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IDIOMS - PAGE O |
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IDIOM: OK
MEANING: to agree with someone reluctantly
EXAMPLE: John: "Come to the
party with me. Please!"
Dana: "Well, OK. I don't want to, but I will."
IDIOM: OK
MEANING: so-so, fair; not particularly good
or bad
EXAMPLE: Carla: "How's your chemistry
class?"
Diana: "It's OK, I guess. But it's not the best class I've ever had."
IDIOM: OK
MEANING: unharmed; in satisfactory condition
EXAMPLE: Gail: "You don't look
normal. Are you OK?"
Beth: "Yes. I just have a headache."
IDIOM: OK (v)
MEANING: to approve
EXAMPLE: "When the supervisors OK my expediture
reports, I can fax them to you."
IDIOM: OK (n)
MEANING: approval
EXAMPLE: "When the supervisors gave me the
OK, I faxed the reports to the main office."
IDIOM: on (one's) behalf
MEANING: to do something in another person's
place.
EXAMPLE: "Hester couldn't go to the awards
show, so Sharon accepted the award on her behalf."
IDIOM: on (one's) last legs
MEANING: in very bad condition
EXAMPLE: "My car is on its last legs. I
need to replace it or repair it soon."
IDIOM: on behalf of (one)
MEANING: to do something in another person's
place.
EXAMPLE: "On behalf of Hester, I'd like
to accept this award."
IDIOM: on the cutting edge
MEANING: using the most recent technology
EXAMPLE: "Bill Gates new computer program
is on the cutting edge. It's amazing software."
IDIOM: on the dot
MEANING: exactly at a given time
EXAMPLE: "We're going at 9:00 on the dot.
If Sam is late, we'll go without him."
IDIOM: (be) on the go
MEANING: to be very busy (going from one
thing or project to another)
EXAMPLE: "Frank has been on the go all weekend.
When does he sleep?!"
IDIOM: on the level
MEANING: honest; truthful
EXAMPLE: "Do you think the salesman is on
the level? I'm not sure I believe this car has a 20-year warranty."
IDIOM: (be) on the road
MEANING: to be traveling
EXAMPLE: Ben was on the road all last week,
so he is a little behind in returning his phone calls.
RELATED: go on the
road
IDIOM: (be) on the tip of (one's)
tongue
MEANING: to be very close to figuring out
or remembering the answer
EXAMPLE: Beth: "What's the word for the
other animal that looks like a crocodile?"
Lee: "Give me a second - it's on the tip
of my tongue. Ummm...hmm...allisaur...no... I got it - alligator!"
IDIOM: on time
MEANING: not late; at the scheduled time
EXAMPLE: "It's getting late. You'd better
hurry if you want to get to work on time."
IDIOM: once in a while
MEANING: sometimes; occasionally; from time
to time
EXAMPLE: "Do you ever play tennis?"
"Well, not very often. I play once in a while, but not regularly."
RELATED: now and then
IDIOM: one at a time
MEANING: in a singlular fashion; individually
EXAMPLE: "Students, come up and get your
compositions from my desk one at a time."
IDIOM: or so
MEANING: an inexact amount
EXAMPLE: "Please write five or so sentences
with idioms, and then hand them in."
IDIOM: out of the question
MEANING: unacceptable; unallowable; impossible
EXAMPLE: "I'm sorry, but going to Paris
alone is out of the question. You're only 15 years old!"
IDIOM: (be) over
MEANING: to be finished; to end
EXAMPLE: Lee: "What time will your meeting
be over?"
Jane: "It'll be over around 4."
IDIOM: over one's head
MEANING: too complicated or difficult to
understand
EXAMPLE: "Quantum physics is just over my
head. I'll never understand this!"
"I think the joke was over Sara's head. She didn't laugh, so she must not
have understood."
COMING SOON:
on a shoestring
on ice
on the house
on the line
on the Q.T.
on the rocks
one for the books
out of the woods
out on a limb
out-of-date
out-of-it
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