Idiom - Go all out

Go all out:

If you “go all out” it means that you put a 100% effort into something.

Our soccer team went all out yesterday.  We didn’t win, but the coach was still happy with us because of our effort.

I am so tired because I went all out at the gym today.

My foot is still hurting a little bit.  I will play basketball with you guys, but I don’t think I’m going to be able to go all out.

I went all out for Valentine’s day this year.  I bought my girlfriend nice flowers, took her to a fancy restaurant, and bought her diamond earrings.

Persian: حداکثر تلاش خود را کردن

Idiom - Warts and all

Warts and all:

If you show something warts and all, you show it exactly as it is without trying to hide any of its faults or weaknesses.

Are you sure you want to read the first draft? You'll see it warts and all, with all the mistakes and all the bad writing still there.

People don't want to see an idealized version of his life. They want to know the real story, warts and all.

Persian:   به صورت واقعی

Idiom - At loose ends

At loose ends:

If you're at loose ends, you feel restless and unsettled because you don't have anything to do.

Hank's been at loose ends since he lost his job, so I hope he finds another one soon.

We tried limiting the time Jimmy could play computer games, but he gets restless and moody whenever he's at loose ends, so we let him play.

Persian:     کلافه بودن

Idiom - A Weight off Your Shoulders

A Weight off Your Shoulders:

You can say a weight is off your shoulders if you no longer have to worry about something or deal with something difficult.

Thanks so much for agreeing to take care of Snoopy while I'm away. It's a weight off my shoulders knowing that a real dog lover will be looking after her.

I think it was a real weight off Cathy's shoulders when you offered to take care of the arrangements. She's got so much else to deal with at the moment.

Idiom - Fall from Grace

Fall from Grace:

n,v If you fall from grace, you do something that results in a loss of respect and support, especially among those who influence your life or career.

The company's vice-president was expected to take over the company until he fell from grace after being arrested for stealing company funds.

It's been sad watching so many athletes fall from grace and have their records deleted from the record books for taking performance-enhancing drugs like steroids.

Mike's fall from grace was quite spectacular.

Idiom - A New Lease of/on Life

A New Lease of/on Life:

If someone has a new lease of life, they have a new enthusiasm for living.

After recovering from her illness, Kathy had a new lease of life and made lots of plans for the future.

When my uncle quit drinking it gave him a new lease of life and he started doing things he hadn't done for years.

Note: A new lease on life (US) / (UK) A new lease of life

Idiom - Take Things Out of Context

Take Things out of Context:

It means to say a part of what someone has said, not the full story.

The media mislead people by taking things out of context and showing only parts of the story.

Idiom - Blow Your Own Horn/Trumpet

Blow Your Own Horn/Trumpet:

If you blow your own horn, or blow your own trumpet, you proudly boast about your own talents and successes.

I hate the way Barry always blows his own horn, and I get sick of hearing about all the amazing things he's done.

Lorraine says that if you want to be successful in the fashion business, you really have to blow your own trumpet.

Persian: پز دادن

Idiom - Straight Laced

Straight Laced:

If someone is “straight laced” it means that they are really “traditional”.

Jennifer is so straight laced. She would never get a tattoo.

Persian: سنتی

Idiom - A Question Mark over someone/something

A Question Mark over someone/something:

If there's a question mark over someone, there's some doubt about their future or their ability to do something. If there's a question mark over something, there's some doubt about its quality or its authenticity.

There's been a question mark over the Prime Minister's health since he cancelled his trip to China.

 Even though there's a question mark over the painting's authenticity, it sold for over $10,000,000.

Persian: شک، تردید

Idiom - Look the other way

Look the Other Way:

If you “look the other way” it means that you “pretend that something didn’t happen” or you “pretend that you didn’t notice something”.  We often use this phrase with police officers or people who are in a position to get someone in trouble for something.

I know that policeman saw me driving way too fast.  He was nice enough to look the other way and not make me pay a fine.

My teacher definitely saw me cheating on my test, but he was too lazy to do anything about it, so he just looked the other way so he didn’t have to make a big deal about it.  I’m a lucky guy.

Persian: چشم پوشی کردن

Idiom - In Two Minds

In Two Minds:

If you're in two minds about something, you can't decide what to do, or you can't decide which option is the best.

Kenny is in two minds about what to study at university. He's interested in history, but he also likes the idea of being a lawyer.

We're in two minds about what to do during our vacation. We could go traveling somewhere, or we could stay home and fix up the garden.

Persian: دو دل بودن

Idiom - Off the Charts

Off the Charts:

If something is “off the charts” it means that it is too big to even measure, or “unusually large in some way”.

If a person weighs 250 kg, you could say that their weight is “off the charts“.  It’s “too big to measure” or “too big for a normal scale to measure”.

Her singing is amazing.  It’s off the charts.

I can’t believe how stupid he is.  It’s just off the charts!

His strength is off the charts.  He’s the strongest person I’ve ever seen.

Idiom - A slip of the tongue

A slip of the tongue:

If you make a slip of the tongue, you make a small mistake when speaking.

I really meant to say Miss Davis, not Mrs Davis, so it was just a slip of the tongue, but Judy thought I was teasing her.

A newsreader made a slip of the tongue when reading out the scores. He said Chelsea had lost by a goal, instead of saying they'd won by a goal.

Persian: اشتباه لپی

Idiom - Keep Your Nose Clean

Keep Your Nose Clean:

If you keep your nose clean, you stay out of trouble by making sure you don't do anything wrong.
Our son Michael is in trouble with the police again. I really wish he'd learn to keep his nose clean.

It's important for sport's stars to keep their noses clean because they make a lot of money for endorsing products, and they could lose this income if they got into trouble with the law.

Persian:از دردسر دوری کردن

Idiom - Save the Day

Save the Day:

If you save the day, you do something to ensure success or to solve a serious problem.

It looked like we were going to lose the game, but Ronaldo saved the day by kicking two late goals.

Then a guy rides in on a white horse and saves the day by killing the bad guys and rescuing the girl.

Idiom - Preach to the choir

Preach to the choir:

if someone says, “You are preaching to the choir” it means, “I already agree with what you are saying, you don’t need to try to convince me.”

Idiom - The Lion's Share

The Lion's Share:

The biggest share or portion of something.

The lion's share of the government's budget goes to the military, when it could be spent on useful things like education, health care and looking after the environment.

The company executives decided to give the lion's share of the company's profits to themselves, in the form of very high salaries, huge bonuses and very generous expense accounts. Not much was left over for staff wages and the shareholders.

Persian: بخش عمده

Idiom - Eat Humble Pie

Eat Humble Pie:

UK If you eat humble pie, you admit that you are in the wrong and behave apologetically.

Jim had to eat humble pie after we proved that what he'd said was wrong.

Some politicians are so arrogant that they won't eat humble pie even when it's clear they've made a mistake. They just say they were "misinformed".

Idiom - Late Bloomer

Late Bloomer:

If someone is a “late bloomer” it means that they become successful, but at a later time in life than most people.

Idiom - Up to one's neck/eyeballs

Up to one's neck/eyeballs:

If you're up to your neck in something, or up to your eyeballs in something, you've got too much of it and it's become a problem.

I'm up to my neck in emails and I don't think I can get away at the moment.

Christmas is the worst time at the animal shelter. We're always up to our eyeballs in stray dogs and cats.

Persian: تا خرخره

Idiom - Never say die

Never say die:

You can say "Never say die!" if you want to tell someone to keep trying while there's still a chance of success.

We were two goals down with only a few minutes to go, but our captain wouldn't give up. He was shouting, "Come on, guys! Never say die!"

After falling off his surfboard for the hundredth time, Craig climbed back on and said with a laugh, "Never say die!"

Persian:نا امید نشدن 

Idiom - Much Ado about Nothing

Much Ado about Nothing:

If you say something is much ado about nothing, you think it's an overreaction to something that shouldn't have caused so much trouble.

Some people make a big fuss about which table they get in a restaurant, but as far as I can see it's much ado about nothing as long as the food's the same.

All this nonsense about status and "losing face" is much ado about nothing as far as I'm concerned.

Origin: "Much Ado about Nothing" is the title of a well-known play by William Shakespeare, and as a result the phrase has survived into modern English in it's original form.

Idiom - A Skeleton in the Cupboard/Closet

a skeleton in the cupboard/closet:

if you have a skeleton in the cupboard, or in the closet, you have a secret in your past which could damage you if it became known.

before we give you the job, we need to know if you have any skeletons in the cupboard which the press could find out about. things like a criminal record or drug or alcohol problems in the past.

politicians can't afford to have any skeletons in the closet these days. their enemies are sure to find them.

note: "a skeleton in the cupboard" is used in british and australian english while "a skeleton in the closet" is used in american english. the meaning is the same for both.

Idiom - Achilles' Heel

Achilles' Heel: /ə'kɪliz/

A weakness.

He's a good golfer, but his Achilles' heel is his putting and it's often made him lose matches.

The country's dependence on imported oil could prove to be its Achilles' heel if prices keep on rising.

Persian: نقطه ضعف

Origin: From the ancient Greek myth of Achilles whose mother made him invulnerable to attack by dipping him headfirst into a sacred river when he was a baby. She was holding him by one foot, and the heel of this foot wasn't touched by the water so it became his "weak point" later in life.

Idiom - Jump/Go through Hoops

Jump/Go through Hoops:

To do a lot of difficult things before you are allowed to have or do sth you want.

The insurance company made me jump through hoops before they'd give me a health insurance policy. I had to do medical tests, questionnaires, interviews - you name it!

The defense department makes you go through hoops before they give you clearance to work in one of their special sections.

Origin: Probably related to the fact that trained circus animals jump through hoops to please their trainers.

Idiom - Set in Stone

Set in Stone:

If something is “set in stone”, it means that it cannot be changed.

I think I’m going on a trip next month but nothing is set in stone yet.

We can just call the restaurant and change our reservations until an hour later.  It’s not like they are written in stone.

Persian:    قطعی

Idiom - Red Tape

Red Tape:

If there is a lot of “red tape” it means there is a lot of annoying rules or “paperwork” to do.

I wanted to start my own business last year, but I didn’t because there was just too much red tape.

I think our country’s economy would be a lot better if there wasn’t so much red tape every time someone wanted to start a business.

It is possible for you to move to the USA, get an American passport, and become a real American citizen, but the process takes a long time and there is a lot of red tape.

Persian: کاغذ بازی

Idiom - In the Bag

In the Bag:

(Slang) If you think something is "in the bag", you are sure you'll get it or achieve it.

If the polls are correct, the Democrats have the election in the bag. They should win easily.

They are three goals up with only five minutes to go, so Liverpool has got this game in the bag. They won't lose now.

Idiom - on the off-chance

On the off-chance:

You can say you're doing something "on the off-chance" if you're doing it because it might lead to something that you want, even though it's not definite.

Photographers follow celebrities around on the off-chance that they can get a good photograph of them and sell it.

I'll call Frank and tell him where we are on the off-chance that he can join us.