Idioms for IELTS
Lesson 23
Starting and stopping
1.hit the ground running
If you hit the ground running, you start a new activity with great energy and enthusiasm, working effectively from the beginning.
Example: She’s having a holiday just now and will no doubt hit the ground running with all sorts of new ideas when she gets back.
- in business
If you say that you are in business, you mean that you can start doing something because you have got everything ready for it. [SPOKEN]
Example: The new software is installed and working, right? Okay, we’re in business.
- knock something on the head
If you knock a story or idea on the head, you show that it is not true or correct. [INFORMAL, BRITISH]
Example: It’s time to knock the idea that we are not living a full Iife unless we are married on the head.
If you knock an activity on the head, you stop doing it, or decide not to do it. [INFORMAL]
Example: We’ll never be a famous band. When we stop enjoying ourselves, we’ll knock it on the head.
4.nip something in the bud
If you nip a bad situation or bad behaviour in the bud, you stop it at an early stage.
Example: It is important to recognize jealousy as soon as possible and to nip it in the bud before it becomes a serious problem.
- set the ball rolling or start the ball rolling
If you set the ball rolling or start the ball rolling, you start an activity or you do something which other people will join in with later.
Example: I’ve already started the ball rolling. I’ve set up meetings with all sorts of people.
NOTE I You can also use verbs such as get and keep.
Example: Once you get the ball rolling, everyone wants to be involved.
- turn over a new leaf
If someone has turned over a new leaf, they have started to behave in a better way than before.
Example: While Eddie has turned over a new leaf, his brother is still racing around in fast cars and causing trouble.
- up and running
If a system, business, or plan is up and running, it has started and is functioning successfully.
Example: The project, once it is up and running, will be very dangerous.
- call it a day
If you call it a day, you decide to stop doing something you have been doing that day.
Example: I searched for hours but I had to call it a day when it got dark.
If someone calls it a day, they retire from their job.
Example: It’s no secret I want his job when he calls it a day.
- call it quits
If you call it quits, you decide to stop doing something or stop being involved in something.
The nightclub stays open until the last customer is ready to call it quits.
10.cut your losses
If you cut your losses, you decide to stop spending time, energy, or money on an activity or situation on which you have already spent a lot without having any success.
Example: Competition in the market was very strong, so we decided to cut our losses and close the business.
- enough is enough
People say enough is enough when they think that something, usually something bad, should stop.
How much longer will we allow ourselves to be insulted before saying enough is enough?
- from scratch
If you do something or start something from scratch, you create something completely new, rather than adding to something that already exists.
Example: He would rather start again from scratch with new rules, new members, and a new electoral system.
13.grind to a halt
If a process or an activity grinds to a halt, it gradually becomes slower or less active until it stops.
Example: The peace process has ground to a halt.
Exercise 1
Complete the sentences with the words in the box.
ball I day I bud I halt I head I business I leaf I ground
- Evans set the………….. rolling with a £1 million donation to the charity.
- The family has agreed to turn over a new……………in their relations with each other.
- We need someone who is fully trained so that they can hit the………………running.
4.This is worrying – we need to knock this idea on the……………..very quickly.
5.The negotiations ground to a………………….when the foreign minister walked out.
6.When the students start getting nervous you must nip it in the ……………
- The walking group decided to call it a……………..when the rain turned to snow.
- If you really mean…………………, you’ll need to buy some better gardening tools.