essential idioms

LESSON 1
to get in/to get on: to enter or to board a vehicle
To get in is used for cars, to get on is used for all other forms of transportation.
- It's easiest to get in the car from the driver's side. The door on the other side doesn't work well.
- I always get on the bus to work at 34th Street.
to get out of/to get off : to leave or to descend from a vehicle
To get out of is used for cars, to get of is used for all other forms of transportation.
- Why don't we stop and get out of the car for a while?
- Helen got off the train at the 42nd Street terminal.
to put on: to place on oneself (usually said of clothes) (S)
- Mary put on her coat and left the room.
- Put your hat on before you leave the house.
to take off : to remove (usually said of clothes) (S)
- John took off his jacket as he entered the office.
- Take your sweater off. The room is very warm.
to call up : to telephone (also: to give someone a call) (S)
To call can be used instead of to call up, as in the first example below.
- I forgot to call up Mr. Jones yesterday I'd better call him now.
- Call me up tomorrow, Jane. We'll arrange a time to have lunch together.
- I promise to give you a call as soon as I arrive in New York.
to turn on: to start or cause to function (also: to switch on) (S)
- Please turn on the light; it's too dark in here.
- Do you know who turned the air conditioning on?
to turn off: to cause to stop functioning (also: to switch off, to shut off) (S)
Turn on and turn off, as well as their related forms, are used for things that flow, such as electricity, water, gas, etc.
- Please turn off the light when you leave the room.
- Are you really listening to the radio, or should I turn it off?
right away: very soon; immediately (also: at once)
- Dad says that dinner will be ready right away, so we'd better wash our hands and set the table.
- Tell Will to come to my office right away. I must see him immediately.
- Stop playing that loud music at once!
to pick up: to lift from the floor, table, etc., with one's fingers (S)
- Harry picked up the newspaper that was on the front doorstep.
- Could you pick your toy up before someone falls over it?
sooner or later: eventually, after a period of time
- If you study English seriously, sooner or later you'll become fluent.
- I'm too tired to do my homework now; I'm sure I'll do it sooner or later.
to get up: to arise, to rise from a bed
For the last definition a noun phrase must separate the verb and particle.
- Carlo gets up at seven o'clock every morning.
- At what time should we get the children up tomorrow?
at first: in the beginning, originally
- At first English was difficult for him, but later he made great progress.
- I thought at first that it was Sheila calling, but then I realized that it was Betty.

LESSON 2
to dress up: to wear formal clothes, to dress very nicely
- We should definitely dress up to go to the theater.
- You don't have to dress up for Mike's party.
at last: finally, after a long time
- We waited for hours and then the train arrived at last.
- Now that I am sixteen, at last I can drive my parents' car.
as usual: as is the general case, as is typical
- George is late for class as usual. This seems to happen every day.
- As usual, Dora received first prize in the swimming contest. It's the third consecutive year that she has won.
to find out: get information about, to determine (S)
This idiom is separable only when a pronoun is used, as in the second example.
- Will you please try to find out what time the airplane arrives?
- I'll call right now to find it out.
to look at: give one's attention to; to watch
- The teacher told us to look at the blackboard and not at our books.
- I like to walk along a country road at night and look at the stars.
to look for: to try to find, to search for
An adverb phrase such as all over can be put between the verb and preposition, as in the second example.
However, the idiom cannot be separated by a noun or pronoun.
- He's spent over an hour looking for the pen that he lost.
- So there you are! We've looked all over for you.
all right : acceptable, fine; yes, okay
This idiom can also be spelled alright in informal usage.
- He said that it would be all right to wait in her office until she returned.
- Do you want me to turn off the TV? Alright, if you insist.
all along: all the time, from the beginning (without change)
- She knew all along that we'd never agree with his plan.
- You're smiling! Did you know all along that I'd give you a birthday present?
little by little : gradually, slowly (also: step by step )
- Karen's health seems to be improving little by little.
- If you study regularly each day, step by step your vocabulary will increase.
to tire out: to make very weary due to difficult conditions or hard effort (also: to wear out) (S)
- The hot weather tired out the runners in the marathon.
- Does studying for final exams wear you out? It makes me feel worn out!
to call on : to ask for a response from; to visit (also: to drop in on)
- Jose didn't know the answer when the teacher called on him.
- Last night several friends called on us at our home.
- Why don't we drop in on Sally a little later?
never mind: don't be concerned about it; ignore what was just said
- When he spilled his drink on my coat, I said, "Never mind. It needs to be cleaned anyway."
- So you weren't listening to me again. Never mind; it wasn't important.

LESSON 3
to pick out: to choose, to select (S)
- Ann picked out a good book to give to her brother as a graduation gift.
- Johnny, if you want me to buy you a toy, then pick one out now.
to take one's (my, his, your, etc.) time: to do without rush, not to hurry
This idiom is often used in the imperative form. (See the first example.)
- There's no need to hurry doing those exercises. Take your time.
- William never works rapidly. He always takes his time in everything that he does.
to talk over: to discuss or consider a situation with others (S)
- We talked over Carlo's plan to install an air conditioner in the room, but we couldn't reach a decision.
- Before I accepted the new job offer, I talked the matter over with my wife.
to lie down: to place oneself in a flat position, to recline
- If you are tired, why don't you lie down for an hour or so?
- The doctor says that Grace must lie down and rest for a short time every afternoon.
to stand up: to rise from a sitting or lying position (also: to get up)
- When the president entered the room, everyone stood up.
- Suzy, stop rolling around on the floor; get up now.
to sit down: to be seated (also: to take a seat)
- We sat down on the park bench and watched the children play.
- There aren't any more chairs, but you can take a seat on the floor.
all (day, week, month, year) long: the entire day, week, month, year
- I've been working on my income tax forms all day long. I've hardly had time to eat.
- It's been raining all week long. We haven't seen the sun since last Monday.
by oneself: alone, without assistance
- Francis translated that French novel by himself. No one helped him.
- Paula likes to walk through the woods by herself, but her brother prefers to walk with a companion.
on purpose: for a reason, deliberately
This idiom is usually used when someone does something wrong or unfair.
- Do you think that she didn't come to the meeting on purpose?
- It was no accident that he broke my glasses. He did it on purpose.
to get along with someone (something): to associate or work well with; to succeed or manage in
doing (also: to get on with someone or something )
- Terry isn't getting along with her new roommate; they argue constantly.
- How are you getting on with your studies?
to make a difference (to someone) : to be of importance (to), to affect
This idiom is often used with adjectives to show the degree of importance.
- It makes a big difference to me whether he likes the food I serve.
- Does it make any difference to you where we go for dinner?
- No, it doesn't make any difference.
- It makes no difference to Lisa either.
to take out : to remove, to extract (S); to go on a date with (S) (also: to go out with)
- Students, take out your books and open them to page twelve.
- Did you take Sue out last night?
- No, she couldn't go out with me.

LESSON 4
to take part in: to be involved in, to participate in (also: to be in on)
- Martin was sick and could not take part in the meeting yesterday.
- I didn't want to be in on their argument, so I remained silent.
at all : to any degree (also: in the least)
This idiom is used with the negative to add emphasis to a statement.
- Larry isn't at all shy about expressing his opinions.
- When I asked Donna whether she was tired, she said, "Not in the least. I'm full of energy."
to look up: to locate information in a directory, dictionary, book, etc. (S)
- Ellen suggested that we look up Lee's telephone number in the directory.
- Students should try to understand the meaning of a new word from context before looking the word up in the
dictionary.
to wait on someone: to serve in a store or restaurant
- A very pleasant young clerk waited on me in that shop.
- The restaurant waitress asked us, "Has anyone waited on you yet?"
at least : a minimum of, no fewer (or less) than
- I spend at least two hours every night on my studies.
- Mike claims that he drinks at least a quart of water every day.
so far: until now, until the present time (also: up to now, as of yet)
This idiom is usually used with the present perfect tense.
- So far, this year has been excellent for business. I hope that the good luck continues.
- How many idioms have we studied in this book up to now?
- As of yet, we have not had an answer from him.
to take a walk, stroll, hike, etc.: to go for a walk, stroll, hike, etc
A stroll involves slow, easy walking; a hike involves serious, strenuous walking.
- Last evening we took a walk around the park.
- It's a fine day. Would you like to take a stroll along Mason Boulevard?
- Let's take a hike up Cowles Mountain this afternoon.
to take a trip (to) : to go on a journey, to travel
- I'm so busy at work that I have no time to take a trip.
- During the summer holidays, the Thompsons took a trip to Europe.
to try on: to wear clothes to check the style or fit before buying (S)
- He tried on several suits before he picked out a blue one.
- Why don't you try these shoes on next?
to think over: to consider carefully before deciding (S)
- I'd like to think over your offer first. Then can we talk it over tomorrow?
- You don't have to give me your decision now. Think it over for a while.
to take place: to occur, to happen according to plan
- The regular meetings of the committee take place in Constitution Hall.
- I thought that the celebration was taking place at John's house.
to put away: to remove from sight, to put in the proper place (S)
- Please put away your papers before you open the test booklet.
- John put the notepad away in his desk when he was finished with it.

LESSON 5
to look out: to be careful or cautious (also: to watch out)
Both of these idioms can occur with the preposition for.
- "Look out!" Jeffrey cried as his friend almost stepped in a big hole in the ground.
- Look out for reckless drivers whenever you cross the street.
- Small children should always watch out for strangers offering candy.
to shake hands: to exchange greetings by clasping hands
- When people meet for the first time, they usually shake hands.
- The student warmly shook hands with his old professor.
to get back: to return (S)
- Mr. Harris got back from his business trip to Chicago this morning.
- Could you get the children back home by five o'clock?
to catch cold : to become sick with a cold of the nose or throat
- If you go out in this rain, you will surely catch cold.
- How did she ever catch cold in such warm weather?
to get over: to recover from an illness; to accept a loss or sorrow
- It took me over a month to get over my cold, but I'm finally well now.
- It seems that Mr. Mason will never get over the death of his wife.
to make up one's (my, his, your, etc.) mind: to reach a decision, to decide finally
- Sally is considering several colleges to attend, but she hasn't made up her mind yet.
- When are you going to make up your mind about your vacation plans?
to change one's (my, his, your, etc.) mind: to alter one's decision or opinion
- We have changed our minds and are going to Canada instead of California this summer.
- Matthew has changed his mind several times about buying a new car.
for the time being: temporarily (also: for now)
- For the time being, Janet is working as a waitress, but she really hopes to become an actress soon.
- We're living in an apartment for now, but soon we'll be looking for a house to buy.
for good: permanently, forever
- Ruth has returned to Canada for good. She won't ever live in the United States again.
- Are you finished with school for good, or will you continue your studies some day?
to call off : to cancel (S)
- The referee called off the soccer game because of the darkness.
- The president called the meeting off because she had to leave town.
to put off: to postpone (S)
- Many students put off doing their assignments until the last minute.
- Let's put the party off until next weekend, okay?
in a hurry: hurried, rushed (also: in a rush )
- Alex seems in a hurry; he must be late for his train again.
- She's always in a rush in the morning to get the kids to school.

LESSON 6
under the weather: not feeling well, sick
- John stayed home from work because he was feeling under the weather.
- When you catch cold, you feel under the weather.
to hang up: to place clothes on a hook or hanger (S), to replace the receiver on the phone at the end of a
conversation (S)
- Would you like me to hang up your coat for you in the closet?
- The operator told me to hang the phone up and call the number again.
to count on: to trust someone in time of need (also: to depend on)
- I can count on my parents to help me in an emergency.
- Don't depend on Frank to lend you any money; he doesn't have any.
to make friends (with): to become friendly with others
- Patricia is a shy girl and doesn't make friends easily.
- During the cruise Ronald made friends with almost everyone on the ship.
out of order: not in working condition
- The elevator was out of order, so we had to walk to the tenth floor of the building.
- We couldn't use the soft drink machine because it was out of order.
to get to: to be able to do something special; to arrive at a place, such as home, work, etc.
For the second definition, do not use the preposition to with the words home or there.
- The children got to stay up late and watch a good movie for the family.
- I missed the bus and couldn't get to the office until ten o'clock.
- When are you planning to get home tonight?
few and far between: not frequent, unusual, rare
- The times that our children get to stay up late are few and far between.
- Airplane travel is very safe because accidents are few and far between.
to look over: to examine, to inspect closely (also: to go over, to read over, to check over ) (S)
Go over is different from the other forms because it is not separable.
- I want to look my homework over again before I give it to the teacher.
- The politician went over his speech before the important presentation.
- You should never sign any legal paper without checking it over first.
to have (time) off: to have free time, not to have to work (also: to take time off (S))
The related form (S) to take time off is used when someone makes a decision to have free time, sometimes
when others might not agree with the decision.
- Every morning the company workers have time off for a coffee break.
- Several workers took the afternoon off to go to a baseball game.
to go on: to happen; to resume, to continue (also: to keep on )
- Many people gathered near the accident to see what was going on.
- I didn't mean to interrupt you. Please go on.
- The speaker kept on talking even though most of the audience had left.
to put out: to extinguish, to cause to stop functioning (S)
To put out has the same meaning as to turn off (Lesson 1) for a light fixture.
- No smoking is allowed in here. Please put out your cigarette.
- The fire fighters worked hard to put the brush fire out.
- Please put out the light before you leave. Okay, I'll put it out.
all of a sudden : suddenly, without warning (also: all at once)
- All of a sudden Ed appeared at the door. We weren't expecting him to drop by.
- All at once Millie got up and left the house without any explanation.

LESSON 7
to point out: to show, to indicate, to bring to one's attention (S)
- What important buildings did the tour guide point out to you?
- The teacher pointed out the mistakes in my composition.
- A friend pointed the famous actor out to me.
to be up: to expire, to be finished
This idiom is used only with the word time as the subject.
- "The time is up," the teacher said at the end of the test period.
- We have to leave the tennis court because our hour is up; some other people want to use it now.
to be over: to be finished, to end (also: to be through)
This idiom is used for activities and events.
- After the dance was over, we all went to a restaurant.
- The meeting was through ten minutes earlier than everyone expected.
on time: exactly at the correct time, punctually
- I thought that Margaret would arrive late, but she was right on time.
- Did you get to work on time this morning, or did rush hour traffic delay you?
in time to (do something): before the time necessary to do something
- We entered the theater just in time to see the beginning of the movie.
- The truck was not able to stop in time to prevent an accident.
to get better (worse, etc.) : to become better, worse, etc.
- Heather has been sick for a month, but now she is getting better.
- This medicine isn't helping me. Instead of getting better, I'm getting worse.
to get sick (well, tired, busy, wet, etc.) : to become sick, well, tired, busy, wet, etc.
This idiom consists of a combination of get and various adjectives.
- Gerald got sick last week and has been in bed since that time.
- Every afternoon I get very hungry, so I eat a snack.
had better (do something): should, ought to, be advisable to
This idiom is most often used in contracted form (I'd better).
- I think you'd better speak to Mr. White right away about this matter.
- The doctor told the patient that he'd better go home and rest.
would rather (do something): prefer to (also: would just as soon (do something) as (do
something else))
- Would you rather have the appointment this Friday or next Monday?
- I would just as soon go for a walk as watch TV right now.
to call it a day/night : to stop working for the rest of the day/ night
- Herb tried to repair his car engine all morning before he called it a day and went fishing.
- We've been working hard on this project all evening; let's call it a night.
to figure out: to solve, to find a solution (S); to understand (S)
- How long did it take you to figure out the answer to the math problem?
- I was never able to figure it out.
to think of: to have a (good or bad) opinion of
This idiom is often used in the negative or with adjectives such as much and highly.
- I don't think much of him as a baseball player; he's a slow runner and a poor hitter.
- James thinks highly of his new boss, who is a kind and helpful person.

LESSON 8
to be about to do something: to be at the moment of doing something, to be ready
This idiom is often used with the adverb just.
- I was just about to leave when you telephoned.
- Oh, hi, John. We're just about to eat dinner.
to turn around: to move or face in the opposite direction (S); to completely change the condition of (S)
- The man turned his car around and drove back the way he came.
- The company has been very successful since the new business manager was able to turn it around.
to take turns (doing something): to alternate, to change people while doing something
- During the trip, Darlene and I took turns driving so that neither of us would tire out.
- I have to make sure that my two sons take turns playing the video game.
to pay attention (to): to look at and listen to someone while they are speaking, to concentrate
- Please pay attention to me while I'm speaking to you!
- You'll have to pay more attention in class if you want to get a good grade.
to brush up on something: to review something in order to refresh one's memory
- Before I traveled to Mexico, I brushed up on my Spanish; I haven't practiced it since high school.
- In order to take that advanced mathematics class, Sidney will have to brush up on his algebra.
over and over (again): repeatedly (also: time after time, time and again)
- The actress studied her lines in the movie over and over until she knew them well.
- Children have difficulty remembering rules, so it's often necessary to repeat them over and over again.
- Time and again I have to remind Bobby to put on his seatbelt in the car.
to wear out: to use something until it has no value or worth anymore, to make useless through wear (S)
- When I wear out these shoes, I'll have to buy some that last longer.
- What do you do with your clothes after you wear them out?
to throw away: to discard, to dispose of (S)
- I generally throw away my clothes when I wear them out.
- Don't throw the magazines away; I haven't read them yet.
to fall in love: to begin to love
This idiom is used with the expression at first sight to indicate a sudden interest in love.
- Ben and Sal fell in love in high school, and got married after graduation.
- Have you ever fallen in love at first sight?
to go out: to stop functioning; to stop burning; to leave home or work (also: to step out)
- The lights went out all over the city because of an electrical problem.
- The campers didn't have to put out the fire because it went out by itself.
- Gary isn't here right now; he went out to the store for a moment.
- I have to step out of the office briefly to pick up a newspaper.
out of the question : impossible, not feasible
- Stephen told Deborah that it was out of the question for her to borrow his new car.
- Don't expect me to do that again. It's absolutely out of the question.
to have to do with : to have some connection with or relationship to
- Ralph insisted that he had nothing to do with breaking the window.
- What does your suggestion have to do with our problem?

LESSON 9
to wake up : to arise from sleep, to awaken (S)
Compare wake up and get up (Lesson 1) as used in the first example.
- Marge woke up this morning very early, but she did not get up until about ten o'clock.
- My alarm clock wakes me up at the same time every day.
to be in charge (of something): to manage, to have responsibility for
- Jane is in charge of the office while Mrs. Haig is on a business trip.
- Who is in charge of arrangements for the dance next week?
as soon as: just after, when
- As soon as it started to snow, the children ran outside with big smiles on their faces.
- I'm busy now, but I'll meet you as soon as I've finished this work.
to get in touch with: to communicate with, to contact
- You can get in touch with him by calling the Burma Hotel.
- I've been trying all morning to get in touch with Miss Peters, but her phone is always busy.
to have a good time: to enjoy oneself
- We all had a good time at the class reunion last night.
- Did you have a good time at the park? I really enjoyed it
in no time: very quickly, rapidly
This idiom can be used with the idiom at all to add emphasis to the certainty of the statement.
- Mac said that he'd be ready to leave in no time.
- We thought that the meeting would take two hours, but it was over in no time at all.
to cut down on: to reduce, to lessen (also: to cut back on)
- In order to lose weight, you have to cut down on your intake of sugar.
- The doctor told me to cut back on exercise until my back injury heals.
quite a few : many
- Quite a few students were absent yesterday, in fact, more than half of them were not there.
- We did not expect many people to attend the affair, but quite a few of our friends actually came.
used to: formerly did, had the habit of
This idiom is used to indicate a past situation, action, or habit that does not exist in the present. The idiom is
always followed by a simple verb form.
- I used to live in New York, but I moved to California two years ago.
- Kim used to smoke cigarettes, but she stopped the habit last month.
to be used : to be accustomed to
This idiom refers to a situation, action, or habit that continues in the present. The idiom is always followed by a
noun or gerund phrase.
- He is used to this climate now, so the changes in temperature do not affect him much.
- I am used to studying in the library, so it's difficult for me to study at home now.
to get used (to something): to become used to, to become adjusted to
This idiom describes the process of change that allows some one to be used to a situation, action, or habit.
- It took Yoshiko a long time to get used to the food that her American host family served her.
- Mark can't seem to get used to wearing contact lenses, recently he's been wearing his glasses a lot.
back and forth : in a backward and forward motion
- The restless lion kept pacing back and forth along the front of its cage.
- Grandmother finds it relaxing to sit in her rocking chair and move back and forth.

LESSON 10
to make sure: to be sure, to ascertain (also: to make certain (of))
- Please make sure that you turn off the radio before you go out.
- Could you make certain of the time? I don't want to miss that TV show.
now and then: occasionally, sometimes (also: now and again, at times, from time to time, off
and on, once in a while)
Both now and then and once in a while can be preceded by the adjective every. Another idiom with the same
meaning and form is every so often.
- I don't see him very often, but (every) now and then we arrange to have lunch together.
- Gary gets a cold (every) once in a while even though he takes good care of himself.
- Every so often my brother and I get together for a camping trip.
- I like to sleep late in the morning from time to time.
to get rid of: to eliminate, to remove; to discard, to throw away
- Jerry tried hard to get rid of the stain on his shirt, but he never succeeded.
- The stain was so bad that Jerry finally had to get rid of his shirt.
every other (one): every second (one), alternate (ones)
- I play tennis with my father every other Saturday, so I usually play twice a month.
- There were twenty problems in the exercise, but the teacher told us only to do every other one. Actually, doing
ten problems was difficult enough.
to go with: to match, to compare well in color or design; to date, to accompany (also: to go out with)
For the first definition, adverbs such as well and poorly are often used.
- That striped shirt goes well with the gray pants, but the pants go poorly with those leather shoes.
- Eda went with Richard for about six months, but now she is going out with a new boyfriend.
first-rate: excellent, superb
- The food served in that four-star restaurant is truly first-rate.
- The Beverly Hills Hotel provides first-rate service to its guests.
to come from: to originate from
This idiom is commonly used in discussion of one's hometown, state, or country.
- What country in South America does she come from? She comes from Peru.
- I just learned that he really comes from Florida, not Texas.
- Where did this package come from? The mail carrier brought it.
to make good time: to travel a sufficient distance at a reasonable speed
The adjective excellent can also be used.
- On our last trip, it rained the entire time, so we didn't make good time.
- We made excellent time on our trip to Florida; it only took eighteen hours.
to mix up: to stir or shake well (S); to confuse, to bewilder (S)
For the second definition, the passive forms to be mixed up or to get mixed up are often used.
- You should mix up the ingredients well before you put them in the pan.
- The teacher's poor explanation really mixed the students up.
- The students think it's their fault that they are mixed up so often.
to see about: to give attention or time to (also: to attend to, to see to)
- Who is going to see about getting us a larger room for the meeting?
- I'll see to arranging music for the wedding if you attend to the entertainment.
to make out: to do, to succeed, to progress
- Charlie didn't make out very well on his final examinations. He may have to repeat one or more classes.
- How did Rachelle make out on her acting audition in Hollywood yesterday?
by heart: by memorizing
- He knows many passages from Shakespeare by heart.
- Do you know all the idioms you have studied in this book by heart?

wow ... whats happening here
:31:
wow many idioms .... u could put them in its topic
:31:

I think this is a good topic...if you put the idioms in order
(منظورم مرتب کردنه تاپیکه)