The document provides definitions and examples for common English idioms and phrases. It defines phrases such as "everything's coming up roses" which means everything is going well, and "let the cat out of the bag" which means revealing a secret. Each entry includes the meaning and one or two examples of use for each idiom or phrase. In total, over 20 common English sayings and their meanings are defined and exemplified in the document.

1. Everything is coming up roses
Meaning: you can say "everything's
coming up roses" if everything is
turning out very well for someone or
for something.
For example:
Everything's coming up roses this year.
Our business is doing well, our son
Brett got into college, and Josie's had
her first baby - so we're grandparents
as well!

2. Lightning never strikes twice in
the same place
Meaning: the same misfortune or
bad luck will not happen again to
the same person. This saying is
often shortened, with the same
meaning, to: "Lightning never
strikes twice."
For example: My friend has just had a
bad luck, so I decided to console him:
Lightning never strikes twice.

3. let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: If you let the cat out of
the bag, you let someone know
a secret.
For example: We'd planned a surprise
party for Donna, but some guy she
works with let the cat out of the bag, so
now she knows.
Don't forget that this is a secret, so
whatever you do, don't let the cat out of
the bag.

4. a one-track mind
Meaning: If someone has a one-
track mind, they spend most of
their time thinking about one
subject.
For example: Brian's had a one-track
mind since he started his own company.
All he thinks about now is business and
making money

5. (your) heart isn't in it
Meaning: If your heart isn't in
something you're doing, you
don't really want to do it.
For example: Ali was studying to be a
doctor, but his heart wasn't in it so he
decided to follow his real dream and
study film-making instead.
We could tell that Sally's heart wasn't in
it when she tried singing jazz, so we said
she should stick to pop songs.

6. back-of-the-envelope calculations
Meaning: quick calculations;
estimates using approximate
numbers, instead of exact
numbers
For example: I don't need the
exact numbers right now. Just give
me some back-of-the-envelope
calculations.

7. up to your neck / up to your eyeballs
Meaning: If you're up to your
neck in something, or up to
your eyeballs in something,
you've got too much of it and
it's become a problem.
For example:
I'm up to my neck in emails and I
don't think I can get away at the

8. virgin territory
Meaning: You can say something
is virgin territory if it's never been
explored before or never been
done before.
For example: The internet was still virgin
territory when we made our first websites.
Our company has designed many products
for other companies, but producing them
and marketing them ourselves is virgin
territory for us.

9. give the green light
Meaning: If you give something the
green light, you give permission
for it to be done, or allow it to
happen.
For example: The government has given the
green light to our tree-planting project, so
we can go ahead and start organizing
things.
As soon as our CEO (Chief Executive
Officer) gives the new product the green
light, we'll start planning production.

10. nothing to write home about
Meaning: If you say something is
nothing to write home about, you
mean it isn't very important or it
isn't very good.
For example: We saw a movie today and it
was nothing to write home about. It was just
a typical action movie.
Helen said her date with the guy she met
online was nothing to write home about, and
she probably wouldn't see him again.

11. have your hands full
Meaning: If you have your hands
full, you're busy.
For example: I'd love to teach you but I've
got my hands full at the moment and I can't
take on any more students just now.
Marianne has her hands full raising her
kids, so she won't be working again until
they're all in school.

12. call it a day
Meaning: If you call it a day, you
stop doing something that's
usually related to work.
For example: We couldn't do any more work
because of the rain, so we called it a day
and went home.
After running a hotel for nearly thirty years,
we decided to call it a day and do
something else.

13. make ends meet
Meaning: If you make ends meet,
you earn just enough to pay for a
place to live and your daily
expenses.
For example: My wife and I both have to
work full-time just to make ends meet these
days.
Does the government really think elderly
people can make ends meet on their
pensions?

14. ignorance is bliss
Meaning: You can say "ignorance is bliss"
when you want to say that not knowing
about something unpleasant can be better
than knowing about it and worrying about it.
For example: What's the point in knowing about
all these problems if we can't do anything about
them? Sometimes ignorance is bliss, you know.
I didn't go to the doctor at first because I was
thinking ignorance is bliss. But now I wish I'd
gone and had some treatment, of course.

15. dig your heels in
Meaning: If you dig your heels in, you
stubbornly resist something or refuse to
change.
For example: Even though the developer offered
them more than their houses were worth, the
owners dug their heels in and refused to sell up
and make way for the office block.
When their record company told the band to
change their style and make more commercial
music, the band dug their heels in and refused to
change.

16. grease someone's palm
Meaning: If you grease
someone's palm, you pay them
a bribe.
For example: The only way to get a government
contract around here is to grease someone's
palm.
If you want to get out of jail, grease the warden's
palm and the guards will let you escape.

17. get off on the wrong foot
Meaning: If you get off on the
wrong foot, you start
something poorly, or begin with
a mistake.
For example: I got off on the wrong foot in my new
job when I forgot to pass on an important
message to the boss.
Helen got off on the wrong foot in her
performance when she forgot the first few words
of the song.

18. get away from it all
Meaning: If you get away from it
all, you go somewhere to
escape from your usual daily
routine.
For example: Jerry looks stressed out. I think he
needs to get away from it all for a while.
We haven't had a holiday for months and we
really need to get away from it all.

19. face the music
Meaning: : If someone has to
face the music, they have to
accept the consequences of
doing something wrong.
For example: To avoid facing the music and accepting
his punishment for doing something bad, our little
boy will tell lies with the skill of a well-trained actor.
Henry stole some money and bought a car, and
when he realised he'd have to face the music he
drove across the border to escape.

20. kill time
Meaning: : You kill time when
you do something to amuse
yourself while waiting for
something.
For example: I had to kill time at the airport because of
the delay so I bought a book of crossword puzzles.
We kill time on long trips by playing this game in which
someone thinks of a country, and the next person has to
think of another country that starts with the last letter of
the first one, like Thailand, Denmark, Kenya,
Afghanistan, Nepal, and so on.

21. start from scratch
Meaning: : If you start from
scratch, you begin something from
the very beginning without using
anything else as a starting point.
For example: Our website is terrible, so we should
get rid of it altogether and start again from
scratch.
I was being interviewed for a radio show, but the
guy forgot to turn on the recorder. He realised
after about ten minutes, so we had to start again
from scratch.

22. a ray of sunshine
Meaning: : Something is a ray of
sunshine if it brings happiness to
someone.
For example: The birth of Debra's first grandchild
less than a year after her husband died came as
a much-needed ray of sunshine in her life.
After years of struggling to get established as a
writer, the publication of her first short story was
a ray of sunshine for Ruth.

23. all hell broke loose
Meaning: : You can say "all hell
broke loose" if a situation
suddenly became violent or
chaotic.
For example: I was walking through the station on
my way to work when I heard this huge
explosion, and then all hell broke loose.
Everything was fine in the club until someone
yelled, "Fire!" and then all hell broke loose as
people started running and screaming and
pushing each other.

24. quit while you're ahead
Meaning: : This phrase can be
used to express the idea that one
should stop doing something that's
rewarding but risky before
something bad happens.
For example: Michael Schumacher got a lot out of
car racing, and he was smart enough to quit
while he was ahead.
You've already made a good profit from the share
market, so why don't you sell your shares and
quit while you're ahead.

25. go down a treat
Meaning: If something goes down
a treat, it's a great success and
everyone enjoys it.
For example: The speech Lenny made at his
daughter's wedding went down a treat. Everyone
thought it was very funny but also very moving.
Geraldine made some pancakes for breakfast
and they went down a treat. They were really
delicious.

26. a sight for sore eyes
Meaning: If something or someone
is a sight for sore eyes, you are
glad to see them.
For example: It's been raining here for a week, so
it sure was a sight for sore eyes when we saw
the sun this morning.
Hey, Ozzie! You're a sight for sore eyes, man.
Haven't seen you for ages.

27. chew the fat | chew the rag
Meaning: If you chew the fat, or
chew the rag, you have a long,
friendly chat with someone.
For example: I sometimes call Wendy late at night
and we chew the fat for an hour or so before
going to sleep.
Why don't you come over on Sunday morning
and I'll make some breakfast and we can chew
the rag for a couple of hours?

28. once in a blue moon
Meaning: If something happens
once in a blue moon, it happens
very rarely.
For example: We hardly ever go out these days,
though once in a blue moon we might go and see
a movie.
My daughter lives in Brazil and she only comes to
see us once in a blue moon; maybe every two or
three years if we're lucky.

29. the rat race
Meaning: The rat race is the highly
competitive and stressful world of
work and business.
For example: Sally is sick of the rat race. She's
going to quit her job in London and move to a
quiet village and open a small cafe.
My uncle says that success in the rat race can
make you rich, but it can also turn you into a self-

30. once and for all
Meaning: If you do something once
and for all, you do it in a way that's
final and it means you'll never
have to do it again.
For example: Jim said he's decided once and for
all that he's going to stay single and never get
married again.
I was tired of getting new glasses every few
years so I decided to solve my eyesight problem