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Showing 379–396 of 449 lessons
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Video · 7 min Take it easy
'Take it easy' means to rest and reduce effort, to calm down when feeling anxious or agitated, or to offer a warm, casual goodbye.
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Take for granted
Take something for granted has two distinct meanings in daily conversation. First, it means to accept a fact, plan, or outcome as true without verifying it. Second, it means to receive regular help, kindness, or support without acknowledging its value or thanking the person providing it.
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Take advantage of
To take advantage of something means to make good use of a favorable condition or opportunity. To take advantage of someone means to treat a person unfairly or use their weakness for selfish gain.
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Spur of the moment
The idiom 'on the spur of the moment' means deciding or acting suddenly because of an immediate idea rather than an advance plan. When describing a noun directly, write 'spur-of-the-moment' with hyphens.
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Smooth sailing
Smooth sailing refers to continuous, trouble-free progress where tasks proceed without meaningful friction, interruptions, or obstacles.
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Singing your praises
To sing someone's praises means to speak about someone with strong enthusiasm and clear approval. When you use this expression, you describe positive statements that someone made to other people.
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A short fuse
To have a short fuse means to become angry very easily and quickly after little or no provocation.
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Set your heart on
To set your heart on something means to want a specific outcome very strongly and to become emotionally invested in achieving it, such that any other result feels disappointing.
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Ring a bell
Ring a bell means to awaken a vague feeling of recognition or familiarity, even when you cannot remember specific facts or identify the source.
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Put into perspective
To put something into perspective means to compare a problem, number, or event with relevant facts or a wider background so you can judge its true seriousness, importance, or scale more fairly. The expression describes the mental shift that happens when a useful comparison gives you a balanced view, showing whether an issue is truly severe or simply a normal part of a bigger process.
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Pull your weight
To pull your weight means to do a fair and expected share of work on a shared project. In this expression, weight represents a person's portion of responsibility rather than their physical body mass or lifting power.
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Play safe
To play safe or play it safe means to choose a cautious action in order to avoid avoidable risks or complications.
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Play it by ear
'Play it by ear' means to handle a situation as it develops rather than following an advance plan step by step.
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Out of the ordinary
Out of the ordinary means noticeably unusual, exceptional, or different from what someone normally anticipates in a given situation.
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One-off
One-off means that an action, event, charge, or object occurs or exists only once. When you call an event a one-off, you state that it does not establish a routine or repeated series.
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On thin ice
To be on thin ice means to occupy a risky or insecure position where previous mistakes have tested someone's patience and one further mistake will trigger serious consequences.
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On the same page
To be on the same page means to share the same understanding, expectations, or opinion about a situation with another person or group.
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Video · 5 min On the line
When something valuable is on the line, it is at serious risk of being lost or damaged. The phrase shows that a negative result could destroy something important, such as personal savings, employment, or a professional reputation. It does not mean the loss has already occurred.
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