Commonly-Used Idioms, Sayings and phrasal verbs - "U" Idioms pdf

U ugly duckling - an ugly or plain child who grows up to be attractive She was an ugly duckling when she was a child but now she is very beautiful unaccustomed to (someone or something) - not used to someone or something The man was unaccustomed to waking up early in the morning under Idioms under a cloud - depressed, sad She has been under a cloud of depression since her cat died under a cloud (of suspicion) - not trusted, suspected of doing something wrong The politician has been under a cloud of suspicion over the possibility of taking bribes under arrest - arrested by the police before being charged with a crime The three men were under arrest for robbing a bank under certain circumstances/conditions - depending on or influenced by something Under certain circumstances the children were permitted to use the indoor stadium for practice 946 Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com under (close) scrutiny - being watched or examined closely The business owner was under close scrutiny after the accounting scandal under construction - being built or repaired The hotel was still under construction, two years after it began under control - not out of control, manageable The fire was under control after the fire department arrived under cover - hidden, concealed The police officer went under cover to look for the drug dealers under fire - being shot at or attacked, under (verbal) attack The owner of the company is under fire for not paying his employees a fair salary under oath - having taken an oath (solemn promise) The man was under oath when he spoke before the judge under one`s belt - in one`s experience, memory or possession When he has more experience as a cook under his belt he will begin to look for a job under one`s belt - in one`s stomach After he had a big breakfast under his belt he was ready for work 947 Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com under one`s breath - in a whisper, with a low voice He was talking under his breath in the movie theater and somebody complained under one`s nose - within sight of someone, easily seen or found He found his driver`s license right under his nose where he had left it under one`s own steam - by one`s own efforts, without help He was able to go home under his own steam even though he was feeling very sick under one`s thumb - obedient to someone, controlled by someone He is only an assistant salesman but he has his boss under his thumb under one`s wing - under the care or protection of (someone) He took the new employee under his wing to help him in the new job under pressure - experiencing something that causes stress or anxiety The boy's father is always under pressure at work under the circumstances - because of the circumstances The girl was very sick and under the circumstances did not have to take the exam under the counter - secretly bought or sold The drugs are being sold under the counter although the government has not given its approval 948 Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com under the hammer - up for sale at an auction The painting went under the hammer and sold for a very high price under the influence of (something) - experiencing the effects of alcohol/drugs/a controlling power or person The driver was under the influence of alcohol when he hit the young child under the sun - anywhere on earth at all, everywhere We looked for my wallet everywhere under the sun under the table - in secret and usually illegal He paid some money under the table in order to get his product imported into the country under the weather - feel ill (but not seriously ill) He is feeling under the weather so he is going to bed early tonight under the wire - just barely in time or on time We were able to send in our payment for the school fees just under the wire under wraps - not allowed to be seen until the right time, in secrecy The new car was still under wraps when the car show started unearthly hour - absurdly early or inconvenient We got up at an unearthly hour this morning so we could get ready to go camping 949 Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com unfamiliar territory - an area of knowledge unknown to the speaker Trying to pilot an airplane was unfamiliar territory for the flight attendant unknown quantity - a person or thing which nobody knows much about The new mayor was an unknown quantity and nobody knew what to expect until all hours (of the day or night) - until very late We stayed up until all hours playing cards until hell freezes over - forever He said that he would not talk to his girlfriend again until hell freezes over until the cows come home - until very late It is my birthday today so I plan to stay out and party until the cows come home up Idioms up a blind alley - on a route that leads nowhere, at a dead end The police were up a blind alley in their search for evidence of the crime up against - having trouble with He came up against many problems when he went to university 950 Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com up against (something) - close to The ladder was standing up against the tree in the yard up and about - recovered from an illness He has been up and about for a couple of days since he left the hospital up and around - out of bed and moving about, moving from one place to another I was up and around before 6:00 AM this morning up and at 'em/them - get active and get busy We will be up and at 'em very early tomorrow morning up and away - up into the air and into flight My parents got on the airplane and were up and away before we knew it up-and-coming - new The woman is an up-and-coming singer up for (something) - enthusiastic about something The entire school was up for the final football game of the season up for grabs - available for anyone The new championship of the city is up for grabs 951 Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com up front - honest, correct He was very up front when giving me the information about the new office up in arms - equipped with guns or weapons and ready to fight, very angry The villagers were up in arms over the proposal to take some of their land away from them up in the air (about something) - not settled, undecided Whether or not I will be able to go to London is still up in the air up in years - old, elderly Although our grandparents are up in years they still have much energy up one`s alley - something one is good at or enjoys Computer programming is right up his alley and he is very good at it up one`s sleeve - kept secretly ready for the right time or for a time when needed He probably has something up his sleeve and will be able to find a job when he needs one up the creek - in trouble She is up the creek now that she has lost her passport 952 Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com up the river/creek with no paddle - in trouble and unable to anything about it I think that we are up the river with no paddle now that our car has run out of gasoline up to - as far as, as deep or as high as The water in the swimming pool came up to my waist up to - until Up to last week I had never been inside a bowling alley There were probably up to thirty people at the meeting up-to-date - modern, the latest standards of fashion The kitchen in our apartment is not up-to-date at all up to here with (someone/something) - sick of some continual bad or irritating behavior I have had it up to here with his coming late to work up to it/the job - capable or fit for something If he is up to it we can let him drive the truck to the new office up to no good - doing something bad The boys were up to no good after school 953 Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com up to one's chin - very busy with, deeply involved in something He has been up to his chin in the project to build a new convention center up to one`s ears in work - have a lot of work to I`d like to go with you but I`m up to my ears in work at the moment up to par/scratch/snuff - meeting normal standards, equal to the usual level or quality The man's work was not up to par and he was asked to leave his job up to (someone) to decide (something) - to be responsible to choose or decide something It is up to the manager to decide when the meeting will start up to (someone) to (something) - to be responsible to something It is up to the manager to clean the apartment lobby up to (something) - occupied in or planning some activity that is often bad I don`t know what he was up to last night but it was probably something bad up to the mark - meeting normal standards, equal to the usual level or quality The work was not up to the mark and the company would not pay for it 954 Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com up-to-the-minute - the very latest or most recent We always try to get an up-to-the-minute weather report before we go skiing up until - until I was in the library up until midnight last night upper crust - rich and famous people, the highest class of people The private club was full of what looked like the upper crust of the city upper hand - controlling power, advantage The union members have the upper hand in their negotiations with the company ups and downs - good fortune and bad fortune He is having a few ups and downs but generally he is doing well upset the applecart - ruin or spoil a plan or idea Try not to upset the applecart as we have spent a lot of time working on this project upshot of (something) - result or outcome of something The upshot of the meeting was that we would no longer continue to keep the store open uptight - worried, irritated, anxious My sister has been uptight all week because of her exams 955 Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com use Idioms use every trick in the book - use every method possible The apartment manager used every trick in the book to try and make the young family leave use one`s head/bean/noodle/noggin - think carefully about (something) You should use your head a little more and try not to make the same mistake again use some elbow grease - use some effort We used a lot of elbow grease to clean the oven use (someone or something) as an excuse - blame someone or something My friend always uses his busy schedule as an excuse not to help us use strong language - use abusive or forceful language The teacher used very strong language to make the children behave use up - use until nothing is left, spend or consume completely They used up all of the paper in the copy machine this morning used to - accustomed to He is not used to living in such a big city 956 Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com ... flight My parents got on the airplane and were up and away before we knew it up -and- coming - new The woman is an up -and- coming singer up for (something) - enthusiastic about something The entire... another I was up and around before 6:00 AM this morning up and at ''em/them - get active and get busy We will be up and at ''em very early tomorrow morning up and away - up into the air and into flight... the mark - meeting normal standards, equal to the usual level or quality The work was not up to the mark and the company would not pay for it 954 Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com up-to-the-minute - the very