s eye view of the Idioms used in Indian exam system since British times.


idiom_text: big deal
sentence: Winning a scholarship is no big deal for him.
type: I
meaning:
  matter of importance, something you say to show that you do not think that something is either important or interesting.


idiom_text: belle of the ball
meaning: be the most attractive woman at party or similar event.
type: I
sentence:
  She wore a dress made by the country’s most valued designer and could easily be picked up as the belle of the ball evening.


idiom_text: beat about or around the bush
meaning: approach indirectly, in a roundabout way, or too cautiously.
type: I
sentence:
  You will have to learn to speak clearly about what you want. You won’t get anywhere if you keep beating about the bush.


idiom_text: back to basics
type: I
meaning:
  start to give your attention to the simplest and most important matters after ignoring them for a while.

sentence:
  The president’s economic package has failed to win the financial institutions’ trust and he will have to get back to basics.


idiom_text: bark up the wrong tree
meaning: waste one’s efforts by pursuing the wrong thing or path.
type: I
sentence:
  It was a very sensitive case and yet for over one year the investigators kept barking up the wrong tree.


idiom_text: banana republic
meaning: a small, poor country with a weak, corrupt or dishonest government.
type: I
sentence:
  The citizens fear that the country will become a banana republic if the government fails to curb the corruption.  “Mango people in banana republic” is the fresh idioms additions to the Indian political lexicon by Robert Vadra.


idiom_text: the ball is in court
meaning: the initiative for taking action lies with somebody.
type: I
sentence:
  His family and friends have requested him to apologize to his boss to save his job. The ball is in his court now.


idiom_text: bag and baggage
meaning: (with) all one’s belongings.
type: I
sentence:
  Tired of their tantrums, the landlady asked her tenants to vacate the house, bag and baggage, in a week’s times.


idiom_text: the back door
meaning: not in a direct, official or honest way.
type: I
sentence:
  The opposition accused the government of signing the defence deal with the neighbouring contry through the back door.


idiom_text: bat an eye or eyelash or eyelid
meaning: to not show any shock or surprise.
type: I
sentence:
  When the Court pronounced the prisoner guilty of murder, the accused stood there without batting an eyelid.


idiom_text: camp follower
meaning: associate; supporter.
type: I
sentence:
  The trouble with having a music celebrity as one’s spouse is all the camp followers and fans forever trying to invade your privacy.


idiom_text: carry out
meaning: put something into action, to accomplish something, to do something.
type: I
sentence:
  The scientist wanted to carry out several experiments before announcing the sending of human to the planet mars.


idiom_text: choke up
meaning: make a person become overemotional and speechless; to make a person begin to cry.
type: I
sentence:
  The whole family choked up at the funeral procession, that was very emotional moment for everybody there.


idiom_text: the creme de la creme
meaning: the very best.
type: I
sentence:
  The Universal Group of Art is acknowledged as the creme de la creme from all of the art groups of academy. Origin Its origins have been traced to the decade 1840-1850, but its popularity in modern English, it is less common in modern French


idiom_text: cool heels
meaning: wait or be kept waiting; be detained or obliged to wait.
type: I
sentence:
  The group of bikers riding through the country since last nine days were left to cool their heels overnight at a very inexpensive inn last night.


idiom_text: come to pass
meaning: happen, take place.
type: I
sentence:
  The people of that remote village have been demanding a wide two-way road for many years; I don’t think it will ever come to pass.


idiom_text: catch napping
meaning: surprise, take unawares.
type: I
sentence:
  The government was really caught napping the day the protesters planned to jam the highways and roads of the town.


idiom_text: carte blanche
meaning: full authority, free hand.
type: I
sentence:
  The rich business man’s daughter had carte blanche when it came to choosing which groom she wanted to marry with.


idiom_text: curry favour
meaning: seek to gain advantage by flattery.
type: I
sentence:
  The current Scottish government has promised to increase the expenditure quota in education and defense system in an attempt to curry favour with citizens.


idiom_text: comes to the crunch
meaning: in a critical moment or crucial time, or in a tight corner.
type: I
sentence:
  It’s always the same, she promise help, but as soon as when it comes to the crunch she invents excuses.


idiom_text: crowning glory
meaning: The greatest or most beautiful thing
type: I
sentence:
  The crowning glory of her career came six years later when the Council for British Research awarded Cynthia the Royal Prize for her great work.


idiom_text: cover tracks
meaning: conceal one’s whereabouts, activities and intentions.
type: I
sentence:
  The murderer covered his tracks by throwing the shot gun in the lake and burying his landlord’s body.


idiom_text: the corridors of power
meaning: the offices of the powerful leaders.
type: I
sentence:
  As personal adviser to the Prime Minister, he thought he’d get his foot inside the corridors of power.


idiom_text: cut the cord
meaning: stop needing somebody else to look after you and start acting independently.
type: I
sentence:
  In order to achieve true independence, developing countries must cut the cord and stop asking for financial aid from the developed countries.


idiom_text: cool as cucumber
meaning: be very calm and relaxed.
type: I
sentence:
  There he stood, cool as cucumber and totally oblivious to the violence that had shattered the very fabric of the society.


idiom_text: conspiracy of silence
meaning: general agreement to keep silent about a subject for the purpose of secrecy.
type: I
sentence:
  On the airport security check, there is a conspiracy of silence; most of guards bypass the known visitors without checking.


idiom_text: catch a cold
meaning: suffer a financial loss.
type: I
sentence:
  Like my elder brother Brian Reddik tried the offshore business of education, but he catches a cold just after its one month, and there is no sign of his growth till now.


idiom_text: cock and bull story
meaning: complicated, ridiculous, or unbelievable story, a story or explanation which is obviously not true.
type: I
sentence:
  She started to tell some cock and bull story to the police officers about how she found a huge bag containing 5 pounds of gold.


idiom_text: clear the decks
meaning: get ready for action.
type: I
sentence:
  The British Petroleum company is clearing the decks for setting up many huge new projects around globe.


idiom_text: close shave or call
meaning: narrow escape.
type: I
sentence:
  Jack managed to jump from 7th floor of the World Trade Center in time after Hijacked plane hits but it was a real close shave.


idiom_text: come full circle
meaning: return to an earlier position or decision.
type: I
sentence:
  After changing couple of jobs in last three years, Jane Stuart come full circle in her first company job.


idiom_text: chink in armour
meaning: a susceptible or vulnerable area.
type: I
sentence:
  She is a brilliant social worker but her lack of political awareness may be the chink in her armour.


idiom_text: child’s play
meaning: very easy task, work.
type: I
sentence:
  Now that David Beckham was completely fit, playing in the world championship looked like child’s play for him.


idiom_text: charity begins at home
meaning: one has to make adequate provision for their family before one make provision for needy strangers.
type: I
sentence:
  She spends the little money that she earns on social work and neglect her own family, forgetting that charity begins at home.


idiom_text: catch-22 situation
meaning: the particular situation in which one cannot win.
type: I
sentence:
  I couldn’t start my own business, until I have got money, and I couldn’t get money until I start my own business, oh my God, this is the real catch-22 situation.


idiom_text: build castles in the air
meaning: thinking of some impossible task, make plans or hopes that have very little chance of happening.
type: I
sentence:
  She keeps talking about her big-time ambitions, but it’s all castles in the air.  Don’t build castles in the air, just and find some work to earn money.


idiom_text: call bluff
meaning: expose somebody’s deception, invite a showdown.
type: I
sentence:
  Some opposition parliamentarians kept threatening to resign on the issue, and eventually the Prime Minister of India decided it was time to call their bluff.


idiom_text: come of age
sentence: After years of experimentation with colors and strokes, his painting has come of age.
type: I
meaning:
  if something has come of age, it has reached its full successful development, to reach the age when one is an adult and is legally responsible for his or her behavior.


idiom_text: dig heels in
meaning: adopt a firm position, be obstinate and unyielding.
type: I
sentence:
  I suggested it would be quicker to fly, but he dug his heels in and insisted on travelling by a bus.


idiom_text: die hard
type: I
meaning:
  disappear or change very slowly, take a long time to cease to exist or be dropped from consideration. Noun a person who displays such resistance or loyalty.

sentence:
  Die hard boarders are snatching up second homes here, but so far it has managed to stay affordable.  Die-hard football enthusiasts were planning the rebirth of a town team.  On the morning of my visit, a few die-hards were setting up a small fund-raising event at the ground.


idiom_text: dead and buried
meaning: no longer in use.
type: I
sentence:
  US. and Great Britain won’t stop their weapons until the terrorism is dead and buried from the earth.


idiom_text: on or at doorstep
meaning: very near to where somebody lives.
type: I
sentence:
  The third round of the US economic slowdown is literally at the doorstep of all the developing countries.


idiom_text: full cry
meaning: in full operation, at the highest level of activity.
type: I
sentence:
  After the strike it would be some time before production gets into full cry.  My friend is working in full cry, he want to finish it as soon as possible.


idiom_text: fit or fill the bill
meaning: be exactly suitable for a particular situation.
type: I
sentence:
  The country hit by terrorism needs a strong leader, and the new Prime Minister just doesn’t fill the bill.


idiom_text: give cold shoulder
meaning: treat somebody with coldness and contempt; ignore somebody.
type: I
sentence:
  After the news spread about her direct involvement in the big scandal, the friends and relatives gave her the cold shoulder and eventually she had to leave the town forever.


idiom_text: get the boot or axe
meaning: be discharged or fired, expelled, or rejected.
type: I
sentence:
  The engineer who was with the office for last 18 years was shocked when he got the boot for a petty mistake.


idiom_text: go with a bang
meaning: very exciting and successful.
type: I
sentence:
  We take part in the events organized by Jack and Rose Events Company, because they go with a real bang.


idiom_text: get to the bottom
meaning: discover the truth about a situation.
type: I
sentence:
  It is doubtful if political interference will allow the investigators to get to the bottom of the case.


idiom_text: get on the bandwagon
meaning: do something because it is fashionable or profitable, join a cause or movement.
type: I
sentence:
  Media is playing an important role in creating awareness on the issue and more and more people are getting on the bandwagon to denounce social evils like drinking and smoking.


idiom_text: give airs
sentence: She should not give herself the airs as she’s no different from the rest of us.
type: I
meaning:
  give oneself an air of superiority; behave snobbishly, as if one regards everyone else as being inferior.


idiom_text: good account of
meaning: perform well, often in a challenging situation.
type: I
sentence:
  As he could not give a very good account of himself in the interview, the company didn’t offer him a good salary.


idiom_text: have a bone to pick with
meaning: an unpleasant issue or grievance that need discussion.
type: I
sentence:
  The two reputed universities of the state have a bone to pick with each other over reservation policy for admissions.


idiom_text: high or top on agenda
sentence: The government has realized the need for placing educational reform at the top of its agenda.
type: I
meaning:
  if a subject or plan is at the top of somebody’s agenda, it is the most important thing they want to discuss or deal with.


idiom_text: in deep water
meaning: in difficulty, in problem.
type: I
sentence:
  I’m going to be in deep water if my boss refuses to approve the project done by me after the hard work of a week.


idiom_text: in broad daylight
meaning: during the day.
type: I
sentence:
  The beautiful woman was shot at very close range in broad daylight in front of her house in Washington DC.


idiom_text: jack of all trades
meaning: somebody who has many skills or who does many different jobs successfully.
type: I
sentence:
  My big brother is an engineer by profession but can drive big lorry, can repair the machines and running many stores of himself, he is really a jack of all trades.


idiom_text: jump in at the deep end
meaning: start a new job or activity without being prepared for it.
type: I
sentence:
  He is jumping in at the deep end, acting as strike bowler in his first match this year on the Australian pitches.


idiom_text: keep chin up
meaning: be stalwart and courageous in a different situation, remain brave and keep on trying.
type: I
sentence:
  Don’t let the difficulties intimidate you; keep your chin up.  Even if things have been difficult for you, always keep your chip up, everything will be normal and alright soon.


idiom_text: keep card close to chest
meaning: be secretive or cautious, give nothing away.
type: I
sentence:
  My brother don’t know how much money his friends will spend this Friday night, he keep his card close to his chest.


idiom_text: make common cause with
meaning: work together in order to achieve something that both groups want.
type: I
sentence:
  Environment protesters have made common cause with local people to stop the setting up of the factories and iron industries on fertile land.


idiom_text: make a clean breast
meaning: confess completely.
type: I
sentence:
  While wedged stealing in Super Market, Robert Daniel decided to make a clean breast of it to the owner of the store.


idiom_text: make the best of
type: I
meaning:
  try to think and act in a positive way when one has to accept a situation which one do not like but cannot change.

sentence:
  He got admission in a college where he did not have any of his former friends with him but he decided to make the best of it.


idiom_text: not born yesterday
meaning: not a completely naive person.
type: I
sentence:
  The Citi Bank Credit Card agent thinks, he can fool me, but I wasn’t born yesterday and I can see exactly what their trick is.


idiom_text: new kid on the block
meaning: somebody is new in a place or organization and has many things to learn about it.
type: I
sentence:
  Realizing that he was the new kid on the block in his organization, he was determined to prove himself.


idiom_text: out of the depth
meaning: to not have the knowledge, experience, or skills to deal with a particular subject or situation.
type: I
sentence:
  After watching this film, the audience realized that making comedy movies was out of the depth of this director.


idiom_text: on the crest of a wave
meaning: be very successful so that many good things happen very quickly.
type: I
sentence:
  The music band comprising engineering students is currently on the crest of a wave, with a launch of new album it has planned for next year.


idiom_text: out of the closet
meaning: go public about something private or hidden.
type: I
sentence:
  It took her long before she came out of the closet and expressed her interest in the biotechnology industry.


idiom_text: on the case
meaning: doing what needs to be done in particular situation.
type: I
sentence:
  “I need to apply before computer education registration is closed.” “Don’t worry, I’m on the case, just leave it to me.


idiom_text: out of action
sentence: I’m afraid I cannot tell you the account balance as the system is out of action.
type: I
meaning:
  something is not working or cannot be used, somebody is injured or ill and cannot do things he or she usually does.


idiom_text: set or put the cat among the pigeons
meaning: do or say something that causes trouble and make a lot of people angry or worried.
type: I
sentence:
  The information of deducting 15% of salary packages of all the employees of York Electronics company set the cat among the pigeons and many employees started resigning immediately and joining the competitor company.


idiom_text: play cat and mouse with
meaning: trifle with, toy with, confuse somebody.
type: I
sentence:
  It’s just the newest trap in the everlasting cat and mouse game between the guards and thieves.  Don’t play cat and mouse with that little child.


idiom_text: put cards on the table
meaning: be open and honest; reveal one’s position or intentions.
type: I
sentence:
  Shawn thought it was time to put his cards on the table and tell his friend that he had no intention of continuing with him in the partnership.


idiom_text: press or push the panic button
sentence: They have lost the last three cricket matches but still they’re not pushing the panic button.
type: I
meaning:
  do something quickly without thinking about it in order to deal with a bad, difficult or worrying situation.


idiom_text: pass on the baton
meaning: give responsibility for something important to another person.
type: I
sentence:
  The governor of the State Bank of India resigns this month, passing on the baton to one of his closest associates.


idiom_text: quote, unquote
type: I
meaning:
  show that you are using somebody else’s phrase, especially when you do not think that phrase is true.

sentence:
  When asked about her choice of profession, she said she wanted to practice law because it’s a quote, unquote ‘respected’ profession!…


idiom_text: rain cats and dogs
meaning: rain very heavily.
type: I
sentence:
  It was raining cats and dogs so all flights were cancelled and I could not reach in time to my native town to join the marriage ceremony of my brother.


idiom_text: rock the boat
meaning: do or say something causes problem.
type: I
sentence:
  The government asked the Prime Minister not to take firm action on protesters as it certainly doesn’t want anything to rock the boat just before the election.


idiom_text: run amok (or amuck)
meaning: be out of control and act in a wild or dangerous manner.
type: I
sentence:
  When the police arrived, they were confronted with a group of protesters running amuck in the lanes of the old town.


idiom_text: shed (or weep) crocodile tears
meaning: show sadness that is not sincere, fake cry.
type: I
sentence:
  She deceived him when he lost everything in his life, now again when he is rich man, she approached him to get together and shedding crocodile tears.


idiom_text: show true colors
meaning: betray, reveal oneself as one is really.
type: I
sentence:
  I trusted her blindly but when I was in need too much and called her for help, she showed her true colors and even she don’t pick my phone now.


idiom_text: sweep under the carpet or rug
meaning: try to hide a problem or keep a problem secret instead of dealing with it.
type: I
sentence:
  The administration team of the town attempts to sweep the scandal under the carpet were not very successful.


idiom_text: stand a chance
meaning: have a possibility or a hope of success.
type: I
sentence:
  If funding by government is withdrawn, small minority schools in remote northern area, don’t stand a chance.


idiom_text: a safe bet
meaning: fair assumption; reasonable guess; opinion or view that is likely to prove correct.
type: I
sentence:
  The party president decided that the 75-year-old sitting legislator was still a safe bet for re-election.


idiom_text: the die is cast
meaning: an unalterable decision has been reached, or step taken.
type: I
sentence:
  Worried about the misuse of chemical weapons, the United State now confirms the attack on Syria the die is cast to stop and destroy the mass destruction weapons.


idiom_text: to the core
meaning: completely, utterly.
type: I
sentence:
  It is beyond doubt that company management is rotten to the core, involved in numerous extortion schemes.


idiom_text: the chattering classes
meaning: educated people who like to discuss and give their opinions about political and social matters.
type: I
sentence:
  The royal baby’s birth was a historic event and has recently become a trendy topic among the chattering classes.


idiom_text: the calm before the storm
meaning: a peaceful and quiet period before a period of activity or trouble.
type: I
sentence:
  The family’s meeting on property dispute begins today and I’m just sitting down with a cup of coffee, enjoying the calm before the storm.


idiom_text: too close for comfort
meaning: make people worried or frightened by being too close.
type: I
sentence:
  The South-Hall Organisation will have to revise its policies, the latest survey results are too close for comfort.


idiom_text: three cheers for
meaning: good for, congratulations to, hurrah for.
type: I
sentence:
  Three cheers for Liverpool Football Club for great victory of Grand Final match.  Three cheers for your beautiful, newly born baby.


idiom_text: throw caution to the winds
meaning: behave recklessly or dangerously.
type: I
sentence:
  When John Parson, break out from the Jail, he throw caution to the winds by jumping over a running truck from the flyover.  Throwing caution to the winds, she ran on the highway road to board the truck.


idiom_text: tasted blood
meaning: have achieved a small victory which has made you believe you can win a more important victory.
type: I
sentence:
  The British badminton pair tasted blood in the European championships and now wants to play at next Olympic Games.


idiom_text: the bare bones
meaning: basic or essential facts.
type: I
sentence:
  As the Managing Director of Mircrosoft UK was busy and she did not have much time for her class III employees, they gave her the bare bones of their difficult issues.


idiom_text: turn back on
meaning: choose not to speak to; have no further contact with; ignoring near one’s.
type: I
sentence:
  Now that she holds an important position, she seems to have turned his back on her close and childhood friends.


idiom_text: the buck stops here or with
meaning: the responsibility for a situation or a problem with somebody.
type: I
sentence:
  One does not need to blame anybody else for corruption in the republic of India; the buck stops with the leaders of the government of world’s biggest democratic nation.


idiom_text: the black sheep (of a family)
meaning: the least reputable member of a group; a disgrace.
type: I
sentence:
  My cousin was the black sheep. Eventually, he migrated to the United Kingdom to avoid the punishment here.


idiom_text: the ball rolling
meaning: get something started, especially a conversation or a social event.
type: I
sentence:
  The supporters of the student leader got the ball rolling by shouting slogans in favour of his candidature.


idiom_text: to see the back of
meaning: be pleased when somebody leaves or when something ends because you did not like them.
type: I
sentence:
  The guest became an absolute pain for the hosts and they were really pleased  to see the back of him.


idiom_text: take aback
sentence: We were all quite taken aback by his decision to retire from upcoming football tournament.
type: I
meaning:
  surprise or shock somebody so much that they he or she does not know how to behave for a short time.


idiom_text: under a cloud
meaning: under suspicion, in trouble, or out of favor.
type: I
sentence:
  The luxury transport industry is under a cloud at the moment after newspapers revealed that many indulged in illegal activities.


idiom_text: up the ante
type: I
meaning:
  increase the price; increase one’s demands or the risks in a situation in order to achieve a better result.

sentence:
  The government has upped the ante by refusing to negotiate with the ultras until a ceasefire has been agreed.


idiom_text: volte face
meaning: a sudden change of a belief or plan to the opposite of what it was before.
type: I
sentence:
  After 10 years of working with a travelling company, she made a complete volte-face, joining the local company, of totally opposite profile near her home.


idiom_text: wrap in cotton wool
meaning: protect somebody too much without allowing them to be independent enough.
type: I
sentence:
  The mother wrapped the child up in cotton wool as if it would protect him from all the dangers of the world.


idiom_text: x marks the spot
meaning: when someone finds something looking for, this is the exact spot, mark something with X on target.
type: I
sentence:
  X marks the spot, so let’s go and dig up treasure.  I pointed to the location on the map and told the recruits “x marks the spot”.  We looked at the Google map and saw that X marked the spot where it was the cloud brust and killed many people.


idiom_text: your sins will find you out
meaning: things you do wrong will become known.
type: I
sentence:
  He usually cheats his customers by selling duplicate material, and now he lost his business completely, truly said, your sins will find you out.


idiom_text: yoke around neck
meaning: a trouble for someone.
type: I
sentence:
  Try to stop the fighting of two people was a yoke around his neck, they both hurt him badly, for coming in between.


idiom_text: zero hour
meaning: the particular time when any crucial act supposed to take place.
type: I
sentence:
  Right before the dawn, the British military had been waiting for zero hour to start the operation against terrorist in Afghanistan.


idiom_text: To have ants in your pants.
meaning: To be unable to keep still because you are very excited or worried about something.
type: I
sentence:
  There's a test tomorrow, and he can't concentrate or keep still. He looks like he's got ants in his pants.


idiom_text: Barking up the wrong tree.
sentence: The government was barking up the wrong tree with their proposal to sell off the UK's forests.
type: I
meaning:
  To make the wrong choice, or ask the wrong person. (Imagine Laika barking up a tree thinking there's a squirrel up there, but the squirrel has already run along the branches to another tree.)


idiom_text: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
meaning: Having something for certain is better than the possibility of getting something better.
type: I
sentence:
  I would stay with your current firm, rather than look for something better. After all, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.


idiom_text: To kill two birds with one stone.
meaning: To solve two problems with a single action.
type: I
sentence:
  I went to the dentist, and asked him to fill the molar, and remove the wisdom tooth at the same time. Might as well kill two birds with one stone.


idiom_text: A cuckoo in the nest.
sentence: The new manager is a real cuckoo in the nest. He's causing more problems than he's solving.
type: I
meaning:
  Someone who is part of a group but is different and often disliked, or a problem that grows quickly and crowds out everything else.


idiom_text: A dog and pony show.
sentence: His campaign was a real dog and pony show, but he still didn't win the election.
type: I
meaning:
  A show or other event that has been organized in order to get people's support or to persuade them to buy something.


idiom_text: Let sleeping dogs lie.
meaning: Leave something alone if it might cause trouble.
type: I
sentence:
  I knew my boss was wrong, but I didn't say anything. He wouldn't thank me, so I say, let sleeping dogs lie.


idiom_text: A white elephant.
meaning: Used to describe something you own that is useless.
type: I
sentence:
  Spain lavished money on many white elephant building projects, such as the airport at Ciudad Real, south of Madrid.


idiom_text: What's sauce for the goose, (is sauce for the gander.)
type: I
meaning:
  If you think something is acceptable for one person, it should also be acceptable for another person.

sentence:
  If your husband can go out to work, then surely you can too. After all, what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.


idiom_text: To look a gift horse in the mouth.
meaning: To mistrust or complain about something you are offered or given for free.
type: I
sentence:
  She complained that the software was slow, but hadn't paid for it, so I told her not to look a gift horse in the mouth.


idiom_text: To put the cart before the horse.
meaning: To get things confused and mixed up, or to do things in the wrong order.
type: I
sentence:
  Learning to write a language before you are comfortable speaking it is putting the cart before the horse.


idiom_text: Sraight from the horse's mouth.
meaning: To hear something interesting from someone actually involved.
type: I
sentence:
  The rumour is true, the company will announce a large contract today, I heard it straight from the horse's mouth; the managing director told me.


idiom_text: Mutton dressed (up) as lamb.
meaning: Used to describe a woman who is dressed in a style that is more suitable for a much younger woman.
type: I
sentence:
  She's over fifty and should really stop wearing mini skirts if she doesn't want to look like mutton dressed as lamb.


idiom_text: Even a blind squirrel can find a nut once in a while.
meaning: Sometimes people can be correct just by being lucky.
type: I
sentence:
  I was surprised when he came up with the solution, I didn't think he was that clever. I guess that even a blind squirrel can find a nut once in a while.


idiom_text: The worm has turned..
meaning: When a usually meek person or group of people becomes angry.
type: I
sentence:
  Investors have become skeptical of the ability of CEOs to pull higher stock prices out of their hats. The worm has turned.


idiom_text: To open a can of worms.
meaning: To do something that exposes a very difficult issue or set of problems.
type: I
sentence:
  When the government invited online petitions through its website, it found it had opened a can of worms.


idiom_text: To scratch someone's back.
meaning: To offer to help someone if they help you.
type: I
sentence:
  If I give you the planning permission you have to vote for me on the council. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.


idiom_text: To have a beer belly.
sentence: Most women find a beer belly very unattractive.
type: I
meaning:
  A beer belly (or pot belly) is , is the accumulation of visceral fat resulting in an increase in waist size. Aka: abdominal obesity, clinically known as central obesity.


idiom_text: Body politic
meaning: A politically organized group of people under a single government.
type: I
sentence:
  Judge Sydney Harris ordered the crown to return to the Body Politic all material seized during the raid.


idiom_text: Brain drain.
sentence: The country's brain drain began to reverse as professors returned from abroad.
type: I
meaning:
  The movement of people with education and skills from their own country to another country where they are paid more for their work.


idiom_text: To get sth off your chest.
sentence: When I told him I was leaving I was glad to get it off my chest.
type: I
meaning:
  To tell someone about something that has been worrying you or making you feel guilty for a long time.


idiom_text: Keep your chin up.
sentence: I told her to keep her chin up and everything would be ok in the end.
type: I
meaning:
  Something that you say to someone in a difficult situation in order to encourage them to be brave and to try not to be sad.


idiom_text: To be out on your ear.
sentence: One day, he was the CEO of a major company. The next, he was out on his ear.
type: I
meaning:
  To be forced to leave somewhere because you have done something wrong, or because your work is not good enough.


idiom_text: To go in one ear and out the other.
sentence: I could tell he wasn't really listening to my advice. It was going in one ear and out the other.
type: I
meaning:
  Used when someone isn't paying attention to what is being said, or obviously has no intention of acting upon it.


idiom_text: Cross fingers.
sentence: It's no good crossing your fingers, I want to know the truth!
type: I
meaning:
  People, usually children, sometimes cross their fingers behind their back when they're telling a lie thinking it gives them immunity. (Not to be confused with keeping your fingers crossed for luck.)


idiom_text: Keep your fingers crossed.
sentence: I've got an exam tomorrow at 9am, so keep your fingers crossed for me.
type: I
meaning:
  To literally cross your middle finger over your first finger to try and hope for a bit of luck, or a positive outcome.


idiom_text: To have your head in the clouds.
type: I
meaning:
  To be living in a fantasy, often used to describe people who are absentminded or impractical. Thanks to Martina

sentence:
  Lynne needs to concentrate harder, her head is always in the clouds. (From an old school report of mine.)


idiom_text: Eat your heart out.
sentence: I'm going to pickle a gummy bear in a jar of formaldehyde. Eat your heart out Damien Hirst!
type: I
meaning:
  If someone says eat your heart out followed by the name of a famous person, they are joking that they are even better than that person.


idiom_text: To warm the cockles of your heart
sentence: A baby's smile will warm the cockles of even the meanest person's heart.
type: I
meaning:
  Something you see or hear that makes you feel happy because it shows that people can be kind and good.


idiom_text: To be near the knuckle.
sentence: He's just not very funny, all his jokes are too near the knuckle for my liking.
type: I
meaning:
  If something (usually a joke or a remark) is near the knuckle, it is about sex in a way that some people find offensive.


idiom_text: Many a slip twixt cup and lip
meaning: Used to imply that even when the outcome of an event seems certain, things can still go wrong.
type: I
sentence:
  "They thought they had the contract all sewn up, but the client didn't sign in the end. There's many a slip twixt cup and lip."


idiom_text: To have a big mouth.
sentence: When I told them he had a girlfriend they looked surprised. Me and my big mouth!
type: I
meaning:
  If someone says you have a big mouth, they think you talk too much, especially about things that should be secret 


idiom_text: To have a brass neck.
sentence: He's got a brass neck to take time off when we're so busy.
type: I
meaning:
  Someone who is extremely confident about themselves and are unable to understand that their behaviour is unacceptable to others.


idiom_text: Cut off your nose to spite your face.
meaning: To do something because you are angry, even if it is not in your best interest.
type: I
sentence:
  She should have gone with them, she would have enjoyed it. She's just cutting off her nose to spite her face.


idiom_text: To be head and shoulders above
meaning: Used to describe someone who is superior.
type: I
sentence:
  Joe Kinnear claims he is "head and shoulders" above all the other directors of football in the Premier League having been a manager in the past. Mirror 2013 2nd Jul 2013


idiom_text: Skeleton in the closet / cupboard.
sentence: Nearly every family has a skeleton in the cupboard.
type: I
meaning:
  If you have a skeleton in the cupboard it means you have are hiding a shocking secret about yourself.


idiom_text: To have a thin skin. / To be thin skinned.
sentence: Think skinned people shouldn't go into politics.
type: I
meaning:
  If you are thin-skinned, you get upset when people criticize you, or think people are critisizing you when they aren't.


idiom_text: A kick in the teeth.
sentence: Finding our content on other web pages is a real kick in the teeth for us.
type: I
meaning:
  To feel very disappointed when someone lets you down, or life treats you unfairly. (Unless it's a real kick in the teeth during a fight.)


idiom_text: To have a frog in your throat.
sentence: Excuse me (cough cough), I've got a bit of a frog in my throat.
type: I
meaning:
  To have a tight feeling in your throat and be unable to speak clearly until you give a slight cough.


idiom_text: To have a green thumb.
sentence: Her garden won many prizes. People said she had green thumbs.
type: I
meaning:
  If you have a green thumb or even green thumbs it means you are good at gardening, or growing plants. For Competent


idiom_text: To keep on your toes.
sentence: Aladdin and Leo will have to keep on their toes to find the Live Chat session.
type: I
meaning:
  To keep on your toes, or to keep someone else on their toes, makes them stay alert and conscious of everything going on.


idiom_text: To bite your tongue.
sentence: Barack Obama said he bit his tongue many times during his primary fight against Hillary Clinton.
type: I
meaning:
  When you stop yourself from saying something because you realise it might cause offense or be hurtful.


idiom_text: To be tongue tied.
sentence: I knew I should have said something to make her feel better, but I was completely tongue tied.
type: I
meaning:
  Describes the feeling (familiar to many language learners) that you get when you can't seem to find the right words to say, and so you are unable to speak. As if your tongue were tied in knots.


idiom_text: The writing's on the wall
meaning: The future is predetermined usually in a negative way.
type: I
sentence:
  "The director has promised there won't be any compulsory redundancies this year, but I figure that for next year the writing's on the wall. Better get your CV up to date."


idiom_text: An anorak
type: I
meaning:
  Used to describe a dull person or an individual with a boring hobby who insists on talking about it.

sentence:
  "He's got hundreds of old Japanese robots that he insists on showing to anyone who visits. He's such an anorak."


idiom_text: To have something under your belt.
sentence: "Hermine has years of English practice under her belt. One day it will really help her."
type: I
meaning:
  If you have something under your belt, you have completed something successfully, and it may be useful to you in the future.


idiom_text: To treat someone with kid gloves.
meaning: To deal with someone very gently or carefully.
type: I
sentence:
  After the disappointment of not getting into her preferred university, the teachers treated her with kid gloves.


idiom_text: To black out a memory.
meaning: To forget something completely.
type: I
sentence:
  "I've completely blacked out what happened before and after the crash, I just don't want to remember."


idiom_text: To teach your grandmother to suck eggs.
meaning: To give advice to someone about a subject that they already know more about than you
type: I
sentence:
  "He tried to tell me how to drive and I told him not to try and teach your grandmother to suck eggs. I've been driving for years."


idiom_text: Election fever
meaning: The frenzy the media goes into whenever a general election is announced.
type: I
sentence:
  The media is suffering from election fever, you can't switch the TV on without being bombarded by political pundits.


idiom_text: Hung parliament
meaning: A parliament in which no one political party has an outright majority.
type: I
sentence:
  Everyone is saying there will be a hung parliament this election and the parties will have to make alliances with the smaller parties to form a majority.


idiom_text: A political football
sentence: "Women's health issues are always a political football."
type: I
meaning:
  A problem that doesn't get solved because the politics of the issue get in the way, or the issue is very controversial.


idiom_text: Political machinery.
meaning: The way politics runs in the UK.
type: I
sentence:
  The political machinery has yet to understand the opportunity or threat of the internet and social websites.


idiom_text: The show must go on
sentence: I've got a terrible cold, but I've got to go to work. The show must go on.
type: I
meaning:
  Something that we say which means that an event or activity must continue even if there are problems or difficulties.


idiom_text: A ball park figure.
meaning: A general financial figure.
type: I
sentence:
  "Until we had costed the project properly we were only able to give the customer a ball park figure."


idiom_text: A golden handshake.
meaning: To receive a large payment on leaving a company.
type: I
sentence:
  "She won't have to find a job very quickly because she got a huge golden handshake from her last job."


idiom_text: A close shave.
sentence: "I nearly crashed the car this morning, it was a close shave."
type: I
meaning:
  When you come extremely close to a dangerous or unpleasant situation or only just manage to avoid it.


idiom_text: Davy Jones' locker
sentence: Everyone on the ship drowned, they're in Davy Jones' locker now.
type: I
meaning:
  Davy Jones is the nickname for the devil of the sea. Davy Jones' locker means the bottom of the sea or ocean - the resting place of drowned sailors. It is used as a euphemism for death at sea.


idiom_text: Over my dead body.
sentence: When I asked my mum if I could have my ears pierced she replied, "Over my dead body!"
type: I
meaning:
  An expression of defiance. If you say that something will happen over your dead body, you mean that you will do anything to prevent it


idiom_text: From the cradle to the grave.
meaning: The whole of your life.
type: I
sentence:
  The National Health Service (NHS) has two guiding principles. Firstly, that such a service should be comprehensive, with all citizens receiving all the advice, treatment and care they needed, combined with the best medical and other facilities available. Secondly, that the service should be free to the public at the point of use, from the cradle to the grave.


idiom_text: Cheat death
meaning: To avoid a possibly fatal event or prolong your life in spite of considerable odds.
type: I
sentence:
  An eccentric British pilot cheated death after crash-landing in the shark-infested waters of the Caribbean.


idiom_text: It's your funeral
meaning: We say this when someone makes a decision that you don't agree with.
type: I
sentence:
  He's going out tonight, but if he doesn't meet the deadline he'll lose his job. I guess it's his funeral.


idiom_text: The honeymoon is over.
type: I
meaning:
  The time when after starting something new (a job etc.) people start to critisize you (see Honeymoon period).

sentence:
  The latest figures were very bad and the shareholders are calling for his resignation. I guess the honeymoon is over.


idiom_text: A dogs life
meaning: Life is hard and unpleasant.
type: I
sentence:
  I've got to go to work, then do the shopping, then pick the children up from school and cook their dinner - it's a dog's life!


idiom_text: Marry in haste, repent at leisure.
meaning: If you get married too soon, you will regret it.
type: I
sentence:
  She suddenly realised she didn't even like him that much, but you know what they say, "marry in haste, repent at leisure."


idiom_text: To laugh all the way to the bank.
meaning: To make lot of money very easily, often because someone else has been stupid.
type: I
sentence:
  If we don't take this opportunity, you can be sure our competitors will and they'll be laughing all the way to the bank.


idiom_text: e-cash
sentence: It is easier to pay on the net with e-cash.
type: I
meaning:
  Money from a special bank account which is used to buy goods and services over the Internet by sending information from your computer


idiom_text: Put your money where your mouth is
meaning: To follow up on words with action.
type: I
sentence:
  If people are really interested in helping the homeless they should put their money where their mouth is


idiom_text: Monopoly money
sentence: Whether he sells the house or not, it's all monopoly money to him.
type: I
meaning:
  Monopoly is the trademark for a game in which you buy property with pretend money, so monopoly money has little or no value.


idiom_text: Hit pay dirt
meaning: To discover something very valuable or very useful.
type: I
sentence:
  If a salesperson does not quickly hit pay dirt with a customer they will usually move straight on to someone else.


idiom_text: A nine/one/seven-day wonder
sentence: Don't put your coats away just yet – yesterday's sizzling hot weather was a one-day wonder.
type: I
meaning:
  Someone or something that causes interest or excitement for a short period but is then quickly forgotten


idiom_text: Do a number on someone.
meaning: To treat someone very badly or unfairly.
type: I
sentence:
  The competition was fake and did a real number with my email address. It could take days to get rid of all the spam I got.


idiom_text: Seven year itch
meaning: A real or imagined longing for other relationships in the seventh year of marriage.
type: I
sentence:
  Far too many couples suffer from the seven-year itch (which has been reduced these days to the two-year and even seven-month itch),


idiom_text: To be at sixes and sevens
meaning: Used to describe a state of confusion or disarray.
type: I
sentence:
  I was trying to upload photos into my blog, but I was all at sixes and sevens, I didn't have a clue how to do it!


idiom_text: Everything but the kitchen sink.
meaning: A lot of things - especially used when packing
type: I
sentence:
  "The check-in girl told her she was way over her weight limit. She'd packed everything but the kitchen sink."


idiom_text: Spring fever.
type: I
meaning:
  To feel restless. (It is thought to be a physiological and psychological shift in the body's response to changing seasons.)

sentence:
  The students couldn't pay any attention to what I was saying. They were obviously suffering from spring fever.


idiom_text: One swallow doesn't make a summer
type: I
meaning:
  Something that you say which means because one good thing has happened, you cannot be certain that more good things will happen.

sentence:
  After I passed my first exam, my teacher reminded me to keep on working hard. After all, one swallow doesn't make a summer.


idiom_text: To keep your eye on the ball.
meaning: To remain alert.
type: I
sentence:
  You'll need to keep your eye on the ball on this project, the technology available is moving so quickly.


idiom_text: To go the distance (boxing)
meaning: To carry through a course of action to completion.
type: I
sentence:
  No matter what you say about him, he really went the distance on his last project. No one could have done more.


idiom_text: To kick it into touch.
meaning: To cancel or quit something. Lit: To gain ground or to defend your team.
type: I
sentence:
  Before we waste any more time on this, I suggest we just kick it into touch, it's just not going to work.


idiom_text: To be saved by the bell (boxing)
sentence: The authorities arrested Chile's Gen. Augusto Pinochet, but he was saved by the bell of old age.
type: I
meaning:
  To be saved from misfortune or unpleasantness by something. Lit: When an opponent was knocked out and the bell rang before the count was completed the person was not out.


idiom_text: To score an own goal
meaning: To make a problem for yourself. Lit: To score in your own net - really ugly.
type: I
sentence:
  He scored a bit of an own goal when he increased the rate. They decided he was just too expensive and used someone else.


idiom_text: To throw in the towel (boxing)
meaning: To surrender, admit defeat. Lit: To signal surrender by throwing the towel into the ring.
type: I
sentence:
  The union decided to throw in the towel when they realised they weren't going to win any more concessions.


idiom_text: To not give someone the time of day.
sentence: I don't know why you spend so much time with him. I wouldn't even give him the time of day.
type: I
meaning:
  To refuse to speak to someone because you do not like them or because you think you are better than them.


idiom_text: Just in time (JIT)
sentence: The factory has implemented a new JIT strategy. All inventory must be reduced.
type: I
meaning:
  A production strategy that strives to improve a business return on investment (ROI) by reducing inventory and associated carrying costs.


idiom_text: Time in lieu
sentence: I worked two bank holidays, and I got two days off in lieu, but I would have preferred the cash.
type: I
meaning:
  Time off instead of, or in addition to, receiving pay for overtime worked or working on public or bank holidays. 


idiom_text: Car boot sale.
sentence: You can pick up a lot of bargains at a car boot sale.
type: I
meaning:
  An event in a public place where people sell their unwanted possessions, often from the backs of their cars.


idiom_text: Middle of the road (MOR).
sentence: "He only likes MOR music."
type: I
meaning:
  This idiom describes a person, organization, opinion or type of entertainment that is not extreme and is acceptable to or liked by most people.


idiom_text: On track.
sentence: "It looks as though the crisis is over. We're back on track."
type: I
meaning:
  If something is on track it's making progress and is likely to achieve something. To get or put something back on track means to correct something that was going wrong.


idiom_text: The inside track.
sentence: "He knows a lot about the company, he's on the inside track."
type: I
meaning:
  To have a special position within an organization, or a special relationship with a person that gives you advantages that other people do not have.


idiom_text: Public transport.
sentence: "People should use public transport more to avoid congestion on the roads."
type: I
meaning:
  A system of vehicles such as buses and trains which operate at regular times on fixed routes and are used by the public.


idiom_text: Every cloud has a silver lining.
meaning: You can usually find something good in negative situations.
type: I
sentence:
  When he lost his job he realised it really hadn't been what he wanted to do, so he retrained as a therapist. You see, every cloud has a silver lining.


idiom_text: Add up to
meaning: Have a certain result.
type: P
sentence:
  Trains delays are getting worse and with the high fares, it all ADDS UP TO misery for the commuters.


idiom_text: Agree with
sentence: I feel terrible- that food didn't AGREE WITH my stomach.
type: P
meaning:
  Affect- usually used in the negative to show that something has had a negative effect, especially is it makes you feel bad.


idiom_text: Back up
meaning: Make a copy of computer data.
type: P
sentence:
  You should always BACK UP important files and documents so that you won't lose all your work if something goes wrong with the hardware.


idiom_text: Beef up
meaning: Make something stronger or more solid.
type: P
sentence:
  The company BEEFED UP their case when they saw that the public wouldn't accept their first explanation of the accident.


idiom_text: Blank out
meaning: Have a temporary memory failure.
type: P
sentence:
  I was so nervous in the interview that I just BLANKED OUT and couldn't answer their questions properly.


idiom_text: Bring about
meaning: Make something happen.
type: P
sentence:
  The changes to the law were BROUGHT ABOUT by the government because so many people were ignoring the old one.


idiom_text: Bring down
meaning: Make something cheaper.
type: P
sentence:
  The improvements in technology have BROUGHT the prices of computers DOWN considerably in recent months.


idiom_text: Bring forward
meaning: Make something happen earlier than originally planned.
type: P
sentence:
  The meeting has been BROUGHT FORWARD to this Friday instead of next week because some people couldn't make it then.


idiom_text: Brush up
meaning: Improve a skill quickly.
type: P
sentence:
  She took a two-week course to BRUSH UP her Spanish before she went travelling around South and Central America.


idiom_text: Butt in
meaning: Interrupt.
type: P
sentence:
  I hope you don't mind me BUTTING IN on your conversation, but I couldn't help hearing what you said...


idiom_text: Buy in
meaning: Force a CD or record into the charts by buying lots of copies.
type: P
sentence:
  Joe Meek's last hit, 'Singin' the Blues', was probably BOUGHT IN at number 40, but failed to go any higher.


idiom_text: Call in
meaning: Stop and visit.
type: P
sentence:
  I CALLED IN on Jenny on my way home because she's not very well at the moment and I wanted to see if she needed anything.


idiom_text: Call on
meaning: Ask for help.
type: P
sentence:
  The President CALLED ON the wealthy countries for financial aid after the floods destroyed much of the country's agriculture.


idiom_text: Carried away
meaning: Get so emotional that you lose control.
type: P
sentence:
  The team got CARRIED AWAY when they won the championship and started shouting and throwing things around.


idiom_text: Cheat on
meaning: Deceive or betray, often in a sexual and/or emotional context.
type: P
sentence:
  She thought he had always been faithful to her, but he had been CHEATING ON her ever since their wedding day (with one of the bridesmaids).


idiom_text: Climb down
meaning: Accept that you are wrong and change your position.
type: P
sentence:
  The Prime Minister had to CLIMB DOWN over his tax proposals because there was so much opposition from the members of his own party.


idiom_text: Come out
meaning: Let people know that you are lesbian or gay.
type: P
sentence:
  She CAME OUT at university and has been living with her partner, Jane, for the last couple of years.


idiom_text: Come through
meaning: Arrive (messages and information).
type: P
sentence:
  News is COMING THROUGH of a major accident on the M25, where freezing fog has been making driving conditions extremely dangerous.


idiom_text: Count on
meaning: Expect something to happen and base plans on it.
type: P
sentence:
  I was COUNTING ON the payment arriving last week and was really angry when it didn't arrive as I didn't have enough money to pay for everything.


idiom_text: Cut up
meaning: Drive into a neighbouring lane, directly in front of another vehicle.
type: P
sentence:
  I was just driving onto the motorway slip-road, when a red Mini CUT me UP and I had to brake suddenly to avoid an accident.


idiom_text: Decide on
meaning: Choose, select.
type: P
sentence:
  Trevor spent a long time looking at flats before he bought one, but eventually DECIDED ON one near his work.


idiom_text: Decide upon
meaning: Choose, select.
type: P
sentence:
  Jane spent a long time looking at houses before she bought one, but eventually DECIDED UPON one near her office.


idiom_text: Die out
meaning: Become extinct or disappear.
type: P
sentence:
  Some scientists say that the dinosaurs DIED OUT when a comet hit the earth and caused a nuclear winter.


idiom_text: Drum out
meaning: Force someone out of their job or position.
type: P
sentence:
  They DRUMMED the minister OUT when she was caught lying.The minister was DRUMMED OUT of her post for lying. (The passive form with OF is more common)


idiom_text: Flog off
meaning: Sell something cheaply to get rid of it.
type: P
sentence:
  The council FLOGGED OFF the land cheaply to a developer who had close links to a few of the councillors.


idiom_text: Front off
meaning: Confront someone and let them know you are prepared to fight.
type: P
sentence:
  The two guys FRONTED each other OFF, but someone managed to calm them down before it got out of hand.


idiom_text: Get above
meaning: Behave as if you are better or more important than others.
type: P
sentence:
  She's been GETTING ABOVE HERSELF since she got promoted.(This is normally used in progressive forms and followed by a reflexive pronoun, though 'get above your station' is also used.)


idiom_text: Get at
meaning: Use threats, payments, bribes, etc, to affect someone's testimony or decision.
type: P
sentence:
  The gangsters GOT AT the jury, who found them not guilty of all charges despite the evidence presented in court.


idiom_text: Get in
meaning: Arrive home.
type: P
sentence:
  She didn't GET IN till well after twelve o'clock because she'd been out for a few drinks with her mates.


idiom_text: Get round (or around)
meaning: Persuade someone.
type: P
sentence:
  She didn't want to let me do it, but I succeeded in GETTING ROUND her. (In American English 'around' is used)


idiom_text: Give off
type: P
meaning:
  Follow or take one of 2 or more branches (instructions, in machine code) in writing a computer program (using system software for a programming language).

sentence:
  A particular application of a processing code can be GIVEN OFF while requiring minimal run-time support.


idiom_text: Grey out
meaning: Disable a function in a computer program, leaving it visible but not working.
type: P
sentence:
  They GREYED OUT the print button to stop people using it.(In American English, 'gray' would be used.)


idiom_text: Grow apart
sentence: We used to be good friends at school but have since GROWN APART.
type: P
meaning:
  Become distant, stop having a close relationship because time, distance, interests, etc, have changed.


idiom_text: Hold onto
meaning: Keep as long as possible.
type: P
sentence:
  It tried to HOLD ONTO my cash during the holiday so I could buy some duty free stuff on the way back.


idiom_text: Hone in on
meaning: Target, focus.
type: P
sentence:
  The company HONED IN ON its rival and tried to take it over.(Some consider this verb to be wrong and that is confused with 'home in on.)


idiom_text: Keep up
meaning: Maintain a continuous action, persist.
type: P
sentence:
  First I phoned you and left a message that you should phone me; then you phoned and I was out, so you left a message; then...! How long can we KEEP this UP without ever speaking to each other directly?


idiom_text: Kick out
meaning: Expel.
type: P
sentence:
  The family KICKED the au pair OUT when they found out that she was planning to move to work for another household.


idiom_text: Mark down
meaning: Give a student a lower grade for a particular reason.
type: P
sentence:
  Students who gave obviously rehearsed answers were MARKED DOWN, while those who spoke naturally were rewarded accordingly.


idiom_text: Phase out
meaning: Remove gradually.
type: P
sentence:
  They have introduced a compact edition of the newspaper and are PHASING OUT the broadsheet edition over the next few months.


idiom_text: Pick up
type: P
meaning:
  Collect (a person). This differs from the 'collect a thing' meaning - as that means 'collect and bring back' whereas this means either (i) 'collect and drop off on your way' or (ii) 'collect and bring to the same destination'..

sentence:
  i) Can you PICK me UP and take me to The George when you go to the party?ii) Can you PICK UP some friends of mine on your way to the party? They're going too.


idiom_text: Price up
meaning: Charge more for something.
type: P
sentence:
  In rural areas where they have a monopoly, some garages PRICE UP fuel because there's nowhere else to buy it.


idiom_text: Quieten down
meaning: Fall silent.
type: P
sentence:
  The audience QUIETENED DOWN when the lights were switched off in the auditorium and the play was ready to begin.


idiom_text: Rub it in
meaning: Emphasise how bad a situation is to make someone feel worse.
type: P
sentence:
  Even though the minister had resigned, the press RUBBED IT IN by publishing more details of the scandal.


idiom_text: See through
meaning: Continue with something to the end.
type: P
sentence:
  They had a lot of difficulties in implementing the project, but the team SAW it THROUGH successfully.


idiom_text: Sell out
meaning: Lose all artistic integrity in return for commercial success.
type: P
sentence:
  Most bands SELL OUT when they sign to a major record label, and forget all their principles when pursuing chart success.


idiom_text: Send in
meaning: Order people into a place to handle a problem.
type: P
sentence:
  The police were SENT IN to quell the riot as the protesters had started burning cars and wrecking shops.


idiom_text: Send up
meaning: Imitate/impersonate for comic effect.
type: P
sentence:
  The mischievous schoolboy was standing at the front of the class, SENDING the teacher UP, when the teacher opened the door behind him.


idiom_text: Set aside
meaning: Overturn a court verdict or decision.
type: P
sentence:
  The Appeal Court SET ASIDE the guilty verdict because the evidence was unsatisfactory and declared her not guilty.


idiom_text: Set off
meaning: Explode a bomb.
type: P
sentence:
  Terrorists SET OFF a car bomb in the city centre last night. Fortunately, no-one was hurt or killed.


idiom_text: Set up
meaning: Start a company.
type: P
sentence:
  They SET UP a dot com company, floated it a couple of years later on the Stock Exchange and made an absolute fortune.


idiom_text: Step aside
meaning: Leave a job or position so that someone else can take over.
type: P
sentence:
  Everyone thinks that the prime minister should STEP ASIDE so that someone new can lead the party into the election.


idiom_text: Storm out
meaning: Leave a place angrily.
type: P
sentence:
  He lost his temper and STORMED OUT OF the bar. (If you don't mention the place, you can just say 'He stormed out')


idiom_text: Strike down
meaning: Kill.
type: P
sentence:
  A hitman STRUCK him DOWN as he entered the building.(This verb is often used in the passive- He was struck down as he entered the building.)


idiom_text: Tack on
meaning: Add something that wasn't planned.
type: P
sentence:
  They TACKED ON a new ending to the film when they found that test audiences didn't like the original.


idiom_text: Tail off
meaning: Decrease.
type: P
sentence:
  Profits TAILED OFF sharply in the last quarter of the year as a result of the increase in the price of oil.


idiom_text: Take it out on
meaning: Abuse someone because you're angry.
type: P
sentence:
  Whenever things go wrong, he always shouts and TAKES IT OUT ON me, even if I had nothing to do with the problem.


idiom_text: Take over
meaning: Assume control of a company or organisation.
type: P
sentence:
  The bank was TAKEN OVER by a Hong Kong bank that needed to buy a bank to get into the British market.


idiom_text: Talk out of
meaning: Persuade someone not to do something.
type: P
sentence:
  He was going to drive home after drinking half a bottle of wine, but his friends TALKED him OUT OF it.


idiom_text: Throw up
meaning: Create clouds of dust or splash water into the air.
type: P
sentence:
  The road was bumpy and the car in front was THROWING UP so much dust that we could hardly see where we were going.


idiom_text: Tick over
meaning: Operate but without moving (engines).
type: P
sentence:
  The mechanic left the engine TICKING OVER for a while to see if he could see what was causing the problem.


idiom_text: Trade down
meaning: Sell something and replace it with something cheaper.
type: P
sentence:
  Their house it too large now that their children have left home, so they're going to TRADE DOWN to something smaller.


idiom_text: Trade up
meaning: Leave your wife or husband and marry someone better looking, richer, etc.
type: P
sentence:
  She supported him for years while he was struggling, but when he hit the big time he left her and TRADED UP.


idiom_text: Walk into
type: P
meaning:
  Be unaware of the presence of something and either enter it (a trap) or bump into it (an obstruction).

sentence:
  You WALKED INTO that one [You became victim to a trap I set]orI WALKED INTO a door and broke my nose.


idiom_text: Water down
meaning: Make something weaker and less effective.
type: P
sentence:
  The Freedom of Information Act was WATERED DOWN by the Government and didn't give ordinary people much access to official data files


idiom_text: Wear away
meaning: Erode, remove gradually.
type: P
sentence:
  The lawn has been WORN AWAY by people walking across it and it's just bare soil now with hardly a blade of grass.


idiom_text: Wimp out
meaning: Not be brave enough to do something.
type: P
sentence:
  I was going to have the hottest curry on the menu, but I WIMPED OUT and had a mild lamb Korma instead.


idiom_text: deck out (in/with)
meaning: Dress; decorate
type: P
sentence:
  1) The women were all decked out in beautiful   dresses. 2) The exhibition hall will be decked out in the   colours of Europe.


idiom_text: drag out
meaning: 1) Make something longer than necessary. 2) Make someone reveal or give information unwillingly.
type: P
sentence:
  1) Let's decide now and not drag out this  discussion.  2) The police finally dragged out a confession  from the suspect.


idiom_text: even out
meaning: 1) Eliminate differences of opinion. 2) Become level or regular
type: P
sentence:
  1) After a long discussion they managed to even out their differences. 2) The road was evened out to make it safer.


idiom_text: get about/around
meaning: 1) Move from place to place 2) Spread, circulate
type: P
sentence:
  1) It's not easy to get around the city without      a map. 2) News of their separation soon got about.


idiom_text: join up
meaning: 1) Engage in, become a member of 2) Meet and unite with
type: P
sentence:
  1) John was in the army and Tom joined up as soon as he left school. 2) The two groups of tourists joined up at the hotel.


idiom_text: a clean bill of health
type: I
meaning:
  said when you examine someone or something and state that they are healthy, in good condition, or legal.

sentence:
  1. The president was given a clean bill of health by his doctors. 2. The company received a clean bill of health because it fulfilled all the safety requirements.


idiom_text: a life-saver
sentence: Thank you so much for your help. You're a real lifesaver!
type: I
meaning:
  This phrase is used to refer to something or someone that saves a person in a difficult situation or critical moment.


idiom_text: a new lease of life
sentence: His new job has given him a new lease of life.
type: I
meaning:
  This idiom is used to refer to an occasion when something gives you the chance to become happy or healthy and makes you more energetic than before.


idiom_text: a number cruncher
type: I
meaning:
  a number cruncher refers to someone whose job is to work with numbers and mathematics. It may also refer to a computer that is able to solve complicated problems of mathematics.

sentence:
  1. He's a number cruncher. He works for a big firm of accountants. 2. Number crunchers are used on election night to try and forecast the result.


idiom_text: above suspicion
sentence: That guy is a peaceful man; he is above suspicion.
type: I
meaning:
  This phrase is used to describe a person who is honest enough that no one would suspect.  The origin of the phrase is attributed to Julius Caesar, who divorced his wife Pompeia, on the grounds of her possible involvement in a public scandal, saying that &quot;my wife ought not even to be under suspicion.&quot; This gave rise to a proverb, sometimes expressed: &quot;Caesar's wife must be above suspicion.&quot;


idiom_text: above the salt
sentence: In medieval times lords used to sit above the salt.
type: I
meaning:
  If someone is above the salt they are of high standing or honor.  The origin of the phrase dates back to the medieval times. Then salt which was a valuable seasoning was placed in the middle of a dining table and the lord and his family were seated &quot;above the salt&quot; and other guests or servants below.  (See also )


idiom_text: add fuel to the fire
sentence: Don't add fuel to the fire by laughing at him. He is furious about what you have already done
type: I
meaning:
  (also add fuel to the flames) to make a problem worse; to say or do something that makes a bad situation worse.


idiom_text: age before beauty
sentence: Please, you first. Age before beauty, you know.
type: I
meaning:
  A phrase said to allow older people to go before younger ones. Now most often used humorously or lightheartedly, and usually said by a younger person to an older friend or relative out of mock pity for being so much older and unattractive.


idiom_text: ahead of one's time
sentence: With his new scientific discoveries, he was ahead of his time.
type: I
meaning:
  in advance of concurrent commonly accepted ideas; showing characteristics of changes yet to be; present in one's work before later advances in the field.


idiom_text: a steal
meaning: A steal refers to a good deal; it's almost like you stole it.
type: I
sentence:
  "You look great in these shoes!" "Theyre at 70% discount! I paid Just $30!" "Wow thats really a steal! It's such a great deal."


idiom_text: all ones eggs in one basket
type: I
meaning:
  the state of having invested heavily in just one area or of having devoted all of ones resources to one thing.

sentence:
  The stock market decline wouldnt have hurt him so badly if he hadnt had all his eggs in one basket


idiom_text: all that glitters is not gold
type: I
meaning:
  appearance is sometimes misleading. Things that appear valuable or worthwhile might not be as good as they look.

sentence:
  The house looks beautiful from the outside but the inside part of the house looks terrible; all that glitters is not gold.


idiom_text: all the more
meaning: even more.
type: I
sentence:
  Her family didn't want her to get married to her new boyfriend, but that just made her all the more determined.


idiom_text: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
type: I
meaning:
  All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy is a proverb which means that it is not good to work all the time and that people may get bored if they don't get some time off from work.  This saying appeared first in James Howell's , and was included in later collections of proverbs.   Some writers have added a second part to the proverb:  All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, All play and no work makes Jack a mere toy.  See more about this saying on

sentence:
  Proverbs in English, Italian, French and Spanish (1659) I think you need to go out and have some fun. You know all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.


idiom_text: along the lines
meaning: in a general direction or manner.
type: I
sentence:
  I was thinking along the lines of a vegetable garden, but I could be persuaded to include some perennials.


idiom_text: an eye for an eye
type: I
meaning:
  (also, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.) said to suggest that punishment should equal the crime. At the root of this principle is that one of the purposes of the law is to provide equitable retribution for an offended party.

sentence:
  In some countries, justice operates on the principle of an eye for an eye. That is, if you kill someone, you desrve to die.


idiom_text: arrow in the quiver
type: I
meaning:
  This idiom is used when talking about one of a number of resources or strategies that can be used to achieve a goal.

sentence:
  If you are having a job interview, improving your communication skills can be another arrow in your quiver.


idiom_text: ball someone or something up
sentence: 1. Someone has balled my car up. 2. She balled the paper up in anger.
type: I
meaning:
  1. To make a mess of, destroy or ruin; to interfere with someone or something. 2. To roll something up into a ball.


idiom_text: ball-breaker
type: I
meaning:
  (Also a ball-buster.) This refers either to a job or situation that is demanding and arduous and punishing or to a demanding woman who destroys men's confidence.

sentence:
  My job is such a ball-breaker! My boss expects me to work over the weekend again. Men try to avoid her because she is a real ball-breaker.


idiom_text: banana repulic
sentence: Banana republic countries need democratization.
type: I
meaning:
  A small country, especially one in Central America, that is dependent on a single export commodity (traditionally bananas) and that has a corrupt, dictatorial government.


idiom_text: be in the land of the living
meaning: be awake or to be alive.
type: I
sentence:
  He was working all night long. I don't think he'll be in the land of the living before noon. I haven't seen him for ages. I'm surprised to find him stil in the land of the living


idiom_text: be part of the furniture
type: I
meaning:
  if someone or something is , they have been somewhere so long as to seem an integral part of the place.

sentence:
  part of the furniture She worked for that company for so long that she became part of the furniture.


idiom_text: below the salt
sentence: In medieval times servants used to sit below the salt.
type: I
meaning:
  If someone is below the salt they are common or of low standing.  The phrase dates back to the medieval table customs. During those times salt which was a valuable seasoning was placed in the middle of a dining table and the lord and his family were seated &quot;above the salt&quot; and other guests or servants &quot;below the salt&quot;.  (See also )


idiom_text: better the devil you know
sentence: Nancy is such a difficult girl to work with, but better the devil you know.
type: I
meaning:
  (also better the devil you know than the devil you don't) it is sometimes better to deal with someone or thing you know than to deal with a new person or thing who could be even worse.


idiom_text: big wheel
sentence: She's a big wheel at IBM.
type: I
meaning:
  A person with a great deal of power or influence, especially a high-ranking person in an organization.


idiom_text: blessing in desguise
meaning: a blessing in disguise is said when a misfortune has some unexpected benefits
type: I
sentence:
  His failure to pass the exam was a blessing in disguise. This made him realize the importance of hard work.


idiom_text: blood is thicker than water
meaning: family relations are more important than all other relationships.
type: I
sentence:
  Even if Nancy and her brother often argue, they always forgive each other. Blood is thicker than water.


idiom_text: blow a kiss
meaning: To kiss one's hand, then blow on the hand in a direction towards the recipient.
type: I
sentence:
  We haven't yet kissed, but she blew me a kiss as the train pulled out of the station. That meant a lot to me


idiom_text: blue-sky thinking
type: I
meaning:
  This refers to thinking that is unrealistic. This phrase may also refer to creative ideas that diverge from current beliefs or ideas.

sentence:
  Blue-sky thinking has long been denigrated, and because of the economic recession, such fanciful thinking may even be considered downright irresponsible.


idiom_text: Bobs your uncle
type: I
meaning:
  Said to mean &quot;No problem&quot;, &quot;the solution is simple&quot;, &quot;there you have it&quot; (appended to the end of a description of how to achieve something).

sentence:
  You want to go to the stadium? Go straight on until you reach the park, take the first left and Bobs your uncle!


idiom_text: boots on the ground
sentence: The Pentagon may say we have enough, but that's not what I'm hearing from the boots on the ground.
type: I
meaning:
  The ground forces actually fighting in a war or conflict at the time of speaking, rather than troops not engaged or being transported to the fighting.


idiom_text: bring a knife to a gunfight
sentence: We lost the deal against much equipped competitors because we brought a knife to a gunfight.
type: I
meaning:
  (Also, take a knife to a gunfight) To enter into a confrontation or other challenging situation without being adequately equipped or prepared.


idiom_text: bring home the bacon
meaning: get a job and bring home money earned from this job.
type: I
sentence:
  When her husband got fired, she decided to look for a job because someone's got to bring home the bacon.


idiom_text: bring to knees
meaning: to destroy or defeat someone or something.
type: I
sentence:
  Sanctions were imposed in an attempt to bring the country to its knees. The strikes brought the economy to its knees.


idiom_text: by the numbers
sentence: His work is done by the numbers. There is nothing original about it!
type: I
meaning:
  If you do something by the numbers, you are doing it in a strict, mechanical way, without using your imagination or creativity.


idiom_text: calm before the storm
meaning: the calm before the storm is an unussual or false quiet period before a period of upheaval.
type: I
sentence:
  The negotiation between the two parties may be peaceful now. But don't be misled! This is only the calm before the storm.


idiom_text: cat burglar
sentence: He was known for being a cat burglar who only stole from apartments in high buildings
type: I
meaning:
  A cat burglar refers to a thief who enters a building by skillfully climbing to a building without attracting notice.


idiom_text: charmed life
type: I
meaning:
  The phrase &quot;charmed life&quot; refers to a life protected as if by magic charms. It describes a person who is very lucky and is strangely unaffected by dangers and difficulties.  The phrase was first used by Shakespeare in his play, Macbeth in 1605.  &quot;Thou losest labor. As easy mayst thou the intrenchant air With thy keen sword impress as make me bleed. Let fall thy blade on vulnerable crests; I bear a charm&egrave;d life, which must not yield To one of woman born.&quot;  The two lines:  &quot;I bear a charmed life, which must not yield To one of woman born&quot;  mean:  &quot;I lead a charmed life, which cant be ended by anyone born from a woman.&quot;

sentence:
  Everybody believes that he leads a charmed life. He was lucky enough to survive after a terrible car accident.


idiom_text: come to your attention
meaning: (also come to your notice) said when you notice something.
type: I
sentence:
  It has recently come to the workers attention that changes are taking place in the company because of financial problems.


idiom_text: cupboard love
sentence: It was just cupboard love, and what she really wanted was the money she used to get from him.
type: I
meaning:
  The phrase cupboard love refers to affection that is given purely to gain something from someone.   The phrase comes from the way in which a cat will give the person who feeds it superficial &quot;love&quot;.


idiom_text: curiosity killed the cat
sentence: Alan: I wonder who killed that wealthy man? Bill: Curiosity killed the cat.
type: I
meaning:
  Curiosity killed the cat is a proverb used to warn someone not to be too curious about something and ask too many questions because this can get you into trouble.


idiom_text: devil finds work for idle hands to do
type: I
meaning:
  People are inclined to do frivolous or harmful things to get rid of their boredom when they don't do anything useful.

sentence:
  My husband made sure that the children are always occupied doing something because you know the devil finds work for idle hands to do.


idiom_text: dime a dozen
meaning: Said about anything that is common, inexpensive, and easy to get or available any where.
type: I
sentence:
  We don't need someone like him in this company. People with his skills are a dime a dozen these days.


idiom_text: dip your toe in the water
type: I
meaning:
  (also dip a toe in the water) said when you start something carefully because you are not sure whether it will work or not.

sentence:
  I am doing some volunteer work at the new school to try and dip my toe in the water of working in the education field


idiom_text: dirty work
meaning: (also do the dirty work) unpleasant work or dishonest action.
type: I
sentence:
  1. I don't know but I feel there is some dirty work going on in this company. 2. I always have to do the dirty work. I never have fun.


idiom_text: dollars to donuts
sentence: I'll bet you dollars to donuts she won't accept his marriage proposal.
type: I
meaning:
  This idiomatic expression is used to suggest that something is very likely to be true or that one is certain about something.


idiom_text: draw in one's horns
sentence: He wanted to fight again but we managed to calm him down and get him to draw in his horns.
type: I
meaning:
  (also pull in one's horns) to become less impassioned, aggressive, or argumentative; to back down from a fight; to yield or capitulate.


idiom_text: drop a dime
sentence: He went out to drop a dime on John.
type: I
meaning:
  to drop a dime means to make a phone call, usually calling the police to inform on or betray someone.


idiom_text: every cloud has a silver lining
sentence: You should never feel hopeless. Every cloud has a silver lining, you know
type: I
meaning:
  This expression is used to say that there is always something good even in an unpleasant, difficult or even painful situation.  The origin of this expression is most likely traced to John Milton's &quot;Comus&quot; (1634) with the lines,  Was I deceiv'd, or did a sable cloud Turn forth her silver lining on the night?


idiom_text: everything but the kitchen sink
meaning: Almost everything, whether needed or not.
type: I
sentence:
  She must have brought everything but the kitchen sink along on the trip, and how she lifted her suitcase, I do not know.


idiom_text: experience is the mother of wisdom
meaning: this idiom is used to mean that people learn from what happens to them.
type: I
sentence:
  You will never understand the love parents have for their children until you get your own children. Experience is really the mother of wisdom.


idiom_text: eye candy
meaning: A very attractive person or persons or any object or sight with considerable visual appeal.
type: I
sentence:
  1. I'm going to the beach to check out some eye candy. 2. The computer graphics added lots of eye candy to that movie.


idiom_text: fair-haired boy
sentence: Before he was fired out, he had been the fair-haired boy of the boss.
type: I
meaning:
  (also blue-eyed boy) a person highly regarded and by someone or a group and treated with special favor


idiom_text: feel like a million
sentence: It is a wonderful day! I feel like a million dollars.
type: I
meaning:
  (Also feel like a million bucks, feel like a million dollars) To feel like a million means to feel well and healthy, both physically and mentally.


idiom_text: get a life
sentence: Stop complaining! Get a life.
type: I
meaning:
  This is an idiom that indicates that someone's life is boring and pointless and that they should make their life more interesting.


idiom_text: give the kiss of life
sentence: He saved a victim of an accident by giving him the kiss of life.
type: I
meaning:
  To give the kiss of life means to help a person who has stopped breathing by giving them artificial respiration, that is to say, by blowing into their mouth and pressing their chest.


idiom_text: go against the flow
meaning: to do the opposite of people do and not accept things as thy are.
type: I
sentence:
  In his last speech, the leader of the opposition went against the flow and declared that reducing taxes will harm the economy.


idiom_text: God knows
sentence: God knows what he's going to do after his divorce.
type: I
meaning:
  this idiom means &quot;only God knows.&quot; Said when you have absolutely no knowledge of something.


idiom_text: good fences make good neighbors
sentence: Our neighbor should prevent his children from messing up our lawn. Good fences make good neighbors.
type: I
meaning:
  (also good walls make good neighbors) this means that people should respect other people's property and privacy and mind their own business.


idiom_text: green-eyed monster
meaning: envy, jealousy, covetousness
type: I
sentence:
  1. "O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on." William Shakespeare 2. His success aroused the green-eyed monster in his friend.


idiom_text: handle someone with kid gloves
sentence: He has become so sensitive after his divorce. You need to handle him with kid gloves.
type: I
meaning:
  to be very careful and polite to a person because you don't want to hurt him or her, or you don't want to to make him or her angry or upset.


idiom_text: have bigger fish to fry
sentence: I can't answer your question. I have bigger fish to fry.
type: I
meaning:
  (also have other fish to fry; have more important fish to fry) to have other things to do; to have more important things to do.


idiom_text: have other fish to fry
sentence: I can't answer your question. I have other fish to fry.
type: I
meaning:
  (Also have bigger fish to fry; have more important fish to fry)to have other things to do; to have more important things to do.


idiom_text: he that would the daughter win, must with the mother first begin
type: I
meaning:
  This is a proverb which means that if you intend to marry a woman, first try to win her mother on your side.

sentence:
  Listen Joe, if you want to marry Nancy, try to impress her mother first and be sure that she is on your side. He that would the daughter win, must with the mother first begin.


idiom_text: horse of a different color
meaning: (also horse of another color) a different matter.
type: I
sentence:
  If you want to invest in the stock market, it's ok. Gambling, however, is a horse of a different color.


idiom_text: in a dead heat
sentence: The two horses finished the race in a dead heat.
type: I
meaning:
  said when two or more competitors finish a race or a competition at exactly the same time or with exactly the same result.


idiom_text: in a split second
meaning: in just very short time.
type: I
sentence:
  Every thing was calm. But just in a split second a storm hit the whole region causing a lot of victims.


idiom_text: in God's name
sentence: What in God's name did you do to that poor girl?
type: I
meaning:
  (also in the name of God, in the name of heaven,in God's name, in heaven's name) used to add emphasis.


idiom_text: in the cold light of day
sentence: Later, in the cold light of day, John realized his mistake. But it was too late; the harm was done.
type: I
meaning:
  This idiom is used when you see things objectively, clearly and calmly, without the emotions you had at the time they occurred.


idiom_text: in the wake of
meaning: following, as a result of.
type: I
sentence:
  Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigns his position as head of the International Monetary Fund in the wake of sexual assault charges.


idiom_text: It's about time
sentence: It's about time that women should be considered equal to men in this country.
type: I
meaning:
  Used to express impatience at the eventual occurrence of something that should have occurred a long time ago.


idiom_text: Justice is blind
sentence: No matter who you are, you must respect the law. Justice is blind!
type: I
meaning:
  This expression means that justice is impartial and objective. There is an allusion here to the Greek statue for justice, wearing a blindfold so as not to treat friends differently from strangers, or rich people better than the poor ones.


idiom_text: know something inside and out
meaning: to know something very thoroughly.
type: I
sentence:
  He's still new to their system, but he knows databases inside and out and will understand the rest soon.


idiom_text: law unto oneself
sentence: Leila is a law unto herself; she doesn't want to abide by the rules.
type: I
meaning:
  This idiomatic expression describes a person who behaves in an independent way, ignoring rules and what is generally accepted as correct.


idiom_text: make a man of someone
sentence: A couple of years in a foreign country will make a man of him.
type: I
meaning:
  (also make a man out of someone) to make a young person become more experienced or act like an adult and take responsibility.


idiom_text: make chin music
meaning: talk or chatter.
type: I
sentence:
  The boss was furious because he found them sitting there making chin music instead of doing the job.


idiom_text: make one's way
meaning: To move in a particular direction; advance in life by one's own efforts.
type: I
sentence:
  1. He made his way to the police station and told all about the murder. 2. He had to make his own way in the world as his family was very poor.


idiom_text: man in the street
meaning: (Also, woman in the street) This idiom is used to describe an ordinary person.
type: I
sentence:
  Generally speaking, politicians are rarely concerned with the needs and interests of the man in the street.


idiom_text: man of straw
meaning: A weak person.
type: I
sentence:
  When his wife needed his support, he run away and left her facing all the problems all alone. That is why, she called him a man of straw after all.


idiom_text: man's home is his castle
meaning: This idiom suggest tha people are free to do whatever they want to in their own home
type: I
sentence:
  He was furious when they told him not to listen to his favorite music in his own home. He told them that a man's home is his castle.


idiom_text: men make houses, women make homes
type: I
meaning:
  It's often the men who build or acquire houses for their families, but it's usually women who provide the things that make a house into a home.

sentence:
  When her husband bought the house, she took charge of decorating and tidying it up. It's true that men make houses, women make homes.


idiom_text: necessity is the mother of invention
meaning: This proverb means that when people really need to do something, they will find a way to do it.
type: I
sentence:
  When her pen had run out of ink, she used her lipstick to write a short note to her husband who was at work.


idiom_text: nervous Nellie
sentence: He is a nervous Nellie; He can't make a decision without the approval of wife.
type: I
meaning:
  A nervous Nellie refers to someone whose personality and usual behavior are characterized by worry, insecurity, and timidity.


idiom_text: nine to five
sentence: She's tired of working nine to five.
type: I
meaning:
  said about a job with normal daytime hours, a job that begins at nine o'clock in the morning and finishes at five.


idiom_text: no comment
type: I
meaning:
  an &quot;official&quot; refusal to relay any further information, as a response to a newspaper reporter's question.

sentence:
  The district attorney said, "No comment," when the reporter asked if he knew the identity of the criminal.


idiom_text: odd duck
sentence: This boy is an odd duck in many ways. Unlike his peers, he has no hobbies.
type: I
meaning:
  An unusual person, especially an individual with an idiosyncratic personality or peculiar behavioral characteristics.


idiom_text: on the face of it
meaning: on the surface.
type: I
sentence:
  On the face of it, she seems innocent. But when the police investigated her case, they discovered that she was guilty.


idiom_text: on the take
sentence: This is a country where many officials are on the take.
type: I
meaning:
  This idiom is used to describe a person who is in a position of authority and takes or seeks to take bribes or illegal income.


idiom_text: once bitten, twice shy
type: I
meaning:
  If someone is said to be once bitten, twice shy, it means that once someone was hurt by something or someone, they will be afraid to try it again.

sentence:
  Since Leila broke up with her boyfriend, she has become very cautious about starting any new relationship. Once bitten, twice shy, you know!


idiom_text: picture paints a thousand words
sentence: Just show him the photos and he will understand. You know a picture paints a thousand words.
type: I
meaning:
  (also a picture is worth a thousand words) a picture will be far more descriptive of something than words can ever be.


idiom_text: poverty is not a crime
sentence: I don't know why the police are chasing those poor people out of town. Poverty is not a crime.
type: I
meaning:
  (Also poverty is no sin) This expression is used to mean that it is not a crime to be poor and that we shouldn't condemn people for their poverty.


idiom_text: pull in one's horns
sentence: They stopped making investments. They pulled in their horns.
type: I
meaning:
  (also draw in one's horn) To become less impassioned, aggressive, or argumentative; to back down from a fight; to yield or capitulate.


idiom_text: pull somebody's leg
sentence: Are you pulling my leg? Is it really your house?
type: I
meaning:
  to tease or fool someone when trying to convince them to believe something which is not true as a joke.


idiom_text: push someone's buttons
sentence: Don't push my buttons with your silly comments.
type: I
meaning:
  (also press someone's buttons) draw a strong emotional reaction from someone, especially anger or sexual arousal.


idiom_text: put the cat among the pigeons
meaning: To create a disturbance and cause trouble.
type: I
sentence:
  The principal put the cat among the pigeons when he informed the students that the excursion was cancelled.


idiom_text: put words in somebody's mouth
sentence: I hope I'm not putting words in your mouth. Did you just tell me to go home early?
type: I
meaning:
  To attribute to somebody something he or she did not say; to claim inaccurately that somebody said or intended something.


idiom_text: red flag
meaning: A sign or signal that something is wrong cue, it is a warning, or alert.
type: I
sentence:
  She considered that playing with her feelings was a red flag. She wouldn't tolerate anyone to do so.


idiom_text: red-letter day
sentence: Monday was a red letter day for her. She accomplished a lot and had fun doing it.
type: I
meaning:
  a particularly significant day (personal or sectarian), usually very positive, sometimes very negative.


idiom_text: Rome wasn't built in a day
sentence: Don't expect immediate outstanding earnings fom your new buisiness. Rome wasn't built in a day.
type: I
meaning:
  said to emphasize that great work takes time to do. Nothing of importance can be done in a short period of time.


idiom_text: sail against the wind
meaning: to work to achieve something that is difficult because most people would oppose it.
type: I
sentence:
  The journalist is sailing against the wind in his attempt to change people's negative attitude towards that politician.


idiom_text: see a man about a dog
sentence: Please, wait for me here. I won't be long. I'm just going to see a man about a dog.
type: I
meaning:
  used as an excuse for leaving without giving the real reason (especially if the reason is to go to the toilet, or to have a drink)


idiom_text: set a thief to catch a thief
meaning: The best person to catch a thief is another thief, because he or she knows how thieves think.
type: I
sentence:
  The government set a thief to catch a thief. They hired a hacker to entrap other hackers who tried to break into the Pentagon's databases.


idiom_text: she'll be apples
meaning: everything will be all right.
type: I
sentence:
  'What about our trip to the mountain. They say it will snow all night long' 'Don't worry. She'll be apples.'


idiom_text: shoulder to cry on
sentence: Lacy needs a shoulder to cry on. Her father died yesterday.
type: I
meaning:
  said about a person someone to whom you can tell your problems to and then ask for sympathy, emotional support and advice.


idiom_text: signed, sealed and delivered
type: I
meaning:
  (Also sealed and delivered)  This expression refers to a document or an agreement which has been officially signed and completed satisfactorily.

sentence:
  John: "Hey, have you finalized the purchase of the estate yet?" Leila: "Yes, I got all the documents... signed, sealed, and delivered!"


idiom_text: stop the music
meaning: stop everything.
type: I
sentence:
  A: (Entering a room full of people doing various things) Stop the music! B: What? A: I have an important announcement!


idiom_text: strike a chord
sentence: That woman struck a chord with me. It seems to me that I had seen her before.
type: I
meaning:
  If something strikes a chord with you, it reminds you of something, it seems familiar to you or you are interested in it.


idiom_text: take the fifth
sentence: If you ask me who stole the wallet, I will simply take the fifth.
type: I
meaning:
  To decline to answer, especially on grounds that it might be incriminating.  The origin of the phrase dates back to the Fifth Amendment in the Bill of Rights, which says that a person can't


idiom_text: the boot is on the other foot
type: I
meaning:
  (also the shoe is on the other foot) said about a change of positions when someone whon was in a weaker situation is now in strong position.

sentence:
  Don't expect him to make any more changes in the manageement of the company, especially after his appointment as the new manager of the project. The boot is on the other foot.


idiom_text: the customer is always right.
type: I
meaning:
  In order to make profit, it is necessary for a business to satisfy customers' wishes and make them happy.

sentence:
  Look at that waiter! He always argues with customers. He doesn't know that the customer is always right.


idiom_text: the letter of the law
sentence: Judges mustn't follow the letter of the law, but its spirit.
type: I
meaning:
  This idiom is used when one is obeying the literal interpretation of the law, but not the intent or the spirit of those who wrote the law.


idiom_text: the spirit of the law
type: I
meaning:
  When one obeys the spirit of the law but not the letter, one is doing what the authors of the law intended, though not necessarily adhering to the literal wording. (See also )   In one of the best known examples, The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare introduces the quibble as a plot device to save both the spirit and the letter of the law. The moneylender Shylock has made an agreement with Antonio that if he cannot repay a loan he will have a pound of flesh from him. When the debt is not repaid in time Portia at first pleads for mercy in a famous speech:     When Shylock refuses, she finally saves Antonio by pointing out that Shylock's agreement with him mentioned no blood, and therefore Shylock can have his pound of flesh only if he sheds no blood.  Source:

sentence:
  A judge who adheres to the spirit of the law is concerned with the intent and purpose of the lawmaker.


idiom_text: the straw that broke the camels back
type: I
meaning:
  A small and seemingly insignificant addition to a burden that renders it too much to bear; the small thing which causes failure, or causes inability or unwillingness to endure any more of something

sentence:
  When the boss saw him coming late to work. That was the straw that broke the camels back. He fired her immediately.


idiom_text: them and us
meaning: used when describing disagreements or differences especially between different social groups
type: I
sentence:
  There is a them and us situation in the company after the disagreement between the boss and his workers about the working conditions.


idiom_text: there is honor among thieves
type: I
meaning:
  When you say there is honor among thieves, this means that even among criminals there is honor and that they do not commit crimes against each other.

sentence:
  The gangsters had a strong respect for their old boss which demonstrate that there is honor among thieves.


idiom_text: to pull the trigger
meaning: 1. To fire a gun. 2. To commit to a course of action.
type: I
sentence:
  Some traders are too afraid to pull the trigger and just watch the market without ever getting involved.


idiom_text: tough love
sentence: The only way help him get rid of his drug-addiction is to adhere to the principle of tough love.
type: I
meaning:
  A way of helping someone with compassionate use of stringent disciplinary measures. The aim is to attempt to improve their behavior.


idiom_text: turn back the clock
type: I
meaning:
  (also wind back the clock or roll back the clock) figuratively to return in time to an earlier period of history.

sentence:
  When their relationship had started deteriorating, he told her that they should turn back the clock and just go back to when things were simpler.


idiom_text: under one's nose
meaning: 1. directly in front of one; clearly visible 2. obvious or apparent. 3. in someone's presence.
type: I
sentence:
  1. I searched for my glasses for twenty minutes, and finally found them right under my nose. 2. If we had paid more attention, we would have found that the answer was under our noses the whole time. 3. They were stealing his money just under his nose.


idiom_text: under the influence
sentence: He was arrested for driving under the influence.
type: I
meaning:
  Intoxicated, inebriated, or otherwise stupefied by an ingested mind-altering substance, commonly speaking of alcohol : drunk.


idiom_text: until hell freezes over
sentence: He can wait for my approval until hell freezes over - He won't marry my daughter.
type: I
meaning:
  If someone say that someone can do something until hell freezes over, they mean that one will never in their life get the results that they want.  Idioms with similar meaning:


idiom_text: until one is blue in the face
type: I
meaning:
  (talk/say something/shout until one is blue in the face) pointless efforts while trying to convince someone or change his mind.

sentence:
  His parents tell him to do his homework until they are blue in the face. In fact, he never does his homework.


idiom_text: variety is the spice of life
meaning: frequent changes in one's life makes life interesting.
type: I
sentence:
  They frequently change the furniture of the house because they think that variety is the spice of life.


idiom_text: wait for the other shoe to drop
meaning: To await a seemingly inevitable event, especially one which is not desirable.
type: I
sentence:
  He was waiting for the other shoe to drop once some of his companions had been captured by the official authorities,


idiom_text: wake up on the wrong side of bed
meaning: To feel grumpy, irritable; to be easily annoyed.
type: I
sentence:
  She must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. She didn't stop shouting all day long.


idiom_text: Walter Mitty
type: I
meaning:
  A person, generally quite ordinary with unexceptional qualities, who is prone to fantastic daydreaming of personal triumphs.  This term comes from James Thurber's short story, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1939), describing a meek, mild man with a vivid fantasy life. The character's name has come into more general use to refer to an ineffectual dreamer.   See more about

sentence:
  If you are a Walter Mitty with Everest dreams, you need to bear in mind that when things go wrong up there, you may lose your life.


idiom_text: war of nerves
type: I
meaning:
  (Also battle of nerves.) War of nerves refers to a conflict using psychological techniques rather than direct violence in order to weaken the enemy.

sentence:
  "In the future, war will not merely be one of men and machines, it will be a war of wills and a war of nerves." Sir John Anderson.


idiom_text: waste breath
sentence: Please don't waste your breath asking me ridiculous questions.
type: I
meaning:
  To speak in a manner which is needless or futile; in discussion or argument to make points which are not appreciated or heeded.


idiom_text: wear the pants
type: I
meaning:
  (also wear the trousers)especially of a woman - to exercise authority or to be the person in charge in a relationship.

sentence:
  He may seem authoritative, but the truth is that it's his wife who really wears the pants in that relationship.


idiom_text: weekend warrior
sentence: The most common foot related injury I see for the weekend warrior is heel pain
type: I
meaning:
  A person who indulges in a sport or pastime on an infrequent basis, usually on weekends when work commitments are not present.


idiom_text: when it rains, it pours
meaning: (Also, it never rains but it pours) said when bad things occur in large numbers.
type: I
sentence:
  First, he had a terrible accident. Then, his wife had a heart attack. Really when it rains, it pours.


idiom_text: when pigs fly
sentence: Sure she'll help us clean the house  when pigs fly.
type: I
meaning:
  If you say when pigs fly you mean that something will never happen.  This phrase is used presumably due to the unlikelihood that pigs will ever evolve wings.


idiom_text: white as a sheet
sentence: Joe looks as white as sheet. He must be very ill.
type: I
meaning:
  (also as white as a sheet) said about someone whose face is very pale because of illness, shock or fear.


idiom_text: who pays the piper calls the tune
meaning: one who pays for something controls it.
type: I
sentence:
  If he pays for everything, he will have power over us all. You know, who pays the piper calls the tune


idiom_text: you can't please everyone
meaning: making everyone happy is impossible no matter what you do.
type: I
sentence:
  When the boss chose Mary as the chief executive of the project, everybody complained. But you can't please everyone!


idiom_text: A cat has nine lives.
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  1) Cats can survive many accidents because they land on their feet without injury. 2) Nine lives = 3 years to play, 3 years to stray, 3 years to stay.


idiom_text: A drop of ink may make a million think.
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  A thought expressed in writing (perhaps published in a newspaper) can influence a large number of people.


idiom_text: A guilty conscience needs no accuser.
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  If you know that you have done something wrong, you don't need anyone to tell you that you're guilty.


idiom_text: A rolling stone gathers no moss
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  If a person keeps moving from place to place, they gain neither friends nor possessions. Another interpretation is that, by moving often, one avoids being tied down!


idiom_text: A wonder lasts but nine days
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  The effects of an amazing or stirring event last only nine days; after that, life goes on as before.


idiom_text: An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Eating an apple every day can help to keep you healthy. Other interpretation: A small preventive treatment wards off serious problems.


idiom_text: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  It is easier to prevent something from happening than to repair the damage or cure the disease later.


idiom_text: Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know.
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  It's better to deal with someone difficult but familiar than change and risk dealing with somebody worse.


idiom_text: (A) cat has nine lives.
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  1) Cats can survive many accidents because     they land on their feet without injury. 2) Nine lives = 3 years to play, 3 years to     stray, 3 years to stay.


idiom_text: Dead men tell no lies.
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  A dead person cannot cause difficulties by revealing something that it would be preferable to conceal.


idiom_text: False friends are worse than open enemies.
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  It's better to know who your real enemies are rather than trust someone who pretends to be a friend but is capable of stabbing you in the back.


idiom_text: If two ride a horse, one must ride behind.
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  When two people do something together, one will be the leader and the other will be the subordinate.


idiom_text: No news is good news.
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  If the news was bad, we would hear of it. Since we have heard nothing, we can assume that all is well.


idiom_text: Penny wise, pound foolish.
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Refers to a person who is careful about spending small amounts of money, but not careful about spending large amounts.


idiom_text: Discretion is the better part of valor
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  If you say discretion is the better part of valor, you mean that avoiding a dangerous or unpleasant situation is sometimes the most sensible thing to do.


idiom_text: A hungry man is an angry man
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  A person who does not get what he wants or needs is a frustrated person and will be easily provoked to rage.


idiom_text: A man is as old as he feels
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  A person's age is immaterial - it is only when he thinks and feels that he is ageing that he actually becomes old.


idiom_text: A rolling stone gathers no moss
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  A person who never settles in one place or who often changes his job will not succeed in life ; one who is always changing his mind will never get anything done.


idiom_text: A bird in hand is worth two in the bush
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Something that one already has is better than going after something seemingly more worthwhile that one may not be able to get.


idiom_text: Call a spade a spade
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  If you say that someone calls a spade a spade, you mean that they speak frankly and directly, often about embarrassing or unpleasant subjects; an informal expression.


idiom_text: Dead men tell no lies
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  ( often used as an argument for killing someone whose knowledge of a secret may cause one loss or get into serious trouble.)


idiom_text: Every cloud has a silver lining
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  If you say that every cloud has a silver lining, you mean that every sad or unpleasant situation has a positive side to it. If you talk about silver lining you are talking about something positive that comes out of a sad or unpleasant situation.


idiom_text: Eat to live, but do not live to eat
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Man was created for a divine purpose and he has a destiny with his Creator - he was not born just to enjoy food.


idiom_text: Every one can find fault, few can do better
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  It is easier to find fault in other people's actions or methods than to do it properly or correctly.


idiom_text: Fair exchange is no robbery
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  A contract is fair as long as both the parties understand and agree to the conditions willingly; after a deal is closed neither side can turn around and say that he was unfairly treated.


idiom_text: Fire is a good servant but a bad master
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Fire, like any other manmade tool or device, will serve man well only when it is controlled and used wisely.


idiom_text: Actions speak louder than words
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Children usually learn more from the examples set by their elders than from what they are told ; a person's character is judged by the thing she does and not by what he says; actions give evidence or proof of.


idiom_text: Fortune knocks once at every man's door
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Everyone gets at least one good opportunity in his lifetime; everyone has the opportunity to be successful in life.


idiom_text: Give the devil his due
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Be just and fair-minded , even to the one who does not deserve much or who is unfriendly or unfair; we should punish a person according to his wrongdoings.


idiom_text: Never do things by halves
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  One should not do an incomplete or imperfect job - certain tasks must not be left half done; they must be done away with immediately.


idiom_text: Great haste makes great waste
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  If one does things hastily he will make a lot of mistakes - he will need to spend a lot of time correcting those mistakes later.


idiom_text: It's no use crying over spilt milk
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  It is pointless to feel remorseful over a thing lost that can never be found or a mistake done that can never be corrected or rectified.


idiom_text: Let not the pot call the kettle black
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  A person who has a fault should not point out the same fault in another; do not criticize another person as you may have the same weakness.


idiom_text: Robbing Peter to pay Paul
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  ( this is quoted when one takes another loan to pay off an earlier loan ) taking from one to give another.


idiom_text: It takes two to make a quarrel
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Both parties in a quarrel should share the blame or take responsibility for it; no one can start a quarrel all by himself.


idiom_text: Time and tide wait for no one
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Time is precious, once it is past no one can go back and claim it thus everyone should be mindful of how his time is spent.


idiom_text: To err is human, to forgive divine
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  It is only normal for man to make mistakes and do wrong, but for one to forgive another for his wrong is indeed  great and gracious act.


idiom_text: What's done can't be undone
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  In life there are some things once done or decisions once made cannot be changed; malicious words once uttered or harmful actions once done cannot be taken back.


idiom_text: When in Rome do as the Romans do
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  When one is in a new place, country or situation he must adapt himself to the new manners and customs.


idiom_text: When the cat is away the mice will play
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  When law enforcers are not present, certain public members will take the opportunity to break the law


idiom_text: Have an old head on young shoulders
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Youngsters who possess qualities of wisdom one would only expect to find in experienced older people.


idiom_text: The blind leading the blind
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  A person helping or advising someone knows as little about the subject as the person who is being advised.


idiom_text: Buy a pig in a poke
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Buy something without examining it for faults or checking to see if they are really getting what they believe they have purchased


idiom_text: Cut off your nose to spite your face
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  When people are dissatisfied or angry, they sometimes react by doing foolish things that prove harmful to themselves.


idiom_text: The devil finds work for idle hands
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Unless one keeps busy doing useful or constructive things he could be tempted into mischief or evil.


idiom_text: Give someone enough rope and he will hang himself
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  If we allow someone to continue in his bad ways he'll eventually bring about his own downfall or ruin.


idiom_text: If wishes were horses, beggars would ride
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  If we could get all the things we wanted just by making a wish, everyone would have all he ever wanted.


idiom_text: If you can't lick them, join them
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  If you cannot defeat an opponent or get him to change his ideas, plans or way of doing things, the best thing is to change your ideas, plans, etc.


idiom_text: You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  We can help, show or encourage someone to do something but we can't make him do what he is unwilling or unable to do


idiom_text: Lock the stable door after the horse has bolted
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Once a mistake has been made or an error committed, it's too late to take precautions to prevent it from happening.


idiom_text: Possession is nine points of the law
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  In disputes over property ownership, the person in possession of something is sometimes said to have nine-tenths a chance of winning it in a legal argument


idiom_text: The sins of the fathers will be visited upon the children
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  People will be punished for the wrongs committed by their parents, forefathers, or those who have preceded them.


idiom_text: The thin end of the wedge
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  That something can appear to be small and of no particular importance - yet it can turn out to be the beginning of a major problem.


idiom_text: Two wrongs do not make a right
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  If a person does something to harm or offend us, that's wrong. If we do something to harm them back, that's wrong too.


idiom_text: When poverty comes in the door, love flies out the window
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  As soon as a happily married couple begin having financial problems and the bills pile up their love will disappear.


idiom_text: Prosperity makes friends, adversity tries them
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  If you are rich and successful, you will attract many friends, but if you should suffer hardship or have misfortune ( adversity ), your friends will quickly depart.


idiom_text: Cross the stream where it is shallowest
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Don't make things difficult for yourself; always find the simplest means of achieving your objective.


idiom_text: It is useless to flog a dead horse
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  It is no use spending your time and energy on an activity or belief that is already widely rejected or outdated.


idiom_text: A cat may look at a king
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Anyone has the right to look at or speak to anyone else without having to worry about status, position, upbringing etc.


idiom_text: A little knowledge is a dangerous thing
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Knowing only a little about something can cause you to distort the truth or overestimate, misunderstand something


idiom_text: A loaded wagon makes no noise
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  People who are very rich do not feel the need to speak about their wealthy as they do not feel threatened in any way


idiom_text: A man is ruled by his passions
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Your character, personality, attitude etc can be overtaken by your emotions if they are strong enough


idiom_text: A wise man changes his mind sometimes, a fool never
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  It is wise to reconsider your plans, ideas, actions in the light of new information rather than to blindly stick to an earlier decision


idiom_text: Ask no questions and hear no lies
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Do not force a person into telling you a lie by forcing him to talk about something he does not want to talk about


idiom_text: Bad is never good until worse happens
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  A bad situation you have been complaining about will suddenly seem a blessing when something worse happens


idiom_text: Doctors make the worst patients
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  It is difficult advising people on matters they are supposed to be experts on because they believe they know better


idiom_text: Better be safe than sorry
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  It is wise to take precautions rather than be upset that you did not prepare for an eventuality after something has happened


idiom_text: Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  the problems you are facing at present may not be as bad as those in the place you are planning to move to


idiom_text: Better to die with honor than live with shame
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  It is more honorable to do the right thing even if you will be punished or have to die for it than to live as a coward or a liar


idiom_text: Books and friends should be few but good
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  You do not need to have too many friends or read too many books in order to live a balanced, fulfilled and complete life as long as the friends and books you do have are full of substance


idiom_text: By timely mending save much spending
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Fix a problem as soon as you discover it to save money, expense, worry, etc having to deal with it later when it has become a bigger problem


idiom_text: Chance favors the prepared mind
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  You should always be prepared to act so that when opportunities present themselves, you are ready to seize them


idiom_text: Cheapest is dearest
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Some items may save you money because they are cheap, but their quality may be poor, and this may cost you a lot of money in repairs and getting replacements later


idiom_text: Crime does not pay
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  However much you may earn or make as a criminal, a life of crime does not pay because the law will catch up with you eventually


idiom_text: Desperate times call for desperate measures
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Sometimes, a situation is so urgent or unexpected that you have to resort to doing things you normally would not


idiom_text: Different strokes for different talks
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  You need different plans or strategies in managing different people as people are different in personality and temperament


idiom_text: Distance lends enchantment to the view
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  When you are free of a problem or far away from troublesome people, you begin to feel that things were not so bad after all


idiom_text: Divide and rule
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  A method of ruling or managing people where you separate them into different groups to make sure they do not join forces against you


idiom_text: Every man is his own worst enemy
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  A lot of people tend to hurt their own chance at success because of negative-mindedness, fear, ignorance, unresolved issues


idiom_text: Everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Everyone wants to enjoy success, but few are willing to work hard or take the risks involved in achieving it


idiom_text: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  It is better to teach people how to be independent by teaching them how to do things for themselves than to do everything for them


idiom_text: Grasp all, lose all
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  If you are too greedy and try to grab everything you see, you might lose that and everything you have too


idiom_text: Hard words break no bones
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Ignore insults as they cannot physically harm you, and will only harm you emotionally if you let them


idiom_text: He knows most who speaks last
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  The one who waits to listen to what others have to say before speaking has a better understanding of a situation


idiom_text: He who knows does not speak. He who speaks does not know
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  It is an ironic situation when someone who should speak up does not while the person who should not, does


idiom_text: He who lives too fast, goes to his grave too soon
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  If you do not allow yourself to rest once in a while when you lead a fast-paced life, you will suffer from stress, burnt out and illness


idiom_text: He who sleeps forgets his hunger
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  sleeping is a good way to forget you are hungry, especially when there is no food for you and you have no money to buy any


idiom_text: He who serves two masters must lie to one
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  You cannot effectively or fully serve two people as your attention, loyalty, commitment etc. will be split between the two


idiom_text: He who stands for nothing will fall for everything
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  A person with no principles or opinions of his own will tend to go along with anything anyone tells him, and can, therefore, be easily cheated


idiom_text: Health is better than wealth
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  It is better to be healthy than rich, as without a healthy body you can do nothing, and cannot enjoy your wealth


idiom_text: Hope is the last thing that we lose
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  People are by nature hopeful, and must always be so because when we lose hope, we lose the will to live


idiom_text: Hunger is the best spice
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  When you are really hungry, everything tastes good, and you eat up everything placed in front of you


idiom_text: Judge not, lest ye be judged
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Do not judge others as you are not perfect yourself, so be merciful in the hope that others will show you mercy one day


idiom_text: Little enemies and little wounds must not be despised
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Do not ignore people you have angered or hurt, however small the slight or injury, as they can harm you one day if they choose to bear a grudge


idiom_text: Little strokes feel great oaks
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Continuous effort, however small the mount, will help you achieve your greatest dreams and ambitions


idiom_text: Love covers a multitude of sins
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  When you treat people with love, compassion, kindness, forebearing etc. you make up for a lot of your own faults because it is right to love people


idiom_text: Marry in haste, repent at leisure
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Do not rush into marriage because if you marry the wrong person, you will spend the rest of your life regretting it


idiom_text: ( The ) meek shall inherit the earth
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  The humble and the downtrodden but not the proud or the mighty will be rewarded with the best at the end of time


idiom_text: Money makes the world go round
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  People work hard and go through a lot of pain just to earn more money as if it is what keeps them going


idiom_text: Never give advice unless asked
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Do not assume that people need your help or that you have all the answers to help them, it is better to wait until you are asked for help


idiom_text: ( A ) nimble sixpence is better than a slow shilling
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  A capable person, even if he is slow or not well qualified, is more valuable than an inefficient person who may be highly qualified


idiom_text: Politics makes a strange bedfellows
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  In politics, people who have always been opponents often work together at different times for their own interests


idiom_text: Put a beggar on horseback, and he will ride to the devil
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Sometimes, giving a person more than he needs or knows what to do with does not help him but instead, encourages him to go overboard


idiom_text: ( The ) race is to the swift
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  People who are able to overcome life's troubles quickly or do things quickly have the advantage over others


idiom_text: Repeating a life doesn't make it true
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Saying something is true when it is not just because you would like to believe it is so does not change the facts


idiom_text: Silence gives consent
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  If you do not protest, object or say anything in response to a proposal, plan etc. it means you are agreeable to it


idiom_text: Starve a cold, feed a fever
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  The best way to treat a cold is to skip a meal or two; the best way to treat fever is to have a light meal


idiom_text: Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Do not be troubled about the problems you may face tomorrow, as you have enough to contend with today


idiom_text: The best laid schemes of mice and men often fail
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  No matter how well planned, your arrangements can go wrong because you do not control all events and cannot see into the future


idiom_text: The customer is always right
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  The guiding principle of the service industry is that the customer must be satisfied, so never upset or contradict a customer


idiom_text: The first step to health is to know that we are sick
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  You have to be willing to admit there is a problem before you can change yourself, a bad situation etc


idiom_text: The journey is the reward
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  The most valuable, fulfilling and exciting part of achieving something is the work and effort put into the endeavour


idiom_text: The more acquaintance, the more danger
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  The more casual friends you have, the greater the possibility that you will be led astray, betrayed etc


idiom_text: The nail that sticks out gets pounded
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  People who stand out in a group because they are different or because they raise questions, issues are quickly pressured into conforming with the rest of the group


idiom_text: The truth hurts
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Hearing the truth can sometimes be painful, especially when you have been believing something else for a long time


idiom_text: There are no small parts, only small actors
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  A good actor is able to make any role interesting and realistic, no matter how insignificant it may be


idiom_text: There is many at a true word that is spoken in jest
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  A remark, such as something about a person's character, that is said jokingly, is often true to some extent


idiom_text: There is no fool like an old fool
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  When an older person acts silly, he appears really ridiculous because at his age, he is expected to be wise and sensible


idiom_text: There is one law for the rich, and another for the poor
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  When the law is unjust and does not treat people fairly, but considers their wealth and status before deciding to help them


idiom_text: Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  People with obvious faults should not criticse the faults of others because they are themselves targets for criticism


idiom_text: Time is a great healer
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  Time allows people to forgive and forget past hurts, injuries and loss as memories fade, and people become wiser and more mature


idiom_text: Virtue is its own reward
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  You should not expect payment for doing things that you should do or for acting in a morally correct way


idiom_text: What you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts
sentence: -
type: R
meaning:
  The disadvantages you suffer in one area are equaled or cancelled by the advantages you win in others


idiom_text: a , eh
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"a","m":"very short little insignificant English word"},{"w":"eh","m":"an interrogative utterance"}]


idiom_text: adds , ads , adze
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"adds","m":"performs additions"},{"w":"ads","m":"more than one advertisement"},{"w":"adze","m":"axe-like tool"}]


idiom_text: air , are , e'er , ere , err , heir
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"air","m":"stuff we breathe"},{"w":"are","m":"1/100th of a hectare"},{"w":"e'er","m":"contraction of \"ever\""},{"w":"ere","m":"eventually"},{"w":"err","m":"to make a mistake"},{"w":"heir","m":"one who will inherit"}]


idiom_text: aisle , I'll , isle
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"aisle","m":"walkway"},{"w":"I'll","m":"contraction of \"I will\""},{"w":"isle","m":"island"}]


idiom_text: aweful , awful , offal
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"aweful","m":"filled with awe"},{"w":"awful","m":"really bad"},{"w":"offal","m":"butchered entrails"}]


idiom_text: bailee , bailey , bailie
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"bailee","m":"a person to whom goods are committed for custody or repair"},{"w":"bailey","m":"the outer wall of a castle"},{"w":"bailie","m":"a municipal officer in Scotland"}]


idiom_text: bailer , bailor , baler
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"bailer","m":"one who bails (water)"},{"w":"bailor","m":"a person that entrusts goods to a bailee"},{"w":"baler","m":"one who bales (hay)"}]


idiom_text: baize , bays , beys
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"baize","m":"green felt"},{"w":"bays","m":"one or more enclosed arms of the ocean"},{"w":"beys","m":"one or more Turkish officials"}]


idiom_text: bald , balled , bawled
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"bald","m":"hairless"},{"w":"balled","m":"carnal knowledge"},{"w":"bawled","m":"cried aloud"}]


idiom_text: base , bass
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"base","m":"the bottom support for anything"},{"w":"bass","m":"the lowest musical pitch or range"}]


idiom_text: bases , basis , basses
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"bases","m":"what baseball players like to steal"},{"w":"basis","m":"principal constituent of anything"},{"w":"basses","m":"many four-stringed guitars"}]


idiom_text: bask , basque
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"bask","m":"to warm oneself pleasantly"},{"w":"basque","m":"tightfitting bodice or tunic (or, people of the Pyrenees)"}]


idiom_text: beer , bier
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"beer","m":"universally brewed comfort food"},{"w":"bier","m":"a temporary frame for a coffin"}]


idiom_text: bel , Bel , bell , belle
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"bel","m":"indian thorn tree"},{"w":"Bel","m":"Babylonian god"},{"w":"bell","m":"ding ding"},{"w":"belle","m":"beautiful woman"}]


idiom_text: boar , Boer , boor , bore
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"boar","m":"wild pig"},{"w":"Boer","m":"a South African of Dutch descent"},{"w":"boor","m":"tasteless buffoon"},{"w":"bore","m":"not interesting"}]


idiom_text: born , borne , bourn
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"born","m":"brought into life"},{"w":"borne","m":"past participle of bear"},{"w":"bourn","m":"a small stream or boundary"}]


idiom_text: call , caul , col
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"call","m":"to summon"},{"w":"caul","m":"amnionic membrane"},{"w":"col","m":"a mountain pass"}]


idiom_text: carat , caret , carrot , karat
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"carat","m":"unit of weight for precious stones, equal to 200 milligrams"},{"w":"caret","m":"proofreader's insertion mark"},{"w":"carrot","m":"edible orange root"},{"w":"karat","m":"one 24th part of otherwise pure gold"}]


idiom_text: censer , censor , sensor
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"censer","m":"incense dish"},{"w":"censor","m":"bad people who fear knowledge"},{"w":"sensor","m":"a device which detects"}]


idiom_text: cent , scent , sent
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"cent","m":"one hundredth of a dollar"},{"w":"scent","m":"an aroma"},{"w":"sent","m":"dispatched"}]


idiom_text: cents , scents , sense
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"cents","m":"hundredths of a dollar"},{"w":"scents","m":"many things to smell"},{"w":"sense","m":"detection equipment"}]


idiom_text: cere , sear , seer , sere
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"cere","m":"waxy fleshy covering at the base of the upper beak in some birds"},{"w":"sear","m":"to scorch"},{"w":"seer","m":"a prophet"},{"w":"sere","m":"natural succession of plant or animal communities"}]


idiom_text: chalk , chock
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"chalk","m":"calcareous earthy substance"},{"w":"chock","m":"wedge to keep wheels from rolling"}]


idiom_text: Chile , chili , chilly
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"Chile","m":"a South American country"},{"w":"chili","m":"dried pod of red pepper"},{"w":"chilly","m":"uncomfortably cool"}]


idiom_text: chord , cord , cored
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"chord","m":"three tones in harmony"},{"w":"cord","m":"very light rope"},{"w":"cored","m":"divested of its central part"}]


idiom_text: cited , sighted , sited
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"cited","m":"referenced"},{"w":"sighted","m":"visually identified"},{"w":"sited","m":"located"}]


idiom_text: cites , sights , sites
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"cites","m":"past tense of cite"},{"w":"sights","m":"tourist rationale"},{"w":"sites","m":"more than one location"}]


idiom_text: Claus , clause , claws
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"Claus","m":"fat, jolly guy with presents"},{"w":"clause","m":"contractual unit"},{"w":"claws","m":"big fingernails"}]


idiom_text: cocks , cox , Cox
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"cocks","m":"more than one male bird"},{"w":"cox","m":"a coxswain"},{"w":"Cox","m":"a variety of eating apple"}]


idiom_text: coffer , cougher
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"coffer","m":"a strongbox; decorative, sunken ceiling panels"},{"w":"cougher","m":"one who coughs"}]


idiom_text: Crays , craze
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"Crays","m":"more than one supercomputer"},{"w":"craze","m":"sensation needed to buy more than one supercomputer"}]


idiom_text: cue , Kew , queue
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"cue","m":"a signal"},{"w":"Kew","m":"home of the famous English gardens"},{"w":"queue","m":"a waiting line (another famous English-ism)"}]


idiom_text: do , doe , dough
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"do","m":"first note of diatonic scale"},{"w":"doe","m":"a female deer"},{"w":"dough","m":"uncooked bread"}]


idiom_text: does , doughs , doze
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"does","m":"several female deer"},{"w":"doughs","m":"several uncooked breads"},{"w":"doze","m":"to nap"}]


idiom_text: draft , draught
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"draft","m":"a preliminary written version"},{"w":"draught","m":"a gust of wind; depth of water needed to float a ship"}]


idiom_text: eunuchs , Unix
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"eunuchs","m":"men unable to serve all of humanity"},{"w":"Unix","m":"operating system unable to serve all of humanity"}]


idiom_text: ewe , yew , you
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"ewe","m":"female sheep"},{"w":"yew","m":"a type of tree"},{"w":"you","m":"the second person"}]


idiom_text: ewes , use , yews
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"ewes","m":"more than one female sheep"},{"w":"use","m":"to apply"},{"w":"yews","m":"more than one yew tree"}]


idiom_text: facts , fax
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"facts","m":"objective things"},{"w":"fax","m":"obsolete, but widespread, image transmission technology"}]


idiom_text: fay , Faye , fey
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"fay","m":"a fairy"},{"w":"Faye","m":"a woman's name"},{"w":"fey","m":"strange and otherwordly"}]


idiom_text: ferrate , ferret
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"ferrate","m":"a salt containing iron and oxygen"},{"w":"ferret","m":"a domesticated polecat"}]


idiom_text: fir , fur , furr
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"fir","m":"evergreen tree"},{"w":"fur","m":"animal hair"},{"w":"furr","m":"to separate with strips of wood"}]


idiom_text: flew , flu , flue
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"flew","m":"past tense of fly"},{"w":"flu","m":"short for influenza"},{"w":"flue","m":"chimney pipe"}]


idiom_text: Flo , floe , flow
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"Flo","m":"a girl's name"},{"w":"floe","m":"sheet of floating ice"},{"w":"flow","m":"to glide along"}]


idiom_text: frees , freeze , frieze
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"frees","m":"releasing"},{"w":"freeze","m":"very cold"},{"w":"frieze","m":"a wall decoration"}]


idiom_text: gild , gilled , guild
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"gild","m":"to coat with gold"},{"w":"gilled","m":"having gills"},{"w":"guild","m":"a craft society"}]


idiom_text: gneiss , nice
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"gneiss","m":"coarse-grained metamorphic rock of feldspar, quartz and mica"},{"w":"nice","m":"pleasant"}]


idiom_text: gnu , knew , new
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"gnu","m":"African antelope"},{"w":"knew","m":"past tense of know"},{"w":"new","m":"not old"}]


idiom_text: gunnel , gunwale
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"gunnel","m":"small, eel-shaped marine fish; butterfish"},{"w":"gunwale","m":"upper part of sides of a boat"}]


idiom_text: hairy , Harry , harry
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"hairy","m":"having much hair"},{"w":"Harry","m":"a man's name"},{"w":"harry","m":"to harass or hunt"}]


idiom_text: haut , ho , hoe
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"haut","m":"high, as in \"haut couture\""},{"w":"ho","m":"an expression of admiration or surprise"},{"w":"hoe","m":"garden tool"}]


idiom_text: hays , haze
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"hays","m":"more than one type of hay"},{"w":"haze","m":"atmospheric obscuration due to water or dust"}]


idiom_text: heigh , hi , hie , high
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"heigh","m":"an exclamation"},{"w":"hi","m":"a greeting"},{"w":"hie","m":"to go quickly"},{"w":"high","m":"way up"}]


idiom_text: hoard , horde , whored
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"hoard","m":"a great stash"},{"w":"horde","m":"a great many people"},{"w":"whored","m":"prostituted"}]


idiom_text: hoes , hose
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"hoes","m":"more than one garden weeding tool"},{"w":"hose","m":"tube for watering garden weeds"}]


idiom_text: holey , holy , wholly
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"holey","m":"perforated"},{"w":"holy","m":"with religious significance"},{"w":"wholly","m":"completely"}]


idiom_text: jewel , joule , Jim, see: gym
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"jewel","m":"precious stone"},{"w":"joule","m":"unit of energy measure"},{"w":" Jim, see: gym","m":" jinn, see: gin"}]


idiom_text: knows , noes , nose
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"knows","m":"\"Only the shadow knows...\""},{"w":"noes","m":"\"The noes have it...\""},{"w":"nose","m":"\"Plain as the nose on your face...\""}]


idiom_text: lays , laze , leis
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"lays","m":"to recline"},{"w":"laze","m":"to recline with extreme prejudice"},{"w":"leis","m":"several flower necklaces"}]


idiom_text: lea , lee , li
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"lea","m":"a meadow"},{"w":"lee","m":"downwind"},{"w":"li","m":"about one-third of a mile in China"}]


idiom_text: lightening , lightning
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"lightening","m":"removing weight or darkness"},{"w":"lightning","m":"static electricity from the sky"}]


idiom_text: literal , littoral
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"literal","m":"taking words in their primary sense"},{"w":"littoral","m":"having to do with the shore"}]


idiom_text: lochs , locks , lox
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"lochs","m":"more than one lake"},{"w":"locks","m":"more than one security device"},{"w":"lox","m":"salmon jerky"}]


idiom_text: marque , marquee , marquis
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"marque","m":"a license to privateer; a brand"},{"w":"marquee","m":"a rooflike projection over a theatre entrance"},{"w":"marquis","m":"a nobleman ranking between a duke and a count"}]


idiom_text: naval , navel
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"naval","m":"pertaining to ships and the sea"},{"w":"navel","m":"pertaining to the belly button"}]


idiom_text: oar , or , ore
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"oar","m":"boat propulsion system"},{"w":"or","m":"boolean deathtrap"},{"w":"ore","m":"mineral-laden dirt"}]


idiom_text: oh , owe , ohs , owes
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"oh","m":"interjection"},{"w":"owe","m":"to be indebted"},{"w":"ohs","m":"more than one letter \"O\""},{"w":"owes","m":"in debt"}]


idiom_text: pair , pare , pear
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"pair","m":"a set of two"},{"w":"pare","m":"cutting down"},{"w":"pear","m":"bottom-heavy fruit"}]


idiom_text: palate , pallet , pallette
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"palate","m":"taste"},{"w":"pallet","m":"a platform for transporting goods; bed"},{"w":"pallette","m":"a selection of paint"}]


idiom_text: pall , Paul , pawl
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"pall","m":"to become wearisome"},{"w":"Paul","m":"barefoot Beatle"},{"w":"pawl","m":"locks a ratchet"}]


idiom_text: pearl , purl
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"pearl","m":"round, luminescent gem from an oyster"},{"w":"purl","m":"to edge with a chain of small loops"}]


idiom_text: pearl , Perl
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"pearl","m":"something of value made from an irritant"},{"w":"Perl","m":"something of value made from an irritant"}]


idiom_text: peer , pier
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"peer","m":"an equal (a captain at sea has no peer)"},{"w":"pier","m":"wharf (a captain at sea has no pier)"}]


idiom_text: picnic , pyknic
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"picnic","m":"outdoor meal"},{"w":"pyknic","m":"physiological type with thick neck, large abdomen and short limbs"}]


idiom_text: pincer , pincher , pinscher
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"pincer","m":"claw-like gripping action"},{"w":"pincher","m":"one who pinches"},{"w":"pinscher","m":"terrier"}]


idiom_text: pone , pony
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"pone","m":"the dealer's opponent in two-handed card games"},{"w":"pony","m":"a small horse"}]


idiom_text: poor , pore , pour
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"poor","m":"no money"},{"w":"pore","m":"careful study; microscopic hole"},{"w":"pour","m":"to flow freely"}]


idiom_text: popery , potpourri
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"popery","m":"a disparaging term for Catholics"},{"w":"potpourri","m":"a miscellaneous collection"}]


idiom_text: precedence , precedents , presidents
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"precedence","m":"priority"},{"w":"precedents","m":"established course of action"},{"w":"presidents","m":"commanders-in-chief"}]


idiom_text: psi , sigh , xi
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"psi","m":"twenty-third letter of Greek alphabet"},{"w":"sigh","m":"sad and weary breath"},{"w":"xi","m":"fourteenth letter of Greek alphabet"}]


idiom_text: rain , reign , rein
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"rain","m":"precipitation"},{"w":"reign","m":"sovereign rule"},{"w":"rein","m":"horse's steering wheel"}]


idiom_text: aberrant , abhorrent
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"aberrant","m":"Use the adjective aberrant to describe unusual conduct. Sitting in a bathtub and singing show tunes all day long might be considered aberrant behavior. "},{"w":"abhorrent","m":"Many people find cruelty toward animals abhorrent, that is, they think it's detestable, obscene, repugnant, repulsive, and offensive to the mind. In other words, they really, really don't like it. "}]


idiom_text: accept , except
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"accept","m":"Please accept (\"favorably receive\") our apologies, but you're just going to have to accept (\"put up with\") the fact that this verb has almost a dozen different meanings. "},{"w":"except","m":"The preposition except means \"excluding.\" When we refer to the continental United States, we mean the whole country except Alaska and Hawaii. "}]


idiom_text: adieu , ado
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"adieu","m":"Adieu is a French word meaning \"goodbye\" that is commonly used in English, especially in the phrase \"I bid you adieu!\" "},{"w":"ado","m":"Someone who makes a lot of ado about things has a tendency to make them more busy or complicated than they need to be. "}]


idiom_text: adapt , adopt
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"adapt","m":"Say you move to a country where everyone cooks with lots of hot peppers. At first the food scalds your tongue, but over time you adapt — you change in a way that allows you to deal with the new circumstances. "},{"w":"adopt","m":"You can adopt an air of nonchalance, a fake British accent, or even a stray dog. When you adopt something, you consciously select it and accept it as your own. "}]


idiom_text: adverse , averse
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"adverse","m":"Steer clear of adverse anything. If it's adverse, it's working against you — like adverse weather conditions or the adverse effects of waxing your back. "},{"w":"averse","m":"To be averse to something is to be opposed to it on moral, philosophical or aesthetic grounds: my father is averse to people smoking cigarettes in the house, but he would not be averse to your smoking a cigar. "}]


idiom_text: affect , effect
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"affect","m":"Affect is most often used as a verb meaning “to have an impact on,” as in “The tornado barreling towards us will affect our picnic plans.” "},{"w":"effect","m":"Effect is the result of an action, as in those “cause and effect” papers you might write in English class. Your topic could be how your late-night tuba playing (cause) has driven your roommate insane (effect). "}]


idiom_text: afflict , inflict
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"afflict","m":"To afflict is to cause suffering, pain, or misery. It’s often associated with medical conditions. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is most likely to afflict someone who spends many hours every day typing on our computers. "},{"w":"inflict","m":"When you force an undesirable or harmful event on someone, you inflict it on them. You might prefer that someone inflict some physical pain on you rather than inflict you with the boredom of another trip to the annual flower show. "}]


idiom_text: aggravate , irritate
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"aggravate","m":"People who chew with their mouths open often aggravate the people near them, meaning that they exasperate their neighbors. "},{"w":"irritate","m":"To irritate is to cause an unsettling reaction, whether it's of the body or the nerves. You can irritate someone by talking too loudly on your cellphone in public. You can also irritate your skin, causing a rash or redness. "}]


idiom_text: allude , elude
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"allude","m":"When you allude to something, you don't identify it or mention it specifically. If you allude to the fact that a cop is sitting right behind you, your friends might stop talking about their plans to rob a bank. "},{"w":"elude","m":"Elude means evade, or be hard to grasp. \"Tom eluded his captors by hiding under a table. Martha tried to understand chemistry, but the subject continued to elude her.\" "}]


idiom_text: allusion , delusion , illusion
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"allusion","m":"That little nod to a Dylan Thomas poem that you sneaked into your PowerPoint presentation? That was an allusion, a quick reference to something that your audience will have to already know in order to \"get.\" "},{"w":"delusion","m":"A delusion is a belief that has no evidence in fact — a complete illusion. The cook at the hot dog stand who thinks he is the best chef in the world? That opinion is definitely a delusion. "},{"w":"illusion","m":"An illusion is something that isn't real. It may look real, but it's actually fake — just a crafty construction or fantasy. Like the old rabbit-out-of-the-hat trick practiced by magicians around the globe. "}]


idiom_text: alternate , alternative
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"alternate","m":"On a checkerboard, black squares alternate with white ones. As a verb, alternate means to do something in turns. As a noun, an alternate is a replacement. "},{"w":"alternative","m":"When you're facing a fork in the road, you have two possibilities, or alternatives. You could take the left fork and see where it leads, or you could choose the path that goes to the right. "}]


idiom_text: ambiguous , ambivalent
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"ambiguous","m":"Look to the adjective ambiguous when you need to describe something that's open to more than one interpretation, like the headline \"Squad helps dog bite victim.\" "},{"w":"ambivalent","m":"If you can't decide how you feel about something, declare yourself ambivalent about it. "}]


idiom_text: amiable , amicable
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"amiable","m":"A friendly, pleasant person could be described as amiable. Airline flight attendants tend to be amiable. The people monitoring the school's cafeteria? Maybe not. "},{"w":"amicable","m":"The adjective amicable means \"friendly\" — but in particular, use it when describing relations one might otherwise expect to be unfriendly. The end of a romantic relationship that's less than amicable might involve broken dishes or broken bones. "}]


idiom_text: amorally , immoral
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"amorally","m":"Use the adverb amorally to describe something that's done without any thought about whether it's right or wrong. If you wonder why anyone would buy the more expensive \"fair trade\" coffee, you probably make buying decisions amorally. "},{"w":"immoral","m":"Use the adjective immoral to describe a person, group, or situation that intentionally goes against accepted ideas of what is right, like a government that attacks its own people, or a friend who steals your favorite spatula. "}]


idiom_text: amuse , amused , bemuse , bemused
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"amuse","m":"If you enjoy making people laugh, you like to amuse them, which is a good trait to have as long as you don't amuse people during a math test or other solemn occasion. "},{"w":"amused","m":"The word amused means \"pleasantly occupied\" or \"entertained.” If you love dogs, you’ll be amused just watching puppies frolic in the park all day. If you love everything, you’re easily amused. "},{"w":"bemuse","m":"To bemuse is to confuse or puzzle. You could bemuse your teacher by writing an essay as a series of haikus, but don’t. Usually a bemused teacher is not a happy one. "},{"w":"bemused","m":"If you're bemused, you're muddled or preoccupied. It happens when you're lost in thought, dazed, or overwhelmed (say, on the first day of high school). "}]


idiom_text: anecdote , antidote
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"anecdote","m":"A short, amusing true story is an anecdote. You might come back from a crazy spring break with a lot of anecdotes to tell. "},{"w":"antidote","m":"An antidote is a remedy that relieves. So if you get headaches from long bus rides, it's best to travel equipped with the key pain alleviating antidotes: Tylenol, lots of water and soothing music. "}]


idiom_text: appraise , apprise
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"appraise","m":"When you buy a house someone will need to appraise its value before you can get a mortgage. To appraise something is to figure out its worth in the marketplace, on the field, or in the world of ideas. "},{"w":"apprise","m":"To apprise someone about something is to fill them in, to give them the scoop. If someone in your immediate family wins the mega-bucks lottery, you want to be the first one to be apprised of that event! "}]


idiom_text: assume , presume
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"assume","m":"Assume isn't only used to mean \"accept as truth without checking\"; it also means \"take on the form of.\" It might be safer if you don't assume that the vampire standing in front of you isn't merely a person assuming that form. "},{"w":"presume","m":"If you presume something, it means you act as though it's true before all the evidence is in. If you are presumed to be the fastest runner, don't get too cocky — that word implies that you haven't actually raced yet. "}]


idiom_text: assure , ensure , insure
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"assure","m":"If you assure your boss that you’ll finish your project by Tuesday, you are make a promise or commitment to have it done by Tuesday. "},{"w":"ensure","m":"When you ensure that something will happen, you guarantee it. All that homework will ensure that you have no time for fun this afternoon! "},{"w":"insure","m":"To insure is to guarantee or protect the monetary value of something with, as you might imagine, insurance. "}]


idiom_text: aural , oral , verbal
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"aural","m":"If you have excellent aural abilities, it means that your ears work well. Aural means \"pertaining to hearing.\" "},{"w":"oral","m":"The word oral means having to do with the mouth or speaking. When you give an oral report in school, you stand in front of the class and talk. "},{"w":"verbal","m":"If your friend tells you that the speech you just made was really verbal, he means you used too many words, overstated the point, went on too long, were redundant. "}]


idiom_text: bare , bear
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"bare","m":"When you kick off your shoes to walk on the beach, you are enjoying the feeling of your bare feet in the warm sand. The adjective bare describes something or someone that is naked or unclothed. "},{"w":"bear","m":"To bear is to carry or endure, whether by physical or mental force. If you can bear to read on, you'll find out all the different ways to use the word bear. "}]


idiom_text: bazaar , bizarre
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"bazaar","m":"A bazaar is a market that has rows and rows of little shops selling miscellaneous stuff — like tube socks, velvet paintings, and corn on the cob. "},{"w":"bizarre","m":"A person, object, or situation that's bizarre is very odd or unusual in appearance, style, or character. If your teacher walked into class wearing a purple boa, cat's eyes glasses and three inch heels, you might comment, \"How bizarre!\" "}]


idiom_text: bridal , bridle
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"bridal","m":"Use the adjective bridal to talk about a wedding or a bride. A bridal bouquet is the arrangement of flowers the bride carries during a wedding ceremony. "},{"w":"bridle","m":"When you're riding a horse and scream \"Whoa!\" to make it stop, you're pulling on the reins, which are attached to a thing called the bridle, the buckled straps around a horse's head that help you control its movements. "}]


idiom_text: capital , capitol
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"capital","m":"Capital is the total amount of money (and things with a monetary value, like houses or cars) that a person or institution owns. A bank's capital might be in the billions, while your capital barely makes it into the hundreds. "},{"w":"capitol","m":"When you march on the state capitol to protest a bill before the legislature, you are assembling outside a building that houses the state government. "}]


idiom_text: censor , censure
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"censor","m":"A censor takes out things that are objectionable or inappropriate, like the censors at the TV networks bleeping out all the bad words in a show. "},{"w":"censure","m":"Censure is a noun referring to very strong criticism; the verb means to criticize very strongly. If you take your dad's car without telling him, you can expect him to censure you severely, and maybe even ground you as well. "}]


idiom_text: cite , sight , site
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"cite","m":"To cite something means to do right by whoever said it and give them credit — for instance, if you add a brilliant statement to a paper but you’re not the one who originally wrote it, you should cite, or point to, the original author. "},{"w":"sight","m":"Your sight is your ability to see. If you're maneuvering through the house at midnight using your shins to locate the furniture, you'll appreciate your sight that much more. You could also turn a light on. "},{"w":"site","m":"A site is a location. The leader of a Zombie Army might remind his underlings: “Your web site is just a collection of pages at one address on the Web. Your burial site is where you find more soldiers!” "}]


idiom_text: climactic , climatic
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"climactic","m":"Something that is the highest or most exciting point is climactic. This adjective is used to describe a scene, event, or action. If you enjoy a good mystery, you probably love the climactic ending, when you find out whodunnit. "},{"w":"climatic","m":"Anything that has to do with weather or other conditions related to climate is climatic. If you're worried about climatic effects on your skin, you are concerned about winter dryness, UV exposure and windburn. "}]


idiom_text: complement , compliment
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"complement","m":"A complement is something that makes up a satisfying whole with something else. Those shiny red shoes you just bought complement your shiny red purse. "},{"w":"compliment","m":"A compliment is an expression of respect or admiration, like, \"You're such a good writer,\" or \"You know so many words!\" Keep them coming. "}]


idiom_text: compose , comprise
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"compose","m":"To compose is to put something together, like a song, poem, or even yourself. You might want to compose yourself before returning to the party after a good cry. "},{"w":"comprise","m":"When something comprises other things, it is made up of them or formed from them. The periodic table comprises 118 elements, because the whole comprises the parts. "}]


idiom_text: concurrent , consecutive
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"concurrent","m":"Concurrent means happening at the same time, as in two movies showing at the same theater on the same weekend. "},{"w":"consecutive","m":"If things are consecutive, they happen one after the other with no break. If there are five consecutive snowstorms on five consecutive days, you'll have to shovel your way out on day six. "}]


idiom_text: confidant , confidante , confident
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"confidant","m":"A confidant is the person you tell your secrets to. Your confidant has all the dirt on you, so don't forget her birthday or she might start talking... "},{"w":"confidante","m":"If you're a confidante, two things must be true: you have to be female, and you must be someone who people feel comfortable telling secrets to. "},{"w":"confident","m":"If you're confident you are sure about something, someone, or yourself. He was confident he could keep his balance and cross the river on the skinny log, but he wasn't so confident that the log was strong enough to hold him. "}]


idiom_text: connote , denote
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"connote","m":"Often your body language can connote or imply how you feel without you having to saying it directly. For example, if you fold your arms and look away from someone as he speaks to you, you are connoting your discomfort. "},{"w":"denote","m":"To denote is to draw attention to something or to show what it means. All of the googly-eyed looks that a girl gives to a boy might do more to denote her feelings for him than leaving a note in his locker. "}]


idiom_text: conscience , conscious
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"conscience","m":"A conscience is a built-in sense of what's right and what's wrong. That sick feeling in your stomach after you meanly told your younger brother the truth about Santa Claus? That might be your conscience bothering you. "},{"w":"conscious","m":"Conscious is an adjective that simply means alert and awake. If you fall from a tree and smack your head on the side of the wheelbarrow, there's a good chance you won't be conscious afterward. "}]


idiom_text: contemptible , contemptuous
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"contemptible","m":"Someone or something that's contemptible receives harsh judgment and deserves it. Your desire to bring to justice the contemptible coward who stole your last chocolate bar seemed noble, until you realized you'd eaten it the night before. "},{"w":"contemptuous","m":"If you insult someone or dismiss them in a hateful way, you're being contemptuous. The difference between being hateful and contemptuous is subtle. It involves disdain. "}]


idiom_text: continual , continuous
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"continual","m":"The adjective continual describes something that's recurring, that happens again and again. If your pet wolf keeps up his continual howling all night, your neighbors will let you know about it. "},{"w":"continuous","m":"The adjective continuous describes something that occurs over space or time without interruption. Some computer fans make a continuous noise — a constant buzz — that can drive you to distraction. "}]


idiom_text: corollary , correlation
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"corollary","m":"Corollary describes a result that is the natural consequence of something else. You could say that your weight gain is a corollary of the recent arrival of a bakery across the street from your house. "},{"w":"correlation","m":"Correlation is something that scientists are often trying to show––is there a correlation between smoking and poor health or between napping and productivity? How about daily flossing and good grades? "}]


idiom_text: council , counsel
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"council","m":"A council is a group of people that gathers for the purpose of giving advice or making decisions. If you’re president of the student council, for example, you might organize people to get the hallways at your school painted purple. "},{"w":"counsel","m":"When you give counsel or counsel someone, you give advice. If your neighbor is suing you because your dog keeps eating his begonias, you might seek the counsel of a dog trainer or, if that doesn't work, a lawyer. "}]


idiom_text: decent , descent , dissent
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"decent","m":"The adjective decent means sufficient or acceptable. The local diner you like to frequent may not serve a four-star breakfast, but it probably has decent food. "},{"w":"descent","m":"If you’re on your way down, you’re making a descent, whether that’s as a passenger in an airplane that's landing, or if you’re tumbling down a staircase you just slipped on. "},{"w":"dissent","m":"To dissent is to publicly disagree with an official opinion or decision. Dissent is also a noun referring to public disagreement. "}]


idiom_text: definite , definitely , definitive
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"definite","m":"Definite is an adjective describing something that is known for certain. For example, there is no more definite way to get into trouble with a police officer than speeding in front of the police station with a broken taillight. "},{"w":"definitely","m":"Use definitely to describe something you don’t have any doubt about. If you are certain you're going to see your friend's band play, you can assure him that you'll definitely be there. "},{"w":"definitive","m":"A definitive answer is a final one. A definitive decision by a court of law is one that will not be changed. A definitive translation is one everyone turns to as correct. Definitive means authoritative, conclusive, final. "}]


idiom_text: demur , demure
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"demur","m":"If your mother asks you to clean your room and you refuse, you demur. And if your friend invites you to the Death Metal Forever concert but you hesitate, you demur. Whether you object, politely disagree, or hesitate, you demur. "},{"w":"demure","m":"A demure person can be described as polite and a little shy. A demure outfit is a modest one––think high neckline and low hem. "}]


idiom_text: didactic , pedantic
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"didactic","m":"When people are didactic, they're teaching or instructing. This word is often used negatively for when someone is acting too much like a teacher. "},{"w":"pedantic","m":"There's nothing wrong with focusing on the details, but someone who is pedantic makes a big display of knowing obscure facts and details. "}]


idiom_text: disassemble , dissemble
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"disassemble","m":"The verb disassemble means to take something apart. It's one thing to disassemble a computer; it's a whole other thing to put it back together again. "},{"w":"dissemble","m":"To dissemble is to hide under a false appearance, to deceive. \"When confronted about their human rights record, the Chinese government typically dissembles.\" "}]


idiom_text: discomfit , discomfort
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"discomfit","m":"To discomfit someone is to make them feel uncomfortable or upset. An easy way to discomfit another person is to use the age-old, childish trick of ignoring them. (Of course, we’re sure you would never do that, right? Right?) "},{"w":"discomfort","m":"Discomfort is the feeling of irritation, soreness, or pain that, though not severe, is annoying. Every year, people who get a cold or the flu experience a few days of discomfort. "}]


idiom_text: discreet , discrete
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"discreet","m":"Discreet describes someone or something that is appropriately quiet, prudent, and restrained. If you are wearing a discreet gray suit, it is unlikely that anyone at that business meeting will notice you. "},{"w":"discrete","m":"Discrete means separate or divided. A discrete unit is a separate part of something larger. A room is a discrete space within a house, just as the transmission is a discrete part of a car engine. "}]


idiom_text: disillusion , dissolution
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"disillusion","m":"To disillusion is to make someone realize their belief isn't true. If your cousin believes that the Tooth Fairy will come in the night, take her tooth and sprinkle her with fairy dust. It would be too cruel to disillusion her. "},{"w":"dissolution","m":"The dissolution of a relationship means that it's broken up or ended. The dissolution of your band means you better get started on your solo album. "}]


idiom_text: disinterested , uninterested
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"disinterested","m":"If you can't decide whether to purchase the shirt with orange polka dots or the purple paisley-patterned one, you might seek input from a disinterested, or unbiased, party (who will probably tell you not to buy either one). "},{"w":"uninterested","m":"Uninterested describes someone who doesn't pay attention or care. If you're uninterested in touring old homes and shopping for antiques, you might be bored on vacation with your aunt and her friends. "}]


idiom_text: dual , duel
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"dual","m":"Dual means double, or having two elements. If you have a dual major, it means you're majoring in two subjects, like astronomy and microbiology. "},{"w":"duel","m":"A duel is a fight between two people, usually using swords or other weapons. If you tend to be a little cowardly, you're probably glad that people aren't expected to defend their honor with a duel these days. "}]


idiom_text: economic , economical
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"economic","m":"If you describe something as economic, then it relates to the economy. And the economy? It's all about money, honey. "},{"w":"economical","m":"Someone who is economical avoids wasting things, like money or food. So if someone sees you wrapping up a bite of food that could be part of tomorrow's lunch, don't let him call you \"cheap.\" Tell him you are economical. "}]


idiom_text: elusive , illusive
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"elusive","m":"Things that are elusive are hard to find, pin down, or remember. They slip right out of your grasp. "},{"w":"illusive","m":"If something misleads or deceives you, it is illusive. If you think you see a unicorn in your back yard, but it suddenly disappears, you can describe the vision as illusive. "}]


idiom_text: emigrate , immigrate , migrate
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"emigrate","m":"If you move to a different country, you emigrate. For example, if you are Canadian and you emigrate to Italy, you aren't on vacation — you are making Italy your new home. Benvenuti! "},{"w":"immigrate","m":"When a person immigrates, he or she moves to a new country. During the great wave of immigration between 1880 and 1924, over 25 million Europeans immigrated to the United States. "},{"w":"migrate","m":"To migrate means to move from one place to another, sometimes part of a back-and-forth pattern, and sometimes to stay. "}]


idiom_text: eminent , imminent
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"eminent","m":"Anyone highly regarded or prominent is eminent. People that are eminent are giants in their field. "},{"w":"imminent","m":"Something that is imminent is just about to happen: if you light a firecracker and then stick it down your pants, a very bad situation is imminent. "}]


idiom_text: empathy , sympathy
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"empathy","m":"Use empathy if you're looking for a noun meaning \"the ability to identify with another's feelings.\" "},{"w":"sympathy","m":"Sympathy is a feeling of pity or sense of compassion — it's when you feel bad for someone else who's going through something hard. "}]


idiom_text: endemic , epidemic
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"endemic","m":"If you want to underscore just how commonly found and present something is within a particular place, try the word endemic. Tight pants are endemic in my lunch room! "},{"w":"epidemic","m":"An epidemic is a disease that spreads rapidly among many people in a community at the same time. In the 1980s, the fast-spreading AIDS epidemic transformed life on our planet. "}]


idiom_text: entitle , title
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"entitle","m":"Use the verb entitle to mean \"give a right to.\" At some schools, being a senior might entitle students to go out for lunch on Fridays. "},{"w":"title","m":"A title is typically the official part of your name, placed at the beginning to signify a certain status or function. So, do you prefer \"Mr.,\" \"Mrs.,\" \"Dr.\" or \"Ms\"? Or perhaps you just go by \"Grand Pooh-bah\"? "}]


idiom_text: entomology , etymology
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"entomology","m":"Entomology is the study of insects. If you want to know all about ants, roaches, scorpions, and skeeters, entomology is for you. "},{"w":"etymology","m":"Since you're reading this, then you probably have some interest in etymology, because it's the study of the history and derivations of words. "}]


idiom_text: envelop , envelope
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"envelop","m":"When something envelops you, it wraps around you. The Snuggie Blanket is so popular because it envelops your body, leaving only your head uncovered. Sure, it looks dorky, but it keeps you extra warm. "},{"w":"envelope","m":"An envelope is something that envelops, or wraps around. It usually refers to the thing you stick a stamp on and snail mail. "}]


idiom_text: envy , jealousy
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"envy","m":"Wanting what someone else has and resenting them for having it is envy. If your best friend comes to school with the silver backpack you’d had your eye on all summer, you want to be happy for her, instead you feel bitter envy. "},{"w":"jealousy","m":"Jealousy is that unpleasant emotion you feel when you think someone’s trying to take what’s yours. Jealousy might creep up on you if someone flirts with your sweetie or copies your unique style. "}]


idiom_text: epigram , epigraph
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"epigram","m":"An epigram is a short, clever remark. One of Oscar Wilde's many memorable epigrams is \"I can resist everything but temptation.\" "},{"w":"epigraph","m":"An epigraph is an engraved inscription on a building or statue, or a quotation at the beginning of a piece of writing. "}]


idiom_text: epitaph , epithet
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"epitaph","m":"Epitaph is an inscription on a gravestone. Famous for his comedic jabs at the City of Brotherly Love, writer W.C. Fields once said he wanted \"I'd rather be living in Philadelphia\" as the epitaph on his tombstone. "},{"w":"epithet","m":"The noun epithet is a descriptive nickname, such as \"Richard the Lionhearted,\" or \"Tommy the Terrible.\" When it takes a turn for the worse, it can also be a word or phrase that offends. "}]


idiom_text: especially , specially
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"especially","m":"Especially describes something that can be singled out as better or more than. An especially tall building is extremely tall. "},{"w":"specially","m":"Specially means \"for a special purpose.\" If you walk into a room that's been specially decorated for St. Patrick's Day, there is probably a lot of green involved, and a shamrock or two. "}]


idiom_text: exalt , exult
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"exalt","m":"You might like your manager, but if you exalt her, it means you really put her on a pedestal and treat her like royalty. "},{"w":"exult","m":"Sometimes you might feel so happy about something you could just burst. This is the time to exult, or rejoice, and you might show your great happiness by laughing, dancing, and shouting with pure joy. "}]


idiom_text: exercise , exorcise
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"exercise","m":"Exercise is physical activity, like an exercise class, or the act of practicing anything — like people who exercise caution while crossing the street. "},{"w":"exorcise","m":"To exorcise is to cast out a devil or evil spirit, using prayer and other religious tools. You're probably familiar with the name of the person who does this: an exorcist. Don't try to exorcise a demon yourself. Call an exorcist. "}]


idiom_text: expedient , expeditious
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"expedient","m":"The adjective expedient describes something that provides an easy way to achieve a goal or result, but it's not necessarily a moral solution. "},{"w":"expeditious","m":"Anything expeditious is speedy and efficient. People like shortcuts because they are expeditious. "}]


idiom_text: extant , extent
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"extant","m":"Use the adjective extant to describe old things that are still around, like your extant diary from third grade or the only extant piece of pottery from certain craftspeople who lived hundreds of years ago. "},{"w":"extent","m":"The extent is the area something covers. That could be physical space or something like being prosecuted to the full extent of the law. "}]


idiom_text: farther , further
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"farther","m":"Farther means a greater distance away. You thought you'd be able to hit that can with a rock, but it fell short, so you'll have to try throwing it farther. "},{"w":"further","m":"If you ask your parents for money, they might say they need to think about it further and then ask you lots of questions. Further refers to figurative distance, like a thought you need more time on. "}]


idiom_text: faze , phase
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"faze","m":"If nothing can faze you, you are unflappable. Nothing bothers you, or gets you off your game. To faze is to disrupt or disturb. "},{"w":"phase","m":"A phase is a particular period of time, like someone whose \"teenage rebellion\" phase lasts well into her thirties. "}]


idiom_text: ferment , foment
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"ferment","m":"The word ferment means a commotion or excitement. Consider that the fermentation that turns juice or grain into alcohol is the result of the agitated development of bacteria, and then you can better appreciate the word's meaning. "},{"w":"foment","m":"Stand outside the school cafeteria passing out flyers with nutritional details on school food, and you may foment a revolution––foment means stirring up something undesirable, such as trouble. "}]


idiom_text: figuratively , literally
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"figuratively","m":"The adverb figuratively describes something symbolic, not actual. If a friend invites you to tonight's concert but you already have plans with your family, you might say — figuratively — that your hands are tied. "},{"w":"literally","m":"The adverb literally means \"actually,\" and we use it when we want others to know we're serious, not exaggerating or being metaphorical. "}]


idiom_text: flair , flare
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"flair","m":"Use the word flair to refer to someone’s knack or natural talent for something. Someone might have a flair for throwing fantastic parties, or a flair for solving complex math problems. "},{"w":"flare","m":"A flare is a sudden burst of light. The flare of a lit match in the dark night is strangely beautiful. "}]


idiom_text: flaunt , flout
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"flaunt","m":"Flaunt is \"to display proudly or show off,\" like when you flaunt your new Italian leather jacket by wearing it to the beach and pretending you're cold to make sure everyone sees it. "},{"w":"flout","m":"To flout is to scorn or show contempt for. \"I flout the law and the concept of civilian safety by making a concerted effort to jaywalk every time I cross a street.\" "}]


idiom_text: flounder , founder
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"flounder","m":"A flounder is a flat fish with both eyes on one side of its head; and, as a verb, to flounder is to wobble around like a fish out of water. "},{"w":"founder","m":"The person who creates an organization or a company is known as the founder. Founder is also a verb meaning \"fail miserably,\" which is something a company's founder hopes the company will never do. "}]


idiom_text: formally , formerly
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"formally","m":"Formally describes something done according to an established custom, like dressing formally for dinner with the President, as people always have done. "},{"w":"formerly","m":"Use the adverb formerly to describe something that happened earlier. A history teacher might explain that the city of Istanbul was formerly known as Constantinople. "}]


idiom_text: formative , formidable
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"formative","m":"Formative is a word that describes something that made you who you are. You might call your adolescence your formative years because that time period had such a strong influence on the rest of your life. "},{"w":"formidable","m":"What do the national debt, your old gym teacher, and your mother-in-law have in common? They're all formidable — that is, they inspire fear and respect thanks to their size, or special ability, or unusual qualities. (Or possibly all three in the case of your mother-in-law.) "}]


idiom_text: fortuitous , fortunate
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"fortuitous","m":"Fortuitous means by chance, like a lucky accident. If you and your best friend's families happen to go on vacation to the same place at the same time, that’s a fortuitous coincidence! "},{"w":"fortunate","m":"If you are lucky, you are fortunate. You can be fortunate to have avoided something terrible and you can be fortunate to have acquired, won, or been bestowed with something better than those around you, like wealth and good looks. "}]


idiom_text: gibe , jibe
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"gibe","m":"\"Loser! Bonehead!\" the kids shouted, tossing those words and other gibes at the people who offered themselves up to the annual humiliation of the harvest-fest dunk-tank. A gibe is an insulting comment. To gibe is to insult. "},{"w":"jibe","m":"To jibe with someone is to agree with them. Jibe can also mean “be compatible with or similar to.” If two people jibe, they get along quite well. "}]


idiom_text: gorilla , guerilla , guerrilla
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"gorilla","m":"A gorilla is the world's largest primate — the kind of great, powerful ape you might see on an African safari. "},{"w":"guerilla","m":"The word guerilla is another way to spell \"guerrilla\": a member of a small, loosely organized army that fights a larger, stronger force. If you're a guerilla, you confront enemies unexpectedly and use tactics such as sabotage, raids, and ambushes. "},{"w":"guerrilla","m":"If your brother says he’s going to become a guerrilla, don't worry, he's not planning to become a hairy animal. Guerrilla fighters band together in a small underground army, usually trying to overcome a larger and more organized force. "}]


idiom_text: grisly , gristly , grizzly
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"grisly","m":"Grisly means disgusting and bloody, absolutely repulsive and horrible. There’s a wonderfully creepy movie about a man who suffers a grisly death at the hands of the grizzly bears he was studying. "},{"w":"gristly","m":"Gristly means rubbery or full of cartilage. The hardest part of your trip to rural China might be graciously accepting and attempting to chew the gristly meat your hosts offer you. "},{"w":"grizzly","m":"A grizzly is a large North American species of bear also known as a silvertip bear. When you go camping and hiking in the western United States, park rangers might teach you what to do if you see a grizzly. "}]


idiom_text: healthful , healthy
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"healthful","m":"Things that are healthful are good for your body, mind, or overall well-being. Your dinner of barbecued potato chips, ice cream, and slices of cheddar cheese might be delicious, but it's not very healthful. "},{"w":"healthy","m":"Healthy means having good health. It's the opposite of sick, but also can mean \"doing well\" in a general sense. You can have a healthy attitude, or be served a healthy portion of food. "}]


idiom_text: hero , protagonist
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"hero","m":"Yes, a hero is a kind of sandwich. But when David Bowie sings, “We can be heroes,” he’s not talking about sandwiches. He’s talking about the more popular kind of hero — the kind who saves your life! "},{"w":"protagonist","m":"A protagonist is the central character in a story: the protagonist of Huckleberry Finn is — guess who? — Huckleberry Finn. "}]


idiom_text: historic , historical
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"historic","m":"Something that's historic was important in its day and continues to be studied and remembered, like the historic integration of segregated schools and the historic March on Washington in 1963. "},{"w":"historical","m":"Use the adjective historical to describe something that happened in the past, like the historical details of your ancestors' immigration to the United States. "}]


idiom_text: hoard , horde
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"hoard","m":"To hoard is to save something (or lots of things) for future use. Squirrels hoard nuts for the winter. Old ladies tend to hoard canned food and used plastic bags. "},{"w":"horde","m":"Use the word horde to describe a large crowd: “A horde of people followed Newman as he left the airport in Helsinki.” "}]


idiom_text: homograph , homonym , homophone
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"homograph","m":"Use the noun homograph to talk about two words that are spelled the same but have different meanings and are pronounced differently — like \"sow,\" meaning female pig, and \"sow,\" to plant seeds. "},{"w":"homonym","m":"A homonym is a word that is said or spelled the same way as another word but has a different meaning. \"Write” and “right” is a good example of a pair of homonyms. "},{"w":"homophone","m":"A homophone is a word that sounds the same as another word but has a different meaning and/or spelling. “Flower” and “flour” are homophones because they are pronounced the same but you certainly can’t bake a cake using daffodils. "}]


idiom_text: home , home in , hone
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"home","m":"Home is where you live: your house, apartment, or condo. It's also the place we feel most comfortable, loved, and protected — where we most feel at home. "},{"w":"home in","m":"When you home in on something, you focus your attention on it. Your brother who is always reading probably homes in on bookstores when he visits a new place. "},{"w":"hone","m":"The verb hone means to sharpen skills. When you practice shooting baskets every day after school, you are honing your skills as a basketball player. "}]


idiom_text: imply , infer
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"imply","m":"Imply means to express, suggest, or show something without stating it directly: A friend’s gruff manner would imply that she’s in a foul mood. "},{"w":"infer","m":"When you infer something, you read between the lines. To infer is to make a well informed guess — if you see your mom’s bag on the table, you might infer that she’s home. "}]


idiom_text: incredible , incredulous
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"incredible","m":"If it's hard to believe and hard to wrap your head around, it just might be incredible. A hurricane in Kansas would certainly be incredible, but keeping your bedroom tidy all week counts too. "},{"w":"incredulous","m":"If you are incredulous that means you can't or won't believe something. If you tell people about those aliens you met the other night, they'll probably give you an incredulous look. "}]


idiom_text: indeterminable , indeterminate
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"indeterminable","m":"The adjective indeterminable describes something that can't be known for sure, like what grade you would’ve gotten on a paper you never turned in. "},{"w":"indeterminate","m":"Indeterminate means not known or decided. When someone contracts a rare stomach parasite but has not been traveling internationally, you might say it had indeterminate origins. "}]


idiom_text: indict , indite
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"indict","m":"If you accuse someone of committing an offense, you indict them. A book that indicts the entire education system might lay out all the reasons that schools are failing kids. "},{"w":"indite","m":"The verb indite, rarely used today, means \"compose\" or \"put down in writing,\" like when you find a quiet place to sit down with your notebook and pen and indite a journal entry or a first draft of a short story. "}]


idiom_text: inflammable , inflammatory
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"inflammable","m":"Something that is inflammable can be set on fire easily. You dared not light a match after you accidentally spilled gasoline on yourself because you knew you were inflammable. "},{"w":"inflammatory","m":"In medical terms, something that is inflammatory causes a local reaction that shows up by swelling, heat, pain, and redness. If you are stung by a bee, you may have an acute inflammatory reaction to the sting. "}]


idiom_text: ingenious , ingenuous
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"ingenious","m":"Something ingenious shows creativity and inventiveness. If someone compares you to Einstein, they're implying that you, too, are ingenious. "},{"w":"ingenuous","m":"Someone who is ingenuous shows a childlike innocence, trust, and openness. One of the things kindergarten teachers value is the chance to work with kids while they're still relatively ingenuous––their open, trusting natures are a joy. "}]


idiom_text: insidious , invidious
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"insidious","m":"If something is slowly and secretly causing harm, it's insidious — like the rumors no one seems to listen to until suddenly someone's reputation is ruined. "},{"w":"invidious","m":"Something can be described as invidious when it is resentful, discriminatory or envious, as in: \"Fred was angered by the invidious gossip about his divorce being spread by his ex-wife's allies.\" "}]


idiom_text: instance , instant
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"instance","m":"An instance is a specific example or case of something. One instance of being chased by a growling dog can make a person spend his whole life being afraid of animals. "},{"w":"instant","m":"An instant is a very short time. In combinations like instant coffee and instant replay it means available right away without a wait. "}]


idiom_text: intense , intensive , intent
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"intense","m":"Intense means strong or extreme. If you accidentally spill a cup of hot coffee on yourself, you’ll probably feel intense heat, intense pain, and — if anyone happened to be watching — intense embarrassment. "},{"w":"intensive","m":"Intensive describes things that are extreme, highly dramatic, or just plain thorough. An intensive chemistry course meets six days a week for five hours a day. If you're in intensive care, you're getting close medical scrutiny, 24/7. "},{"w":"intent","m":"If you are intent on doing something, you are determined to get it done. If you have an intent, you have a motive or purpose. "}]


idiom_text: extrovert , introvert
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"extrovert","m":"An extrovert is a friendly person who enjoys talking to and being with other people. Extroverts love parties, talking on the phone, and meeting new people. "},{"w":"introvert","m":"An introvert generally prefers solitary activities to interacting with large groups of people. If you would rather work through your feelings in your diary than have a conversation, then you are an introvert. "}]


idiom_text: irony , sarcasm , satire
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"irony","m":"Reserve irony for situations where there's a gap between reality and expectations, especially when such a gap is created for dramatic or humorous effect. "},{"w":"sarcasm","m":"Irony employed in the service of mocking or attacking someone is sarcasm. Saying \"Oh, you're soooo clever!\" with sarcasm means the target is really just a dunderhead. "},{"w":"satire","m":"Satire is a way of making fun of people by using silly or exaggerated language. Politicians are easy targets for satire, especially when they're acting self-righteous or hypocritical. "}]


idiom_text: laudable , laudatory
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"laudable","m":"Use the word laudable to describe something that deserves praise or admiration, like your laudable efforts to start a recycling program at your school. "},{"w":"laudatory","m":"Laudatory has to do with praise. If you do great things, then you've done praise-worthy acts and people will use laudatory words when talking about you. "}]


idiom_text: lay , lie
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"lay","m":"To lay is to set something down or put it in a horizontal position. It can also mean to position or prepare something for action, or, simply, to lay eggs. "},{"w":"lie","m":"When you don't tell the truth, you lie. You also lie down when you're sleepy and wonder what lies ahead of you. "}]


idiom_text: loath , loathe
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"loath","m":"If you are loath to do something, you really don't want to do it. If you are reluctant to go swimming, people will say you are loath to swim, but if they are really mean — they may throw you in anyway. "},{"w":"loathe","m":"If you loathe someone or something, you hate them very much. You might not choose to eat raw carrots if you dislike them, but if you loathe them, you might have a hard time even having them on your plate. "}]


idiom_text: loose , lose
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"loose","m":"If something is loose, it's not attached very securely to anything. Be sure the horse trailer attached to your truck isn't loose, or it might just roll away on its own while you're on the highway. "},{"w":"lose","m":"The verb to lose means something has gone missing. Maybe it's your car keys. Maybe it's points in a game. Maybe it's the love of your life. Sorry about that. "}]


idiom_text: luxuriant , luxurious
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"luxuriant","m":"You can use the adjective luxuriant to describe something really luxurious or full and lush. If you walk through a dense forest after it rains, it's really luxuriant with green plants overgrowing the paths. "},{"w":"luxurious","m":"The adjective luxurious describes something that is of very high quality or expensive taste, like your luxurious living room filled with the softest rugs and gorgeous furniture hand-crafted in Italy. "}]


idiom_text: marital , martial
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"marital","m":"Use the adjective marital to describe something that relates to a marriage. You may envy the marital contentment of spouses who communicate well with each other. "},{"w":"martial","m":"An adjective referring to the military, the word martial adds a warlike tone to any noun it describes. "}]


idiom_text: average , mean , median
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"average","m":"If something is average, it's ordinary and not very special. You might say a movie was average if you thought it was just okay. "},{"w":"mean","m":"If you got a fortune cookie with the message \"Your future will contain many bananas,\" you might ask, \"What on earth does that mean?\" In other words, you wonder what the intention or meaning of the fortune might be. "},{"w":"median","m":"Median means middle. When a strip of grass divides one direction of a highway from another, it's called a median because it runs through the middle. "}]


idiom_text: medal , meddle , mettle
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"medal","m":"A medal is an award for some contest or achievement. You might win a medal for coming in third place at the cupcake baking championship. "},{"w":"meddle","m":"To meddle is to interfere. You can meddle in someone else's affairs, and you can meddle with someone else's things. Either way, you’re messing with someone else’s stuff and she probably doesn’t like it. "},{"w":"mettle","m":"Mettle is the courage to carry on. If someone wants to \"test your mettle,\" they want to see if you have the heart to follow through when the going gets tough. "}]


idiom_text: metaphor , simile
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"metaphor","m":"If you brag that \"the world's your oyster,\" you're using a metaphor from Shakespeare, who knew a thing or two about figures of speech. "},{"w":"simile","m":"Use the noun simile when describing a comparison between two fundamentally different things, such as: \"His voice was smooth, like butter in a warm pan.\" "}]


idiom_text: moral , morale
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"moral","m":"The moral of a story is the lesson that story teaches about how to behave in the world. "},{"w":"morale","m":"Morale is the spirit a group has that makes them want to succeed. It's a sense of well-being that comes from confidence, usefulness, and purpose. "}]


idiom_text: morbid , moribund
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"morbid","m":"If the first section of the newspaper you read is the obituaries, you could be considered morbid. Morbid is a word used to describe anyone who spends too much time thinking about death or disease. "},{"w":"moribund","m":"Something that is moribund is almost dead, like a moribund economy that has been stuck in a recession for years. "}]


idiom_text: nauseated , nauseous
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"nauseated","m":"When you're nauseated, you're queasy, or you feel like you might vomit. If you have the flu, you'll probably spend a day or two feeling nauseated. "},{"w":"nauseous","m":"If you’re nauseous, you feel queasy and sick to your stomach, and you might feel like vomiting. Could be the stomach flu or too much food before that roller-coaster ride. "}]


idiom_text: objective , subjective
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"objective","m":"An objective is something you plan to achieve. A military objective is the overall plan for a mission. The objective for a bake sale is to raise money. If your objective is to learn a new word, you have succeeded. "},{"w":"subjective","m":"Things that are subjective are open to interpretation. If you go see a movie about a jewel thief, the topic is not subjective. But whether it's a good movie or not is subjective. "}]


idiom_text: palate , palette , pallet
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"palate","m":"Touch your tongue to the top of your mouth. What you're touching is your palate. Palate is often used when discussing taste in a broader sense, as in: chocolate cake is pleasing to the palate. "},{"w":"palette","m":"A palette is a range of colors. It is also the board that artists use to hold and mix paint. Picture Picasso in his blue period: He is holding a palette on which you see a limited palette of blue tones. "},{"w":"pallet","m":"Pallet is a busy noun, but it’s mainly a slab or framework of wood used for carrying things. The most common type of pallet is the kind used to move cargo. "}]


idiom_text: parameter , perimeter
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"parameter","m":"A parameter is a limit. In mathematics a parameter is a constant in an equation, but parameter isn’t just for math anymore: now any system can have parameters that define its operation. You can set parameters for your class debate. "},{"w":"perimeter","m":"The noun perimeter refers to the border of an enclosed space. The perimeter of a house is its property line. For a country, it would be that country’s borders. "}]


idiom_text: parity , parody
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"parity","m":"All things being equal, parity means, basically, equality. It’s used in finance, physics, math, and even sports. When people talk about parity in a football league, for example, they mean the teams are evenly matched. Go, evenly matched team, go! "},{"w":"parody","m":"A parody is a humorous or mocking imitation of something, using the same form as the original. To parody a poem, you have to write another poem. "}]


idiom_text: pedal , peddle , petal
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"pedal","m":"Anything you push with your feet to control a machine, vehicle, or instrument is a pedal. When you use a sewing machine, you push the pedal with your foot to make the needle move up and down. "},{"w":"peddle","m":"When you peddle something, you go out and try to sell it. It's cute when a little kid peddles his homemade birthday cards around the neighborhood, but if an adult did that it might be annoying. "},{"w":"petal","m":"A petal is a part of a flower. Most flowers have a ring of brightly colored petals surrounding the center part of the blossom. "}]


idiom_text: persecute , prosecute
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"persecute","m":"To persecute is to make someone suffer or to keep them in bad circumstances. In some parts of the world governments or military groups persecute, or punish, people for religious beliefs, often sending them to prisons or work camps. "},{"w":"prosecute","m":"To prosecute is to participate in or pursue something to completion, like a government’s intention to prosecute a war. Prosecute is most often used for bringing legal action against an accused person or group. "}]


idiom_text: personal , personnel
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"personal","m":"When something's personal, it's all about you. A personal decision is one you make on your own and it’s probably about something that concerns you, too. Your personal possessions are things that belong to you. "},{"w":"personnel","m":"Personnel is a noun describing a group of people who follow orders, usually at a company. If you have a job, you’re probably considered personnel to be managed. "}]


idiom_text: piteous , pitiable , pitiful , pitiless
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"piteous","m":"If something's piteous, it makes you feel pity and concern. The piteous cries of the orphaned kittens under your porch might convince you to climb under there and gather them up so you could feed them. "},{"w":"pitiable","m":"Pitiable describes something that's pathetic or miserable. After learning about the pitiable conditions of schools in parts of rural India, you might decide to donate supplies to them. "},{"w":"pitiful","m":"Pitiful means pathetic. If you don't even study for your test, you're making a pretty pitiful effort to do well. "},{"w":"pitiless","m":"Pitiless means \"without mercy\" or \"cruel.\" Movie critics are often described as pitiless, because if they hate a film, they don't hold back or consider the feelings of the people who poured their hearts into making it. "}]


idiom_text: pore , pour
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"pore","m":"That trickle of sweat didn't just miraculously appear — it was secreted out of a pore, a really tiny opening on the surface of your skin. "},{"w":"pour","m":"To pour is to flow rapidly in a steady stream, or to cause something to flow. You can pour good coffee into a cup and pour bad coffee down the drain. "}]


idiom_text: practicable , practical
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"practicable","m":"Something that is practicable is something that can be reasonably done. Look at the word within the word, practice, plus the suffix -able, and you have something that is able to be put into practice, or practicable. "},{"w":"practical","m":"A stapler is a practical object––it has a use. A hand-crocheted stapler cozy designed to keep a stapler warm at night? Not practical at all. "}]


idiom_text: dogmatic , pragmatic
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"dogmatic","m":"To be dogmatic is to follow a set of rules no matter what. The rules might be religious, philosophical, or made-up, but dogmatic people would never waver in their beliefs so don’t even think of trying to change their minds. "},{"w":"pragmatic","m":"To describe a person or a solution that takes a realistic approach, consider the adjective pragmatic. The four-year-old who wants a unicorn for her birthday isn't being very pragmatic. "}]


idiom_text: precede , proceed
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"precede","m":"To precede is to come before. A short speech will precede the dinner. As you walk down the garden path, the bed of roses precedes the holly bush. When marching into the room, the younger kids precede the older ones. "},{"w":"proceed","m":"To proceed means to go or continue forward. But somehow \"ready, set, proceed!\" doesn't quite have the same ring to it. "}]


idiom_text: precedent , president
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"precedent","m":"A precedent is something that sets a standard for future events. It's hard to say what the legal community would do without the word precedent, since so many legal judgments and decisions are based on what came before. "},{"w":"president","m":"The president is the person officially in charge — whether it’s of a republic, a company, a college, or a fan club. "}]


idiom_text: predominant , predominate
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"predominant","m":"If you’re talking about the most popular or common thing, call it predominant. If the predominant feeling in a neighborhood is that pizza is the best food, the result might be pizzerias being the predominant type of restaurant there. "},{"w":"predominate","m":"Of all the social networks, one predominates. Facebook is by far the biggest and most influential. When someone or something predominates, it's the largest or most powerful of all. "}]


idiom_text: premier , premiere
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"premier","m":"Premier is another way of saying “first” or “best” like the premier ice cream store on the block that always has a line snaking around the corner. In a political sense a premier is a head of state. "},{"w":"premiere","m":"A premiere is the first showing of a work of art. A movie premiere often takes place in Los Angeles or New York, with stars in attendance and the iconic red carpet rolled out to greet them. "}]


idiom_text: prescribe , proscribe
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"prescribe","m":"To prescribe is make orders or give directions for something to be done. These days, the word is mainly used by doctors who prescribe medications to take. "},{"w":"proscribe","m":"To proscribe something is to forbid or prohibit it, as a school principal might proscribe the use of cell phones in class. "}]


idiom_text: in principle , principal , principle
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"in principle","m":"In principle describes a basic idea. If your mother supports your travel plans in principle, she likes the idea of you getting out and seeing the world — though this could change when she sees the cost of the trip. "},{"w":"principal","m":"For an adjective that points to the main or most important thing, your best choice is principal. Is your principal goal for the summer to have fun or to earn some extra money? "},{"w":"principle","m":"A principle is a kind of rule, belief, or idea that guides you. You can also say a good, ethical person has a lot of principles. "}]


idiom_text: prophecy , prophesy
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"prophecy","m":"If a fortune teller made a prophecy that you were going to become a billionaire in your lifetime, you'd be pretty excited. A prophecy is a prediction, or a magical look into the future. "},{"w":"prophesy","m":"The word prophesy can mean to predict or reveal something that will happen in the future. Many people use astrology to prophesy, or predict, their future regarding misfortune, wealth, love, and relationships. "}]


idiom_text: prostate , prostrate
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"prostate","m":"The prostate gland is part of a man's reproductive system; it's located near his bladder and is about the size of a kiwi fruit. Prostate cancer, which is fairly common in men, is usually treatable if it is detected early. "},{"w":"prostrate","m":"The verb prostrate means \"to make helpless or defenseless.\" Illness, injury, food poisoning, grief — any of these things can prostrate people, or lying down in a helpless position. "}]


idiom_text: quotation , quote
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"quotation","m":"A quotation is the exact words of someone else. When you like what someone said, put their quotation in your writing. "},{"w":"quote","m":"If a journalist is interviewing you and you blurt out something inappropriate, you will have to ask her not to quote you on that. Sometimes the word quote is used as shorthand for quotation, a passage of speech or writing that’s repeated word for word. "}]


idiom_text: rebut , refute
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"rebut","m":"To rebut is to argue against something. If your parents say you're too young and irresponsible to drive, you can rebut their claim by ticking off examples of your responsibility. "},{"w":"refute","m":"The verb refute is to prove that something is wrong. When the kids you're babysitting swear they brushed their teeth, you can refute their claim by presenting the dry toothbrushes. "}]


idiom_text: regretful , regretfully , regrettable , regrettably
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"regretful","m":"Regretful describes the feeling of being sorry for something you did — or didn't do — or something that happened. If you are regretful about how you treated your brother when you were little, you now wish you had been nicer. "},{"w":"regretfully","m":"Use the adverb regretfully to mean \"with regret\" — the sorrow you feel about something that has already happened. For example, little kids would regretfully turn over the candy bars they stole from the grocery store. "},{"w":"regrettable","m":"Regrettable describes things that make you feel sorry. Letting your sister borrow your own snow shovel became a regrettable decision the moment the big storm started. "},{"w":"regrettably","m":"The sentence adverb regrettably is good for expressing regret, or sorrow, about an unfortunate event. If you forgot that today, May 5th, is your brother's birthday, you might say, \"Regrettably, I thought today was the fourth.\" "}]


idiom_text: reluctant , reticent
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"reluctant","m":"If the adjective reluctant applies to you, it means that you are undergoing some inner struggle and are unwilling or unable to decide. "},{"w":"reticent","m":"Reticent means either quiet or restrained. If you're reticent about your feelings, you like to keep them to yourself, and you're probably quiet in rowdy groups where everyone is talking over each other. "}]


idiom_text: respectful , respectfully , respective , respectively
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"respectful","m":"If you’re respectful, you show consideration and regard for someone or something. Be respectful of your neighbors and turn down your disco music when it gets late. "},{"w":"respectfully","m":"Respectfully describes words and actions that show honor and worth. When people behave respectfully toward one another, they are polite and take the other people's feelings into consideration. "},{"w":"respective","m":"When two people each have something of their own, it's their respective thing. In a boxing match, the opponents each start in their respective or individual corners. "},{"w":"respectively","m":"Respectively is used to indicate order, like if you said \"Michael Phelps and Michael Jordan excelled in swimming and basketball, respectively.\" "}]


idiom_text: sac , sack
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"sac","m":"A sac is a hollow space or container. While any pocket or pouch can be called a sac, the word usually refers to a small enclosed space that occurs in nature, like a spider's egg sac or a squid's ink sac. "},{"w":"sack","m":"A sack is a bag. In some parts of the country, store clerks put your stuff in a sack, but in other parts the same stuff goes in a bag. Sack is also an exciting verb. "}]


idiom_text: scrimp , skimp
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"scrimp","m":"When you scrimp, you get by on very little money. If you scrimp all year long in order to buy tickets to the Stanley Cup finals, you save every last penny to be able to go to those games. "},{"w":"skimp","m":"The verb skimp refers to using a limited amount of something. When tomato prices are high, a cost-conscious restaurant might skimp on the amount of chopped tomatoes it puts on salads. "}]


idiom_text: sensual , sensuous
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"sensual","m":"Sensual means physically pleasing. It often is used in a sexual context, but is not exclusively sexual in meaning. "},{"w":"sensuous","m":"Anything that is pleasing to the senses can be called sensuous. The feel of a soft cashmere sweater on your skin, the taste of dark chocolate, even the smell of your favorite person — all of these can be sensuous experiences. "}]


idiom_text: simple , simplistic
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"simple","m":"Simple refers to something that's easy and uncomplicated, without too many steps to follow. "},{"w":"simplistic","m":"It would be simplistic to say that people who get good grades study more. This answer doesn't account for the complexities of how we learn and are tested. When something is simplistic, it is overly simple. "}]


idiom_text: stationary , stationery
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"stationary","m":"Stationary means not moving. A stationary bike is the kind you find in the gym –– you pedal and pedal, but you just don’t go anywhere. "},{"w":"stationery","m":"If your grandmother gives you a set of stationery as a birthday present, it might be a subtle hint to write her a thank you note. Stationery is a set of writing paper that comes with envelopes. "}]


idiom_text: statue , statute
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"statue","m":"To stand as still as a statue is to stand absolutely still, a statue being a sculpture, after all. A statue is a specific kind of sculpture, one that clearly represents a person, an animal, or other living creature. "},{"w":"statute","m":"A statute is a formal law or rule. Whether it's enacted by a government, company, or other organization, a statute is typically written down. "}]


idiom_text: then
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"then","m":"Then is a word that puts things in order by time, or refers to a moment in time: you get up; then you have breakfast. You're married now; back then, you were single. "}]


idiom_text: tortuous , torturous
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"tortuous","m":"Tortuous means twisting or complicated. \"James Bond drove his custom BMW 120 mph on the road that was tortuous in its twists and turns. He had to stop the evil madman's plan for world domination that was so tortuous even 007 could not understand it.\" "},{"w":"torturous","m":"Torturous describes anything that involves terrible suffering. Visiting a veal farm and witnessing the torturous conditions the calves are kept in might convince you to become a vegetarian. "}]


idiom_text: turbid , turgid
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"turbid","m":"If a liquid is dark and murky and you can't see through it, it's turbid. It’s usually used as a criticism — a turbid river is generally a polluted one, but then again a good pint of real ale should be turbid. Go figure. "},{"w":"turgid","m":"Turgid describes something that's swollen, typically by fluids, like a turgid water balloon that's way too big to resist dropping on your friend's head. "}]


idiom_text: unconscionable , unconscious
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"unconscionable","m":"Something that is almost unimaginably unacceptable is unconscionable. Think of it as being something that no reasonable person would even think of doing or saying — something unbelievable, outrageous, and often horrible. "},{"w":"unconscious","m":"When you're unconscious you're passed out or asleep. Anything going on in the body that we're not aware of can also be called unconscious. "}]


idiom_text: unexceptionable , unexceptional
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"unexceptionable","m":"If something is unexceptionable, don't bother trying to find something wrong with it — you won't. Your unexceptionable character makes you the perfect candidate to run for public office, but if you run, people will be looking for things to criticize. "},{"w":"unexceptional","m":"Unexceptional describes something that's perfectly ordinary, like your unexceptional day that's not good or bad — or memorable for any reason. "}]


idiom_text: venal , venial
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"venal","m":"Someone with venal motives is corrupt and maybe a little evil. Nobody wants to be thought of as venal. "},{"w":"venial","m":"Some crimes are unforgivable. Others are venial — venial crimes and sins are excusable. They're not a big deal. "}]


idiom_text: veracious , veracity , voracious , voracity
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"veracious","m":"Someone who is veracious speaks the truth — like your brutally honest friend who always lets you know what she thinks about your outfits, your hairstyle, your lasagna recipe, and your taste in movies. "},{"w":"veracity","m":"Veracity sounds like some kind of disease you don't want to catch, but in fact, it means truthfulness. If you question the veracity of a statement or story, you wonder whether it is truthful or accurate. "},{"w":"voracious","m":"Voracious is an adjective used to describe a wolflike appetite. It might be a craving for food or for something else, such as power, but the word usually denotes an unflattering greediness. "},{"w":"voracity","m":"Use the noun voracity when you're describing someone's enormous, gluttonous appetite. "}]


idiom_text: waive , wave
sentence: -
type: H
meaning:
  [{"w":"waive","m":"To waive is to give up one's right to do something. If you waive your right to help name your family's new puppy, you can't complain if he ends up being called \"Mr. Tinkerbell Sweetheart Lovey-Face.\" "},{"w":"wave","m":"The word wave has many different meanings, but they all have to do with an undulating motion or shape. A wave that washes up on a beach has the same kind of back-and-forth movement as a crowd of baseball fans doing \"the wave\" in the stands. "}]


