Idiom Definition Usage Tặng Các Bạn những Idioms thông dụng. Các Pros biết rồi xin miễn chấp nhé.

Phần Cabsent minded ......................forgetful > She is really absent minded. according to Hoyle :...............Strictly by the rules >According to Hoyle, you are not allowed to enter this room. Đúng theo luật.across the board:.................. which included everyone .>The employees received a salary increase across the board. Cào bằngadd up ...............................be reasonable> His excuse didn't seem to add up. ahead of time....................... early .> We started the meeting ahead of time. air one's dirty laundry.............. reveal his embarrassing secrets >She began to air his dirty laundry at the party. all along ............................the entire time > I knew you were seeing someone else all along. all at once.......................... Suddenly > All at once, the fans rushed onto the field.all day long .......................the entire day > She has been waiting for the mail to arrive all day long. all ears............................. listening to everything .>You can tell me your story now because I am all ears. Đang nghe.all in all ............................After considering everything. Nói chung là > All in all, the meeting was a success. all of a sudden ...................Suddenly.> All of a sudden, the tornado hit the small town. all right............................ okay She said that it would be all right for me to come to the party. all the time........................ continually hoài > She asks for money all the time. Cô ta xin tiền hoài!all thumbs......................... clumsy.> He is all thumbs when it comes to fixing things around the house.an arm and a leg.................. a lot of money .> His new car must have cost him an arm and a leg.apple of one's eye.............. favorite . Cục Cưng > His youngest daughter is the apple of his eye. as a rule........................... Usually Thường thì .> As a rule I usually get up at 8:00 AM every morning. as far as ...........................To the extent > As far as I know he will be here in a few minutes. asking for trouble................. probably going to have a problem > He is asking for trouble if he misses another class. asleep at the switch............ not alert to the opportunity : hụt cơ hội > He missed the chance to apply for the job because he was asleep at the switch.as long as .......................Provided that : Miễn là > As long as you promise to be careful you can borrow my car. as the crow flies ................Taking the most direct route. Theo đường chim bay.> As the crow flies it is about 8 kilometers to my house.as usual .........................most of the time > She forgot to bring her book to class as usual.

as well as ........................in addition to > You should bring paper as well as a pen.as yet............................ Until now : Cho tới bây giờ > As yet, she has not told me about her plans. at a loss .........................for less than the company paid for them > The cars were sold at a loss.at an end....................... over > The long career of the company's president appears to be at an end. at cross purposes.............. have opposite ways to do something > They are at cross purposes and are always arguing about what to do. kỵ nhau, không hạp nhauat fault ..........................to blame . Có lỗi > The truck driver was at fault in the accident.at first...........................At the beginning .> At first she did not want to go but later she changed her mind.at first blush ...................When first seen .> At first blush he seemed like a good worker but he is actually lazy. at heart ........................basically . Thâm tâm, căn bản là .> She is a very nice person at heart although many people dislike her. at home ........................in the house .> Her shoes are at home. at last.......................... finally.> I was waiting all morning for her call and at last it came. at loggerheads............... opposing each other .= Đối diện > We have been at loggerheads over the new business plan. at odds .......................in disagreement. > He has been at odds with his boss for many weeks now. at one's beck and call ......ready to serve him .> His eldest daughter is always at his beck and call. at the end of one's rope... at the limit of his ability to cope .> He is at the end of his rope with this situation. at wit's end................. frustrated and upset . Bực mình, bực bội > He seems to be at wit's end after spending over two hours trying to solve the math problem. attend...................... to take care of >The clerk decided to attend to another customer first.at least.................... not less than> At least 73,000 homes are without power in the Atlanta area. at the very least......... whatever happens .> At the very least, you should call to tell me that you've arrived there safelycalculated risk : an action that may fail but has a good chance to succeed (Một liều lĩnh có tính toán) > Investing in that stock is a calculated risk. call a spade a spade :..................speak bluntly . (Nói toạc móng heo.)> I think that you should call a spade a spadecall it quits :............................. finish > She wants to call it quits and go home. call of nature :......... .................need to go to the toilet > He is answering the call of nature. call off :.................................. cancel (Hủy).> They had to call off the game because of rain.call on.................................... visit .(Thăm)> She was planning to call on her friend when she got into town. call on :............................... request participation of .> The teacher likes to call on students sitting in the back call the shots :....................... make the decisions > The new

boss likes to call the shots. captain of industry :................ top corporation officer .> The company president is a captain of industry.carry over :.......................... delay . (Đình hoãn)>The store decided to carry over the sale until next week. carry over : ..........................transfer (Chuyển).>They had to carry over the budget deficit to next year. carry the day........................ be successful .> The new product should carry the day. carry through........................ continue .> She thought It would be best to carry through with her plans. cash or credit :....................... cash or credit card.> Will that be cash or credit?catch some rays ...................: get some sunshine.> I'm going to lie on the beach and catch some rays. catch some Z's :......................sleep .> I decided to catch some Z's before going back to the college. catch you later ......................: see you later.> Yeah, catch you later. check it out:........................... look .> Hey, check it out. check out :............................ look at.> We can check out the babes at the park. chow down............................ eat a lot I need to find a place to chow down. close out :............................ discontinued merchandise > The store had a close out sale and sold everything.close the books :.................... end a bookkeeping period . > The company will close the books at the end of the fiscal year. cold call : ...........................call persons one has never seen or met.> She had to cold call for the entire day. come on strong:.................. overwhelm with excessively strong language or personality (dùng dao to búa lớn-ngôn ngữ) > Salespeople usually come on strong when trying to sell their product. company man :.................... person who always works hard .> The manager is a company man. company town :................... town dominated by one company.> This is really a company town.cool down :........................ calm down.> Things should cool down in a day or two.crack open : ......................open .> Let's crack open a bottle for his birthday.cut out :........................... leave It is late.> I have to cut out. cut back on ........................: reduce .> The company needs to cut back on expenses. cut corners: .......................reduce expenses.(Cắt giảm chi tiêu). > The department tried to cut corners to save money. cut off :............................ cut off (cắt đứt).> The telephone conversation was cut off because of the storm.dark horse unknown. > This election proves that even a dark horse candidate can win. dash off: leave quickly.( Chuồn/tẩu/dọt/ dông…nhanh). > I need to dash off to the store to get a few things. dawn on : become clear to .> It began to dawn on her as to why he was angry. day and night : continually( liên tục).> We worked day and night to finish the project.

day in and day out : regularly. (thường xuyên ) > He goes to that restaurant day in and day out. dead ahead : directly in front .> There was a truck dead ahead of our car. dead as a doornail : definitely dead. ( Chết ngắt củ kiệu ) > The bug was dead as a doornail after hitting the car. dead center :exactly in the middle .> She was able to hit the target dead center. dead duck: person in a hopeless situation.(Tiêu đời / tiêu tùng).> He is a dead duck. dead end :an impasse.(Ngõ/Hẽmcụt, Bế tắt) .> The negotiations have come to a dead enddead set against :completely opposed to. (Hoàn toàn phản kháng với việc..)> She is dead set against getting a new car. dead tired : exhausted: (Mệt nhừ tử).>She was dead tired when she got home from work. dead to the world ;completely asleep (ngủ như chết vậy.) She was dead to the world for the entire car ride. deal with: be involved with I really didn't wanna deal with it. decked out : dressed in fancy clothes . ( Ăn mặc màu mè lòe loẹt) > She was decked out for the party. deep-six :dispose of .> They decided to deep-six the office printer. deep water: trouble. > She will be in deep water unless she has a better explanation. deliver the goods : succeed in doing what is expected .( làm được việc) > He knows how to deliver the goods. die down : grow weaker (tắc dần)> The noise from the crowd began to die down. die off : die one after another (Chết dần chết mòn.) > The flowers began to die off because of the cold air. . die out :disappear slowly .(Biến mất dần) .> The dinosaurs began to die out millions of years ago. dig in :begin eating . ( đớp) > Everyone dig in while the food is hot. dime a dozen : common .> These books are a dime a dozen. dirty look : look that shows dislike or disapproval ( một cái nhìn chê bai).> The girl gave him a dirty look. dish out : serve.> She began to dish out the food as soon as the guests arrived. dish out : give.> He likes to dish out criticism to others. do a snow job on: deceive.> Don't try to do a snow job on me. down with: okay with.> Hey, I'm down with taking an easy class. double check : close to the due date . (gần tới ngày đáo hạn)> They had to double check the balance sheet again. down to the wire : recheck (rà soát lại).> The project is down to the wire. drop the ball: fail to do something .>The manager will probably drop the ball this month too.( mất banh ! làm hỏng việc gì đó!)each and every: absolutely every.( Tuyệt đối mỗi…)> I want each and every one of you to bring your textbooks tomorrow.eager beaver: person willing to do extra work.(Một người tham công tiếc việc) > At work, he is an eager beaver . ear to the ground : paid attention to everything .>He kept his ear to the ground and knew about the changes before everyone else.ease off: reduce .> The president was asked to ease off some of the new company rules. easy come, easy go : unimportant.( Không quan trọng).> For him, losing his job was easy come, easy go.

easy does it : Slowly.> Easy does it is the best way to learn to drive a car.

easy-going : relaxed.(thoải mái)> She has a very easy-going management style. easy grader : lenient when grading.(rộng rãi khi xếp hạng, đánh giá..)> My friends said she's an easy grader.easy mark : likely victims. (Dễ bị làm nạn nhân) .>The elderly are an easy mark because they usually carry cash.eat away at :bother. > The problem really began to eat away at him.eat away at :destroy.> The mildew began to eat away at the window frame. eat crow: admit to the mistake.> He was forced to eat crow. eat dirt : accept insults.> He made the senior manager eat dirt because of the way he was mistreated. eat humble pie : admit to the mistake and apologize.> He was forced to eat humble pie.eat like a bird : eat very little .>I know that you usually eat like a bird. eat like a horse: eat a lot .> I know that you usually eat like a horse. eat like a pig : eat a lot.> I know that you usually eat like a pig. eat one's words : admit one was wrong .> He was forced to eat his words after his boss found the mistake.eat out : eat in a restaurant. > She like to eat out three or four times a week. eating someone :bothering .>I do not know what is eating her today. (Không biết hôm nay bà ta mắc chứng gì vậy !)egg someone on : push someone.> She likes to egg him on to fight more when they have an argument.eke out : just barely make . > He was able to eke out a living with the restaurant. elbow grease : effort and strength.> You need to use a lot of elbow grease to get the kitchen cleaned. elbow room : space.> They moved to the country in order to have a little more elbow room. end in itself : the main purpose or goal.> For some people traveling is an end in itself and the destination is not important.end of one's rope : last of his ideas.> He is at the end of his rope regarding what to do about his job. end up : finally be . (Rốt cuộc thì cũng đến) > I knew that she would end up at the dessert counter. even so : nevertheless.( Nhưng dù có như vậy)> He always works hard but even so he has no money saved.every dog has his day :everyone will have a chance or turn .( Ai rồi cũng có hồi) > You should know that every dog has his day.every other : on each alternate.( Cách mỗi) > She has to work every other Saturday evening. (Cô ấy phải làm việc cách mỗi Thứ Bảy)every so often : occasionally.> You should send email every so often. every Tom, Dick and Harry : the average person (một người bình thường).> He is not the same as every Tom, Dick and Harry.eyes are bigger than one's stomach :mắt lớn hơn bụng: desire for the food is greater than what she can actually eat.> Every time she orders food, her eyes are bigger than her stomach. eyes in the back of one's head :the ability to know what is happening behind ( Có mắt sau lưng) .> She has eyes in the back of her head.

eyes pop out :surprise ( Ló mắt ra) .>Watch her eyes pop out when she sees all this money.gain ground : make progress (lấn sân). > The company began to gain ground in their effort to sell more products.game plan : strategy . (Chiến Lược ).> The boss will talk about the new game plan at the next office meeting. gang up on :harass as a group ( dập hội đồng).> The school children tried to gang up on the boy but he ran away.gas up : fill up the gas tank .( Đổ đầy bình )We should gas up tonight before we leave. get a break : get a good deal ( Mua được giá).> She wanted to get a break when she bought the car.get a fix on : obtain an accurate location of .>We were able to get a fix on the distant star.get a grip : get control ( Điều khiển được. ).>You need to get a grip of yourself and relax. get a kick out of: lot of enjoyment out of .( Khoái chí chuyện gì đó) .>I think she will get a get a kick out of watching the show.get a load of : Take a look at.> Get a load of that old car. get a move on : hurry .> You had better get a move on or you are going to be late.

get a rise out of someone : make somebody angry.(chọc giận ai đó.).> She was able to get a rise out of him when she laughed at his new pants.

get a wiggle on : hurry .> You had better get a wiggle on or you are going to be late.

get a word in : find the chance to say something .( Tìm cách nói chuyện gì đó ) He could not get a word in while talking with the manager.

get a word in edgewise : manage to break into the conversation. (nói chen vào).> She could not get a word in edgewise.

get across : explain .> She had a hard time trying to get across the idea. get ahead :be successful.> She really works hard at her job in order to get ahead. get after : urge ( hối ).> You should get after her to do her homework.get along : manage . (xoay sở) He is able to get along on very little money. get along : leave ( đi/về ) .> I think we should get along now.

get along with someone : have a good relationship with someone . (giao hảo với ai đó).> She does not get along with him.

get around : go to different places .(Đi nhiều nơi).>She sure does get around more than most people.

get around to :find the time for .(Dành thời giờ để.) The apartment manager was finally able to get around to fixing the bath.

get at: imply.(ám chỉ/Có ý gì.).> I know what you are trying to get at. get away : succeed in leaving .> He was able to get away from work early.

get away from it all : go on a vacation ( Xù mọi công việc) .> We want to get away from it all this summer. get away with murder : do something bad without being caught or punished .( Phạm tội nhưng chuồn được) > The students were able to get away with murder. [ Không ý có chi về murder cả! ]get away with something : cheat and not get caught.> He could get away with cheating.get back: return .> We might get back sooner than originally planned. get back at. get revenge on ,(trả đủa, trả miếng).> She is planning to get back at him.

get behind : lag behind . ( rớt lại phía sau ) .> If you get behind in the homework you will not be able to pass the course.

get behind : support( Hổ trợ) .> They decided to get behind the president. get by : live > He is able to easily get by on his salary. get canned fired If he doesn’t work harder, he’s probably going to get canned.

get cold feet : become afraid at the last minute. (bị lạnh cẳng).> He will probably get cold feet and cancel his plans to go to China.get cracking : get started .> We will have to get cracking on this project. get down to : begin to. > You should get down to work now. get down to brass tacks begin discussing the essential matters We should get down to brass tacks immediately. get even : get revenge.> He plans to get even.get-go : beginning.> She did not like her job from the get-go. get going : leave. > I think that we should get going. get hold of : obtain. > Please try to get hold of a dictionary for class. get hold of : contact. > She tried to get hold of him for one month. get in on the ground floor : begin at the lower level .>She was able to get in on the ground floor of the new company.

get in touch with someone : contact. (liên hệ /liên lạc với ).> I want you to get in touch with me next month.

get in the swing of things: become part of the situation .(hòa nhập/ hội nhập vào) > Try to get in the swing of things and have fun.

get it: understand it. > I listened to the joke twice, but I still don't get it. get it together : get control. > You need to get it together before the exam.get it through one's head : understand . > Try to get it through your head.get lost : go away.> I want you to get lost. get mixed up: become confused. ( Rối tinh lên).> I think that she will get mixed up about the dates. get off : exit.> She really wanted to get off the train. get off the ground : begin. (cất cánh).> The new company will get off the ground next week. get off on the wrong foot : have a bad beginning . > Try not to get off on the wrong foot with the new boss.

get off my back: leave me alone.> I think that you should get off my back.get off one's butt : become busy. > You should get off your butt. get off one's high horse : not act so arrogant (Khoomh làm dữ).> He made mistakes and should get off his high horse. get off the ground : begin .> The new movie should get off the ground in about a week. get on: enter.> She really wanted to get on the train. get on in years: get older. ( già đi theo năm tháng ).> She is beginning to get on in years.

get on one's high horse : act arrogant . ( làm dữ ).> He tends to get on his high horse at these office meetings.

getting on my nerves : irritating me (làm tao khó chịu)Recently you are getting on my nerves.

get your dander up : angry .> Try not to get your dander up.

get one's feet wet : begin one’s experience .( Bắt đầu cao tay nghề lên ) .>She recently managed to get her feet wet in fashion design. nguyentanquang - 13 tiếng 56 phút Idiom Definition Usage Tặng Các Bạn những Idioms thông dụng. Phần G3

get one's goat : annoy somebody .> She usually knows the way to get his goat. get one's own way : get people to do what you want ( Muốn theo ý mình).>You always try to get your own way.

get one's rear in gear: hurry .> You need to get your rear in gear.get out from under : escape from doing.> She would like to get out from under all that work. get out of bed on the wrong side : have an awful beginning of the day.( Ra Ngõ gặp gái !) > Did you get out of bed on the wrong side again today? [apologies to the ladies!](gặp gái thì vui chứ, nhưng không biết sao lại dung như thế nầy, chẳng lẽ là lời than của các sư, các huynh ?-Lại xin lỗi các sư nhé !)

get out of hand : lose control .> The students often get out of hand every Friday afternoon.

get out of the way of : avoid .> She tried to get out of the way of the oncoming traffic. get over : overcome (nguôi ngoai ?).> She will have a difficult time to get over the relationship.get ready : prepare .> She has to get ready for work now. get rid of : dispose of.> He thought that she should get rid of the car. get set: prepare.> They are trying to get set for the engagement party. get someone down: make somebody unhappy .> Her job has begun to get her down.

get something over with : complete the difficult assignment.(hoàn thành).> He wants to get the difficult assignment over with first.

gets going is excited and angry If he gets going he will never stop complaining.

get the ax : be fired . (Lãnh Búa Tạ= Bị đuổi việc.).> She thought that he would get the ax from the company this week. get the ball rolling : begin. > It is time to get the ball rolling.

get the better of : gain an advantage over and defeat. (Chiếm thế thượng phong và đánh bại).> Try to get the better of your opponent.

get the feel of : become accustom : > to try to get the feel of this new car.get the goods on : find out information about.> She is trying to get the goods on her boss.get the message: understand the meaning.> Maybe he is too stupid to get the message. get the sack : be fired.( Khăn gói ra đi ).> She thought that he would get the sack from the company this week. get the show on the road :begin .> It is time to get the show on the road. get the worst of : suffer most because of.> She will probably get the worst of the flu. get this over with : be finished with this.> Let's get this over with. get through : successfully complete .> She really needs to get through this class. get through to be understood by He talked a lot but could not get through to her.get to : have the opportunity to .> She did not get to see him last week. get to first base :succeed.> He wanted to meet the boss but could not get to first base.

get to the bottom of : find out the cause of . ( Truy tận gốc) > The manager tried to get to the bottom of the increased expenses.

get under one's skin :irritate her He is beginning to get under her skin. get up get out of bed She decided to get up early. get-up-and-go energy He has a lot of get-up-and-go. get up on the wrong side of the bed have an awful beginning of the day Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed again today?

get up the nerve get enough courage (Thu hết can đảm) .> She was finally able to get up the nerve to talk to her boss.

get what's coming to one : get what she deserves.> She is going to get what's coming to her. get wind of :get knowledge of. > He tried to get wind of the new business plan.get wise to : learn about . > This week he was able to get wise to the office gossip. get with it : do what is required. (Chấp hành luật lệ). > You need to get with it if you want to keep your job. get with it : hurry up .> If you don't get with it, we will never finish this work.give it another shot : try again . > We have to go back and give it another shot. give the green light : give permission. (Bật Đèn Xanh ). > The boss will give the green light today to begin the new project. go for it : try . > Lets go for it.nguyentanquang - 12 tiếng 49 phút

Idiom Definition Usage Tặng Các Bạn những Idioms thông dụng. Phần G4

go public with : > sell shares to the public of.> The company is expected to go public with their stock next week.go through with : proceed as planned with. > We have to go through with the purchase of the new building. good for you : okay with you.> Is that good for you? got into : became interested in . ( Trở nên ham / thích ..) >I got into gardening in high school.got that right : are correct. > You got that right.

grades on a curve : computes grades based on class averages. (Đủ điểm đậu tốt nghiệp.).> Yeah, I heard she grades on a curve.had better: should (Nên /Có tính chất răn đe hơn là một lời khuyên thông thường).>You had better go now or you will be late for class.

hair stand on end :She became frightened (Dựng tóc gáy ).> Her hair would stand on end every time she watched a horror movie. hale and hearty : well and strong.(Mạnh khỏe) > My uncle is a hale and hearty fellow who never gets sick. half-baked : foolish . (Hâm ! Hâm hâm !) .> She did not really like his half-baked idea.half the battle : difficult.> Getting them to come to the meeting will be half the battle. hammer out : agree to .> The union and managers were able to hammer out a new plan.hand down : arrange to give after death. > She plans to hand down her jewelry to her daughter. hand in ; submit. (Nộp vào). > I went to the company early to hand in my job application. hand it to : give credit to ( Tuyên dương ) .> You have to hand it to her because she worked hard and was successful. hang a left : Make a left turn . > Hang a left at the next cornerhang a right :Make a right turn. > Hang a right at the next cornerhang in there :continue despite difficulties .(cố bám)> She plans to hang in there even though she is taking eight classes this semester. hang loose: relax.> Just hang loose for another few days. hang out : come to. > Do you always hang out at this park? hang tough : stick with (Bám sát với ). > We need to hang tough on our decision. hang up : quit. (Treo !).> I have decided to hang up my teaching job.hard sell : pressure. > The used car salesman used a hard sell to get us to purchase this car. have a buzz on : was slightly intoxicated ( Xây xẫm- Lâng lâng ). > I had a buzz on after the third martini. have good vibes : feel good about .( cảm thấy thích ).> I have good vibes about our new secretary. have it all together : feel mentally all there .(cảm nhận được tất cả chuyện ở vụ đó).> Recently I don't have it all together. heads will roll : people will be punished . (Sẽ rơi đầu vài trự ).> Some heads will roll when the boss looks at the costs this month. hole up : hide. (Trốn).> I had to hole up for three days because my boyfriend was looking

for me.home free: a definite success (Chắc ăn.).> The new promotion plan is home free.if worst comes to worst : If the worst scenario occurs ( Nếu tình hình tồi tệ hơn .).> If worst comes to worst we must cancel our vacation. ill at ease : uncomfortable (Không thoải mái).> He appeared to be ill at ease during the interview. in a bind : in trouble. (Gặp rắc rối). > They will really be in a bind if they cannot sell their house. in a family way : pregnant .> Our new secretary is in a family way and plans to quit work soon.in a fog : confused .> He is always in a fog and never seems to know what is going on.in a haze : confused.> He is always in a haze and never seems to know what is going on. in a hole : in trouble .> He really is in a hole now that he has problems at work.in a hurry : rushed.> I am in a hurry and cannot talk now.in a jam : in trouble . (Kẹt).> He is really in a jam at work. in a nutshell : briefly .> Please explain the problem to the group in a nutshell.in a pig's eye : Unlikely that( Không vậy đâu.).> In a pig's eye he is gonna show up on time. in a pinch : temporarily.> This tool will do in a pinch if you cannot find another one.in a rush : in a hurry.> They were in a rush to get to the party. in a rut : always doing the same thing>. She is depressed an in a rut again.in a spot : in a difficult situation.> He will be in a spot if he cannot pass the entrance exams. in a way: somewhat.> I would like to go with you in a way.in a word Briefly .( Nói ngắn gọn ) > In a word, I think that you need to study more.in a world of one's own : thinking and unaware of her surroundings ( Mãi mê, mãi chìm đắm trong ..) .> She always seems to be in a world of her own.in advance : ahead of time.> They bought the tickets in advance so that they could get good seats.in and out : coming in and going out. ( Đi rồi về ).> The boss has been in and out of his office the entire day. in any case : Absolutely. > In any case, we can meet at the coffee shop. in any event Absolutely .> In any event, we can meet at the coffee shop. in charge of : in control of.> The new employee will be in charge of production.in deep : deeply involved. (Dính với nhau khá đậm ) .> They are really in deep with each other. in short supply : less than the amount needed .>These days the amount of oil is in short supply. in stock : available ( Có hàng.) >The new paints are in stock. in the bag: settled. ( Đã thu xếp) .> Everything is in the bag. There is nothing to worry about.in the black: making money > The company has been in the black since last year. in the long run :over time (Theo/Qua một thời gian thì..) The company lost money but should be okay in the long run.in the market for : looking for and ready to buy ( Đang tìm mua ).>She is in the market for a new car. in the red :losing money . > The company has been in the red since last year. in the works

kangaroo court :self-appointed group ( Một nhóm người tự phát/ tự xưng ).> They were convicted by a kangaroo court and did not agree with the decision.

keel over : faint and fall over. ( Té xỉu ).> He thought that he was going to keel over because of the heat. keel over : tip over( Lật úp) The boat looked like it was going to keel over.[ Keel : lườn tàu, một cấu trúc chính dưới võ đáy tàu ví như cột sống của bộ xương]

keep a secret : not tell others( Giũ Bí mật).> You should keep a secret about your new job.keep a stiff upper lip :face the situation with pride( Mím môi ngẫng đầu).> The team could keep a stiff upper lip even though they were defeated.keep after : keep reminding( Luôn nhắc nhở ).> You should keep after her to do her homework. keep an eye on :Watch ( Ngó chừng ).> Keep an eye on my bicycle while I order some coffee.keep at : continue (Vẫn cứ tiếp tục).> He has decided to keep at his studies at the university.keep body and soul together : survive ( Sống còn) .> It was very cold during the winter but somehow she was able to keep body and soul together.keep books: keep records of money gained and spent( Lập sổ chi tiêu) She used to keep books for a small company.keep down: control ( Dằn xuống ).> The students were told to keep down the noise.keep from : refrain from(Cưỡng lại).> I could not keep from eating all that cake. keep good time : accurately report the time ( Chạy đúng giờ).>My watch does not been keep good time lately.

keep house : look after household(Trông coi nhà cửa ).> She likes to keep house more than working for a company.keep in touch : stay in contact (Giữ liên lạc với..)I have always tried to keep in touch with my friends. keep on :continue.> She will keep on making the same mistakes.keep one's chin up : continue and not quit( tiếp tục không bỏ) Try and keep your chin up. keep one's cool : remain calm ( Vẫn bình tĩnh).>He was able to keep his cool when his house burned down.

keep one's eye on the ball :be watchful and ready( Nhìn lăm lăm chực sẳn) You should keep your eye on the ball or you will make a mistake.

keep one's fingers crossed: wish for good results( Vái trời cho như ý).> Please keep your fingers crossed that I will pass the exam. keep one's head :stay calm when there is trouble or danger. (Giữ tĩnh táo) He is a very good leader and is always able to keep his head.

keep one's head above water :be able to pay his debts.> He cannot seem to keep his head above water since his salary has decreased.

keep one's mouth shut: be quiet( Câm miệng).> She was very angry and told him to keep his mouth shut.keep one's nose clean :stay out of trouble..> He has been managing to keep his nose clean since he moved to the new town.

keep one's nose to the grindstone :work very hard( làm việc chăm chỉ).> He is really able to keep his nose to the grindstone.

keep one's own counsel : keep ideas and plans to himself (Khư khư ôm giữ ý đồ).>He always seems to keep his own counsel.keep one's shirt on : calm down (Giữ bình tỉnh).>Try and keep your shirt on.

keep one's wits about one : stay calm ( Vẫn tỉnh táo).>Although there was a fire in the building he was able to keep his wits about him. keep one's word : fulfill her promise( Giữ lời hứa).> She never can keep her word. keep pace with : go as fast as( Đi nhanh bằng…) It was difficult to keep pace with the other students.keep quiet :remain silent.> Please keep quiet and listen to the instructor. keep the books :keep records of money gained and spent (giử sổ sách chi tiêu)The head of the accounting department will keep the books this year.keep track of : record ( lưu) The company will keep track of the money spent on paper this month. keep your eye on the ball : stay focused .( Tập trung).>Try to keep your eye on the ball and finish the project. kick out of: enjoyment from ( Niềm vui thích ). > I get a kick out of watching him paint. knocked up: pregnant ( có chửa ).> My dog gets knocked up once a year.jack-of-all-trades : someone who can do many things.(Một tay bá nghệ ).> That guy is a jack-of-all-trades. jack up: increase (đội.) Stores typically jack up prices during the holidays.jam on the brakes : stop the car suddenly .> Because of the cow on the road she had tojam on the brakes. jam-packed : crowded ( Chật cứng).> This club is really popular and always jam-packed jazz up : brighten up.> We need to jazz up this boring room. jerking someone around: causing Somebody trouble .>Recently it seems like everyone is jerking me around. jockeying for position: maneuvering to get an advantage ( Vận dụng chiếm Thượng Phong) .> The candidates for the presidency were jockeying for position. John Doe : unknown person ( Một tay nào đó ).> Another John Doe was driving while intoxicated. John Hancock : signature .> Please put your John Hancock on the application form. John Henry : signature .> Please put your John Henry on the application form. Johnny-come-lately : newcomer. ( Tay mới tới).> He is a Johnny-come-lately at this company.Johnny-on-the-spot: in the right place at the right time(Đúng chổ đúng lúc).> He always seems to be Johnny-on-the-spot

jump all over someone : scold Somebody . (Chửi mắng).> For no reason, he began to jump all over me.

jump at : quickly accept( Nhào Vô..).> She knew that he would jump at the chance to go to Japan.jump down one's throat . yell at Somebody. (La hét ) She began to jump down his throat over being late.jump on someone: scold (Chửi ) The boss would jump on him for even a small mistakejump on the bandwagon : join in . ( Tham gia )Everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon now that the Internet site is a success.jump out of one's skin : be badly frightened ( Sợ phát khiếp ).>She looked as if she would jump out of her skin while she was watching the horror movie. jump the gun : act too soon.( Làm lẹ ) He decided to jump the gun and ordered to many tickets. jump through a hoop obey any order He is always ready to jump through a hoop for his boss.

jump to conclusions : make quick conclusions ,( Vội kết luận.) .> You should not jump to conclusions until you know all the facts. jumping-off place : starting point. (Điểm xuất phát ).> We gathered at the jumping-off place for our trip to the mountains. just about : nearly.> I waited just about one hour for her to come.just now this very moment The movie began just now.just off the boat: naïve (ngây thơ).> He acts like he is just off the boat.just so : close to perfect.> She always makes sure that her hair is just so before she goes out. just the same : nevertheless. ( Vẫn cứ ).> I told her not to come early but just the same she came early anyway.just what the doctor ordered : exactly what was needed : (Đúng thuốc thầy dặn).> The extra day off from work was just what the doctor ordered.on the air :broadcasting ( Phát song).>That television program has been on the air for awhile.

on the ball : intelligent .>He is really on the ball.

on the block :for sale >The office building is on the block.

on the bandwagon :participating in the same thing because of the actions of others( hùa theo-chó hùa [!?] ) >Now everyone is on the bandwagon. on the beam correct What she said was on the beam.

on the blink : not working (hết chạy!) > The television is on the blink.

on the button :exactly on time (Đúng bon giờ).>She usually arrives at work on the button.

on the coat tails of :because of the previous actions of.> The actor got the part on the coat tails of his famous brother.

on the dole : receiving assistance (đang nhận trợ giúp) .>The area is very poor and there are many people on the dole.

on the dot :exactly on time. (Đúng bon giờ).> She usually arrives at work on the dot.

on the edge of one's seat : excited and nervous (phấn khích) .>She was on the edge of her seat waiting for the contest to begin.

on the go :busily moving around( bận đi đâu đó rồi).> He has been on the go since early this morning.

on the house : free ( Miễn phí).> The room at the hotel was on the house.

on the level : honest ( đàng hoàng ).>This repair shop is really on the level.

on the loose :wandering around (lang thang vòng vòng) .>Some of the animals at the zoo were on the loose.

on the make :trying to take advantage .( Cố chiếm thượng phong ).>He is on the make and will attempt to take your money.

on the mend :feeling better ( Thấy đỡ đỡ hơn).> She is on the mend after the car accident last week.

on the move :going to many places (Đi nhiều nơi).>She is traveling and has been on the move for many months.

on the nose :correct.> His estimate was on the nose.

on the other hand : in contrast (Ngược lại.Trái lại...).> She is intelligent but on the other hand she is very lazy.

on the road traveling ( đang đi ).>Some truck drivers are almost always on the road.

on the rocks (1):with ice ( có đá-nước đá) .

>Would you like your whiskey on the rocks?

on the rocks (2) unstable (bấp bênh).>Their relationship appears to be on the rocks.

on the same wavelength :thinking the same way (Đúng băng tầng..)>We have been on the same wavelength for months.

on the sly :secretly(lén/lén lén).> We went to the restaurant on the sly.

on the spot : in an embarrassing situation (đứng như trời trồng !) >She really put him on the spot.

on the spur of the moment :suddenly ( Chợt bổng hứng ).>They decided to go to Los Angeles on the spur of the moment.

on the tip of one's tongue :not able to be recalled (Không thể nhớ nổi) .>The answer was on the tip of her tongue.

on the up and up: honest( Đàng hoàng, ngay thẳng).> The company seems to be on the up and up.

on the wagon :not drinking alcohol ( không uống rượu).> He is on the wagon. ( Đối chiếu Off the wagon )

on the warpath :very angry .>He is on the warpath today.

on the whole :in general ( Nói chung là ) .>On the whole I think it is a good idea.

on time :at the scheduled time .>Our train arrived right on time.

on top :in the lead (dẫn đầu).> The home team was on top for most of the game.

on top of (1): in addition to ( trên cả mọi việc-thêm vào đó).> On top of everything else she wants more jewelry.

on top of (2) : managing .>We are able to keep on top of our work.

on top of (3) : aware of (để ý tới).>She is usually on top of the latest fashion trends.

once and for all : absolutely .>She told him once and for all that she would not take the new job.

once in a blue moon : rarely (mấy thuở..)> She only goes to that restaurant once in a blue moon. ( Cô tâ mấy thuở đi nhà hàng đó!)

once in a while :occasionally( lâu lâu cũng..)> We go to that restaurant once in a while to eat Japanese food.

once or twice :a few times ( Một vài lần )>We went to that restaurant once or twice.

once-over :quick look ( nhìn lướt qua).>She gave the book a once-over before deciding to buy it.

out of control :chaotic ( Hỗn loạn).> Yeah, but it was out of control.

out of the book :directly from the book. (Ngay từ trong sách ra ).> The exams are all out of the book. over one's limit :exceeded your spending limit(Vung tay quá trán!)> It appears you are over your limit.old hat :boring and unchanging ( Vũ Như Cẩn ).> Her job has become old hat.

on a diet :trying to lose weight (Muốn sụt ký)>Are you on a diet or something?

on a shoestring :with very little money ( Với chút bẻo tiền).>He started the new company on a shoestring.

on again, off again: uncertain ( Cứ chập chờn).> The plans for the party were on again, off again.

on and off : intermittently.( Cứ hết rồi lại)> It has been raining on and off since this morning.

on and on :tediously (rề rà, thấy oải..)> The meeting continued on and on until the evening.

on an even keel : running smoothly( xuôi chèo mát mái)> The department is finally on an even keel.

on behalf of :representing.(Nhân danh cho)> The lawyer went to the meeting on behalf of his client.

on call : ready and available to work (Ứng trực ).> The technician was on call the entire night.

on cloud nine :very happy (Lên chin tầng mây).> She has been on cloud nine ever since she got married.

on credit :using a credit card ( Xà thẻ [tín dụng])>She decided to buy the table on credit.

on easy street : financially comfortable ( rủng rỉnh tiền bạc).>He has been on easy street since he sold his business.

on edge :nervous and irritable . (quạu quọ).>He has really been on edge because of his new job.

on end : continuously( suốt/ Liên tục).> We worked for hours on end last night.

on faith :without question.(Không thắc mắc gì cả)> She took his excuse on faith and decided to stay with him.

on guard :wary (lườm lườm canh chừng xem..)> He is staying on guard for any possible security problems.

on hand (1): available ( có bán).>The coffee shop had extra pastries on hand.

on hand (2):nearby ( gần đó) .>Please keep your dictionary on hand in case you need it.

on hand (3): present. (Có mặt).> The speaker will be on hand after the lecture if you have questions.

on ice :aside for later ( Để lại tính sau ).>The plans for the new stadium were put on ice.

on its last legs :at the end of its usefulness ( Gần hết xài.) >The television is on its last legs.

on one's back : bothering him ( rề rề /kè kè sau lưng ).>She has been on his back all week to get a new job.

on one's feet : recovered (ốm dậy).> She was on her feet after a long illness.

on one's shoulders : one’s responsibility ( phải gánh chịu).> The mistakes made in the department were on his shoulders.

on one's toes : alert ( cảnh giác).> The students were expected to stay on their toes. on pins and needles :excited and nervous ( phấn khích).> The players were on pins and needles waiting for the game to begin.

on purpose :intentionally ( có ý đồ) .> I think that she spilled the drink on purpose. on shaky ground :not secure ( Bấp bênh).>His position at the company is on shaky ground.odds and ends : various items. ( Đồ linh tinh)> We made games for the students using odds and ends from around the house.

of age : old enough for certain privileges. ( Tuổi đủ lớn).> When he became of age we had a big party for him to celebrate.

of age fully developed ( Đã phát triển hết mức).>Cars became of age many years ago.

of course : Certainly.> Of course you can use my car if you want to.

off again, on again :uncertain ( khi nầy khi nọ..).> The plans for the party were off again, on again.

off and on > intermittently ( Có rồi lại không ).> It has been raining off and on since this morning.

off base :inaccurate. (Thiếu Cơ sở-Không chính xác. ).> He was really off base on his estimate of the budget.

off beat : unconventional ( kỳ cục) .> The movie was very off beat.

off center :misaligned ( chệch choạt ).>The picture looks good on that wall but it's a little off center.

off color :inappropriate and offensive ( dung tục ).>He likes to tell off color jokes at work.

off duty: not working .>The police officer was off duty when the incident occurred.

off guard :by surprise

>The request caught her a little off guard.

off one's back :away and not bother ( Đi cho khuất mắt).> wish he would stay off my back.

off one's chest : stated and discussed.(Nêu ra và thảo luận).> She was able to get the problem off her chest.

off one's hands :out of his possession (Phủi tay bỏ).> He was able to get that car off his hands.

off one's rocker :crazy .>She must be off her rocker to pay that much for that dress.

off the beam : incorrect.> His comment about the business plan is off the beam. off the beaten path/ off the beaten track :not well known (Không nổi tiếng lắm.)>This restaurant is certainly off the beaten path./ off the beaten track

off the cuff :without thinking .( Buột miệng nói).>His rude comments were really made off the cuff.

off the hook :out of trouble (Hết rắc rối).>He is off the hook now that they realized it was not his mistake.

off the record :private.(Riêng tư).> He told the reporters to keep the information off the record.

off the top of one's head : from memory (Trong trí).>She could recite all fifty United States off the top of her head.

off the wagon : drinking alcohol again after stopping for awhile.> He is off the wagon.no way : not possible ( Không hề ! Đừng hòng! Làm gì có chuyện đó!)> No way to fit all those things in that purse.

no wonder : not surprising ( Chẳng lại gì mà..)> Since he stayed up all night, it is no wonder that he is tired.

nobody's home : the attention is elsewhere. (hồn vía đâu đâu..)> If you talk to him you will realize that nobody's home.

nobody's fool :an intelligent and independent person .>She is nobody's fool.

nose around / nose about look for something kept private .

>The secretary tries to nose around/nose about his desk when he is out.

not give someone the time of day :not give her any attention ( Hơi đâu mất thời giờ để ý ). >I would not give her the time of day. (Tôi hơi đâu mất thời giờ để ý cái bà đó!)

nothing doing not possible >Nothing doing. I am not working late tonight.

nothing if not :certainly( Không có nếu không gì cả !/ Chắc chắn)> He is nothing if notpunctual. (* Một cách dung khá lạ lẫm, nên ghi nhớ)

nothing to sneeze at : something that should be taken seriously.( Cái vụ nầy phải đàn hoàng đó nghe !). > The new business plan is nothing to sneeze at.

not much of a : not a goodIt is not much of a car, but it works.

not on your life : definitely not .>You want to borrow the car. - Not on your life.

not so hot :not good .>She has been feeling not so hot lately.

not touch something with a ten-foot pole : not want involvement with…(Chẳng muốn rớ tới..)> I would not touch that car with a ten-foot pole.

now and then :occasionally (lai rai..)>She likes to go to that restaurant now and then. (Cô ta cũng lai rai thích tới nhà hàng đó.)

number cruncher : person who works with numbers .>The owner of the company has always been a good number cruncher.

number one : oneself ( tự mình ên ) >Always looking out for number one is not the best idea.

nurse a grudge : keep a feeling of dislike.(thù dai ) > She will probably nurse a grudge towards her old boss for years.

nuts about :enthusiastic .( giống như Crazy about : mê…. như điên)>She is really nuts about watching movies.

nutty as a fruitcake : crazy .>The woman who lives next door to us is as nutty as a fruitcakenick of time : last possible moment .> He got to work in the nick of time.

nip and tuck : evenly matched .( Kẻ Tám Lạng Người Nữa cân) .> The two teams were nip and tuck until the end.

nip it in the bud : prevent it in the beginning .(Dập tắt ngay từ đầu).> Try to nip it in the bud before it becomes a bigger problem.

no bed of roses : not easy. (Chẳng dễ dàng gì đâu!).> Trying to work at two jobs is no bed of roses.

no cigar : not agreed to.( Không chịu) > He almost bought the car but in the end the sale was no cigar.

no deal : not agreed to.( Không chịu) .> He almost bought the car but in the end the sale was no deal.

no dice : no.> He wanted to borrow some money but she said no dice.

no doubt :no uncertainty . ( Không nghi ngờ gì nữa.).>There is no doubt which team will win this year.

no end :continually( Hoài, không dứt).> She cried no end after she lost her job.

no end to :no finish point. ( Bất tận).> There appears to be no end to this project.

no go : not happening. ( bất thành/Không có gì xảy ra.) .>The plans for this weekend are no go.

no great shakes :average.( bình thường/ không có gì là hay lắm ).> The restaurant was no great shakes.

no love lost : ill will( Ý xấu ).> There is no love lost between them.

no matter : regardless of( Bất kể ).> He cannot get good grades no matter how much he studies.

no picnic :difficult. ( Đâu phải –đi- chơi đâu!) >This new job assignment is no picnic.

no problem :okay .>It's no problem if you bring your friend to the party.

no show :absent ( Không xuất hiện).> I think that she will be a no show.

no sweat :okay.( Được mà !) >It's no sweat to finish the report on Monday.

no sweat :easily accomplished ( làm dễ ợt) >Installing the new light in the kitchen was no sweat. [** No sweat ! còn dùng để đáp lại lời cảm ơn thân mật.]nail down :make certain of (Muốn chắc như đinh đóng cột). > I want to nail down the exact time that we will meet tomorrow.

named after :given the name of ( Đặt tên theo..). > She was named after one of her cousins.

name is mud ; reputation is ruined ( ô danh, ô uế thanh danh) . > Your name is mud now that you were caught cheating on the exam.

name of the game : main objective (Mục tiêu chính ) . > The name of the game is to make money for the company.

narrow escape : barely avoided (Tránh được trong đường tơ kẻ tóc).> She had a narrow escape from injury when she fell off her bike.

neck and neck ; nearly equal (gần bằng, tương tài tương sức).> The two teams were neck and neck in the game.

neck of the woods : area (khu vực) .> She has never been to my neck of the woods.

needle in a haystack : close to impossible ( Mò kim đấy biển = mò kim trong đống rơm) >Finding your earrings in this field is like a needle in a haystack.

neither fish nor fowl : not in a definite group ( Chẳng ra cá cũng chẳng là gà = không thuộc loại nào hết ) .>This report is neither fish nor fowl and I am not sure where it should be filed.

neither here nor there :off the topic ( Trật đề ).> What he is saying is neither here nor there.

nervous Nellie : nervous person.> Try not to be such a nervous Nellie.

nest egg : amount of money saved ( Dành dụm được một ít ).>He has a good nest egg in the bank.

never mind : Do not bother.> Never mind, I can do the laundry.

new blood : fresh energy. (Thêm máu ).> The new employee sure has added new blood to this company.

new deal :complete change ( Một vụ hoàn toàn mới ) .> This business plan is certainly a new deal.

new person :person who has become better ( Một con người mới) .> Since she lost weight she is a new person. nice out nice weather It sure is nice out today.mad as a hornet : very angry. (giận dữ lắm).(= Dữ như ong vò vẽ)> He was mad as a hornet when I saw yesterday.

made a hit : was popular( Đã được ưa thích).> Her cake made a hit at the party.

make a beeline : go directly and quickly( Đi nhanh thẳng tới) .>She will probably make a beeline to the travel section.

make a bundle : make a lot of money (Kiếm cả đống tiền).> He could make a bundle on the stock market this year.

make a day of it :stay the entire day( Ở nguyên ngày).> We decided to make a day of it at the park.

make a dent: make progress ( Đạt tiến bộ trong..).> It seemed like we did not even make a dent towards completing the project.

make a difference : change anything(Thay đổi được gì đó).> It does not seem to make a difference if we talk or not.

make a go of: achieve success in.> He is trying to make a go of the business even though he is losing money .

make a killing : make a lot of money (Kiếm bộn tiền).> You can make a killing in Las Vegas. make a living : make enough money (Kiếm đủ tiền ).> You cannot make a living at your present job.

make a mistake : make an error .> Try not to make a mistake on the exam.

make a mountain out of a molehill: ake a big problem out of a small one (Làm to chuyện ).>Try not to make a mountain out of a molehill.

make a name for oneself : become famous ( Tạo dựng tên tuổi).> She is trying to make a name for herself in the field of literature.( Cô ta đang cố gắng tạo dựng tên tuổi trong lãnh vực văn học.)

make a pass at someone :make romantic advances to somebody.> She tried to make a pass at him and lost her job.

make a point of : have the intent of ( có chủ ý ).> You should make a point of doing your homework every night.

make a run for it : leave quickly( Dông lẹ) .> I think that she will make a run for it as soon as the class finished.

make away with leave with ( Đào tẩu với): .> The bank robber tried to make away with the money.

make believe: a pretend game (Trò chơi giả bộ).>The children were playing make believe.

make do with :substitute (thế cho).> You have to make do with milk instead of cream.

make ends meet : make enough money(Kiếm đủ tiền).> You cannot make ends meet at your present job.

make waves :cause trouble( Gây sự).> Try not to make waves around the office.

main drag : most important street.> The best hotels in Las Vegas are located on the main drag.

maxed out :exhausted( mệt đừ) .>I am maxed out at my work and need to rest.

means business : is serious (nghiêm túc-nghiêm trọng) : >The boss means business when he says to finish the project.

mellow out: relax (thư giản).>You need to mellow out and enjoy life.

munch out: eat a lot( Ăn nhiều )> I think that we should munch out at the buffet.pad the bill :add false expenses( Độn phiếu chi/ gian lận chi tiêu) .>He always tries to pad the bill when he goes on a business trip.

pain in the ass (1) annoying (Phiền phức).>My girlfriend's best friend is a pain in the ass.pain in the ass (2) : bothersome (Phiền hà ).>Dealing with my neighbor is always a pain in the ass.

pain in the neck : annoying( bực bội).> My girlfriend's best friend is a pain in the neck.

pain in the neck :bothersome ( Phiên phức ) .>Dealing with my neighbor is always a pain in the neck.

paint oneself into a corner : put yourself into a bad situation( Tự gây khó khăn).> Try not to paint yourself into a corner at work today.

paint the town red :have a good time.(Vui chơi).> We decided to go out and paint the town red after work.

palm off : lie about and dispose of.( Xạo để tống khứ.)> He tried to palm off his old television set as new and reliable.

pan out :become reality. (thành sự thật).> I hope that your plans to go back to school pan out.

par for the course :what is expected ( Đúng như tiên liệu).> He was late for work again which has become par for the course.

part and parcel : an important part. ( Một phần quan trọng.> The house he bought was part and parcel of a much larger piece of land.

pass away :die ( Quá vãng).> The old leader is expected to pass away soon.

pass muster :be adequate.(đầy đủ).> Tell me if you think the report will pass muster.

pass off : claim .>The salesperson tried to pass off that the diamond was real.

pass on :give away. (cho đứt , cho luôn ).

> She tries to pass on her old clothes to her younger sister.

pass on :die. ( Qua đời).> The old leader is expected to pass on soon.

pass out :faint. (Xỉu).> She is going to pass out if she drinks any more sake.

pass the buck : shift responsibility to others.(Trút trách nhiệm sang người khác).> He usually tries to pass the buck when there is a problem.

pat on the back :praise (khen ngợi).> Try to do good work without expecting a pat on the back.

patch up :fix. (Chỉnh đốn ) .> We have been trying to patch up this relationship.

pay attention : focus on and listen. (Để ý).> You should pay attention to what the teacher is saying.

pay off (1) : reduce the balance owed to zero on ( trả gần hết).> The homeowner was able to pay off the loan early.

pay off (2) : be successful ( Thành công).>The business plan began to pay off and the profits of the company increased.

pay off (3) bribe ( đút lót-hối lộ) .>The company tried to pay off the politician.

pay-off (4) monetary reward (Thu được tiền) .>The company is expecting a big pay-off from this new product.

pay through the nose :pay a lot of money. ( Trả ngập mủi).> She had to pay through the nose for her textbooks.

pick someone up :come and get you (đón).>What time do you want me to pick you up?

piece of cake :easy ( dễ ợt ).>My friends said her tests are a piece of cake.

piece of the action :share in the activity (chia phần) .>The investors knew the company would make money and they all wanted a piece of the action.

plays a mean : performs well on ( chơi độc lắm, chơi ác lắm).

>He plays a mean violin.(Hắn vhowi đàn vĩ cầm độc lắm/ác lắm)

pop for something :buy .>It is my turn to pop for the doughnuts.

psyched up :mentally ready (Chuẩn bị tinh thần sẳn sang..).>The players are really psyched up for the game on Friday.

pumped up : excited and ready ( hăm hở ) >The players are really pumped up for the game.( Các cầu thủ thiệt sự hăm hở vô trận.)

push off :leave (chuồn) >I am going to push off now. (Tao sắp sửa chuồn đây!)

put off : delay ( đình hoãn ) .> Yeah, I usually put off doing homework until the last minute.

put on :deception (trò gạt gẫm) > It was an elaborate put on which I almost believed.

put the moves on : seduce ( mồi chài, dụ dỗ).> You should give up trying to put the moves on her.

quick and dirty :fast but inadequate (qua loa).> The mechanic did a quick and dirty repair on her car.rack one's brains :think hard.( Năn óc, vắt óc..).> She had to rack her brains for one hour to get the answer.

rain check :free ticket (vé miễn phí).>He received a rain check to the baseball game after it was cancelled because of the rain.

rain check :permission .>The store gave her a rain check to purchase the product for the same price at a later date since it was sold out today. raining cats and dogs : raining very hard .>It has been raining cats and dogs all morning. ( Có lẽ mưa lớn quá nên chó với mèo đều vô nhà, không đi đâu nữa)

raise a fuss : complain ( cằn nhằn ).>The woman at the restaurant chose to raise a fuss when her meal arrived late.

raise a hand :do something (làm gì đó để…).>She will never raise a hand to help her friends.

raise Cain : create a disturbance(Quấy rối/ quậy phá ).> They began to raise Cain at the dance and were asked to leave.

raise eyebrows : cause surprise : (Trợn mắt..).>These crazy clothes should raise eyebrows at the office tomorrow.

rake in the money :make a lot of money ( Quơ tiền /Hốt bạc).>She should be able to rake in the money with that new product.( Ví von là tiền nhiều như lá rụng phải dung cào cỏ mà vun lại! nghe bắt ham!]

ran out of gas :lost momentum . (xìu ).>The politician ran out of gas during the campaign.

ream someone out :yell at somebody.( Chửi mắng).> The boss decided to ream him out for his bad report.

red ink :debt.> The company has been in red ink from the beginning.

rip off (1) :overpriced item ( Giá cắt cổ).>This car was really a rip off.

rip off (2) :steal ( Ăn cắp) >Someone tried to rip off her car last night.

rough time :hard time ( Thời buổi khó khăn).>We have had a rough time this winter.

run short :not have enough( Không có đủ).> If we don’t order supplies now, we will probably run short.

run the show :make the decisions.( Ra quyết định ).> It seems as if the boss really likes to run the show.

running off at the mouth :talking too much.( Tía lia..).> He is always running off at the mouth.on the air :broadcasting ( Phát song).>That television program has been on the air for awhile.

on the ball : intelligent .>He is really on the ball.

on the block :for sale >The office building is on the block.

on the bandwagon :participating in the same thing because of the actions of others( hùa theo-chó hùa [!?] ) >Now everyone is on the bandwagon. on the beam correct What she said was on the

beam.

on the blink : not working (hết chạy!) > The television is on the blink.

on the button :exactly on time (Đúng bon giờ).>She usually arrives at work on the button.

on the coat tails of :because of the previous actions of.> The actor got the part on the coat tails of his famous brother.

on the dole : receiving assistance (đang nhận trợ giúp) .>The area is very poor and there are many people on the dole.

on the dot :exactly on time. (Đúng bon giờ).> She usually arrives at work on the dot.

on the edge of one's seat : excited and nervous (phấn khích) .>She was on the edge of her seat waiting for the contest to begin.

on the go :busily moving around( bận đi đâu đó rồi).> He has been on the go since early this morning.

on the house : free ( Miễn phí).> The room at the hotel was on the house.

on the level : honest ( đàng hoàng ).>This repair shop is really on the level.

on the loose :wandering around (lang thang vòng vòng) .>Some of the animals at the zoo were on the loose.

on the make :trying to take advantage .( Cố chiếm thượng phong ).>He is on the make and will attempt to take your money.

on the mend :feeling better ( Thấy đỡ đỡ hơn).> She is on the mend after the car accident last week.

on the move :going to many places (Đi nhiều nơi).>She is traveling and has been on the move for many months.

on the nose :correct.> His estimate was on the nose.

on the other hand : in contrast (Ngược lại.Trái lại...).> She is intelligent but on the other hand she is very lazy.

on the road traveling ( đang đi ).>Some truck drivers are almost always on the road.

on the rocks (1):with ice ( có đá-nước đá) .>Would you like your whiskey on the rocks?

on the rocks (2) unstable (bấp bênh).>Their relationship appears to be on the rocks.

on the same wavelength :thinking the same way (Đúng băng tầng..)>We have been on the same wavelength for months.

on the sly :secretly(lén/lén lén).> We went to the restaurant on the sly.

on the spot : in an embarrassing situation (đứng như trời trồng !) >She really put him on the spot.

on the spur of the moment :suddenly ( Chợt bổng hứng ).>They decided to go to Los Angeles on the spur of the moment.

on the tip of one's tongue :not able to be recalled (Không thể nhớ nổi) .>The answer was on the tip of her tongue.

on the up and up: honest( Đàng hoàng, ngay thẳng).> The company seems to be on the up and up.

on the wagon :not drinking alcohol ( không uống rượu).> He is on the wagon. ( Đối chiếu Off the wagon )

on the warpath :very angry .>He is on the warpath today.

on the whole :in general ( Nói chung là ) .>On the whole I think it is a good idea.

on time :at the scheduled time .>Our train arrived right on time.

on top :in the lead (dẫn đầu).> The home team was on top for most of the game.

on top of (1): in addition to ( trên cả mọi việc-thêm vào đó).> On top of everything else she wants more jewelry.

on top of (2) : managing .>We are able to keep on top of our work.

on top of (3) : aware of (để ý tới).>She is usually on top of the latest fashion trends.

once and for all : absolutely .>She told him once and for all that she would not take the new job.

once in a blue moon : rarely (mấy thuở..)> She only goes to that restaurant once in a blue moon. ( Cô tâ mấy thuở đi nhà hàng đó!)

once in a while :occasionally( lâu lâu cũng..)> We go to that restaurant once in a while to eat Japanese food.

once or twice :a few times ( Một vài lần )>We went to that restaurant once or twice.

once-over :quick look ( nhìn lướt qua).>She gave the book a once-over before deciding to buy it.

out of control :chaotic ( Hỗn loạn).> Yeah, but it was out of control.

out of the book :directly from the book. (Ngay từ trong sách ra ).> The exams are all out of the book. over one's limit :exceeded your spending limit(Vung tay quá trán!)> It appears you are over your limit.old hat :boring and unchanging ( Vũ Như Cẩn ).> Her job has become old hat.

on a diet :trying to lose weight (Muốn sụt ký)>Are you on a diet or something?

on a shoestring :with very little money ( Với chút bẻo tiền).>He started the new company on a shoestring.

on again, off again: uncertain ( Cứ chập chờn).> The plans for the party were on again, off again.

on and off : intermittently.( Cứ hết rồi lại)> It has been raining on and off since this morning.

on and on :tediously (rề rà, thấy oải..)> The meeting continued on and on until the evening.

on an even keel : running smoothly( xuôi chèo mát mái)> The department is finally on an even keel.

on behalf of :representing.(Nhân danh cho)> The lawyer went to the meeting on behalf of his client.

on call : ready and available to work (Ứng trực ).> The technician was on call the entire night.

on cloud nine :very happy (Lên chin tầng mây).> She has been on cloud nine ever since she got married.

on credit :using a credit card ( Xà thẻ [tín dụng])>She decided to buy the table on credit.

on easy street : financially comfortable ( rủng rỉnh tiền bạc).>He has been on easy street since he sold his business.

on edge :nervous and irritable . (quạu quọ).>He has really been on edge because of his new job.

on end : continuously( suốt/ Liên tục).> We worked for hours on end last night.

on faith :without question.(Không thắc mắc gì cả)> She took his excuse on faith and decided to stay with him.

on guard :wary (lườm lườm canh chừng xem..)> He is staying on guard for any possible security problems.

on hand (1): available ( có bán).>The coffee shop had extra pastries on hand.

on hand (2):nearby ( gần đó) .>Please keep your dictionary on hand in case you need it.

on hand (3): present. (Có mặt).> The speaker will be on hand after the lecture if you have questions.

on ice :aside for later ( Để lại tính sau ).>The plans for the new stadium were put on ice.

on its last legs :at the end of its usefulness ( Gần hết xài.) >The television is on its last legs.

on one's back : bothering him ( rề rề /kè kè sau lưng ).

>She has been on his back all week to get a new job.

on one's feet : recovered (ốm dậy).> She was on her feet after a long illness.

on one's shoulders : one’s responsibility ( phải gánh chịu).> The mistakes made in the department were on his shoulders.

on one's toes : alert ( cảnh giác).> The students were expected to stay on their toes. on pins and needles :excited and nervous ( phấn khích).> The players were on pins and needles waiting for the game to begin.

on purpose :intentionally ( có ý đồ) .> I think that she spilled the drink on purpose. on shaky ground :not secure ( Bấp bênh).>His position at the company is on shaky ground.odds and ends : various items. ( Đồ linh tinh)> We made games for the students using odds and ends from around the house.

of age : old enough for certain privileges. ( Tuổi đủ lớn).> When he became of age we had a big party for him to celebrate.

of age fully developed ( Đã phát triển hết mức).>Cars became of age many years ago.

of course : Certainly.> Of course you can use my car if you want to.

off again, on again :uncertain ( khi nầy khi nọ..).> The plans for the party were off again, on again.

off and on > intermittently ( Có rồi lại không ).> It has been raining off and on since this morning.

off base :inaccurate. (Thiếu Cơ sở-Không chính xác. ).> He was really off base on his estimate of the budget.

off beat : unconventional ( kỳ cục) .> The movie was very off beat.

off center :misaligned ( chệch choạt ).>The picture looks good on that wall but it's a little off center.

off color :inappropriate and offensive ( dung tục ).>He likes to tell off color jokes at work.

off duty: not working .>The police officer was off duty when the incident occurred.

off guard :by surprise >The request caught her a little off guard.

off one's back :away and not bother ( Đi cho khuất mắt).> wish he would stay off my back.

off one's chest : stated and discussed.(Nêu ra và thảo luận).> She was able to get the problem off her chest.

off one's hands :out of his possession (Phủi tay bỏ).> He was able to get that car off his hands.

off one's rocker :crazy .>She must be off her rocker to pay that much for that dress.

off the beam : incorrect.> His comment about the business plan is off the beam. off the beaten path/ off the beaten track :not well known (Không nổi tiếng lắm.)>This restaurant is certainly off the beaten path./ off the beaten track

off the cuff :without thinking .( Buột miệng nói).>His rude comments were really made off the cuff.

off the hook :out of trouble (Hết rắc rối).>He is off the hook now that they realized it was not his mistake.

off the record :private.(Riêng tư).> He told the reporters to keep the information off the record.

off the top of one's head : from memory (Trong trí).>She could recite all fifty United States off the top of her head.

off the wagon : drinking alcohol again after stopping for awhile.> He is off the wagon.tail between one's legs : feeling ashamed and beaten ( Cúp đuôi ).>Because of the scandal, he quit the company with his tail between his legs. (Do vụ tai tiếng, hắn đã cúp đuôi rút khỏi công ty)

take a back seat : accept a lower position. ( Chị xuống chức).> I had to take a back seat for the benefit of the company.( Tôi đã phải chịu xuống chức vì quyền lợi của công ty)

take a crack at :attempt. ( có ý đồ , thử).> She decided to take a crack at the entrance exam.( Cô ấy định thi thử kỳ thi tuyển sinh.)

take a dim view of: disapprove of ( Chê bai, chê trách ).>Our company will always take a dim view of dishonest people.

take a hike : leave .>I am tired of all your complaining. You should take a hike.

take a leak : urinate .( Đi xì xì, đi tè !).>He stopped at the side of the road to take a leak.

take a nosedive : decrease in value ( Xuống giá).>The stock price is expected to take a nosedive soon after it is sold to the public.

take a powder :leave quickly ( Dông lẹ, chuồn nhanh ).>She decided to take a powder after the meeting.

Take a shine to : like.> He began to take a shine to the cute girl in the class.

take a stand on :be decisive on .>The President decided to take a stand on the tax issue.

take a trip :go.> We plan to take a trip to Japan in July.

take advantage of : benefit from ( Tận hưởng).>Take advantage of the beautiful weather and go to the beach.

Take after : resemble.> He tries to take after his brother and wears the same type of clothes.

take back : revoke ( Rút lại ) .>He had to take back what he said about his boss.

take care of (1): give attention to .>You should take care of your health.

take care of (2) deal with .>She had to take care of the paperwork.

take down : write.> Please take down many notes during the lecture.

take down : dismantle ( tháo ra-thành nhiều phần nhỏ.) > We had to take down our tent

because of the rain. ( Bọn tôi phải “nhổ” lều vì trời mưa )

take in a show : watch a movie .>Maybe I'm gonna take in a show tonight.

take on : hire >The company is expected to take on more employees next year.

take over : take control of( Chiếm lĩnh ).> The larger bank is expected to take over the smaller bank.

take roll :check attendance.( Kiểm tra số người tham dự )> I'm going to take roll now.take stock : count the items of merchandise or supplies in stock .( Kiểm hàng trong kho).>The store usually has to take stock every three months.

take the company public : sell shares of the company to the general public .( Lên sàng chứng khoán) >The owner needed more money and decided to take the company public.

taken for : cheated out of .>He was taken for all his money at the casino.

taking care of business :doing what I have to do ( làm những việc cần làm).>I have been taking care of business.

team player : someone who works well with others.> He is really a team player.

the inside track : the advantage over others. ( Chiếm thế thượng phong).> He knows the manager so he has the inside track for getting the new job.

throw cold water on : forbid.( Tạt một gáo nước lạnh vào..).> The manager decided to throw cold water on the plans to leave early for the weekend.

throw more money at : try to solve the problem by spending more money on ( Chịu chi tiền).> The product may do better in the market if we throw more money at it.

tight spot :difficult situation ( lâm thế kẹt/ khó khăn).>The new product is not selling as well as expected and has put the company in a tight spot.

to move on : to seduce ( tấn công ).>I am going to try to move on Joan next Saturday. ( Tao định tấn công em Joan vào chúa Nhật tới)

took a bath : experienced great losses .( Thất bại nặng nề.).>She took a bath on the stock market last year.

took a beating :lost money .>His brother really took a beating on the stock market recently.

tool around : drive around .( Lái xe vòng vòng).>I don't want to tool around all night. It is time to go home.

turn off : repulsive thing ( Chuyện bắt nản !) .>The awful language that he uses is a turn off. ( cái ngôn ngữ hắn dùng nghe thấy nản !)

turn over : rate of sale ( Mãi lực ).>The new product turn over has been incredible.saddled with debt : burdened with debt.( Nợ nần chồng chất!) > The company has been saddled with debt.

said a mouthful said something of great importance .( Nói chuyện quan trọng gì đó).>He really said a mouthful at the office meeting.

sail into :scold ( “dập” ).> As soon as I came in the door she began to sail into me for being late.( Ngay lúc vừa vào tới cửa là bả “dập” tui một trận vì đi trể !)

salt away : save . ( Có lẽ là do nghĩa “ướp muối” để dành ? )>She was able to salt away a few thousand dollars from her new job.

save face :protect his reputation ( giữ thể diện ).> The manager was able to save face when he showed that the loss of money was outside of his control. [ Lose face : mất thể diện ]( Hơi giống tiếng Việt nhỉ ?]

save one's breath : remain silent ( Nín thinh ).>You should save your breath because I do not believe you anyway.

save one's neck/save one's skin : avoid trouble ( né rắc rối ).>He quit the company during the scandal in order to save his neck./save one's skin save the day : brought about success .(mang thành công dến ).>She saved the day for her company.

screw around : waste time. ( cứ rề rà..).> Do not screw around at work.

screw up : make a mistake If you screw up one more time, I will fire you.screw up person who makes mistakes .>You are such a screw up.

selling like hotcakes :selling very quickly.( Bán chạy như tôm tươi ).> The new product is so cheap, it’s selling like hotcakes.

sell out :sell completely( bán sạch bách!).> Our best products seem to sell out very quickly.

shape up or ship out : improve or leave.( Làm ngon hơn không thì biến!).> You have the lowest production in this department so you better shape up or ship out.

shell out : pay. >Time to shell out some money.

shoot some hoops :play basketball.> After school, let's shoot some hoops.

Short on funds : low on money ( sắp cạn túi !) .> I am kind of short on funds now.

shot down : disagreed with.> Everyone shot down my idea.

slim to none : almost impossible ( Hầu như không thể )>I think our chances of getting in are slim to none.

steamed up : angry .( Chắc là do nóng quá nên xì hơi/ bốc hỏa ?)>Don't get so steamed up over the issue.

strike while the iron is hot take advantage of this opportunity .( Làm mau kẻo nguội /tận dụng cơ may) >The stocks price is a good deal so we should strike while the iron is hot.ugly duckling : unattractive.(xấu quắt = Vịt con xấu xí)> She was an ugly duckling when she was a child.

under a cloud : under suspicion ( Có hơi hám nghi ngờ).>The politician has been under a cloud over the possibility of taking bribes.

under a cloud : depressed ( ảm đạm , u ám).>He has been under a cloud since he lost his job.

under cover : in disguise ( Hoạt động chìm) .> The detective went under cover to look for the drug dealers.

under fire : being scrutinized : (soi mói, xăm soi, ..).>The owner is under fire for poor working conditions at the factory.

under one's belt (1):completed. ( lận lưng) .> He already has enough experience as a manager under his belt.

under one's belt (2) : in his stomach ( Đầy một bụng).>After he has a big breakfast under his belt, he is ready for work.

under one's breath : quietly( thì thào ). > He was talking under his breath in the library.

under one's nose : in an obvious place ( ngay trước mắt/mủi ).>He found his wallet under his nose.

under one's own steam : without assistance.( Tự mình ên ).> He completed the project under his own steam.

under one's thumb : under his control.(Nắm trong tay..).> He is only a salesman but he has his boss under his thumb.

under one's wing : under his care ( trong che chở/ chăm sóc ).>He took the new employee under his wing.

under the counter : secretly ( Dưới Quày) .>The drugs are being sold under the counter. [ Giống như Under the Table]

under the hammer : up for sale at an auction ( Đưa lên đấu giá )> The painting went under the hammer and sold for a very high price.[ Cái búa của chủ tọa phiên đấu giá sẽ nện xuống khi chốt giá sau cùng]

under the table : in secret and illegally ( chung chi phi pháp) .>He paid some money under the table in order to get his product exported into the country.

under the weather : ill.> He is feeling under the weather so he is going to bed early tonight.under wraps : not allowed to be seen ( Không cho xem).>The new car was still under wraps when the auto show started. [ còn trong gói.]

unearthly hour : absurdly early ( sớm..ve kêu ) > We got up at an unearthly hour this morning so we could get ready to go camping. [ đành mượn chử “ve kêu” chứ dịch theo unearthy : ngoài trần thế nghe khá lạ lẫm.]

until hell freezes over : for an eternity ( vĩnh viễn).>He said that he would not talk to his friend again until hell freezes over. [ Chờ đến khi địa ngục lạnh đến đóng băng thì đúng là chờ vĩnh viễn !]

up against : in contact with (áp vô).> The ladder was standing up against the tree in the yard.

up for grabs :available ( xài được).This is a good sale. Everything is up for grabs.

up against :confronted with( Đương đầu với ).> He was up against a lot of problems when he went to university.

up and about : recovered.> She is now up and about after her injury.

up front :honest.> He was up front about the condition of the car.

up in arms : very angry and ready to fight( giận đến muốn đánh lộn).> The villagers were up in arms over the proposal.( Giơ cao vũ khí!)

up in the air : undecided. ( Còn lơ lửng) .> It is still up in the air whether or not she will attend college.

up one's alley : something he is good at.> Computer programming is up his alley.

up one's sleeve : something kept secret .>He probably has something up his sleeve. ( Do các nhà ảo thuật thường dấu đồ trong tay áo)

upper crust : most famous and importan people .>The upper crust of the city are members of this country club.

upper hand : advantage ( trên cơ- tay trên..) The union members have the upper hand in the negotiations.

ups and downs : moments of good and bad fortune ( Khi lên khi xuống!) .He is having a few ups and downs but generally he is doing well.

upset the applecart : ruin the situation.(Làm hư bột hư đường).> Try not to upset the applecart. (Ráng đừng làm hư bột hư đường đó nghe!)

up the creek :in trouble .>She is up the creek now that she has lost her homework.

up the creek without a paddle : in trouble and unable to do anything about it.(Gặp rắc rối hết phương/thuốc cứu chửa ).> She is up the creek without a paddle now that she failed the class.

up the river without a paddle : in trouble and unable to do anything about it .(Gặp rắc rối

hết phương/thuốc cứu chửa ).>She is up the river without a paddle now that she failed the class.

up to : as high as ; (Cao tới tận).>The snow was up to her waist.

up to :secretly planning (Mưu sự gì đây ).>She was trying to figure out what he was up to.

up to : the decision of( tùy ý nơi).> It is up to his wife whether or not they purchase the house.

up to it : able to do it ( có thể làm ).> They were not sure if he was up to it or not.

up to the job : able to do it ( có thể làm ).>They were not sure if he was up to the job or not.

up to : until( Đến tận..).> She had not been to Japan up to this year.

up till /until :until ( Tới tận ).>She had not been to Japan up till/until this year.

up to one's ears : very busy ( bận bịu lút đầu ).> She is up to her ears with the project. up to par /scratch/snuff /the mark : at the usual level.( Đạt đến chuẩn ).> His work was not up to par /scratch /snuff /the mark and he was asked to quit his job.

up to someone : one’s decision ( tùy quyết định của ai đó).>It is up to her when it is time to leave. (Tùy bả quyết định khi nào đi!)

up to the chin :deeply involved (ngập quá sâu vào) .>He has been up to the chin in the project.

use one's head /use one's bean/one's noodle/one's noggin : think.(Xài cái đầu,).> You should use your head /use your bean /use your noodle /your noggin a little more.