Useful Idioms – part 36
Play one’s cards right/well = behave in the right way to achieve what you want ; make the best use of one’s assets and opportunities. You have a chance of success if you play your cards right. she didn’t play her cards well , and she ended up with something less than what she wanted. Put/lay one’s cards on the table = tell someone honestly what one thinks or what one plans to do . He has been very frank and he has put his…
Useful Idioms – part 35
Off one’s own bat = on one’s own initiative; without being asked to do by anyone else. Whatever she did she did off her own bat. No one asked him to help; he did it off his own bat. Rozanne didn’t wait for her parents to tell her to take out the garbage. She did it off her own bat. Play ball = co-operate in order to achieve something ( usually used in negative context) Because he refused to play ball with these criminals, he…
Useful Idioms – part 34
Start the ball rolling =start an activity and encourage others to join in. I decided to start the ball rolling and got up to dance. To start the ball rolling , the government was asked to contribute a million dollars to the fund. I would like you each to tell us why you have decided to do a creative writing course; Marie, would you start the ball rolling, please? The ball is in your court = It is your responsibility now; it’s up to you. …
Useful idioms – part 33
The green belt = an area of land with fields or parks around a town or city, where people are not allowed to build houses or factories by law. The green belt has a valuable role in stopping urban sprawl and providing a green lung around towns and cities. The green belt and open spaces in our urban and suburban areas must be preserved at all cost for reasons too many to list. White collar worker = a person who performs professional, managerial or administrative…
Useful Idioms – part 32
Green with envy = very envious or jealous. Renz is heading off to Dubai for a week, and I am green with envy. Singapore’s economy turned the world green with envy. Get green fingers or have green thumb = be good at gardening or planting seedlings. My mother has got green fingers. Everything she plants in the garden grows well. My husband has green thumb. His sister can keep any plant alive, even the ones that he’s nearly killed; she seriously has green fingers. Green…