Learn Idiomatic Expression relating to Intelligence and Understanding-Logic

Learn Idiomatic Expression relating to Intelligence and Understanding-Logic

INTELLIGENCE UNDERSTANDING – LOGIC

Be on the ball

Meaning: 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

Meaning: 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

Meaning: 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

Meaning: The expression “it’s beyond me” means: “it’s impossible for me to understand.” “It’s beyond mewhy Mary wants to marry John.”

Big picture

Meaning: To refer to the big picture means the overall situation, orthe project as a whole, rather than the details. “While each aspect is important, try not to forget the big picture.

Blind you with science

Meaning: 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.”

I wasn’t born yesterday

Meaning: 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!”

Brains behind something

Meaning: Someone who is the brains behind a project or action is erson thought to have planned and organized everything. “The police have arrested a man believed to be the brains behind the bank robbery.”

Build bridges

Meaning: 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

Can’t make head or tail

Meaning: 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 Can’t see the wood for the trees

make head or tail of it!”

Meaning: If someone can’t see the wood for the trees, they are so concentrated on the details that 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

Meaning: 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

Meaning: 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

Meaning: 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 grips with something

Meaning: If you come to grips with a problem or situation, you start to understand or deal with it properly “After the initial shock, the patient began to come to grips with his illness.”

Come to your senses

Meaning: 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.” Meaning: When information is well-known to everyone (particularly in

Common knowledge

a community or group), it is called common knowledge. “You didn’t know the intern was Jack’s son? I thought it was common knowledge.”

Crash course

Meaning: If you do a crash course, you do an intensive training course in order to learn something quickly. “Before going to Tokyo, he did a crash course to learn Japanese.”

At cross purposes

Meaning: 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

Meaning: 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.”

Enough said

Meaning: This expression is used to indicate that you have completely understood what someone has just told you and you do notneed any further explanation. “Your mother-in-law arrived unexpectedly last night? – enough said!”

Eyes wide open

Meaning: If you do something with your eyes open, you are fully ware of what you are doing. “I took on the job with my eyes wide so I’m not complaining ”

Get the message

Meaning: If you get the message, you

understand what someone is trying to tell you, even if it is expressed in actions or gestures rather than words. “When Tony pointed at his watch, I got the message – it was time to leave for the airport.”

Get the picture

Meaning: 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 Meaning: 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.”

Hammer (something) home

Meaning: If you hammer home a point or an argument, you repeat it often to make sure that it is fully understood. “The policeman hammered home the dangers of drinking and driving.”

Hit the nail on the head

Meaning: When you hit the nail on the head, you are absolutely right about something or have guessed the exact nature of a problem or situation. “You hit the nail on the head when you said Mark had money problems. He’s lost his job!”

Horse sense

Meaning: Someone who has horse sense is a practical thinker who has the ability to make sensible decisions. “Don’t worry. Charlie has good horse sense. He’ll do the right thing.”

Ignorance is bliss

Meaning: This expression means that if you don’t know about problem or unpleasant fact, you won’t worry about it. “I didn’t know our neighbour was an escaped prisoner until the police arrived-ignorance is bliss!”

Jump to conclusions

Meaning: A person who jumps to conclusions reaches a decision or makes a judgement too fast, before taking the time to check out all the facts. “We haven’t got the full story yet so let’s not jump to conclusions.”

Know the score

Meaning: When you know the score, you are well-informed about a situation and know what to expect “If Julie damages the car, her dad won’t lend it to her again. She knows the score.” Know which side your bread is

buttered

Meaning: 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. ”

Learning curve

Meaning: This expression refers to the length of time needed to learn something new. “The new system has a long learning curve so we’ll have to give the staff time to get used to it.”

Light bulb moment

Meaning: A light bulb moment is when you have a sudden moment of inspiration, comprehension or realization. “Harry had a light-bulb moment when he finally realized what was blocking the mechanism.”

Lose the plot

Meaning: If a situation becomes so confusing that you are unable to understand what is happening or what you are supposed to do, you lose the plot. “His instructions were so long and confusing that I just lost the plot!

A lost ball in high weeds

Meaning: Someone who is totally confused, and doesn’t know what they are doing or how to do it, is a lost ball in high weeds. “The new intern is a lost ball in high weeds – he has no idea how to begin the task he’s been given.”

Make sense of something

Meaning: If you make sense of something, you manage to understand something that appears complicated or incomprehensible. “I couldn’t make sense of the instructions.”

Miss the point

Meaning: If you miss the point, you fail to understand the essential part of what has been said. “Sam missed the point. It’s not the job that’s a problem; it’s the amount of work it involves for one person.”

Not miss a trick

Meaning: 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!”

Not playing with a full deck (of cards)

Meaning: Someone who is not playing with a full deck lacks intelligence or does not have full mental abilities.

“Old Mrs.Whitehead was not playing with a full deck when she bought that fancy lawnmower!”

More money than sense

Meaning: 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!”

No-brainer

Meaning: A decision or choice that requires

little or no thought, because the best option is so obvious, is called a no-brainer. “The choice was between a cash refund or having the amount credited to my account – it was a no-brainer! – I took the cash!

Non-sequitur

Meaning: This Latin term refers to a statement which does not seem to be a logical follow-up to the previous statement or argument. “After announcing the merger, the chairman began talking about global warming which seemed a complete non sequitur.”

One step ahead

Meaning: When you are one step ahead of someone else, you manage to achieve something faster than they do, or you have a slight advantage over them. “The company is successful because they’re always one step ahead of their competitors.”

One-track mind

Meaning: 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

Meaning: 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

Meaning: 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

Meaning: 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

Meaning: 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

Meaning: 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

Meaning: 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!”

Sharp cookie

Meaning: Someone who is not easily deceived or fooled is a sharp cookie. “You can’t fool my grandmother. She’s a sharp cookie!”

Sharp as a tack

Meaning: A person who is as sharp as a tack is able to think quickly and learn very fast. “You won’t have to explain it to him twice. He’s as sharp as a tack.”