chip in
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idiom

chip in

Meaning
to contribute money or effort to a shared goal
Example
Everyone agreed to **chip in** for Maya’s farewell gift.
idiom

two peas in a pod

Meaning
two people who are very similar or close
Example
My sister and I are **like two peas in a pod**.
idiom

bring to the table

Meaning
to contribute something useful or valuable
Example
Each team member **brings something unique to the table**.
idiom

black box thinking

Meaning
analyzing unknown processes by studying their inputs and outputs
Example
In AI research, **black box thinking** helps improve transparency.
idiom

a sound mind in a sound body

Meaning
mental health depends on physical health
Example
**A sound mind in a sound body** is the key to a happy life.
idiom

in the pipeline

Meaning
being planned or developed
Example
Several new projects are **in the pipeline**.
idiom

It never rains but it pours

Meaning
When bad things happen, they happen all at once.
Example
First I lost my phone, then my wallet — **it never rains but it pours**.
idiom

win the peace

Meaning
to succeed in maintaining peace after a conflict
Example
The treaty was a success, but they still had to **win the peace**.
idiom

lock horns

Meaning
to get into an argument or fight
Example
They **locked horns** over the new proposal.
idiom

make up your mind

Meaning
to decide something
Example
You need to **make up your mind** about which job to take.
idiom

carry forward

Meaning
to move something to a later period
Example
We’ll **carry forward** the unused budget to next quarter.
idiom

under the radar

Meaning
unnoticed or undetected
Example
He stayed **under the radar** during the investigation.
idiom

come clean

Meaning
to tell the truth about something you have been hiding
Example
He finally **came clean** about what happened.
idiom

out of bandwidth

Meaning
too busy or overwhelmed to handle more tasks
Example
I’m **out of bandwidth** today, can we talk tomorrow?
idiom

school someone in something

Meaning
to teach someone about a subject or skill
Example
He **schooled me in** the basics of computer programming.
idiom

long time no see

Meaning
used when you meet someone after a long time
Example
**Long time no see!** How have you been?
idiom

move the goalposts

Meaning
to change the rules or conditions to make success harder
Example
They **moved the goalposts** after we had agreed on the terms.
idiom

note down

Meaning
to write something so you remember it
Example
Please **note down** the action items before we leave.
idiom

as fit as a fiddle

Meaning
in very good health
Example
My grandfather is 80 but still **as fit as a fiddle**.
idiom

lost in the moment

Meaning
to be completely absorbed in what you’re doing
Example
She was **lost in the moment** while painting her favorite landscape.
idiom

give someone a leg up

Meaning
to help someone improve their situation or get an advantage
Example
Her mentor **gave her a leg up** in her career.
idiom

breaking the deadlock

Meaning
to end a situation where no progress is being made
Example
The negotiation team succeeded in **breaking the deadlock**.
idiom

a smoke-filled room

Meaning
a place where powerful people make secret political decisions
Example
The policy was decided in **a smoke-filled room**, not in public.
idiom

beat down

Meaning
to strike repeatedly with force, such as intense sun or rain
Example
The afternoon sun **beat down** on the field all day.
idiom

speak up

Meaning
to express an opinion openly and clearly
Example
If you disagree, please **speak up** during the meeting.
idiom

cross the bridge when you come to it

Meaning
to not worry about something until it happens
Example
We’ll **cross the bridge when we come to it**.
idiom

keep the dream alive

Meaning
to continue to hope or work toward a goal even after setbacks
Example
Even after the failure, they **kept the dream alive**.
idiom

Sail close to the wind

Meaning
To take risks or act dangerously.
Example
He’s **sailing close to the wind** by lying to his boss.
idiom

to fall flat on one's face

Meaning
to fail completely or embarrass oneself
Example
The comedian **fell flat on his face** when no one laughed.
idiom

fall on one's shoulders

Meaning
to be responsible for something difficult or unpleasant
Example
The task of organizing the event **fell on her shoulders**.
idiom

a masterpiece in the making

Meaning
something that has great potential to become exceptional
Example
Her new sculpture is **a masterpiece in the making**.
idiom

call it a night

Meaning
to stop what you are doing and go home, especially after a party
Example
It’s getting late, let’s **call it a night**.
idiom

fan out

Meaning
to spread out over an area
Example
Volunteers will **fan out** across the park.
idiom

check in on

Meaning
to monitor or see how someone or something is doing
Example
Could you **check in on** the kids while I'm out?
idiom

scene of the crime

Meaning
the place where something important happened
Example
We returned to the **scene of the crime** to find the truth.
idiom

spread the love

Meaning
to show kindness and affection to others
Example
She always tries to **spread the love** by helping others.
idiom

trust one's judgment

Meaning
to believe in someone's decision or ability to make good choices
Example
I always **trust her judgment** when it comes to hiring decisions.
idiom

break the problem down

Meaning
to divide a complex problem into smaller, more manageable parts
Example
Let's **break the problem down** into smaller steps.
idiom

seeing is believing

Meaning
only what one sees can be believed; things must be experienced to be believed.
Example
I was skeptical at first, but when I saw the results, I realized **seeing is believing**.
idiom

butter wouldn’t melt in their mouth

Meaning
someone who looks innocent but might not be
Example
She looks so sweet—**butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth**.
idiom

Keep someone posted

Meaning
To keep someone informed about something.
Example
Please **keep me posted** about any updates.
idiom

happy as a clam

Meaning
very content and comfortable
Example
She looked **happy as a clam** on her vacation.
idiom

burning the midnight oil

Meaning
working late into the night
Example
She’s been **burning the midnight oil** to finish the report.
idiom

fill in on

Meaning
to provide someone with the latest information
Example
Could you **fill me in on** the policy updates?
idiom

hard act to follow

Meaning
someone or something so good that it’s difficult to replace
Example
The previous manager was a **hard act to follow**.
idiom

quick on the uptake

Meaning
able to understand things quickly
Example
You don’t need to explain it twice—he’s **quick on the uptake**.
idiom

troll someone

Meaning
to deliberately provoke or upset someone online
Example
Some users love to **troll** others just for fun.
idiom

on the right track

Meaning
to be going in the correct direction to achieve success
Example
Your plan sounds great — you’re **on the right track**.
idiom

soft launch

Meaning
a limited or quiet release of a new product before the full launch
Example
The company did a **soft launch** to test customer reactions.
idiom

grassroots movement

Meaning
a political movement started and driven by ordinary people
Example
The campaign grew into a powerful **grassroots movement** for change.
idiom

brainchild of

Meaning
an idea or invention created by someone
Example
ChatGPT is the **brainchild of** OpenAI researchers.
idiom

get ahead in life

Meaning
to succeed or progress in one's life or career
Example
He worked hard to **get ahead in life** and build a successful career.
idiom

set down

Meaning
to place something or write something down
Example
**Set down** your ideas so we can review them.
idiom

cross your fingers

Meaning
to hope that things will happen the way you want
Example
I'm **crossing my fingers** that I get the job.
idiom

join the dots

Meaning
to connect pieces of information to understand the full picture
Example
AI systems can **join the dots** faster than humans when analyzing data.
idiom

architectural eye candy

Meaning
something that is visually appealing but may lack substance or functionality
Example
The new skyscraper in the city is just **architectural eye candy**.
idiom

heart in one’s mouth

Meaning
to feel extreme fear or anxiety
Example
My **heart was in my mouth** as I waited for the results.
idiom

break even

Meaning
to have equal income and expenses, neither profit nor loss
Example
The company finally **broke even** after three years.
idiom

A Romeo

Meaning
A passionate lover or a romantic man.
Example
He acts like **a Romeo** around her.
idiom

burning with envy

Meaning
feeling intense jealousy
Example
She was **burning with envy** when she heard about his promotion.
idiom

step away

Meaning
to take a short break from a situation
Example
Take a minute to **step away** if you feel overwhelmed.
idiom

play the field

Meaning
to date or have romantic relationships with many people without commitment
Example
He’s still **playing the field** and not looking for a serious relationship.
idiom

make hay while the sun shines

Meaning
take advantage of a good situation while it lasts
Example
You should **make hay while the sun shines** and finish your work early.
idiom

Nothing ventured, nothing gained

Meaning
you can’t achieve anything if you don’t take risks
Example
He decided to invest because **nothing ventured, nothing gained**.
idiom

cold fish

Meaning
a person who is unemotional or lacks warmth
Example
He’s such a **cold fish**; he never shows his feelings.
idiom

user journey

Meaning
the complete experience a user has with a brand or product
Example
Mapping the **user journey** helps improve customer satisfaction.
idiom

at the back of one's mind

Meaning
something that one is not actively thinking about but is still aware of
Example
The fear of failure was always **at the back of his mind**.
idiom

run your own show

Meaning
to be in control of your own activities or business
Example
After years of working for others, he wanted to **run his own show**.
idiom

A tough row to hoe

Meaning
A difficult task or situation to handle.
Example
Starting a new business is **a tough row to hoe**.
idiom

filter bubble

Meaning
a situation where a person only sees online content that reinforces their beliefs
Example
Many people live inside a **filter bubble** on social media.
idiom

split second

Meaning
a very short amount of time
Example
The decision was made in a **split second**.
idiom

Play it safe

Meaning
to avoid taking risks
Example
He always **plays it safe** and never tries new things.
idiom

ease up

Meaning
to become less intense or to relax
Example
The rain should **ease up** by the evening commute.
idiom

Talk through your hat

Meaning
To speak nonsense or about something one knows little about.
Example
He was **talking through his hat** about quantum physics.
idiom

cut loose

Meaning
to behave freely and enjoy oneself
Example
It’s the weekend—time to **cut loose**!
idiom

puppy love

Meaning
a young or innocent kind of love
Example
Their relationship in school was just **puppy love**.
idiom

the light dawned on someone

Meaning
someone suddenly understands something
Example
The **light dawned on her** that she had made a mistake.
idiom

take the wheel

Meaning
to take control or responsibility
Example
It's time for the new manager to **take the wheel**.
idiom

dare to dream

Meaning
to be brave enough to have big ambitions
Example
Only those who **dare to dream** achieve great things.
idiom

In for the long haul

Meaning
Prepared to continue something for a long time.
Example
He knew that success would take years, but he was **in for the long haul**.
idiom

seat of power

Meaning
a place where authority or control is exercised
Example
The prime minister returned to the **seat of power** after a long illness.
idiom

Golden handshake

Meaning
A large payment given to someone when they leave a job, especially early retirement.
Example
The CEO received a **golden handshake** when he retired early.
idiom

backdoor entry

Meaning
a secret or unofficial way to access something
Example
Hackers found a **backdoor entry** into the company’s database.
idiom

Spread like wildfire

Meaning
To become widely known very quickly.
Example
The news of their engagement **spread like wildfire**.
idiom

wield power

Meaning
to have and use power or influence effectively
Example
He’s not the president, but he still **wields a lot of power**.
idiom

pop the champagne

Meaning
to celebrate a special event or success
Example
Let’s **pop the champagne** to celebrate our victory!
idiom

Band together

Meaning
To unite for a common purpose.
Example
The workers **banded together** to demand better wages.
idiom

the smoking gun

Meaning
a piece of evidence that clearly proves guilt
Example
The email was **the smoking gun** in the corruption case.
idiom

open a Pandora’s box

Meaning
to start something that causes many unexpected problems
Example
Unregulated AI development may **open a Pandora’s box** of ethical issues.
idiom

let nature take its course

Meaning
to allow natural processes to happen without interference
Example
Sometimes the best solution is to **let nature take its course**.
idiom

plant the seed

Meaning
to introduce an idea subtly to influence someone later
Example
He **planted the seed** for the project during the discussion.
idiom

carry out one's duties

Meaning
to perform one's assigned tasks or responsibilities
Example
He always **carries out his duties** with honesty and dedication.
idiom

My two cents

Meaning
My personal opinion or suggestion
Example
That’s just my two cents, but I think we should wait.
idiom

confide in someone

Meaning
to trust someone enough to tell them secrets
Example
She only **confides in** her best friend.
idiom

pat on the back

Meaning
to praise or congratulate someone for doing something well
Example
You deserve a **pat on the back** for your effort.
idiom

a quantum leap

Meaning
a big and sudden improvement
Example
This discovery is **a quantum leap** in medical research.
idiom

on the cutting edge

Meaning
at the forefront of innovation or technology
Example
The laboratory is **on the cutting edge** of artificial intelligence research.
idiom

veer off

Meaning
to suddenly change direction
Example
The conversation **veered off** into weekend plans.
idiom

blow your mind

Meaning
to impress or amaze someone greatly
Example
The new AI technology will **blow your mind**.
idiom

make sense of

Meaning
to understand something that is complicated or unclear
Example
I finally **made sense of** the instructions after reading them twice.
idiom

game plan

Meaning
a carefully thought-out strategy
Example
We need a solid **game plan** before meeting the investors.
idiom

get ahead of the game

Meaning
to be more successful or advanced than others
Example
He’s always looking for new ideas to **get ahead of the game**.
idiom

Throw down the gauntlet

Meaning
To challenge someone to fight or compete.
Example
He **threw down the gauntlet** by questioning his opponent’s honesty.
idiom

change the game

Meaning
to introduce something that significantly alters an industry or field
Example
5G technology will **change the game** for mobile communication.
idiom

plug and play

Meaning
easy to use without complex setup
Example
The new printer is **plug and play** – no installation needed.
idiom

turn things around

Meaning
to reverse a negative situation and make it positive
Example
With some effort, we can **turn things around**.
idiom

hard as nails

Meaning
very tough and determined
Example
She’s **hard as nails** when it comes to achieving her goals.
idiom

hack the system

Meaning
to break into a system or network to gain unauthorized access
Example
He was caught trying to **hack the system** for personal gain.
idiom

fulfill one's obligations

Meaning
to complete or carry out one's duties
Example
He always tries to **fulfill his obligations** to his clients.
idiom

be like family

Meaning
to be as close as family members
Example
My best friend is **like family** to me.
idiom

low-hanging fruit

Meaning
something easy to achieve or target
Example
We should focus on the **low-hanging fruit** before tackling bigger goals.
idiom

on your shoulders

Meaning
used when someone has responsibility for something
Example
The success of this plan rests **on your shoulders**.
idiom

save time

Meaning
to reduce the time needed for something
Example
Using shortcuts can **save time** when typing.
idiom

carve out

Meaning
to create or obtain something with effort
Example
She managed to **carve out** time for daily reading.
idiom

learn by doing

Meaning
to gain knowledge through practical experience
Example
Students **learn by doing** during the science experiments.
idiom

pick a fight

Meaning
to start an argument intentionally
Example
Don’t **pick a fight** with him; he’s already angry.
idiom

A Pandora’s box

Meaning
A source of endless complications or trouble.
Example
Discussing that topic will open a **Pandora’s box** of complaints.
idiom

raise a toast

Meaning
to honor someone or something with a drink
Example
We **raised a toast** to the newlyweds.
idiom

have butterflies in your stomach

Meaning
to feel very nervous about something
Example
She always **has butterflies in her stomach** before exams.
idiom

give out

Meaning
to distribute something
Example
We’ll **give out** the schedules at the door.
idiom

To question everything

Meaning
To critically examine and not blindly accept the status quo or accepted beliefs.
Example
In philosophy, one is encouraged **to question everything** in order to arrive at the truth.