Idioms and Expressions, List 2

Prepare for the TOEFL Exam by learning these expressions and idioms.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. chew the fat
    talk socially without exchanging too much information
    She would chew the fat with friends, smartphone in hand, laughing. BBC (Jul 28, 2016)
  2. couch potato
    an idler who spends much time on a couch
    “We are no regular couch potatoes because we’re not idling away our time in front of the TV,” he said. Washington Times (Jan 24, 2018)
  3. forbidden fruit
    anything that is tempting but dangerous
    I think they turn whatever is being outlawed into forbidden fruit. The New Yorker (Jan 24, 2019)
  4. in a nutshell
    summed up briefly
    “I just hope it touches those politicians and bureaucrats to open their hearts up. Really that’s about it in a nutshell.” The Guardian (Feb 24, 2017)
  5. half-baked
    foolish; not fully thought out
    Once he said to her clumsily, "I must bore you to death, with all these half-baked ideas of mine, when you're used to such brilliant talkers." Canfield, Dorothy
  6. piece of cake
    any undertaking that is easy to do
    “He insisted it was really easy, just a piece of cake,” she recalled. Washington Post (Jul 9, 2020)
  7. on the table
    able to be negotiated or arranged by compromise
    “I think all options need to be on the table,” Mr. Buttigieg said. New York Times (Jan 21, 2021)
  8. gold standard
    a model or perfect example of excellence
    “Her hospital is the gold standard for how we care for these women now,” Sleemi said. Washington Post (Mar 22, 2020)
  9. silver lining
    a positive aspect of a difficult situation
    I filled myself with such hope and continued to cling to a silver lining, which seemed to disappear as rapidly as my desperation to cling to it increased. Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography
  10. rain check
    a promise that an offer will be renewed in the future
    Carla leaves and my mom asks if I want to beat her at a game of Honor Pictionary, but I ask for a rain check. Everything, Everything
  11. pet peeve
    an annoyance about which someone frequently complains
    My pet peeve is when I see citizens park in the crosswalk or when they’re blocking the sidewalk. Washington Post (Mar 11, 2016)
  12. rhetorical question
    an inquiry that is not supposed to be answered
    Something about the tone of his voice or the reaction of the other children told me this was a purely rhetorical question. The Name of the Wind
  13. rite of passage
    a ritual performed when an individual changes status
    Reading “Catcher” used to be an essential rite of passage, almost as important as getting your learner’s permit. New York Times (Jan 29, 2010)
  14. last resort
    something done or used only when nothing else works
    Lee Strunk carried a slingshot; a weapon of last resort, he called it. The Things They Carried
  15. last straw
    an annoyance that stretches your patience beyond its limit
    I found this to be the last straw, and my patience snapped. Long Walk to Freedom
Created on Fri Sep 10 14:07:45 EDT 2021 (updated Thu Sep 23 15:56:52 EDT 2021)

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