Academic idioms

As easy as ABC

If something is as easy as ABC, it is very easy.

  • The exam was as easy as ABC.

Back to basics

An approach that uses traditional methods that have been successful in the past

Bookworm

A bookworm is a person who reads a lot.

  • Susie is a bookworm. You will never see her without a book in her hand.

Brainstorm

To brainstorm is to think of new ideas.

  • Before you start writing, you have to brainstorm ideas for your essay.

Call the roll

To call the roll is to call the names of students on a roll to see if they are present in the classroom.

Catch up to (someone or something)

To catch up to somebody is to work hard to reach somebody who is ahead of you.

  • As I had missed several classes because of my illness, I had to work hard to catch up to the rest of my class.

Copycat

A copycat is a person who copies another person’s work.

  • Janet is a copycat. She always copies the answers of the student sitting next to her.

Count noses

To count noses is to count the number of people in a group.

Cover a lot of ground

To cover a lot of ground is to teach or learn a lot of material in a course.

  • We covered a lot of ground during last week.

Cow college

A cow college is a school where agriculture is taught.

  • He plans to go to a cow college after finishing high school.