American Idioms for TOEFL

Aurora-BY

Feb 19, 2016

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Check your knowledge of American idioms.
1. give the slip to
  - as a general rule
  - escape
  - very seldom
2. used to + verb
  - delay making a decision until the next day
  - happen, occur
  - something accomplished in the past, but not in the present
3. drop off
  - discover, learn
  - deposit or deliver
  - to complete something belatedly
4. watch out
  - be careful
  - try for the first time
  - attempt
5. be a wash
  - exact likeness
  - capable of doing the work
  - even out
6. once in a blue moon
  - very seldom
  - as a general rule
  - escape
7. boil down
  - to stay attuned
  - summarize; amount
  - suddenly
8. keep + -ing verb
  - begin or enter eagerly
  - wear
  - continue without interruption
9. find out
  - discover, learn
  - deposit or deliver
  - to complete something belatedly
10. by and large
  - escape
  - as a general rule
  - very seldom
11. have on
  - begin or enter eagerly
  - wear
  - continue without interruption
12. all of a sudden
  - to stay attuned
  - suddenly
  - summarize; amount
13. life of the party
  - a person who makes things enjoyable for a group of people
  - wait a long time
  - to get angry
14. give it a shot
  - be careful
  - try for the first time
  - attempt
15. spitting image
  - even out
  - capable of doing the work
  - exact likeness
16. jump in
  - begin or enter eagerly
  - continue without interruption
  - wear
17. catch up
  - deposit or deliver
  - to complete something belatedly
  - discover, learn
18. put off
  - to hold back to a later time
  - settle, decide
  - arrive, appear
19. sleep on it
  - something accomplished in the past, but not in the present
  - happen, occur
  - delay making a decision until the next day
20. fly off the handle
  - wait a long time
  - to get angry
  - a person who makes things enjoyable for a group of people
21. up to the job
  - even out
  - capable of doing the work
  - exact likeness
22. take a stab at
  - try for the first time
  - attempt
  - be careful
23. laugh off
  - ignore with good humor
  - a point of physical or emotional exhaustion
  - delay
24. hold off
  - ignore with good humor
  - delay
  - a point of physical or emotional exhaustion
25. show up
  - arrive, appear
  - to hold back to a later time
  - settle, decide
26. burnout
  - delay
  - ignore with good humor
  - a point of physical or emotional exhaustion
27. take place
  - delay making a decision until the next day
  - something accomplished in the past, but not in the present
  - happen, occur
28. cool his heels
  - wait a long time
  - to get angry
  - a person who makes things enjoyable for a group of people
29. make up your mind
  - to hold back to a later time
  - settle, decide
  - arrive, appear
30. keep your ears open
  - suddenly
  - summarize; amount
  - to stay attuned

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