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Blow out of proportion
Idiom: Blow out of proportion In the days of clickbait and sensationalism, the media, social media, and people in general tend to blow things out of proportion. Blow out of proportion is an idiom that describes a situation where someone makes something seem much bigger, more important, or more serious than it really is. When you…
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Pave the way
Idiom: Pave the way The idiom pave the way means to make it easier for something to happen in the future. People often use this idiom when talking about setting the stage for others to make future progress or success. For example, when someone does important work, they can pave the way for others to follow. Scientists…
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Buy time
Idiom: Buy time Have you ever needed a few more minutes to think or finish something? If so, you were buying time. You can’t add years to your life by buying time, but you can delay something from happening. Buy time is an idiom. It means doing something that delays an event or situation, so you have more time to deal…
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Muscle memory
WotD: Muscle memory You ride a bike without thinking about it. A pianist plays hundreds of notes without looking at their hands. How? Well, the answer is muscle memory. Muscle memory is the process by which your body learns to perform a physical action automatically, without needing to think about each step. It happens when…
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Be at ease
Phrase: Be at ease Have you ever felt nervous in a new place or with new people? Learning how to be at ease can help you in many situations. Let’s discuss the meaning of this phrase in more depth, shall we? To be at ease means to feel comfortable, relaxed, and free from worry or stress. When you are…
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With a capital
Phrase: With a capital Have you ever heard someone, such as me, during a lesson, say, “He is stupid with a capital S”? If you found this confusing, you are not alone. The phrase with a capital is a common English phrase that many English learners find puzzling at first. When someone uses the phrase with a capital, they are…
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Talk a good game
Phrase: Talk a good game Have you ever met someone who sounds very confident and impressive when they speak, but never actually does what they say? If so, you, my friend, have met someone who can talk a good game. To talk a good game is an English idiom that means to speak convincingly about your abilities,…
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Writer’s block
WotD Day: Writer’s block Every writer or student who has a paper due knows the feeling. You sit down to write, and suddenly your mind goes completely blank. Zip, nada, zilch, nothing. This frustrating experience is called writer’s block. Writer’s block is the inability to begin or continue writing because ideas simply will not come. It can…
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Urban myth
WotD: Urban myth Have you ever heard a story that sounded almost too strange to be true? It was probably an urban myth. An urban myth is a modern story that many people believe to be true but cannot be proven. Urban myths are usually passed from person to person by word of mouth, or today, through social media. They often feel…
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Skin in the game
Phrase: Skin in the game Have you noticed people make smarter choices when something important to them is at stake? This idea is called skin in the game. Skin in the game means personally sharing the outcomes of decisions. If things go well, you benefit. If not, you bear the cost. Your money, reputation, or future is…
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