New Phrases Flashcards
1
Q
gravy train
gravy train
A
used to refer to a situation in which someone can make a lot of money for very little effort
– come to Hollywood and get on the gravy train.
2
Q
A camel is a horse designed by a committee’
A
An analogy can extend to both group decision-making as well as abstract or unrelated managerialism — by emphasising the weaknesses of incorporating too many conflicting and inexperienced opinions into a single project. The distinguishing features of a camel, including its humps, plate-shaped feet, habitual spitting, strange shape and poor temperament, are treated as the sort of deformities that typify a conflicted, or overly idealistic, design process.
3
Q
a chip off the old block
A
someone who resembles their parent in character or appearance
– She smiled at Jimmy, a chip off the old block with his grey eyes and a bit of his dad’s twinkle.
4
Q
a chip on one’s shoulder
A
• an ingrained feeling of resentment deriving from a sense of inferiority and sometimes marked by aggressive behaviour:
– I had a dirty great chip on my shoulder—I thought everybody was against me. [from an old custom of placing a chip of wood on one’s shoulder as a challenge to a rival: if the rival knocked the chip off they were agreeing to fight.]
– I have a chip on my shoulder (I feel I’m not good enough, I feel inferior)
5
Q
a dime a dozen
A
very common and of no particular value:
– Experts in this field are a dime a dozen.
6
Q
a glutton for punishment
A
a person who is always eager to undertake hard or unpleasant tasks.
7
Q
A spanner in the works
A
A person or thing that prevents the successful implementation of a plan:
Even the weakest parties can throw a spanner in the works of the negotiations.
My comments are not meant to be a spanner in the works, but honestly with a good intention to help you improve.
8
Q
a walk in the park
A
• something that is very easy to accomplish:
As any director will tell you, doing Shakespeare isn’t a walk in the park.
9
Q
adroit
A
• clever or skilful:
– He was adroit at tax avoidance.
adroitly
10
Q
all hat and no cattle
A
tend to talk boastfully without acting on one’s words:
– In my view, the Senators are all mouth and no action or, as we say in my part of the country, all hat and no cattle.
11
Q
astringent
A
• causing the contraction of skin cells and other body tissues: an astringent skin lotion.
• sharp or severe in manner or style:
– Her astringent words had their effect.
• (of taste or smell) sharp or bitter:
– An astringent smell of rotting apples.
12
Q
back of the envelope
A
• used in reference to calculations or plans of the most sketchy kind:
– A proposal drawn up on the back of an envelope.
– A simple back-of-the-envelope calculation to present at the first meeting.
13
Q
baller
A
• a successful person, typically one who has a lavish or self-indulgent lifestyle:
– Who doesn’t feel like a baller sipping whiskey out of a personalised glass?
– A baller like Michael Jackson.
14
Q
bandwidth
A
the energy or mental capacity required to deal with a situation:
He lives alone, and says he doesn’t have the bandwidth to handle a steady relationship.
15
Q
baptism of fire
A
a difficult introduction to a new job or activity
– the summer tour to Australia was truly a baptism of fire.
– When the mentor who can nurture him suffers a stroke, a New York adolescent experiences a wild baptism by fire and misguided journey into manhood.
16
Q
be at the top of one’s game informal
A
• be performing as well as one can:
– This film is the work of a director at the top of his game.
– To keep you at the top of the game, I will prepare a daily training program for you.
17
Q
beachhead market
A
• a tight market segment of ideal target customers for a new product.
– Marketers may build a beachhead market based on a specific demographic or a subset of customers interested in a similar product.
18
Q
bee in one’s bonnet
A
• be preoccupied or obsessed with something:
– The country gets a bee in its bonnet about some failing in schools.
– I used to have a bee in my bonnet about working remotely during lockdown.
19
Q
below the belt
A
• disregarding the rules; unfair:
– She said one of them had to work; Eddie thought that was below the belt. [from the notion of an unfair and illegal blow in boxing.]
– Below the belt suggestion to his colleagues to work while he goes for a holiday.
20
Q
below the belt
A
• disregarding the rules; unfair:
– She said one of them had to work; Eddie thought that was below the belt. [from the notion of an unfair and illegal blow in boxing.]
21
Q
bevy (plural – bevies)
A
1 a large group of people or things of a particular kind:
A bevy of big-name cameos will keep the adults entertained.
You can use Adobe Illustrator to create a bevy of funky shapes.
2 rare a group of roe deer, quails, or larks: a bevy of larks trill their carefree songs.
22
Q
big note
A
• display one’s wealth ostentatiously:
– I don’t want them to think I’m big-noting.
• (big-note oneself) exaggerate one’s importance or achievements:
– It was an attempt by a local businessman to big-note himself with the local MP.
– I don’t big-note my achievements, preferring to stay low key.
23
Q
bite the bullet
A
- decide to do something difficult or unpleasant that one has been putting off or hesitating over:
– Decisions have to be taken and as director you have got to bite the bullet. [from the old custom of giving wounded soldiers a bullet to bite on when undergoing surgery without anaesthetic.]
24
Q
bite the dust
A
• be killed:
– The baddies bite the dust with lead in their bellies.
• fail or come to an end:
– She hoped the new course would not bite the dust for lack of funding.
– The controversial idea of discriminating women had to bite the dust due to public outcry.
25
black swan
• an unpredictable or unforeseen event, typically one with extreme consequences:
– Geopolitical black swan events, such as the Arab Spring and the Japanese earthquake, have further complicated the market dynamics.
• archaic something extremely rare:
– Husbands without faults, if such black swans there be.
26
blase
• unimpressed with or indifferent to something because one has experienced or seen it so often before:
– She was becoming quite blasé about the dangers.
27
blue ribbon
1 of the highest quality; first-class: blue-ribbon service.
2 (of a jury or committee) specially selected.
28
cadence
• a modulation or inflection of the voice:
– The measured cadences that he employed in the Senate.
– We need to set a consistent cadence for the meeting.
• a rhythmical effect in written text:
– The dry cadences of the essay.
29
catch 22
• a dilemma or difficult circumstance from which there is no escape because of mutually conflicting or dependent conditions:
– A catch-22 situation.
– The catch-22 is people cannot change their job titles to fit their roles on resume.
– This is a catch-22 situation – depends on your finances, if you have money, awesome. If not, you've to slog hard to make ends meet.
30
catch one's drift
• the general intention or meaning of an argument or someone's remarks:
– Maybe I'm too close to the forest to see the trees, if you catch my drift
– He didn't understand much Greek, but he got her drift.
31
caveat emptor
the principle that the buyer alone is responsible for checking the quality and suitability of goods before a purchase is made:
– Caveat emptor still applies when you are buying your house.
– Please exercise wise caveat emptor when buying online!
32
chasm
a profound difference between people, viewpoints, feelings, etc.
"The chasm between rich and poor"
33
chew the fat
• chat in a leisurely and prolonged way:
– We were chewing the fat, telling stories about the old days. (BLOW WATER)
34
christen
1 give (a baby) a Christian name at baptism as a sign of admission to a Christian Church: [with object and complement] :
Their second daughter was christened Jeanette.
• give a name to (someone or something) which reflects a notable characteristic: [with object and complement] :
We have christened our regular train home the ghost train.
2 informal use for the first time:
He bought a new pair of boots and christened them with his first goal at the McAlpine Stadium.
35
circumspect
• wary and unwilling to take risks:
– The officials were very circumspect in their statements.
– Sally circumspectly completed her appraisal.
• circumspection:
– Circumspection is required in the day-to-day exercise of administrative powers.
36
comeuppance
a punishment or fate that someone deserves:
– He got his comeuppance in the end.
– The hooligans get comeuppance after they were arrested.
37
confabulate
• formal engage in conversation; talk:
– She could be heard on the telephone confabulating with someone.
• fabricate imaginary experiences as compensation for loss of memory:
– She has lapses in attention and concentration—she may be confabulating a little.
38
credulity
• a tendency to be too ready to believe that something is real or true:
– Moneylenders prey upon their credulity and inexperience.
– Credulity hampers user research when we tend to fall on assumptions.
39
crosshairs
a pair of fine wires crossing at right angles at the focus of an optical instrument or gunsight, for use in positioning, aiming, or measuring:
• I raised the rifle and got the deer in the cross hairs.
• Sally's intention to help abused women lands her in the crosshairs of an evil stalker.
40
decouple
Separate, disengage, or dissociate (something) from something else:
The mountings effectively decouple movements of the engine from those of the wheels.
Make the interaction between (electrical components) so weak that there is little transfer of energy between them, especially to remove unwanted AC distortion or oscillations in circuits with a common power supply.
41
deer caught in the headlights
* to be so frightened or surprised that you cannot move or think:
– Each time they asked him a question he was like a deer caught in the headlights.
42
delta
a difference between two things or values.
"There's a delta between perception and reality"
A yawning delta in how students interpret learning motivation.
43
design by committee
Design by committee is a pejorative term for a project that has many designers involved but no unifying plan or vision.
44
dogmatism
• the tendency to lay down principles as undeniably true, without consideration of evidence or the opinions of others, opinionatedness:
– A culture of dogmatism and fanaticism.
– He avoided dogmatism and presented his subject as one open to debate
45
dollars to doughnuts
• used to emphasise one's certainty:
– I'd bet dollars to doughnuts he's a medical student.
46
double down
* double a bet after seeing one's initial cards, with the requirement that one additional card be drawn:
– The amount only increases when you choose to split or double down
– He doubled down on a pair and lost.
* strengthen one's commitment to a particular strategy or course of action, typically one that is potentially risky:
– He decided to double down and escalate the war
– The third quarter of the year saw central banks doubling down on the quantitative easing approach.
– Seeing students getting demotivated, I doubled down on running more rigorous activities in class.
– Double down your effort to build confidence in this lockdown.
47
double whammy
• a twofold blow or setback:
– A double whammy of taxation and price increases.
48
dour
• relentlessly severe, stern, or gloomy in manner or appearance:
– A hard, dour, humourless fanatic.
49
ebb and flow = wax and wane
• a recurrent pattern of coming and going or decline and regrowth:
– The ebb and flow of state politics and power.
50
edify
edification
edify:
Instruct or improve (someone) morally or intellectually:
1. Rachel had edified their childhood with frequent readings from Belloc.
2. The self-check exercise was conducted to edify teaching staff on their own extent of designing their teaching curricula.
edification:
The moral or intellectual instruction or improvement of someone:
1. A video was filmed for the edification of clients.
2. The quiz was an edification for lecturers to track and monitor their personal progress on the development program.
51
everything but the kitchen sink
• (humorous) everything imaginable.
– Everything bu the kitchen sink approach managing a new project.
52
exodus
A mass departure of people:
the annual exodus of sun-seeking Canadians to Florida.
53
faux pas
• an embarrassing or tactless act or remark in a social situation:
– ‘I was suddenly sick in the back of their car’—it was years before he could confess his faux pas to them.
– I'm so nervous to face a host of faux pas in my first internship.
54
fight or flight
* represents the choices our ancient ancestors had when faced with danger in their environment:
– To either fight or flee.
– The fight-or-flight response can happen in the face of imminent physical danger, such as when encountering a growling dog during your morning jog. It can also be the result of a psychological threat, such as preparing to give a big presentation at school or work.
55
first cab off the rank
the first to seize an opportunity
56
flipside
• the less important side of a pop single; the B-side.
• another aspect or version of something, especially its reverse or its unwanted concomitant:
– Our recent pessimism is the flip side of an exaggerated optimism.
57
foreboding
a feeling that something bad will happen; fearful apprehension:
With a sense of foreboding she read the note.
implying that something bad is going to happen:
When the Doctor spoke, his voice was dark and foreboding.
forebodingly
58
from the ground up
• completely or complete:
– They needed a rethink of their doctrine from the ground up.
– develop the curriculum from the ground up.
59
frontier
a line or border separating two countries: international crime knows no frontiers | France's frontier with Belgium | figurative : the frontier between thought and reality is confused | [as modifier] : an end to frontier controls.
• the extreme limit of settled land beyond which lies wilderness, especially in reference to the western US before Pacific settlement: his novel of the American frontier.
• the extreme limit of understanding or achievement in a particular area: the success of science in extending the frontiers of knowledge.
Setting a new frontier of teaching by researching new innovative ways of learning.
60
full monty
the full amount expected, desired, or possible:
When conducting a funeral he wears the full monty: frock coat, top hat and a Victorian cane.
• a striptease performance involving full nudity, especially by a man: the famous final scene where the characters do the full monty and strip naked.
61
giveaway
noun
1 a thing that is given free, often for promotional purposes: every issue is packed with competitions and great giveaways.
• American Football & Ice Hockey a loss of possession of the ball or puck to the opposing team: the Patriots have 16 takeaways and two giveaways during their five-game winning streak.
2 a thing that makes an inadvertent revelation: the shape of the parcel was a dead giveaway.
adjective [attributive]
1 free of charge: giveaway CDs.
• (of prices) very low: bread at giveaway prices.
2 inadvertently revealing something: small giveaway mannerisms.
62
graft
• transplant (living tissue) as a graft:
– They can graft a new hand on to the nerve ends.
• combine or integrate (an idea, system, etc.) with another, typically in a way considered inappropriate:
– Old values have been grafted on to a new economic class.
• bribery and other corrupt practices used to secure illicit advantages or gains in politics or business:
– Sweeping measures to curb official graft.
• hard work:
– Success came after years of hard graft.
– I need people prepared to go out and graft.
– It has taken us 15 years of graft to get the mayor's approval.
63
gravy train
• used to refer to a situation in which someone can make a lot of money for very little effort:
– Come to Hollywood and get on the gravy train.
– Government to end the university Chinese gravy train.
64
grease the grooves
A training principle used to increase neurological pathways, gain strength and improve your ability to do an exercise
65
groundhog day
• (in North America) 2 February, when the groundhog is said to come out of its hole at the end of hibernation. If the animal sees its shadow—i.e. if the weather is sunny—it goes back into its hole, which portends six weeks more of winter weather.
• a situation in which a series of unwelcome or tedious events appear to be recurring in exactly the same way:
– She lived an unrelenting Groundhog Day of laundry, shopping, and rearing us kids. [in reference to the 1993 film Groundhog Day, in which the central character finds himself repeatedly reliving the events of a particular Groundhog Day.]
– The concerns raised in 1990s are being repeated again, so if no research had occurred since, it's like groundhog day for those of us who pioneered online learning.
66
gut check
• an evaluation or test of a person's resolve, commitment, or priorities, typically with respect to a particular course of action:
– The gut check came when he found himself facing a tiebreaker in the third set | it was time for a gut check after all the professional advice.
67
hard hitting
• uncompromisingly direct and honest, especially in revealing unpalatable facts:
– A hard-hitting anti-fox-hunting poster.
– Hard-hitting revelation to clear his name.
68
hit home
Have the intended effect, make the intended impression, strike home, hit the mark, be registered, be understood, be comprehended, get through, sink in. ANTONYMS have no effect.
She could see that her remark had hit home
69
holy grail
• a thing which is eagerly pursued or sought after:
– The enterprise society where profit at any cost has become the holy grail.
70
hubris
• excessive pride or self-confidence:
– The self-assured hubris among economists was shaken in the late 1980s.
– Hubris as a researcher made her an unpopular figure in her organisation.
71
hunky dory = fine and dandy
• fine; going well:
– Everything is hunky-dory.
72
in a pickle
• a difficult situation:
– I am in a pickle when the economy crashed after global financial crisis.
73
in the throes of
* in the middle of doing or dealing with something very difficult or painful:
– A friend was in the throes of a divorce.
74
inordinate
• unusually or disproportionately large; excessive:
– The case had taken up an inordinate amount of time.
• archaic (of a person) unrestrained in feelings or behaviour.
75
jimdandy
* fine, outstanding, or excellent.
– He is a jimdandy of a soldier
* an excellent or notable person or thing.
– the bike was a jimdandy
76
julienne
• a portion of food cut into short, thin strips:
– A julienne of vegetables.
• cut (food) into short, thin strips:
– To julienne squashes, cut thin peelings into strips an eighth of an inch wide.
77
kids glove
• used in reference to careful and delicate treatment of a person or situation:
– The star is getting kid-glove treatment.
– No kids glove for criminals and should be severely dealt with.
78
lion's share
the biggest part of something
79
luck of the draw
• the outcome of chance rather than something one can control, fluke:
– Quality of care depends largely on the luck of the draw.
80
microcosm
a community, place, or situation regarded as encapsulating in miniature the characteristics of something much larger: the city is a microcosm of modern Malaysia.
humankind regarded as the representation in miniature of the universe: the belief in correspondences between the Universe and Man—between microcosm and macrocosm.
81
mince one's words
• voice one's disapproval candidly and directly, talk straight, not beat about the bush:
– His doctorly persona is that of a gruff surgeon who does not mince words.
82
mobilising
• make (something) movable or capable of movement:
– The physiotherapist might mobilise the patient's shoulder girdle.
– It's mobilising to attend an interview after stuck in anxiety.
83
move the goalposts
• unfairly alter the conditions or rules of a procedure during its course.
– The local council moved goalposts to accommodate small hawkers to solicit their votes in the upcoming elections.
84
naked
• exposed to harm; vulnerable:
– John looked naked and defenceless without his spectacles.
• (especially of feelings or behaviour) expressed openly; undisguised:
– Naked fear made him tremble
– The naked truth.
– To have a strong drive and naked ambition to excel is what makes successful businessmen.
85
nouveau riche
• people who have recently acquired wealth, typically those perceived as ostentatious or lacking in good taste:
– The long-term wealthy and the nouveau riche came flocking to Saint Laurent's show
– The nouveau riche of today buy leather covered volumes by the metre.
– The nouveau riche making a fuss while on touring.
86
obscurantism
• the practice of deliberately preventing the facts or full details of something from becoming known:
– Allegations in the Press about government obscurantism.
– In our department, we avoid obscurantism at all costs and advocate transparency and self-accountability.
87
on a whim
• a sudden desire or change of mind, especially one that is unusual or unexplained:
– She bought it on a whim.
– He appeared and disappeared at whim.
– On a whim, I took a research course during summer vacation.
88
open slather
Australian/NZ informal freedom to act without restriction; free rein:
You've got open slather here, lad—do what you like.
89
over the barrel
• in a helpless position; at someone's mercy:
– I like doing business with a man who knows he's over a barrel.
90
oversight
1 an unintentional failure to notice or do something:
He had simply missed Parsons out by an oversight | [mass noun] : was the mistake due to oversight?
2 [mass noun] the action of overseeing something:
Effective oversight of the financial reporting process.
91
participation trophies
A trophy given to children (usually) who participate in a recreational sport without requiring their success in competition:
– The consequences of the perceived participation trophy mentality to the Millennial generation can be detrimental to their growth.
92
pernicious
• having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way:
– The pernicious influences of the mass media.
93
pesky
causing trouble; annoying:
Apesky younger brother.
94
pompadour
• a woman's hairstyle in which the hair is turned back off the forehead in a roll:
– She combed her hair into a high, curly pompadour.
• a man's hairstyle in which the hair is combed back from the forehead without a parting:
– The matching pompadours of father and son.
• arrange (hair) in a pompadour:
– His powder-blue drape and pompadoured hair.
95
preposterous
contrary to reason or common sense; utterly absurd or ridiculous: a preposterous suggestion.
96
pull the wool over someone's eyes
• deceive someone by telling untruths.
– Trump tired effortlessly to pull the wool over the Americans' eyes through his popularity.
97
push the envelope (or the edge of the envelope)
• approach or extend the limits of what is possible:
– These are extremely witty and clever stories that consistently push the envelope of TV comedy.
98
put/throw a spanner in the works
• a person or thing that prevents the successful implementation of a plan:
– Even the weakest parties can throw a spanner in the works of the negotiations.
– The scandal has put a spanner in his political dream
– Throw a spanner in the works of the negotiations.
99
rabbit hole
1 a rabbit's burrow:
A heather-covered hillside full of rabbit holes.
2 used to refer to a bizarre, confusing, or nonsensical situation or environment, typically one from which it is difficult to extricate oneself:
He'll continue fear-mongering to promote his agenda no matter how far down the rabbit hole it takes him. [with allusion to Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865), which describes how Alice enters a land of magic and strange logic by falling down a rabbit hole.]
100
rain on someone's parade
• prevent someone from enjoying an event; spoil someone's plans.
101
rainbows and unicorns
* A wonderful (but often unrealistic) scenario:
– AI is not all rainbows and unicorns. There're bullying, shaming, inappropriate photos and others spreading in the digital world.
102
redact
• edit (text) for publication:
– A confidential memo which has been redacted from 25 pages to just one paragraph.
103
resonance
the quality in a sound of being deep, full, and reverberating: the resonance of his voice.
• the power to evoke enduring images, memories, and emotions: the concepts lose their emotional resonance.
Sorry... what you just said don't leave ay resonance in my experience travelling around Bali.
104
revolting
causing intense disgust; disgusting:
There was a revolting smell that lingered in the air.
Revolting sight of trash bins etc on the way home.
105
riddle
• a question or statement intentionally phrased so as to require ingenuity in ascertaining its answer or meaning: they started asking riddles and telling jokes.
• a person or thing that is difficult to understand or explain:
– The riddle of her death.
– Your resume is riddled with academic titles which you need to explain when asked.
• make many holes in (someone or something), especially with gunshot:
– His car was riddled by sniper fire.
• fill or permeate (someone or something), especially with something undesirable:
– The existing law is riddled with loopholes | her body was riddled with arthritis.
106
ride (on) the coattails of
benefit from the success of (another), sometimes undeservedly:
You can compete with me, but you can't do so by riding on my coat-tails.
107
round robin
• a tournament in which each competitor plays in turn against every other:
– A round-robin competition.
• a series or sequence:
– An inconclusive round robin of talks in Cairo, Washington, and New York.
– We started the meeting with a round robin, where everyone introduced themselves.
108
rubber meets the road
(US informal)
the point at which a theory or idea is put to a practical test:
The differences between effective and ineffective teachers show up where the rubber meets the road, in the brains of the students. [with reference to the informal use of rubber to refer to the tyres of a vehicle.]
After rigorous prototyping, I finally am confident to tell the committee that the rubber is ready to meet the road.
109
run the gauntlet
go through an intimidating or dangerous crowd or experience in order to reach a goal
– She had to run the gauntlet of male autograph seekers.
110
salad days
the period when one is young and inexperienced: the war seemed to be ending and so were my salad days.
• the peak or heyday of something: journey back to the salad days of the railways.
111
scorched earth
• a military strategy of burning or destroying crops or other resources that might be of use to an invading enemy force.
112
sea change
• a profound or notable transformation:
– Recent years have witnessed a sea change in the fortunes of car safety as a marketable quantity.
– A sea change in HK politics in recent years.
• (Australian) a significant change in lifestyle, especially a move from the city to a rural or seaside location:
– People are looking at sea changes for a better work-life balance.
113
second guess
• anticipate or predict (someone's actions or thoughts) by guesswork:
– He had to second-guess what the environmental regulations would be in five years' time.
– Second-guess if Alicia would be resistant to the policy changes.
• criticise (someone or something) with hindsight:
– No one should second-guess police officers whose lives are on the line.
114
shuffling/rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic
To do something pointless or insignificant that will soon be overtaken by events, or that contributes nothing to the solution of a current problem.
115
sing for one's supper
• earn a favour or benefit by providing a service in return:
– The cruise lecturers are academics singing for their supper.
116
sing from the same song sheet
• present a united front in public by not disagreeing with one another:
– They want the cabinet all singing from the same song sheet.
117
sing to a different tune
• change one's opinion about or attitude towards someone or something.
118
skip and jump
• a short distance:
– The restaurant was just a hop, skip, and a jump from our hotel.
– Building personas is a hop, skip, and jump to learning and understanding your users.
119
slavish
• servile or submissive:
– He noted the slavish, feudal respect they had for her.
• showing no attempt at originality:
– A slavish attempt of designing the logo.
120
sliding door moment
seemingly inconsequential moments that nonetheless alter the trajectory of future events.
– Princess Diana's last minute decision to make a trip to Paris changed the history of the British royal family.
121
smoke and mirrors
• the obscuring or embellishing of the truth of a situation with misleading or irrelevant information:
– The budget process is an exercise in smoke and mirrors. [with reference to illusion created by conjuring tricks.]
122
soft pedal
• refrain from emphasising the more unpleasant aspects of; play down:
– The administration's decision to soft-pedal the missile program.
– Emphasise your strengths and soft-pedal your lack of industry experience.
123
sound like a broken record
• used, especially in similes, to refer to a person's constant and annoying repetition of a particular statement or opinion:
– At the risk of sounding like a broken record, let me repeat: it will be difficult to do well in the exam without attending classes regularly
– I know I'm a broken record on this, but once again, they are lying about the deficit.
124
sounding board
• a person or group whose reactions to suggested ideas are used as a test of their validity or likely success before they are made public:
– Friends are sounding boards who let you know how far you can go.
• a channel through which ideas are disseminated:
– Neighbourhood councils provide a sounding board for local opinion.
– My students are my best sounding board to reflect and improve my teachings.
125
steal someone's thunder
• win praise for oneself by pre-empting someone else's attempt to impress.
126
stoicism
the endurance of pain or hardship without the display of feelings and without complaint.
Stoicism can help us resolve any mental health issues especially amongst millenials.
127
storm in a teacup
• great outrage or excitement about a trivial matter.
128
straight/ right off the bat
• at the very beginning; straight away:
– I managed to have a disagreement with him right off the bat.
129
taciturn
• (of a person) reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little:
– After such gatherings she would be taciturn and morose.
130
take up (or throw down) the gauntlet
accept (or issue) a challenge.
– He threw down the gauntlet to cabinet colleagues. [from the medieval custom of issuing a challenge by throwing one's gauntlet to the ground; whoever picked it up was deemed to have accepted the challenge.]
131
the penny dropped
• used to indicate that someone has finally realised something:
– I was about to ask Jack who it was, when the penny suddenly dropped.
– The penny dropped when I visited Canada to realise the difference between theory and concept.
132
the proof of the pudding is in the eating
• the real value of something can be judged only from practical experience or results and not from appearance or theory.
133
the whole nine yards
• everything possible or available:
– Send in the troops, aircraft, nuclear submarine experts, the whole nine yards.
– I read many books, attended meet-ups, sent out cold emails – the whole nine yards.
134
throe
• intense or violent pain and struggle, especially accompanying birth, death, or great change:
– He convulsed in his death throes.
– I shared the throes of my job search with friends.
in the middle of doing or dealing with something very difficult or painful:
– A friend was in the throes of a divorce.
135
throw in the towel
• abandon a struggle; admit defeat:
– There are times when the difficulties appear too great and we just throw in the towel.
136
throw shade
• publicly criticise or express contempt for someone:
– If she was really so above it all, she wouldn't have to throw shade
– They weren't the only people who threw shade at her performance.
137
throw someone a curveball
• unexpectedly present someone with a challenge or disruption:
– Just when you think things are working out, life throws you a curveball.
138
throw someone under the bus
• cause someone else to suffer in order to save oneself or gain personal advantage:
– The government is ready to throw rural voters under the bus.
– He is famed for throwing his staff under the bus.
139
tinfoil hat
• used in allusion to the belief that wearing a hat made from tinfoil will protect one against government surveillance or mind control by extraterrestrial beings:
– You don't need to be wearing a tinfoil hat to understand that your privacy might not be as private as you would think.
140
totem pole
* a hierarchy:
– Designers were very low on the totem pole.
141
trump card
A valuable resource that may be used, especially as a surprise, in order to gain an advantage:
In this month General Haig decided to play his trump card: the tank.
142
under the banner of
• as part of a specified group:
– The party is running under the banner of the Left-Wing Alliance.
• claiming to support a specified cause or principle:
– Campaigns fought under the banner of multiculturalism.
– He posed questions under the banner of "reflective creativity".
143
unfetter
not confined or restricted: his imagination is unfettered by the laws of logic.
144
uproarious
• characterised by or provoking loud noise or uproar:
– An uproarious party.
– Uproarious calls to politicise design as the driver of behavioural change.
• provoking loud laughter; very funny:
– Uproarious humour.
145
vexed
• (of a problem or issue) difficult and much debated; problematic:
– The vexed question of how much money the government is going to spend.
• annoyed, frustrated, or worried:
– I'm very vexed with you!
146
visceral
1 relating to the viscera: the visceral nervous system.
2 relating to deep inward feelings rather than to the intellect:
• The voters' visceral fear of change.
• The general population's dislikes of the minister was visceral
147
vox pop
popular opinion as represented by informal comments from members of the public, especially when broadcast or published: paragraphs of vox pop.
A vox pop that features students' experience undertaking the internship program...
148
what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander
what’s good for the goose is good for the gander
• what is appropriate in one case is also appropriate in the other case in question.
149
wind someone up
* British informal tease or irritate someone: – She's only winding me up.
* make tense or angry:
– He was clearly wound up and frantic about his daughter.
150
wrath
• extreme anger:
– He hid his pipe for fear of incurring his father's wrath.
– She felt the wrath of single plastic use.
151
yawning
(usually as adjective yawning) be wide open:
A yawning chasm.
152
yeoman service
• efficient or useful help in need:
– The minister has performed yeoman service for Mulroney.
– Faculty members and staff have given yeoman work/service when pandemic hit hard.
153
tipping point
* the point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause a larger, more important change.
154
jump the gun
* act before the proper or appropriate time:
– Victor really jumped the gun with his project proposal – he should have waited until the other proposal was either accepted or rejected.
155
drip feed
* provide gradually and in small amounts:
– Their correspondence is being drip-fed to newspapers.
– I will drip feed the learning materials as students progress through each stage of learning.
156
give someone/something a wide berth
* avoid, shun, keep away from, stay away from, steer clear of, keep at arm's length, fight shy of, have nothing to do with, have no truck with, have no dealings with, have no contact with, give something/someone a miss; eschew, dodge, sidestep, circumvent, skirt round.
