1.   flying colors → success, victory
　　2.   little by little → gradually
　　3.   call off → cancel
　　4.   come into → receive, especially after another’s death
　　5.   put off → postpone
　　6.   stop by → make a brief visit on one’s way elsewhere
　　7.   tie up → hinder
　　8.   be out for → trying to get
　　9.   fill in for → take another’s place
　　10.  turn down →① refuse or reject ② reduce the loudness of
　　11.   go off → begin to ring
　　12.   cut down → lesson; reduce; limit
　　13.   come up with → produce; supply
　　14.   make it →① achieve a specific goal ② succeed in general
　　15.   catch one’s eye → attract one’s attention
　　16.   care for →① like; value ② look after; take care of
　　17.   head and shoulders above → much better
　　18.   catch on → become popular
　　19.   on the whole → in general
　　20.   fill sb. in → tell what sb. should know
　　21.   in a nutshell → in a few words
　　22.   from top to bottom → completely; entirely
　　23.   take the plunge → enter with sudden decision upon an unfamiliar course of action
　　24.   on the tip of one’s tongue → unable to be recalled
　　25.   cheer up → feel happy; stop being sad or discouraged; become hopeful
　　26.   hold off → postpone; delay
　　27.   on cloud nine → a state of perfect happiness
　　28.   back out → withdraw from an undertaking
　　29.   grin and bear it → be as cheerful as possible in pain or trouble; do sth. without complaining
　　30.   turn out to be → come to be; prove
　　31.   bite off more than one can chew → attempt sth. that exceeds one’s ability
　　32.   in the air → uncertain
　　33.   get hold off → find a person so you can speak with him
　　34.   learn the ropes → acquire thorough or special knowledge of a job
　　35.   tear oneself away from → depart with great reluctance; force oneself to leave
　　36.   tie up → engage or occupy completely
　　37.   leave well(enough)alone → don’t try to improve what is already satisfactory
　　38.   touch on → mention a subject briefly or casually
　　39.   see to it → take care; take the responsibility make sure
　　40.   give away → give as a present
　　41.   get along with → live or work in harmony with
　　42.   account for → explain
　　43.   out of print → no longer available for purchase from the publisher
　　44.   send out → distribute
　　45.   in no time → in a very brief time almost at once
　　46.   before long → soon; without much delay
　　47.   play by ear →① play an instrument without using written music; ② handle a matter without adequate preparation preparation or guidance
　　48.   wear and tear → loss or damage caused by use
　　49.   come what may → no matter what happens
　　50.   drop by → make a short or unplanned visit
　　51.   be short of → not having enough
　　52.   cut it out → stop doing sth.
　　53.   be sick of → be tired of ; having a strong dislike of
　　54.   look for a needle in a haystack (a bottle) → search for sth. in a place where it is hopelessly lost
　　55.   knock oneself out → work very hard; make a great effort
　　56.   run up against → encounter
　　57.   far from → anything but; not at all
　　58.   far from it → by no means; not at all
　　59.   hang on to → hold tightly; keep firmly
　　60.   get nowhere → be unsuccessful; obtain no result
　　61.   day in and day out → every day; all the time
　　62.   break down → cease to function
　　63.   get going → get started; begin to move
　　64.   take one’s time → not hurry
　　65.   boil down to → indicate, especially as a final judgment or analysis
　　66.   make up → take a test for the second time
　　67.   put up with → bear with patience; tolerate
　　68.   by and by → before long
　　69.   give someone a hand → help; assist
　　70.   ring a bell → sound familiar
　　71.   snap out of it →① change one’s habits, attitude, etc, suddenly ② regain one’s composure, energy, or good spirits; recover
　　72.   raise the roof → make trouble; start a fight or an argument
　　73.   get away with → escape without punishment
　　74.   on business → with definite work to do
　　75.   look up → search for, as an item of information, in a reference book
　　76.   let up →① cease; stop ② slacken; abate
　　77.   in any case (or event) → no matter what happens
　　78.   come out → be published
　　79.   look into → investigate; inspect
　　80.   spell out → explain very clearly or in detail
　　81.   fall back on → rely on
　　82.   wrap up → bring to an end, especially a successful conclusion
　　83.   save one’s breath → keep silent because talking will not help
　　84.   hold up →① delay; hinder ② endure, last
　　85.   have one’s hands full → be very busy; be able to do no more
　　86.   How come? → How is it? Why?
　　87.   stick around → stay or wait nearby
　　88.   make out → get along; manage
　　89.   turn up → appear, turn out, show up
　　90.   hold off → postpone; delay
　　91.   over one’s head → beyond one’s power to understand
　　92.   stock up → buy up; lay in a good supply of
　　93.   keep up → continue
　　94.   tie up → occupy completely
　　95.   in and out → coming in and going out often
　　96.   make ends meet → make one’s income suffice without incurring debt
　　97.   on and on → without stopping
　　98.   out of this world → wonderful; great
　　99.   in a row →① in line; in alignment ② in succession; successively
　　100.  wait around → waiting in vain

 

　　作者：邱政政