a blessing in disguise
Something that seems bad at first but turns out to be beneficial.
Exam core B1–B2 · Trọng tâm thi B1–B2 421
The phrases and idioms that decide THPT and VSTEP levels 3–5 — learn these before test day.
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a dime a dozen
(US) Anything that is common, inexpensive, and easy to get or available anywhere.
a piece of cake
Something very easy to do.
add insult to injury
Make a bad situation worse.
at the end of the day
When everything is taken into consideration.
back to the drawing board
Revising something (such as a plan) from the beginning, typically after it has failed.
barking up the wrong tree
Pursuing a mistaken idea or blaming the wrong person or cause.
beat around the bush
To avoid saying something directly; to approach a topic indirectly.
best of both worlds
A combination of two seemingly contradictory benefits.
birds of a feather
People with similar interests.
bite the bullet
To force yourself to do something unpleasant or difficult that you have been putting off.
break a leg
A wish of good luck to theatre performers before going on stage, due to the belief amongst those in theatre that being wished "good luck" is a curse.
break the ice
To do or say something that relieves initial awkwardness and gets a conversation or event started.
burn the midnight oil
To work or study late into the night.
call it a day
To declare the end of a task.
cold feet
Not going through with an action, particularly one which requires long term commitment, due to fear, uncertainty and doubt.
cost an arm and a leg
To be extremely expensive.
couch potato
A lazy person.
cut corners
To do something in the cheapest or easiest way, sacrificing quality or safety.
don't judge a book by its cover
Do not judge the worth of something or someone by appearance alone.
elephant in the room
An obvious, pressing issue left unaddressed due to its sensitive nature.
end up
To bring to a conclusion.
face the music
Deal with the negative consequences of something.
fish out of water
Refers to a person who is in unfamiliar, and often uncomfortable surroundings.
get out of hand
To become uncontrollable; to escalate beyond what was intended.
go ahead
To proceed with; to begin.
head over heels
Be smitten, infatuated.
hit the nail on the head
To describe a situation or problem exactly right.
hit the sack
To go to bed.
in hot water
In trouble; facing punishment or serious criticism.
it takes two to tango
Both share responsibility.
jump on the bandwagon
Follow popular trend.
kill two birds with one stone
To achieve two goals with a single action.
let the cat out of the bag
To reveal a secret, usually carelessly or by mistake.
miss the boat
To lose an opportunity by being too slow to act.
off the hook
To escape a situation of responsibility or obligation, or, less frequently, danger.
once in a blue moon
Very rarely; almost never.
out of the blue
By surprise.
practice makes perfect
Repeated practice is the way to master a skill.
pull someone's leg
To tease someone playfully by making them believe something untrue.
rain cats and dogs
Rain heavily.
see eye to eye
Have similar views.
set out
To explain something, or give exact details, usually in writing.
sit on the fence
Avoid making a decision.
slow down
To decelerate.
speak of the devil
Said when a person appears just as they are being talked about.
spill the beans
To reveal a secret or disclose private information, usually accidentally or before the right moment.
sum up
To produce a total by adding.
take over
To assume control of something, such as a business or enterprise, and sometimes by force.
the ball is in your court
It is now your turn to act or make the next decision.
the last straw
The final small problem that makes a situation unbearable.
the whole nine yards
Everything; all the way.
through thick and thin
Through all obstacles in a path; in good times and bad times.
throw caution to the wind
Be reckless.
throw in the towel
To give up; to admit defeat.
time flies
Time passes quickly.
under the weather
Slightly ill or not feeling well.
a bit more
a small amount additional
a bit of something
a small amount or part of something
a day or two
a short period of time