Flashcards based on "Random idiom flashcards set to learn" set

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1 of 10


lose heart

Categories: success verb
A Dictionary of American Idioms
1 of 10
[lose heart]  {v. phr.}
To feel discouraged because of failure; to lose hope of success.
The team had won no games and it lost heart.
Contrast: [TAKE HEART].
Categories: success verb
A Dictionary of American Idioms
2 of 10


put away

Categories: death informal verb
A Dictionary of American Idioms
2 of 10
[put away]  {v.}
1. To put in the right place or out of sight.
She put away the towels.
2. To lay aside; stop thinking about.
He put his worries away for the weekend.
3.  {informal}
To eat or drink.
He put away a big supper and three cups of coffee.
Compare: [STOW AWAY].
4.  {informal}
To put in a mental hospital.
He had to put his wife away when she became mentally ill.
5. To put to death for a reason; kill.
He had his dog put away when it became too old and unhappy.
Categories: death informal verb
A Dictionary of American Idioms
3 of 10


in a flash

Categories: adverb
A Dictionary of American Idioms
3 of 10
[in a flash] also [in a trice]  {adv. phr.}
Very suddenly.
We were watching the bird eat the crumbs; then I sneezed, and he was gone in a flash.
Bob was looking over his notes for English class and in a flash he knew what he would write his paper about.
Categories: adverb
A Dictionary of American Idioms
4 of 10


flash in the pan

Categories: noun slang
A Dictionary of American Idioms
4 of 10
[flash in the pan]  {n. phr.},  {slang}
A person or thing that starts out well but does not continue.
The new quarterback was a flash in the pan.
Mary got 100 on the first test in arithmetic but it was just a flash in the pan because she failed in arithmetic.
Categories: noun slang
A Dictionary of American Idioms
5 of 10


flash card

Categories: noun
A Dictionary of American Idioms
5 of 10
[flash card]  {n.}
A card with numbers or words on it that is used in teaching, a class.
The teacher used flash cards to drill the class in addition.
Categories: noun
A Dictionary of American Idioms
6 of 10


couch potato

Categories: noun
A Dictionary of American Idioms
6 of 10
[couch potato]  {n.}
A person who is addicted to watching television all day.
Poor Ted has become such a couch potato that we can't persuade him to do anything.
Categories: noun
A Dictionary of American Idioms
7 of 10


pull the rug out from under

Categories: informal verb
A Dictionary of American Idioms
7 of 10
[pull the rug out from under]  {v. phr.},  {informal}
To withdraw support unexpectedly from; to spoil the plans of.
Bill thought he would be elected, but his friends pulled the rug out from under him and voted for Vin.
We were planning a vacation, but the baby's illness pulled the rug out from under us.
Categories: informal verb
A Dictionary of American Idioms
8 of 10


plug in

Categories: verb
A Dictionary of American Idioms
8 of 10
[plug in]  {v. phr.}
To connect (an electrical appliance) to a power wire by putting its plug into a receptacle or hole.
The integrated circuit has multiplied the number of small radios that need not be plugged in.
Categories: verb
A Dictionary of American Idioms
9 of 10


smoke-out

Categories: noun
A Dictionary of American Idioms
9 of 10
[smoke-out]  {n.}
A successful conclusion of an act of investigative journalism revealing some long-kept secrets.
Journalist Bob Woodward was the hero of the Watergate smoke-out.
Categories: noun
A Dictionary of American Idioms
10 of 10


against time

Categories: adverb time
A Dictionary of American Idioms
10 of 10
[against time] or [against the clock]  {adv. phr.}
1. As a test of speed or time; in order to beat a speed record or time limit.
John ran around the track against time, because there was no one else to race against.
2. As fast as possible; so as to do or finish something before a certain time.
It was a race against the clock whether the doctor would get to the accident soon enough to save the injured man.
3. So as to cause delay by using up time.
The outlaw talked against time with the sheriff, hoping that his gang would come and rescue him.
Categories: adverb time
A Dictionary of American Idioms