on edge
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idiom

on edge

Meaning
to be nervous, tense, or irritable
Example
She’s been **on edge** since the exam started.
idiom

Handed down

Meaning
To give or leave something to someone younger or from a previous generation
Example
This antique watch was **handed down** to me from my grandfather.
idiom

butterflies in my stomach

Meaning
feeling nervous or anxious
Example
I had **butterflies in my stomach** before the interview.
idiom

Go down the rabbit hole

Meaning
To get deeply involved in something, often unintentionally.
Example
I started reading about AI and **went down the rabbit hole** for hours.
idiom

Fail fast

Meaning
To quickly identify and learn from failures.
Example
In startups, it’s better to **fail fast** and learn than to waste time.
idiom

beginner’s luck

Meaning
success for someone inexperienced
Example
He won his first game — must be **beginner’s luck**.
idiom

natural language processing

Meaning
a field of AI that focuses on the interaction between computers and human language
Example
Natural language processing enables AI systems to understand and respond to human speech.
idiom

in the limelight

Meaning
to be the focus of public attention
Example
After winning the award, he was **in the limelight** for months.
idiom

take a hit

Meaning
to suffer a financial loss
Example
The company **took a hit** after the stock market crash.
idiom

Go exploring

Meaning
To travel or look around to discover new things.
Example
Let's **go exploring** around the city this weekend.
idiom

reinvent the wheel

Meaning
to waste time creating something that already exists
Example
Don’t **reinvent the wheel**; use the existing design.
idiom

get the word out

Meaning
to spread information or make something widely known
Example
We need to **get the word out** about our new service.
idiom

get away from it all

Meaning
to take a break from daily routine; to relax
Example
We went to the countryside to **get away from it all**.
idiom

bold as brass

Meaning
to be very confident and not shy at all
Example
She walked into the meeting **bold as brass**.
idiom

drop your guard

Meaning
to relax your vigilance or become less careful
Example
Never **drop your guard** when dealing with competitors.
idiom

be on duty

Meaning
to be working or responsible for something at a certain time
Example
The guard was **on duty** all night.
idiom

the bottom line

Meaning
the most important fact or result
Example
The **bottom line** is that we need to increase our profits.
idiom

filter through

Meaning
to spread gradually among people
Example
News of the promotion quickly **filtered through** the office.
idiom

take a breather

Meaning
to rest for a short while to relax
Example
Let’s **take a breather** before continuing the meeting.
idiom

mix together

Meaning
to combine different things into one
Example
**Mix together** the spices before adding them to the stew.
idiom

to make a boo-boo

Meaning
to make a small or funny mistake
Example
Oops, I **made a boo-boo** and sent the wrong file!
idiom

twist someone's ear

Meaning
to persuade someone to do something by being persistent
Example
I had to **twist someone's ear** to get him to help me move.
idiom

play to the gallery

Meaning
to try to gain approval from the general public rather than experts
Example
The politician was clearly **playing to the gallery** with his speech.
idiom

take by surprise

Meaning
to catch someone off guard; to surprise unexpectedly
Example
The sudden rain **took us by surprise**.
idiom

a heavy heart

Meaning
a feeling of deep sadness or sorrow
Example
She left her hometown with **a heavy heart**.
idiom

tempt fate

Meaning
to take a foolish risk that may bring bad luck
Example
You’re **tempting fate** by driving without insurance.
idiom

glance over

Meaning
to read something quickly
Example
Can you **glance over** the memo before we send it?
idiom

under oath

Meaning
having sworn to tell the truth in court
Example
He lied **under oath** and was charged with perjury.
idiom

be lost for words

Meaning
to be so surprised that you cannot speak
Example
I was **lost for words** when I won the prize.
idiom

make someone's jaw drop

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

slip into

Meaning
to gradually enter a state or start wearing something
Example
She quickly **slipped into** a more comfortable outfit.
idiom

bottom out

Meaning
to reach the lowest point before improving
Example
Experts believe the market has **bottomed out**.
idiom

hit the panic button

Meaning
to react too quickly or nervously to a problem
Example
Don’t **hit the panic button** just because the server is down.
idiom

build up your confidence

Meaning
to gradually become more confident
Example
Public speaking can help you **build up your confidence**.
idiom

Pull through

Meaning
To survive or recover from a difficult situation.
Example
He was very sick, but he **pulled through** in the end.
idiom

party line

Meaning
the official policy or position of a political party
Example
Members were warned not to speak against the **party line**.
idiom

Put your thinking cap on

Meaning
To start thinking carefully about something
Example
It’s time to **put your thinking cap on** for the quiz.
idiom

cast in stone

Meaning
fixed and unchangeable
Example
The script isn’t **cast in stone**; we can make changes.
idiom

patch together

Meaning
to assemble something quickly and roughly
Example
We managed to **patch together** a plan before the call.
idiom

weakest link

Meaning
the most vulnerable part of a system or group
Example
Human error is often the **weakest link** in cybersecurity.
idiom

good egg

Meaning
a kind and reliable person
Example
Everyone likes John because he’s a **good egg**.
idiom

hit a home run

Meaning
to achieve great success
Example
The new marketing campaign really **hit a home run** with its audience.
idiom

Blue ocean strategy

Meaning
Creating a new market space with little or no competition.
Example
Their **blue ocean strategy** helped them dominate a new market.
idiom

a ray of sunshine

Meaning
someone or something that brings happiness
Example
Her smile is **a ray of sunshine** on a gloomy day.
idiom

on the run

Meaning
trying to avoid being caught by the police
Example
The suspect has been **on the run** for three days.
idiom

dig out

Meaning
to retrieve something that has been stored or buried
Example
Could you **dig out** last year’s budget notes?
idiom

A tough row to hoe

Meaning
A difficult task or situation to handle.
Example
Starting a new business is **a tough row to hoe**.
idiom

come out on top

Meaning
to be the best or most successful in a situation
Example
Despite the competition, she **came out on top**.
idiom

leave a legacy

Meaning
to create something that lasts and benefits others after you are gone
Example
He worked hard all his life to **leave a legacy** for his children.
idiom

a blast from the past

Meaning
something that reminds you of an earlier time
Example
Seeing that old photo album was **a blast from the past**.
idiom

catch the travel bug

Meaning
to become very interested in traveling
Example
After visiting Thailand, she really **caught the travel bug**.
B1 idiom

all ears

Listening very attentively
Meaning
Listening very attentively
Example
When the teacher started explaining the concept, the students were all ears.
When the teacher started explaining the concept, the students were all ears.
idiom

to cloud-sync

Meaning
to synchronize data or files between devices via cloud services
Example
I always **to cloud-sync** my documents so that I can access them anywhere.
idiom

Keep one’s eye on the ball

Meaning
To stay focused on achieving a goal.
Example
If you **keep your eye on the ball**, you’ll surely succeed.
idiom

carry on luggage

Meaning
small bags taken with you on a plane or trip
Example
She packed all her essentials in her **carry on luggage**.
idiom

zoom out

Meaning
to look at a situation from a broader perspective
Example
Let’s **zoom out** and review the yearly goals.
idiom

Lay bricks for the future

Meaning
To build a strong foundation for future success.
Example
Education helps children **lay bricks for the future**.
idiom

Take one’s breath away

Meaning
To amaze or impress someone greatly.
Example
Her beauty **takes my breath away**.
idiom

green with envy

Meaning
very jealous
Example
She was **green with envy** when she saw my new phone.
idiom

let bygones be bygones

Meaning
to forget past disagreements and forgive each other
Example
They decided to **let bygones be bygones** and move forward.
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

keep faith with someone

Meaning
to remain loyal to someone or something
Example
Even in hard times, she **kept faith with** her friends.
idiom

stage fright

Meaning
nervousness before performing in front of an audience
Example
Even experienced actors sometimes get **stage fright**.
idiom

lead from the front

Meaning
to lead by example, taking the initiative
Example
A good leader knows how to **lead from the front** and inspire others to follow.
idiom

keep your nose to the grindstone

Meaning
to work hard and continuously
Example
If you **keep your nose to the grindstone**, you’ll achieve your goals.
idiom

What’s done is done

Meaning
There is no point in worrying about past mistakes.
Example
We can’t change the past, so **what’s done is done**.
idiom

in the heat of the moment

Meaning
acting impulsively or emotionally, without thinking
Example
I said some things I regret **in the heat of the moment**.
idiom

see the glass half full

Meaning
see the positive side of something
Example
Try to **see the glass half full** instead of half empty.
idiom

In the eye of the beholder

Meaning
Beauty or value is subjective and dependent on the viewer.
Example
Art is truly **in the eye of the beholder**, as different people have different tastes.
idiom

come into one's own

Meaning
to reach a stage of maturity or full potential
Example
She really **came into her own** after starting her own business.
idiom

Balance the scales

Meaning
to make sure everything is fair or equal
Example
We need to **balance the scales** before making a final decision.
idiom

weigh your options

Meaning
to consider different possibilities before deciding
Example
You should **weigh your options** before buying the car.
idiom

Best foot forward

Meaning
To try to make the best possible impression
Example
She always puts her **best foot forward** on important occasions.
idiom

eat your heart out

Meaning
to suffer silently from jealousy or longing
Example
He’s been **eating his heart out** since his ex got engaged.
idiom

kick up a fuss

Meaning
to make a big complaint or protest about something
Example
They **kicked up a fuss** when the restaurant ran out of food.
idiom

deep learning

Meaning
A class of machine learning algorithms that uses multiple layers to progressively extract higher-level features from raw input.
Example
The AI system improved through **deep learning**, making it smarter over time.
idiom

sworn enemies turned friends

Meaning
two people who used to dislike each other but became friends
Example
They were **sworn enemies turned friends** after college.
idiom

a man of his word

Meaning
a person who keeps their promises
Example
He’s **a man of his word**, you can trust him.
idiom

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing

Meaning
Knowing a small amount about something can lead to mistakes.
Example
**A little knowledge is a dangerous thing** — don’t try to fix it if you’re not an expert.
idiom

keep your emotions in check

Meaning
to control your emotions
Example
It's important to **keep your emotions in check** during a meeting.
idiom

have a splitting headache

Meaning
to have a very bad headache
Example
I can’t focus right now; I **have a splitting headache**.
idiom

beyond one’s comprehension

Meaning
too difficult to understand
Example
Quantum physics is **beyond my comprehension**.
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

mother hen

Meaning
a person who is very protective or caring, especially within a family
Example
Aunt Mary is a real **mother hen**, always looking after everyone.
idiom

acid test

Meaning
a crucial test that proves the value or success of something
Example
The product launch will be the **acid test** of our new design.
idiom

sink or swim

Meaning
to succeed or fail by your own efforts
Example
When you start your own business, it’s **sink or swim**.
idiom

go back to square one

Meaning
to start again from the beginning
Example
If this doesn’t work, we’ll have to **go back to square one**.
idiom

engagement rate

Meaning
a measure of how actively people interact with online content
Example
Our **engagement rate** doubled after using video posts.
idiom

build trust

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

heart of stone

Meaning
to be unkind or without compassion
Example
She must have a **heart of stone** to ignore that crying child.
idiom

cool as a cucumber

Meaning
very calm and composed
Example
He stayed **cool as a cucumber** during the meeting.
idiom

pillar of strength

Meaning
a person who provides strong support or comfort
Example
She was a **pillar of strength** during difficult times.
idiom

backdoor access

Meaning
a secret or unauthorized way to access a system or information
Example
Hackers found a **backdoor access** to the company’s database.
idiom

a bundle of joy

Meaning
someone or something that brings great happiness
Example
Their new baby is **a bundle of joy** for the family.
idiom

change of scene

Meaning
a new environment or situation
Example
After months of work, I needed a **change of scene**.
idiom

on the stump

Meaning
to campaign for political office, especially by giving speeches in public
Example
The candidate has been **on the stump** for weeks, rallying support across the country.
idiom

brick by brick

Meaning
to achieve something gradually and steadily
Example
He built his business **brick by brick**.
idiom

go off the rails

Meaning
to start behaving in an unusual or uncontrolled way
Example
After losing his job, his life seemed to **go off the rails**.
idiom

overfitting

Meaning
when a model performs well on training data but poorly on unseen data
Example
The model seems to be **overfitting** because it performs well on the training data but poorly on the test set.
idiom

ease up

Meaning
to become less intense or to relax
Example
The rain should **ease up** by the evening commute.
idiom

take the wheel

Meaning
to take control or responsibility
Example
It's time for the new manager to **take the wheel**.
idiom

have faith in someone

Meaning
to trust someone completely
Example
You should **have faith in** your team.
idiom

a brave face

Meaning
to pretend to be brave when you are actually scared or worried
Example
She put on **a brave face** despite feeling nervous inside.
idiom

a wolf in sheep's clothing

Meaning
someone who appears harmless but is actually dangerous
Example
He was **a wolf in sheep's clothing**.
idiom

in a tight spot

Meaning
to be in a difficult or tricky situation
Example
He found himself **in a tight spot** when both friends asked for help.
idiom

boot up

Meaning
to start a computer or system
Example
My laptop takes forever to **boot up**.
idiom

leave a mark

Meaning
to have a lasting effect or influence
Example
Her leadership skills will surely **leave a mark** on the company.
idiom

To toe the line

Meaning
To follow rules or policies strictly, often without questioning
Example
The senator was expected to **toe the line** and support the party’s stance.
idiom

on the right track

Meaning
to be going in the correct direction to achieve success
Example
Your plan sounds great — you’re **on the right track**.
idiom

even out

Meaning
to make something level or balanced
Example
Stir the batter to **even out** the lumps.
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

take heart

Meaning
to feel encouraged or more confident
Example
You should **take heart**; things will get better soon.
idiom

talk around

Meaning
to persuade someone by discussion
Example
We finally **talked her around** to joining the team.
idiom

a shoulder to lean on

Meaning
someone to give you support and comfort
Example
She’s always been **a shoulder to lean on** for me.
idiom

to be open and honest

Meaning
to speak frankly or sincerely
Example
I want to **be open and honest** with you about my feelings.
idiom

throw a curveball

Meaning
to surprise someone with something unexpected
Example
The new policy really **threw us a curveball**.
idiom

to put one's foot in one's mouth

Meaning
to say something embarrassing or inappropriate by mistake
Example
I really **put my foot in my mouth** when I mentioned her ex-boyfriend.
idiom

footloose and fancy-free

Meaning
free to do whatever you want; without commitments
Example
He loves being **footloose and fancy-free** after retirement.
idiom

in black and white

Meaning
in written form; clearly stated
Example
The rules are clearly written **in black and white**.
idiom

call the tune

Meaning
to be in control; to make important decisions
Example
In this company, the investors **call the tune**.
idiom

find your balance

Meaning
to maintain a healthy work-life equilibrium
Example
It’s important to **find your balance** between work and rest.