Easier said than done: It’s more difficult than you think Eg: You want to climb Mount Everest?. Eg: Jane hit the nail on the head when she said it would rain in the afternoon.. Sleep on
Trang 1 Part 1
1 Have a heart of gold: some one’s very nice, kind,
Eg: She has helped us a lot, she must have a heart of gold
2 Cost an arm and a leg: very very expensive
Eg: We had to spend our last penny on this car, it cost an arm and a leg
3 When pigs fly: No way, never
Eg: Give you some money? When pigs fly!
4 Keep one’s chin up: Stay positive
Keep your chin up You’ll find a good job soon
Another idm: Look on the bright side: be optimistic
Eg: Don’t be so sad my dear, let’s look on the bright side
5 Easier said than done: It’s more difficult than you think
Eg: You want to climb Mount Everest? Easier said than done
6 Right- hand man: the most helpful assistant/ employee
Eg: Jane’s right- hand man helps her make all of her decisions
7 Thank goodness: Feeling grateful/ relieved
Eg: Thank goodness, you are home, we are so worried
8 Beside the point: Not relevant, not important
Eg: Your excuse for being late is beside the point You’d better hurry and do what you have to do
9 Hit the books: Start studying
Eg: Hit the books! I know you have a test tomorrow
10 Cut class: miss class without excuses
Eg: If you keep cutting class, you’ll fail
11 Way to go: Good work, good job, well- done
Eg: You’ve made it Way to go
IDIOMS
Tài liệu luyện thi THPT Quốc Gia 2017 Biên soạn : Nguyễn Thanh Hương [ Hương Fiona ]
Trang 212 Hit the nail on the head: Someone’s right
Eg: Jane hit the nail on the head when she said it would rain in the afternoon
13 Head and shoulder above: far superior to
He’s extremely intelligent He’s head and shoulder above his peers
14 Down in the dumps: Sad, depressed
Eg: He has lost his job and now he’s down in the dumps
15 Cup of tea: type of person/ thing one really likes
Eg: I’m sorry, she is not my cup of tea
16 In bad/ good mood: happy/ sad (spirit)
Eg: She’s in good mood when she knows that her father is going to give her a car as a present on her birthday
17 Cheer one up: Make someone happy
Eg: Your first prize will cheer your parents up
18 (Aux) Not sleep a wink: awake all night
Eg: Ted was so nervous about the test so he couldn’t sleep a wink
19 Beat around (about) the bush: talk around the subject, to avoid getting to the point
Eg: Stop beat around the bush, go to the main point
20 Full of yourself: think too much on oneself
Eg: Don’t be full of yourself! You know nothing
21 Take something for granted: Underestimate the importance, think that it’s naturally like that
Eg: I was wrong when I took it for granted that he would be always with me
22 Here and there: Everywhere
Eg: I’ve been looking here and there for her
23 Let the cat out of the bag: Reveal a secret or surprise by accident
Eg: It’s a secret Don’t let the cat out of the bag
24 Once in a blue moon: Very rarely
Eg: Once in a blue moon, I stop thinking about him If only he knew how much I love him
25 On the verge of= On the brink of= In the edge of:
Eg: We have to protect endangered animals They’re on the verge of extinction
26 Sleep on it: Think more
Eg: You don’t have to give me your decision now Sleep on it and let me know tomorrow
Trang 327 Smell a rat: be suspicious
Eg: I start to smell a rat when I see her send a message to our enemy
28 In vain: no result
Eg: She tried in vain to sleep
29 Run an errand: do sth not very important
Eg: I’ve got to run an errand I’ll come back in a minute!
30 Fly off the handle: lose temper
No one flies off the handle without a reason
Trang 4 Part 2
1 CATS AND DOGS: rain heavily
Eg : It's raining cats and dogs = It's raining heavily
2 HERE AND THERE: everywhere
Eg : I have been looking here and there for the gift I bought for my girlfriend
3 A HOT POTATO: something that is difficult or dangerous to deal with (vấn đề nan giải, nóng hổi)
Eg : The abortion issue is a political hot potato in the US
4.BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD: time to start from the beginning ; it is time to plan
something over again (bắt đầu lại từ đầu)
Eg : My plans to create a tiny car made of glasses were unsuccessful, so I guess it is back to the
drawing board
5 BURN THE MIDNIGHT OIL: to stay up working,especially studying late at night (thức khuya làm việc, học bài)
Eg : I will have a big exam tomorrow so I'll beburning the midnight oil tonight
6 CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO STOOLS: when someone finds it difficult to choose between two alternatives (lưỡng lự, không biết lựa chọn cái nào, do dự)
Eg : I was caught between two stools when I had to choose which shirt to hang out with my
girlfriends
6.2 BUCKET DOWN: mưa xối xả, mưa to
Eg : It's been bucketing down all day
7 CLOSE SHAVE = NARROW ESCAPE: thoát chết trong gang tấc
Eg : Phew, that was a close shave I was so lucky
8 DROP A BRICK :lỡ lời, lỡ miệng
Eg : I dropped a brick when talking with my best friend, and now he doesn't want to talk to me
Trang 59 GET BUTTERFLIESIN ONE'S STOMACH: cảm thấy bồn chồn
Eg : I always get butterflies in my stomach when it comes to taking test
10 OFF THE RECORD: không chính thức, không đượccông bố
Eg : What the president said is not to be printed It's off the record
11 ONE'S CUP OF TEA: thứ mà ta thích
Eg : SNSD is my cup of tea They are so beautiful and talented Especially Seohyun, she looks so
cute
12.BREAK A LEG = good luck
13 LET THE CAT OUTOF THE BAG: to reveal a secret or a surprise by accident ( để lộ bí mật)
Eg : It's a secret Try not to let the cat out of the bag
14 WHEN PIGS FLY =something will never happen (chuyện viễn vông, không tưởng)
15 SCRATCH SOMEONE'S BACK: help someone out with the assumption that they will return the favor in the future(giúp ai với mong muốn sau này người ta sẽ giúp lại mình)
Eg : "You scratch my back and I will scratch yours," the customer said when we talked about the new
sales contact
16.HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD: do or say something exactly right (đoán, nói trúng phóc)
Eg : Mike hit the nail on the head when he said most people can use a computer without knowing how
it works
17 TAKESOMEONE/SOMETHING FOR GRANTED: coi nhẹ
Eg : One of the problems with relationships is that after a while you begin to take each other for
granted
18 TAKE SOMETHINGINTO ACCOUNT/CONSIDERATION: to remember to consider
something (tính đến cái gì)
Trang 6Eg : We will take your long years of service into account when we make our final decision
19 KEEP AN EYE ON SB/STH: để ý, để tâm đến ai
Eg : Please keep an eye on my baby while I am out
20 PUT SOMEONE/SOMETHING AT SOMEONE'S DISPOSAL: to make someone or
something available to someone (có sẵn cho ai sử dụng theo ýmuốn)
Eg : I'd be glad to help you if you need me Iput myself at your disposal
21.SPLITTING HEADACHE (N): a severe headache (đau đầu như búa bổ)
Eg : I've got a splitting headache I'm going upstairs for a nap
22 OFF THE PEG:may sẵn (quần áo)
Eg : If I buy trousers off the peg, they're always too short
23 ON THE HOUSE:không phải trả tiền
Eg : I went to a restaurant last night I was the ten thousandth customer, so my dinner was on the
house
24 HIT THE ROOF = GO THROUGH THE ROOF = HIT THECEILING: to suddenly become angry (giận dữ)
Eg : I'm afraid he will hit the roof when he finds out our vacation is cancelled
25 BRING DOWN THE HOUSE: làm cho cả khán phòng vỗtay nhiệt liệt
Eg : Bin's voice brought the house down He really brought down the house with his fantastic song 26.PAY THROUGH THE NOSE: to pay too much for something (trả giá đắt)
Eg : If you want decent wine in a restaurant, you will have to pay through the nose for it
27 BY THE SKIN OFONE'S TEETH: sát sao
Eg : I got through calculus class by the skin of my teeth
Eg : I got to the airport a few minutes late and missed the plan by the skin of my teeth
Trang 728 PULL SOMEONE'SLEG: chọc ai
Eg : You don't mean that You're just pulling my leg
31.THE MORE, THE MERRIER: càng đông, càng vui
Eg : Of course you can have a ride with us! The more, the merrier
32 SPICK AND SPAN:ngăn nắp, gọn gàng
Eg : The kitchen was spick and span as ever, every surface wiped down and everything in its place
33 EVERY NOW ANDTHEN = sometimes
Eg : Every now and then, I want to be alone
37 ONCE IN A BLUEMOON: rất hiếm
Eg : Once in a blue moon, I stop thinking about her If only she knew how much I love her
38 ON THE SPOT: immediately (ngay lập tức)
Eg : I will be there on the spot
39 FEW AND FAR BETWEEN: hiếm gặp
Eg : Go and tell her that you love her! That kindof girl is really few and far between
41.LEAD SOMEBODY BY THE NOSE: to control someone and make them do exactly what you want them to do (nắm đầu, dắt mũi ai)
Eg : They simply didn't know what they were doing and they were led by the nose by a manipulative
government
42 AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR: vào phút chót
Eg : She always sturned her term paper in at the eleventh hour
43 FIND FAULTWITH: chỉ trích, kiếm chuyện, bắt lỗi
Eg : It is very easy to find fault with the work of others
44 OFF AND ON/ ON AND OFF: không đều đặn, thỉnhthoảng
Trang 8Eg : We don't often go there- just off and on
45 MAKE BELIEVE: giả bộ, giả vờ
Eg : I tried to make believe she was happy, but knew deep down it was not true
48 BE OUT OF THE QUESTION: không thể được
Eg : You cannot get married until you are 18,it's out of the question
49 ALL AT ONCE = suddenly: bất thình lình
Eg : All at once, there was a loud banging on thedoor
50 BLOW ONE'S TRUMPET: bốc phét, khoác lác
Eg : Anyone will tell you she's one of the best journalist we've got, although she'd never blow her
trumpet
51.SLEEP ON IT: suy nghĩ thêm về điều gì đó
Eg : You don't have to give me your decision now Sleep on it, and let me know tomorrow
52 FIGHT TOOTH ANDCLAW / NAIL: đánh nhau dữ dội, cấu xé nhau
Eg : We fought tooth and claw to retain our share of business
53 PLAY TRICKS /JOKES ON: chọc phá, trêu ghẹo, chơi khăm
Eg : The kids are always play jokes on their teachers
56.THE LAST STRAW: giọt nước tràn ly
Eg : When she showed up late a third time, that was the last straw We had to fire her
62 ON SECONDTHOUGHTS: suy nghĩ kĩ
Eg : On second thoughts, it was a dumb movie
63 IN VAIN: uổngcông, vô ích
Eg : All the doctor’s efforts were in vain and the man soon died
68 FLY OFF THE HANDLE: dễ nổi giận, phát cáu
Trang 9Eg : No one will fly off the handle for no reason
69 THE APPLE OF ONE'S EYES: đồ quý giá của ai
Eg : You are the apple of my eyes
70 BUCKET DOWN: mưa xối xả, mưa to
Eg : It's been bucketing down all day
71.CLOSE SHAVE = NARROW ESCAPE: thoát chết trong gang tấc
Eg : Phew, that was a close shave I was so lucky
72 DROP A BRICK :lỡ lời, lỡ miệng
Eg : I dropped a brick when talking with my best friend, and now he doesn't want to talk to me
73 GET BUTTERFLIESIN ONE'S STOMACH: cảm thấy bồn chồn
Eg : I always get butterflies in my stomach when it comes to taking test
74 OFF THE RECORD: không chính thức, không đượccông bố
Eg : What the president said is not to beprinted It's off the record
75 ONE'S CUP OF TEA: thứ mà ta thích
Eg : SNSD is my cup of tea They are so beautiful and talented Especially Seohyun, she looks so
cute
76.CUT IT FINE: đến sát giờ
Eg : Only allowing half an hour to get from the station to the airport is cutting itfine, isn't it?
77 GOLDEN HANDSHAKE: món tiền hậu hĩnh dành cho người sắp nghỉ việc
Eg : The managergot early retirement and a 600,000$ golden handshake when the company was
restructed
78 PUT ON AN ACT:giả bộ, làm bộ
Eg : We've knownyou are a good swimmer - stop putting on an act
Trang 1079 COME TO LIGHT: được biết đến, được phát hiện,được đưa ra ánh sáng
Eg : Four soldiers have faced charges since the scandal came to light last fall
80 TAKE THINGS TO PIECES: tháo ra từng mảnh
Eg : Men like to take things to pieces and put them together
87 SEE EYE TO EYE: đồng tình
Eg : I'm glad that they see eye to eye on the matter of the conference location
88 HAVE IN MIND:đang suy tính, cân nhắc
Eg : I don't want to see a movie now, I have in mind going to the park
90 TO BE BOUND TO: chắc chắn
Eg : You're bound to be late if you don't hurry
91.AT HEART: thực chất, cơ bản (basically, fundamentally)
Eg : James sometimes seems quite unfriendly but at heart he's a good person
92 TO KNOW BYSIGHT: nhận ra (recognize)
Eg : The woman said that she would know the thief by sight if she ever saw him again
93 NOW AND THEN =NOW AND AGAIN = AT TIMES = FROM TIME TO TIME = OFF AND ON = ONCE IN A WHILE =EVERY SO OFTEN : sometimes (thỉnh thoảng, không thường xuyên)
94 TO TAKE PAINS: làm việc cẩn thận và tận tâm
Eg : She takes pains to do everything well
95 TO MAKE DO: xoay sở, đương đầu (to manage, tocope)
Eg : During difficult economic times, many people have to make do with less
96.SELL SOMEONE/ SOMETHING SHORT: đánh giá thấp
Eg : When you say that John isn't interested in music, you're selling him short Did you know heplays
Trang 11the violin quite well?
97 FACE THE MUSIC:chịu trận
Eg : Mary broke a dining-room window and had to face the music when her father got home
98 LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG: để lộ bí mật
Eg : I was tryingto keep the party a secret, but Jim went and let the cat out of the bag