IDIOMS AND PHRASES For IELTS

Blind Date: When two people who have never seen each other before go on a date.

Sentence – Blind dates are terrifying because you don’t know what the person will be like, but that’s part of the excitement.

Blood and Thunder: A dramatic, spectacular performance.

Sentence – I don’t think you’ll fall asleep during this play—I hear it’s all blood and thunder.

Blow Away the Cobwebs: If something blows away the cobwebs, it makes you feel more lively and refreshes your ideas.

Sentence – When was the last time you left the house? Come on, get out there and blow away the cobwebs!

Blow Hot and Cold: Shift one’s level of enthusiasm repeatedly.

Sentence – The boss has been blowing hot and cold about whether or not we’re going through with this project. I wish she would just make a decision

Blow off Steam: To express anger and frustration in a way that does no damage.

Sentence – When work gets frustrating, I like to go bowling to blow off some steam.

Blow One’s Top: Lose one’s temper.

Sentence – Oh man, Dad is going to blow his top when he sees that I wrecked his car!

Blow One’s Stack: To lose one’s temper and explode in anger.

Sentence – Oh man, Dad is going to blow his stack when he sees that I wrecked his car!

Blow the Cobwebs Away (or Out of Something): Make space for fresh ideas, encourage something new.

Sentence – When was the last time you left the house? Come on, get outside for a walk and blow the cobwebs away!

Blow the Whistle: Reporting an illegal or unacceptable activity to the authorities.

Sentence – If you keep coming in late, I’m going to have to blow the whistle and report you to the department head.

Blow Up: Explode.

Sentence – They plan to blow up that old apartment building and replace it with shops and luxury condos.

Blow Your Own Trumpet: Brag; emphasize one’s own contributions.

Sentence – I can’t stand being around Marcus ever since his company became such a massive success. The guy just can’t stop blowing his own trumpet!

Blue Blood (adj. blue-blooded): Person of aristocratic background.

Sentence – That senator is a blue blood, so of course he doesn’t understand the common man’s concerns.

Blue Eyed Boy: A person who is a favorite of those in authority; someone whose mistakes are forgiven.

Sentence – It was no surprise that Frankie got the promotion. Everyone knows he’s the boss’s blue eyed boy.

Blue Light Special: 1. a temporary sale at a discount store. 2. a traffic stop by the police.

Sentence – I wonder what today’s blue-light special will be. It never seems to be for anything I actually need!

Bob’s Your Uncle: The rest is easy; you’re almost finished.

Sentence – All you have to do is combine all of the ingredients in one pot, let it cook, and then Bob’s your uncle, dinner is ready!

Bolt From the Blue: Something completely unexpected.

Sentence – We always thought of Michael as a life-long bachelor, so it certainly was a bolt from the blue when he returned from his vacation sporting a wedding ring!

Bone Dry: Completely dry, totally without moisture.

Sentence – And if that floor is anything less than bone dry when you’re done, make sure to put up warning signs—we don’t need any customers slipping out here!