Vocabulary Progression: Useful Words
Click on the sub-link below to find an alphabetical, age appropriate list of useful words which will be explored in different tenses and word classes during Year 6.
Vocabulary Progression: Idioms
An idiom is a phrase or expression that typically presents a figurative or non-literal meaning to the phrase. Eg. "Piece of cake" is an expression for something that is very easy. The idioms we will focus on in Year 6 are:
Idiom | Meaning |
Argue the toss | You refuse to accept a decision. |
At the end of your tether | You’ve run out of patience. |
Backfoot | At a disadvantage. |
Between a rock and a hard place | Between two equally bad problems. |
Damp squib | Something that is expected to work well but doesn’t. |
Death warmed up | Someone who looks very ill. |
Economical with the truth | Leave out important information to create a false picture. |
… for England | If you do something, e.g. talk, for England, you do it a lot/well. |
Get into deep water | Get into trouble or a difficult situation. |
Give a run for one’s money | That they’re almost as good as someone else at something. |
In spades | A lot of something. |
It’s as broad as it is long | No real difference between two options. |
Let the dust settle | To wait for a situation to become calmer. |
Living hand to mouth | When you have hardly enough money/food to live on. |
Lose your touch | Stop being good at something. |
Make a mountain out of a molehill | Make a situation seem worse than it is. |
Make waves | Create an impression. |
Nip something in the bud | Stop something quickly before it develops. |
Quids in | Make a lot of money from something. |
Sail close to the wind | Behave in a way that is on the verge of being dangerous/improper. |
Slip through the cracks | Something that isn’t noticed. |
Spanner in the works | Ruin a plan. |
Stab someone in the back | Betray someone. |
Take the biscuit | The absolute limit. |
Wipe the floor with | Defeat someone easily. |
Wood for the trees | Getting caught up by small details so you don’t understand the big picture. |