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at fault

- to be responsible for something, to be to blame for something
The truck driver was at fault for the terrible accident.

at first

- at the beginning
At first, I did not want to go to the movie but I later changed my mind.

at first blush

- when first seen, without careful study
At first blush the man seemed like a good worker but later he had many problems.

at hand

- within reach, nearby
I stopped working because I did not have any tools at hand.

at heart

- basically, fundamentally
The woman is a nice person at heart although many people dislike her.

at home

- in one`s house

at loggerheads (with someone)

- to be having a quarrel or disagreement with someone, to oppose someone
We are at loggerheads with the company over their plans to build a new factory.

at loose ends

- restless and unsettled
My friend's mother was at loose ends after her husband died.

at odds (with someone)

- in disagreement with someone
The man has been at odds with his boss over his new sales territory. [email protected] 23

at once

- immediately
The police came at once after we called them.

at one sitting

- at one time
We finished the food at one sitting.

at peace


We were at sixes and sevens when the local grocery store closed.

at (someone`s) beck and call

- to be always ready to serve someone or do something for someone
The woman is always at her husband's beck and call.

at (someone's) earliest convenience

- when something is convenient for someone
I plan to speak to the bank manager at his earliest convenience.

at (someone's) service

- ready to help someone in any way possible
A member of the hotel staff was at our service during our visit.

at stake

- to be able to be won or lost, to be at risk
Much money was at stake during the negotiations for the new stadium.

at the appointed hour/time

- at the time that has been decided
We went to meet the lawyer at the appointed time.

at the bottom of the hour

- at the half hour - 10:30, 11:30 etc. (like the bottom of a clock)

at the end of the day

- when everything else has been taken into consideration
At the end of the day, it was impossible to get the money to build the house.

at the expense of (someone or something)

- to be to the harm of (someone or something)
The man was very successful but it was at the expense of his family and health. [email protected] 26

at the latest

- no later than
The tour will start at noon at the latest.

at the outset

- from the first or early stage
At the outset of the meeting there were problems between some members of the
group.

at the present time

- now, at present
At the present time there are no extra helpers available.

at the top of one's lungs

The little boy was able to do what he wanted at will.

.
attend to (someone or something)

- to take care or deal with someone or something
The doctor attended to the patient.

attract (someone's) attention

- to cause someone to notice you
The strange behavior of the man attracted the policeman's attention.

augur well for (someone or something)

- to predict good things for someone or something
The poor business conditions do not augur well for the workers.

avail oneself of (something)

- to use something that is available
We availed ourselves of the office space to prepare for the school festival.

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B back Idioms back and forth

- backwards and forwards, first one way and then the other way
The argument went back and forth before the judge made a decision.

back down (from someone or something)

- to fail to carry through on a threat to do something
The government backed down from their plan to sell the national airline.

back in circulation

- to be available to the public again (a library book)
The books were back in circulation after we returned them to the library.

back in circulation

- to be socially active again (after the breakup of a relationship between two people)
My friend stopped seeing his girlfriend and he is now back in circulation.

back of beyond

back-to-back

- something follows immediately after something else, two people touching backs
There were two back-to-back games today because of the rain last week.

back to square one

- to go back to the beginning of something
The city was back to square one in their effort to build a new bridge.

back to the drawing board

- to go back and start a project or idea from the beginning
The boss does not like our idea so we must go back to the drawing board.