Lesson Three. To bow to pressure or someone’s wishes - Chapter Seven

Advanced everyday english: Advanced vocabulary, phrasal verbs, idioms and expressions - Collins Steven 2011

Lesson Three. To bow to pressure or someone’s wishes
Chapter Seven

Examples:

✵ We’re not going to bow to such blatant pressure from a few disgruntled shareholders.

✵ I’m under no illusions: I know I’ll have to bow to her wishes eventually. Women always get their own way in the end.

to scrape the barrel (To struggle to find a good solution, an answer, or the right person of quality)

Examples:

✵ The police are playing down the fact that they are having to scrape the barrel as far as obtaining any fresh evidence is concerned. They haven’t really got much to go on.

✵ It would be quite enlightening to see their selection procedure.

They must be scraping the barrel if they feel they need to take a fool like that on.

Over one’s head (Too complex, beyond someone’s comprehension-often used with “to go” where a remark, comment or joke which has not registered with or been understood by someone is the subject of the sentence. It is often used with “straight”)

Examples:

✵ I’m sorry, but this is way over my head. Could I ask you to dumb it down a little so that even a thicko like me can understand it?

✵ She made some witty reference to the fact that he had become the laughing stock of the village, but it went straight over his head.

To turn over a new leaf (To change one’s character or behaviour for the better)

Examples:

✵ I don’t want to sound sceptical, but I can’t envisage him turning over a new leaf; he’s getting on for seventy.

✵ I think it’s time you turned over a new leaf and stuck up for yourself Give him a taste of his own medicine and get your own back.

“If you think...you’ve got another think coming” (“if you think...you can think again...you’re wrong!”) Colloquial

Examples:

✵ If you think you can take the mickey out of me like that, you’ve got another think coming.

✵ A: If he thinks he’s going to be shortlisted for promotion, he’s got another think coming. Why don’t you tell him?

 В: I wouldn’t want to deprive you of that pleasure.

 To rub it in (To make someone’s emotional suffering worse by reminding them of something unpleasant)

Examples:

✵ He keeps reminding her that she’s no longer slim, and seems to get a kick out of rubbing it in. Can’t he see how distraught she is?

✵ A: Is it true you got plastered on your wedding night?

 В:O.K.! There’s no need to rub it in.

To bang one’s head against a brick wall (To get nowhere, to feel that you are being ignored/not being listened to—note this expression is often preceded by “like”)

Examples:

✵ Trying to get through to my husband that he must raise his fees if he wants to keep the creditors at bay is like banging my head against a brick wall.

✵ I’ve told them that they will have to amend the contract if they want to avoid turmoil later on, but I feel like I’m banging my head against a brick wall.

To make a song and dance about something (To complain/ make a fuss about something—see Practical Everyday English, page 3)

Examples:

She makes a song and dance about bolshy Rita causing a rift in the office, but it goes over the boss’s head.

✵ Listen, I’m not exactly flourishing in this job either, but that doesn’t mean I have to go around making a song and dance about it.

Image

“She made some witty reference to the fact that he had become the laughing stock of the village, but it went straight over his head”

(see page 98)

To thrive (To succeed/do well/prosper, to live/survive on—occasionally used to emphasise that ones loves [doing] something; i.e., not literally surviving, but greatly enjoying-see 3rd example below)

Examples:

✵ I nearly bowed to pressure from my parents not to marry Tom. They said I was scraping the barrel and could do better. I’m glad I didn’t listen...because our marriage is thriving.

✵ He thrives on picking up antique furniture for a song, then pestering dealers to buy it the next day.

✵ I thrive on chocolate and cakes and always make a beeline for desserts at buffet lunches. It’s a habit that I’m going to have to curb.

To cash in on something (To take advantage of a situation, to exploit)

Examples:

✵ There was uproar from Members of Parliament (MPs) who support the Government when the leader of the Opposition tried to cash in on the Prime Minister’s recent unpopularity.

✵ Many ruthless businessmen are cashing in on the fact that the poor are not endowed with the means to escape poverty.

✵ If he thinks he is going to cash in on my misfortunes, he’s got another think coming.