Examples related to ‘ Used to’ (Be/get used to something.)
Our new boss is an American. When he came to India he found driving on the left difficult. Because. he wasn’t used to it. OR – he wasn’t used to driving on the left. He came to understand he had to practise it well before he could drive on road safely. After a lot of practice, driving on the left has become easy to him. Now he has got used to driving on the left. I was not used to the weather in London, so…
Be used to
After ‘ Be used to’ if a verb follows , ING has to be added to the verb. But , if it follows a Noun no change takes place. He is used to working hard . OR – he is used to hard work He was used to working hard. OR – he was used to hard work. I am used to getting up early.( i.e I don’t find any difficulty in getting up early and it is quite normal as far as I am…
Used to
This usage is highly useful to express actions that happened in the past, but no longer happen. He used to play cricket a lot but he doesn’t play very often now. A: Do you go to the cinema very often? B: Not now, but I used to. I used to travel a lot. But now-a-days I have no time to do so. Used to…..( for something that was true but is not true any more) . They used to be very rich, but after they…
Useful Idioms – part 47
As safe as houses = completely safe.( alludes to the paying character of house property as investment- an expression to satisfy a doubting person ” Oh it’s as safe as houses” I locked your jewellery in a drawer, so it ‘s as safe as houses. If you buy treasury bonds, your money will be as safe as houses. Bring home to someone = to make someone understand something much more clearly than they did before. When I saw for myself the damage that had been…
Useful Idioms – part 46
Be past/pass one’s sell-by date = If someone is past their sell-by date, that person is not wanted or considered useful any more because they are too old. There is plenty of time to have a baby. I am not past my sell-by date yet. The company is forcing my mother to retire because they think she’s past her sell-by date. That player is definitely past his sell-by date; he hasn’t had a good season in years. Be stuck in a rut = too fixed…
Useful Idioms – part 45
Leave a sour taste in one’s mouth = to leave a bad feeling or memory with someone.( a negative impression). The way they conducted the interview left a sour taste in my mouth. I don’t think I’d accept the job even if they offered it. I know Jim is your friend, but he was so rude at dinner; it just left a sour taste in my mouth. The way the waitress treated us left a sour taste in my mouth and I never went back.…
Useful Idioms – part 44
Chink in one’s armour = A minor but very detrimental flaw or weakness. Yeah, he’s brilliant, but his violent temper has destroyed many business relationships. It’s really the chink in his armour. Putting things off to the last minute is the chink in Mary’s armour and is bound to get her in trouble one day. Whet one’s appetite = to awaken a desire/ increase the feeling/stimulate appetite or desire; to sharpen the blade of( a tool or weapon). Cinemas use trailers to whet viewers’ appetite…
Useful Idioms – part 43
Be caught in the crossfire = be involved in an unpleasant situation in which people are arguing with each other, though you do not want to be involved. They say they are caught in the crossfire between the education establishment and the government. Burn one’s bridges (boats) = do something which makes it impossible to return to an earlier state. I think you really burned your bridges when you announced you were quitting and proceeded to insult your boss in front of the whole staff.…
Useful Idioms – part 42
Run around like headless chickens = to act frantically without control, with haste and in a careless/senseless manner – They are panicking when they should be thinking carefully. He ran around like a headless chicken after he missed his flight to the US. It is important to get everything organised for the meeting today so that we don’t end up running around like headless chickens. Instead of running around like a headless chicken, make a list of the things you need to finish and then…
Useful Idioms – part 41
Have butterflies in stomach = feel very nervous. I always have butterflies in my stomach just before an exam. As it was his first stage performance he had butterflies in his stomach. The law of the jungle = a situation in which there are no laws or rules to govern the way that people behave. A state of ruthless competition or self interest.( A system or mode of action in which the strongest survive, presumably as animals.) The recent price war among airlines was governed…