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On the fritz
Idiom: On the fritz I don’t know about you, but it gets my goat when my computer is on the fritz. You understand what I mean. Computers are supposed to make things much more straightforward to accomplish, but when your computer goes haywire, you feel like you are no longer in control; the machine is…
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Put (someone) under
Word of the Day: Put (someone) under Have you ever undergone an operation? You don’t have to answer because that’s your own story, but if you have had surgery, then you’ve probably been put under. When a person is put under, they are made unconscious with an anesthetic. You see, before the patient goes under…
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Freak of nature
English Phrase: Freak of nature You may hear people call defects freaks of nature. You have to watch your tongue when using this idiom because it has negative and positive connotations. Things like oddly shaped fruits or vegetables and sometimes cruelly, people who are unique in some way, will be bullied and called freaks of…
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Ride (something) out
Word of the Day: Ride (something) out Every time there is a hurricane evacuation order in the United States, some people decide to ride it out. When you ride out a situation, you choose to endure hardship and difficulty, hoping the situation will improve in the near future. They choose to stay in a difficult…
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The luck of the draw
Phrase: The luck of the draw Although we try to plan most things and want to be prepared for the future, we can only predict some things. Sometimes things that happen are just the luck of the draw; they happen purely by chance, and we have no control over them. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose,…
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Side-hustle
WotD: Side hustle It is becoming more common for university-educated and talented people to have a side hustle. You see, a side hustle is another job or interest you pursue in addition to your day job. You may be an English language teacher but also talented at website design or real-estate investment. If you are, you can take…
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Before your eyes
English Phrase: Before your eyes What would you do if a young man asked you to take a picture of him with his girlfriend, and then, as you were about to take the picture, he proposed to her right before your eyes? Would you be too surprised to capture the moment, or would you be able…
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Upshot
Word of the Day: Upshot The word upshot refers to the result of an event or decision. The upshot at the end of a good job interview is the candidate has a new job. The people in the picture are finishing up a job interview, and as you can see, the upshot or outcome of…
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Partners in crime
Phrase: Partners in crime There can be different meanings to the expression partners in crime. In the literal sense, this phrase means people who plan to break the law together. They could be scheming to rob a bank, steal gold or defraud seniors. Either way, like the two vicious-looking characters above, they are partners in crime. Another…
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Speed demon
Word of the Day: Speed demon You could have the calmest, sweetest guy imaginable, but when he gets behind the wheel of a vehicle, he turns into a speed demon. Have you ever noticed how some men change when they get behind the wheel of a car? For some reason, they instantly have a heavy…
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