Idea

get across ideas

He’s really good speaker. He has that rare ability to get across complex ideas in the kind of language everybody can understand.

consider the idea

We’ve been considering that idea of moving to a smaller flat now that the children have left home. We’ve actually been toying with the idea for a year or so.

come up with ideas

The committee needs to come up with some ideas for raising funds for the new church. Does anybody have any good ideas?

reject the idea

She’s always rejected the idea of getting married. She says she prefers the freedom of being single.

sell the ideas

I think my proposal would help improve the company, but I’m having a lot of trouble selling the ideas to my boss. He’s not convinced that it would work.

go along with the idea

She’ll never go along with the idea, so it’s not worth mentioning it to her.

dead against the idea

I want to become a racing driver but my father is dead against the idea.

receptive to idea

She has an open mind and she is always receptive to new idea.

resistance to the idea

In the UK there is a lot of resistance to the idea of a common currency. Many people remain bitterly opposed to this idea.

be wild about the idea

I’m not wild about the idea of going to boarding school, but I have no choice in the matter.

be in favour of the idea

On the whole, I’m in favour of the idea.

> yes. We’re also sold on the idea. we think it can only improve the quality of the service.

be hostile to the idea

Some politicians were extremely hostile to the idea of giving free needles to drug addicts.

original ideas

The company is looking for a creative person with fresh and original ideas.

fixed ideas

You’ll never get my mother to change her mind on anything! She has very fixed ideas on almost every subject.

brilliant ideas

What a brilliant idea! Why didn’t I think of that! How do you always manage to come up with the bright ideas?

funny ideas

He’s got some strange ideas on bringing up kids.

>yes, Frank does have some funny ideas at times, doesn’t he?

fair idea

I think I’ve got a fair idea of what to do, but I’ll get back to you if I have any problems.

faintest idea

I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about. I don’t know anything about your missing bag!

vague idea

I wish they would tell me what I’m meant to be doing in more detail. At, the moment I only have a very vague idea what my job is.

half-backed ideas

I wish Terry would work out his ideas properly. He keeps coming up with half-baked ideas – which nobody takes seriously.

 

Notes

• In ‘I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about. I don’t know anything about your missing bag!’, ‘foggiest’ is also possible.
• ‘A rough idea’ is not precise.

Can you give me a rough idea of the cost involved?

• Note the verbs in the following expressions:

Don’t worry. You’ll soon get the idea how this program works. It’s very user-friendly.

Fiona is very enthusiastic and is always bursting with ideas.

I got the idea from an article in a magazine.

• Note these collocations using ‘have’:

You must have some idea of who did this!

I have no idea where Lucan has gone.

• Note the following expression:

Sitting in the rain watching two men hit a ball for hours is not my idea of fun.