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Idioms
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Dịch nghĩa
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Ví dụ
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smell a rat
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hoài nghi, linh cảm chuyện không ổn
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The minute I came in, I smelled a rat.
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the last straw
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giọt nước tràn ly
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When she showed up late a third time, that was the last straw. We had to fire her.
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get the hang of something
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nắm bắt được, sử dụng được
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I’ll teach you how to use the design program – you’ll get the hang of it after a while
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hard of hearing
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lãng tai, nặng tai
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Tom is hard of hearing. Therefore, we have to speak loudly so that he can hear us.
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keep an eye on
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coi chừng, ngó chừng
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Please keep an eye on my baby while I’m out for a while.
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have a bee in one’s bonnet (about something)
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đặt nặng chuyện gì, chấp nhất chuyện gì
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She has a bee in her bonnet about going to America.
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get/have cold feet
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mất hết can đảm, chùn bước
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I’m worried my members on this page may be getting cold feet about the university entrance exam. Therefore, I will try my best to help them overcome this severe exam.
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on second thoughts
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suy nghĩ kĩ
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On second thoughts, it was a dumb movie.
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in vain
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vô ích
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Government agents tried in vain to kidnap him.
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chip in
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quyên góp, góp tiền
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If everyone chips in, we will be able to buy her a nice present.
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off someone’s head
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điên, loạn trí
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The old man has been off his head for at least a year.
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run an errand
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làm việc vặt, nhất là làm thay cho người khác
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I’ve got to run an errand. I’ll be back in a minute.
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jump the traffic lights
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vượt đèn đỏ
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They ignore people who jump the traffic lights.
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fly off the handle
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dễ nổi giận, phát cáu
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No one will fly off the handle for no reason.
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the apple of someone’s eyes
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người/thứ mà một người trân trọng và tự hào
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You are the apple of my eyes
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bucket down
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mưa xối xả, mưa to
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It’s been bucketing down all day.
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close shave = narrow escape
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thoát chết trong gang tấc
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Phew, that was a close shave. I was so lucky.
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drop a brick
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lỡ lời, lỡ miệng
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I dropped a brick when talking with my best friend, and now she doesn’t want to talk to me.
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get butterflies in someone’s stomach
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cảm thấy bồn chồn
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I always get butterflies in my stomach when it comes to taking test
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off the record
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không chính thức, không được công bố
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What the president said is not to be printed. It’s off the record
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someone’s cup of tea
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thứ mà ta thích
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SNSD is my cup of tea. They are so beautiful and talented. Especially Seohyun, she looks so cute
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cut it fine
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allow a very small margin of something, especially time
đến sát giờ
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Only allowing half an hour to get from the station to the airport is cutting it fine, isn’t it?
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golden handshake
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món tiền hậu hĩnh dành cho người sắp nghỉ việc
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The manager got early retirement and a 600,000$ golden handshake when the company was restructured .
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put on an act
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giả bộ, làm bộ
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We’ve known you are a good swimmer – stop putting on an act.
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come to light
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được biết đến, được phát hiện, được đưa ra ánh sáng.
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Four soldiers have faced charges since the scandal came to light last fall
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take things to pieces
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tháo ra từng mảnh
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Men like to take things to pieces and put them together.
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put someone’s foot in it
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gây nhầm lẫn, bối rối, phạm một sai lầm gây bối rối
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I really put my foot in it when I asked her about her job. I didn’t know she’d just been fired.
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pull someone’s weight
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nỗ lực, làm tròn trách nhiệm
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The rest of the team complained that Sarah wasn’t pulling her weight.
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make ends meet
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xoay sở để kiếm sống
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I have to work at two jobs to make ends meet.
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get the hold of the wrong end of the stick
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hiểu nhầm ai đó
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I think I must explain to her that she got hold of the wrong end of the stick again.
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cut and dried
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cuối cùng, không thể thay đổi, rõ ràng, dễ hiểu
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Although a deal has been agreed, it is not yet cut and dried
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stay/keep on someone’s toe
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cảnh giác, thận trọng
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We had better keep on our toes while we’re walking along the dark portions of this street.
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see eye to eye
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đồng tình
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I’m glad that they see eye to eye on the matter of the conference location.
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have in mind
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đang suy tính, cân nhắc
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I don’t want to see a movie now, I have in mind going to the park.
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a lost cause
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hết hy vọng, không thay đổi được gì
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It seems that Charles will give it up. I suppose he is a lost cause.
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to be bound to
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chắc chắn
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You’re bound to be late if you don’t hurry.
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at heart
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thực chất, cơ bản (basically, fundamentally)
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James sometimes seems quite unfriendly but at heart he’s a good person.
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to know by sight
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nhận ra (recognize)
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The woman said that she would know the thief by sight if she ever saw him again.
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now and then = now and again = at times = from time to time = off and on = once in a while = every so often
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thỉnh thoảng, không thường xuyên
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Josh does stop by the store every now and then, but I haven’t seen him lately.
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to take pains
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làm việc cẩn thận và tận tâm
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She takes pains to do everything well.
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to make do
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xoay sở, đương đầu (to manage, to cope) manage with the limited or inadequate means available.
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During difficult economic times, many people have to make do with less.
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on probation
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trong chế độ án treo
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While Anne was on probation, she reported to the police regularly
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face the music
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chịu trận
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Mary broke a dining-room window and had to face the music when her father got home
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sell/go like hot cakes
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bán đắt như tôm tươi
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The book has only just been published and copies are already selling like hot cakes in both Britain and America.
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it never rains but it pours
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good or bad things do not just happen a few at a time, but in large numbers all at once (họa vô đơn chí)
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First of all it was the car breaking down, then the fire in the kitchen and now Mike’s accident. It never rains but it pours!
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salt and pepper
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màu tóc hoa râm
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He has a salt and pepper beard.
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down and out
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thất cơ lỡ vận
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True friends always stand by you when you’re down and out.
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