C2 Vocabulary WPWord Play
Home›C2›Vocabulary›Advanced Idioms & Fixed Phrases
V2

Advanced Idioms & Fixed Phrases

CPE-level idioms · formal fixed phrases · proverbial expressions

Words 1–4

Cut corners
to do something the easy way, sacrificing quality or thoroughness
Move the goalposts
to change the rules or criteria during a process, making it harder to succeed
Paradigm shift
a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions in a field
Double-edged sword
something that has both advantages and disadvantages
Examples
The contractor cut corners to finish ahead of schedule, and the building was unsafe.
Every time we met their demands, they moved the goalposts.

Words 5–8

Vicious circle
a sequence of problems where each one makes the others worse
Watershed moment
a turning point that marks a fundamental change
Straw man argument
misrepresenting someone’s position to make it easier to attack
Red herring
something introduced to divert attention from the real issue
Examples
Poverty leads to poor education, which leads to more poverty — a vicious circle.
The moon landing was a watershed moment in human history.

Words 9–12

Foregone conclusion
a result that is certain or was decided before it began
Carte blanche
complete freedom to act however one wishes
Sine qua non
something absolutely essential; an indispensable condition
Zeitgeist
the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history
Examples
Given the evidence, the verdict was a foregone conclusion.
The board gave the new CEO carte blanche to restructure the company.
1 / 3
// Scroll first slide into view on load (function() { var dk = document.getElementById('slide-deck'); if (dk) setTimeout(function() { dk.scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'start' }); }, 150); })(); // ✓ badges on Practice / Game nav tabs (function() { try { var p = JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem('wordplay_progress') || '{}'); var lv = p['c2'] || {}; var ws = lv['advanced-idioms']; if (ws && ws.pct >= 70) { var pt = document.querySelector('.chapter-nav-btn[href="index.html"]'); if (pt) pt.textContent = 'Practice ✓'; } var gm = lv['wordplay_game_advanced-idioms']; if (gm && gm.pct >= 70) { var gt = document.querySelector('.chapter-nav-btn[href="game.html"]'); if (gt) gt.textContent = 'Game ✓'; } } catch(e) {} })(); (function(){ try{ var mastered = localStorage.getItem('wordplay_vocab_c2_advanced-idioms_mastered') === '1'; if(mastered){var ft=document.querySelector('.chapter-nav-btn[href="index.html"]');if(ft)ft.textContent='Flashcards ✓';} var p=JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem('wordplay_progress')||'{}'); var gm=(p['c2']||{})['wordplay_game_advanced-idioms']; if(gm&&gm.pct>=70){var gt=document.querySelector('.chapter-nav-btn[href="game.html"]');if(gt)gt.textContent='Game ✓';} }catch(e){} })();