| Idiom | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Be a Good Hand | To be skilled or proficient at a specific task, often through hard work and dedication. | He’s a good hand at fixing cars, always knowing exactly what’s wrong just by listening to the engine. |
| Have Good Hands | To possess excellent dexterity or skill, often used in sports to describe someone who is good at catching or handling objects. | The goalkeeper has good hands, never missing a save during the entire match. |
| Be a Good Life | To be expected to live a long and healthy life, often considered in terms of life insurance or financial planning. | The doctor reassured us that with his current lifestyle, he’s definitely a good life to insure. |
| Live a Good Life | To lead a morally virtuous life, often characterised by kindness, honesty, and generosity. | She devoted herself to helping others, always trying to live a good life and make a positive difference. |
| Be a Know-All | To act as if you know everything, often to the point of irritating others with your perceived cleverness. | He was always a know-all, constantly correcting people even when no one asked for his opinion. |
| Know It All | To be fully knowledgeable about a subject, but sometimes used negatively to imply overconfidence or arrogance. | I thought he was just a know-it-all in school, but now I see he actually knew what he was talking about. |
| Be a Law Unto Oneself | To act independently and ignore established rules or norms, making your own decisions without regard for authority. | Despite the company’s policies, he was a law unto himself, handling things in his own way without consulting anyone. |
| Take the Law Into One’s Own Hands | To take matters of justice into your own control, often acting outside legal boundaries or without involving the authorities. | Frustrated by the lack of action, they took the law into their own hands and confronted the vandals themselves. |
| Be a Little Short of Something | To be slightly lacking in the necessary amount of something. | He was a little short of cash for the bill, so I covered the rest for him. |
| Be Little Short of Something | To be almost the same as something significant, often used for describing extreme or notable conditions. | The chaos in the room was little short of a disaster, with papers and furniture scattered everywhere. |
| Be a Long Day Coming | To describe something that took a very long time to happen or be achieved, often after much anticipation. | Their first championship win was a long day coming, but it made the victory even sweeter. |
| It’s Going to Be a Long Day | To predict that a day will feel lengthy, either due to boredom or because of anticipated difficulties and challenges. | With back-to-back meetings and a long to-do list, I knew it was going to be a long day. |
| Idiom | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Be a Man of Character | To be a man who is known for his integrity, strong moral principles, and positive reputation. | Despite the pressure to bend the rules, he remained a man of character, always standing up for what’s right. |
| Be Quite the Character | Used humorously to describe someone who is eccentric, outspoken, or has an unusual personality. | My grandmother is quite the character, always telling the funniest stories with no filter at all! |
| Be a Natural | To be exceptionally talented at something without needing much effort or training. | She’s a natural at painting, creating beautiful artwork with little formal instruction. |
| Be Natural | To behave in a relaxed, authentic way, without pretense or trying to impress others. | He was so natural during the interview, speaking confidently without overthinking his answers. |
| Be a Queer Fish | To be a strange or eccentric person, often seen as different from the norm. | He’s always been a queer fish, collecting odd antiques and talking about obscure historical events. |
| Be Queer | 1. To be an odd or unconventional person. 2. To be homosexual (used in certain contexts). | Growing up, she was often called queer because of her unusual hobbies and mannerisms. |
| Be a Sight for Sore Eyes | To be something or someone that brings relief or happiness when seen, often after a long absence or difficulty. | After days of being lost in the woods, the sight of the rescue team was a sight for sore eyes. |
| Be a Sight to Behold | 1. To be something exceptionally impressive or beautiful to see. 2. To be something that looks shocking, disheveled, or unusual. | The bride walking down the aisle was a sight to behold, her gown sparkling under the sunlight. |
| Be a Standoff | To describe a situation where neither side in a dispute or conflict is willing to back down, leading to a deadlock. | The negotiations turned into a standoff, with neither party willing to make the first concession. |
| Be Standoffish | To be unfriendly, distant, or reluctant to engage with others in conversation or social interaction. | I tried talking to him, but he was so standoffish, barely saying a word and avoiding eye contact. |
We hope this information has been valuable to you. If so, please consider a monetary donation to Lifestyle Training Centre via UPI. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Would you like to undergo training for OET, PTE, IELTS, Duolingo, Phonetics, or Spoken English with us? Kindly contact us now!
📱 Call/WhatsApp/Text: +91 9886926773
📧 Email: [email protected]
Visit us in person by following the directions on Google Maps. We look forward to welcoming you to the Lifestyle Training Centre.
Follow Lifestyle Training Centre on social media:
Thank you very much!