| A | B |
|---|
| get the hang of | to learn how to do something |
| have a knack for | to have special talent or ability |
| be right up one's alley | to be a suitable activity b/c of prior experience |
| be cut out for | to have the needed skill or ability |
| know like the back of one's hand | to know very well |
| lose one's touch | to fail at what one used to do well |
| be all thumbs | to be very awkward or clumsy |
| have a green thumb | to be good at gardening |
| be all smiles | to be very happy |
| be in seventh heaven | to be extremely happy |
| grin from ear to ear | to smile broadly |
| make one's day | to make someone very happy |
| happy camper | someone who is satisfied with a situation |
| be down | to be unhappy |
| feel blue | to feel sad, to feel depressed |
| have (on) a long face | not to smile, to show one's unhappiness |
| be a tear-jerker | to be a source of sadness, like a movie or book |
| lift one's spirits | to make someone feel better |
| face the music | to accept the consequences of your actions |
| make a face | to make a grimace to express disgust or anger |
| to go out on a limb | to put yourself in a risky position |
| to be soft in the head | to be foolish, not very intelligent |
| to make one's hair stand on end | to be terrified |
| to be two-faced | to agree with a person to his face but disagree with him behind his back |
| to be all eyes | to be very attentive |
| to be an eye-opener | a startling or shocking revelation |
| to be nosy | to be inquisitive; to ask too many questions |
| to be led by the nose | to be completely dominated or influenced by someone |
| to be all ears | to listen very attentively |
| to be wet behind the ears | to be naive or inexperienced |
| to have loose lips | to be an indiscrete person; to say more than you should |
| one's lips are sealed | to be obliged to keep a secret |
| to have a sweet tooth | to like sweet food, sugar, etc. |
| to grind one's teeth | to express one's extreme anger |
| to hold (bite) one's tongue | to say nothing; to be discrete |
| to be an old hand | to be experienced at something |
| to see eye to eye | to agree completely |
| to be under the thumb | to be controlled or dominated by someone |
| learn (know) the ropes | to be informed about the details of a task |
| last straw | the final annoyance or setback which makes one lose one's patience |
| wild goose chase | a hopeless search or pursuit |
| stick one's neck out | to make yourself vulnerable; to take a risk |
| a sight for sore eyes | someone or something you are very glad to see |
| to learn something by heart | to memorize something |
| dog-eat-dog world | very competitive world |
| rat race | continual atruggle to survive in life |
| on the run | always moving, never resting |
| run around in circles | so busy you don't know what to do next |
| in a rut | in a boring situation in life |
| back to the same old grind | back to the usual work routine |
| couch potato | someone who sits and watches TV a lot |
| keep up with the Jones | to maintain the same lifestyle as one's friends |
| be broke | to have no money |
| make ends meet | to live reasonably well without getting into debt |
| get by | to survive on limited resources |
| cut corners | to save money by spending less |
| do without | to live without something |
| come to | to total |
| pick up the tab | to pay for something consumed by someone else |
| be a steal | to be very cheap |
| cost an arm and a leg | to be very expensive |
| be a rip-off | to be too expensive |
