IELTS Idioms
above board
If a situation or business is above board, it is honest and legal.
below the belt
If someone says something that is below the belt, they say something cruel and unfair.
by fair means / foul
If someone tries to achieve something by fair means or foul, they use any possible method to achieve it, not caring if their behaviour is dishonest or unfair.
call a spade a spade
If you call a spade a spade, you speak honestly and directly about a subject even if it offends people.
a level playing field
A level playing field is a situation that is fair and where no one has an advantage over other people. * You can also use even or uneven instead of level.
stab someone in the back
If someone that you trust stabs you in the back, they secretly do something which hurts and betrays you.
not beat around/about the bush
If you don't beat around the bush or don't beat about the bush, you say what you want to say clearly and directly.
lay/put your cards on the table
If you lay your cards on the table or put your cards on the table, you tell someone the truth about your feelings, opinions, or plans.
to someone's face
If you say something, especially something critical or unpleasant, to someone's face, you say it directly to them.
on the level
Someone or something that is on the level is honest or true.
come clean
If you come clean about something, you tell the truth about it.
move the goalposts
If someone moves the goalposts, they change the rules or aims in a situation or activity, in order to gain an advantage and to make things more difficult for the other people involved. * You can also say that someone shifts the goalposts.
fair and square
If someone wins a competition or does something fair and square, they do it without cheating or lying.
keep your nose clean
If you keep your nose clean, you behave well and avoid trouble. [INFORMAL]
Choose the correct idioms:
- He'd worked hard and ..................... for all those years.
- Get up
- kept his nose clean
- wash up
- My father bought them ..................... fifty years ago.
- look into
- fair and square
- settle up
- They seem to ..................... every time I meet the required conditions.
- broken up
- move the goalposts
- gone off
- I had expected her to ..................... and confess that she only wrote these books for the money.
- go away
- come clean
- rang around
- Wait a minute, something's odd here - is this guy ..................... ? Can we trust him?
- woke up
- on the level
- totted up
- He was too old and he had to step aside. But who was going to say so ..................... ?
- make up
- to his face
- picked up
- I'll ..................... : I think the new design is terrible.
- Come on
- lay my cards on the table
- browsing through
- Let's ..................... . I think these letters are worth a lot to you.
- ran over
- not beat about the bush
- get up
- Anyone who wants to inspect our books can see for themselves that we are totally ..................... .
- subscribe to
- above board
- make up
- He made a joke about her divorce which I thought was a bit ..................... .
- been done
- below the belt
- called with
- They will do everything they can to win, ..................... .
- ran away
- by fair means or foul
- eat out
- In the meantime,Whyte is an outspoken voice who is willing to ..................... .
- get out
- call a spade a spade
- get into
- Trade with these nations must be conducted on ..................... .
- warming up
- a level playing field
- going on
- She was incredibly disloyal. She would be your friend to your face, and then ..................... .
- clammed up
- stab you in the back
- gulped down