Idioms 4
1. HAVE AN ACE UP YOUR SLEEVE: If you have an ace up your sleeve you have something in reserve with which you can gain an advantage.
- I am ready for the negotiations. I have an ace up my sleeve.
- The new game show has an ace up its sleeve. It will allow viewers to play from home and win prizes.
- Karan always has an ace up his sleeve.
- He has an ace up his sleeve. It would be unwise to go against him.
- He’s not the only one with an ace up his sleeve. I have some tricks of my own, you know.
2. HOLD ALL THE ACES: A person who holds all the aces is in a very strong position because they have more advantages than anyone else.
- Given the high unemployment figures in some countries, employers hold all the aces.
- How can I advance in my career when my competitors hold all the aces?
- If I hold all the aces, I would be able to do great things.
- I tried to get my point across, but Sarita held all the aces and the board voted for her plan.
- In a situation like this, It’s the big companies who hold all the aces.
3. GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER: If you tell someone to get your act together, you mean that they need to organise their affairs more effectively in order to be more successful.
- You’d better get your act together if you want to find a job.
- If these people could ever get their act together, they can produce the best wine.
- I have got to get my act together and start getting my work done.
- When she gets her act together, she will win the game.
- You will keep failing until you get your act together.
4. MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING: When people make much ado about nothing, they make a lot of fuss about something which is not important.
- There was a meeting to discuss the name of the new playground. “Much ado about nothing” said my dad.
- All this arguing is much ado about nothing.
- People have been very upset about the seating arrangements for the Christmas dinner, but as far as I am concerned, it’s much ado about nothing.
- His opponents have questioned his role in obtaining the contract, but he claimed he did nothing wrong, and that it’s much ado about nothing.
- Whenever there is a party, my friends always make much ado about nothing.
5. AGAINST ONE’S BETTER JUDGEMENT: If you do something, even though you know that it is not a sensible thing to do, you do it against your better judgement.
- I lent him the money against my better judgement.
- I gave him a job against my better judgement.
- Yesterday, my father had to go to Agra against his better judgement.
- Today, I had to cut many plants against my better judgement.
- Have you ever done anything against your better judgement.
6. ALL ALONG: If something has existed or been somewhere all along, it has been all the time, from the beginning.
- After the divorce, he admitted to her that he knew all along she was having an affair.
- We knew all along that the investment was not profitable, but were powerless to stop it.
- John has been trying to do a better job all along, but the boss doesn’t see any improvement no matter what John does.
- I have been trying to tell you all along that I am not feeling well, but you just wouldn’t listen.
- Do you think he’s been cheating us all along.
7. ALL HANDS ON DECK: When there is a need for all hands on deck, everyone must help, especially when there is a lot of work to be done in a short amount of time.
- As the opening day approached, it was all hands on deck to have everything ready in time.
- We’ve got to get all this cleared up before they arrive, so all hand on deck.
- It was all hands on deck getting breakfast ready.
- From the captain to the cook all hands on deck for soul-saving.
- As such, all hands must now be put firmly on deck to ensure that it doesn’t falter.
8. ALL IN YOUR HEAD: If something is all in your head, it is not real. It is in your imagination.
Don’t be silly, nobody is trying to harm you. It’s all in your head.
- There is nothing to be afraid of it’s all in your head.
- She likes you it is all in your head.
- I don’t believe stress, it all in your head.
- These two guys are not following you, it’s all in your head.
9. ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE: If you say that all hell broke loose, you mean that there was a sudden angry or noisy reaction to something.
- All hell broke loose when it was announced that the plant was going to close down.
- I got an urgent call from my mom, all hell broke loose.
- A policeman drew his gun and then suddenly all hell broke loose.
- All hell broke loose at home when my sister started crying.
- I was walking through the station on my way to work when I heard the huge explosion, and all hell broke loose.
10. OF ALL PEOPLE: It emphasizes that the person you mention, more than anyone else, is the one you would expect to do something.
- As an artist, you, of all people, should support the new art gallery.
- I thought that you, of all people, would believe me!
- Rohit, of all people, is last one I would expect to see at a club.
- You, of all people, should understand the importance of the historical analysis.
- You, of all people, should know better.