IDIOMS
The apple of one’s eye: Person or thing of whom one is extremely fond and proud.
Sentence – While my grandmother loved all of us very much, my younger brother was the apple of her eye.
Take someone aback: Shock, surprise or disconcert someone.
Sentence – He was somewhat taken aback by the news that the police intended to arrest him.
Back to the drawing board: Start again to devise a new plan from the beginning because the present plan or course of action has been unsuccessful.
Sentence – And so you have to go back to the drawing board and realize Bubble Sort or whatever it is you’re using just isn’t enough to snuff, I need to come up with something more clever.
Better the devil you know: It’s wiser to deal with an undesirable but familiar person or situation than to risk a change that might lead to a situation with worse difficulties or a person whose faults you have yet to discover.
Sentence – “I hesitated to call Mike after he had been so difficult last time, but better the devil you know.”
Have one’s cake and eat it: Enjoy the advantages of two mutually incompatible situations.
Sentence – My roommate thinks he can have his cake and it it too but I’m not sure his two girlfriends would agree if they knew about it.
Hold all the cards: Be in the strongest and most advantageous position.
Sentence – ‘There’s not much we can do. They seem to hold all the cards,’ said Dan gloomily.
Let the cat out of the bag: Reveal a secret, especially carelessly or by mistake.
Sentence – We tried to keep the party a surprise for my mother but my sister let the cat out of the bag.
Take it on the chin: Endure or accept misfortune courageously.
Sentence – We are all human – and sometimes you need to take it on the chin, look at it and move on. That is what we are doing.
When the chips are down: When one is in a very serious and difficult situation.
Sentence – The implication, they fear, is that when the chips are down it is only rational human beings that really matter.
Bring down the curtain on: Bring to an end.
Sentence – Management changes are under way that will finally bring down the curtain on Lord Forte’s extraordinary working life.
Run like the wind – To run very fast.
Sentence – We had to drive like the wind to get there in time.
Through thick and thin – Experiencing good and bad times.
Sentence – The old pull of party allegiance, support for your party through thick and thin, is fading.
Time is money – You say time is money when you want to describe the importance of working more efficiently.
Sentence – We’ve all heard the trite “time is money” catchphrase, but what relevance does it have in day to day life in terms of improving your financial situation?
Cutting corners – Trying to save money or time, by not performing duty or the given task.
Sentence – Farmers should not be tempted to risk their own lives, or those of others, by cutting corners.
Devil’s advocate – Offering an alternative viewpoint, taking the side of the counter-argument.
Sentence – Linda was willing to be a devil’s advocate on any subject she is interested in.
Feeling under the weather – When you feel under the weather, you do not feel well. Or you feel sick.
Sentence – Feeling under the weather may be a result of overindulgence.
Giving cold shoulder – To ignore someone.
Sentence – Something’s happened and I don’t know what it is, but he’s giving me the cold shoulder. He was upset to find his previously friendly colleagues giving him the cold shoulder.
