Topic 1: KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

- ABOVE SOMEONE’S HEAD: vượt quá khả năng tiếp thu của ai
Jane has no idea what the professor is talking about, the knowledge of this astronomy
course is well above her head.
- A GREY AREA: không rõ ràng, không thuộc nhóm nào
There’s a large grey area regarding whether the use of new surveillance technology is
lawful.
- Can’t make head nor tail of something: không hiểu nổi cái gì
Amy was asked to do the report again because her professor couldn’t make head nor tail of
it.
- Get the hang of something: học được cách làm tốt điều gì
After a few months you will start getting the hang of making clothes and being able to
design some basic items.
- Get the wrong end of the stick: hiểu nhầm tình huống hay lời nói nào đó
She totally got the wrong end of the stick, thinking he was making fun of her.
- Go in one ear and out the other: Vào tai này ra tai kia
I’m sick of tutoring her son! Every single thing I said went in his one ear and out the other.
That’s a total waste of time.
- None the wiser: chưa hiểu, chưa thông tỏ
My friend, who is a hard core K-pop fan, explained to me some common terms such as
main vocal, lead vocal, visual, and center of a group. But until now I have still been none
the wiser about their differences.
- Not have a clue about something: không biết về điều gì, không biết mình phải làm gì
If you ask me to tell about one embarrasing memory, it would be the time I was elected as
the class representative to enter the school’s cooking contest without having any clue about
what I was supposed to do. And I absolutely blew it.
- Quick on the uptake: Nhanh nhạy, nắm bắt mọi thứ một cách nhanh chóng, dễ dàng
This is a fast-paced environment, so you will need to be quick on the uptake from the
moment you start the job.
- Rack one’s brain: cố gắng suy nghĩ
I’ve been racking my brain, but I still can’t remember the address of that pizza restaurant.
- Read between the lines: suy ra, ngầm hiểu được
What she said might seem to be a compliment, but if you read between the lines, you can
begin to see her hidden sarcasm.
- Well up in something: có kiến thức sâu rộng
Jack is well up in car maintenance. He took lessons at vocational school.
Topic 2: MEMORY AND MIND
- A gut reaction/ a gut feeling: linh cảm
I have a gut feeling that your boyfriend is cheating on you but I can’t prove it.
- A mind like a sieve: trí nhớ kém, mau quên
Hace you got a mind like a sieve? How many times do I have to remind you to lock the door
when you’re going out?
- Bear something in mind/ keep something in mind: Ghi nhớ điều gì
You should bear in mind that a friend in need is a friend indeed.
- Cross one’s mind: chợt nghĩ thoáng qua
To be honest, it never crossed my mind that I would become an English teacher one day,
but now Iam really into this job.
- Lose the plot: (1) Hành xử mất kiểm soát, không có lý trí
(2) Mất tập trung vào mục tiêu, nhiệm vụ chính
I’m so sorry about last night. I must have had too much many drinks and just lost the plot.
- Miles away: mất tập trung
When I was at my high school, I usually got the warnings from my teachers because of
being miles away all the time.
- Off the top of one’s head: mất trí, mất bình tĩnh
I couldn’t remember exactly what happened last night. I was almost out of my mind after
drinking alcohol.
- Ring a bell: Nghe quen
This storyline rings a bell with me. I’ve seen many movies with similar content and types of
characters before.
Topic 3: COMMUNICATION AND SOCIALIZING
- Act the goat: làm trò, cư xử ngốc nghếch
He was asked to leave the class because he was always acting the goat.
- (One’s) bark worse than one’s bite: nói giỏi hơn làm
Don’t worry about John’s threat. His bark is usually worse than his bite.
- Beat around the bush: vòng vo, quanh co, không nói thẳng vào vấn đề
Let’s stop beating about the bush and discuss the solution to this matter.
- Beg off: Xin từ chối một yêu cầu hay một lời mời
She had to beg off that project when she realised that it interfered with her family life.
- Believe it or not: Dù tin hay không
Believe it or not, the longer route is actually quicker because there is less trafic.
- Bend someone’s ear: nói chuyện với một ai đó quá lâu khiến họ khó chịu, mệt mỏi, chán
nản
-Sorry for being late! I had Jo bending my ear for over one hour with all her problems.
-It seems to happen all the time you get to see her.
- Call a spade a spade: Nói một cách thẳng thắn về ai đó hoặc cái gì
I know you do not want to hear anyone bad-mouth about your boyfriend, but I have to call
a spade a spade. He’s totally a jerk!
- (Has the) cat got your tongue? Sao im như thóc thế
When in primary school, I used to get terrified when the strict and fierce-looking
supervisory caught me showing up late and bellowed “Why are you so late? Answer me!
Cat got your tongue”.
- Change someone’s tune: thay đổi thái độ, ý kiến, cách hành xử và lập trường về một
điều gì đó, thường theo hướng tích cực
After I threatened him with no allowance, my son changed his tune and started doing his
chores.
- Dine out on something: được mời tới dự một bữa tiệc xã giao vì có trải nghiệm hoặc
thông tin thú vị nào đó
He dined out on the story of his affair with the movie star for several months.
- Get a world in edgewise: chen lời vào
When Mary paused in her monologue, I was finally able to get a word in edgewise about
my plan.
- Hang on someone’s every world: Nghe như nuốt từng lời ai đó
The politician was so charismatic that he had even his detractors hanging on his every
word.
- In a nutshell: Một cách ngắn gọn
I don’t really have time for the whole story, please explain the situation for me in a
nutshell.
- Keep a civil tongue in one’s head: Ăn nói nhã nhặn, lịch sự
Please keep a civil tongue in your head the next time you talk to his cousin, instead of
arguing with him, OK?
- Labor the point: Giải thích dài dòng, nói đi nói lại
We all understood that problem but he just labored the point, which was so annoying.
- Last but not least: Cuối cùng nhưng cũng không kém phần quan trọng
Last but not least, we extend our sincere appreciation to our patrons.
- Let the cat out of the bag: bất cẩn tiết lộ điều gì
Bill let the cat out of the bag by constantly glancing at the door. We then knew that he was
expecting someone to arrive.
- Make a clean breast of something: bày tỏ điều gì
You should make a clean breast of your problem with your family, they’ll surely find the
way to get out of it.
- Make a mountain out of a molehill: chuyện bé xé ra to
It’s a B minus, you shouldn’t make a mountain out of a molehill acting like you’re going to
fail the whole course.
- Make cracks about someone or something: chế nhạo, đùa cợt ai; đưa ra lời đánh giá
It’s not nice to constantly make cracks about your classmate’s mistake.
- Mark my words: Hãy nhớ những gì tôi nói
Mark my words, one day you will pay dearly for betraying those who love and trust you.
- Mind one’s P’s and Q’s: cẩn thận lời nói và hành động, hành xử đúng đắn
The mother reminded her young children to mind their P’s and Q’s when they went over to
their friend’s house.
- Near the knuckle: động chạm, có hướng xúc phạm
Some of the jokes he made during the meals were near the knuckle. I don’t he left a good
impression on his girlfriend’s family.
- Never mind: Thôi bỏ đi, đừng để ý
I was about to ask you to be my prom partner, but if you think of me that way, then never
mind.
- Receive someone with open arms: chào đón ai đó
My brother is about to come home after the military duty, the whole family can’t wait to
receive him with open arms.
- Spill the beans: tiết lộ bí mật
We had everything organized for Bruce’s surprise birthday party, but Louis accidentally
spilled the beans to him at work.
- Straight from the horse’s mouth: Từ một nguồn tin đáng tin cậy
-Is our test really getting rescheduled?
-Yes, I sat right next to our teacher’s table during lunch, so I heard it straight from the
horse’s mouth.
- The gift of (the) gab khả năng nói với một phong thái tự tin, thuyết phục
Mathew’s gift of gab makes him a wonderful salesman.
Topic 4: PERSONALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS
- All thumbs: hậu đậu
Bob is all thumbs when it comes to take care of babies. He barely knows how to hold them
properly.
- An Archilles heel: điểm yếu chết người
Norman is very friendly, but fear of height is his Archilles heel. He’s really ashamed of it.
- Armed to the teeth: trang bị nhiều vũ khí
The bank robber was armed to the teeth when he was caught.
- As black as one is painted: tồi tệ, xấu xa đúng như lời đồn
Young people nowadays are rarely as black as they are painted in the media.
- As plain as a pikestaff: rõ rành rành, rõ như ban ngày
The “no parking” sign is as plain as a pikestaff. How did he miss it? How much was he
fined?
- As quiet as a mouse: im lặng, ít nói
I knew something was wrong when I walked into the meeting room and all the members of
the board were as quiet as a mouse.
- At a pinch: khó nhưng có thể thực hiện nếu thực sự cần thiết
The ballroom could easily handle two hundred chairs, more at a pinch.
- At a rate of knots: rất nhanh
We are going to have to move at a rate of knots to have any hope of getting to the airport in
time.
- Babe in arms: người ngây thơ, cả tin, dễ bị lừa gạt
Although Matt has always excelled in school, when it comes to dealing with real-life issues,
he is just a babe in arm.
- Back of the beyond: xa xôi, hẻo lánh
This private island resort is really back of the beyond.
- Before you can say Jack Robinson: nhanh, đột nhiên
It’s not far from where I’m standing to your house, so I’ll be there before you can say Jack
Robinson.
- Beggar description: rất khó hoặc không thể miêu tả, giải thích
My mother loved decorating house and as my father said, her taste was very bizarre.
Whenever there was a guest coming in, their reaction beggared description.
- Be poles apart: rất khác nhau
My sister and I are very close now, who could believe we were poles apart in everything
and fought all the time.
- Best bib and tucker: bộ quần áo đẹp nhất, trang trọng nhất của ai
Women always wear their bib and tucker and spend hours on their hair and makeup on
the first date, if they’re really interested in the partner.
- Can’t see beyond the end of one’s nose: tầm nhìn hạn hẹp
Ann can’t see beyond the end of her nose. She has signed the labor contract without
considering all the terms carefully.
- Cast in the same mold: có ngoại hình hoặc tính cách, hành vi giống nhau
Julia and her mother are cast in the same mold, and both of them are sucessful as
entertainers.
- Cause tongues to wag: khiến mọi người bàn tán
Being a celebrity means that anything one does, no matter how bannal, is enough to cause
tongues to wag.
- Come alive: trở nên sinh động, tràn đầy sức sống
The match seems to come alive after the first goal is scored.
- Dark horse: nhân tố bí ẩn, chưa được nhiều người biết tới, chưa có nhiều thông tin
It’s difficult to predict who will win the prize, there are so many dark horses in the
tournament this year.
- Dirty look: cái nhìn hoặc cái liếc mắt thể hiện sự không đồng ý, không thích
Juan stopped whistling when he saw the dirty look on his mother’s face.
- Eager beaver: người nhiệt tình, người làm việc chăm chỉ
The freshman are always eager beavers, they take part in voluntary work and extra-
curriculum activities enthusiastically.
- Eagle eye: mắt diều hâu
The pupils wrote their essays under the eagle eye of the supervisor.
- Elbow-grease: rất nhiều sức lực
It will take some elbow-grease to clean up the whole 5-floor building.
- Empty vessels make more noise: thùng rỗng kêu to
I suspect Andy is not very smart. She chatters constantly, and as they say, empty vessels
make the most noise.
- Far cry from something (1) cực kì khác với cái gì
(2) ở rất xa cái gì
Living in the heart of the capital is a far cry from living in the rural countryside.
- Fishy: kì lạ và đáng ngờ
I don’t know if you should sign that contract, it seems a bit fishy to me.
- For the birds: không thú vị và vô nghĩa
Driving is for the birds if you live in a big city, unless you like siting hours in traffic!
- Hand over fist: rất nhanh
The robot model is so popular that the manufacturer is making money hand over fist.
- Horse of a different color: một vấn đề, khái niệm hoàn toàn khác
I always support Jim’s idea of starting his own business, but lending him $100,000 is a
horse of different color.
- Just the job: chính xác những gì cần thiết
A vacation is just the job for Jane’s stress.
- Lady killer: người đàn ông lăng nhăng, thích tán tỉnh phụ nữ và được nhiều phụ nữ yêu
thích
Jane knew from the beginning that Dan was a lady-killer, but she couldn’t help falling in
love with him.
- Matter of life and death: vấn đề sống còn ( cách nói phóng đại, đôi khi là cách nói hài
hước)
It is significant to know how to find or make water in the desert. It is a matter of life and
death.
- Naked eye: mắt thường
Because bacteria are invisible to the naked eye, it was relatively recently in human history
that we even became aware of their existence.
- Name of the game: mục tiêu, mục đích chính, phương diện quan trọng nhất
Your guys must know that safety compliance is the name of the game around here. This
area is full of mines and bombs left since the civil war.
- Night-owl: cú đêm
In my student days, I was quite a night-owl and would sometimes stay up until sunrise.
- Nine-to-five job: công việc giờ hành chính
After graduating, I hope to land on a job by which I can travel to various places and gain
great experience rather than a nine-to-five job in an office.
- Nobody’s fool: một người không thể bị lợi dụng hoặc lừa gạt, một người khôn ngoan
Anyone is likely to fall victim to online scams, especially when the thieves are so
sophisticated that they come up with various ways to cheat you out of money. However, I
still believe I’m nobody fool, since I always stay alert by identifying who I’m dealing with,
as well as securing my personal information and mobile devices.
- Odd man out: (1) Một người bị tách biệt khỏi một nhóm vì lý do nào đó
(2) Một người/ vật hoàn toàn khác biệt với những người/ vật khác
Ever since his injury, John has been odd man out when his friends go to play football
together.
- Off-color: thô lỗ, có tính xúc phạm, thô tục
-What did you think of the award ceremony last night?
-I found the MC’s jokes a bit too off-color for my taste.
- Off the beaten track: một nơi xa lạ, thường không có ai đi qua
I chose that island as a vâction spot because I knew it was off the beaten track and would
give me some much-needed solitude.
- Of the first water: có chất lượng tốt nhất, giá trị cao nhất
The restaurant is famous for serving dimsum of the first water in town.
- Old hand at something: có nhiều kinh nghiệm, lão luyện
No one in our family can beat Aunt Mary in gambling, she is quite an old hand in this
matter.
- Open-and-shut case: rõ rành rành (thường dùng khi nói đến các vụ án pháp luật hoặc
một vấn đề gì đó rất dễ giải quyết)
Most murder trials in Detective Conan series are usually not open and shut cases due to
killer’s sophisticated killing techniques.
- Parrot-fashion: như vẹt, không hiểu ý nghĩa của thứ đang học, đang nói
You guys will also be tested on how to apply these rules in the real-world scenerios, so
don’t just learn to recite them parrot-fashion.
- People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones: chó chê mèo lắm lông
-She just spends her time complaining about other people.
-Now, now, people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
- Quick on the draw: phản ứng nhanh, hành động nhanh nhẹn
Faced with critism by environmentalists, the company’s PR representative was quick on
the draw and pointed out its important role in job creation for the community.
- Read herring: thông tin đánh lạc hướng
The author is known for introducing red herrings to arouse reader’s suspicion of innocent
characters.
- Tonue-in-cheek: hài hước, vui nhộn dù bề ngoài rất nghiêm túc
The play seemed very serious at first, then the audience realized it was tongue-in-cheek,
and they began laughing.
 - Up and doing: hoạt bát, đầy sức sống
The surgery went very well, the doctor is optimistic that she will be up and doing.
- Upper crush: tầng lớp quý tộc, thượng lưu
The award ceremony was a chance for me to mingle with the upper crust.
- Vexed question: một câu hỏi hóc búa, một vấn đề khó khăn, không có hướng giải quyết
The two brothers quarreled over the vexed question of which of them should take charge of
their father’s firm.
- Villain of the piece: người có trách nhiệm đối với việc không hay nào đó xảy ra
We couldn’t think who had stolen the meat. The dog next door turned out to be the villain
of the piece.
- Wet blanket: người hay phá hỏng cuộc vui (do nhạt nhẽo, thiếu tinh tế)
No one wants to invite dull people to their party since they are genuinely a wet blanket.
Topic 5: FEELINGS
- Be thankful for small mercies: đánh giá cao, biết ơn một điều tốt đẹp nhỏ bé nào đó,
đặc biệt là khi đang trong một tình huống không may
My car’s air conditioning stopped working two hours into my cross-country road trip
across America.
- Champ at a bit: rất háo hức, không thể chờ để làm gì
Now I’ve turned 18, I’m champing at a bit to take the driver’s test.
- Die of a broken heart: chết vì đau lòng
In the movie, the second victim appeared to die of a broken heart, but the detective then
found out she was poisoned.
- Die of boredom: chán gần chết
If the staff meeting hadn’t ended when it did, I would have die of boredom.
- Feel like a million dollars: cảm thấy tuyệt vời
Nick just had operation on his knee. Now he is feeling like a million dollars, apparently the
pain in his knee is all gone.
- Get a lump in one’s throat: nghẹn ngào
Though she was excited for her daughter to start her college experience, Diana still got a
lump in her throat saying goodbye to her at the airport.
- Get butterflies in one’s stomach: cảm giác lo lắng, thường trước khi thực hiện một điều
gì đó
She always has butterflies in her stomach and must go to the toilet before going on the
stage.
- Get carried away: bị cuốn theo
I’m so sorry for getting little carried away, I just love talking about my favorite movies.
They are truly masterpieces.
- Get cold feet: có cảm giác lo âu trước khi làm gì, đến mức phủ nhận cảm giác đó hoặc
không chắc muốn làm việc đó không
He could be an ideal lover – having a successful career, kind-hearted, considerate and
devoted to his partner, except for the fact that he gets cold feet about being in a committed
relationship.
- Get up on the wrong side of the bed: thức dậy với tâm trạng tồi tệ
Guess who got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning? Jessica is throwing a tantrum
on her secretary as she hadn’t bought her breakfast, though she didn’t order for it in
advance.
- Hit the ceiling: cực kì giận dữ
Mom will definitely hit the ceiling when she receives the result of my final exam in the
parental meeting.
- Ill at ease: lo lắng, không thoải mái
My sister loves performing, while I’m ill at ease on stage.
- In a bad mood: buồn bã, căng thẳng, tâm trạng không vui
Be careful with your words while talking to the director, he’s been in a bad mood since the
morning.
- In a quandary: bối rối, không biết phải làm gì
I am in a guandary about which major to study in the university.
- In (into) a stew about someone or something: phiền lòng, buồn rầu
I can’t help getting into a stew as my cat has gone missing for two days.
 - Jump down someone’s throat: đột nhiên nổi giận, quát tháo ai đó
The author’s fan just asked a question about her family lifw and she jumped down her
throat. He couldn’t believe it.
- Let off stream: giải tỏa cảm xúc, xả cơn giận
As a freelancer, when facing with too much pressure, I decide to give myself a break by
going for a walk in the park with my dog. It is an effective way to help me let off stream
and find new ideas.
- No wonder: không có gì ngạc nhiên
Via sincerity in their music, the band has been speaking out against prejudice and injustice
that teenagers experience, and encouraging young people to love thếmlves and pursue their
passions. It is no wonder that they are increasingly loved and supported.
- On cloud nine: rất hạnh phúc, sung sướng (như đang trên chín tầng mây)
The coach was on cloud nine when his team won the first prize. Before the tournament,
they were only considered the underdogs.
- Regain one’s composure: bình tĩnh lại
Here, sit down and relax so that you can regain your composure.
- Up in arms: nổi giận và buồn lòng
The whole town is up in arms about the construction of a new shopping center.
- Vent one’s spleen: giận cá chém thớt
Losing quite a fortune for gambling, Jack was very angry, and he vented his spleen by
shouting at his wife and children.
- Walk on air: rất hạnh phúc
Jane has been walking on air since she is proposed to, now she is in rush of preparing for
her wedding next month.
Topic 6: TROUBLES AND DIFFICULTIES
- A tight spot: một tình huống khó khăn, khó xử, khó có thể thoát ra
Your brother helped me out of a tight spot years ago when I was out of work, so I’m more
than happy to lend him a hand now.
- At the end of one’s rope: đỉnh điểm giới hạn chịu đựng của ai đó
My boss has started throwing a tantrum since this morning, and with all the problems my
family is coping with, I am absolutely at the end of my rope.
- Baptism of fire: (1) lần đầu tiên xung trận của một người lính
(2) một thử thách, trải nghiệm khó khăn phải vượt qua mà chưa có sự
chuẩn bị
My son has just had his first visit to the dentist. He stood up to the baptism of fire very
well.
- Carry the weight of the world on one’s shoulder: có rất nhiều gánh nặng trên vai
You need to learn to ask for help when things become overwhelming instead of trying to
carry the weight of the world on your shoulders all the time.
- Dead on one’s feet: kiệt sức, rã rời
Hectic filming schedule caused all the actors, actress and the whole crew to nearly be dead
om their feet, some even had to be hospitalised.
- Fall foul of someone or something: vướng vào tranh cãi hoặc rắc rối
I hope that you will avoid falling foul of the manager, she can be a formidable enemy.
- Go to the dogs: hỏng hóc, cần tu sửa
-Have you seen their house lately? It’s really gone to the dogs.
-It’s true, but I’m sure with a little carpentry work and some paint it could look decent
again.
- In the hole: ngập trong nợ nần
The vacation was great, except that I’m totally in the hole now due to buying many
souvenirs.
- Lead a dog’s life: có một cuộc sống buồn chán, khó khăn, không có niềm vui
Poor Chloe really leads the dog’s life after her father’s company went bankrupt and they
had to sell all their properties to cover the debt.
- Out on a limb: không có đủ chứng cứ, bằng chứng; ở trong một tình huống khó khăn
The politician is out on a limb after publicly questioning the views of his party.
- Rat race: đấu tranh khốc liệt
The company environment felt like a rat race, employees were constantly sabotating each
other to climb the corporate ladder.
- Spread oneself too chin: tham gia vào quá nhiều các hoạt động
It’s a good idea to get involved in a lot of activities, but don’t spread yourself too chin or
else you’ll get overwhelmed.
- Walk a tightrope: đi trên dây, ở trong tình huống cần hết sức cẩn trọng
Since there’s been talk of layoffs, I’ve been walking a tightrope at work to prove how
valuable I am.
Topic 7: HELP, ENCOURAGEMENT AND DECISIONS
- According to one’s (own) lights: theo đúng những gì ai đó tin tưởng
There is no right or wrong in choosing to become a donor or not, people must make their
decision according to their own lights.
- Aid and abet someone: trợ giúp ai đó, đặc biệt trong một tình huống phạm tội hoặc một
hành vi xấu
Being accused of aiding and abetting his boss in the fraud, the accountant was punished
with 5 years in jail.
- Any port in a storm: chấp nhận dù muốn hay không vì đó là phương án duy nhất
He doesn’t want to live with his parents, yet he lost his job recently and has not found a
new one, it’s the case of any port in a storm.
- Change horses in midstream: (1) chọn một người lãnh đạo mới trong quá trình biến
động, không ổn định
(2) đưa ra thay đổi khi mọi thứ đang diễn ra
We’re about to close on the house, and my wife suddenly wants to change horses in
midstream and looks at another property.
- Eleventh – hour decision: quyết định vào phút chót
Eleventh-hour decisions are seldom satisfactory.
- Go to bat for someone: giúp đỡ và ủng hộ ai đó
Since you know the recruiter, do you think you can go to bat for me? I really need this job.
- Knock someone’s socks off: khiến mọi người thích thú, phấn khích
The new comedy series really knocked my socks off, I didn’t expect it to be so good.
- Lend (someone) a hand: giúp đỡ ai đó
I think we should come and lend him a hand. Those plant pót look pretty heavy.
- Scratch someone’s back: giúp đỡ ai với mong muốn họ sẽ đáp lại trong tương lai, có
qua có lại
The president has been accused of scratching the oil industry’s backs with a series of
policies that put them in a position to make a lot more money.
- Take the bull by the horns: đưa ra hành động quyết đoán trong một tình huống khó
khăn
This is the time to take the bull by the horns and tackle the complex issue of finance.
- Up in the air: chưa quyết định, chưa chắc chắn
Becky and I were supposed to go around and buy some ornaments for her new house, but
things are up in the air now because she’s not feeling well.
- Warm the cookles of someone’s heart: khiến ai đó cảm thấy hạnh phúc, hài lòng
Hearing that old song again warmed the cockles of her heart.
Topic 8: SUCCESS AND FAILURE
- Blow it: thất bại, phá hỏng chuyện gì
Bob was being considered for the promotion, but he blew it when he failed the marketing
campaign for the newly-launched product.
- Bring home the bacon: (1) kiếm ra tiền từ 1 công việc ổn định
(2) thành công
Since the arrival of the new manager, our company has stopped losing money and even
made some profit – he is really the one who brings home the bacon.
- Damp squib: thứ gì đó không đạt được như kỳ vọng
The book was well published in the media but if you ask for my opinion, it is a bit of a
damp squib.
- Dig one’s own grave: tự đào mồ chôn mình
The manager tried to blame all the mistakes on his assistant, but he dug his own grave and
got the sack hímelf.
- Fall apart at the seams: dần tan vỡ, sắp thất bại
This party is really falling apart at the seams. First, there was the issue with the caterers,
and now half the guests aren’t coming.
- Fall between two tools: không được cái này cũng không được cái kia
I was excited to start taking night classes after work, but now without enough time to
devote either to school or to my job, I feel like I’m falling between two tools.
- Fall by the wayside: bỏ cuộc giữa chừng
(1) Thất bại hoặc tụt lại phía sau
(2) Bị hủy bỏ hoặc bỏ quên vì một vấn đề cấp bách hơn
With the econmy suffering, the president’s plan for environmental reform has increasingly
fallen by the wayside.
- Fall down on the job: thất bại trong việc gì
It is the government’s duty due to make sure their citizens are protected from a financial
disaster like this, but obviously they’re fallen down on the job.
- Get back on one’s feet: độc lập trở lại, khỏe trở lại
My parents have supported me since I lost my job. I’m glad I’m getting back on my feet
now.
- Have the world by the tail: thành đạt và hạnh phúc
Samantha landed her dream job after finishing at the top of her class in college. She has
the world by the tail!
- Get credit for something: nhận được lời tung hô hay danh tiếng vì đã làm được gì đó
One problem of group assignment is some might get credit for a successful one without
even laying a finger on the whole process.
- Land on one’s feet/ land on both feet: vượt qua tình trạng khó khăn
I wouldn’t worry about Lucy, no matter what difficult situation she gets mixed up in, she
always lands on her feet.
- Leave a lot to be desired: không đủ tốt như kỳ vọng, cần cải thiện thêm
At that time, I tried my best to practice with the hope of joining my school’s soccer team.
However, there were so many excellent candidates, while my skills left a lot to be desired.
- Make a splash: thành công và thu hút nhiều sự chú ý
From being an unknown, divorced and poor woman, J.K.Rowling has made a big splash
with the book series on a witch boy Harry Potter.
 - Meet one’s Waterloo: bị đánh gục, hạ gục (thành ngữ này bắt nguồn từ trận đánh thất
bại lịch sử của Hoàng đế Pháp Napoleon tại trận địa Waterloo)
Jerry met his Waterloo in the Olympic games.
- Up a blind alley: đi vào ngõ cụt
The police are up a blind alley in their investigation of the crime. There was not much
evidence left in the scene and up until now there has been any witness showing up.
Topic 9: MONEY AND VALUE
- A dime a dozen: thứ rất tầm thường, không có giá trị
I still can’t understand why you spent so much money on a basic black pencil skirt. It’s a
dime a dozen and can be found in almost all clothing stores. I myself can even sew one.
- Break the bank: tiêu hết tiền
It will hardly break the bank if I just buy a new dress, at a discount price.
- Change hands: đã được bán
The company has changed hands several times but is still on the verge of bankruptcy.
- Daylight robbery: ăn cướp giữa ban ngày (tính giá cắt cổ một cách trắng trợn)
The cost of parking a car in some shopping malls is daylight robbery.
- Dirt cheap: rất rẻ
These shoes are dirt cheap, I found them on the clearance rack.
- Face value: vẻ bề ngoài, giá trị bề mặt
John tends to take people at face value, and so she is always getting hurt.
- For a song: một khoản rất nhỏ
I can’t believe they let so many things at their yard sale for a song. I would have marked up
the prices a bit.
- Get a luck break: một khoản tiền hay một cơ hội lớn, may mắn
Mary really got a lucky break when she got that job.
- Lemon: không hoạt động tốt, không hiệu quả; không có giá trị
It sounded like a good deal at the time, but the car he sold me is a total lemon.
- Lose one’s shirt: mất một khoản tiền lớn
This is my last chance, if the horse Zero does not finish first I’ll lose my shirt.
- Make it worth someone’s while: đáng công để làm gì
The employer said to me that if I could work at weekends and holidays, they would make it
worth my while.
- Money is no object/ experience is no object: tiền không phải là vấn đề
Bring me all the latest dresses in this store! Money is no object.
- Money talks: tiền bạc có sức nặng lớn
If you want to get your passport earlier, here’s some advice-money talks.
- Pay through the nose: trả rất nhiều tiền
Universities are actually free for citizens in this country, but since I immigrated here I have
to pay through the nose for my degree.
Topic 10: RISKS AND CHANCE/ LUCK AND MISFORTUNE
- A blessing in disguise: một điều tưởng chừng như không may cuối cùng lại cho kết quả
tốt
I have heard that Uncle’s Joe going to mention Rachel in his will. That’s a blessing in
disguise, because Rachel was never a favorite of his.
- A close-run thing: một sự việc rất nguy hiểm mà ai đó thoát được trong đường tơ kẽ tóc
No one was hurt in the accident, but it was a close-run thing – if the victims had arrived a
bit sooner, they all would have died of the gas explosion.
- All’s well that ends well: miễn là mọi thứ kết thúc tốt đẹp thì những khó khăn trước đó
không hề gì; kết quả tốt xứng đáng với những khó khăn đã trải qua
-How was the wedding of Tom and Eva?
-The groom was late due to a flat tire, but everything worked out all right. All’s well that
ends well.
- A mug’s game: một hành động ngu ngốc, nguy hiểm, không có kết quả tốt đẹp
Leaving your son at home alone is a mug’s game. There’re so many chances he may get
injured.
- Beard the lion in his den: không vào hang cọp sao bắt được cọp con, đối mặt với nguy
cơ
- Chance one’s arm: mạo hiểm để đạt được một mục đích nào đó
I think he’s chancing his arm by dumping his life savings into another bizarre money-
making scheme.
- Fancy someone’s chances: nghĩ rằng, có niềm tin ai đó sẽ thành công
We all think she will refuse to go out with him, but he certainly fancies his own chances.
- Let the chances slip by: để tuột mất cơ hội
I could have won the scholarship if I tried harder. But I let the chance slip by.
- Neck or nothing: được ăn cả ngã về không, hoặc thành công hoặc thất bại
He prepared a classic romantic dinner with candles and rose petals, because he decided to
propose to his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day. It was neck or nothing.
- On the line: có nguy cơ mất mát cái gì đó
I’m afraid that your scholarship is on the line now since you have been accused of
plagiarizing a paper.
- Sitiing pretty: gặp vận may, trong trạng thái tốt
I think it is pretty disgusting that some companies sit pretty while millions of people
suffered from severe air and water pollution as a result of their negligence on waste
treatment.
- Stick one’s neck out: mạo hiểm
You have to take some risks to be successful in business and in life, but don’t stick your
neck out for no good reason.
- Take one’s medicine: chấp nhận làm một việc khó khăn mà không kêu ca, phản đối
Hopefully the election result will send a clear message to the losing party, then they will
finally take their medicine and do what is right for the country.
Topic 11: EFFORT
- As a duck takes to water: như cá gặp nước; một cách dễ dàng, tự nhiên
Molly is such an accomplished dancer that she took the show’s choreography as a duck
takes to water.
- Bend over backwards: nỗ lực
Jack is bending over backwards to do all things Jill wants him to, yet she says no thanks to
him.
- Bite the bullet: cầm cự trong tình trạng khó khăn
I know she is desperate as being abandoned by her finance, but the sooner she bites the
bullet and accepts it, the sooner she can move on.
- Duck soup: dễ dàng, không cần cố gắng
-Should I ask James to play some music at my birthday party?
-Sure, he has been playing guitar for 15 years, these songs are duck soup.
- Get by on a shoestring: duy trì cuộc sống với một khoản tài chính hạn chế
We were getting by on a shoestring for a while after our baby was born, but luckily I got a
promotion, and our situation has improved a bit.
- Give it one’s best shot: cố gắng hết sức
Henry gave it his best shot, but the board still denied his proposal.
- Keep body and soul together: nuôi sống được bản thân
I had to ask my parents to loan me some money because after having my car fixed, I don’t
even have enough to keep body and soul together.
- Last - ditch effort: nỗ lực, cố gắng cuối cùng
She decided to keep calm and listen to all her husband’s confessions, and hoped this last-
ditched effort could save her marriage.
- Move heaven and earth to do something: cố gắng hết sức để làm việc gì
I will move heaven and earth to get into my dream Harvard University!
- Paddle one’s own canoe: tự lực cánh sinh
Now when you have finished college and landed a decent job, it is time for you to leave your
parent’s house and paddle your own canoe.
- Use every trick in the book: làm mọi cách có thể
You can use every trick in the book to get prospective employers to notice you, but if your
work ethic isn’t fundamental sound, no one is going to want you working for them.
Topic 12: MISTAKES, MISBEHAVIORS AND CONSEQUENCES
- Asleep at the wheel: sơ suất, không hoàn thành nghĩa vụ
John was supposed to make sure the paperwork went through before the deadline, but it
looks like he was asleep at the wheel.
- Catch someone on the hop: khiến ai đó bất ngờ, chưa kịp chuẩn bị
The unexpected test caught some of the people on the hop.
- Face the music: đối mặt với hậu quả
If we do nothing to curb the looming pollution, I guarantee we will face the music in the
near future.
- Fall from grace: không còn được yêu thích vì đã phạm sai lầm nào đó
That actor had a catastrophic fall from grace after he was exposed as a fraud and liar.
- Feather one’s own nest: lợi dụng chức vụ để kiếm lời
The CEO was sacked folloing allegation that he was feathering his own nest with donations
to the company’s charitable fund.
- Feed someone a line: nói dối ai đó (thường để viện cớ)
Don’t feed me a line, tell me the truth, what is the real reason you missed my wedding
party?
- Get a slap on the wrist: chịu hình phạt nhẹ
Most people are outraged that the corporation only got a slap on the wrist after breaking so
many regulations and polluting the surrounding environment.
- Get a tongue-lasing: bị trách mắng thậm tệ
His sales team got a tongue-lashing from their boss after he saw a decrease in profit for the
fourth straight month.
- Get the ax: bị đuổi việc
Ann is going to get the ax if her boss finds out that serious printing error was her fault.
- Jump the gun: hấp tấp, làm gì một cách vội vàng
Sandra jumped the gun and sent her article directly to the editor before her supervisor
approved it, and he was not happy about it.
- Lag behind someone or something: tụt lại phía sau
Come on up here! Don’t lag behind us or you’ll get lost.
- Lay something to waste/ lay to waste something: phá hủy, hủy hoại hoàn toàn
The fire laid to waste the entire forest area of more than 20 hectares with many species of
plants and animals.
- Learn something by route: học vẹt
He just learned those structure by route to get an average point and pass the course. He
didn’t understand what they mean.
- Leave someone high and dry: bỏ rơi, bỏ mặc ai đó trong tình trạng khó khăn
The departure of several key employees has left the business high and dry.
- Let someone down: làm ai đó thất vọng
I always try as hard as I can since I don’t want to let my father down. He has been
sacrificing his whole life to take care of us.
- Let something slide: ngó lơ, bỏ mặc điều gì
Don’t let your studying slide if you want to graduate on time.
- Paper over the cracks in something: che giấu lỗi lầm hoặc sự khó khăn một cách vội
vàng, không hiệu quả
Although the couple tried to paper over the cracks in the relationship while we were
visiting, you could just feel the tension between them.
- Pass the duck: đỗ lỗi, đẩy trách nhiệm cho người khác
Some of my teamates tend to pass the buck when making crucial decisions. I hope one day
they’ll know how to take responsibilities for their mistakes, instead of shifting them to
others then leaving the work unfinished.
- Pull someone’s leg: trêu đùa, lừa phỉnh ai đó, khiến ai đó tin cái gì đó là thật
Quit pulling my leg, I know there is no one writing a love letter to me, it must be from one
of you gúy.
- Pull strings: tận dụng quyền lực hoặc ảnh hưởng để đạt được mục đích nào đó
I hear that the only reason Johnny got into college was his dad pulled some strings with the
president of the university.
- Sell someone down the river: phản bội lại vì quyền lợi riêng
These companies all want to pretend like they are your friend, but they will sell you down
the river the moment it makes financial sense for them.
- Sell someone short: đánh giá thấp ai đó
If a film is worth showing, it is worth showing as the full work it was intended to be.
Anything less is selling us short.
- Shoot off one’s mouth: (1) Không biết giữ mồm giữ miệng
(2) Mạnh miệng, ba hoa
We would have gotten away with our plan if your dumb cousin hadn’t started shooting off
his mouth all over the town.
- Snow job: nói dối hoặc nịnh nọt để thuyết phục người khác
He laid the compliments on her so thick, it was surprising that she couldn’t see it was
nothing more than a snow job.
- Talk through one’s hat: (1) nói những điều ngu ngốc, vô nghĩa
(2) Phóng đại hiểu biết hoặc thành tựu của ai, ba hoa
Dorothy keeps saying she can outrun anyone in our school, but she is talking through her
hat if you ask me.
- Toot one’s own horn: khoe khoang
Children sure love to toot their own horns about their achievement at school. My daughter
got a compliment from her homeroom teacher and she insisted everyone she met would
know about it.
- Turn someone off: khiến ai đó mất hứng, khó chịu
We were all excited about the live concert until she arrived and turned everyone off by
constantly complaining about how crowded the stadium was and how hard for her to barge
through the flood of people.
- Upset the applecart: phá hỏng, can thiệp vào kế hoạch của ai
We were going on a vacation, but the children upset the applecart by getting mumps.
- Up to no good: có ý đồ xấu, hành vi không chính đáng
I’m worried that my daughter’s boyfriend is up to no good, it seems the money he
borrowed from her did not go for the tuition as he claimed.
Topic 13: TIME AND PROCESS
- Advanced in years: già, lớn tuổi
My grandfather is advanced in years and now he can barely recognize any member of our
family.
- Back to the drawing board: bắt đầu lại từ đầu, lên kế hoạch lại từ đầu
There must be some problems with the way the project is exerted. We need to go back to
the drawing board.
- Call it a day: thế là đủ cho một ngày, dừng công việc đang làm
I’m tired and not engaged anymore, let’s call it a day and we will start early tomorrow.
- Hang fire: treo, hoãn
The press conference for the new book has to hang fire due to public suspect of plagiarism.
- In a split second: trong khoảnh khắc
The lightning struck, and in a split second the house burst into flames.
- In arrears: quá hạn, quá muộn
The electricity bill is three months in arrears, I’m afraid we’ll get the power cut in no time.
- Jumping-off point: một địa điểm tốt để bắt đầu làm gì
The intern position in this agency would be a good jumping- off point for a career in
marketing.
- Nip something in the bud: dập ngay từ trong trứng
Having realized the two-faced nature of her step-father from the beginning, Sam nipped
his scheme of appropriating her mother’s property in the bud.
- No spring chicken: không còn trẻ nữa
I started to realize that I’m no spring chicken when seeing most of my millenial friends
being with their partners and kids, when I’m still single and childless at the age of 26.
- On ice: tạm gác lại
The project is on ice until the investors can call for more budget.
- Out of the woods: thoát hiểm, vượt qua tình trạng khó khăn
Her surgery went as well as we could hope, but she is not out of the woods yet.
- Race against time: chạy đua với thời gian
Because we had to start from the scratch, it will be race against time to finish the group
assignment before the deadline.
- The early bird catches the worm: trâu chậm uống nước đục
We need to get to the store early if we want to have the best selection. The early bird
catches the worm you know.
- Water under the bridge: chuyện đã qua, không còn gì đáng lo
Mr. Bruce said that he was relieved it was over and that he regarded his time in jail as
water under the bridge.
- Wet behind the ears: trẻ, chưa có nhiều kinh nghiệm
We’ve got a new assistant, fresh from law school. He’s very eager to learn, still wet behind
the ears.
- When the time is ripe: khi thời gian chín muồi
I’ll tell her the good news when the time is ripe.
- Zero hour: thời khắc bắt đầu, thời điểm quan trọng
I have so much studying left to do before the exam, and the zero hour is 8 A.M tomorrow.
Topic 14: SIZE AND QUANLITY
- A tight squeeze: một nơi rất nhỏ, chật chội
There are eight members in Sam’s family but they’ve got only one car, so it’s a tight
squeeze whenever the whole family is getting somewhere.
- Either feast or famine: hoặc quá nhiều hoặc không đủ
As a freelancer, sometimes I am really busy, and sometimes I have nothing to do, it’s either
feast or famine.
- Enough is as good as a feast: đủ là tốt nhất
I cannot understand why they want a larger house, enough is as good as a feast.
- Everything but the kitchen sink: gần như tất cả mọi thứ có thể
When you take a baby on holiday, you have to pack everything but the kitchen sink.
- Lesser of two evils: việc tồi tệ hơn trong hai việc tồi tệ
For me, putting on layers of clothes in cold weather is lesser of two evils. During summer, I
can’t help feeling heated, sweaty and uneasy despite staying naked.
- Next to nothing: gần như không có, rất ít
One of my bad habits is my poor financial management skill. After receiving money, I tend
to splash out on my favorite fashion items like a pair of designer stilettos or a high-end
handbag. That’s why I usually have next to nothing to spend at the end of the month.
- Not have a leg to stand on: không có bằng chứng, không có lý lẽ
Now that your alibi has been eliminated, you really don’t have a leg to stand on, it’s time to
confess.
- One of a kind: độc nhất vô nhị, có một không hai
When asked, my brother said his ideal type was a girl who knows how to grow flowers and
sort the garbage. He is truly one of a kind.
- Tail wagging the dog: một thứ, phần nhỏ nhưng lại kiểm soát toàn bộ phần còn lại
They recognized the entire filming schedule because the main actress refused to work
under strong daylight. It’s the case of the tail wagging the dog.
Topic 15: RELATIONSHIP
- Above one’s station: tỏ thái độ, hành xử cao hơn vị trí xã hội thật sự
He is getting above his station since he was adopted by a millionaire. He ignores his old
friends and looks down on poor people.
- Apple of someone’s eye: cái gì, ai đó là niềm yêu thích của ai
Jean is the apple of her mother’s eye.
- Be a thorn in someone’s side: của nợ, người gây khó khăn cho người khác
The rude and noisy neighbor Tom was a thorn in my side for years before he finally moved
to another place.
- Bury the hatchet: ngừng gây chiến, làm hòa
Have you buried the hatchet and made up with your neighbor after the argument
yesterday.
- Can’t hold a candle to someone: không sánh được với ai
The sequel wasn’t bad, but it can’t hold a candle to the original.
- Caught over a barrel: dưới sự điều khiển của ai
I am caught over a barrel, and I have to do what he says.
- Dance attendance on someone: sẵn sàng làm theo yêu cầu hoặc nguyện vọng của ai
After earning his fortune, he now has many people constantly dancing attendance on him.
But this doesn’t make him happy as he knows they are all after his money.
- Dabby and Joan: cặp vợ chồng già sống hạnh phúc
It’s good to see so many Darby and Joan at the party, but it needs some young couples to
liven it up.
- Dead set against someone or something: cật lực phản đối điều gì hoặc ai
Many people in my small town are dead set against that big construction project, and I
think you’ll have a hard time changing their minds.
- Different strokes for different folks: mỗi người một sở thích
My mother loves cooking, while I hate being in the kitchen. Different strokes for different
folks, I guess.
- Drive some up the wall: gây phiền nhiễu lớn, khiến ai đó vô cùng bực bội
A week on holiday with the naughty cousins is enough to drive me up the wall.
- Feast one’s eyes: nhìn ngắm ai đó hoặc cái gì với niềm yêu thích, ngưỡng mộ
She feasted her eyes on the stunning scenery of the sunset on the beach.
- Get in someone’s hair: làm phiền ai đó
I can do the housework more quickly if the children aren’t getting in my hair all the time.
- Handle someone with kid gloves: đối xử ai đó rất nhẹ nhàng, kĩ càng
Barbara has become extremely emotional after breaking up with her boyfriend, you really
need to handle her with kid gloves.
- Hand in glove with someone: tha thiết, có mối quan hệ chặt chẽ với ai
I have worked hand in glove with Gary for years, so at this point we are very familiar with
each other’s strengths.
- Let sleeping dog lie: đừng dây vào rắc rối
I wondered whether I should ask my boss if he was upset at my late coming in the morning,
but then I decided to let sleeping die.
- Make eyes at someone: để mắt đến ai
You can’t just make eyes at a person and expect them to come to you, you have to talk to
them and get to know them.
 - Mend (one’s) fences: làm lành, hòa giải với ai
I am always the person who mends fence first after every argument with my younger sister.
- Nine day’s wonder: thứ gây hứng thú trong thời gian ngắn
I’m sure the new mistress is only a nine days’ wonder, he will always return to his wife
after horsing around.
- Pain in the neck: những người, những thứ phiền toái, hay gây rắc rối hoặc khó chịu cho
mình
Winter might be loved by daydreamers. But for me it’s absolutely a pain in the neck. My
nose keeps running, my skin gét dehydrated, and I almost can’t feel my face, my ears, or
my legs. They all go thumb.
- Pal around (with someone): làm bạn, chơi cùng ai đó
I find myself really lucky to have the opportunity to pal around with some celebrities.
Thanks to them, I am invited to luxury events, learn from inspirational stories, and behave
more elegantly and professionally.
- Quids in with someone: ở vị trí được ai đó yêu thích
Fred is quids in with the boss after his successful export deal.
- Raise a stink: phản đối quyết liệt, to tiếng phàn nàn
The customer raised a stink when the guard wanted to check her purse.
- Read someone like a book: hiểu rõ ai đó, nhìn thấu ai
You won’t be a successful thief with that nervous demeanor, the cops will read you like a
book.

Topic 16: THINGS IN DAILY LIFE

 - At a loose end: không có việc gì để làm
Connie has arrived at the meeting place one hour early and does not bring along her
cellphone and her purse, she is at a loose end.
- Bag and baggage: với toàn bộ tài sản của ai đó
Sally showed up at our door bag and baggage last night. She has not paid the house rent for
three months and got kicked out by the landlord.
- Call of nature: cần đi vệ sinh (hài hước)
Stop the car here! I need to answer the call of nature.
- Catch one’s breath: (1) lấy lại hơi sau khi hoạt động mạnh
(2) Ngưng thở một khoảnh khắc do sợ hãi hoặc ngạc nhiên
I caught my breath when I saw the gruesome injuries and scars all over the child’s body.
- Catch the sun: cháy nắng
I caught the sun at the beach last weekend, and now my back hurts so much that I have to
sleep on my side.
- Cough up: miễn cưỡng đưa
My mother didn’t support the idea of me buying a new laptop, but eventually she coughed
up the money as I promised to use it for studying purposes.
- Daily dozen: việc luyện tập thể dục thể thao hằng ngày
Many people choose to do a daily dozen to keep in shape instead of going on a diet.
- Daily grind: giống công việc thường ngày, thường mang tính chất mệt mỏi, chán nản
I’m so thrilled to be off next week. I really need a break from the daily grind.
- Dead to the world: ngủ an ổn
He spent the whole weekend dead to the world.
- Die laughing: cười sằng sặc
The play was meant to be dramatic and emotional, but the actors and actress’ exaggerated
acting and facial expression made the audience die laughing.
- Do a double take: ngạc nhiên, phải nhìn lại xem có đúng không
When the little boy appeared with a goat, everyone did a double take.
- Dressed to kill: ăn diện lộng lẫy
As announced that the handsome young chairman of the board will attend the party
tonight, all the female staff make sure they dress to kill.
- Eat like a bird: ăn như mèo, ăn rất ít
Bill is trying to lose weight by eating like a bird.
- Eat like a horse: ăn như hùm, ăn rất nhiều
John works like a horse and eats like a horse, so he never gets fat.
- Enter the lists: bắt đầu tham gia vào một cuộc thi hay một cuộc tranh cãi
At the beginning he had no intention of taking part in the election for the mayor position,
but entered the lists at the last minute.
- Expecting (a child): có thai
Looking at her slim belly, one cannot tell Tommy’s wife is expecting.
- Eyes are bigger than one’s stomach: no bụng đói con mắt
My eyes are always bigger than my stomach when I go to all-you-can-eat buffets.
- Fair crack of the whip:phân chia công bằng, cơ hội công bằng
I quit because I really don’t think the manager gave me a fair crack of the whip, I had to
work at weekends more than any other staff.
- Fall about: cười ngặt nghẽo
The audience was falling about during the last act of the comedy.
- Fall into line (1) Xếp hàng
(2) Tuân theo, làm theo
- Folk over: Giao nộp
-How come you’re looking so sad?
-I unexpectedly bumped into Ralph and he asked me to fork over the ten bucks I owed him.
It was all the money I had.
- Get a good run for one’s money: nhận được gì đó theo mong muốn, xứng đáng; được
đền bù xứng đáng cho công sức, tiền bạc bỏ ra
Even if he gets fired now, he’s had a good run for his money. He has been in that lucrative
position for years.
- Get down to brass tacks: tập trung vào những mặt quan trọng của vấn đề
Let’s get down to brass tacks so that everyone has a good grasp on the project overall
before we split up to do our separate parts.
- Get down to business: bắt đầu nghiêm túc, bắt đầu đàm phán hoặc tiến hành công việc
There has been enough chitchat. When the president and vice president arrive, we can get
down to business.
- Get into full swing: tiến triển đến cao trào; bắt đầu di chuyển nhanh
If you’re not ready for marriage, you need to tell your mother because her match-making
is getting into full swing.
- Get the jump on someone: giành quyền lợi từ ai
The senator got the jump on the challenger by visiting the state three times before his
opponent managed to make an appearance.
- Give someone the slip: tẩu thoát
The burglar gave the police the slip, but they are in pursuit of him.
- Hit the hay: đi ngủ
I have to get up early for work tomorrow, so I’d better hit the hay now.
- If the shoe fits, wear it: thừa nhận sự thật
I know you don’t like being called unreliable, but if the shoe fits, wear it.
- In stitches: cười lăn lộn
Jerry is the funniest guy I know. He can have you in stitches in a matter of minutes.
- Keep an eye out for someone or something: để ý sự xuất hiện của ai đó hoặc cái gì
Keep an eye out for the weather. If it rains, we will have to carry along some umbrellas.
- Keep one’s hand in something: duy trì liên quan tới cái gì
The former president has retired for almost a year, yet he still tries to keep his hand in
some departments of the company.
- Keep someone in line: đảm bảo ai đó cư xử một cách đúng mực
If you insist on bringing him along to the wedding, make sure to keep him in line.
- Keep the lid on something: kìm hãm, kiểm soát điều gì
The board of directors needs to keep the lid on rumors about the company going bankrupt
to reassure their stockholders.
- Keep under one’s hat: giữ bí mật
The famous couple tried to keep the information of their wedding under their hat but the
media quickly found out about it.
- Kick up one’s heels: ăn mừng
The test for admission to the academy was quite demanding, and those students who were
finally accepted had reason to kick up their heels.
- Laugh something off: cười trừ, cười cho qua chuyện
When I was a child, I was pretty naughty and sometimes broke things in my house. When
my mom found it, I often laughed it off, then ran into my room right away and locked the
door.
- Learn something by heart: học thuộc lòng
You don’t have to learn these principles by heart, we just want you to have a basic
understanding of them.
- Let one’s hair down: cho phép bản thân được nghỉ ngơi, thư giãn
You have been working nonstop all day. Now find a tranqul place, turn on your favorite
songs, and let your hair down.
- Make a beeline for someone or something: tiến thẳng tới ai đó, cái gì
Everyday when my toddler sees me coming to pick him up at the kindergarten, he makes a
beeline for me with a big smile – it’s just the cutest thing in the world.
- Make ends meet: đủ tiền chi tiêu
Since his son was born, Phil picked up the second job delivering pizzas to make ends meet.
- Make light of something: làm giảm nhẹ
The senator’s spokeperson tried to make light of allegations by saying similar accusations
are made all the time.
- Mum’s the word: giữ bí mật
“ Mum’s the word or you’ll die”, the criminal threatens the witness.
- Not breathe a word (about someone or something): giữ bí mật, không hé nửa lời (về ai
hoặc điều gì)
My budies always trust their troubles, fears, and aspirations to me, since I’m good at
listening and I perceive the potential consequences of revealing someone’s secrets. In my
friendship, my very first commitment is not breathing a word that my friend share with
me.
- On the alert (for someone or something): đề cao cảnh giác (với ai đó hoặc cái gì đó)
You had better on the alert for strangers when you walk home alone at night.
- Out on parole: tạm tha (được tại ngoại dưới sự giám sát của cảnh sát)
One of the necessary and sufficient conditions for a prisoner to be out on parole is great
improvements and good behaviors during years of his sentences.
- Pack someone off to somewhere: tống ai đó đi
Right after the school year finished, his parents packed him off to his grandparents’ house
in the countryside.
- Paint the town red: chè chén, hân hoan
After the final exam finished, we decided to get dressed up and paint the town red together.
- Play it by ear: tùy cơ ứng biến
For such an important presentation, you had better anticipate some questions from the
audience and practice answering them at home instead of playing it by ear.
- Put one’s money where one’s mouth is: giữ lời
He promised to organise more extra-curriculum events for students if he got elected. Now
let’s see if the new president will put his money where his mouth is.
- Queue up for something: xếp hàng
The new restaurant has already become a huge success with people queing up for hours for
a seat each night.
- Rain cats and dogs: mưa như trút nước
We wanted to have a barbecue this weekend, but it has been raining cats and dogs since
Friday evening.
- Shake a leg: (1) Nhanh chóng, vội vã
(2) Nhảy cho vui
I loved to shake a leg when I was younger, but I don’t have the energy for it anymore.
- Shape up or ship out: tử tế hoặc biến
I’m warning you about turning up to work late for the last time, you need to shape up or
ship out.
- Shoot the breeze: tán gẫu
Customer always want to shoot the breeze with me in the store before they buy something.
- Smell the rat: cảm thấy có điều gì đó không ổn, không đúng
I smelled a rat when I saw John slinking away from the scene of the crime.
- Stick one’s spoon in the wall: (1) chuyển đến một nơi mới
(2) Chết, qua đời
-Has she stuck her spoon in the wall?
-Yes, and she seems to be settling into her new place nicely.
- Stick to one’s guns: giữ vững quan điểm, lập trường
The prosecution is going to trip you up with your statement and alibi, but as long as you
stick to your guns, there is nothing to worry about.
- String some along: (1) Chọn hoặc được cho phép đi theo, hộ tống ai đó
(2) tham gia hoặc hợp tác trong một hoạt động, kế hoạch nào đó
(3) Hành động theo thỏa thuận với ai đó
(4) Khiến cho ai đó trong tình trạng phân vân hoặc mong đợi để đạt
được điều gì đó
I feel like they’ve been stringing us along so that we’ll agree to lower the price just to have
the deal finished.
- Vanish into thin air: biến mất không dấu vết
My money gets spent so fast. It seems to vanish into thin air.
- Waiting in the wings: sẵn sàng hoặc có chuẩn bị cho việc gì đó, đặc biệt là chuẩn bị tiếp
nhận công việc hoặc vị trí của ai đó
Jane was waiting in the wings, hoping that someone who had registered would choose
another language, so that she could get a place in the Korean language class and study
together with her crush.
- Walls have ears: tai vách mạch rừng
Let’s discuss this matter in my office, out here the walls have ears.
- Wear more than one hat: kiêm nhiệm nhiều chức vụ, trách nhiệm
Our monitor is also the president of student council and the chief of martual arts club. It’s
amazing that he is able to wear more than one hat at the same time.
- Weep buckets: khóc ròng
The sad tale of unrequited love always made her weep buckets.
Topic 17: HEALTH, ILLNESS AND DEATH
- Dead and buried: ra đi mãi mãi; mất (người), biến mất (ý tưởng, cách suy nghĩ, vv.)
The marketing plan from last week’s meeting is dead and buried now as the CEO has
vetoed it.
- Get (have) a black eye: bầm mắt
I got a black eye from running into the door.
- Get a clean bill of health: hoàn toàn khỏe mạnh
Josie was relieved when she received a clean bill of health from her physician.
- Hale and hearty: khỏe mạnh
It’s true that she was in the hospital a few weeks ago, but she’s hale and hearty now.
- Kick the bucket: qua đời, chết
I really want to have a chance to travel around the world once before kicking the bucket.
- Meet one’s end: chết
Having thought her life had no way out, she decided to meet her end by her lover’s dagger.
- Nail in someone’s or something’s coffin: cái sẽ dẫn đến sự thất bại hoặc cái chết, cái
gây hậu quả.
Every cigarette you smoke is a nail in your coffin.
- On one’s last legs: ốm, sắp chết (người); hỏng hẳn, không thể hoạt động (máy móc)
We had been out walking all day and I was on my last leg when we reached the hotel.
- Out for the count: ngất, ngủ sâu
I didn’t even hear you come in last night. I was so tired that I was out for the count as soon
as my head hit the pillow.
- Out of condition: mệt, yếu, không khỏe mạnh
My father has gotten pretty out of condition from working as a porter for more than 10
years.
- Under the weather: ốm nhẹ, mệt mỏi
Sue felt a bit under the weather, hence she asked the teacher to go to the school infirmary
and rest.