Idioms Phrases questions from the GrammarBrain community.
Hi everyone, I was chatting with my friend about making a decision, and she said, "Stop sitting on the fence!" I wasn't sure what she meant, so I wanted to ask…
Today at work, I walked into the break room just as my coworkers were talking about me, and one of them said, 'Speak of the devil!' I was surprised and a bit c…
During a work meeting this morning, my manager said, "But take those numbers with a grain of salt." I understood that he was being cautious, but I'm not sure w…
I'm writing an email to my friend about a difficult week at my job. My manager has been piling on extra work, and today she gave me another project with no war…
Today in a work meeting, my manager said, "It can be hard to wrap your head around all these new policies." I was a bit confused because I hadn't heard this ph…
I recently heard my colleague say, "Looks like we're back to square one with this project," after our presentation was rejected. I'm not sure I fully understan…
I was writing an email to my colleague about a project issue, and I wanted to say that someone was blaming the wrong person. I thought about using the phrase '…
Hi everyone, I recently heard the phrase 'bend over backward' in a meeting at work. My colleague said, 'Our manager really bends over backward to support the t…
I often hear people say they need to 'blow off steam' after a long day, but I'm not sure exactly what it means or how to use it in everyday conversation. For e…
I was backstage at my friend's school play, and just before she went on stage, someone told her, "Break a leg!" At first I thought it sounded a bit harsh, but …
I was watching an American TV show and one of the characters said they made it 'by the skin of their teeth.' I think it means almost not making it, but I'm not…
Today at my new job, I heard a coworker say, "There's no use crying over spilled milk" when someone made a mistake. I think I get the general idea, but I'm not…
Last night I was watching a movie, and one of the characters told someone, 'Don’t judge a book by its cover.' I think I understand the general idea, but I'm no…
I'm writing a letter to my friend who recently lost his job, and I wanted to include a comforting phrase. I remembered the saying 'every cloud has a silver lin…
I'm writing a story where one of the characters cancels her wedding just a few days before the ceremony. I remember hearing the phrase 'get cold feet,' but I'm…
Hi everyone, Today at work, I was talking with a coworker who was late to a meeting. I wanted to tell my manager that maybe we should give him the benefit of t…
I'm writing a thank you email to a coworker who really helped me out with a project. I want to express that she did more than what was required, so I thought a…
Yesterday at the office, my colleague told me, “I’m in hot water with the boss after missing that deadline.” I’ve never heard this phrase before and was a bit …
I was chatting with a coworker about a disagreement between two colleagues, and I wanted to express that both people were responsible for the situation. I trie…
I heard my coworker say that our manager 'jumped the gun' by sending out the report before it was finished. I haven't heard this phrase used much before, and I…