www.learn-english-today.com

• business english  •  lessons - exercises  •  vocabulary  •  phrasal verbs  •   wordgames  •  proverbs  • < fun   •  news •  resources  •   books  •    contact •   home  •

 


 English idioms relating to
INTELLIGENCE - UNDERSTANDING
 

 Be on the ball   If you are on the ball, you are aware of what is happening
  and are able to react to the situation quickly.
 Bang your head against a brick wall   If you bang your head against a brick wall, you continue vainly to
  try and achieve something  in spite of several unsuccessful attempts.
  "I've been banging my head against a brick wall trying to explain the
   internet to my grandmother."
 Think better of something   If you think better of something, you decide not to do something
  that you intended doing.
  "I wanted to go shopping, but when I saw the crowded car park,
  I thought better of it."
 It's beyond me   The expression "it's beyond me" means:  "it's impossible for me to
  understand"
  "It's beyond me why Mary wants to marry John."
 I wasn't born yesterday     This expression is used to indicate that you are not as foolish or as
  easily deceived as some people seem to think.
  "Stop inventing silly excuses.  I wasn't born yesterday you know!"
 Blind you with science   If someone tries to blind you with science, they confuse you with
  their knowledge by using difficult or technical words.
 
"If you ask Tim for a simple explanation, he tries to blind you with
  science."
 Build bridges   If a person builds bridges between opposing groups, they help
  them to cooperate and understand each other better.
 Can't make head or tail of something   If you can't make head or tail of something, you can't understand it
  at all.
  "Julie's message was so confusing, I couldn't make head or tail of it! "
 Can't see the wood for the trees   If someone can't see the wood for the trees, they are so
  concentrated on the details that they can't see the situation as a whole.
  "The new manager found the situation so complicated that
  he couldn't see the wood for the trees."
 Put on your thinking cap   If you tell someone to put their thinking cap on, you ask them
  to find an idea or solve a problem by thinking about it.
  "Now here's this week's quiz - it's time to put your thinking caps on!"
 Not have a clue    If you don't have a clue about something, you don't know anything
   about it.
  "My wife's grandmother's maiden name? I don't have a clue!"
 Collect one's thoughts   If you collect your thoughts, you try to  think calmly and clearly
  in order to prepare yourself mentally for something.
  "Anne stopped to collect her thoughts before calling back the customer."
 Come to your senses   If you come to your senses, you start to think clearly and behave
  sensibly.
  "She finally came to her senses and realized that public transport was
  faster than driving."
 At cross purposes    If two people are at cross purposes, there is a misunderstanding as to
  what each one is talking about.
 
"Look, we seem to be at cross purposes : you're talking about 'sailing'
  boats but I'm talking about 'selling' boats."
 Dumbing down   If something, such as a television programme or a film production, is
  dumbed down, it is deliberately made less intelligent or less
  demanding, in order to attract a larger audience.
  "Some TV channels are dumbing down their programmes in an attempt
  to increase their audience ratings."
 Eyes wide open   If you do something with your eyes open, you are fully aware of what
 you are doing.
 
"I took on the job with my eyes wide open, so I'm not complaining."
 Get someone's drift   To tell someone that you get their drift means that you understand
  in a general way what they are trying to say.
 
"'I didn't understand every word but I got the drift."
 Get the picture   To say that a person gets the picture means that they understand what
  is being explained or described.
 "The alarm went off, people were running everywhere - you get the picture
   I'm sure!"
 Get wise to something   If you get wise to something, you learn something that you were unaware
  of before.
 "
He finally got wise to the fact that children were stealing apples from his
  garden."
 Know which side your bread is
 buttered
  If you know which side your bread is buttered, you know where your
  interests lie, or what will be to your advantage.
  "Jack never argues with his father-in-law.  He knows which side his bread
  is buttered."
 Not miss a trick   If a person never misses a trick, they are very aware or alert.
  "The old lady next door will know if Bill is there or not - she never misses
   a trick!"
 More money than sense   If you have more money than sense, you have a lot of money which
  you waste by spending it in a foolish manner.

  "He celebrated the birth of the baby by buying a sports car.   He's got
  more money than sense!"
 Muddy the waters   If you muddy the waters, you make something less clear by giving
  confusing information
  "I had difficulty understanding, but Alan's explanation just muddied
  the waters!"
 One-track mind   If you have a one-track mind, you have a tendency to think about only
  one subject.

  "That boy has got a one-track mind; all he thinks about is football!"
 Out of your depth   If you are out of your depth, you are unable to understand a subject
  or deal with a situation because it is too difficult for you.
  "The level of the class was too high for me, so very quickly I felt
  out of my depth."
 Out to lunch   To say that someone is out to lunch means that they seem to be
  either unaware of what's going on around them, or unable to understand
  what is happening.
 
"He's hopeless as a leader - considered as 'out-to-lunch' by the group."
 Put two and two together   To say that a person puts two and two together means that they
  reach the right conclusion based on the information they have.
  "Forget your explanation.  She'll never believe you. She can put two
  and two together!"
 Quick off the mark   To say that someone is quick off the mark means that they are quick
  to react to an event or take advantage of an opportunity.
  "You've got to be quick off the mark to avail of the airline's special offers."
 Quick/slow on the uptake   Someone who is quick or slow on the uptake is quick or slow to
  understand what is meant.
 
"Please explain the problem in simple words - I'm a bit slow on the
  uptake."
 Rocket science   If you say that something is not rocket science, you emphasize that
  it presents no particular difficulty.
  "Bob will explain how it works.  Don't worry - it's not rocket science!"
 By no stretch of the imagination   This expression means 'however hard you may try to believe or imagine
  something'.
 
"By no stretch of the imagination could he be called handsome."
 Walking encyclopaedia   This term refers to a person who is very knowledgeable about a
  particular subject.
  "The origin of Halloween?  Ask Jill - she's a walking encyclopaedia!"
 Weigh your words   If you weigh your words, you choose your words carefully in order
  to express exactly what you mean and avoid any misunderstanding.
 
"At the press conference he spoke very clearly, weighing his words."
 Get one's wires crossed   If people get their wires crossed, they misunderstand each other or
  are confused about what was said.
 
"We must have got our wires crossed.  I thought we were to meet in
   front of the station."
 Wrap your brain around something   If you concentrate on something so as to try to understand it,
  you wrap your brain around it.

  "
I need a translation of that report urgently, so wrap you brain round it fast!"

 

 

more idioms               home

copyright © k.beke.  all rights reserved.