|
at the top of one`s lungs
- as loud as one can, very loudly I yelled at the top
of my lungs to get the attention of the man.
bad blood
- anger or a bad relationship due to past problems with
someone There has always ben a lot of bad blood between the two
supervisors.
behind one`s back
- when one is absent or without one's knowledge,
secretly He doesn't like people who talk behind his back.
blood is thicker than water
- family members are closer to one another than to
others Blood is thicker than water and people usually support their
family rather than their friends in times of trouble.
blood runs cold
- one is terrified or horrified My blood ran cold when
I saw the man fall off the ladder.
break one`s neck
- do all one possibly can, try one's hardest I broke
my neck to try and get the report finished on time.
breathe down one`s neck
- follow closely, threaten from behind My boss has
been breathing down my neck all day to try and get me to work harder.
butterflies in one`s stomach
- a feeling of fear or anxiety in the stomach The
little boy had butterflies in his stomach when he had to give the speech in
front of the class.
cold shoulder
- unfriendly treatment of a person The office staff
gave me the cold shoulder when I did not go to the going away party.
cut one`s throat
- spoil one's chances, ruin a person He is cutting his
own throat if he doesn't make an effort to find a new job quickly.
flesh and blood
- a close relative (father,daughter,brother) It was
his own flesh and blood who he refused to help when they needed money.
get off one`s back
- stop criticizing or nagging someone I wish that my
mother would get off my back about trying to find a better job.
get under one`s skin
- bother, upset She is beginning to get under my skin
with her constant complaining about the noise.
hold one`s breath
- stop breathing for a moment when one is excited or
nervous I held my breath and waited to see if my name had been called
for an interview with the movie company.
jump down one`s throat
- suddenly become very angry at someone His wife
jumped down his throat when he came home late for the third day in a row.
jump out of one`s skin
- be badly frightened, be very surprised I almost
jumped out of my skin when I saw my girlfriend at the movie theater with someone
else.
keep body and soul together
- keep alive, survive He has been working very hard to
try and keep body and soul together after his illness.
(not) move a muscle
- move very little (usually used in the negative) I
didn't move a muscle when the large dog approached me on the street.
neck and neck
- equal or nearly equal in a race or contest, tied The
two horses were running neck and neck until the end of the race.
off one`s back
- stop from bothering one, remove as an annoyance or
pest I wish my boss would get off my back and stop bothering me.
off one`s chest
- tell something to someone so it doesn't bother one
anymore I talked to my friend for a long time and was able to get my
problems off my chest.
on one`s back
- making insistent demands of one, being an annoyance or
bother My sister is always on her daughter's back to clean up her
room.
on one's shoulders
- one's responsibility I don't want to have the
failure of the project on my shoulders.
pain in the neck
- an obnoxious or bothersome person or event The
customer is a pain in the neck and is always complaining about something.
pat on the back
- praise The man was given a pat on the back for his
efforts to stop pollution in the river.
rub elbows or shoulders with someone
- be in the same place (with others), meet and mix with
others We went to the party in order to rub shoulders with some
interesting artists.
save one`s breath
- keep silent because talking will not do any good You
can save your breath and not bother talking to him. He never listens to anyone.
save one`s neck
- save from danger or trouble The worker tried to save
his own neck without thinking of any of the other people.
scratch one`s back
- do something kind and helpful for someone in the hope that
they will do something for you If you scratch the supervisor's back he
will help you when you need help.
shove something down one`s throat
- force one to do or agree to something not wanted or
liked The workers were angry because the boss tried to shove the new
regulations about uniforms down their throats.
skin and bones
- a person or animal that is very thin, someone very
skinny The dog became skin and bones after his owner stopped giving
him food.
skin-deep
- only on the surface, not having any deep or honest
meaning I believe that the speaker's interest in the environment is
only skin-deep.
stab in the back
- say or do something unfair that harms a friend or someone who
trusts you My friend stabbed me in the back even after I made an
effort to help him get a job.
stick one`s neck out
- do something dangerous or risky for someone His
friend will never stick his neck out to try and help other people.
straight from the shoulder
- open and honest way of speaking He was speaking
straight from the shoulder when he told the workers about the possible factory
closing.
to the bone
- entirely, to the core, through all layers He was wet
to the bone after staying out in the rain for two hours.
turn one`s back on
- refuse to help someone in trouble or need The woman
turned her back on her friend when she was asked for some money to borrow.
turn one`s stomach
- make one feel sick The sight of the dead dog on the
road turned the stomachs of the children at the school.
yellow-bellied
- extremely timid, cowardly Everyone thinks that the
new boss handled the matter in a yellow-bellied manner. 
Idiom Quizzes - Body
| 