A chip on your shoulder
This expression means that you’re upset or angry about something that happened previously.
Here’s how to use this phrase: “If he thought more about his future and less about who mistreated him in the past, he wouldn’t have such a chip on his shoulder.”
A taste of your own medicine
Recently, a famous financier admitted that he’s perpetrated a $50 billion fraud on his investors. As a result, some individuals have lost their life savings. Understandably, these victims are angry, and some even want to retaliate.
In such a situation, one of these investors might say, “This guy has hurt so many people and even charities. He deserves a taste of his own medicine.”
No doubt, such medicine would be bitter.
Blow off someone or something
If you blow off something—like studying for an exam—you won’t engage in an activity or pay attention to an idea. If you blow off someone, you ignore this individual because you don’t think that he or something he’s said is that important. In either case, by doing so, you may be impatient, even rude.
Here’s how you might use this phrase: “Hong thinks she knows everything there is to know about American culture. Consequently, she decided to blow off the lecture on key differences between American and Chinese cultures. I’m not sure that that was a wise move.”
Call one’s bluff
Let’s say a coworker tells you that your boss is dissatisfied with your performance and will soon fire you. Because you’ve had only positive annual reviews, you’re shocked by this comment. Therefore, you meet with your boss and learn that, in fact, he is happy with your work. By speaking with your supervisor, you not only learned the truth but also challenged your colleague’s empty threat. In other words, you called your coworker’s bluff.
Here’s how you might use this expression: “He told me that Nin doesn’t like me and, therefore, doesn’t want to date me. But, I asked Nin, and she said that she’d love to go out with me. Evidently, I called his bluff.”
Call off the dogs
If someone is criticizing or attacking you and you’ve had enough of this situation, you might tell this person to stop it. Another way of saying so would be to say that he or she should call off the dogs.
Here’s how you might use this expression: “The new Democratic president has been in office for less than a month. Even so, the Republicans are attacking his every move. There won’t be bipartisan cooperation until the GOP (the Republican Party) calls off the dogs.”
Call the shots
If you’re “calling the shots,” you’re in charge and, therefore, would decide on a course of action concerning a plan or situation.
Here’s how you might use this phrase: “Xiaoyun, you didn’t deliver the results the team expected. Consequently, I’m taking over as leader. From now on, I’ll call the shots.”
Cry uncle
If you play cards with a card shark (an expert), after several games, you may want to give up. After you do, the card pro might say, “I played so well, that my friend finally cried uncle and went home.”
”Crying uncle” means giving up or surrendering, especially if you’ve been struggling with or enduring something for awhile. Often, this expression is used in a lighthearted way, such as, “She tickled him so much that he finally cried uncle.” In other words, the person being tickled had had enough.
Now you know that “crying uncle” isn’t about a family matter.
Cry wolf
This expression means that you say that something is wrong even if it isn’t. If someone frequently cries wolf, he or she becomes less believable.
Here’s a sentence that includes this phrase: “She’s called the fire department so many times that no one believes her anymore. They’ve concluded that she’s just crying wolf. But, one day, there might be a real fire, and no one will come to help her.
Dirty look
A dirty look means that you glance at another person disapprovingly or even angrily.
Here’s here you might use this expression: Because her children were misbehaving in the upscale restaurant, the mother gave them a dirty look in hopes that they’d settle down.
Eating someone
This phrase means that something is bothering or upsetting someone.
Here’s how to use this expression: “If your situation is eating you, you should talk with your parents about how to handle this problem.”
Get over it
This expression means stop feeling upset by something.
Here’s how to use this phrase: “You’re right. That woman was very rude to you. But, you have many things to do before you graduate. So you don’t have time to obsess over her nasty behavior. Quite simply, you need to get over it.”
Get up on the wrong side of the bed
This phrase means that someone is in a bad mood.
Here’s an example that uses this expression: “Just because you’re having your performance review today and are worried, don’t take your anxieties out on me. Evidently, you got up on the wrong side of the bed.”
Go to bat for someone
Let’s say that you’re having problems with your parents, and you tell your older cousin about this situation. In turn, your cousin speaks to your parents on your behalf, explaining that you deserve to go to a rock concert with your friends. By doing so, your cousin has gone to bat for you.
Here’s how you might use this expression: “Qian, because I sensed that our professor didn’t understand your reluctance to speak up in class, I went to speak with him about the differences between the Chinese and American educational systems. But, even though I’ve gone to bat for you, you should still periodically voice your opinions in class.”
Going to bat for someone has nothing to do with baseball but everything to do with friendship.
Hoity-toity
If someone is hoity-toity, that person thinks he’s important even if he’s not. In other words, this individual is haughty, arrogant, or pompous.
For example, if you’re attending a cocktail party at an exclusive club, you might later tell a friend, “Even though the appetizers were delicious, the attendees were hoity-toity. No one spoke to me the entire evening.”
In sync
If you and another person have similar perspectives on something—such the importance of working hard or the value of a good education—you and he (or she) are “in sync.” In other words, your views are in harmony.
Here’s how you might use this phrase: “Because Jin grew up in China and his wife Susie didn’t, they don't agree on how to take care of their parents. Since their perspectives aren’t in sync, they sometimes argue about this issue.”
Next time you hear “in sync,” you won’t confuse it with the musical group *NSYNC.
In your face
This phrase means that someone is aggressively or boldly confronting someone else.
Here’s an example of how to use this expression: “It’s a shame that Roger has such a temper. Even before he assesses a situation, he gets in his coworker’s face.”
Keep your chin up
This phrase means that you stay positive even in a difficult situation.
Here’s how to use this expression: “Even though you’re having surgery tomorrow, remember that the doctor said that most tumors are benign. So keep your chin up.”
Keep your fingers crossed for someone
This phrase means that you wish or hope that something turns out the way another person would like.
Here’s a sentence using this expression: “Tomorrow I’m going to interview for a new job. I’ve been unemployed for months. Please keep your fingers crossed for me.”
Let sleeping dogs lie
This expression means that you shouldn’t restart a prior conflict.
Here’s an example of a sentence that contains this phrase: “We've already agreed that I’ll clean the garage when I have time. Now you’re bringing this subject up again. Can’t you let sleeping dogs lie.
Off on the wrong foot
This expression means getting off to a poor start in a relationship or task.
Here’s a sentence that contains this phrase: “Because she arrived late her first day of work, she got off on the wrong foot with her new boss.”
On pins and needles
If you’re “on pins and needles,” you’re very anxious or nervous about something that you’re anticipating or waiting for. For example, if you have medical tests and have to wait 48 hours for the results, you’ll probably be on pins and needles until you know whether or not you have a serious illness.
In today’s economy, many people are “on pins and needles” regarding a number of issues, such as whether they’ll keep their jobs or have enough money to pay their mortgage, finance their children’s education, or retire. So don’t be surprised if you hear numerous individuals say that they're “on pins and needles.”
Rome wasn’t built in a day
When you say that “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” you’re telling someone that he needs to be patient because it will take time to reach a goal or complete a task.
For example, if you’ve recently launched a website and hope to attract millions of users but become disencouraged when only a handful of people register each day, a close friend might try to encourage you by saying, “Successful sites can take months, even years, to build traffic. Your site has been live only for a few months. That’s not sufficient time to reach your goals. Remember Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
Scapegoat
A scapegoat is someone who is blamed for something, especially if that person is not actually to blame.
Here’s how you’d use this word: “Maureen says that if the new hire hadn’t bothered her with questions, she would have finished her project. But, Maureen often doesn’t complete her work on time. She making a scapegoat out of the new employee.”
Sticky situation
A “sticky situation” is an occasion which is especially embarrassing or challenging and, therefore, difficult to handle.
For example, let’s say your parents bought you a new suit to wear to an interview but you wore your old clothes, and perhaps because you did, you didn’t get the job. In turn, you’d need to explain this outcome to your parents. In other words, you’d be facing a sticky situation.
Evidently, washing your hands won’t get you out of a sticky situation. But, verbal finesse might do so.
(Someone’s) Take
Used informally, someone’s take means their opinion, assessment, or interpretation of something or someone.
Here’s how you might use this phrase: The media says that the economy is in dire straits. But, my take is that there are pockets of hope and even improvement.
Take the liberty
This expression means doing something that could or would affect someone else without asking the other person’s permission. It’s often used in a positive context, namely, doing something to help another person.
Here’s an example of how to use this phrase: “Because I observed how busy you’ve been, I took the liberty of buying you some groceries so that you wouldn’t have to go shopping. Hopefully, that will make your life a little easier.”
The short end of the stick
If you’ve gotten “the short end of the stick,” you’ve not done well or have been adversely affected in a given situation.
Here’s how you might use this idiom: “Mei, it’s not fair. No matter how much I contribute to our company, you routinely receive much greater compensation than I do. Why should I always get the short end of the stick?”
Throw someone
If you throw someone, you’ve confused this individual. For example, let’s say you pay your restaurant check by giving your waiter cash. But if, on your way out, a different waiter asks you whether you’ve paid, this situation might throw you.
Here’s how you might use this phrase: “When my professor asked me why I hadn’t turned in my term paper, he threw me. I had already submitted this assignment. But, luckily, he quickly corrected himself, saying that he momentarily confused me with my cousin, who has the same last name.”
Wear out your welcome
If you wore out—or overstayed—your welcome, you stayed someplace longer than you should have. For example, if you and your friends attended a party and they left at midnight but you stayed until 2 am, you overstayed or wore out your welcome. When you left, your host was probably relieved you were—finally!—leaving.
If you sense that you’re visiting or talking with someone for too long, you might feel that you’re wearing out your welcome. But, most likely, if you’re perceptive, you won’t do so.