List-1
1. Charity begins at home-
Meaning- People should love and care for their own family, friends and neighbours before trying to help people in other places and countries.
Use-Sally does a lot of work abroad on good causes, but her own family hardly sees her- and charity begins at home, I think.
2. Be a chip off the old block-
Meaning-You say that someone is a chip off the old block if they are the same kind of person as their father or mother, or they behave like them.
Use-Jeff has always loved sports, and it looks like young Ben is a chip off the old block.
3. Be on cloud nine-
Meaning-You say that someone is on cloud nine when they are extremely happy.
Use-Debbie phoned to say she got the job- she was on cloud nine about it!
4. Cook the books-
Meaning-If you cook the books, you dishonestly change the official figures which show how much money is going into or coming out of business.
Use-For years, Mr. Jones cooked the books in order to steal money from the company.
5. Cry over spilt milk-
Meaning-To is sorry or upset about something that has, happened and cannot be changed.
Use-Don’t waste your time crying over spilt milk. It’s what you do now that is important.
6. Dot the is and cross it’s
Meaning- To check carefully that all the details are correct and complete before you finish a piece of written work or complicated activity.
Use-Once I’ve Just dotted the I’s and crossed it’s, I can send this article off to the printer.
7. Down-to-earth-
Meaning-A down-to-earth person or plan deals with things in a practical and sensible way.
Use-Liz is very down-to-earth and doesn’t try to impress her students with complicated words.
8. The dust settles-
Meaning-If you tail about when the dust settles, you mean when people become calmer and the situation heroines dearer, after a big guard or a time of confusing change or activity.
Use- Its difficult getting used to the new schedule. I know, but when the dust settles you v find it works much better.
9. Eat humble pie-
Meaning-If you -at the humble pie, you admit honestly that you we wrong about something.
Use-Dad blamed John for the accident and, when w found out the truth, he had to eat humble pie.
10. At the eleventh hour-
Meaning-If something happens at the eleventh hour, it happens when there is nearly no time left.
Use-At the eleventh hour, George arrived with our passports and we were allowed on the plane.
11. In the fast lane-
Meaning-You say that someone is living in the fast lane when they have a very exciting and busy life which can also be dangerous or risky.
Use-Now that you are a star, how do you think you will cope with life in the fast lane?
12. Fight tooth and nail-
Meaning-If you fight tooth and nail to achieve something, you do everything you possibly can to achieve it,
Use-His parents fought tooth and nail to get Tom into that school.
13. At first glance–
Meaning-If you see or think something at first glance, that Is what you see or think when you look at It quickly for the first time.
Use-At first glance, I thought she was laughing, but then I realized she was crying.
14. Grit your teeth-
Meaning-If you grit your teeth, you deal with a difficult situation, or a situation you do not want, in a controlled and determined way.
Use- His remarks were quite insulting, and I say gritting my teeth until he had left.
15. In the heat of the moment-
Meaning-Â If you say or do something in the heat of the moment; you do it without thinking about it or planning it because you are angry, excited or emotional.
Use-I said some horrible things in the heat of the moment, and I have always regretted them.
16. Give someone an inch and they’ll take a mile-
Meaning-If you let someone do or have one small thing that you would not normally allow, they will start to do or take more things without your permission.
Use-The children started watching a film, though I only said they could see only the end of the programme . Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile!
17. Keep your cool-
Meaning-Â If you keep yourself cool, you do not riot excited or angry or worried, but you remain calm.
Use-It is important to keep your cool when things go wrong.
18. Keep your head above water-
Meaning-If you keep your head above water, you live or continue doing something when you have only just enough money or time or energy to do it.
Use- Pete gets very few customers, but he is managing to keep his head above water.
19. 1 Know the ropes-
Meaning-Â If you know the ropes; you know how to do the different things involved in a particular job or activity.
Use-Jack has only just joined the department and doesn’t really know the ropes yet.
20 .The lesser of two evils-
Meaning-You say that something is the lesser of two evils if it is bad or unpleasant, but it is not as bad or unpleasant as the other choice or possibility.
Use-The villagers only left their homes as the lesser of two evils– the alternative was to be taken, prisoner.
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