From catching a cold to landing on your feet, idiomatic expressions add color and style to the English language. The latest edition of Essential Idioms in English remains the resource of choice for mastering more than 500 common English idioms, phrasal verbs and collocations. Essential Idioms in English thoroughly defines and illustrates each idiom, then reinforces its meaning and usage with multiple-choice, true-false, fill-in-the-blank and matching exercises.
Features and Benefits
Section 1: Beginning
Lesson 1
get in/get on / get out of/get off / put on / take off / turn on / turn off / right away / pick up / sooner or later / get up / come up with / at first
Lesson 2
dress up / at last / as usual / find out / look at / look for / all right / all along / little by little / tire out / spend time / never mind
Lesson 3
pick out / take one’s time / talk over / lie down / stand up / sit down / all (day, week, month, year) long / by oneself / on purpose / get along (with) / make a difference (to) / take out
Lesson 4
take part in / at all / look up / wait on / at least / so far / take a walk, hike, etc. / take a trip / try on / think over / take place / put away
Lesson 5
look out / shake hands / get back / catch a cold / get over / make up one’s mind / change one’s mind / for the time being / for good / call off / put off / in a hurry
Lesson 6
hang out / hang up / count on / make friends / out of order / get to / look over / have (time) off / go on / put out / all of a sudden / ahead of time
Lesson 7
point out / be up / be over / on time / in time to / get better, worse, etc. / get sick, well, tired, busy, wet, etc. / had better / would rather / call it a day/night / figure out / think of
Lesson 8
be about to / turn around / take turns / pay attention (to) / brush up on / over and over (again) / wear out / throw away / fall in love / go out (with) / go out / break up (with)
Lesson 9
wake up / be in charge of / as soon as / have a good time / in no time / cut down on / crack down on / quite a few / used to / be used to / get used to / back and forth
Lesson 10
make sure / now and then / get rid of / every other (one) / go with / first-rate / come from / make good time / mix up / see about / make an impression / by heart
Lesson 11
keep out / keep away (from) / find fault with / be up to / ill at ease / do over / look into / take hold of / get through / from now on / keep track of / get carried away
Lesson 12
up to date / out of date / blow up / catch fire / burn down / burn up / burn out / stands to reason / break out / as for / for one thing / feel sorry for
Lesson 13
break down / turn out / once in a blue moon / give up / cross out / take for granted / take into account / make clear / clear cut / have on / come to / call for
Section 1 Collocations
Review: Lessons 1-13
Section 2: Intermediate
Lesson 14
eat in/eat out / cut and dried / look after / feel like / once and for all / hear from / hear of / make fun of / come true / as a matter of fact / have one’s way / look forward to
Lesson 15
inside out / upside down / fill in / fill out / take advantage of / no matter / take up / take up with / take after / in the long run / in touch / out of touch
Lesson 16
on one’s toes / watch one’s step / watch what one says/does / see eye to eye / have in mind / keep in mind / for once / go off / grow out of / make the best of / cut off / cut out
Lesson 17
blow out / become of / shut up / have got / have got to / keep up with / on the other hand / turn down / fifty-fifty / break in / a lost cause / above all
Lesson 18
do without / according to / be bound to / for sure / take for / try out / tear down / tear up / go over / run out of / at heart / on hand
Lesson 19
bite off / tell apart / all in all / pass out / go around / be in the/one’s way / put on / put up / put up with / in vain / day in and day out / catch up
Lesson 20
hold still / break the news / be the matter / bring up / get lost / hold up / run away / rule out / by far / see off / see out / no wonder
Lesson 21
go up / go up to / hand in / in case / take apart / put together / be better off / be well-off / take by surprise / stress out / name after / hold on
Lesson 22
stop by / drop (someone) a line / give (someone) a call / come across / cross one’s mind / stand for / stand a chance / look on / look up to / look down on / take off / pull off
Lesson 23
make do / give birth to / close call / get on one’s nerves / put down / go for / be into / stay up / stay in / take over / show up / clean out
Lesson 24
knock out / knock oneself out / carry out / run into / set out / set out to / draw up / give and take / drop out of / believe in / cheer up / make sense
Lesson 25
burst out / get away / get away with / serve (someone) right / keep up / keep up with / stand out / let on / go wrong / meet (someone) halfway / check up on / stick up
Lesson 26
come about / bring about / build up / die down / fade away / die out / make out / live up to / stick to / rip off / stand up for / cut corners
Lesson 27
take on / take down / fall through / fall behind / give in / give off / give out / have it in for / have it out with / hold off / hold out / hold over
Section 2 Collocations
Review: Lessons 14-27
Section 3: Advanced
Lesson 28
let up / lay off / bring out / bring back / wait up for / leave (someone or something) alone / let alone / break off / wear off / wear down / on the whole / touch and go
Lesson 29
work out / back up / back out / have one’s heart set on / buy up buy out / sell out / catch on / be cut out for / throw out / throw up / clear up
Lesson 30
slow down / dry up / dry out / be up to (something) / beat around the bush / come to an end / put an end to / get even with / fool around / look out on / stir up / take in
Lesson 31
go through / go without saying / put (someone) on / keep one’s head / lose one’s head / narrow-minded / stand up / get the better of / break loose / on edge / waste one’s breath / cut short
Lesson 32
step in / step down / step on it / a steal / play up to / more or less / screw up / goof up / go off the deep end / lose one’s touch / under control / drag one’s heels/feet
Lesson 33
kick (something) around / on the ball / make up / make up with / pull together / be looking up / kick the habit / cover up / drop off / turn over / go through channels / last straw
Lesson 34
get cold feet / trade in / face-to-face / be with (someone) / be with it / fall for / it figures / make (someone) tick / cover for / give (someone) a break / bow out / stick it out
Lesson 35
rub it in / rub the wrong way / get a rise out of / hang around / pick up the tab / by the way / let slide / search me / get off one’s chest / live it up / liven up / have a say in
Lesson 36
out of the question / have to do with / check in / check out / take one at one’s word / serve (the/one’s) purpose / cop out / line up / lose one’s cool / leave open / miss the boat / think up
Lesson 37
throw (someone) a curve / make waves / carry on / not on your life / cover ground / throw the book at / put one’s foot in / be up for grabs / show off / learn the ropes / have under one’s belt / keep (one’s) fingers crossed
Lesson 38
land on one’s feet / dish out / get through to / keep one’s word / be in over one’s head / ask for / be a far cry from / by all means / get out from under / take the bull by the horns / give (someone) a hand / give (someone) a big hand
Lesson 39
behind one’s back / talk back to / be in / be out / draw the line at / get out of line / dry run / play by ear / be in (someone’s) shoes / keep after / fix up / be had
Section 3 Collocations
Review: Lessons 28-39
Dictionary Skills
Appendix
Equivalent Idioms in Spanish, French, and Portuguese
Answer Key
From catching a cold to landing on your feet, idiomatic expressions add color and style to the English language. The latest edition of Essential Idioms in English remains the resource of choice for mastering more than 500 common English idioms, phrasal verbs, and collocations.
Organized by level for beginning, intermediate, and advanced learners, Essential Idioms in English thoroughly defines and illustrates each idiom, then reinforces its meaning and usage with multiple-choice, true-false, fill-in-the-blank, and matching exercises.
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