(CANADIAN
IDIOMS)
wtitten by
Mr. (Jack) John R. Bauman
St.
Albert, Alberta, Canada
about to: "The plane is about to take off." ready to, going to
agree with: "This food doesn't agree with me. It makes me sick." suit, have a good effect
ahead of time: "I will help you with your work if you let me know ahead of time." before, in advance
all at once: "The car accident happened all at once." suddenly
bad actor: "The horse is a bad actor. It kicks anyone who goes near." always misbehaving
bad blood: "There was bad blood between the two men." an unfriendly feeling, hate
be against: "He was against his son's plan to buy a car." He was opposed; didn't agree.
be back: "I'm going to the store. I'll be back in an hour." return; come back; get back
be out of: "I wanted to buy some of my favourite cookies, but the store was out of them." not have; lack; run out of
be out of pocket: "The company paid for his trip to learn more about his job so he wouldn't be out of pocket." spend money of one's own
beside the point: "What he liked or didn't like was beside the point." having little or nothing to do with the matter being discus
bet your boots on: "You can bet your boots that our team will win." depend on it, be sure
better late than never: "We don't mind if you were late because of car trouble. Better late than never." It is preferable to arrive late than not arrive at all.
between the devil and the deep blue sea: "He was between the devil and the deep blue sea." between two equal dangers
break the heart of: "The mother's heart was broken when her daughter died." crush with sorrow or grief
bring on: "Poor nutrition can bring on bad health." cause
bring up: "She brought up three sons and a daughter." raise
by hook or by crook: "He will try to get elected by hook by crook." in any way possible
call back: "My friend called me up on the phone while I was out. I called him back as soon as I got the message." to return a telephone call; respond
call off: "They called off the search for the lost person after many days." cancel
call up: "I will call you up when I am in your city." call on the telephone
close call: "While I was coming here I had a close call. I was nearly hit by a car." narrow escape
close shave: "He had a close shave when he almost fell off the ladder." narrow escape
come down with: "I think I'm coming down with a cold." to get an illness
crazy about: "The children are crazy about ice cream." really like it
cut corners: "When he lost his job he had to cut corners to save money." save money by reducing costs
cut it out:
"He was teasing his little sister, so I told him to cut it out." stop it,
knock it off
day in, day out
"His job is boring. He does the same thing, day in, day out." every
single day
do (something) over: "He had to do his essay over again because he did not include some important information." to repeat, to do again
do without: "Sam did without a car for many years. He used the city bus instead." to live without something
drop in the bucket: "The amount of his wages that he put in his savings account was drop in the bucket." a very small amount compared to the rest
drop out of: "A few teenagers drop out of high school these days." to stop attending
eager beaver: "Martha and her husband like to eat out every Friday night." to eat at restaurant
eleventh hour: "He came to help them at the eleventh hour." The latest possible moment. Time just before it is too late
feeling blue: "She's feeling blue because her mother died." feeling bad
few and far between: "The people who can buy a Rolls Royce are few and far between ." rare
figure out: "They couldn't figure out what was meant." think out, understand, to work out
for good: "I have decided to stay here for good." always; indefinitely
for good measure: "When he bought a new car, they filled his gas tank for good measure." as something extra; something not expected
to get (a problem) off one's chest: "He has a big problem with one of the people at work. He told me all about it and got it off his chest." to talk openly about
get on: "He got on the bus and rode to Calgary." to enter (a bus, plane, train)
get one's goat: "The spoiled child got her goat because he wanted everything he saw." annoy, make angry
get out of: "Why don't we get out of the car and take a walk through those beautiful trees?" to leave (a car or truck)
give the time of day: "He was very busy and wouldn't give the salesman the time of day." to pay attention to (negative)
give up: "The boy could not lift the heavy weight and finally gave up." stop trying
give up: "After many years he decided to give up smoking." to stop a bad habit
give up the ghost: "The dog was very sick and finally gave up the ghost." die
go places: "He's really going places." achieve success; advance rapidly
go through: "She really liked to use tomatoes in her cooking. She goes through a lot of them every month." to use up
go to one's head: "When he won the game it went to his head." become conceited
hang on: "Hang on a minute and I'll find the doctor's telephone number." to wait, be patient; to hold on
hang up: "If no one answer the telephone, then we hang up." put the telephone receiver back in place
heads up!: "Heads up!" watch out! take care!
hear from: "It is nice to get Christmas cards. That's the only time of year you hear from some of your friends." to receive a letter or phone call
heart in one's mouth: "He heard a very frightening noise and his heart was in his mouth." be very afraid
in the pink: "She was in the pink after her fitness exercises." in good health
in the red: "His business was in the red." losing money
it stands to reason: "If the government wants to eliminate the deficit, it stands to reason that they must cut services and raise taxes." It is logical to assume
jerk: "He's a real jerk." a stupid person
kick in: "They took up a collection to buy her a gift and everyone kicked in." pay
lend me your ear: "Please lend me your ear." listen to me
let on: "He let on that he was rich." pretend
let someone down: "I'm depending on you to tell me what to buy for Jill's gift. Don't let me down. to disappoint
look down your nose: "She looked down her nose at the boy with old clothes." sneer at something and think it is no good
look into: "He looked into the cost of car insurance by getting quotations form several insurance companies." to investigate
mix up: "When I got off the subway I was all mixed up and started to walk the wrong way to get to the library." to confuse of bewilder
moonlighting: "He has a job in construction but he is moonlighting to get more money." doing another job in the evenings in addition to one's regular job
no skin off my nose: "He didn't want me to help him. It's no skin off my nose." doesn't matter to me
once and for all: "Please tell me once and for all if you need tickets for the concert." one final time
open up: "When she first came to class, she didn't open up for two or three days." to show one's feelings
out of hand: "People go excited and things god out of hand." out of control
piece of cake: "He thought that learning to ski was a piece of cake." very easy to do
pink slip: "He was given a pink slip." He was fired (dismissed) from his job.
pitch in: "Everyone pitched in to get the work done." help with the work; work hard
pull up stakes: "He couldn't get a job here so they pulled up stakes and went to Ontario." move away
put away: "Carol, please put your toys away." to clean; to remove
put back: "Please put the telephone book back after you have finished using it." to return to the proper place
red herring: "The politician spoke about matters that many people thought were red herrings." something to mislead and draw attention from the real issue
red tape: "It took a long time to get an answer to his question because of the red tape." annoying official delays
skin of your teeth: "He escaped by the skin of his teeth." just barely escaped
sleep on it: "I'm not sure which car to buy. I think I'll sleep on it and decide tomorrow." to consider something important for a while
smell a rat: "I smell a rat." think something is wrong
stick one's nose into someone else's business: "Don't stick your nose into someone else's business." Don't interfere where you don't belong.
stiff upper lip: "Face your troubles with a stiff upper lip." bravely, with courage
stir up a hornet's nest: "She stirred up a hornet's nest." caused a lot of trouble, got people angry
talk turkey: "They decided to talk turkey." to get down to business
That's the way the cookie crumbles.: That's the way life is.
think something over: "I was offered a new job. I'll have to think it over and give the boss an answer tomorrow." to consider carefully
turn in: "He said it was getting late and time to turn in." go to bed
turn off: "Turn off the lights." put a light out
turn on: "Please turn the radio on. I want to hear the news." to make something work; to activate
turn one's back on: "I need his help but he turned his hack on me." to abandon, forsake
turn up: "Please turn up the radio. I can't hear it very well." to increase the volume
two-faced: "She's a two-faced person." dishonest, deceitful
under one's hat: "Keep this under your hat." Keep this a secret, Don't tell anyone.
up to the ears: "I'm up to my ears in work." deeply taken up, thoroughly involved, almost overcome
upper crust: "He was one of the upper crust." the higher classes the richest, most important people
wear out: "I'm throwing old socks in the garbage. They are worn out." to use something until it is useless
wear out: "I worked hard all day. I'm worn out." to exhaust
work out: "Jim and his wife were separated, but they have worked out their problems and they are back together again." to reach an agreement; to solve a problem
work out:
"Mary gets lots of exercise. She works out in the gym at least three
times a week." to exercise
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