A blessing in disguise
Let’s say you experience some bad luck or misfortune—you have an accident or serious illness or a loved one dies. But, because of this incident, something positive happens—you start exercising and become healthier or meet someone new and fall in love—this occurrence was “a blessing in disguise.” That is to say, at the start, this episode seemed negative but, ultimately, was positive.
A picture paints a 1,000 words
If you heard that thousands of people attended Barack Obama’s inauguration, you might have visualized a large throng. But, if you saw a live photo, you immediately grasped just how large this crowd was.
In other words, a photo or picture is far more effective than words in conveying an image.
At liberty
This phrase means being allowed to do something.
Here’s how to use this expression: In the U.S., employees are not at liberty to discuss their salaries with one another. At some companies, if they do so, they can be fired.
Chill out
If a friend tells you to “chill” or “chill out,” that person means that you should relax and not worry so much about a particular issue. But, bear in mind that these expressions are slang and shouldn’t be used with your elders, including your parents, professor, boss, or interviewer.
“Chill-out” also refers to a style of music that’s mellow or slow in tempo and made by producers on the contemporary electronic music scene.
Do the trick
“Do the trick” means bring about the result you want or need. For example, if you have a stain on your shirt and you pretreat it with a stain remover and then wash it, that should remove the stain. In other words, the stain remover would do the trick.
Here’s another example of how to use this expression: “Youming, your dog has barked at and even jumped on several of the neighbors. They’re concerned that your dog will attack their children. I’m sure you wouldn’t want that to happen. Consequently, you should buy an invisible electronic fence. That way, your dog will stay in your yard and not wander into the street or others’ yards. Those devices always do the trick.”
Expose yourself
Expose yourself usually means reveal one’s private parts or appear nude in front of others. Doing so is almost always inappropriate.
Here’s how you’d use this expression: “I was sitting in a restaurant with friends. Suddenly, a man stopped in front of the large window in front of us and opened his raincoat. To our amazement, he wasn’t wearing any clothes.”
Hit the hay
If you’ve been studying for exams, working long hours, or not sleeping well, you may be tired, even exhausted. If that’s the case, you’ll probably want to go to sleep. If you’re around friends or family, you might say, “I've been working too hard. I need some sleep. So I’m hitting the hay.”
Now you know. Hitting the hay isn’t a violent act you’d do in a barn.
Hodgepodge
A “hodgepodge” is a jumble, mixture, or collection of unrelated items. Typically, a hodgepodge is thrown together without planning.
Here are two examples of how you might use this word:
“Hong, you won’t receive a good grade on this paper. It’s a hodgepodge of different philosophers’ ideas and, therefore, doesn’t have a theme.”
”I've never seen anyone dress like he does. He wears suits with T-shirts and work shoes without socks. And often he wears striped pants and plaid jackets. No doubt, his closet is a hodgepodge of clothing.”
Jump the gun
If you jump the gun, you do something too soon—perhaps without thinking it over carefully.
Here’s an example of how to use this phrase. Let’s say that after your husband saw your neighbor’s new kitchen, he said that you and he should immediately redo your kitchen so that it would look more like your neighbor’s.
But, you felt that doing so without first checking on the cost of this project wasn’t prudent. If that was your mindset, you might have replied to him, “Don't jump the gun! We should first find out how much redoing our kitchen would cost. In turn, we need to figure out whether we can afford to do so.”
Now you know. Jumping the gun isn’t violent. It’s just acting hastily.
Needle in a haystack
Let’s imagine that you’re looking at a stack of hay. Suddenly, you accidentally drop a small object, like your ring, and it falls into the hay mound. If you’re lucky enough to find this item, you get the gist of this expression. A needle in a haystack means that an item is difficult to find because it’s mixed in or buried within a larger space, mass, or group.
Here’s an example of how to use this expression: “This position requires a unique blend of skills. Few, if any, people have such talents. Finding this person will be like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
On the mend
If you’re “on the mend,” you’re recovering from an injury or illness.
Here’s how you might use this expression: “Xinghua, I know that your leg is healing. Evidently, you’re on the mend. But, I don’t think you should start exercising again until you’re fully recovered.”
Now you know. “on the mend” has nothing to do with sewing but everything to do with getting healthier.