22 IDIOMS chủ đề: Priorities và Decisions

IDIOMS AND MEANINGS:

the bottom line: điểm mấu chốt, điểm cốt yếu

In a discussion or argument, the bottom line is the most important and basic fact about what you are discussing.

VD: The bottom line is that the great majority of our kids are physically unfit.

cross that bridge when you come to it: giải quyết một vấn đề khi nó xảy ra, không có sự chuẩn bị trước.

If you say ‘I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it’, you mean that you will deal with a problem when, or if, it happens.

VD: “You can’t make me talk to you” / “No, but the police can’. Til cross that bridge when I come to it.”

cut to the chase: nói thẳng vào vấn đề, không vòng vo

If you cut to the chase, you start talking about or dealing with what is really important, instead of less important things.

VD: I’ll cut to the chase – we just don’t have enough money for the project.

the icing on the cake: một bổng lộc kèm thêm vào một tin mừng hay một điều gì tốt đẹp

If you describe something as the icing on the cake, you mean that It is an extra good thing that makes a good situation or activity even better.

VD: To play for one’s country is the ultimate experience. To be in a winning team is the icing on the cake.

in two minds: băn khoăn, không thể quyết định

If you are in two minds about something, you are not able to reach a decision or opinion about something.

VD: Roche was in two minds whether to make the trip to Oslo.

make a mountain out of a molehill: chuyện bé xé ra to

If someone makes a mountain out of a molehill, they talk or complain about a small, unimportant problem as if it is important and serious.

VD: Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill – it’s really not a big deal.

on the back burner: một việc bị gác sang một bên để rồi sẽ giải quyết sau vì nó không quan trọng hay cấp bách

If you put a project or issue on the back burner, you decide not to do anything about it until a later date.

VD: People’s dreams have once again been put on the back burner as they concern themselves with surviving from one day to the next.

play it by ear: để mọi việc xảy ra theo lẽ tự nhiên, không theo một kế hoạch hoặc sự sắp đặt trước

If you play it by ear, you deal with things as they happen, rather than following a plan or previous arrangement.

VD: “Where will we stay in Gloucestershire?” / “Oh, I’m not sure yet. We’ll have to play it by ear”.

sit on the fence: trung lập, không nghiêng về bên nào trong cuộc tranh luận hoặc đôi co

If you sit on the fence, you refuse to give a definite opinion about something or to say who you support in an argument.

VD: Which do you prefer: chocolate or vanilla ice-cream? You can’t sit on the fence and say you like both of them equally.

split hairs: xét nét những vấn đề nhỏ nhặt, không đáng

If someone splits hairs, they argue about very small details or find very small differences between things which are really very similar.

VD: Many of the cases the reporter mentioned were not, in fact, on the original list, but let’s not split hairs.

stick to your guns: khư khư giữ ý kiến, bảo vệ quan điểm

If you stick to your guns, you refuse to change your decision or opinion about something, even though other people are trying to tell you that you are wrong.

VD: Once you have decided what is and isn’t acceptable, stick to your guns despite your child’s protests.

take a back seat: chỉ tham gia phần phụ, để người khác nắm quyền hoặc đảm nhiệm việc quan trọng

If you take a back seat, you allow other people to have all the power, importance, or responsibility.

VD: I was happy to take a back seat and give someone else the opportunity to manage the project.

the tip of the iceberg: một phần nhỏ, phần bề mặt của một vấn đề phức tạp

If something is the tip of the iceberg, it is a small part of a very large problem or a very serious situation.

VD: We get about 2,000 complaints every year and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

up in the air: không chắc chắn, chưa dứt khoát

If an important decision or plan is up in the air, it has not been decided or arranged yet.

VD: At the moment, the fate of the Hungarian people is still up in the air.

BÀI TẬP THỰC HÀNH:

Exercise 1

Complete the sentences with the given words.

by     of      to      in      on

1. We’re just going to play it __________ ear.
2. This is just the tip __________ the iceberg.
3. Let’s put that decision __________ the back burner for now.
4. I’m __________ two minds about spending all that money at once.
5. He stuck __________ his guns in spite of their grumbling.
6. We’ll cross that bridge when we come __________ it.

Exercise 2

Match sentence halves 1-6 with A – F to make complete sentences.

 Exercise 3

Choose the best answer to complete the sentences.

1. ‘They really believe in what I do and they want to enable me to do it.’ She went on to explain her success: ‘I’m very good, that’s ______________ .’

1. the bottom line
2. the tip of iceberg
3. the back burner

2. Then he became really ill and had to put all his plans ______________

1. up in the air
2. on the fence
3. on the back burner

3. ‘What if you need another operation after this one?’ – ‘I’ll ______________ .’

1. make a mountain out of a molehill
2. cross that bridge when I come to it
3. stick to my guns

4. The President accused his critics of being oversensitive and of ______________.

1. playing it by ear
2. cutting to the chase
3. making a mountain out of a molehill

5. For four hours of questioning, Grommek ______________ , but by five o’clock he had changed his story.

1. played it by ear                     
2. cut to the chase        
3. stuck to his guns

6. She was ______________ about whether or not to turn back.

1. splitting hairs                        
2. in two minds                        
3. up in the air

Exercise 4

Correct the idioms in these sentences.

1. The dates for the summit meeting are still up on the fence at the moment.
2. The police say that these numbers could just be the top of the iceberg.
3. He’ll do what he can to make you change your mind, but you stick on the back burner.
4. I’d don’t want to retire when I’m sixty years old but I’ll cut to the bridge when I come to it.
5. She forgot her notes so she had to play it by air at the interview.
6. There just isn’t any more money and that sits on the bottom line.
7. After he retires, Ken will be able to sit in the back seat in the family business.
8. I was proud to work for Ferrari, and to drive their fantastic cars was the icing in the cake.

Exercise 5

Complete the sentences with idioms in this unit, changing the verb forms if necessary.

1. I was so pleased just to have passed the exam; coming first was ________________
2. I can’t really say too much about who else I’m going to be working with at the moment because it’s all very much ________________ and anything could happen.
3. I never really had a plan for my life. I just ________________. Neither of us is very ambitious and we have enough money.
4. She introduced herself and then said ‘I’ll ________________ : I have all the evidence I need to put you in prison for the next ten years’.
5. This is a misleading figure. There will be many hidden costs that we will discover as this project develops. I suggest that £1.4 billion is only ________________
6. Yet on this key issue, the government has chosen to ________________ , saying that schools must decide for themselves.
7. He warned reporters not to ________________. ‘I’m disappointed, but it’s not heartbreaking’, he said. ‘It was far worse in 1996.’
8. I’m fed up with being the boss so I’m going to ________________ and let other people do the hard work for a while.

Exercise 6

Complete the group with idioms from this unit.

Emphasizing something important:

1 _________________________________

2 _________________________________

Showing that something is less important

1 _________________________________

2 _________________________________

3 _________________________________

4 _________________________________

 A decision not yet made

1 _________________________________

2 _________________________________

3 _________________________________

4 _________________________________

ĐÁP ÁN:

Exercise 1

1 by     4 in

2 of      5 to

3 on     6 to

Exercise 2                  

1 E       4 C

2 D      5 A

3 F       6 B

Exercise 3                  

1 a       4 c

2 c       5 c

3 b       6 b

Exercise 4

1. up in the air
2. tip of the iceberg
3. stick to your guns
4. cross that bridge
5. play it by ear
6. is the bottom line
7. take a back seat
8. the icing on the cake

Exercise 5

1. the icing on the cake
2. up in the air
3. play it by ear
4. cut to the chase
5. the tip of the iceberg
6. sit on the fence
7. make a mountain out of a molehill
8. take a back seat

Exercise 6

- Emphasizing something important: the bottom line. cut to the chase

- Showing that something is less important: make a mountain out of a molehill, split hairs, on the back burner, the icing on the cake

- A decision not yet made: play it by ear, sit on the fence, up in the air, in two minds

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