Idioms
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The full list of 20 words in this set. Open any word for its pronunciation, collocations, a band 8 sentence and the mistakes Vietnamese learners make.
Learn this set with flashcards20 words
- 1
have a lightbulb momentidiom/hæv ə ˈlaɪtˌbʌlb ˈməʊmənt/
a sudden moment of realisation or a sudden useful idea
“While I was struggling with the essay, I had a lightbulb moment and knew how to start.”
- 2
learn off by heartidiom/lɜːn ɒf baɪ hɑːt/
to memorize something perfectly so you can repeat it without thinking
“She learned the poem off by heart for the recital.”
- 3
cut one's teeth onidiom/kʌt wʌnz tiːθ ɒn/
to gain initial experience in something, often in a junior or early role
“She cut her teeth on small tutoring jobs before becoming a full-time teacher.”
- 4
hit the nail on the headidiom/hɪt ðə neɪl ɒn ðə hɛd/
to say or do exactly the right thing; to be precisely correct
“You hit the nail on the head when you said the issue was a lack of communication.”
- 5
crack an examphrasal verb / idiom/kræk æn ɪgˈzæm/
to succeed in passing an exam, often used informally
“She studied strategically and managed to crack the exam on her first attempt.”
- 6
get the hang ofidiom/ɡet ðə hæŋ əv/
to learn how to do something, especially when it is not obvious at first
“It took me a while to get the hang of using the new software.”
- 7
read between the linesidiom/riːd bɪˈtwiːn ðə laɪnz/
to understand what is implied rather than stated directly
“She didn't say she's unhappy, but you can read between the lines.”
- 8
with a fine-tooth combidiom/wɪð ə faɪn tuːθ kəʊm/
to search or examine something very carefully and thoroughly
“The supervisor checked the thesis with a fine-tooth comb before submission.”
- 9
flunkverb/flʌŋk/
to fail an exam or to be forced to leave a course because of poor results
“He flunked the chemistry exam and had to retake it.”
- 10
go the extra mileidiom/ɡəʊ ði ˈɛkstrə maɪl/
to make a special effort to achieve something
“She always goes the extra mile to help her classmates understand difficult topics.”
- 11
make the gradeidiom/meɪk ðə ɡreɪd/
to reach the required standard or level to succeed or be accepted
“He worked hard but still didn't make the grade for the scholarship.”
- 12
put on one's thinking capidiom
to think carefully in order to solve a problem
“When the group couldn't agree on the plan, I had to put on my thinking cap and suggest a compromise.”
- 13
sail throughidiom (v)/seɪl θruː/
to pass or complete something very easily
“She sailed through her exams because the questions were straightforward.”
- 14
take a gap yearphrase/teɪk ə ɡæp jɪə/
to spend a year between finishing school and starting university doing other activities such as travel, work, or volunteering
“Many students choose to take a gap year to travel or gain work experience before university.”
- 15
a steep learning curveidiom/ə stiːp ˈlɜːnɪŋ kɜːv/
a situation where someone must learn a lot quickly, often involving initial difficulty
“Starting the job was tough because there was a steep learning curve.”
- 16
think on one's feetidiom/θɪŋk ɒn wʌnz fiːt/
to be able to respond quickly and effectively without preparation
“In the interview she had to think on her feet when the panel threw unexpected questions.”
- 17
bury oneself in (one's books)idiom
to immerse oneself in study or reading for long periods
“Before finals she buried herself in her books for two weeks.”
- 18
be out of one's depthidiom/biː aʊt əv wʌnz dɛpθ/
to be unable to understand or deal with something because it is too difficult for you.
“When the lecturer started using advanced formulas, I felt out of my depth.”
- 19
get one's head aroundidiom/ɡet wʌnz hed əˈraʊnd/
to understand or accept something that is surprising, complicated, or difficult
“I still can't get my head around the new regulations.”
- 20
learn the ropesidiom (v)/lɜːn ðə rəʊps/
to learn how to do a job or activity, especially the basic skills
“It took her a month to learn the ropes at the new job.”