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to call for: to require; to request, to urge
- This cake recipe calls for some baking soda, but we don't have any.
- The member of Congress called for new laws to regulate the banking industry.
to eat in/to eat out: to eat at home/to eat in a restaurant
- I feel too tired to go out for dinner. Let's eat in again tonight.
- When you eat out, what restaurant do you generally go to?
cut and dried: predictable, known beforehand; boring
- The results of the national election were rather cut and dried; the Republicans won easily.
- A job on a factory assembly line is certainly cut and dried.
to look after: to watch, to supervise, to protect
- Grandma will look after the baby while we go to the lecture.
- Who is going to take care of your house plants while you are away?
- I'd appreciate it if you'd keep an eye on my car while I'm in the store.
to feel like: to have the desire to, to want to consider
This idiom is usually followed by a gerund (the –ing form of a verb used as a noun).
- I don't feel like studying tonight. Let's go to a basketball game.
- I feel like taking a long walk. Would you like to go with me?
once and for all: finally, absolutely
- My daughter told her boyfriend once and for all that she wouldn't date him anymore.
- Once and for all, john has quit smoking cigarettes.
to hear from: to receive news or information from
To hear from is used for receiving a letter, telephone call, etc., from a person or organization.
- I don't hear from my brother very often since he moved to Chicago.
- Have you heard from the company about that new job?
to hear of: to know about, to be familiar with; to consider
The second definition is always used in the negative.
- When I asked for directions to Mill Street, the police officer said that she had never heard of it.
- Byron strongly disagreed with my request by saying, "I won't hear of it!"
to make fun of: to laugh at, to joke about
- They are making fun of Carla's new hair style. Don't you think that it's really strange?
- Don't make fun of Jose's English. He's doing the best he can.
to come true: to become reality, to prove to be correct
- The weatherman's forecast for today's weather certainly came true.
- Everything that the economists predicted about the increased cost of living has come true.
as a matter of fact: really, actually
- Hans thinks he knows English well but, as a matter of fact, he speaks very poorly.
- I didn't say that. In fact, I said quite the opposite.
to have one's way: to arrange matters the way one wants (especially when someone else doesn't want to same way)
- My brother always wants to have his way, but this time our parents said that we could do what I wanted.
- If Sheila doesn't get her way, she becomes very angry.
to look forward to: to expect or anticipate with pleasure
This idiom can be followed by a regular noun or a gerund.
- We're greatly looking forward to our vacation in Mexico.
- Margaret never looks forward to going to work.
inside out: with the inside facing the outside
- Someone should tell little Bobby that his shirt is inside out.
- The high winds ruined the umbrella by blowing it inside out.
upside down: with the upper side turned toward the lower side
- The accident caused on car to turn upside down, its wheels spinning in the air.
- One of the students was only pretending to read her textbook; the teacher could see that the book was actually upside down.
to fill in: to write answers in; to inform, to tell
For the second definition, the idiom can be followed by the preposition on and the information that someone is told.
- You should be careful to fill in the blanks on the registration form correctly.
- Barry was absent from the meeting, so I'd better fill him in.
- Has anyone filled the boss in on the latest public relation disaster?
to fill out: to complete a form
This idiom is very similar to the first definition above. To fill in refers to completing various parts of a form, while to fill out refers to completing a form as one whole item.
- Every prospective employee must fill out an application by giving name, address, previous jobs, etc.
- The teenager had some trouble filling the forms out by himself, so his mother helped him.
to take advantage of: to use well, to profit from; to use another person's weaknesses to gain what one wants
- I took advantage of my neighbor's superior skill at tennis to improve my own ability at the game.
- Teddy is such a small, weak child that his friends take advantage of him all the time. They take advantage of him by demanding money and making him do things for them.
no matter: regardless of
This idiom is a shortened form of it doesn't matter. It is followed by a question word such as how, where, when, who, etc.
- No matter how much money he spends on his clothes, he never looks well dressed.
- No matter where that escaped prisoner tries to hide, the police will find him sooner or later.
to take up: to begin to do or study, to undertake; to occupy space, time,or energy
- After today's exam, the class will be ready to take up the last chapter in the book.
- The piano takes up too much space in our living room. However, it would take too much time up to move it right now; so we'd better wait until later.
to take up with: to consult someone about an important matter
The important matter follows the verb take, while the person consulted follows with.
- Can I take the problem up with you right now? It's quite urgent.
- I can't help you with this matter. You'll have to take it up with the manager.
to take after: to resemble a parent or close relative
- Which of your parents do you take after the most?
- Sam looks like his father, but he takes after his mother in personality.
in the long run: eventually, after a long period of time
- In the long run, the synthetic weave in this carpet will wear better than the woolen one. You won't have to replace it so soon.
- If you work hard at your marriage, you'll find out that, in the long run, your spouse can be your best friend in life.
in touch: having contact
- James will be in touch with us soon to relay the details of the plan.
- I certainly enjoyed seeing you again after all these years. Let's be sure to keep in touch.
out of touch: not having contact; not having knowledge of
- Marge and I had been out of touch for years, but then suddenly she called me up the other day.
- Larry has been so busy that he seems out of touch with world events.
on one's toes: alert, cautious
This idiom is usually used with the verbs stay and keep.
- It's important for all the players on a soccer team to stay on their toes.
- We'd better keep on our toes while we're walking along the dark portions of this street.
to get along: to make progress; to manage to live in a certain state of health
- Juan is getting along very well in his English studies.
- How is Mr. Richards getting along after his long illness?
hard of hearing: partially deaf, not able to hear well
- You'll have to speak a little louder. Mrs. Evans is hard of hearing.
- Please don't shout. I'm not hard of hearing.
- Listening to loud music too much can make you hard of hearing.
to see eye to eye: to agree, to concur
- I'm glad that we see eye to eye on the matter of the conference location.
- A husband and wife don't always see eye to eye with each other, but a good marriage can survive small disagreements.
to have in mind: to be considering, to be thinking
- I don't want to see a movie now. I have in mind going to the park.
- It's up to you what we eat tonight. Do you have anything in mind?
to keep in mind: to remember, not to forget
- I didn't know that Paula doesn't like vegetables. We should bear that in mind next time we invite her for dinner.
- Please keep in mind that you promised to call Stan around noon.