Idioms for situations
Hi all, let’s learn this week what Idioms are and how they are used. Do you know that Idioms increase the beauty of language, and Idioms are language specific? Yes that’s right; we cannot translate the Idiom of one language into another. Wikipedia defines Idiom as a phrase whose meaning cannot be determined by the literal definition of the phrase itself, but refers instead to a figurative meaning that is known only through common use. Going by the definition we realize that the native speakers of English use Idioms more naturally than the non-native speakers. Let us now read and learn a few commonly used Idioms as mentioned by the Professors of Cambridge University. The meaning of the Idiom is mentioned within the brackets. We shall learn some more Idioms next week.
A. When things go right
If something or things…
- works like a dream this means a plan succeeded absolutely perfectly
- went according to plan this means they occurred exactly as intended
- went/ran like clockwork this means they went smoothly with no difficulty
- is/are up and running this means it has/ they have begun to work as planned
- is/are falling into place this means it is/ they are on the point of starting to work well
- is/are looking up this means they are looking very positive
B. When things go wrong
- Oh no! That’s all we needed! ( in response to news that makes current problems even worse)
- That’s the last thing we wanted to hear! ( in response to news that fulfills your worst fears)
- This is like a bad dream! ( when one bad thing after other happens in quick succession)
- It’s a real nightmare. ( used very generally for traffic jams )
- What a pain! (very general…for something that causes difficulty)
- It’s the calm before the storm. ( when things are quiet, but you fear they are about to change)
C. Confusing situations or situations you don’t understand
- When she said her name was Bloor it threw me completely. ( I did not know how to respond)
- The event he organized was complete shambles. ( a totally disorganized event)
- It’s a mystery to me, how people know my private life. ( something that I cannot understand )
- I am sorry we must have got our wires crossed. ( a miscommunication/ a misunderstanding)
- We can’t see the wood for the trees.( too much detail prevents us to see the overall situation)
D. Resolving difficulty (or failing to do so)
- It’s nothing it’s just a storm in the teacup. ( a lot of fuss)
- That was a close call/thing. ( It was almost a disaster)
- We solved the problem at the eleventh hour. ( at the very last minute)
- It was all just brushed under the carpet. ( never resolved, never mentioned again)
Read and share with us a few Idioms you know! It’s going to be very interesting. We are awaiting your response.
Regards,
Team- Learnwordlist.com
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167 Responses to “Idioms for situations”





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Dear Sir/ Madam,
l hereby requjest for more idoms to bee seen to my e-mail box to enlightened me in English Language. l will be delighted if you send me those request.
My Regard.
I am very happy to receive handful of essentials words related idioms from the learn wordlist.com. I would like to pledge my appreciation for being share wisdom to all over the world.
I would appreciate if the concerned team could do the same for me hereafter.
thanking you in adavnce.
Dear sir/ madam
it is very nice to get your resource on line freely. please let you all get fortify your capacity of delivering idioms that are embellish. well to hear from…
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I would like to express my ultimate gratitude to the word list staff, this work really showed the beauty of the team work. Ascholar introduction followed by a more detailed fractioned examples. I am looking forward to study till the Z list of idioms.
P.S. My especial thanks is to the one who was behind the Idea per se.
Well done
Word list.com is really blessing and enriching my language. iam looking for ascholarship in any of the western countries. currently i have a Bachellors Degree in Primary Education.Any course related to this field would be a blessing to me.
Dear Ibrahim thanks so much for your invaluable comments. We will certainly include all the Idioms. I request you to go through the blogs too. Your comments motivate us.
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Dear Collen, thanks for following the site. We shall certainly get back to u on this.
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I’m very happy to know this website. To understand more idioms’ meaning is very important for me as an English teacher in a small town with very few sourches to learn. Thank you word list.com.
Dear sadiyah, thanks so much…do stay tuned to our site.
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learnwordlist is very informative,educative and a million’s dollar worthful for me.
by shivgogasar
Dear Shiv Ratan thanks a lot for the valuable comments. Pls stay tuned to our site.
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its really great effort put by your team and definetly it is enhancing our vocabulary!
Thanks Nidhi..do stay tuned to our site…in fact we get motivated hearing from diligent students like you…
Regards,
WORLIST IS VERY EDUCATIVE AND SUPPORTIVE
Thanks John, do read our blogs and comment..
Regards,
Dear,
I would just like to thank you for the laudable job you are doing. Your web site is as an iLAB (internet library) where one can really trained himself in academic English while continuing to perfect his background. I am planning to undergo a MBA related to Economy in an English native country, so will still learn trought you messages (courses) till I reach the perfect level in order to get a scholarship allowing me reach the above mentioned target.
Thanks once again, while hopping staying in touch.
Sincerely.
Dear Drams thanks so much… we wish you success in all ur endeavors…pls do stay tuned to our site!
Regards,
it has been a great help for me….keep up the good work…hope to get many more iidioms n words….thanx
hi….i just needed to ask u why the links at the end of the page namely GRE wordlist categories are unapproachable?
Oh Sure Mitika, we shall certainly come up with more blogs of ur choice…:-)…do stay in touch!!
Hi Dear, Really a GREAT WORK it is. We can read n get all these from any where but a collection like these we cant get frm no where. I am pretty happy to get a good collection of Idioms. its a tresury of knowledge.
Thanks.
Thanks Amrita, do read all our blogs and share with us ur experience!!
sir/madam i need more idioms to develop my language
Sure Divya…I shall certainly put more Idioms once done with the GRE series…
Regards,
Idioms and other cocabualary tests are very good. I leaned much. I would like to express my thanks all of you. I hope to use more and hope to be excellent one day. I try to send more idioms for others conveniens. I love to learn this programme.
Dear all,
I really appreciated your support. please goahead to include all idioms in English which is very help full for people working in an international organizations and NGOs.
I appreciated once again.
warmest,
Simachew yigzaw
Ethiopia
Thanks Nimal, do read all our blogs..
Regards,
Thanks Simachew..do read all the other blogs too and share with us ur experience…
Regards,
Hi Anu, Can u send some more and diffrent types of idoms. Urs collections are so good that i fall in love with this website.
with regards
Amrita .
With all the idioms, you know those i’m really in love with after reading through? ‘our wires crossed’ and ‘ a storm in a teacup’. They have beefed up my idioms almost spontaneously. Thanks for WordsList.com and i sincerely pray you live long and keep sending me more in -between time.
Thanks Richard, in fact there’s an other interesting post on Idioms pls go through that also..
Regds,
Dear Amrita, there are 2 posts on Idioms..do read the other one. It is as interesting. Yes I shall certainly add a few more idioms to the posts…believe me..:)
Regards,
Here are two confusing pair of words, for which I would like to get some limpidity:
1. IMPOSTURE and INCOGNITO
2. INSUPERABLE and INDOMITABLE
I dont want just the definitions, but rather some contexts under which they are generally used…
Hi Varun, u know something…we have forums on the site…pls post such interesting queries there, so that others will also follow and benefit..will get back to u on this there..:)
Regards,
Dear Mam/Sir,
I am very happy to engage myself in this new learning mechanism. I would like to thank you for this mysterious moment which gives us immense learning and relearnig. I hope this forum would bring felt transformation…
Thanks a lot…
Dear Anu,
I would love to post the queries there and think it is a brilliant idea, however, I am unable to register.. The registration form requires me to enter a code for authenticity, but the code is itself not being displayed on the registration page..
Could you look into it..?
Thanks
Oh Vinod, thanks for all the encouraging words. Are u preparing for GRE? Pls run through all our blogs and share your experience with us..
Regards,
Is it?? Varun pls wait, I will inform our technical team to look into the prob…once it is fixed I will get back to u…I know ‘forum’ is one place which will bring all the brilliant brains together…:-)…
Regards,
I love your work.thanks. I would love to be sent some more idioms to my email on huyiosa@yahoo.com.
regards.
Thanks Uyiosa, keep stopping by the site often to lay hands on notes and lessons pertaining to Vocabulary…
Thanks a lot for this.
Thanks too Daniel, do read all the other blogs!
Regards,
its very useful for me thanx for this help i am getting alot of help in understandin n learning english
Dear Misbah, do read all the other blogs too..
Regards,
Dear Madam/Sir,
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us. For those of us learning English, your website is an open academy where we find not only what we’re looking for, but also what we could not expect in terms of the content and its consistence.
Thanks again!!!
Dear Mandoki, thanks for all ur valuable comments. Do read all the other blogs and did u take our tests? Pls get back to us often.
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Lear Word List.com helps me as if I am falling into place
Could you please send some PDF files about GRE-math and GRE-geometry?
I will be happy for that.
Thanks Altaf..pls run through our blogs..
Regards,
i just require more additional idioms, albeit your efforts are nice.
i just request more additional idioms, albeit your efforts are nice.
Dear Aberu pls do read an other blog on Idioms titled ‘Idioms that comment on people’…you will find this even more interesting…
Regards,
when i strated to visit this site.| was on ground level and i don’t know how to start and where to start.But your way of teaching is so good that i am learning so quickly.Thanks for your help.Please guide me more especially because i have no other source to improve my english.As it is neccesary for me because i am in my last year of graduation.
plz send me more idioms.they are very useful in communication.
wow livemocha it gives great idiom nd all that knowledge whch iz being required these days
Thanks Waqar, in fact students like u are such an inspiration!! We shall certainly offer u more…
Waqar there is an other useful blog on Idioms..Idioms that comment on people, pls run through that…
Thanks Amit, there is an other article on Idioms..Idioms that comment on people..pls go through that…it is equally useful..
thanx AnuVeluri.plz send more idoms.
you are doing excellent …..
Dear Team:
Plz send the idioms from A – Z
3 requests:1. PLZ send
2. PLZ send
3. PLZ send.
It really works
U r serving the mankind.
Regards
Mostafiz
Waiting for more IDIOMS
We all open internaet with a hope to receive your resources
Dear Mostafiz, there are in fact more number of posts on Idioms..pls do run through all the blogs..
Dear Salman, pls read all the other blogs too…
i am greatful the wonderful teachings online you been given to me .Thank you
Thanks Ifeoma, run through all the other blogs too…
LOVE THIS.PLS SEND ME IDIOMS FOR SITUATIONS
Dear Tolu, there is one more blog on Idioms..Idioms that comment on people, pls do run through that…
hmm,what can i say,u guys are doing a wonderful job.thanks a bunch.
Thanks Victor, go through all the blogs…
thank you very much. the idioms has been great help 4 me.I hope to recieve more.i really appreciate u.Best teachers always makes best &successful students.
Dear Hyacinth, there is an other post on Idioms..pls go through it…
May God bless you all for this fine way of teaching. am so grateful
Thanks Kevin, there is another blog on Idioms, follow that too…
This website is really owsome i’m learning a lot from here. ……
Hey Afia, thanks a lot..are you preparing for GRE? can you pls tell us how this site is benefiting you?? In fact we suggest you to follow all the other blogs..there are some other interesting blogs on Idioms..
http://learnwordlist.com/blog/
You can find some more interesting articles on the above suggested link..
I suggest you also go through all the interesting posts on the website and yes, pls do take our tests…
Wishing u success!!
What an interesting method of learning, i found this page interesting and educating
Thanks Obamina, from the comment u posted it seems to me that you are into teaching profession. Am I right? Pls do get back to us often and we wud love to know your profile..
Regards,
i can’t imagine that i have been missing so much on this site.ever since i signed in i barely spend considerable time on learndwordlist site. not untill i gave it a try.men you guys are doing great.moer grease.
Thanks so much dear fortune, this comment has indeed lifted our spirits. Are you appearing for GRE? If so pls do try all the tests displayed on the website..and yes do get back to us with your feedback..
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This link will help you access the tests faster..
Wishing you success!!
information is power, correct application of information received is the antidote to life challenges, let us maintain the spirit and culture of learning.
confusion is an essential step in the learning process.it actually means that you are thinking. let’s keep learning and getting new information.
Hello learnwolrdlist team?
We really learn through mistakes! formerly, some mistakes i was used to commit no longer appear in my English to day. though i still commit many others, hope to get new bright English from them!
Plz keep on helping us!
Yes we are elated to know ur views, we will keep sending you material but for that u need to subscribe to the website..
Hi all,
I am very intersting in Idoms and I learn more from it.I hope you will send me GRE exam in the future,
Thanks
Mergia
Dear Mergia, thanks for your comment. Mergia we do not conduct the GRE exam, we only train students aspiring to take it. For taking the exam you have to book your date online with the ETS..and make an online payment too..
Sir
It gives me immense pleasure while paying thanks for enlarging my knowledge volume
Hi Manzoor, do run through all the articles in the blog segment. I am sure you will be the one benefiting immensely.
I love learnwordlist for greating such an opportunity for world to share and learn i ve learn and am impressed.i hope to recieve more from learnword list.
Sure Anu Bakar until you are with us you will certainly receive more number of word lists and tests..just stay tuned..:-)
hi LearnWordlist.com is a great site helping me to learn english wondergully and easy way.i really love to open this site and read the different topics abt english.
it seems to work like a dream and going according to the plan.it is running like a clockwork.as a briefly i have no words to express my feelings about all this………..Thanks alot
Hey Nadeem you don’t know how happy we are reading this..in fact there are many many more topics on GRE Vocabulary Enhancing..do read them all..
Wishing you great success!!
Hi dear learnword list,
Now that i am sendng these idioms i am on the plane.Awfully sorry in case they are not your cup of tea:
1. To be a pain in the neck
2. to love someone as much as all tea in China
3.To have influentialbackers
Hi industrious learnwordlist team,
To tell you the truth, this site is a great help to me. It is almost a week am surfing on that , and now i feel a double energy in myself. i AM TOO EAGER TO LEAR AND STUDY English as well.
Hey these are very good ones..thanks for sharing, do share with us a few more..:-)
Hi Naghavi, thanks and we feel elated to know that..stay tuned to the site to derive the best!!
I actually appreciate your education and I wish to be educated more on idioms.
Hi Agandaa, we will certainly put more Idioms. There’s an other blog on Idioms..pls do follow this link..
http://learnwordlist.com/blog/idioms-that-comment-on-people/2009/07/gre-word-list-test-blog-barrons-vocabulary
Regards,
liked the idioms very much. its very useful for the xams which grade only good english.good wordlist also. thank u for ur service. an idiom i want to submit
“a lion disguised in sheep hide”
Hey Sindhu, where have you been..thanks so much for the inspiring words..and why dont you start a topic on Forum..just register and start a topic on Idioms na ..I am sure we will collect a lot many of them that way..what say???
I am getting a lot from a worldlist.com to improve my english language. so, I am happy with it.
thanks.
Thanks too Adugna..
you make me understanding many things in English laguage thank you
I m really satisfied with your website it is really helpful I know another idiom :I am all at sea and it means I am totally confused.
i suggest that you make tips concerning eng writing I am in great need to know about how to write eng argumentative essays please help
Yes Hanan, this site helps in learning English Language too…
Thanks Hanan..
word list.com is quite authentic for one who wants to build up his writing and communication skills in English.
Hey yes, we have some articles that help the general learners of English..I wish you participate in the forum and post some relevant topics..:-)
I think this site is wonderful and captivation.I asked myself if many people could have internet services to hook on to this site what would they need in terms tuition to master English language.
there is every opportunity to progression for academic excellence if learners make use of this site.
I will like to suggest that if you could program such that some of the lessons provided could be down-loadable to save some who can not afford to site in cafe for long because of high cost of niternet services in our part of Africa.
Ever since I visited this site, hardly a day pass without spending some time to learn one or two new things on the great learning site.
Please keep the fire burning for betterment of the masses.
Thanks
Ibrahim A. Ganiyu Bantinkpa
Thanks Ibrahim, we feel humbled. As of now the material is not downlaoadable..you can however benefit by all means from the site..
Thanks a million for your supernatural effort.Actually,I owe you a lott.
Hey Ahmed, it’s a natural effort only..:-)..when are u appearing for GRE?
Hey,thus is really great.
I have gained a lot and have also told my friends to suscribe.
I think this site is really informative.
Thanks a lot.
Hi Rishav, I would love to see you and ur friends on the forum too..we have such interesting posts running there..ur inclusion and ur friends’ would be just gr8!!..hope to see u thr and ur topics at the earliest!!..:)
HI ,its really informative..
it is of great use ..
you are doing a great thing to all of us. please continue this with more information.
Vidhya are u taking GRE..if then there are may blogs that will help u with the logical aspects required to crack the exam..read all the blogs..
thnx a lot….for sending the list…this is very helpful
Hi Nobel, there are many more interesting blogs in the segment read them all..
i really very thankfull to you
Hi Shabbir..there are general blogs too..pls do read them all..
Hello,
Thanks so very much Word list.
The idioms have made my day today.
Best regards all learners and readers.
I think this site is wonderful and ran like clockwork. there is every opportunity to progression for academic excellence if learners make best use of this site. i myself get much information from this website and these words work according to my plan. after cosulting htis website i have no need to consult any other website for consultation. i am preparing my NTS test from this website. i give idea to my friends that they must visit this website. this website is much beneficial for me for improvment of english. you really give me much material in time. i m very thankfull for your team who organized this website.
Thanks
Read more: http://learnwordlist.com/blog/idioms-for-situations/2009/06/gre-word-list-test-blog-barrons-vocabulary#ixzz0g9Cr15Su
yes,it is really worthy to me.my hearty thanks to learnwordlist.com
Hi Amreen could u tell us more about NTS?? In fact there are many more vocabulary lists, tests other than many more blogs on the site..pls stay tuned..
Anu, are u appearing for GRE?
Dear Anu,
As our mother tounge is different we need to learn more on Idioms. Thanks for taking up the subject. Please repeat this more frequently so that just like voc v can focus on this too.
Thanks again
H H.Patwari
Yes Hemant that’s a good suggestion we will certainly come up with more blogs on Idioms..stay tuned..
Thank you learnwordlist.com for resolving the issue of learning vacabulary at the cost of nothing….. I regularly visit your site as i get a message from you. the antonymes and synonym tests are really helpful in learning vacabulary. Now today i visited idioms which was also found facinting. I am feeling a lil problem with the alphabetical list that your provide……i cant remember things from there…can you help me in remembering at least 50% from that list..
keep up the good work
Hey for that u need to read all our blogs..Hey Reshma u stopped by after a loooooong time..:-)..why dont u be there in forum and interact with other students..u will find the place really interesting..
sure Anu….. i ll b there in a while….
This is really great, i have joined recently and i am enjoying it. thanks
Mina participate in the forum too..
i am getting much more from learnwordlist.com and paying my well wishes for resolving the issue of learning vacabulary at the cost of nothing. its really intresting and best usage of my time.
thanks a lot for ur daily emails of wordlists and idioms in ma mail box i wanted to ask whether da wordlist in barrons book is enough to score above 1400 if not what shud i refer bcoz i have seen in ur test papers tht many vocab questions r out of barrons list how do i prepare for hte same.plz reply asap.
I’ m greatful to you may God bless the staff
I THANK GOD FOR GRE PROGRAM, I HAVE LENT A LOT WORDS AND VOCABULARIES. I WISH THIS DID NOT STOP NOW. GOD BLESS GRE GROUP.
hii KUTIJU
Thanks
shipra
hiii TINGUERI
Thanks
shipra
Thank you for your great effort in improving our communication skill. Please i would appreciate it if u send me more idioms
hiii TINGUERI
Thanks a lot
shipra
hii TINGUERI
Thanks.
hii priya
You never know which word you can find in GRE.so just don’t depend on just one book try to go through every possible material for new words.and keep visiting learnwordlist.com for updates
Respected Sir,
I am a Pakistani and there is a great fall of electricity in our country. Hence I cannot read your messages properly. Anyhow I appriciate you on providing a lot of knowledge to on-line students. When electricity is on after one an hour, I also try to learn from your web-site. Thanks a lot.
Muhammad Jamil Hussain
hiii Muhammad
I am glad to c ur passion for studies.i am sure u have a great future ahead.keep visiting learnwordlist.com for regular updates.if u pay attention then 1 hour is enough.
Thanks for writing this piece. i liked it a lot. on a different note the reason that natives throw idioms way more often is that they hear it alot since they’re kid. and well idioms really sink in. you don’t have this chance when you speak English as your second language.
hiii anoymous
your obervation is very much true.
i really like idioms. they motivate me for studying more. this part was very good. if u put it in a way that can be printed easily like pdf it will very good.
hii zahra
oops!! sorry zahara we don’t have pdf format utility
Dear I studied your listed idioms. it is very fruitful initiative taken by you people. it shpuld be departmental wise e.g idioms related to education,health etc
your
Abdul Razque Memon
hii Abdul
Thanks for your suggestion.It looks promising,surly i will give serious thought to it and i will try to come up something like that.stay tuned…
wow!!! thats a nice one. honestly i cant wait to win the barrons GRE book. its going to be awesome.
hii maverick
Thanks!!
It,s so fine I am going 2 improve my English !!!
hey exceptionally good idioms
i hope to see more idoms and have more cognizance
hii N jonas
Thanks!!!
hii ,Mehrish thanks for your comments .stay tuned for more idioms..
Here is one of the idioms I know,but I do not know how you can take it.Being solitude ‘is the bittiest water I ever tested’.This subscribes to the worst experience in life.
Thank you for your sources of information.
I am learning new things I never met at school.Thank you once again.
This is the best site. I admire your work. This site is very essential, and helps us a lot. Thank you for everything.
Hamest, We are glad to hear that you find our site beneficial.Keep visiting us in future as well.
Hello,
I’m verry happy to know this website. As for me, I find so much useful information fron this. It provide me a good resourse to learn about English idioms.
Many thanks for your website.
Sincerely.
Thanks for your comment viet, You may also run through other blogs they are also quite informative.