THE 800 MOST COMMONLY USED IDIOMS IN AMERICA (in alphabetical order) - Letter A

A

1. above board– legitimate, legal.  

She knows it shouldn’t be kept a  secret.  She wants to keep everything  above board .

2. across the board –  including everyone or everything. 

The company had a successful year.  All salaries were increased by 10% across the board.

3. air one’s dirty laundry in public – discuss personal problems openly.

He is a very private person.  If he has a problem in his family he doesn’t want to  air his dirty laundry in public.

4. all along   – all the time. 

She was accepted into the university, but she knew  all along that she’d get in.

5. all ears – eager to listen.

I was excited to hear about her vacation.  When she told me about it, I was all ears .

6. all thumbs – clumsy, unable to fix things.  

Don’t ask me to put that clock back together.  I’m all thumbs.

7. an arm and a leg –  a large amount of money. 

It cost an arm and a leg to fix the stove.

8. ants in one’s pants  –  nervous, anxious.

He wasn’t sure if he would be chosen to win the award.  He had  ants in his pants.

9. apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, the –  being similar to a parent or family member. 

He acts just like his father.  You know,  the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree .

10. apple of one’s eye   –  someone special, usually a son or daughter. 

Although he loves his son, his daughter is the apple of his eye .

11.  at fault – responsible for making errors. 

He is at fault  for all the errors on the computer.

12.  at odds – in disagreement. 

He is  at odds  with his boss.

13. at one’s beck and call   – always ready to do what is ordered. 

Whenever she calls him, he’s always helping her.  He is at  her beck and call .

14. at one’s wit’s end  – anxious, frantic. 

I need to speak with him to finish the report by tomorrow but he’s not available.  I’m  at my wit’s end!

15. at the end of one’s rope –  desperate, with nowhere to turn. 

I’ve tried every which way to figure out this problem but I can’t.  I’m at the end of my rope !

Nguồn: Paul S. Gruber, MS, CCC-SLP, THE 800 MOST COMMONLY USED IDIOMS IN AMERICA, PronunciationWorkshop.com.

~ A clean hand wants no washing ~

~ Cây ngay không sợ chết đứng ~