beat oneself up
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idiom

beat oneself up

Meaning
to blame yourself too much for something
Example
Don’t **beat yourself up** over one mistake.
idiom

set the bar high

Meaning
to establish high standards or expectations
Example
Her achievements have **set the bar high** for future leaders.
idiom

pull the strings

Meaning
to control or influence someone or something secretly
Example
He got the job because his uncle **pulled the strings**.
idiom

rally the troops

Meaning
to motivate or encourage a group to take action
Example
The manager **rallied the troops** before the big presentation.
idiom

luck of the Irish

Meaning
good fortune associated with Irish people
Example
He found gold! Must be the **luck of the Irish**.
idiom

hold over

Meaning
to postpone something to a later time
Example
They had to **hold over** the vote until next week.
idiom

come to terms with

Meaning
to reach an agreement or accept a situation after some negotiation
Example
It took some time, but eventually we **came to terms with** the new policy.
idiom

push the right buttons

Meaning
to do exactly what is needed to get a desired result
Example
She knows how to **push the right buttons** to impress her boss.
idiom

put the team on your back

Meaning
to take responsibility for leading and carrying the burden for a group
Example
In the final moments of the game, he **put the team on his back** and led them to victory.
idiom

rise through the ranks

Meaning
to gradually move up to higher positions in an organization
Example
He **rose through the ranks** to become the CEO.
idiom

move up the ranks

Meaning
to be promoted to higher positions over time
Example
He started as an assistant but quickly **moved up the ranks**.
idiom

blast off

Meaning
to take off or start with great energy or enthusiasm
Example
The project is ready to **blast off** next week.
idiom

plug away

Meaning
to keep working steadily on something
Example
Keep **plugging away** at the draft and it will improve.
idiom

Hot off the press

Meaning
Newly printed; very recent news
Example
The report was **hot off the press**, released just minutes ago.
idiom

the real McCoy

Meaning
the genuine or original thing
Example
This painting is **the real McCoy**, not a copy.
idiom

hand over

Meaning
to give control or possession to someone else
Example
She will **hand over** the keys when the lease is signed.
idiom

jump the gun

Meaning
to start something too soon
Example
They **jumped the gun** by announcing the news early.
idiom

sleep on it

Meaning
to delay making a decision until the next day
Example
This is an important decision, why don't you **sleep on it**?
idiom

roll the credits

Meaning
to finish something officially
Example
After the final announcement, they **rolled the credits** on the project.
idiom

family comes first

Meaning
family is the most important priority in life
Example
No matter how busy I get, **family comes first** for me.
idiom

have a brainwave

Meaning
to suddenly have a clever idea
Example
I **had a brainwave** and solved the puzzle.
idiom

lock horns

Meaning
to get into an argument or fight
Example
They **locked horns** over the new proposal.
idiom

go easy on someone

Meaning
to be gentle or patient with someone
Example
Go easy on him; he’s been through a lot lately.
idiom

think ahead

Meaning
to plan for the future; to anticipate future needs or events
Example
Good managers always **think ahead** before making big decisions.
idiom

make your own luck

Meaning
to create opportunities for yourself through effort
Example
Don’t wait for miracles — **make your own luck**.
idiom

touch base with

Meaning
to make brief contact with someone for an update
Example
I'll **touch base with** you after the meeting to confirm the plan.
idiom

crossing the aisle

Meaning
when a politician supports or votes for the opposite party
Example
She surprised everyone by **crossing the aisle** to support the bill.
idiom

the writing on the wall

Meaning
a sign that something bad will happen soon
Example
When sales started falling, the manager saw **the writing on the wall**.
idiom

on the money

Meaning
exactly correct or accurate
Example
His prediction about the stock was **on the money**.
idiom

rough patch

Meaning
a period of difficulty or trouble
Example
Their marriage went through a **rough patch** last year.
idiom

bottle up emotions

Meaning
to keep feelings inside and not express them
Example
He tends to **bottle up his emotions**, which isn't healthy in the long run.
idiom

sick as a dog

Meaning
very ill
Example
I was **sick as a dog** after eating that street food.
idiom

keep one's word

Meaning
to do what one has promised to do
Example
He always **keeps his word**, no matter what.
idiom

keep your eyes peeled

Meaning
to stay alert and watch carefully
Example
Keep your eyes peeled for any signs of trouble.
idiom

a stroke of luck

Meaning
something good that happens by chance
Example
It was **a stroke of luck** that I found my lost wallet.
idiom

roll with

Meaning
to adapt to changes or challenges easily
Example
The team had to **roll with** several last-minute changes to the schedule.
idiom

Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion

Meaning
A person in a position of trust must be beyond any hint of wrongdoing.
Example
A judge should remember that **Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion**.
idiom

Supply and demand

Meaning
The relationship between how much of something is available and how much people want it.
Example
The price of oil depends largely on **supply and demand**.
idiom

come through

Meaning
to do what is expected or promised, especially in difficult situations
Example
She always **comes through** when we need her most.
idiom

spread kindness

Meaning
to do or say kind things to others
Example
We should all try to **spread kindness** every day.
idiom

the lesser of two evils

Meaning
the less harmful of two bad options
Example
Voters often choose **the lesser of two evils** during elections.
idiom

spread kindness like wildfire

Meaning
to spread kindness rapidly and uncontrollably
Example
Her acts of kindness **spread like wildfire** in the community.
idiom

turn your dreams into reality

Meaning
to make your dreams come true through effort
Example
She worked day and night to **turn her dreams into reality**.
idiom

tide over

Meaning
to help someone through a difficult period
Example
A short-term loan will **tide us over** until the invoices are paid.
idiom

rules are made to be broken

Meaning
sometimes it's okay to ignore rules
Example
He believes **rules are made to be broken**.
idiom

keep your head up

Meaning
to remain confident and strong during hardships
Example
**Keep your head up**, better days are coming.
idiom

stoic calm

Meaning
to remain calm in difficult or stressful situations
Example
Even during the crisis, she maintained **stoic calm**.
idiom

think through

Meaning
to consider something carefully from all angles
Example
Let’s **think through** the risks before committing.
idiom

on the same wavelength

Meaning
to think in a similar way as someone else
Example
My best friend and I are always **on the same wavelength**.
idiom

the big cheese

Meaning
an important or influential person
Example
He's **the big cheese** in the company.
idiom

like a dog with two tails

Meaning
extremely happy and excited
Example
He was **like a dog with two tails** after getting the promotion.
idiom

Throw money at the problem

Meaning
To try to solve a problem by spending a lot of money instead of finding the real solution.
Example
You can’t just **throw money at the problem**; we need a proper plan.
idiom

pioneer new ideas

Meaning
to introduce or create new concepts or methods
Example
He is always looking to **pioneer new ideas** in his field.
idiom

the internet of things (IoT)

Meaning
the connection of everyday objects to the internet to send and receive data
Example
Smart homes are part of the **internet of things (IoT)**, where devices are interconnected.
idiom

bounce back

Meaning
to recover quickly after a setback or failure
Example
She **bounced back** after losing the competition.
idiom

tell tales

Meaning
to gossip or reveal secrets, often to get someone in trouble
Example
Stop **telling tales** about your coworkers.
idiom

burn bridges

Meaning
to destroy relationships or connections permanently
Example
Be careful not to **burn bridges** when leaving your job.
idiom

show one's true colors

Meaning
to reveal one's true character or feelings, often after a period of hiding them
Example
He finally **showed his true colors** when he volunteered at the charity event.
idiom

on good terms

Meaning
to have a friendly and peaceful relationship
Example
They are still **on good terms** even after the breakup.
idiom

Two’s company, three’s a crowd

Meaning
Sometimes, two people are just right, but a third person can make things uncomfortable.
Example
I wanted some alone time with Emily, but as they say, **two’s company, three’s a crowd**.
idiom

Don’t lose heart

Meaning
Don’t become discouraged.
Example
Even if you fail once, **don’t lose heart**.
idiom

bounce rate

Meaning
the percentage of visitors who leave a website after viewing only one page
Example
We need to lower our **bounce rate** to keep visitors engaged.
idiom

out of the box thinking

Meaning
thinking in a new, innovative, or creative way
Example
The solution requires **out of the box thinking** from all team members.
idiom

tack on

Meaning
to add something extra, especially at the end
Example
They **tacked on** a brief Q&A after the session.
idiom

build trust

Meaning
to create or develop trust in a relationship
Example
It takes time to **build trust** with new people.
idiom

Out of curiosity

Meaning
Because of a desire to know or learn something.
Example
I asked him **out of curiosity**, not to interfere.
idiom

In the know

Meaning
Having information that most people do not have.
Example
She’s always **in the know** about company secrets.
idiom

a flash in the pan

Meaning
something that seems promising at first but fails to deliver
Example
The peace talks were just **a flash in the pan**.
idiom

plans are up in the air

Meaning
plans are uncertain or not decided yet
Example
Our travel plans are still **up in the air**.
idiom

sift out

Meaning
to remove unwanted parts from a mix
Example
We need to **sift out** duplicate entries in the list.
idiom

Lead the charge

Meaning
to be at the forefront of an action or movement
Example
He was the one to **lead the charge** in the new project.
idiom

get fired up

Meaning
to become very excited or enthusiastic about something
Example
The team got **fired up** before the final match.
idiom

put in long hours

Meaning
to work for many hours
Example
He’s been **putting in long hours** to finish the report.
idiom

to debug a program

Meaning
to identify and fix errors or problems in a computer program
Example
I spent all day **to debug a program** that was causing crashes.
idiom

Batten down the hatches

Meaning
To prepare for a difficult or dangerous situation.
Example
We’d better **batten down the hatches**; a storm is coming.
idiom

patch up

Meaning
to repair something or improve a damaged relationship
Example
They managed to **patch up** their friendship after the argument.
idiom

turn up the heat

Meaning
to increase pressure or intensity
Example
The scientists decided to **turn up the heat** on the experiment.
idiom

hope springs eternal

Meaning
people will always have hope, no matter the situation
Example
Even in the darkest times, he believed things would get better because **hope springs eternal**.
idiom

A Scrooge

Meaning
A very stingy or miserly person.
Example
Don’t be **a Scrooge**—it’s Christmas!
idiom

to machine learn

Meaning
to learn automatically from data without human intervention
Example
The system continues **to machine learn** as more data is fed into it.
idiom

beyond belief

Meaning
too surprising or shocking to believe
Example
His recovery was **beyond belief**.
idiom

think on your feet

Meaning
to make quick decisions or ideas under pressure
Example
Good leaders can **think on their feet**.
idiom

reach for the stars

Meaning
to aim for something very ambitious or difficult to achieve
Example
She always tells her students to **reach for the stars** and never give up.
idiom

chase rainbows

Meaning
to try to achieve something impossible
Example
Stop **chasing rainbows** and focus on reality.
idiom

good to see you

Meaning
a friendly way to greet someone you know
Example
**Good to see you** again after so long!
idiom

to bite off more than you can chew

Meaning
to take on a task that is too difficult
Example
He **bit off more than he could chew** by promising to finish the work alone.
idiom

make someone's jaw drop

Meaning
to surprise or amaze someone greatly
Example
Her stunning dress **made everyone's jaw drop**.
idiom

tighten the screws

Meaning
to put pressure on someone to make them behave or act a certain way
Example
The government **tightened the screws** on tax evaders.
idiom

Pull one’s weight

Meaning
To do your fair share of work.
Example
If everyone **pulls their weight**, the job will be done quickly.
idiom

make a mark

Meaning
to have a noticeable impact or influence
Example
Her speech at the conference really **made a mark** on the audience.
idiom

ground control

Meaning
authority or people managing a situation
Example
In this project, Sarah is **ground control**.
idiom

Spread like wildfire

Meaning
To become widely known very quickly.
Example
The news of their engagement **spread like wildfire**.
idiom

a tough act to follow

Meaning
something so impressive that others find it hard to match or surpass
Example
His last performance was **a tough act to follow**.
idiom

life in the fast lane

Meaning
a lifestyle full of excitement, activity, and sometimes risk
Example
He enjoys **life in the fast lane** with parties and travel.
idiom

pulling the strings

Meaning
to control something or someone secretly
Example
Everyone knows he’s **pulling the strings** behind the scenes.
idiom

flat broke

Meaning
having no money at all
Example
I was **flat broke** after paying all my bills this month.
idiom

hope against hope

Meaning
to continue hoping even when it seems impossible
Example
They **hoped against hope** that their team would win.
idiom

go green

Meaning
to adopt an environmentally friendly lifestyle
Example
Many companies are trying to **go green** by using renewable energy sources.
idiom

old buddy old pal

Meaning
An affectionate way to refer to a longtime friend.
Example
Hey **old buddy old pal**, long time no see!
idiom

free as a bird

Meaning
completely free; without restrictions
Example
After leaving his job, he felt **free as a bird**.
idiom

follow your heart

Meaning
to make a decision based on your feelings
Example
When choosing a career, it’s best to **follow your heart**.
idiom

vote down

Meaning
to reject something by voting against it
Example
The board may **vote down** the new proposal.
idiom

get your point across

Meaning
to express an idea clearly so that others understand it
Example
It’s important to **get your point across** during discussions.
idiom

buckle down

Meaning
to start working seriously
Example
If you want to pass the exam, you’d better **buckle down** and study.
idiom

take the bull by the horns

Meaning
to face a difficult situation directly and with courage
Example
She decided to **take the bull by the horns** and confront her manager.
idiom

flag down

Meaning
to signal someone to stop, especially a vehicle
Example
We finally **flagged down** a taxi after ten minutes.
idiom

hold forth

Meaning
to speak at length about a topic
Example
He loved to **hold forth** on travel stories.
idiom

To tell the truth

Meaning
To speak honestly or openly.
Example
**To tell the truth**, I never liked that movie.
idiom

scene-stealer

Meaning
someone who attracts attention and stands out
Example
That child actor was a real **scene-stealer**.
idiom

turn things around

Meaning
to reverse a negative situation and make it positive
Example
With some effort, we can **turn things around**.
idiom

don't count your chickens before they hatch

Meaning
don't make plans for something that might not happen
Example
You should wait until you get the job offer before you start celebrating. **Don't count your chickens before they hatch**.
idiom

beat a dead horse

Meaning
to waste time on a topic that has already been resolved
Example
Stop **beating a dead horse**; the decision is final.
idiom

the cat’s out of the bag

Meaning
the secret is revealed
Example
Now that **the cat’s out of the bag**, everyone knows the truth.
idiom

to hack into

Meaning
to gain unauthorized access to a system or network
Example
The attackers managed **to hack into** the company's internal servers.
idiom

on the ball

Meaning
alert, smart, and quick to react
Example
You need to be **on the ball** to handle this job.
idiom

slow as a snail

Meaning
very slow or lazy in movement or action
Example
He walks **slow as a snail** in the morning.
idiom

have the guts

Meaning
to have courage or bravery to do something difficult
Example
She didn’t **have the guts** to tell him the truth.
idiom

the ball is rolling

Meaning
a process has started and is making progress
Example
Now that **the ball is rolling**, we need to keep working.
idiom

a wake-up call

Meaning
an event that makes someone realize they need to change
Example
Losing his job was a **wake-up call** for him.
idiom

big picture

Meaning
the overall perspective or situation
Example
Producers always try to see the **big picture** before making changes.
B2 idiom

close but no cigar

Almost correct or successful but not quite
Meaning
Almost correct or successful but not quite
Example
He was close to winning the competition, but close but no cigar.
He was close to winning the competition, but close but no cigar.