by the skin of your teeth
By the narrowest possible margin, barely succeeding at all.
Example: We caught the last train by the skin of our teeth.
C120 words · Advanced
Body Idioms vocabulary — C1
Body idioms for describing discretion, awareness and reach, with phrases like turn a blind eye, bite your tongue and the long arm of the law.
20 questions
Words in this set
20turn a blind eye
To deliberately ignore something wrong that you know is happening.
Example:
The manager turned a blind eye to the staff leaving early.
at arm's length
Keeping someone or something at a careful distance, avoiding close involvement.
Example:
She's kept her new colleague at arm's length so far.
have a good head on your shoulders
To be sensible, practical, and able to make wise decisions.
Example:
You can trust her advice — she's always had a good head on her shoulders.
bite your tongue
To stop yourself from saying something you really want to say.
Example:
I had to bite my tongue when he criticised my work in front of everyone.
wash your hands of something
To refuse to take any further responsibility for something.
Example:
After the disagreement, he washed his hands of the whole project.
keep your ear to the ground
To stay alert and well informed about what is happening or about to happen.
Example:
Good journalists keep their ear to the ground for new stories.
have your finger on the pulse
To be fully aware of the latest developments in a particular area.
Example:
The design team really has its finger on the pulse of new trends.
not lift a finger
To do nothing at all to help, especially when help is expected.
Example:
He watched us pack and didn't lift a finger.
a shoulder to cry on
Someone who offers comfort and sympathy when you are upset.
Example:
Whenever I'm down, my sister is a shoulder to cry on.
a thorn in your side
A person or thing that causes constant trouble.
Example:
That clause has been a thorn in your side for a decade.
back against the wall
In a position where you have no choice but to fight.
Example:
With back against the wall they finally negotiated.
give someone the elbow
To end a relationship or dismiss someone.
Example:
The club decided to give someone the elbow after one season.
the long arm of the law
The power of the police to catch people eventually.
Example:
The long arm of the law reached him in another country.
an old head on young shoulders
A young person who is unusually sensible.
Example:
She is nineteen with an old head on young shoulders.
a stab in the back
A betrayal by someone you trusted.
Example:
The letter to the board was a stab in the back and everybody knew it.
bare your soul
To tell someone your deepest feelings.
Example:
He would bare your soul to a stranger and tell his family nothing.
have your heart in your mouth
To feel very frightened or anxious.
Example:
We had have your heart in your mouth for the whole descent.
put your shoulder to the wheel
To start working very hard.
Example:
Everyone had to put your shoulder to the wheel for the last fortnight.
keep body and soul together
To have just enough to survive on.
Example:
Two shifts a week were enough to keep body and soul together.
