These three micro-dictations all contain the expression ‘smooth sailing’. Complete each exercise, and then try to guess the meaning/usage of the expression from the context.
Dictation #1
Accent: Scotland
…the future is looking bright…
the future looks/is bright (for sth) is a nice way of communicating your optimism about the future (in general, or about something specific). e.g. With returns at an all time high, the future is looking bright for green tech investors.
Dictation #2
Accent: North America
Dictation #3
Accent: England (RP)
…the bottom line is that we got the deal over the line…
If you get something over the line, then you have achieved a positive or successful outcome. Using this phrase can communicate the idea that achieving the outcome was a challenge and you probably came close to failure. e.g. Most of my colleagues didn’t think we would ever finish the report, but we got it over the line in the end.
We saw the expression the bottom line earlier in the course. Do you remember it?
smooth sailing: meaning and explanation
Smooth sailing = without any problems or unexpected difficulties. If you predict a process to be ‘smooth sailing’, then you are expecting it to be straightforward or easily achievable. e.g. The main challenge for us is to get our EU license application approved. Once we have that, it should be smooth sailing.
One situation in which to use this idiom is when you have achieved a positive outcome and are looking back at the journey or process and acknowledging that it was challenging at times, e.g. it wasn’t always smooth sailing. This usage can be seen in the first and third micro-dictations.
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