Idioms and Expressions
to hold the phone
to wait or stop; usually an imperative or interruption
Hold the phone, I have a solution to the problem!
to pull the plug
to stop something from happening or progressing
The company pulled the plug on the deal because it was not going to be profitable.
to have (all the) bells and whistles
to possess extra features that are usually not essential
If you want something more inexpensive, you may want to stick to a computer that does not have all the bells and whistles.
to be on the same wavelength
to agree with or understand someone
It is great to work with people who are on the same wavelength.
to push the panic button
to overreact to a situation
If you want to be successful, you cannot push the panic button every time you experience a setback.
to be (like a) well-oiled machine
to function smoothly and efficiently
We have all worked together for so long that our office is like a well-oiled machine.
to go back to the drawing board
to start over again
Our experiment failed so we went back to the drawing board.
to blow a fuse
to become extremely angry or upset
Our boss is going to blow his fuse if we do not finish this project on time.
to push (someone's) buttons
to do or say something to make someone annoyed, angry, or upset
My colleague knows exactly how to push my buttons!
to get wires crossed
to misunderstand
The meeting is tomorrow? I must have gotten my wires crossed - I thought it was today!
How to Conjugate Idioms
only change the verb part of the phrase
to blow a fuse
(past simple tense)
Our boss blew his fuse when we did not finish the project on time.
to pull the plug
(present continuous tense)
The company is pulling the plug on the project because it is not going to be profitable.
to push (someone's) buttons
(present perfect tense)
My colleague has pushed my buttons several times this week.
Reflection
Describe the following situations using an idiom described in the lesson.