English Idioms (Advanced)

To make a wrong choice or pursue a false lead.

"If you think I stole your pen, you're barking up the wrong tree."

"Kalau kamu pikir aku yang mencuri pensilmu, kamu salah orang."

To avoid talking about what is important.

"Stop beating around the bush and answer my question directly."

"Jangan bertele-tele dan jawab pertanyaanku langsung."

To take on a task that is way too big.

"By taking four university classes and working full-time, he bit off more than he could chew."

"Dengan mengambil empat mata kuliah sekaligus sambil bekerja penuh waktu, dia mengambil beban melebihi kemampuannya."

To work late into the night.

"I had to burn the midnight oil to finish my essay on time."

"Aku harus begadang untuk menyelesaikan esaiku tepat waktu."

Facing a choice between two equally undesirable options.

"I'm caught between a rock and a hard place; I can either pay my rent late or skip buying groceries."

"Aku terpojok dalam situasi serba salah; aku bisa bayar sewa terlambat atau tidak belanja kebutuhan."

To deal with a problem only when it arises, not before.

"We might not have enough money for the trip, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Kita mungkin tidak punya cukup uang untuk perjalanan itu, tapi kita pikirkan saat masalahnya datang."

Don't rely on it until you're sure of it.

"She bought a car before getting the job. Don't count your chickens before they hatch!"

"Dia beli mobil sebelum dapat pekerjaan. Jangan menghitung hasil sebelum sesuatu benar-benar terjadi!"

To believe someone's statement without proof.

"He told me he was late because of traffic, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt."

"Dia bilang terlambat karena macet, jadi aku percaya saja."

To join a popular activity or trend.

"When organic food became popular, many supermarkets jumped on the bandwagon."

"Ketika makanan organik menjadi populer, banyak supermarket ikut-ikutan tren itu."

To accomplish two different things at the same time.

"I killed two birds with one stone by listening to an English podcast while jogging."

"Aku menggabungkan dua manfaat sekaligus dengan mendengarkan podcast bahasa Inggris sambil jogging."

To ignore a problem because trying to deal with it could cause an even more difficult situation.

"They finally stopped arguing, so it's best to let sleeping dogs lie."

"Mereka akhirnya berhenti bertengkar, jadi sebaiknya kita biarkan saja dan tidak mengungkitnya lagi."

To take the attention away from someone, usually to one's own advantage.

"My brother got engaged, but I didn't want to steal his thunder by announcing my pregnancy on the same day."

"Kakakku bertunangan, tapi aku tidak mau mengalihkan perhatiannya dengan mengumumkan kehamilanku di hari yang sama."

To not take something too seriously or to view it with skepticism.

"He exaggerates his stories, so take them with a grain of salt."

"Dia suka membesar-besarkan ceritanya, jadi jangan terlalu dipercaya."

To be loyal no matter what happens.

"My best friend stood by me through thick and thin during my illness."

"Sahabatku selalu ada untukku dalam keadaan apapun saat aku sakit."

A very small amount compared to the amount needed.

"Ten dollars is just a drop in the ocean compared to the thousands we need to buy a house."

"Sepuluh dolar hanyalah jumlah yang sangat kecil dibandingkan ribuan yang kita butuhkan untuk membeli rumah."

When you are mistreated the same way you mistreat others.

"Now you see how it feels to have someone ignore you; that's a taste of your own medicine."

"Sekarang kamu merasakan bagaimana rasanya diabaikan; itulah balasan atas perbuatanmu sendiri."

To worsen an unfavorable situation.

"First, the basement flooded, and then, to add insult to injury, a pipe burst in the kitchen."

"Pertama, basement banjir, lalu memperparah keadaan, pipa di dapur juga bocor."

When everyone is facing the same challenges.

"We can't be mad at each other; we're all in the same boat with these budget cuts."

"Kita tidak bisa saling menyalahkan; kita semua menghadapi pemangkasan anggaran yang sama."

To die, fail, or be defeated.

"My old washing machine finally bit the dust after 15 years."

"Mesin cuci lamaku akhirnya rusak setelah 15 tahun."

To do or say something that helps you get rid of strong feelings or energy.

"Call me any time you need to blow off steam."

"Hubungi aku kapan saja kalau kamu butuh meluapkan perasaan."

To initiate a conversation in a stiff or awkward situation.

"Someone suggested that we play a party game to break the ice."

"Ada yang menyarankan kita bermain permainan pesta untuk mencairkan suasana."

Strictly according to the rules.

"The lawyer does everything strictly by the book."

"Pengacara itu melakukan segalanya secara ketat sesuai aturan."

To ask for help when you don't really need it, so people don't believe you later.

"If you cry wolf too often, people will stop believing you."

"Kalau kamu terlalu sering meminta pertolongan tanpa perlu, orang-orang akan berhenti mempercayaimu."

To get directly to the point.

"I didn't have long to talk, so I cut to the chase and asked whether I got the job."

"Waktuku tidak banyak, jadi aku langsung ke intinya dan bertanya apakah aku dapat pekerjaannya."

To present a counter argument just to provoke discussion or test the strength of the original argument.

"I'll play devil's advocate and ask why this project is really necessary."

"Aku akan memainkan peran pihak yang menentang dan bertanya mengapa proyek ini benar-benar diperlukan."

To make someone extremely angry or annoyed.

"That loud music is driving me up the wall."

"Musik keras itu membuatku sangat frustrasi."

Every negative situation has the potential to result in or produce something positive or beneficial.

"I lost my job, but every cloud has a silver lining: I now have time to write my book."

"Aku kehilangan pekerjaan, tapi ada hikmahnya: aku kini punya waktu untuk menulis bukuku."

A person whose friendship cannot be relied on in times of difficulty.

"I thought she was my best friend, but she turned out to be a fair-weather friend when I got sick."

"Aku pikir dia sahabat terbaikku, tapi ternyata dia hanya teman yang ada saat keadaan baik-baik saja."

To behave in a very excited and uncontrolled way.

"The crowd went wild when the band came on stage."

"Penonton menjadi sangat antusias dan tidak terkendali saat band naik ke panggung."

Living a life full of excitement, danger, and money.

"He has been living in the fast lane since he won the lottery."

"Dia menjalani hidup yang penuh gaya dan keseruan sejak memenangkan lotre."

Used to say that you do not think that something is very difficult to do or to understand.

"My coach always said, "Basketball is not rocket science. It's about putting the ball in the basket.""

"Pelatihku selalu bilang, 'Basket bukan ilmu roket. Ini soal memasukkan bola ke dalam keranjang.'"

Happening or coming very soon.

"Christmas is just around the corner."

"Natal sudah mau tiba."

To pay attention to what is happening around you.

"Keep your ear to the ground so that you know when the manager is hiring."

"Perhatikan sekitarmu agar kamu tahu kapan manajer sedang membuka lowongan."

To leave someone in a difficult situation without any help.

"He left me high and dry by transferring to another department without telling anyone."

"Dia meninggalkanku dalam kesulitan dengan pindah ke departemen lain tanpa memberitahu siapapun."

To have just enough money to pay for the things that you need.

"It's hard to make ends meet with a minimum wage job."

"Susah untuk memenuhi kebutuhan sehari-hari hanya dengan gaji minimum."

Despite one's approach seeming random, there actually is structure to it.

"His desk looked like a disaster but there was method to his madness."

"Mejanya terlihat berantakan tapi sebenarnya ada sistem yang tersembunyi di baliknya."

From the knowledge you have in your memory.

"Off the top of my head, I'd say he's 30 years old."

"Dari perkiraanku saja, dia mungkin sekitar 30 tahun."

Having low priority.

"The project was put on the back burner because we had more urgent issues."

"Proyek itu ditunda karena ada masalah yang lebih mendesak."

Completely unexpected.

"One day, out of the blue, she announced that she was leaving."

"Suatu hari, tanpa diduga sama sekali, dia mengumumkan bahwa dia akan pergi."

To calm down and act normally.

"Stop crying and pull yourself together!"

"Berhenti menangis dan kendalikan dirimu!"

To risk everything on a single venture.

"I'm applying for several jobs because I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket."

"Aku melamar ke beberapa pekerjaan karena aku tidak mau mempertaruhkan semuanya pada satu pilihan saja."

To agree fully.

"My father and I don't see eye to eye on politics."

"Ayahku dan aku tidak selalu sepakat soal politik."

To help and protect someone who is younger or less experienced.

"The manager took the new employee under her wing."

"Manajer itu membimbing dan melindungi karyawan baru itu."

A small, noticeable part of a problem, the total size of which is really much greater.

"These small local protests are just the tip of the iceberg."

"Protes lokal kecil ini hanyalah sebagian kecil dari gambaran masalah yang sebenarnya jauh lebih besar."

To blame someone else to save yourself.

"I'm not going to throw my team under the bus just to protect my own reputation."

"Aku tidak akan menyalahkan timku hanya untuk melindungi reputasiku sendiri."

Secretly and illegally.

"He receives part of his salary under the table."

"Dia menerima sebagian gajinya secara tidak resmi."

Uncertain; subject to change.

"The future of the company is still up in the air."

"Masa depan perusahaan itu masih belum pasti."

Anything from the past that isn't significant or important anymore.

"We fought about it once, but that's water under the bridge now."

"Kita pernah bertengkar soal itu, tapi itu sudah berlalu dan tidak perlu dipermasalahkan lagi."

Something that will never happen.

"He'll pay me back when pigs fly."

"Dia akan mengembalikan uangku kalau ada keajaiban (tidak akan pernah)."

A foolish and hopeless pursuit of something unattainable.

"Finding his lost key on the beach was a wild goose chase."

"Mencari kunci yang hilang di pantai itu adalah pencarian yang sia-sia."