Idiomatic Expressions

IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS TOEFL QUICK LEARNING
ROBERTO ROJAS MENDOZA.
ALL EARS. To be fully attentive. READY TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT SOMEONE HAS TO SAY. Gillian was curious about Jim’s story, so shesaid she was all ears.
BAD TASTE IN ONE’S MOUTH. To experience discomfort after an unpleasant experience. Clark was left with a bad taste in his mouth after breaking up with Lois.
BEHIND ONE’S BACK.Secretly done or said when one is absent. Alex would give information to the smoking man behind his partner’s back.
BIG MOUTH. To have a tendency to talk too much. SOMEONE WHO TALKS A LOT AND ISUNABLE TO KEEP ANYTHING SECRET. Mayor Nelson could hardly put up with Jeannie’s big mouth sometimes.
BONE OF CONTENTION. Something that is the root or cause of a disagreement. SOMETHING THAT PEOPLEDISAGREE OR ARGUE ABOUT: QUARRELS: THOSE GIRLS ALWAYS ARE ARGUING! THE MAIN BONE OF CONTENTION BETWEEN US IS OUR CHILDREN’S EDUCATION. Jerusalem has been many peoples’ bone of contention for centuries.BREAK ONE’S HEART. To cause sorrow or great disappointment. TO MAKE SOMEONE FEEL EXTREMELY SAD: IT BROKE MY HEART TO LEAVE HER. He broke my heart when decided to marry someone else.
BY EAR. Playedwithout dependence on written music. Paul McCartney doesn’t know how to read music but he can play by ear.
BY HEART. Said or done from memory, verbatim. She had to read the lyrics at the concertbecause she didn’t know the song by heart.
CHIP ON ONE’S SHOULDER. To be prone to quarrel. TO BE LIKELY TO BECOME ANGRY OR OFFENDED VERY EASILY, ESPECIALLY ABOUT SOMETHING THAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK SHOULDNOT UPSET YOU: BERT HAD ALWAYS HAD A CHIP ON HIS SHOULDER BECAUSE OF HIS ACCENT. Tyson was well known for carrying a chip on his shoulder, but no one expected him to bite off his opponent’s right ear.COLD FEET. Apprehensive, loss of confidence. Max told her that Rick was not feeling so sure about getting married, so she was afraid her fiancé was getting cold feet just before their wedding....