Idioms List

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sell like hot cakes
To sell fast

Astronaut diapers are selling like hot cakes.

set straight
To correct with accurate information.

The presidential candidates seem to have their facts wrong. Someone needs to set them straight.

shake a leg
To hurry; to get going.

Let's shake a leg! We need to finish this project today.

shoot the breeze
To talk or converse idly.

Do you want to have a cup of coffee and shoot the breeze for a while?

shrug off
To disregard; to minimize the importance of something.

Max shrugged off Mary's accusations and went on with his normal routine.

sit tight
To wait patiently.

Just sit tight; the hot dog vender will be by in a few minutes.

sitting pretty
To be in a good financial situation.

Once we get the insurance money, we'll be sitting pretty.

slip of the tongue
A mistake in speaking.

For a politician, a simple slip of the tongue can be detrimental.

slip one's mind
To forget; to overlook.

I was supposed to do some homework last night, but it totally slipped my mind.

spill the beans
To reveal a secret.

We were going to surprise Max with a party, but somebody spilled the beans.

stand one's ground
To firmly maintain one's opinion or position.

Everyone in the room disagreed with Mary, but she stood her ground.

take a back seat
To become lower priority or less important; to let someone else take charge.

Mary reluctantly took a back seat when Mary took over the company.

take a breather
To take a short break; to pause and relax briefly.

I'm tired. Let's take a breather.

take a chance
To risk something.

Max doesn't like to take chances. He always plays it safe.

take a crack at
To attempt or try.

I'm not sure if I can do it, but I'll take a crack at it.

take a spill
To fall or trip: to experience a sudden drop.

Max took a spill when he was riding his bike. He banged his head.

take the heat
To endure the consequences, blame, anger, or scrutiny;

Mary took the heat for Max's mistake.

tall tale
A greatly exaggerated story.

Miguel is notorious for his tall tales about his military service. He was just a driver but now claims to have been James Bond.

at the end of one's rope
At the limit of one's patience.

Mary is at the end of her rope with Max. She can't take his nagging any longer.

the pits
A miserable or unpleasant situation.

The people in the office are awful. Working with them everyday is the pits.

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