jot down
Meaning: If you jot something down, you quickly write it down on a pad or piece of paper.
step down
Meaning: to resign from a job or a position
take back
Meaning: If a store takes back something they've sold, they allow the buyer to return it for a refund, or exchange it.
grow up
Meaning: to change from being a child to being an adult, or from being an immature adult to being a mature adult
watch out
Meaning: If you tell someone to watch out, you tell them to be careful or warn them of a danger.
see through
Meaning: If you see something through, you continue with it right to the end.
throw up
Meaning: If someone throws up, they vomit up the contents of their stomach.
look for
Meaning: If you are looking for something, you're trying to find it.
opt out
Meaning: If you opt out of something, you choose not to be involved in it.
go along with
Meaning: to agree with someone or to support something
wait on
Meaning: to serve someone in a restaurant, or to act as a servant for someone and do whatever they ask you to do
hold out on
Meaning: to refuse to give information to someone
come up against
Meaning: to face a difficult situation or a difficult opponent
come across
Meaning: to find something or meet someone by chance
shoot up
Meaning: to quickly increase in size, number or level
keep off
Meaning: to avoid something like a certain food or a certain topic in conversation
cheer on
Meaning: to shout loudly to encourage someone, especially someone who's playing sport or competing in a race
try on
Meaning: to put on clothes or shoes before buying them to see if they fit properly and look good
go into
Meaning: to talk about or discuss something in detail
jam into
Meaning: to force too many things or people into a small space
frighten away
Meaning: If you frighten away something or someone, you make them go away by making them feel afraid.
embark on
Meaning: to begin something, usually something that will be challenging and time-consuming
get out
Meaning: to move out of an enclosed space, such as a building or a car
care for
Meaning: If you care for someone, you like them a lot and have a strong affection for them.
believe in
Meaning: If you believe in something, you're sure that it's true or it really exists.
set back
Meaning: to make something happen more slowly, or at a later time, than it would have
come up
Meaning: to appear, occur, or become available
write out
Meaning: to write information on an official document before giving it to someone
cut down
Meaning: to reduce the amount, number or size of something
notch up
Meaning: to achieve something like a win or a record
move over
Meaning: If you move over, you change position to make room for someone or something, or to block someone or something.
bring forward
Meaning: to change the date or time of an event so that it happens earlier than originally planned
ask over
Meaning: If you ask some people over, you invite them to your house.
drop by
Meaning: to make a short, casual visit somewhere
bring off
Meaning: to succeed in doing something that's difficult
save up
Meaning: to put something aside for the future
come in handy
Meaning: You can say something might come in handy if you think it might be useful.
fresh as a daisy
Meaning: If you feel as fresh as a daisy, you feel energetic and lively.
a weight off your shoulders
Meaning: You can say a weight is off your shoulders if you no longer have to worry about something or deal with something difficult.
have your head in the clouds
Meaning: If someone has their head in the clouds, they are out of touch with the everyday world and can be unrealistic or naive as a result.
neck of the woods
Meaning: A neck of the woods is a neighbourhood or a district, usually rural.
right down your alley | right up your alley
Meaning: If something is right down your alley, or right up your alley, it would be perfect for you or ideal for your skills and interests.
in the black
Meaning: If a person or a company is in the black, their assets are greater than their debts.
year in, year out
Meaning: If something has happened year in, year out, it's happened every year for many years in a row.
in deep water
Meaning: If you're in deep water, you're in some sort of trouble or in a difficult situation.
take the bull by the horns
Meaning: If you take the bull by the horns, you deal with a problem or a challenge in a direct and fearless way.
under the weather
Meaning: If you are under the weather, you're not feeling well.
virgin territory
Meaning: You can say something is virgin territory if it's never been explored before or never been done before.
kill time
Meaning: You kill time when you do something to amuse yourself while waiting for something.
leave well enough alone | let well enough alone
Meaning: If you leave well enough alone, or let well enough alone, you don't try to improve or change something that's already good enough.
warts and all
Meaning: If you show something warts and all, you show it exactly as it is without trying to hide any of its faults or weaknesses.
set the world on fire
Meaning: If you set the world on fire, you do something that creates a lot of excitment and makes you famous.
yellow-bellied
Meaning: If someone is yellow-bellied, they are not brave, or they are cowardly.
up in arms
Meaning: If you are up in arms, you are angry about something that you think is unfair or wrong.
wear your heart on your sleeve
Meaning: If you wear your heart on your sleeve, you show your emotions openly and you don't try to hide your feelings.
kill time
Meaning: You kill time when you do something to amuse yourself while waiting for something.
eat your words
Meaning: If you eat your words, you admit that something you said was wrong.
run-of-the-mill
Meaning: Something is run-of-the-mill if it is ordinary and nothing special.
a zebra crossing
Meaning: A zebra crossing is a pedestrian crossing that is marked on the road with painted black and white stripes.
hard to swallow
Meaning: Something that someone has said is hard to swallow if it's difficult to believe.
a zero-sum game
Meaning: A zero-sum game is a situation in which any gain by one side or person is at the expense of a loss to another side or person involved in the situation.
a kick in the teeth
Meaning: If you get a kick in the teeth, something bad happens to you or you feel that you've been treated poorly.
a vested interest
Meaning: If you have a vested interest in something, you have a strong personal interest in it because you stand to gain from it.
ill at ease
Meaning: If you're ill at ease, you feel tense or you can't relax in a situation.
chicken out
Meaning: to change one's mind about doing something because of fear
merry
Meaning: slightly and happily drunk
effing
Meaning: used as a less offensive substitute for the highly-offensive taboo word "fucking"
umpteen
Meaning: many, countless
ex-con
Meaning: someone who has spent time in jail
pissed off
Meaning: angry, annoyed
funk
Meaning: (in phrase be in a funk) an unhappy, depressed mood
run-in
Meaning: a serious argument or problem with someone
unglued
Meaning: mentally confused and emotionally strained
zap
Meaning: to destroy, to obliterate
aggro
Meaning: aggressive, violent
knock over
Meaning: to rob a store or a bank
kick-ass
Meaning: forceful, aggressive
zero
Meaning: a worthless person, someone who's done nothing worthwhile in life
Mickey Finn | Mickey | mickey
Meaning: a drink to which a drug has been added to make the drinker sleepy or unconscious
Uncut
Meaning: not circumcised
decide on
Meaning: If you decide on something, you choose one thing from among two or more possible options.
meet with
Meaning: to get a certain reaction or response, either positive or negative
hold up
Meaning: to steal from someone while threatening them with a gun or asimilar weapon
carry out
have out
Meaning: If you have something out, like a tooth or an organ, it's removed from your body.
sit up
Meaning: If you sit up, you get up into a sitting position after you've been lying down.
jack up
Meaning: to increase the price or the cost of something by a large amount
set back
Meaning: If something has set you back fifty dollars, it has cost you fifty dollars.
leave behind
Meaning: If you left something behind, you forgot to bring it with you.
instil in
Meaning: to condition someone to follow a certain belief or to behave in a certain way
take in
Meaning: to include something
fall out
Meaning: If something falls out, it becomes detached from whatever it's attached to.
stand out
Meaning: If somebody stands out, they are easy to see because there is something unusual about the way they look or the way they behave.
go away
Meaning: to leave or go to another place
become of
Meaning: If you ask what has become of someone you haven't seen or heard from for a long time, you want to know what's happened to them.
buckle up
Meaning: to fasten a seatbelt in a car or on a plane
under lock and key
Meaning: If something is under lock and key, it is kept in a very secure place.
elbow grease
Meaning: If something needs elbow grease, it needs a lot of hard physical work.
the jewel in the crown
Meaning: If something is the jewel in the crown, it's part of a group or set of similar things, and it's the best of them all.
caught red-handed
Meaning: If someone is caught red-handed, they are caught in the act of doing something wrong such as cheating or stealing.
jump down your throat | jump all over you
Meaning: If someone jumps down your throat, or jumps all over you, they strongly criticise you or scold you.
the year dot | the year one
Meaning: You can say "the year dot", or "the year one", when you're talking about a very, very long time ago.
a fair-weather friend
Meaning: A fair-weather friend is a person who will only be your friend when things are going well for you.
answer the call of nature
Meaning: If you answer the call of nature, you go to the toilet.
easy on the eye
Meaning: If something is easy on the eye, it is pleasant to look at.
under the table
Meaning: If something is done under the table, it's done secretly, usually because it's illegal or unethical.
kick the bucket
Meaning: If someone kicks the bucket, they die.
dirt cheap
Meaning: You can say something is dirt cheap if it costs very little money.
give the green light
Meaning: If you give something the green light, you give permission for it to be done, or allow it to happen.
par for the course
Meaning: If something is par for the course, it's what you'd expect it to be.
up a gum tree
Meaning: If you're up a gum tree, you're in trouble or have a serious problem.