Idioms Part 1/4

Idioms are sometimes hard to understand and use.
Check some here and their meanings.

A close call: a situation in which something had almost happened.

A far cry from something: very different; almost the opposite.

About to: on the point of doing something.

All along: all the time.

All of a sudden: something quickly; without advance warning

As a rule: usually; customarily.

As far as I'm concerned: in one's opinion.

As long as: because something else is happening at the same time.

As luck would have it: the way things happened.

At all: used with negative expressions to give emphasis.

Be behind the times: not to be up-to-date, modern in one's thinking.

Be bent on something: have a strong desire to do something.

Be better off: be better on a long-term basis.

Be broke: be without money.

Be hard on something: treat roughly.

Be in keeping with something: be appropriate.

Be in one's shoes: be in another person's position.

Be on the safe side: not to take any chances.

Be to blame: be responsible for something bad or unfortunate.

Be up to one's ears: have too much to do.

Be up to something: doing something that one shouldn't do.

Beat around the bush: speak indirectly; evasively.

Bend over backwards: try very hard; make a real effort.

Bite off more than one can chew: try to do more than one's able to; accept more responsibility than one can take care of.

Brush up on something: review something to make it fresh again in one's mind.

By all means:  definitely, certainly.

By heart: by memorizing.

Carry something out: fulfill; see that something is done.

Catch cold: to get a cold.

Catch one's breath: rest for a moment.

Come down with: become ill with.

Come near + Ving.: almost do something.

Come to the point: be definite, precise in telling something.

Come up with: suggest; contribute; introduce.

Cut corners: economize.

Do one's best: make the greatest effort that one can.

Do one's bit: fulfill one's responsibility to; help accomplish something.

Do without: live without something.

Draw the line: refuse beyond a certain point in doing something.

Eat one's words: admit one is wrong in something one has said.

Every now and then: occasionally.

Every other: alternate.

Feel up to: feel able (health or ability) to do something.

Few and far between: scarce; infrequent; rare.

First hand: without assistance from an intermediary; direct.

For good: forever, permanently.

For the time being: for the present time.

Frame of mind: mental state.

From now on: from this moment forward.