200 Idioms (Thành Ngữ Tiếng Anh) Phổ Biến Trong Các Kỳ Thi Tiếng Anh.pdf

Example: Don’t judge a book by its cover; he’s very kind.. Example: He’s in hot water after missing the deadline.. Example: Stop yanking my chain, I know you’re joking.. Example: He drop

200 Common Idioms for English Exams

Part 1: 200 Common Idioms

1 Raining cats and dogs: rain heavily Example: It’s raining cats and

dogs outside!

2 Chalk and cheese: very different from each other Example: My brother

and I are like chalk and cheese

3 Here and there: everywhere Example: I’ve been searching here and

there for my keys

4 A hot potato: something difficult or dangerous to deal with Example:

The abortion issue is a hot potato in the US

5 At the drop of a hat: immediately, instantly Example: I can come at

the drop of a hat if you need me

6 Back to the drawing board: time to start from the beginning; it is

time to plan something over again Example: My plans failed, so it’sback to the drawing board

7 Beat about the bush: avoiding the main topic, not speaking directly

about the issue Example: Stop beating about the bush and answer me

8 Bite the bullet: to endure a painful or otherwise unpleasant situation.

Example: I had to bite the bullet and finish the project

9 Break the ice: to start a conversation in a social situation Example:

She told a joke to break the ice

10 Burn the midnight oil: to work late into the night Example: I burned

the midnight oil to finish my homework

11 Call it a day: to stop working on something Example: Let’s call it a

day and go home

12 Catch someone red-handed: to catch someone in the act of doing

something wrong Example: The police caught the thief red-handed

13 Cut to the chase: to get to the point without wasting time Example:

Let’s cut to the chase and discuss the main issue

14 Down to the wire: something that ends at the last minute Example:

The race was down to the wire

15 Easy does it: to do something slowly and carefully Example: Easy

does it when you carry that fragile box

16 Face the music: to accept the consequences of your actions Example:

He had to face the music after breaking the rules

17 Get out of hand: to become out of control Example: The party got

out of hand last night

18 Hit the nail on the head: to describe exactly what is causing a

situ-ation Example: You hit the nail on the head with your analysis

19 In the bag: certain to be achieved Example: The victory is in the bag

for our team

20 Jump the gun: to do something too soon Example: He jumped the

gun by starting the race early

21 Keep an eye on: to watch or monitor something closely Example:

Keep an eye on the baby while I cook

22 Let the cat out of the bag: to reveal a secret Example: She let the

cat out of the bag about the surprise party

23 Make a long story short: to tell something briefly Example: To make

a long story short, we won the game

24 No pain, no gain: you have to work hard to achieve something

Ex-ample: No pain, no gain when training for a marathon

25 On cloud nine: extremely happy Example: She was on cloud nine after

getting the job

26 Piece of cake: something very easy Example: The test was a piece of

cake

27 Quick and dirty: something done fast but not perfectly Example: We

need a quick and dirty solution for now

28 Roll up your sleeves: to prepare to work hard Example: It’s time to

roll up your sleeves and get to work

29 See eye to eye: to agree with someone Example: We don’t always

see eye to eye on this topic

30 Take it with a grain of salt: to not take something too seriously.

Example: Take his advice with a grain of salt

31 Under the weather: feeling sick or unwell Example: I’m feeling under

the weather today

32 Vanish into thin air: to disappear suddenly Example: The magician

vanished into thin air

33 Walk on eggshells: to be very careful around someone Example: I

have to walk on eggshells around my boss

34 X marks the spot: the exact location Example: X marks the spot

where the treasure is buried

35 You can say that again: to agree strongly with someone Example:

That was a great movie—you can say that again!

36 Zigzag path: a route with many twists and turns Example: We took a

zigzag path through the mountains

37 All ears: fully listening Example: I’m all ears, tell me your story.

38 Barking up the wrong tree: looking in the wrong place Example:

You’re barking up the wrong tree if you think I did it

39 Carry the torch: to continue a task or tradition Example: She carried

the torch for her family’s business

40 Don’t judge a book by its cover: don’t judge based on appearance.

Example: Don’t judge a book by its cover; he’s very kind

41 Eat your words: to admit you were wrong Example: He had to eat his

words after losing the bet

42 Fill the bill: to be suitable for a task Example: This candidate fills the

bill perfectly

43 Give someone the cold shoulder: to ignore someone Example: She

gave him the cold shoulder at the party

44 Hold your horses: to wait a moment Example: Hold your horses, I’m

not ready yet

45 In hot water: in trouble Example: He’s in hot water after missing the

deadline

46 Jack of all trades: someone who can do many things Example: He’s

a jack of all trades around the house

47 Kick the bucket: to die Example: The old man kicked the bucket last

night

48 Let sleeping dogs lie: to avoid causing trouble Example: Let’s let

sleeping dogs lie and not bring it up

49 Make ends meet: to manage financially Example: It’s hard to make

ends meet with one salary

50 Off the hook: no longer in trouble Example: He’s off the hook now

that the truth is out

51 Pull someone’s leg: to joke with someone Example: I was just pulling

your leg about the surprise

52 Run out of steam: to lose energy Example: I ran out of steam after

the long day

53 Spill the beans: to reveal a secret Example: Who spilled the beans

about the plan?

54 Take the bull by the horns: to deal with a problem directly Example:

She took the bull by the horns and solved the issue

55 Up in the air: uncertain Example: Our plans are still up in the air.

56 Wear your heart on your sleeve: to show emotions openly Example:

He wears his heart on his sleeve

57 X factor: a special quality Example: Her performance had that x factor.

58 Yank someone’s chain: to tease someone Example: Stop yanking

my chain, I know you’re joking

59 Zip it: to be quiet Example: Zip it, the movie is starting.

60 Apple of my eye: someone cherished Example: My daughter is the

apple of my eye

61 Best of both worlds: all advantages Example: This job offers the best

of both worlds

62 Cry over spilled milk: to complain about something that can’t be

changed Example: There’s no use crying over spilled milk

63 Drop the ball: to make a mistake Example: He dropped the ball on

that project

64 Every cloud has a silver lining: every bad situation has a positive

side Example: Every cloud has a silver lining; we learned from it

65 Fish out of water: feeling out of place Example: I felt like a fish out

of water at the party

66 Go the extra mile: to make an extra effort Example: She goes the

extra mile for her students

67 Hit the jackpot: to have great success Example: He hit the jackpot

with his new business

68 In the nick of time: just in time Example: We arrived in the nick of

time

69 Jump on the bandwagon: to join a popular activity Example:

Every-one jumped on the bandwagon after the success

70 Keep your chin up: to stay positive Example: Keep your chin up,

things will get better

71 Let the good times roll: to enjoy life Example: With the party, let

the good times roll!

72 Mind your own business: to not interfere Example: Mind your own

business and leave me alone

73 On the ball: alert and efficient Example: She’s really on the ball with

her work

74 Pick up the pace: to go faster Example: We need to pick up the pace

to finish on time

75 Rise and shine: to wake up and be active Example: Rise and shine,

it’s a new day!

76 Scratch the surface: to only begin to understand Example: We’ve

only scratched the surface of the problem

77 Take it easy: to relax Example: Take it easy after a long week.

78 Under the table: secretly Example: They paid him under the table for

the job

79 Very much alive: full of energy Example: The project is very much

alive despite setbacks

80 When pigs fly: something that will never happen Example: He’ll

apol-ogize when pigs fly

81 X-ray vision: the ability to see through things Example: I wish I had

x-ray vision to find my keys

82 Yellow-bellied: cowardly Example: He’s too yellow-bellied to face the

challenge

83 Zest for life: enthusiasm for living Example: She has a zest for life

that inspires others

84 A dime a dozen: very common Example: Those souvenirs are a dime

a dozen

85 Beat around the bush: to avoid the main point Example: Stop

beat-ing around the bush and tell me

86 Catch your breath: to rest and recover Example: Let me catch my

breath after running

87 Dig your heels in: to refuse to change Example: He dug his heels in

and wouldn’t budge

88 Egg on your face: embarrassment Example: He had egg on his face

after the mistake

89 Fall on deaf ears: to be ignored Example: His advice fell on deaf ears.

90 Get a kick out of: to enjoy something Example: I get a kick out of

watching comedies

91 Hang in there: to persevere Example: Hang in there, the end is near.

92 In a nutshell: briefly Example: In a nutshell, we need more time.

93 Join the club: to share a common experience Example: You’re tired?

Join the club!

94 Keep the faith: to remain hopeful Example: Keep the faith, things will

improve

95 Lend a hand: to help Example: Can you lend a hand with this task?

96 Make a clean sweep: to win everything Example: They made a clean

sweep at the awards

97 Off the record: not for public knowledge Example: Off the record, I

think he’s wrong

98 Put your foot down: to be firm Example: She put her foot down about

the rules

99 Run the show: to be in charge Example: He runs the show at the

office

100 Steal the show: to attract the most attention Example: Her

perfor-mance stole the show

101 Take the plunge: to start something risky Example: He took the plunge

and started his own company

102 Under lock and key: securely stored Example: The documents are

under lock and key

103 Wild goose chase: a pointless pursuit Example: That search was a

wild goose chase

104 X’s and O’s: the basics Example: Let’s go over the x’s and o’s of the

plan

105 Yearn for: to desire strongly Example: She yearns for a peaceful life.

106 Zero in on: to focus on Example: We need to zero in on the main

problem

107 Against the clock: with limited time Example: We worked against the

110 Draw a blank: to fail to remember Example: I drew a blank when

asked the answer

111 Easy come, easy go: something gained and lost quickly Example:

Easy come, easy go with that money

112 Fit as a fiddle: very healthy Example: He’s fit as a fiddle after

exer-cising

113 Go back to square one: to start over Example: We need to go back

to square one

114 Have a ball: to have fun Example: We had a ball at the party.

115 In the same boat: in the same situation Example: We’re in the same

boat with this problem

116 Kick off: to start Example: The event kicks off at noon.

117 Lay low: to stay out of sight Example: He’s laying low after the

125 Walk a tightrope: to be in a difficult situation Example: She’s walking

a tightrope with her decisions

126 X marks the spot: the exact location Example: X marks the spot

where the treasure is buried

127 Yoke of burden: a heavy responsibility Example: He carries the yoke

of burden for his family

128 Zen moment: a moment of peace Example: I had a zen moment by

the river

129 At loggerheads: in strong disagreement Example: They are at

log-gerheads over the plan

130 Bend over backwards: to try very hard Example: She bent over

back-wards to help us

131 Cast in stone: fixed and unchangeable Example: The decision isn’t

cast in stone yet

132 Don’t count your chickens: don’t assume success Example: Don’t

count your chickens before they hatch

133 Eye for an eye: revenge Example: He believes in an eye for an eye.

134 Foot in the door: an initial opportunity Example: This job is my foot

in the door

135 Get cold feet: to become nervous Example: He got cold feet before

the speech

136 Have the upper hand: to have an advantage Example: She has the

upper hand in negotiations

137 In a pickle: in a difficult situation Example: I’m in a pickle with this

143 Put on hold: to delay Example: The project is put on hold for now.

144 Raise the bar: to set a higher standard Example: This raises the bar

for everyone

145 Sit tight: to wait patiently Example: Sit tight while I check.

146 Take the cake: to be the best or worst Example: That idea takes the

cake for creativity

147 Under wraps: kept secret Example: The plan is still under wraps.

148 Wear many hats: to have many roles Example: She wears many hats

at the office

149 X’s and O’s: the basics Example: Let’s review the x’s and o’s.

150 Year of the dog: a specific year Example: 2025 is the year of the dog.

151 Zest for work: enthusiasm for work Example: He has a zest for work.

152 All in all: considering everything Example: All in all, it was a good day.

153 Break the bank: to cost too much Example: This won’t break the

bank

154 Come full circle: to return to the start Example: Our journey came

full circle

155 Drive someone up the wall: to annoy someone Example: His jokes

drive me up the wall

156 Early bird catches the worm: success comes to those who act early.

Example: The early bird catches the worm

157 Fly off the handle: to lose control Example: He flew off the handle

during the argument

158 Go down in flames: to fail spectacularly Example: The plan went

down in flames

159 Have a hunch: to have a feeling Example: I have a hunch it will rain.

160 In the driver’s seat: in control Example: She’s in the driver’s seat

now

161 Kick the habit: to stop a bad habit Example: He kicked the habit of

smoking

162 Light at the end of the tunnel: hope of improvement Example:

There’s light at the end of the tunnel

163 Make a mountain out of a molehill: to exaggerate a small problem.

Example: Stop making a mountain out of a molehill

164 On thin ice: in a risky situation Example: You’re on thin ice with that

attitude

165 Pull strings: to use influence Example: He pulled strings to get the

job

166 Run for the hills: to flee Example: Everyone ran for the hills when it

started

167 See the light: to understand Example: She finally saw the light.

168 Take a rain check: to postpone Example: Can I take a rain check on

dinner?

169 Under fire: being criticized Example: He’s under fire for his decisions.

170 Waste not, want not: to use resources wisely Example: Waste not,

want not, save some food

171 X-factor: a special quality Example: His x-factor made him stand out.

172 Yank out: to remove quickly Example: She yanked out the old carpet.

173 Zen state: a calm state Example: He reached a zen state during

med-itation

174 At the eleventh hour: at the last moment Example: He finished at

the eleventh hour

175 Bury the hatchet: to make peace Example: They buried the hatchet

after years

176 Cut corners: to do something poorly to save time Example: Don’t cut

corners on this project

177 Don’t hold your breath: don’t expect it soon Example: Don’t hold

your breath for a reply

178 Every dog has its day: everyone gets a chance Example: Every dog

has its day eventually

179 Follow suit: to do the same Example: He followed suit and joined the

team

180 Get the ball rolling: to start something Example: Let’s get the ball

rolling on this plan

181 Have your cake and eat it too: to have two good things Example:

You can’t have your cake and eat it too

182 In deep water: in serious trouble Example: He’s in deep water with

his debts

183 Jump through hoops: to go through difficulties Example: I had to

jump through hoops to get approval

184 Keep your cool: to stay calm Example: She kept her cool during the

crisis

185 Let off steam: to release anger Example: He let off steam by shouting.

186 Make heads or tails: to understand Example: I can’t make heads or

tails of this

187 On the same page: in agreement Example: Let’s get on the same

page

188 Put two and two together: to figure something out Example: She

put two and two together and guessed it

189 Raise eyebrows: to cause surprise Example: His comment raised

eyebrows

190 Sit on the fence: to avoid deciding Example: He’s sitting on the fence

about the vote

191 Take the edge off: to reduce tension Example: A cup of tea took the

edge off

192 Under a cloud: under suspicion Example: He’s under a cloud after the

incident

193 Walk the plank: to face consequences Example: He had to walk the

plank for his mistakes

194 X-out: to cancel Example: Let’s x-out that plan.

195 Yearn to learn: to desire to learn Example: She yearns to learn new

skills

196 Zip through: to do quickly Example: He zipped through the test.

197 At sixes and sevens: in disorder Example: The room was at sixes and

sevens

198 Blow your own trumpet: to boast Example: He loves to blow his own

trumpet

199 Come to terms: to accept Example: She came to terms with the loss.

200 Drop a bombshell: to reveal shocking news Example: He dropped a

bombshell with his announcement

201 Eye-catching: very noticeable Example: Her dress was eye-catching.

202 Fall through the cracks: to be overlooked Example: Some details

fell through the cracks

203 Get wind of: to hear about Example: She got wind of the secret plan.

204 Have a field day: to enjoy something fully Example: The kids had a

field day at the park

205 In the limelight: in the spotlight Example: She’s in the limelight after

the award

206 Keep tabs on: to monitor Example: Keep tabs on the progress.

207 Let the dust settle: to wait for a situation to calm Example: Let’s let

the dust settle before deciding

208 Make a beeline: to go straight Example: He made a beeline for the

exit

209 Off the top of my head: without much thought Example: Off the top

of my head, I’d say yes

210 Put your money where your mouth is: to back up words with action.

Example: Put your money where your mouth is and help

211 Ride out the storm: to survive difficulties Example: We’ll ride out the

storm together

212 See eye to eye: to agree Example: We see eye to eye on this.

213 Take it or leave it: accept it or not Example: That’s my offer, take it

or leave it

214 Under the impression: believing something Example: I was under

the impression you agreed

215 Walk in someone’s shoes: to understand someone’s experience

Ex-ample: Walk in my shoes before judging

216 X-factor: a unique quality Example: His x-factor won the competition.

217 Yield to pressure: to give in Example: He yielded to pressure and

quit

218 Zen-like calm: extreme calmness Example: She maintained a zen-like

calm

Part 2: 100 Multiple Choice Questions

1 What does ”raining cats and dogs” mean?

a) Cats and dogs are falling from the sky

3 ”Here and there” means

a) Only in one place

5 ”At the drop of a hat” means

a) After a long time

b) Immediately

c) Never

Answer: b

6 What does ”back to the drawing board” suggest?

a) Continuing the same plan

9 To ”break the ice” is to

b) Catch someone in the act

c) Paint someone’s hands

20 To ”jump the gun” is to

a) Start too soon

26 A ”piece of cake” is

a) Something very easy

b) A difficult task

c) A dessert

Answer: a

27 ”Quick and dirty” means

a) Slow and perfect

b) Fast but not perfectly

c) Clean and slow

34 ”X marks the spot” means

a) The exact location

b) A random place

43 ”Down to the wire” means

56 ”Quick and dirty” refers to

a) A slow, perfect job

b) A fast, imperfect job

60 ”Under the weather” means feeling

66 ”Barking up the wrong tree” means

a) Looking in the right place

b) Looking in the wrong place