table a discussion
- to postpone a discussion until a later time
We tabled the discussion about the salary issue until the next meeting.
table a motion
- to postpone the discussion of something during a meeting
We tabled a motion to discuss the safety issue at another time.
tackle a problem
- to attack a problem with much effort (from American football where one player tackles another player)
All of the members of the sales team gathered to tackle the problem of decreasing sales.
tag along with (someone)
- to go somewhere with someone, to follow along with someone
The little boy tagged along with his older brother when they went to the beach.
tail between one`s legs
- feeling ashamed or beaten
The salesman resigned from his company with his tail between his legs after he told a lie about his expense account.
tail wagging the dog
- a situation where a small part of something controls the larger part
The tail is wagging the dog and the receptionist controls everything in the office.
Take Idioms
take a backseat to (someone or something)
- to accept a poorer or lower position than someone, to be second to someone or something
I had to take a backseat to my boss when we went on the business trip.
take a bath
- to bathe
The boy always takes a bath in the evening.
take a bath (on something)
- to lose much money on something, to be ruined financially
My aunt took a bath on the stock market last year and she is afraid to buy stocks now.
take a beating
- to lose money
My father took a beating when he sold his car.
take a big bite out of one's paycheck
- to decrease one's paycheck because of some kind of deduction
The new tax has begun to take a big bite out of my paycheck.
take a bow
- to bow and receive credit for a good performance
The violinist stopped to take a bow before she went backstage with the orchestra.
take a break
- to have a short rest period in one's work
I stopped to take a break after working all morning.
take a chance
- to try something where failure is possible
I will take a chance and visit my friend without phoning first.
take a course in (something)
- to enroll in a class to study or learn something
I am planning to take a course in photography next year.
take a crack at (something)
- to try or attempt to do something
"Have you decided to take a crack at writing the entrance examination?"
take a dig at (someone)
- to criticize someone, to say something that will irritate someone
The man is always taking a dig at his wife.
take a dim view of (something)
- to be against something, to disapprove of something
Our company takes a dim view of people who do not wear a suit and tie.
take a fancy to (someone or something)
- to develop a fondness or a preference for someone or something
The woman took a fancy to her new coworker.
take a gander at (someone or something)
- to examine someone or something, to take a look at someone or something
I asked the car mechanic to take a gander at the steering system on my car.
take a hand in (something)
- to help plan or do something
The man is always ready to take a hand in any work that needs to be done.
take a hard line (with someone)
- to be firm with someone, to have a firm policy for dealing with someone
The company takes a hard line with people who come to work late.
take a hint
- to understand what is hinted at and behave accordingly
The man is unable to take a hint and does not notice when people want him to leave.
take a leaf out of (someone's) book
- to behave or do something in the way that someone else would
We plan to take a leaf out of our competitor's book and advertise our product on the Internet.
take a letter
- to write down the words that someone says and later type them into a letter
The secretary often has to take a letter for her boss.
take a leak
- to urinate
The man stopped at the side of the road to take a leak.
take a liking to (someone or something)
- to develop a fondness or a preference for someone or something
I took a liking to my new neighbor immediately.
take a load off one's feet
- to sit down and relax
I sat down in order to take a load off my feet.
take a look at (someone or something)
- to examine (usually briefly) someone or something
I will take a look at the problem with the computer tomorrow.
take a look for (someone or something)
- to look for someone or something
Tomorrow, I will take a look for the pen which I lost.
take a nap
- to have a brief period of sleep
I want to take a nap before I visit my parents.
take a new turn
- to begin a new course or direction
The campaign to clean up the river took a new turn when the electric company joined the campaign.
take a pay cut
- to accept a decrease in one's salary
The workers in the factory were asked to take a pay cut.
take a potshot at (someone or something)
- to criticize someone or something
The mayor of the city decided to take a potshot at his opponent in the election.
take a powder
- to leave quickly, to run away
I took a powder immediately after the meeting.
take a punch at (someone)
- to strike someone with one's fist
The man in the restaurant suddenly took a punch at the waiter.
take a rain check
- to get a promise to repeat an invitation at a later date
I was invited to dinner by my friend but I took a raincheck because I was too tired.
take a risk
- to try something where failure is possible
We will take a risk and go to the popular restaurant without a reservation.
take a shine to (someone)
- to have or show a quick liking for someone
Our daughter took a shine to her new teacher immediately.
take a shot at (something or doing something)
- to try to do something
I plan to take a shot at golfing when I am on vacation.
take a sick day
- to be absent from work and still receive pay
I did not feel well yesterday so I decided to take a sick day.
take a shower
- to shower
I usually take a shower when I get home from work.
take a spill
- to fall, to tip over
The little boy took a spill when he was learning how to ride his bicycle.
take a stab at (something or doing something)
- to try to do something
I took a stab at the math problem but I could not solve it.
take a stand on (something)
- to declare firmly that one is for or against something
The politician was forced to take a stand on the tax issue.
take a toll on (someone or something)
- to damage or hurt someone or something by using it too much or by hard living
The stress and long hours at work are beginning to take a toll on my friend.
take a trip
- to go for a journey
We plan to take a trip to Italy in November.
take a turn for the better
- to begin to improve or get well
The medical condition of my uncle has recently taken a turn for the better.
take a turn for the worse
- to start to get worse
The condition of the patient suddenly took a turn for the worse.
take a vacation
- to go somewhere for a vacation
I have much stress at work so I want to take a vacation next month.
take a walk/stroll/hike
- to go for a walk or stroll or hike
The man likes to take a walk every morning.
take a whack at (someone)
- to hit someone
The man on the bus suddenly took a whack at the man sitting beside him.
take a whack at (something)
- to try something
I took a whack at fixing the car but I was unsuccessful.
take action on (something)
- to deal with something
The city is finally going to take action on the homeless problem.
take advantage of (someone or something)
- to use someone or something for one`s own benefit
We took advantage of the beautiful weather and went to the beach.
take after (someone)
- to resemble or act like someone (usually a parent or relative)
The boy is tall and handsome like his father and takes after him in many other ways as well.
take aim at (someone or something)
- to aim a gun/camera/policy at someone or something, to focus one's attention at someone or something
The police plan to take aim at people who do not stop at stop signs.
take an interest in (something)
- to develop an interest in something
Recently, my cousin has taken an interest in fishing.
take an oath
- to make an oath, to swear to something
I had to take an oath before I could answer questions at the public hearing.
take apart (something) or take (something) apart
- to separate the parts of something, to disassemble something
I took apart the watch easily but it never worked again.
take attendance
- to make a record of persons attending something
Our teacher always takes attendance when we arrive in the morning.
take back (something) or take (something) back
- to admit to making a wrong statement
The man was asked to take back what he had said about his boss.
take back (something) or take (something) back
- to return a bought or borrowed item to the place where you got it
I need to take back some books to the library.
take care of (someone or something)
- to look after or give attention to someone or something
You should take care of your health or you will become sick.
take care of (something)
- to deal with something, to do what is necessary to accomplish something
"Could you please take care of these letters while I make some phone calls."
take charge of (someone or something)
- to take control of someone or something
The new supervisor quickly took charge of the staff in the fast food restaurant.
take down (something) or take (something) down
- to write or record something that is said at a meeting/lecture/discussion
I took down many notes during the lecture last week.
take down (something) or take (something) down
- to take something apart, to pull something to pieces
We took down our tent when it began to rain.
take down (something) or take (something) down
- to remove something from an elevated place
I took down the picture in order to change the frame.
take effect
- to become legally operative, to begin
The new traffic laws took effect early last month.
take exception to (something)
- to speak against something, to find fault with something, to be angered by something
The man took exception to the fact that everyone was able to play golf well except him.
take first place
- to win something, to be the most important
The boy took first place in the contest.
take five
- to take a five-minute rest period
We decided to take five before continuing with our work.
take great pains to do (something)
- to make a great effort to do something
The painters took great pains not to spill any paint on the carpet.
take heart
- to be encouraged, to feel brave and want to try something
I took heart from my previous failure and decided to try again.
take heed
- to be cautious
It is best to take heed when you are crossing the street.
take hold of (someone or something)
- to get in control of someone or something
Something seemed to take hold of the man and he began to act very strange.
take hold of (something)
- to grasp something, to grip something with the hands
I took hold of the strap when I entered the train.
take ill
- to become sick
The woman took ill during her holiday and spent most of the time in her hotel.
take in money or take money in
- to receive or get money
We were able to take in a lot of money at the charity auction.
take in (someone) or take (someone) in
- to let someone come in, to admit someone
The farmer took the couple in for the night after their car stopped working.
take in (someone) or take (someone) in
- to decieve someone, to fool someone
The bad lawyer took in many people and took much of their money.
take in (someone) or take (someone) in
- to take someone to a police station for processing
The police took the man in for questioning.
take in (something) or take (something) in
- to go and see or visit something
We decided to take in a movie last night.
take in (something) or take (something) in
- to make something smaller
The tailor took in the waist of my suit pants and now they fit much better.
take in (something) or take (something) in
- to grasp something with the mind
The course was very difficult but I tried to take in as much as possible.
take inventory
- to make an inventory list, to count the goods in a store or warehouse
We stayed late at our store to take inventory.
take issue with (someone or something)
- to argue with someone, to dispute a point with someone, to dispute something
I decided to take issue with my supervisor when he began to criticize my work.
I took issue with my new work schedule.
take it
- to endure trouble or criticism or abuse
My friend is quite sensitive and cannot take it when I make a joke about him.
take it
- to get an idea or impression, to understand something from what is said or done
"I take it that you are not going to come to the graduation ceremony next week."
take it away
- to start up a performance
"Let's take it away and get the music started."
take it easy
- to relax
I have been working hard recently. Now I will take it easy for a few days.
take it easy on (someone or something)
- to be gentle, to use less of something rather than more
I tried to take it easy on the sugar when I was making the fruit punch.
take it on the chin
- to be badly beaten or hurt, to accept trouble calmly
Our team took it on the chin at the baseball tournament last week.
take it or leave it
- to accept something or forget it
The customer was told to take it or leave it when he began to complain about the product.
take it out on (someone or something)
- to be unpleasant or unkind to someone because one is angry or upset
The man has much stress at work but he is careful not to take it out on his friends or family.
take it slow
- to move or go slowly
I always take it slow when I am driving at night.
take it upon oneself (to do something)
- to undertake to do something, to make something one's responsibility
I decided to take it upon myself to fix the broken window in our apartment.
take its toll
- to cause loss or damage
My father's new job and the long hours have begun to take its toll on his health.
take kindly to (someone or something)
- to be pleased by someone or something, to be agreeable to someone or something
The man does not take kindly to people telling him how to run his business.
take leave of one's senses
- to become irrational
I think that my neighbor has taken leave of his senses. He has been acting very strange lately.
take liberties with (someone or something)
- to use or abuse someone or something
The girl is taking liberties with her friend by always borrowing her car.
take lunch
- to go on one's lunch break
I plan to take lunch early today.
take no stock in (something)
- to pay no attention to something
I usually take no stock in what my neighbor says.
take note of (something)
- to observe and remember something
The police are taking note of people who do any illegal business.
take notice of (something)
- to observe something
The city workers take notice of the businesses which do not follow the local garbage regulations.
take off
- to depart suddenly or quickly, to run away
We decided to take off when the concert ended.
take off
- to leave (used for an airplane)
The flight took off right on time.
take off after (someone or something)
- to begin to chase someone or something
The fox took off after the rabbit which jumped out of the hole.
take off clothes or shoes etc.
- to remove clothes or shoes etc.
"Please take off your shoes before you enter our house."
take off one's hat to (someone)
- to offer praise for someone's good accomplishments
You have to take off your hat to the person who organized the sporting event.
take off some time or take some time off
- to be absent from work
I was sick and I had to take off a week from work.
take off weight or take weight off
- to decrease one's weight
My friend is trying to take off weight with her new diet.
take offense at (someone or something)
- to become resentful of someone or something
The audience took offense at the remarks by the comedian.
take office
- to begin serving as an elected or appointed official
The new mayor of the city is expected to take office next week.
take on (someone) or take (someone) on
- to give a job to someone, to hire or employ someone
The factory took on fifty new employees last month.
take on (something) or take (something) on
- to begin to do something, to commit oneself to something
Recently, my father has begun to take on too many things at work and he has become very tired.
I took on the extra work to make some more money.
take on (something) or take (something) on
- to load (something)
The ship took on most of its cargo last week.
take on the look or appearance of (something)
- to begin to have the look of something
My friend has begun to take on the look of a university professor although he has only been working at the university for a short time.
take on too much or take too much on
- to undertake to do too much work or too many tasks
My aunt is taking on too much and is very tired recently.
take one's cue from (someone)
- to use another's behavior or reactions as a guide to one's own
The musicians took their cue from the conductor when the orchestra performed the musical piece.
take one`s hat off to (someone)
- to admire/respect/praise someone
You have to take your hat off to our boss. He has built his company from almost nothing.
take one's leave of (someone)
- to say goodbye to someone and leave (a formal old-fashioned expression)
The Princess took her leave of the Queen and left the room.
take one's medicine
- to swallow one's medicine
The boy had to take his medicine before he went to bed.
take one's own life
- to kill oneself, to commit suicide
The young man took his own life several weeks ago.
take one`s own medicine
- to accept the punishment that one deserves for something without complaining
The man likes to criticize others but he can never take his own medicine when others criticize him.
take one`s time
- to do something without hurrying
My friend took his time to return the book that he had borrowed.
take out a loan
- to get a loan of money
I had to take out a loan to buy the car.
take out (someone) or take (someone) out
- to go on a date with someone
I finally had a chance to take out the new woman from my class last week.
take out (something) or take (something) out
- to remove something from somewhere, to extract something
The teacher asked us to take out our books.
I took out some onions from the refridgerator.
My dentist took out my tooth.
take over (something) or take (something) over
- to take control of something, to take command of something
A large foreign company took over our company last month.
take pains to (do something)
- to work carefully and conscientiously at something
I took pains to write a very important email.
take part in (something)
- to participate in something
"Are you planning to take part in the seminar next week?"
take pity on (someone or something)
- to feel sorry for someone or something
I took pity on the man who was begging and I gave him some money.
take place
- to happen, to occur
The soccer game took place on the coldest day of the year.
take precedence over (someone or something)
- to have the right to come before someone or something else
The rights of people who do not smoke often take precedence over the rights of smokers.
take pride in (something)
- to do something with pride
The couple take pride in their beautiful house.
take responsibility for (someone or something)
- to accept responsibility for (someone or something)
My friend refuses to take responsibility for his problems.
take root
- to begin to take hold or have effect
Good manners are beginning to take root in the school children.
take shape
- to progress from some general idea or plan to something with definite shape or form
The plans for our school reunion are beginnning to take shape.
take sick
- to become ill
The little boy took sick early last night.
take sides
- to support one side or the other side
"You should not take sides in some arguments or both sides will be angry at you."
take (someone or something) at face value
- to take someone or something as it first appears to be
I took the sign at face value and drove very slowly through the construction area.
take (someone) at his or her word
- to believe what someone says and act accordingly
I decided to take the woman at her word when she invited me to the concert.
take (someone's) breath away
- to overwhelm someone with beauty or grandeur
The beauty of the mountains took my breath away.
take (someone or somewhere) by storm
- to win the favor of someone or somewhere, to become popular with a group of people
The new rock band took the country by storm.
take (someone) by surprise
- to startle someone, to surprise someone
The sudden resignation of the mayor took everyone by surprise.
take (someone) down a notch/peg or two
- to reprimand or scold someone who is acting arrogant, to make someone less proud or sure of himself or herself
The manager took the secretary down a notch or two with his criticism of her work.
take (someone) for a fool
- to assume that someone is stupid
The salesman tried to take me for a fool when he tried to sell me the old car.
take (someone) for a ride
- to play a trick on or fool someone, to take unfair advantage of someone
The used car salesman took me for a ride. The car that I bought is not very good.
take (someone) for an idiot
- to assume that someone is stupid
The man takes me for an idiot and thinks that I do not know anything.
take (someone) for granted
- to accept someone without gratitude or as a matter of course
Everybody takes the office clerk for granted and nobody ever thanks her.
take (someone) for (someone or something)
- to mistake someone for someone or something
The man took the boy for a robber and called the police.
take (someone) hostage
- to kidnap or seize someone to be a hostage
The bank robbers took several people hostage during the bank robbery.
take (someone) into one's confidence
- to tell a secret to someone and trust that person to keep the secret
The bank manager took the customer into his confidence and told him about the banking problems.
take (someone's) part
- to take a side in an argument
My friend always takes my part when I am having an argument with someone.
take (someone's) pulse
- to measure the beats of a person's pulse
The doctor took the patient's pulse when she arrived at the hospital.
take (someone or something) seriously
- to think that someone or something is important
The principal did not take the suggestion of the teacher seriously.
take (someone) to task
- to scold someone for something that they have done wrong
The supervisor took me to task for arriving late for work.
take (someone) to the cleaners
- to take or win all of someone`s money, to cheat someone
The salesman took the woman to the cleaners when he sold her the bad product.
The man went to the casino and was taken to the cleaners by the card dealers.
take (someone) under one`s wing/wings
- to protect and help someone
The supervisor took the new employee under his wing and began to teach him about the company.
take (someone) up on (something)
- to take advantage of someone's offer of something
I took my friend up on his offer to let me borrow his new car.
take (someone or something) wrong
- to misunderstand someone or something
The man took what I said wrong and became very angry.
take (something)
- to endure something
I find it very difficult to take the woman's constant complaining.
take (something) by storm
- to capture something by a sudden or very bold attack
The army took the town by storm and was able to capture all of the enemy soldiers.
take (something) for granted
- to assume that something is a certain way or is correct
"I took it for granted that you knew him. That is why I did not introduce you."
take (something) in stride
- to accept good or bad luck and continue on
The boxer took his loss in stride and began to prepare for his next fight.
take (something) into account
- to remember and consider something
"Please take into account the fact that the girl has only been studying French for a few weeks."
take (something) lying down
- to endure something unpleasant without fighting back
I am very angry and will not take what he says lying down.
take (something) on faith
- to accept or believe something with little or no evidence
I took it on faith that the friend of my boss was an honest person.
take (something) on the chin
- to experience and endure a direct blow or assault
The man always takes things on the chin and he never complains.
take (something) out on (someone or something)
- to direct one's anger or fear onto someone or something
The woman often takes her anger out on her husband.
take (something) personally
- to interpret a remark as if it were meant for oneself or critical of oneself
I wish that my colleague would not take everything that I say personally.
take (something) the wrong way
- to understand something as wrong or insulting
The waiter took my comments the wrong way and became angry.
take (something) to heart
- to consider something seriously
You should not really take what he says to heart. He is really very kind.
take (something) to one's grave
- to carry a secret with you until you die
The woman plans to take the secret about her sister to her grave.
take (something) to the bank
- to have or do something that is a sure thing, to do or have something that you can count on no matter what happens
The business proposal is a sure thing. You can take it to the bank.
take (something) up with (someone)
- to raise and discuss a matter with someone
Our supervisor plans to take the issue of overtime up with the senior managers.
take (something) with a grain of salt
- to not take something that someone has said seriously
You can take everything that our teacher says with a grain of salt.
take steps to (prevent or do something)
- to begin to make plans or arrangements for something, to make preparations for something
Our company has begun to take steps to stop people from smoking in the office building.
take stock
- to count items of merchandise or supplies that are in stock, to take inventory
The store will be closed next week while the company is taking stock.
take stock in (something)
- to have faith in something, to believe in something (usually used in the negative)
The woman took no stock in her manager's crazy ideas.
take stock of (something)
- to carefully study a situation or a number of possibilities or opportunities
After taking stock of the situation the man decided to quit his company.
take that tack
- to take a course of action or do something that is different from the preceding course of action
I decided to take that tack when I realized that I was making no progress with my previous plans.
take the bitter with the sweet
- to accept the bad things together with the good things
You have to take the bitter with the sweet when you are an athlete.
take the bull by the horns
- to take some kind of action
My aunt decided to take the bull by the horns and started to plan the family reunion.
take the cake
- to be the best or the worst
The woman's manners take the cake. They are very bad.
take the day off
- to choose not to go to work for one day
I decided to take the day off because I was feeling bad.
take the easy way out
- to aviod dealing directly with a problem/difficulty/situation
The boy always takes the easy way out when he has a problem.
take the edge off (something)
- to lessen or weaken or soften something
We had a drink of hot chocolate to take the edge off the cold weather.
take the Fifth
- to hide behind the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution which guarantees any witness the right not to incriminate himself or herself while testifying at a trial
The man decided to take the Fifth rather than tell all of the facts at the trial.
take the initiative to (do something)
- to decide to do something although one has not been asked to do it
I decided to take the initiative to organize a dinner for my friend who was leaving to go to a different university.
take the law into one's own hands
- to attempt to administer the law oneself
The citizens took the law into their own hands when they arrested the man who had cut down the tree.
take the liberty of (doing something)
- to assume the right to do something
I took the liberty of eating some food from my friend's refridgerator.
take the plunge
- to do something decisive (such as getting married)
My friend will take the plunge and get married next year.
take the rap for (someone or something)
- to receive punishment for something, to be accused and punished for something, to receive punishment in place of someone else
The owner of the restaurant was forced to take the rap for permitting underage workers to work at night.
take the stand
- to go and sit in the witness chair in a courtroom
The star witness will take the stand in the trial tomorrow.
take the starch out of (someone)
- to make someone less arrogant, to make someone tired and weak
The criticism by the teacher took the starch out of the girl who thought that she was the best in the class.
take the trouble to (do something)
- to make an effort to do something
My grandmother always takes the trouble to phone us on our birthdays.
take the wind out of one's sails
- to become discouraged and lose one's enthusiasm
It took the wind out of my sails when I was told that I was not doing a good job.
take the words out of (someone`s) mouth
- to say something that someone else was going to say
The man took the words out of my mouth when he answered the question.
take time off
- to not work for a period of time
I plan to take time off next week so that I can go to a funeral.
take to one's heels
- to run away
The young boys took to their heels when the man came out of the building.
take to (someone or something)
- to like someone or something at first meeting, to be pleased by or attracted to someone or something, to accept someone or something quickly
The team took to the new coach immediately and did very well during the season.
take to (something)
- to begin the work or job of something, to learn something easily, to do well at something
The man took to the job of administrator and was a great success.
take to the woods
- to run away and hide
The man decided to take to the woods rather than wait to talk to his angry wife.
take turns (doing something)
- to do something in turns, to do something alternately with others
We had to take turns using the dictionary because there was only one.
take umbrage at (something)
- to feel that one has been insulted by something
The man took umbrage at the comments that were directed at him by his supervisor.
take up a collection
- to gather something together, to collect something
We decided to take up a collection in order to get money to repair the old building.
take up arms against (someone or something)
- to get ready to fight or make war
The citizens of the small country were not willing to take up arms to change their government.
take up (clothes) or take (clothes) up
- to make a skirt/dress/pants shorter
I went back to the department store to ask them to take up my suit pants.
take up (something) or take (something) up
- to begin an activity or hobby
My father has much free time and has decided to take up fishing as a hobby.
take up (something) with (someone)
- to consult with someone about something
We will take up the scheduling problem with our boss.
take up (space or room)
- to fill a space or room, to occupy space or room
The old chairs are taking up space in the garage.
take up (time)
- to fill or occupy time, to waste someone's time
Building model airplanes takes up most of my friend's time.
take up where one left off
- to start something again in the place that one has stopped
We will take up where we left off during the next class.
take up with (someone)
- to become a friend or companion to someone
My cousin has taken up with a very strange group of people.
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taken aback
- to be unpleasantly surprised, to be suddenly puzzled or shocked or confused
I was taken aback when the woman said that she did not want to work for our company any longer.
taken for dead
- to be assumed to be dead
The men in the coal mine were taken for dead after there was no contact for several days.
Talk Idioms
talk a blue streak
- to talk very much and very rapidly
The woman who sat behind me in the airplane talked a blue streak.
talk back to (someone)
- to answer someone rudely
The woman is very strict and never allows her children to talk back to her.
talk big
- to talk boastfully, to brag
The man is always talking big but nobody believes what he says.
talk down to (someone)
- to use words or ideas that make you seem smarter or better than others
I do not like that woman because she always talks down to the people around her.
talk in circles
- to talk in a confusing or roundabout manner
Our boss was talking in circles for most of the meeting.
the talk of (somewhere)
- the subject of conversations somewhere
The new theater production is the talk of the city.
talk oneself out
- to talk until one can talk no more
I met my friend at the coffee shop and we talked ourselves out.
talk out (a problem)
- to discuss something until everything is agreed upon, to settle something
We stayed up late last night and talked out the problem.
talk over (something) or talk (something) over
- to discuss something, to consider something
The girl talked over the problem with her mother.
talk shop
- to talk about things related to one`s work
Everybody at the company gathering agreed not to talk shop during the dinner.
talk (someone) down in price
- to convince someone to lower the price of something
I was able to talk the man down in price when I was buying the stereo.
talk (someone's) ear off
- to speak too much, to talk to someone and bore them
The man in the bank talked my ear off.
talk (someone's) head off
- to speak too much, to talk to someone and bore them
My friend always talks my head off when I meet him.
talk (someone) into (doing something)
- to persuade someone to agree to do something, to persuade someone to do something
My friend talked her father into lending her the family car.
talk (someone) out of (doing something)
- to persuade someone not to do something, to persuade someone to give something up
I spent an hour yesterday trying to talk my friend out of quitting his job.
talk through one`s hat
- to make exaggerated or inaccurate statements about something
The man always talks through his hat and you never know if you can believe him or not.
talk turkey
- to discuss something seriously
"Now you`re talking turkey. Let`s finish and go home."
talk until one is blue in the face
- to talk until one is exhausted
I talked until I was blue in the face but still my supervisor would not let me take a day off from work.
talk up (someone or something)
- to speak in favor of someone or something
The manager was talking up the new product during the meeting.
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to be talked out
- to be tired of talking, to be unable to talk anymore after talking for a long time
I was talked out and had little to say for the rest of the dinner party.
tamper with (something)
- to attempt to alter or change something
Someone tampered with the lock on the storage locker room.
tan (someone`s) hide
- to give someone a beating, to spank someone hard
The boy`s mother threatened to tan his hide if he did not behave himself.
taper off
- to come to an end little by little, to become smaller toward the end
The rain began to taper off early in the afternoon.
tar and feather (someone)
- to punish someone severely
The teacher said that she would tar and feather anyone who did not do their homework.
tarred with the same brush
- to have the same good or bad points (usually used for bad points) as someone else
The boy was tarred with the same brush as his bad friends.
a taste of (something)
- an experience of something, an example of something
I was able to get a taste of playing tennis while I was on my holiday.
a taste of things to come
- a sample of the events that are to occur in the future
The tax increase is a taste of things to come with the new government.
tax-and-spend
- spend freely and tax heavily
The government has a tax-and-spend attitude that many people do not like.
teach one's grandmother to suck eggs
- to try to tell someone with more knowledge than yourself how to do something
Showing the computer expert how to fix the computer problem was like teaching my grandmother to suck eggs.
teach (someone) a lesson
- to get even with someone for their bad behavior
I plan to teach my friend a lesson for not telephoning me to cancel our appointment.
teacher's pet
- the teacher's favorite student
My sister was always the teacher's pet when she was in school.
team player
- someone who works well with others to achieve some goal
The man is a team player and works well with the other members of the staff.
team up with (someone)
- to join with someone
I teamed up with a good friend to try and raise money for the concert.
tear down (someone) or tear (someone) down
- to say bad things about someone, to criticize someone
The audience tore down the speaker after he finished his lecture.
tear down (something) or tear (something) down
- to take something down, to destroy something
The city decided to tear down the building because it was unsafe.
tear into (someone or something)
- to criticize and scold someone, to attack someone or something
The supervisor tore into the employee for being late.
tear off
- to leave or depart in a great hurry
The boy suddenly tore off when school was over.
tear one's hair out
- to be anxious/frustrated/angry
The family members are tearing their hair out while they wait for news of their lost son.
tear up (someone) or tear (someone) up
- to cause someone much grief
The criminal activities of her son are tearing up the mother.
tear up (something) or tear (something) up
- to tear something up into small pieces, to tear something into parts
The child tore up the new telephone book.
teething problems
- difficulties and problems experienced in the early stages of a project or activity
Our new business is having many teething problems that we are trying to solve.
teething troubles
- difficulties and problems experienced in the early stages of a project or activity
There were lots of teething troubles as the school changed to the new computer system.
Tell Idioms
tell apart (two things or people) or tell (two things or people) apart
- to distinguish between two things or people
It is hard to tell the two sisters apart.
tell it like it is
- to be honest or sincere, to tell the truth
Our boss always tells it like it is when he talks about the future of the company.
Tell it to the marines.
- I do not believe you, stop trying to fool me
My friend said that she was going to start her own business. I told her to tell it to the marines.
Tell it to Sweeney.
- I do not believe you, stop trying to fool me
"Tell it to Sweeney," I said to my friend when he began talking about his plans.
tell on (someone)
- to reveal the activities or wrongdoings of someone by telling others
The girl told on her brother for eating the cake.
tell (someone) a thing or two
- to scold someone, to express one's anger to someone
The woman became angry and began to tell her neighbor a thing or two.
tell (someone) off or tell off (someone)
- to speak angrily or complain to someone
We told our neighbors off after their music was too loud.
tell (someone) to his or her face
- to tell something to someone directly
I plan to tell my friend to his face about the problems that he caused.
tell (someone) where to get off
- to scold someone, to express one's anger to someone
I told the man where to get off when he complained about us for no reason.
tell time
- to report the correct time, to be able to read time from a clock or watch
The child is now learning to tell time.
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a tempest in a teapot
- great excitement about something that is not very important
The problem was a tempest in a teapot and after a few days everyone forgot about it.
ten-four
- I understand you.
"Ten-four," the man said when his friend asked him if he could hear him.
tenterhooks
- to be in a state of suspense or strain because of uncertainty
We have been on tenterhooks all week while we wait for the court decision.
test market a product
- to research whether or not a product will be successful by selling it in a particular market or by choosing people to use the product for a specified period of time and receiving comments from them
The computer company will begin to test market their new computer in several cities soon.
test the water
- to check to see if a plan will be successful before proceeding with the plan (some swimmers like to test the water temperature before jumping in)
The company plans to test the water before they introduce their new product.
thank one's lucky stars
- to be thankful for one's good luck
I thanked my lucky stars that I was not hurt in the car accident.
thankful for small blessings
- to be grateful for any small benefits or advantages that one has
I am thankful for small blessings when I think of the health of my friends and family.
thanks to (someone or something)
- owing to someone or something
Thanks to my friend, I will not have to do as much work as I had thought.
That's all she wrote.
- that is all
"That's all she wrote," I said after I told my friend the story.
that will be the day
- something will probably never happen
"That will be the day when you are in charge of managing the restaurant."
then and there
- right at that time and place
Our teacher told us then and there that she would not permit our behavior.
thick
- to be dumb, to be unreasonable
My colleague is a little thick and never understands what I want to say.
thick-skinned
- to be not easily upset or hurt, to be insensitive
The salesman is thick-skinned and is never bothered when he loses a sale or receives criticism.
thin on top
- to be losing one's hair
The manager of our apartment building is a little thin on top.
thin-skinned
- to be easily upset or hurt, to be too sensitive
My friend is very thin-skinned and is easily bothered by what other people say.
Think Idioms
think a great deal of (someone or something)
- to like or think well of someone or something
Everybody thinks a great deal of the new company president.
think a lot of (someone or something)
- to like or think well of someone or something
My grandmother thinks a lot of her grandchildren.
think back on (someone or something)
- to remember and think about someone or something in one's past
When I think back on my school days I always remember my favorite teacher.
think better of (doing something)
- to think about something again and make a better decision regarding it
I would think better of going to Europe in the winter if I go there again.
think highly of (someone or something)
- to like or think well of someone or something
The citizens think highly of the new top judge.
think inside the box
- to think in a traditional way using old ideas or rules or practices
Most people in our company think inside the box and there are few new ideas.
think little of (someone or something)
- to think that someone or something is not important or valuable
The woman is not very happy and she thinks little of the people she works with.
think much of (someone or something)
- to like or think well of someone or something
Everybody thinks much of the new manager.
I do not think much of our new supervisor.
think nothing of (something)
- to not worry or be concerned about something
My friend thinks nothing of spending most of his money in one evening.
think on one's feet
- to think or reason or plan while one is talking or doing something (usually this is done under pressure)
I had to think on my feet when the flood waters began to approach my house.
think out loud
- to say out loud what one is thinking
"I am sorry. I was thinking out loud."
think out (something) or think (something) out
- to plan or consider something carefully until you have a solution/conclusion
We must think out where we will put our new sofa.
think outside the box
- to think freely not using old ideas or rules or practices
The consultant told us to think outside the box if we wanted to rebuild our company.
think over (something) or think (something) over
- to consider something carefully
I carefully thought over my plans before talking to my supervisor.
think (someone or something) fit for (something)
- to believe that someone or something is suitable for something
Everybody thinks that the man is fit for the job that he has been assigned to do.
think the world of (someone or something)
- to be very fond of someone or something
The woman thinks the world of the little girl who lives next door.
think twice (about something)
- to think very carefully about something
"You should think twice before you quit your job."
think up (an excuse or idea)
- to invent or create an excuse or idea
Our boss has thought up many interesting ideas for our company.
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third degree
- detailed questioning
The boy's mother gave him the third degree when he came home late from school.
thirst for (something)
- a craving or desire for something, to thirst or crave something
The woman thirsts for the life that she was previously living.
She has a thirst for her previous life.
thirsty for (something)
- to crave or desire something
The young boy is thirsty for knowledge.
a thorn in (someone's) side
- a constant bother or annoyance to someone
The reporter is a thorn in the politician's side.
thrash (something) out or thrash out (something)
- to discuss something thoroughly in order to solve any problems
We spent the meeting thrashing out the new plan.
thread (one's way) through (something)
- to make a path for oneself through a crowded area
The shopping mall was crowded but we were able to thread our way through the crowd of people.
three sheets to the wind
- to be unsteady from drinking too much alcohol, to be drunk
I saw my neighbor walking down the street last night. He seemed to have three sheets to the wind.
thrill (someone) to death
- to please or excite someone very much
I was thrilled to death when they chose me for an important part in the play.
thrill (someone) to pieces
- to please or excite someone very much
The music that they played at the wedding thrilled me to pieces.
through and through
- completely
I was wet through and through after walking in the heavy rain.
through hell and high water
- through all sorts of severe difficulties
I went through hell and high water to complete the report on time.
through the grapevine
- from other people
I heard it through the grapevine that my boss will move to Paris next summer.
through the mill
- to experience a difficult situation
The man has been through the mill recently with his divorce and loss of job.
through thick and thin
- through all difficulties and troubles, through good times and bad times
The woman's husband is always ready to help her and supports her through thick and thin.
Throw Idioms
throw a fit
- to become very angry
The boy's mother threw a fit when she heard about his problems at school.
throw a monkey wrench into the works
- to caus
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