mea culpa
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idiom

mea culpa

Meaning
an expression used to admit one's own fault
Example
He offered a public **mea culpa** for his earlier comments.
idiom

a tough cookie

Meaning
someone who is strong and not easily upset
Example
She’s **a tough cookie**; nothing can discourage her.
idiom

behind the firewall

Meaning
protected or isolated from external threats
Example
Sensitive company data should always stay **behind the firewall**.
idiom

can't believe your eyes

Meaning
to be so surprised that you doubt what you are seeing
Example
I **couldn’t believe my eyes** when I saw the snowfall.
idiom

bring the curtain down

Meaning
to end something; to finish a performance or event
Example
The concert **brought the curtain down** on the music festival.
idiom

put on a brave face

Meaning
to pretend to be confident or happy when you are not
Example
She **put on a brave face** even after hearing the bad news.
idiom

lean over

Meaning
to bend your body forward or downward
Example
Please don’t **lean over** the railing during the show.
idiom

Play it safe

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

pull ahead

Meaning
to take the lead in a race or competition
Example
She **pulled ahead** in the last minute of the race.
idiom

take a step back

Meaning
to pause and reassess a situation
Example
Sometimes you need to **take a step back** to see the bigger picture.
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

at peace with oneself

Meaning
feeling calm and accepting of oneself
Example
She felt **at peace with herself** after making the decision.
idiom

Pull one’s weight

Meaning
To do your fair share of work.
Example
If everyone **pulls their weight**, the job will be done quickly.
idiom

rest easy

Meaning
to be free from worry or fear
Example
You can **rest easy** knowing everything is under control.
idiom

place trust in

Meaning
to rely on someone or something
Example
I **place my trust in** you to handle this task.
idiom

grit your teeth

Meaning
to accept something unpleasant and continue
Example
He had to **grit his teeth** and finish the job.
idiom

black hole

Meaning
a situation where things disappear or are lost without explanation
Example
All the research data went into a **black hole** after the server crash.
idiom

throw one’s weight around

Meaning
to use one’s power or influence aggressively
Example
He likes to **throw his weight around** at work to get things done.
idiom

You can say that again

Meaning
Used to strongly agree with someone
Example
‘It’s been a long day.’ ‘**You can say that again!**’
idiom

to hit the jackpot

Meaning
to achieve great success or gain a lot of money
Example
After years of hard work, she finally **hit the jackpot** with her startup.
idiom

come down hard on

Meaning
to punish or criticize someone severely
Example
The company **came down hard on** employees who broke the rules.
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

keep out

Meaning
to prevent someone or something from entering
Example
Close the windows to **keep out** the dust during the renovation.
idiom

push someone's buttons

Meaning
to deliberately annoy or upset someone
Example
He knows how to **push her buttons** when they argue.
idiom

a fish out of water

Meaning
feeling uncomfortable in an unfamiliar situation
Example
She felt like **a fish out of water** at the new school.
idiom

window shopping

Meaning
looking at things in shops without buying them
Example
We went **window shopping** at the mall yesterday.
idiom

draw on

Meaning
to use something as a resource
Example
We’ll **draw on** last year’s data for the report.
idiom

face the music

Meaning
to accept criticism or punishment for something you have done
Example
You made a mistake, and now you have to **face the music**.
idiom

to mess up

Meaning
to make a mistake or do something badly
Example
Don’t **mess up** the report again this time.
idiom

reach for the moon

Meaning
to set very high goals
Example
Don’t be afraid to **reach for the moon**.
idiom

go bananas

Meaning
to become very excited or angry
Example
The crowd **went bananas** when their team scored.
idiom

sit at someone’s feet

Meaning
to learn from someone who is very knowledgeable
Example
Many students wanted to **sit at his feet** and learn from him.
idiom

beyond the pale

Meaning
outside acceptable rules or standards
Example
His behavior was **beyond the pale**.
idiom

spur on

Meaning
to encourage someone to continue or try harder
Example
Her mentor’s feedback **spurred her on** to apply for the grant.
idiom

confide in someone

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

Crooked as a snake

Meaning
Dishonest or untrustworthy.
Example
Everyone knows that politician is **crooked as a snake**.
idiom

between a rock and a hard place

Meaning
facing two difficult choices
Example
She’s **between a rock and a hard place** — neither option is good.
idiom

outstanding in one’s field

Meaning
to be exceptionally good at one’s work
Example
She’s **outstanding in her field** as a scientist.
idiom

draw up

Meaning
to prepare an official document or plan
Example
The lawyer will **draw up** the agreement this afternoon.
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

keep things bottled up

Meaning
to not express your emotions or worries
Example
He tends to **keep things bottled up** instead of talking about them.
idiom

a long shot

Meaning
something that has a very small chance of success
Example
Winning the competition is **a long shot**, but we’ll try.
idiom

Calm before the storm

Meaning
A peaceful time before trouble or chaos starts.
Example
The office is quiet now, but it’s just **the calm before the storm**.
idiom

do time

Meaning
to spend time in prison
Example
He had to **do time** for his crimes.
idiom

change of heart

Meaning
a change in the way one feels about something or someone
Example
He had a **change of heart** and decided to stay.
idiom

beat oneself up

Meaning
to blame yourself too much for something
Example
Don’t **beat yourself up** over one mistake.
idiom

keep the ball rolling

Meaning
to keep an activity or process going
Example
Let’s **keep the ball rolling** on this project.
idiom

lose your nerve

Meaning
to become too frightened to do something
Example
I was going to ask her out, but I **lost my nerve**.
idiom

ring the changes

Meaning
to make changes to something to make it more interesting or effective
Example
The restaurant decided to **ring the changes** with a new menu.
idiom

A Sherlock Holmes

Meaning
A person who is extremely good at solving mysteries or finding out information.
Example
He’s such **a Sherlock Holmes** when it comes to finding lost things.
idiom

frozen with fear

Meaning
unable to move because of extreme fear
Example
She stood **frozen with fear** when the snake appeared.
idiom

find the right balance

Meaning
to achieve a healthy or effective equilibrium between work and personal life
Example
It took me a while, but I finally **found the right balance** between work and family.
idiom

grateful as can be

Meaning
extremely thankful
Example
I’m **grateful as can be** for your guidance.
idiom

rough patch

Meaning
a period of difficulty or trouble
Example
Their marriage went through a **rough patch** last year.
idiom

feel it in one's bones

Meaning
to have a strong feeling or intuition about something
Example
I **feel it in my bones** that something bad is going to happen.
idiom

green-eyed jealousy

Meaning
strong feeling of envy
Example
**Green-eyed jealousy** can ruin even the best relationships.
idiom

a brave face

Meaning
to pretend to be brave when you are actually scared or worried
Example
She put on **a brave face** despite feeling nervous inside.
idiom

well-oiled machine

Meaning
something that operates smoothly and efficiently
Example
Our engineering team runs like a **well-oiled machine**.
idiom

zone out

Meaning
to stop paying attention and mentally drift away
Example
I completely **zoned out** during the long presentation.
idiom

miss the boat

Meaning
to miss an opportunity
Example
If you don’t book early, you’ll **miss the boat**.
idiom

Flash in the pan

Meaning
Something that shows potential but fails quickly
Example
His first success was just a **flash in the pan**.
idiom

penny stock

Meaning
a very low-priced, high-risk stock
Example
He made a fortune trading **penny stocks**.
idiom

line up for

Meaning
to queue in anticipation of something
Example
Fans will **line up for** tickets at dawn.
idiom

bootstrap a startup

Meaning
to build a business using limited resources without external funding
Example
Many successful founders **bootstrapped their startups** in the early days.
idiom

Get traction

Meaning
To start gaining attention or success in the market.
Example
The new app is starting to **get traction** among users.
idiom

beyond one's control

Meaning
not under one’s power or influence
Example
The situation is **beyond our control** now.
idiom

ease into

Meaning
to enter a new activity slowly and comfortably
Example
The trainer helped us **ease into** the new routine.
idiom

when one door closes, another opens

Meaning
when one opportunity is lost, another appears
Example
Don’t be upset about the rejection—**when one door closes, another opens**.
idiom

take the edge off

Meaning
to make a bad situation or feeling less intense or unpleasant
Example
A hot cup of tea always helps to **take the edge off**.
idiom

to make matters worse

Meaning
to make a bad situation even more difficult or unpleasant
Example
I was already late, and **to make matters worse**, I couldn't find my keys.
idiom

the lights are on but nobody’s home

Meaning
someone appears active but is not thinking clearly
Example
When the AI glitched, it was like **the lights were on but nobody’s home**.
idiom

the lesser of two evils

Meaning
the less harmful of two bad options
Example
Voters often choose **the lesser of two evils** during elections.
idiom

zero in

Meaning
to focus closely on something
Example
Our analysis should **zero in** on customer pain points.
idiom

The truth will set you free

Meaning
By being truthful, you can avoid trouble and feel liberated.
Example
Even though it was hard, **the truth will set you free** in the end.
idiom

lock someone up

Meaning
to imprison or jail someone
Example
They managed to **lock him up** for his crimes.
idiom

Move heaven and earth

Meaning
To do everything possible to achieve something.
Example
They **moved heaven and earth** to save the project.
idiom

bat around

Meaning
to discuss ideas casually
Example
We spent the afternoon **batting around** marketing themes.
idiom

take stock of

Meaning
to review a situation carefully before making decisions
Example
Let’s **take stock of** our priorities this quarter.
idiom

Get the message

Meaning
To understand what someone is trying to say.
Example
After his silence, she finally **got the message**.
idiom

training the model

Meaning
to teach an AI system how to make predictions by feeding it data
Example
We spent weeks **training the model** before deployment.
idiom

the black sheep

Meaning
a person who is a disgrace to their family or group
Example
He’s **the black sheep** of the family.
idiom

bookworm

Meaning
a person who loves reading
Example
He’s such a **bookworm**; he spends all his free time in the library.
idiom

sit in the driver’s seat

Meaning
to be in a position of control or leadership
Example
After the promotion, she now **sits in the driver’s seat**.
idiom

black and white

Meaning
clearly defined; without confusion or ambiguity
Example
The contract terms are **black and white**.
idiom

the real McCoy

Meaning
the genuine or original thing
Example
This painting is **the real McCoy**, not a copy.
idiom

iron curtain

Meaning
a barrier separating nations ideologically or politically
Example
During the Cold War, Europe was divided by the **iron curtain**.
idiom

time will tell

Meaning
the future will reveal the outcome
Example
**Time will tell** whether this was the right decision.
idiom

taste of success

Meaning
to experience success for the first time
Example
After years of struggle, he finally got a **taste of success**.
idiom

lock and key

Meaning
completely secured or protected
Example
All confidential data is kept under **lock and key**.
idiom

relieve stress

Meaning
to reduce or eliminate feelings of anxiety or pressure
Example
Yoga can really help to **relieve stress** and improve your mood.
idiom

mentor someone

Meaning
to guide or advise someone, typically in a professional context
Example
She has been asked to **mentor** the new recruits in the company.
idiom

yellow-bellied

Meaning
very cowardly
Example
He’s too **yellow-bellied** to stand up for himself.
idiom

a slip of the tongue

Meaning
a spoken mistake; saying something unintentionally
Example
It was just **a slip of the tongue**, I didn’t mean to offend you.
idiom

fight fire with fire

Meaning
to use the same tactics as one’s opponent
Example
When negotiations failed, they decided to **fight fire with fire**.
idiom

take the long view

Meaning
to plan or think about the future rather than short-term gains
Example
Successful leaders always **take the long view** when making decisions.
idiom

knuckle down

Meaning
to start working hard, especially after delaying
Example
It’s time to **knuckle down** and finish this report.
idiom

Dress to kill

Meaning
To wear clothes that attract a lot of attention and admiration.
Example
She always **dresses to kill** when she goes to parties.
idiom

Cross the Rubicon

Meaning
To make an irreversible decision or take a step from which there is no turning back.
Example
By quitting his job, he **crossed the Rubicon** and committed to his startup dream.
idiom

hit the same wavelength

Meaning
to share similar thoughts and feelings
Example
We **hit the same wavelength** from the first conversation.
idiom

at the cutting edge

Meaning
at the most advanced position in a field
Example
The lab is **at the cutting edge** of medical research.
idiom

open the floodgates

Meaning
to allow something to happen on a large scale; to trigger a chain reaction
Example
When the security flaw was leaked, it **opened the floodgates** for hackers worldwide.
idiom

take someone's breath away

Meaning
to impress or amaze someone with beauty or charm
Example
Her beauty **took his breath away**.
idiom

to take the bull by the horns

Meaning
to confront a problem or challenge directly and with determination
Example
We need to **take the bull by the horns** and start making decisions now.
idiom

a helping hand

Meaning
someone who helps or assists others
Example
She offered **a helping hand** to the new student in class.
idiom

true to one's word

Meaning
To do what one has promised.
Example
She was **true to her word** and helped me finish the project.
idiom

cross your mind

Meaning
to think of something briefly
Example
It never **crossed my mind** that he could lie.
idiom

a tough act to follow

Meaning
something so impressive that others find it hard to match or surpass
Example
His last performance was **a tough act to follow**.
idiom

say hello

Meaning
to greet someone
Example
Please **say hello** to your parents for me.
idiom

find fault

Meaning
to criticize someone or something unfairly
Example
He always **finds fault** with everything I do.
idiom

as far as I'm concerned

Meaning
used to express one’s personal opinion or feeling about something
Example
**As far as I'm concerned**, he did a great job.
idiom

carry the weight of responsibility

Meaning
to bear the burden of an important duty or obligation
Example
As a team leader, he has to **carry the weight of responsibility**.
idiom

a foot in the door

Meaning
to have a small opportunity to start working in a company or industry
Example
An internship is a great way to get **a foot in the door**.
idiom

close the book on something

Meaning
to stop dealing with or thinking about something
Example
After years of conflict, they finally **closed the book on** their rivalry.
idiom

behind the eight ball

Meaning
to be in a difficult position or disadvantage
Example
Without proper funding, the project is **behind the eight ball**.
idiom

head up

Meaning
to lead a team or project
Example
Priya will **head up** the new outreach campaign.
idiom

lay out

Meaning
to arrange or explain something clearly
Example
He will **lay out** the budget during the meeting.
idiom

keep your head in the game

Meaning
to stay mentally focused and motivated
Example
Even when things get tough, **keep your head in the game**.
idiom

take the helm

Meaning
to assume control or leadership of an organization
Example
She **took the helm** of the company after her father's retirement.
idiom

pull the plug

Meaning
to stop something; to end support for a project or activity
Example
The company decided to **pull the plug** on the outdated app.
idiom

Grounded

Meaning
Unable to go out or fly; restricted for a reason.
Example
All flights were **grounded** due to heavy fog.
idiom

shop till you drop

Meaning
to go shopping for a long time until you are tired
Example
My sister loves to **shop till she drops** during sales.