CAE. Idioms p.5

Дата публикации: Nov 09, 2016 9:54:20 AM

break every rule in the book - If you behave in a completely unacceptable way, you break every rule in the book.

Our competitors obtained the contract by breaking every rule in the book.

in harness - on duty or at work.

For example, Despite his illness he's determined to continue in harness. It also is put as be back in harness, meaning "to return to duty or work," as in After a long vacation she's finally back in harness. This expression alludes to horses harnessed to perform work. [First half of 1800s] Also see die with one's boots on (in harness).

die with one's boots on

Also, die in harness. Expire while working, keep working to the end, as in He'll never retire-he'll die with his boots on, or She knows she'll never get promoted, but she wants to die in harness. Both phrases probably allude to soldiers who died on active duty. Until the early 1600s the noun boot denoted a piece of armor for the legs, which may have given rise to this usage; and Shakespeare used harness in the sense of armor when he wrote: "At least we'll die with harness on our back" ( Macbeth 5:5).

sink your teeth into something - to start to do something with a lot of energy and enthusiasm

She'd only had small parts in films and was hoping for a bigger, more interesting part, something she could sink her teeth into.

It's a really exciting project – I can't wait to sink my teeth into it.

on a wing and a prayer

Fig. to arrive or fly in with one's plane in very bad condition. (Sometimes used fig. of other vehicles. *Typically: come (in) ~; arrive ~.)

Finally we could see the plane through the smoke, coming in on a wing and a prayer.

if you do something on a wing and a prayer, you do it hoping that you will succeed although you are not prepared enough for it

With scarcely any funding and a staff of six, they operate on a wing and a prayer.

chance your arm - (British English, informal) to take a risk although you will probably fail

second to none - better than everything else.

This is an excellent car—second to none.

Her suggestion was second to none, and the manager accepted it eagerly.

a cog in the machine/wheel - (informal) a person who is a small part of a large organization

I'm tired of working in this thankless IT support job. I don't want to be just a cog in the machine anymore!

be on the ball (informal) - to be quick to understand and to react to things

I rely on my co-driver to be on the ball.

I didn't sleep well last night and I'm not really on the ball today.

be on top of sth (informal) - to be able to control a situation or deal with it

have a go at something/doing something - to try to do something take a crack at something/doing something

Tyler is having a go at a career in music.

Let me have a go at getting that window open.

have a go at somebody

1. (British & Australian informal) to criticize someone angrily

She had a go at me over breakfast this morning - she said I wasn't doing my share of the housework.

2. (British & Australian informal) to attack someone physically

A couple of kids had a go at him as he was leaving school.

live out of a suitcase - Fig. to stay very briefly in several places, never unpacking one's luggage.

I hate living out of a suitcase. For my next vacation, I want to go to just one place and stay there the whole time.