Commonly used english part 39 ppt

381

in good hands

- in the safe and competent care of someone
My dog was in good hands when I gave him to my father to look after.

in good repair

- in good condition
My car is always in good repair when I go on a holiday.

in good shape/condition

- functioning or working well
Our television set was in good shape when we gave it to my friend.

in good spirits

- happy/cheerful/positive
Everyone was in good spirits when they went to the beach for a picnic.

in good time

- a little early, sooner than necessary
I will try and get the information to you in good time so that you will be able to
decide what to do.

in good with (someone)

- in someone's favor
My cousin is in good with his boss and has an easy time at work.

in great demand

- wanted by many people
The young pianist is in great demand by symphony orchestras around the world.


382

in hand

- under control
The teacher had the class in hand when the principal came to visit the classroom.

in heaven

- in a state of absolute happiness, dead and in heaven
I felt that I was in heaven when I learned that I would get the job that I wanted.

in high gear

- very fast and active
The preparations for the party were in high gear when I arrived at the house.

in hindsight

- thinking about the past with the knowledge one now has
In hindsight, it was easy to determine what I had done wrong in the job interview.

in hock

- in a pawnshop
The man put his expensive stereo in hock to get some money for a holiday.

in honor of (someone or something)

- showing respect or admiration for someone or something
The dinner was in honor of the first principal of our school.

in hopes of (something)

- expecting something
I wrote the entrance exam in hopes of entering my favorite university.


383

in horror

- with intense shock or disgust
I watched in horror as the cars crashed into the truck that had stopped.

in hot water

- in trouble
I am in hot water over the extra expenses that I used during the conference.

in ink

- written or signed with a pen
We were asked to write down our names and addresses in ink.

in its entirety

- in a state of completeness
I read the novel in its entirety although it was very difficult to read.

in jeopardy

- in danger, at risk
Our contract with the large company was in jeopardy because of our inability to
quickly provide them with our products.

in keeping with (something)

- continuing with something, doing something similar
In keeping with our tradition of letting the visiting team kick first we will do it for this
game as well.







384

in kind

- payment for something with some goods rather than money
We will pay them back in kind for the use of their sailboat.

in labor

- a woman going through childbirth
The man's wife was in labor for three hours.

in league with (someone)

- in secret agreement or partnership with someone
The union has been in league with management to try and close the factory.

in less than no time

- very quickly
My friend had to go to the bank but in less than no time he returned to my house.

in lieu of (something)

- in place of something
We received a free movie pass in lieu of a refund of our movie ticket.

in light of (something)

- as a result of new information, because of something
In light of his contribution to the company we decided to give him a large summer
bonus.

in limbo

- in an indefinite state, a state of neglect, a region on the border of hell
Everything in the company was in limbo as we waited for news of the takeover bid.


385

in line

- standing and waiting in a line of people
We stood in line for three hours while waiting for the concert tickets.

in line

- doing or being what people expect or accept, within ordinary limits
It was difficult to keep the children in line at the picnic but somehow we managed.

in love

- liking/loving someone very much
He has been in love with his girlfriend ever since he met her in high school.

in luck

- having good luck, finding something good by chance
I think that we are in luck. I was able to buy two tickets for the concert.

in memory of (someone or something)

- as a reminder of someone or something, as a memorial to someone or something
We decided to collect some money and buy a painting in memory of our grandfather.

in mint condition

- in perfect condition
The old coins that my father gave me were in mint condition.

in name only

- not actual, only by name
The man was an animal doctor in name only and had never once treated a sick or
injured animal.


386

in need

- someone requires basic things like food/clothing/housing
The victims of the hurricane were very much in need after the storm was over.

in need of (someone or something)

- requiring someone or something
We are in need of a new stove in our apartment.

in neutral

- a car's motor is running but the gear is in neutral so the car does not move,

something does not move
I put the car in neutral as I waited for the train to pass.

in no mood to (do something)

- not feel like doing something
I was in no mood to argue with my friend this morning.

in no time

- soon, quickly
I will have this done for you in no time and then you can go for lunch.

in no uncertain terms

- in very specific and direct language
I told my neighbor in no uncertain terms that I wanted the music to stop.

in nothing flat

- quickly
I will have this information printed out for you in nothing flat.


387

in on (something)

- joining together for something
We went in on a present for our father for Father`s Day.

in on (something/a secret)

- told about something, having knowledge of something
I was finally in on the secret about why the supervisor left our company.

in one ear and out the other

- be heard and then immediately forgotten
Everything that the teacher says seems to go in one ear and out the other for my
friend.

in one fell swoop

- as a single incident or event
In one fell swoop we sold our car, furniture and apartment and moved to Germany.

in one's birthday suit

- naked, nude
The little boy was running around in his birthday suit after his bath.

in one's blood

- built into one's personality or character
Riding a horse is in the girl's blood and she is an expert at it.

in one's book

- according to one's own opinion

In my book she is the best teacher that we have ever had.


388

in one's cups

- drunk
I think that my grandfather was in his cups when he wrote the letter to his friend.

in one`s element

- in an environment or situation that comes naturally to someone
She is in her element being in charge of the new sales department.

in one`s face

- abruptly, unexpectedly
The plan blew up in our face just as we were ready to start.

in one's glory

- at one's best or happiest
I was in my glory when I had the best seats in the stadium.

in one`s good books/graces

- approved of by someone, liked by someone
I have been in my friend's good books since I helped her with her homework last
month.

in one`s hair

- annoying someone
The child has been in my hair all morning because she is on holidays now.

in one`s mind`s eye

- in one`s imagination
In my mind`s eye I tried to imagine that I was on a nice sunny beach.


389

in one's opinion

- according to one's belief or judgement
In my opinion, my aunt is the best cook in the world.

in one's (own) backyard

- very close to someone
Nobody wants the chicken farm in their own backyard.

in one's own best interest(s)

- to one's advantage or benefit
It was in my friend's own best interests to move into a larger apartment with his
family.

in one's prime

- at one's peak or best time
My cousin was in his prime when he entered the bicycle race.

in one's right mind

- rational and sensible
The girl was not in her right mind to quit her job right now.

in one's salad days

- in one's youth
In her salad days my mother was a very good dancer.

in one's second childhood

- interested in or doing things that children normally do
My uncle is in his second childhood and has just bought a sports car.


390

in one`s shell

- withdrawn, silent, not sociable
We are trying to get her out of her shell but she still doesn`t want to talk to anyone.

in one`s shoes

- in someone else's place or position
I wish that I was in his shoes with his great job and new car.

in one's spare time

- in one's free time
My cousin likes to fix old clocks in his spare time.

in one's Sunday best

- in one's best clothes that you would wear to worship (in the days when people
dressed in a formal way)
I was dressed in my Sunday best when I went for the job interview.

in one`s tracks

- abruptly, immediately, just where one is at the moment
I stopped in my tracks when I saw the snake on the road.

in order to

- for the purpose of
They have decided to close down the school for the summer in order to do some
major repairs.