Australia Network - Nexus - English Bites Library - Common Expressions

sacred cow

A sacred cow is a disapproving term for something that is always respected and never criticised.

Cancer charities are such sacred cows that no-one dares complain about them or ban them ringing people up to ask for donations.

sail close to the wind

To sail close to the wind is to behave in a way that is almost unacceptable.

He's sailing close to the wind by taking so much time off.

sandwiched

squeezed in between; in the middle

Laos is sandwiched by Vietnam and Thailand.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

But sandwiched in the middle is 311 hectares of land owned by the Department of Defence.

scared stiff

very scared; extremely frightened

I'm scared stiff of heights.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

When you see the Great Ocean Road today, a beautiful big, wide, sealed road, to what it was when they built it, it was just a muddy little narrow track, very, very dangerous and people were scared stiff.

school of thought

A school of thought is what we call the theories or opinions held by particular groups of people.

There are several schools of thought about how language is learnt.

scrap heap

A scrap heap is a pile of rubbish or waste material. If something is on the scrap heap then it’s old and unwanted and no one is interested in it anymore.

If you lose your job when you're in your fifties, you're likely to be tossed on to the scap heap.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

But now it and Ken Reeve face an uncertain future with the traditional 35mm film projector destined for the scrap heap as the new digital juggernaut rolls in.

scrape through / in

just made it through; won by a small amount

He only just scraped through his exams.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

First race it was neck and neck all the way, but the Queenslanders scraped through to the finals, meaning the Territorians had to race again.

scratch their heads

think hard about something; be puzzled

The instructions for the TV left him scratching his head.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

King Island is probably a little bit unique because we are so isolated and we do have a lot of people scratching their heads and looking into ideas.

sea change

a dramatic change; a complete change

There has been a sea change in her attitude toward work.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

We had hoped that in the last few years there had been a change, a sea change amongst employers on age discrimination.

seamy side of things

unpleasant, bad and criminal side of life

People are always interested in the seamy side of things.

secret is out

If the secret is out, then everybody knows about it. It isn’t a secret anymore.

The secret is out about how she won the lottery.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Now, after centuries of growing virtually unnoticed to the outside world, the secret is out.

see fit

If you see fit or think fit to do something, then you think it's acceptable or right to do it.

You should discipline your child if you see fit.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

We are free and independent to do our reporting and to do our broadcasting as we see fit.

see red

To see red is to become angry.

People who misuse the possessive apostrophe make me see red.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

The great plastic bag debate only occupied a couple of leaves of the 400-page report, but it was enough to make the environmentalists see red.

see the writing on the wall

To see the writing on the wall is to realise that something bad is going to happen.

I could see the writng on the wall and I quit before they sacked me.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Charmwood saw the writing on the wall five years ago and turned to the local car industry for inspiration.

sell someone short

To sell someone short is to not describe all of the good things about them.

Never sell yourself short in a job interview.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

He’s softly spoken and ever smiling and comes across a touch whimsical, but that would sell him very short.

send a message

deomonstate; show

The movie is sending a message about the dangers of drugs.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

It's sending a message about landscape conservation now and in the future and we'll just continue to do the job as well as we can.

send up the wall

Being sent or driven up the wall is being driven crazy or being very annoyed.

The loud music next door is sending me up the wall.

set foot on

visit or enter a place

It's a long time since anyone set foot on the moon.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

He might not have set foot on the Red Planet, but Rob Pocaro has walked across the next best thing.

set something on fire

To set something on fire is to make people very interested in and excited by what you are doing.

She set the literary world on fire with her first novel.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

And so you have these two completely new people front and centre on the political stage, after all the time with Menzies, and the various Labor leaders he'd destroyed - people like Evatt and Calwell. And then there's the brief interregnum of Harold Holt, who had not exactly set the political world on fire.

set the world on fire

become very popular; be very successful and make people take notice

I'm going to set the world on fire with this new invention.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Banana paper has not yet set the world on fire.

set you sights on

To set your sights on something is to try to achieve something or to set a goal.

She set her sights on winning an Olympic gold medal.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

A year ago Bil Mihajlovic set her sights on buying a house close to Melbourne's CBD but was forced to reassess her strategy.

shadow of your former self

To be a shadow or ghost of your former self means to be not as good as you were before.

Since his injury he hasn't been a shadow of his former self.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Today it may be a shadow of its former self but the sun is not about to set on the silver city.

shape up or ship out

Shape up or ship out means that you had better improve your work or leave your job.

His work has been terrible and he's always late, so I'm going to tell him to shape up or ship out.

shoestring

To be on a shoestring is to have very little money.

We are on a shoestring budget.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

He may love his work but he's the only scientist doing it in Australia and he does it on a shoestring.

short term

over a short period of time; serving immediate interests

In the short term it's good to have a new house, but how are you going to pay for it in the long term if you lose your job?

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

In the short term, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see 50 to 100 wineries disappear

short-sighted

lacking in foresight; not considering the future

Quitting work to travel was a short-sighted decision.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

I think it's short-sighted.

shout

In Austrlia a shout is your turn to buy a round of drinks.

I think it's my shout.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

The pub had been on the market for a year and despite an inquiry from a bikie outfit, no-one, it seemed, wanted to take over what, for 120 years, had been the town meeting place, and so, the good folk of Devenish declared it their shout.

sick and tired

If you're sick and tired of something, you're annoyed with it. You've had enough. You're not going to do it anymore.

I'm sick and tired of doing the dishes.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Kathleen and her supporters are also sick and tired of having to undergo spot checks to see whether they're complying with the petticoat rule.

side effect

an additional result or consequence that was not the main aim; an unintended consequence

One of the side effects of this cough medicine is that it makes you sleepy.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Many of Anna Connolly's students have gone overseas for work, something she says is a side effect of Australia's limited opera opportunities.

sign of the times

If something is a sign of the times it’s something that shows what life is like now.

It's a sign of the times that people don't bother having land line telephones any more.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:.

Recruiting workers from overseas is for many companies a last resort but it seems to be a sign of the times.

sing a different song

To sing a different song or tune is to change your opinion.

He says he doesn't want children now, but in a few years he'll be singing a different song.

sing for your supper

To sing for your supper is to do something you don't like to get what you want.

You have to sing for your supper in this world.

sink in

become understood

He explained the formula three times, but it wouldn't sink in.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

We'll see statistics but it doesn't really sink in until we get in there and see for ourselves.

sink or swim

succeed or fail without help from anyone

The government won't give the company any more money, so it's a case of sink or swim.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Well the clear indication is that they are not going to fund us after March. So it is really a case of sink or swim after that.

sit back on our laurels

To rest on your laurels is to be satisfied with past success and stop trying to improve.

I know your first book was great, but you can't rest on your laurels forever. What are you writing now?

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Those threats seem distant when watching the humpbacks move past the tranquil setting at Point Lookout.
They're not out of the woods, they're not protected entirely and they're still under threat so we can't sort of sit back on our laurels and think well everything's running fine because they're increasing in number - they're certainly under threat.

sit on the fence

People who sit on the fence avoid making a decision or won't decide which side of an argument they support.

You have to make a decision and not just sit on the fence.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

There would still be plenty of people who were sitting on the fence as to whether it will actually work or not.

slap on the wrist

mild punishment

Criminals these days only get a slap on the wrist.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

...there's very little chance of them ever facing jail sentences, and quite often the fines, while they're quite substantial, up to $250,000, the fines are a mere slap on the wrist and probably part of a business expense.

slip through the net

If something slips through the net it means that an organisation has failed to deal with it.

Students who leave school without being able to read have slipped through the net.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Research suggests there are at least 10-thousand students in Queensland missing out on an education - young people who've slipped through the safety net.

slips your mind

If something slips your mind then you forget about it.

Her birthday just slipped my mind.

slowly but surely

This expression is used to describe something that is definitely happening, but not happening very fast.

We are adding expressions to this list slowly but surely.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

And slowly but surely you're getting the African influence coming through in a couple of the shops.

small fry

not important; as insignificant as baby fish

Canada is small fry in the world of cricket.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

If that's successful markets like this will be small fry.

snowballs

Something that snowballs gets bigger quickly.

The amount of work snowballs if you are away for a week.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

And I thought they're not going to know what old tractors looked like. So I decided I'd collect a couple to keep so they'd know what they were in later life. And then it's like all collections, it snowballs.

so as to

with the intention of

I want to learn English so as to improve my chances of getting a good job.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

So the materials and the design of our cities are changing so as to keep one group of society out.

so far

up to now

She's the best student I've taught so far.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Under the biggest commercial harvest of the fruit so far, Aboriginal pickers, normally dependent on welfare, were paid $10 a kilo, but the operation angered other families who gather the fruit for their own household use.

so forth

so on; other things like that

I like driving anything fast - motorbikes, speedboats and so forth.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

The more I ran, the more I jumped and so forth, the impact just slowly keeps wearing away the cartilage and bits of it keep flaking off.

so on

so forth, et cetera; other things like that

I like driving anything fast - motorbikes, speedboats and so on.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

A lot more money needs to be spent on base-level taxonomy. It's what we call the classification of animals; collecting, studying, naming and so on.

so to speak

You say so to speak to emphasise that what you've just said or about to say is unusual or idiomatic.

She's been working her guts out, so to speak.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Venerable Khedup turned up here on the doorstep so to speak 2 or 3 years ago and said, his mission was he said, to spend his life developing and decorating and preparing the artwork for the Great Stupa.

sob stories

A sob story is a story about hardship told to get sympathy.

He told me a sob story about losing his job and then asked me for a loan.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

On this dusty pub crawl from Ford's Bridge to Cameron Corner, I've met publicans and patrons coping surprisingly well with the hardships of life in remote places. I guess I expected sob stories, but have found humour, laughter, quiet strength of character and a 'just get on with it' attitude

sold on

To be sold on something is to be convinced of its value.

I'm sold on mobile phones.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

I like the sound of the more modern instruments and that's, to me, why I'm sold on Paul's instruments.

sore point

grievance; an issue about which there is disagreement

Class sizes are a real sore point with teachers.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Cigarettes are another sore point. While men can smoke while they are playing, the women are forbidden.

sorely tested

put through a very difficult test

My patience is being sorely tested by my two year old's behaviour.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

For over 100 years, the residents of Broken Hill have lived in one of the most remote and arid cities in the country. But their legendary endurance has been sorely tested over the past two years by the water coming out of their taps.

sort the sheep from the goats

To sort the sheep from the goats is to find out who is good at something and who is not.

The end of year exam always sorts the sheep from the goats.

sour grapes

To say that something someone says is sour grapes means that they said it because they are jealous.

He says my new job is boring, but that's just sour grapes.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

There are some who speak of those of us who object to this as simply being sour grapes, that we're not getting any money for it so we're not going to get anybody else get any money for it.

sowing the seeds

start something that will develop into something bigger

We sowed the seeds of the library of common expressions years ago.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

With the new line in place, many more coal trains will go west and onto the port of Gladstone and that's currently being expanded to the largest coal export facility in the world. That's sowing the seeds of a new future - in the past the region was driven by agriculture.

spare a thought

think about

Spare a thought for the homeless on cold winter nights.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Every time you drop rubbish into your yellow recycling bins spare a thought for the plant workers who have to sift through it.

spare no expense

To spare no expense is to spend a lot of money.

They spared no expense on the wedding.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

For six years Frank Zuccarato has spared no expense or effort bringing Christmas cheer to the local neighbourhood.

speak for itself / themselves

Something that speaks for itself or themselves is so obvious that no explanation is needed.

The crowds going to their games speak for themselves - they are the most popular team.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Recently the King Billy, or King William Pine, has been found to have great musical powers when carefully handcrafted by Australian luthiers into sound boards for fine stringed instruments such as the violin or particularly, the classical guitar, replacing traditional European spruce. The resonant results speak for themselves.

spend up big

To spend up big is to spend a lot of money.

She went to the new shopping centre and spent up big.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

And they're spending up big. How about 500-dollar collars and matching leads, polo shirts, hiking boots, Italian leather carry bags, Ralph Lauren chew bones and even pet perfume?

spin a yarn

To spin a yarn is to tell a story.

He spun a yarn about working late when he was really with his lover.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

We have a country music singer to entertain who tells a few jokes as well and we have a bush poet who spins a few yarns around the campfire.

spot on

exactly right

She was spot on about the result of the game.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Jimmy was spot on every time. We doubted him at times and he always proved us wrong. He was always right.

spot on

exactly right

The kick for goal was spot on.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

If anything, what it does by warming up and by stretching at least it gets their motor skills going before they actually start a game so their awareness and what have you is spot on.

stamp of approval

official approval; favourable regard

The project is likely to go ahead, but I'll need the stamp of approval from the boss.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

The Great Stupa is of international significance for Buddhism. It's the largest stupa outside of Asia. To have his holiness come here is really like the final stamp of approval.

stand shoulder to shoulder

To stand shoulder to shoulder with someone is to support them or agree with them.

I stand shoulder to shoulder with you on this issue.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

The change in this Territory election shows that that should no longer be the case that we very much stand shoulder to shoulder with the men

stand up for itself

To stand up for yourself is to not allow yourself to be pushed around or unfairly treated.

Don't let yourself be bullied - stand up for yourself.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

John Gorton used to use the image that Australia wasn't a puppy that rolled over on its back and said, "Tickle my tummy," anymore. Australia was going to stand up for itself.

stand you in good stead

Something that stands you in good stead is useful to you over time.

Learning English has stood me in good stead over the years.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

You are pretty tough, aren't you? You won't take no for an answer, will you?
No, I think that is part of my personality and I think that has stood me in good stead all these years.

start afresh

To start afresh is to begin again, often with the sense of making a break with the past.

I want to move to a new city and start afresh.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

The Year of the Pig is lucky. What she said, like luck and stuff. Start afresh and have fun, yeah.

start the ball rolling

To start the ball rolling is to begin something.

To start the ball rolling, we can go around the table and you can all say what your name is.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Troy started the ball rolling in the sense that he got really curious about lingo and started talking about it.

started up

begun to operate

The school has started up a new class.

starting from scratch

starting from the very beginning; starting from nothing

We're going to be starting from scratch, but we will build a successful business.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

We're starting from scratch without years and years of mistakes, centuries of mistakes.

state of the art

State of the art means using all the latest technology.

You need a state of the art computer.

This expression is used in Old Airport 25/5/06.

As the last passengers filed into the increasingly forlorn terminal last night, waiting for her son was Janet Ayliffe who can remember the state of the art building opening almost half a century ago.

stay put

remain in the same place

Everyone else is moving, but I'm going to stay put.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

With the housing market booming across the State, many homeowners are staying put.

steal the show

To steal the show is to get more praise and attention than other people in an event.

She stole the show with her brilliant performance.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Their achievements have been recorded in a photographic exhibition launched this week in Darwin's Supreme Court, and the kids stole the show.

steep learning curve

learning a lot in a very short time

I was on a steep learning curve when I started this job.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Given that he's only been playing for 18 months, 2 years, he's on a very steep learning curve, I'd suggest.

steeped in

To be steeped in something is to have a lot of a particular quality.

Rome is a city steeped in history.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

It's a sport steeped in time and tradition.

stem the tide

stop the increase

We must stem the tide of crime in the city.

Another form of this expression is stem the flow and it's used in Mall Debate 16/2/05

At the time Flinders Mall seemed a good idea for the council trying to stem the flow of businesses moving from the city to new shopping centres appearing in suburbs and on the urban fringe.

stepped out of line

To step out of line is to break to rules or misbehave.

If you step out of line you'll be punished.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

The people in this area now know my standards, know my requirements. And I must say that to this day, not one of them has stepped out of line.

stepping stone

A stepping stone is a stage of achievement or an event that leads on to something else.

Doing a postgraduate honours year is a stepping stone to a PhD.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

And then when I moved up here I finally got a job working at the abattoirs and went from there to Electrolux. And it was like a stepping stone to get a house and now I just want to go on and do bigger things, better things.

stick in my mind

Something that sticks in your mind is remembered for a very long time.

That song has stuck in my mind for years.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Another I guess highlight for me was the 2005 World Cup in which we played in South Africa and we beat India in the final and I made 107 not out, so I guess that's something that will stick in my mind forever.

stick to

keep with; persist with

I'm going to stick to my studies and improve.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Are you going to change your recipe at all this year or are you going to stick to a winner?

still in its infancy

still not fully developed; hasn’t reached its full potential

Space exploration is still in its infancy.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Genetic manipulation is still in its infancy.

stink

(informal) argument; controversy

There's been a real stink about who should be promoted.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

This current stink over cheese centres on pasteurisation.

stone dead

completely dead; as dead as a stone

The tree has no chance of recovering - it's stone dead.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

These photographs of infected plantation timbers show exactly what it can do from killing off new growth on older trees to killing juvenile plants stone dead.

stone's throw

A stone's throw is a short distance.

I only live a stone's throw from my work.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Few cities have access to such massive areas of natural forest a stone's throw from the CBD.

stoop so low

lower your moral standards and do something bad

I would never stoop so low as to steal.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Some lesser individuals have been known to stoop so low as to steal gnomes, and this has led their owners to set their feet in concrete.

stops you in your tracks

Something that stops you in your tracks makes you stop what you are doing because it is so unusual.

I want to make a sculpture for the city that will stop people in their tracks.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

I feel that I should be able to find beauty in anything and everything, but when I do find the scene that stops me in my tracks and that demands that I take the time out to appreciate it I fall in love with it all over again.

straight and narrow

The straight and narrow refers to proper and honest behaviour.

Since he got out of jail, he's kept to the straight and narrow.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

It's an idea out of left field, for a group of young people that haven't always followed the straight and narrow.

straight from the horse's mouth

If you hear something straight from the horse's mouth, you hear it from a person who knows the truth because he or she is directly involved.

Getting advice about writing from a writer is getting advice straight from the horse's mouth.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

And some advice straight from the horse's mouth to other start-up companies: Be prepared to take a risk.

strapped for

To be strapped for something (especially cash) is to have very little of that something.

I can't go out tonight - I'm strapped for cash.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

People are strapped for time. They don't have the opportunity to walk into the shop and grab a coffee anymore.

streets ahead

far ahead; much better

We're streets ahead of out opposition.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

...when you take into account the problems in the wet season, the disruption power cuts cause to refrigeration and communication, the noise and the emissions, the community reckons solar's streets ahead.

stressed out

feeling anxious; worrying a lot

I get stressed out at work.

strike a chord

To strike a chord means to create a strong feeling or emotion in someone.

This film will strike a chord with older people.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

It's often finding the right book to strike a chord with someone.

string up

String up is a slang term meaning to kill by hanging.

I think we should string up murderers.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

I've wanted to string up a few doctors, I think, in my time.

struck by

To be struck by something is to be impressed by it.

I was struck by his friendliness and good manners.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

In the Marquesas, where they visited only briefly, they were very struck by the ornaments worn by the chiefs, in particular the beautiful headdresses, and they felt these headdresses gave the wearer a truly noble air.

strut their stuff

To strut your stuff is to proudly show off your ability at performing.

The crowd enjoyed the Rolling Stones strutting their stuff.

This expression is used in Old Airport 25/5/06.

Never again will we be able to see visiting celebrities strut their stuff on the bitumen stage.

stuck in a rut

trapped in a situation where you do the same things again and again; bored

I'm stuck in a rut at work.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

We are sort of, I guess, stuck in a bit of a rut at the moment that we're only getting the same type of flower constantly, season after season.

stuck to it

persisted; kept doing it

My English is so good because I stuck to it.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

So, my father and uncle played lawn bowls so I got into it at an early age and sort of stuck to it.

stumble across/ upon

To stumble across or stumble upon something is to find it by accident.

We stumbled across my lost shoe when we were looking for something else.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

When a NSW park ranger stumbled upon this small stand of prehistoric trees at a still-secret location north-west of Sydney, it was hailed as one of the botanical discoveries of the 20th century.

stumbling blocks

obstacle; thing in the way; hindrance to progress

It's part of science to overcome stumbling blocks.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

...the Walangeri Ngumpinku Community Council drew up a five-year plan to lift the standard of health and housing here, a strategy that needed to overcome some fundamental stumbling blocks to supplying 600 litres of diesel…

succumbed to the temptation

given in to the desire

I succumbed to the temptation and ate all of the chocolate cake.

sun is about to set on

The saying the sun is about set on something means that it’s just about to end or be finished.

The sun is about to set on his long and illustrious career.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

Today it may be a shadow of its former self but the sun is not about to set on the silver city.

swear by

To swear by something is to have a lot of confidence in it and believe that it is good for you.

He swears by his teaching methods.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

The McKenzie clan is one of many families who still swear by the wet season plums as a vital source of nutrition.

sweet tooth

If you say that someone has a sweet tooth, you mean that they like to eat sweet things.

Our youngest boy is a real sweet tooth.

synonymous with

If you say that two things are synonymous with one another, you mean that the two things are very closely connected in people’s minds.

Skyscrapers are synonomous with New York.

This is how the expression is used in one of our stories:

The barramundi is a Territory icon synonymous with tropical climes, holidays and outdoor adventure.


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