Commonly used english part 2 ppt

11

all set

- to be ready to begin, to be okay
We were all set so we began the meeting.

all sweetness and light

- to be very sweet, to be innocent and helpful
The girl is all sweetness and light after she does something bad.

all systems go

- everything is ready (often used when a rocket is launched)
It was all systems go so we began the installation of the new computer system.

all talk (and no action)

- to talk about doing something but never really do it
Our boss is all talk and no action and nothing new is ever done in our department.

all the livelong day

- throughout the whole day
I know the words to the song, “I've been working on the railroad, all the livelong
day.”

all the rage

- to be in current fashion
The new sneakers were all the rage during the summer.

all the time

- always, continually
My sister asks for money all the time but I never give it to her.


12

all thumbs

- to have difficulty fixing things or working with one`s hands, to be clumsy
My friend is all thumbs when he fixes things around his house.

all to the good

- for the best, for one's benefit
It was all to the good that my sister quit her job.

all told

- including everything/everyone, everything counted
All told, there were at least twelve candidates for the job.

.

allow for (someone or something)

- to plan to have enough of something, to plan on the possibility of something
We must allow for enough time to go to the stadium.

along with (someone or something)

- in addition to someone or something
I went to the concert along with my friend.

amount to (something)

- to total something, to result in something
The small amounts of time later amounted to much time.




13

amount to (something)

- to become successful
The boy will never amount to anything if he does not change his behavior.

amount to the same thing

- to be the same or have the same effect as something
Going by taxi or by bus amounts to the same thing. We will still be late for the
concert.

answer to (someone)

- to explain or justify one's actions to someone
The manager had to answer to the company president about the financial problems.

any number of (someone or something)

- a large number of people or something
I had any number of reasons not to buy the computer.

appear out of nowhere

- to appear suddenly, to appear without warning
The dog appeared out of nowhere during our walk on the beach.

apple of (someone`s) eye

- someone or something that is very precious or important to you
The man's youngest daughter is the apple of his eye.

argue for the sake of arguing/argument

- to argue only to be different
My friend's brother always argues for the sake of arguing.


14

arm and a leg

- a large amount of money
The man's new car cost him an arm and a leg.

arm in arm

- to be joined together by the arms
The young girls walked arm in arm to school.

armed and dangerous

- to have a weapon that may be used (usually used for a criminal)
The criminal was armed and dangerous when the police arrested him.

armed to the teeth

- to be armed with many weapons
The police were armed to the teeth during the raid.

around the clock

- all day and all night
We worked around the clock to prepare the store to open.

arrive on the scene

- to appear in a certain place
When the fire department arrived on the scene the fire was finished.

15

as Idioms
as a last resort

- if everything else fails
As a last resort we decided to borrow some money to buy the car.

as a matter of fact

- actually
“As a matter of fact, we have been to the art gallery many times.”

as a result of (something)

- because of something that has happened
As a result of a car accident my friend could not work for several months.

as a rule

- usually, as a habit
As a rule, I get up at 7:00 every morning.

as dull as dishwater

- very uninteresting
The speakers at the conference were as dull as dishwater.

as far as

- to the extent or degree of something
As far as I know the movie will start next week.






16

as far as possible

- as much as possible
We went as far as possible with the project before we had to stop.

as for

- with regard to, concerning
“As for me, I think that I will go home now.”

as good as one's word

- to be dependable if one promises something

My friend is as good as his word. You can always trust him.

as if

- in the same way that something would be, that
The drink tastes as if it were made with orange juice.
It seemed as if the whole town came to the concert.

as is

- in whatever condition something happens to be
We bought the old sofa as is. It was very cheap.

as long as

- provided that, on condition that
"As long as you promise to be very careful you can borrow my car."

as luck would have it

- by chance
As luck would have it, I was able to borrow some clothes for the party.


17

as one

- as if a group were one person
The crowd stood up as one and began to cheer for the team.

as soon as

- just after something, when
I phoned my friend as soon as I finished dinner.

as such

- the way something is
"As such, I will not be able to approve your application for a loan."

as the crow flies

- by the most direct way, along a straight line between two places
As the crow flies, it is about 6 kilometers between my house and my office.

as to

- with regard to, concerning, according to
We have some questions as to how the accident happened.
The players were put into groups as to their ability.

as usual

- most of the time, following the usual pattern
As usual, the girl forgot to bring her book to class.

as well

- in addition, also, too

I plan to take a computer course this summer as well.


18

as well as

- in addition to
"Please bring your swimming suit as well as your towel."

as yet

- until now, up to the present
As yet, our secretary has not talked about her plans to leave the company.

.




ask for the moon

- to ask for too much
The woman is asking for the moon. She will never get what she wants.

ask for trouble

- to behave in a way that will likely cause trouble
The boy is asking for trouble if he misses another class.

ask (someone) out

- to ask a person for a date
My friend finally asked the woman at the bank out.

asleep at the switch

- to not be alert to an opportunity
I was asleep at the switch. I did not know about the job so I did not apply for it.



19

assault and battery

- a criminal charge where one violently attacks and beats someone
The man was arrested for assault and battery after the fight.

at Idioms
at a loss

- in a state of uncertainty or bewilderment
We were at a loss about what to do with the broken computer.

at a loss for words

- speechless, unable to speak
I was at a loss for words when I met my friend after many years.

at a stretch

- continuously
My friend sometimes works for three weeks at a stretch.

at all costs

- regardless of the cost or difficulty, no matter what
The company wants to protect their product designs at all costs.

at any rate

- anyway
"At any rate, I am not going to a movie tonight."






20

at bay

- at a distance
We tried to keep the dog at bay when we entered the building.

at best

- under the most favorable circumstances

The doctors said that the man had ten months at best to live.

at cross-purposes

- to have opposite ways of doing something, to have opposing goals
The two men are always at cross purposes. They cannot agree about anything.

at death's door

- to be near death
The young woman was at death's door after the accident.

at ease

- to be relaxed and comfortable
The players felt at ease after the coach talked to them.

at every turn

- everywhere that one looks
When we visited Rome, there were a group of tourists at every turn.

at face value

- the apparent value of something, the value that is printed on a stamp or a bond
At face value the old stamp was worth almost nothing.