Pour money down the drain:
waste money
e.g. It’s better to declare bankruptcy, rather than
pouring money down the drain; nothing can revive the business.
Trump up: make up
something untrue
e.g. The
witness trumped up an excuse why he lied previously.
After all: in spite
of everything
e.g. She didn’t
get a good score; after all, it was her first attempt
Take one’s medicine:
accept misfortune or punishment that one deserves
e.g. I messed it up; it was all my fault. I’ll take
my medicine.
Late in life: in old
age
e.g. It was
only late in life that he became a famous writer.
Poke one’s
nose into something: interfere with
e.g. I don’t like
the way you poke your nose into my affairs.
Run in the
family: a characteristic in all members of a family
e.g.
Longevity runs in the family: they all live to a ripe old age.
Above all: most
importantly
e.g. Above
all, you must have a valid visa if you wish to continue to stay in
the United States
Have it
coming: deserve what one gets
e.g. Failure was
unavoidable. What you did had it coming.
A little
bird told me: somehow I knew
e.g. “How did you
know what I did?” “Well, a little bird told me.”
Tie up: engage
or occupy in doing something
e.g. He was tied
up at the meeting, and could not come to the phone.
Push someone to the wall:
force someone into a difficult or defensive position
e.g. Don’t push him to the wall! He might
even kill you!
All at sea: confused
e.g. The lawyer
was all at sea when he read the two conflicting reports of the
incident.
Actions speak louder than words: do something about
it, not just talking about it
e.g. Show me what you have done! Actions speak louder than words.
Add insult to injury: make things worse
e.g. Enough is enough! Don’t add insult to injury.
Presence of mind:
clarity of thinking
e.g. Without presence of mind, it is
impossible to handle one crisis after another.
As flat as
a pancake: very flat
e.g. You left
front wheel tires is as flat as a pancake.
Stephen
Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
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