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Left holding the bag
Phrase: Left holding the bag Have you ever had the responsibility for something unceremoniously dumped on you? If you have, you know how it feels to be left holding the bag. If you know what I mean, things like that tend to happen to people further down the totem pole. To be clear, when you’re…
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Close call
WotD: Close call Have you ever been in a dangerous situation or had a close call and didn’t realize it until later that night when you were relaxing at home? Before I tell you about it, let me explain the meaning of today’s word. A close call or a close shave is when something dangerous…
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Happy camper
WotD: Happy camper There are many reasons not to smile and even more not to be a happy camper. The thing I’ve discovered about being unhappy is that it requires more energy than it does to be happy. That’s why I try to have a positive attitude about most things, even those with which it’s…
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Bend over backwards
Phrase: Bend over backwards In Japan, when you talk of someone bending over backwards, the first thing people think about is the Ina Bauer figure skating move which was made famous here by Shizuka Arakawa. Of course, English-speaking figure skating fans know this move too, but it’s not the only meaning of bend over backwards. …
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Go sideways
WotD: Go sideways It always happens at the most inopportune times. When you think everything’s okay, it all goes sideways, which means going wrong or getting worse. It’s a term that’s been around for quite a while but increased in popularity after 2000. I hadn’t heard it used very much until after the subprime mortgage…
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Dog-tired
WotD: Dog-tired You’re not worth your salt these days unless you’re dog-tired. Everyone is always so busy running around doing all sorts of errands and extracurricular activities that they have no time for sleep. Did you know that most people are not getting enough sleep? When we’re dog-tired, we’re extremely tired or worn out. We’re…
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Give up the ghost
Phrase: Give up the ghost We tend to associate ghosts with death. When something dies, we can say it’s given up the ghost. Of course, it’s an informal term, and I wouldn’t try to comfort someone who has lost a loved one by saying they had a long and beautiful life and finally gave up…
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You can’t judge a book by its cover
Proverb: You can’t judge a book by its cover Today’s proverb is quite a popular one. You’ve likely heard it before and may even have used to, too. Humans have a nasty habit of making judgements about things and people as soon as we see them. That’s why first impressions are so important. You can’t…
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Veiled Threat
WotD: Veiled Threat Veiled threats are the preferred weapons of politicians and criminal gangs. If you threaten someone, you tell them what you’re going to do to them, but a veiled threat is indirect. You can hint at the consequences, but as long as you do not say anything explicitly, you are not technically threatening anyone. Internationally, we…
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Hit a wall
Idiom: Hit a wall We’ve all done it before, and we’ll all do it again; we’ve all hit a wall at one point in our lives. Yes, I know some of you have an image of someone taking out their frustration by punching or kicking a wall. Many of us have also done that, but it’s not…
Got any book recommendations?