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Once in a blue moon
Not very often
Black and blue
Meaning: Something bruised
Example: What happened? Your eyes look black and blue.
Play your cards right
Meaning: To behave or work in a way that gives you an advantage or improves your odds of success.
Example: Play your cards right in college and you’ll get a great job after you graduate
A piece of cake
Meaning: If something is a piece of cake, it’s easy to do.
Example: The boy found the project to be a piece of cake because it was incredibly easy.
A slap on the wrist
Meaning: Just a small punishment
Example: You will get a slap on the wrist for painting this wall but don’t dare to do it again.
Back to square one
Meaning: Start all over again
Example: Your mistake brought us back to square one.
Get in Shape
Not your cup of tea
Meaning: If you say that someone or something is not your cup of tea, you mean that they’re not the kind of person or thing you like.
Example: We couldn’t decide which movie to watch, so we ended up settling on a comedy. Half-way through the movie, I concluded that its humor was not my cup of tea.
Flesh and blood
Meaning: Referring to someone in family or human nature
Example: It’s flesh and blood to feel such strong emotions at this time.
Up for grabs
Meaning: Available for everyone
Example: This pizza slice is up for grabs!
Black out
Meaning: Faint
Example: I blacked out after two drinks.
Right off the bat
Meaning: If you do something right off the bat, you do it immediately.
Example: Nathan was in the mood for a cheeseburger, so he hopped into his car and bought some fast food. After unwrapping the burger, he took a bite and right off the bat he knew that something was wrong; it didn’t taste right.
Jam on the brakes
Press brakes of a vehicle suddenly
Forty winks
Meaning: A short nap
Example: I will be just in for forty winks, I promise.
Have the blues
Meaning: Sad
Example: After meeting her, I am feeling the blues.
An arm and a leg
Meaning: If something costs an arm and a leg, it costs a lot.
Example: I want to buy a house by the beach, but it may cost me an arm and a leg.
Call a spade a spade
Talking frankly
Knee Jerk Reaction
Meaning: A quick response
Example: The statement was just a knee jerk reaction.
Against the clock
Meaning: Rushed
Example: I have to hurry for the meeting, I am against the clock.
Kill the goose that lays the golden eggs
Meaning: To destroy something that gives you lot of money to get immediate returns
Example: Tearing down the top attraction in the theme park, “The Haunted House”, would be akin to killing the goose that lays the golden egg.