Answer the question
How do you usually ward off a cold during winter?
To ward smth off
According to Murphy's law, if anything can go wrong, it will.
the Murphy's law
Sometimes I do my best to…
go out of my way to/ do my best/ overdo, especially when it’s not needed = go the extra mile / go to great lengths / go above and beyond
When I start researching online, I often go down ...
a rabbit hole
She (felt sleepy and low on energy) studying late into the night.
She felt sluggish/ drowsy/ groggy studying late into the night.
What do you do to reignite your interest in a hobby?
To reignite interest
Winning the lottery might be in the cards for you.
To be in the cards
I didn't expect that
I was taken aback / Life threw me a curveball (negative) / It came out of the blue / came out of thin air / I didn't see it coming / I didn't anticipate that/ I was bowled over
She followed the recipe ... and it turned out perfectly.
to a T
It was a (meandering) trip through the countryside.
It was a long-winding trip through the countryside.
Has bad weather ever put a damper on your weekend plans?
To put a damper on the weekend
After losing his job, he managed to bounce back quickly.
To bounce back
My plan didn't work out
My plan went down the drain / went awry/ went south / sideways / went downhill/ fell by the wayside /didn't pan out / smth put a damper on my plan/ went pear-shaped / fell short
Being ... means making smart decisions with your money.
financially savvy
Don't (cut corners) on ingredients when cooking your favorite meal.
Don't skimp on ingredients when cooking your favorite meal.
Do you prefer to cram every minute of your vacation with activities or relax and take it easy?
To cram every minute of your vacation
His plan to impress her backfired on him.
To backfire on sb
My expectations and the reality didn't coincide
It didn't live up to my expectations / It didn't meet the expectations / It wasn't in alignment with the perfect picture / It fell short of my expectations
The breakup really did ... on him emotionally.
a number
He agreed to help, but only (reluctantly).
He agreed to help, but only begrudgingly.
What makes you feel cranky and how do you deal with it?
To feel cranky
I was so worried about the exam, I didn't sleep a wink.
Didn’t sleep a wink
To focus on something
To zero in on smth= To concentrate on something= To hone in on something
Without proper planning, the project is ... fail.
doomed to
I'm (pressed) for time, so I can't stay long.
I'm strapped for time, so I can't stay long.