Idiom 179: on the fritz

못쓰게 만들거나 고장난 상태를 가리킬 사용합니다.

on the fritz = not working correctly = out of order

The ice is melting in our freezer. I think it is on the fritz.

Idiom 178: walk all over someone

어떠한 좋은 의도를 나쁘게 이용하는 경우를 가리킬 사용합니다.

walk all over someone = take advantage of someone

He loves her so much and she walks all over him.

Idiom 177: twiddle one's thumbs

일하지 않는 바쁘지 않는 상황을 가리킬 때 사용합니다. 직역을 하시면 의역이 되겠지요. 손가락을 빙빙 돌리는 상상을 하시면 어떤 때 그렇게 할까요... 할일없어서 빈들빈들 놀때.

twiddle one's thumbs = not busy = not working

Our department has gotten slow this season. All we are doing is twiddling our thumbs.

Idiom 176: will power

마음의 힘..심력을 말할 때 쓰는 표현입니다. 교육에서는 심력은 12세 미만에 길러진다고 하네요.

will power or willpower = stength of mind

Some people say you need a lot of will power to quit smoking.

Idiom 175: floor someone

당황하다라고 할 때 쓰는 표현입니다. 특히 수동태로 사용되구요.

floor someone = surprise = confuse

I was floored when I found out they had made me a surprise birthday party.

Idiom 174: set back

누구에게 비용이 들다라는 뜻입니다.

set one back = cost

These new shoes set me back $200.

Idiom 173: odds and ends

잡동사니란 뜻을 가진 표현입니다.

odds and ends = miscellaneous

You can refer to a disorganized group of things of various kinds as odds and ends.

I have some odds and ends around my house that I would like to sell.

Idiom 172: mean business

진정이다...라는 표현으로 I'm serious라고 많이 쓰죠. 같은 뜻으로 많이 사용하는 표현입니다.

mean business = be serious

He told his son that he had to finish all of his homework before he went out to play and he meant business.

Idiom 171: pinch pennies

지출을 극도로 줄이는 것을 가리킵니다. 특히 요즘같이 경기가 좋지 않을때 현명한 방법이겠지요.

pinch pennies = be thrifty, careful how you spend money

If you spend your time pinching pennies, eventually, you'll have a lot of money.

Common error 59: imply vs. infer

imply: to hint at it 의미하다, 암시하다
She IMPLIED that there were strong moral objections to his appointment but didn’t say so in so many words.

infer: to draw a conclusion 추론하다, 추리하다
Am I to INFER from what you say that he is unsuitable for the post?

Common error 58: imaginary vs. imaginative

imaginary: existing only in the imagination 상상의, 가공의

imaginative: showing or having a vivid imagination, being creative, origin 상상의, 상상력이 풍부한, 상상하기 좋아하는

Idiom 170: throw cold water on

어떤 일을 하는데 격려하지 않는 경우에 사용하는 표현입니다. 찬물을 끼얹는 경우를 가리킬 때이지요.

throw cold water on = discourage

I really don't want to throw cold water on your business propsal, but I really don't think that it is a good idea.

Idiom 169: put up a good front

어떤 상황에서 그렇지 않은데 그런것처럼 하는 때가 있으실 것입니다. 행복하지 않은데도 행복한 것처럼 할 때 쓰는 표현입니다.

put up a good front = pretend tp be happy = fool people about one's status

Even though she is upset about the fight she had with her friend, she put up a good front and smiled the whole time they were together.

Idiom 168: put down

put down = make someone look bad = criticize

He embarrassed her by putting her down in front of her family.

Idiom 167: lose one's shirt

돈을 잃다란 뜻입니다.

lose one's shirt = lose all one's money

He put his lifetime savings into the restaurant. When it failed, he lost his shirt.

Idiom 166: get in the swing of things

적응하다라는 뜻입니다.

get in the swing of things = adapt or adjust to a new environment

After working two weeks in the new department, I finally got in the swing of things.

Idiom 165: go-getter

야망이 있는 사람이나 수완이 좋은 사람을 가리킬 때 쓰는 표현입니다.

go-getter = ambitious person = a person whose career progresses rapidly

She is the most successful salesperson I've ever seen. She's a real go-getter.

Common error 57: Illegible vs. Ineligible

illegible: not able to be read

ineligible: not properly qualified

Idiom 164: to the hilt

자루밑까지 철저히란 뜻입니다.

to the hilt = completely = thoroughly = to the limit

He's borrowed a lot of money against his house. He is mortgaged to the hilt!

Idiom 163: throw the book at

엄벌에 처하라는 뜻을 가진 표현입니다.

throw the book at = punish severely for breaking rules or the law = apply the harshest possible punishment to

They have a lot of evidence against that criminal. They are going to throw the book at him at the trial.

Idiom 162: stuck

이해하지 못하다라고 할 때 쓰는 간단한 표현입니다...

stuck = unable to to understand

I am stuck on this math problem and I cannot figure it out.

Idiom 161: shook up

흔히 upset이란 단어를 사용하는 당황하게 하다라는 뜻을 가진 표현입니다. 정신이 동요되어 있거나 마음이 산란한 상태를 가리킵니다.

shook up = upset = worried fearful

I got all shook up when I heard the awful news.

Idiom 160: off one's rocker

미쳐서, 열광해서, 흥분해서란 뜻을 가진 표현입니다.

off one's rocker = crazy

He is off his rocker if he thinks I'm going to help him decorate for the party.

Idiom 159: have someone's number

어떤 사람의 속셈을 간파하다라고 할 때 쓰는 표현입니다.

have (or get) someone's number = know what kind of person someone is

He doesn't think anyone knows, but I know he stole the material for the book. I've got his number.

Idiom 158: poke around

무언인가를 찾아 헤매다 혹은 뒤지다 라고 할 때 쓰는 표현입니다.

If you poke around or poke about for something, you search for it, usually by moving lots of objects around.

poke around = look or search around

I've been poking around in the library looking for some statistics. I don't mind if you look in my drawer for a paper clip, but please don't poke about.

Idiom 157: fair enough

일상생활에서 직장에서 아주 많이 사용하는 표현입니다. 이 글을 쓰기 전에도 회사동료가 쓰는 것을 보고 생각이 나서 이렇게 올려놓습니다. 어떤 제안에 대해 '됐어'라는 표현으로 많이 사용합니다. 어떤 아이디어나 제안이 합당하다고 느낄 때 동의의 뜻으로 씁니다.

This expression is used to say that an idea or suggestion seems reasonable.

Common error 56: hyperventilate vs. hypoventilate

hyperventilate: to breathe at an abnormally rapid rate

hypoventilate: to breathe at an abnormally slow rate

Common error 55: Hyperthermia vs. Hypothermia

hyperthermia: having an abnormally high body temperature 이상(異常) 고열

hypothermia: having an abnormally low body temperature 저체온(증)

Idiom 156: bite one's tongue

하고 싶은 말이 있어도 꾹참는다는 표현입니다. 나중에 후회하는 말을 삼가하는 것이 좋겠지요. 특히 아이들에게나 사랑하는 사람에게.

bite one's tongue = keep oneself from speaking

I had to bite my tongue in order not to tell him that he won the raffle.

raffle = lottery

Idiom 155: run ragged

지치고 피곤하다라고 할 때 사용하지요. tired대신에 많이 사용합니다.

run ragged = tire = exhaust

I haven't had a day off in 2 months and feel like I'm running ragged.

Idiom 154: put one's finger on

어떠한 사실을 확실히 지적할 때 사용합니다.

put one's finger on = find precisely = remember exactly

She didn't know what was causing the problem, but she finally put her finger on it.

Idiom 153: fly off the handle

발끈하다라고 할 때 사용합니다. 예전에 배웠던 hit the ceiling이란 표현도 같은 뜻이구요.

fly off the handle = get angry

Her mother flew off the handle when she found out that her daughter dropped out of college.

Idiom 152: old flame

상황: 옛애인을 가리킬 때 사용합니다. ex boyfriend or ex girfriend라고도 하죠.

old flame = someone with whom you once had a romantic relationship = former boyfriend or girlfriend

She bumped into an old flame at the shopping mall.

Idiom 151: let someone off the hook

상황: 용의선상에서 벗어나다라고 할 때 쓰는 표현입니다.

let someone off the hook = excuse from a penalty or promise

Because this eas his first criminal offense, he was let off the hook.