IDIOMS

In the red- The business is not making any profit and so is losing money.

Sentence- The business is in the red as they expanded too quickly and their overheads are too high.

Read between the lines-To understand something that may not be entirely clear.

Sentence- Read between the lines, work out what is not being said at the meeting and sort out the problem.

Uphill battle- There are many obstacles to sort out before we achieve what we want.

Sentence- There is an uphill battle to win the contract.

No time to lose- Something must be finished very soon

Sentence- He has no time to lose as his project is due in first thing tomorrow morning.

Word and mouth– News which spreads very fast as people tell other people the same news.

Sentence- The news spread by word and mouth that the new hotel was very successful.

Throw in the towel– To give up, leave or quit.

Sentence- He threw in the towel and left his job as he was unhappy.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder— Being away for a while from someone or something makes you miss/appreciate that person or situation.

Sentence- Absence made his heart grow fonder and he realised he missed her terribly.

A watch pot never boils– A situation or event can take far longer than expected. Don’t keep watching for developments.

Sentence- A watch pot never boils when you are waiting for something to cook more quickly.

Better late than never– It is better to finish something no matter how long it takes to do.

Sentence- He finally finished the paper. Better late than never as it was due last month.

Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.-Finish what needs to be finished today rather than tomorrow.

Sentence- Don’t put off until tomorrow – finish the project today.

Good things come to those who wait-Be patient. Good will come out of the situation.

Sentence- Good things come to those who wait. Your promotion will come soon.

Birds of a feather– People who are like minded often spend more time together.

Sentence-Those two are birds of a feather. No wonder they meet so often.

There is no time like the present– Do what you want to do now. Do not put off until tomorrow.

Sentence- There is no time like the present. You need to finish your project and you have the time to finish it now.

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it– If something is already or still working, leave it as it is as it is still working.

Sentence- If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, the car still works so do not buy a new one.

There is no such thing as a free lunch– Everything has a hidden cost.

Sentence- There is no such thing as a free lunch. He wants you to invest in his Company.

Practice makes perfect– Keep practising and you will become better at it.

Sentence- You will become a great tennis player. Practice makes perfect.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do– When you are doing something new, act like others do in that situation.

Sentence- Try eating English food when in England. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Laughter is the spice of life, laugh on (also known as laughter is the best medicine)– Laughing can help us get through a difficult time in our lives.

Sentence- Laughter is the spice of life, laugh on and we will help cheer you up.

Don’t judge a book by its cover– Do not be quick to judge a person or a book – you might like the person more than you think you will/you may enjoy the book more than you expected.

Sentence- Don’t judge a book by its cover. The book is excellent and I recommend that you try reading it again.