pay the price
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idiom

pay the price

Meaning
to suffer the consequences of one’s actions
Example
If you don’t follow the rules, you’ll have to **pay the price**.
idiom

the whole truth

Meaning
the complete truth without leaving anything out
Example
She promised to tell **the whole truth** in court.
idiom

ahead of the pack

Meaning
to be more successful than competitors
Example
Her innovative ideas always keep her **ahead of the pack**.
idiom

fail better

Meaning
to improve by learning from past failures
Example
Even if you fail, try to **fail better** next time.
idiom

in a huff

Meaning
angry or offended, usually for a short time
Example
She left the meeting **in a huff** after being criticized.
idiom

rule of thumb

Meaning
a general practical principle based on experience
Example
As a **rule of thumb**, I double-check every document.
idiom

a loose cannon

Meaning
A person who behaves unpredictably and may cause problems.
Example
Be careful with him — he’s **a loose cannon**.
idiom

feel good about yourself

Meaning
to have positive feelings about who you are or what you do
Example
Doing something kind makes you **feel good about yourself**.
idiom

A Faustian bargain

Meaning
A deal where one sacrifices moral integrity for power or success.
Example
Signing that contract was **a Faustian bargain** for him.
idiom

black box problem

Meaning
a situation where the internal workings of an AI system are not transparent or understood
Example
The biggest challenge in deep learning is the **black box problem**.
idiom

show initiative

Meaning
to take action without being told what to do
Example
Employees are encouraged to **show initiative** and come up with solutions on their own.
idiom

shake like a leaf

Meaning
to tremble with fear or nervousness
Example
She was **shaking like a leaf** before her first flight.
idiom

do your own thing

Meaning
to do what you want without worrying about what others think
Example
He prefers to **do his own thing** and not depend on anyone.
idiom

after the rain comes the rainbow

Meaning
good times follow bad times
Example
Don’t lose faith; **after the rain comes the rainbow**.
idiom

cloud computing

Meaning
the practice of using remote servers to store, manage, and process data over the internet
Example
Many businesses rely on **cloud computing** for data storage and security.
idiom

spaced out

Meaning
not paying attention; lost in thought
Example
He looked completely **spaced out** during the meeting.
idiom

When in Rome, do as the Romans do

Meaning
Adapt to the customs of the place you are visiting
Example
When traveling abroad, it's wise to **do as the Romans do**.
idiom

call on

Meaning
to request someone to speak or do something
Example
The teacher will **call on** you if you raise your hand.
idiom

get a kick out of

Meaning
to enjoy something very much
Example
He really **gets a kick out of** playing video games with his kids.
idiom

Rome wasn’t built in a day

Meaning
Important things take time to accomplish.
Example
**Rome wasn’t built in a day**, be patient with your progress.
idiom

dump someone

Meaning
to end a romantic relationship suddenly or unkindly
Example
She **dumped** him by text message.
idiom

success is earned, not given

Meaning
success comes from hard work, not by chance
Example
Remember, **success is earned, not given**, so work hard every day.
idiom

bright future ahead

Meaning
having positive prospects or possibilities
Example
With your hard work, you have a **bright future ahead**.
idiom

the elephant in the room

Meaning
an obvious problem that no one wants to discuss
Example
Nobody wants to address **the elephant in the room**.
idiom

take a detour

Meaning
to take an indirect route
Example
We had to **take a detour** because of road construction.
idiom

Hit the wall

Meaning
to reach a point where one is physically or mentally exhausted and cannot continue
Example
I’ve been working all day, and now I’ve finally **hit the wall**.
idiom

bored to death

Meaning
extremely bored
Example
I was **bored to death** during the long lecture.
idiom

a quick study

Meaning
someone who learns new things very fast
Example
She’s **a quick study** and mastered the topic in a day.
idiom

As I see it

Meaning
According to my understanding or opinion
Example
As I see it, we need to try a different strategy.
idiom

carry the weight of the world

Meaning
to take on a lot of responsibility
Example
John felt like he had to **carry the weight of the world** on his shoulders at work.
idiom

ground control

Meaning
authority or people managing a situation
Example
In this project, Sarah is **ground control**.
idiom

double check

Meaning
to verify something again for accuracy
Example
Always **double check** the numbers before submitting.
idiom

give someone a run for their money

Meaning
to compete strongly against someone
Example
The new player **gave the champion a run for his money**.
idiom

hit the road

Meaning
to start a journey; to leave a place
Example
We should **hit the road** before sunset to avoid traffic.
idiom

play it straight

Meaning
to be honest and direct
Example
Just **play it straight** and tell them what happened.
idiom

jump out of your chair

Meaning
to react suddenly from shock or surprise
Example
He **jumped out of his chair** when he heard the news.
idiom

key into

Meaning
to pay close attention to or understand something important
Example
Leaders must **key into** what customers value most.
idiom

Open-minded

Meaning
Willing to consider new ideas or opinions.
Example
A good therapist must be **open-minded**.
idiom

curtain call

Meaning
when performers return to the stage to receive applause
Example
After their amazing act, the team received a standing ovation during the **curtain call**.
idiom

a miscarriage of justice

Meaning
a wrong or unfair decision by a court
Example
The innocent man’s imprisonment was **a miscarriage of justice**.
idiom

hold down

Meaning
to keep something at a low level
Example
It’s tough to **hold down** rent costs in this city.
idiom

drop someone a line

Meaning
to contact someone by writing or message
Example
Please **drop me a line** when you arrive.
idiom

leave your mark

Meaning
to have a lasting impact or influence on something
Example
Her dedication to the cause will surely **leave her mark** in the history books.
idiom

A pretty picture

Meaning
A pleasant or ideal situation; often used ironically
Example
This isn’t **a pretty picture** – we need to fix these problems.
idiom

stay the course

Meaning
to continue doing something until it is finished or successful
Example
It’s hard, but you need to **stay the course**.
idiom

blind experiment

Meaning
a test conducted without participants knowing certain information to prevent bias
Example
The scientists conducted a **blind experiment** to ensure accuracy.
idiom

measure up

Meaning
to meet expected standards
Example
The new hire has to **measure up** to the team’s standards.
idiom

walk on eggshells

Meaning
to be very careful about what you say or do to avoid upsetting someone
Example
Ever since the argument, I've been **walking on eggshells** around him.
idiom

a heart of steel

Meaning
someone who is emotionally strong and unyielding
Example
Despite all the challenges, he handled everything with **a heart of steel**.
idiom

rest easy

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

political mileage

Meaning
advantage gained from a political situation
Example
Opposition leaders tried to gain **political mileage** from the crisis.
idiom

win-win situation

Meaning
a situation where all parties benefit
Example
The new deal was a **win-win situation** for both companies.
idiom

work your fingers to the bone

Meaning
to work extremely hard
Example
She **worked her fingers to the bone** to support her family.
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

Money talks

Meaning
Money has great influence and power.
Example
He got the deal because **money talks**.
idiom

take the wind out of someone’s sails

Meaning
To make someone lose confidence or enthusiasm.
Example
Her harsh criticism **took the wind out of his sails**.
idiom

machine learning to the rescue

Meaning
using machine learning algorithms to solve complex problems that humans can't easily handle
Example
When the data was too large for traditional methods, **machine learning to the rescue** helped us find patterns.
idiom

pull someone’s weight

Meaning
to do one's fair share of work in a group
Example
Everyone in the team **pulls their weight** to succeed.
idiom

time's up

Meaning
the time for something or someone has ended
Example
You have to finish the test now. **Time's up**!
idiom

Go out on a limb

Meaning
to take a risk by supporting something or someone
Example
He **went out on a limb** by recommending her for the job.
idiom

live up to expectations

Meaning
to fulfill what is expected of you
Example
He worked hard to **live up to expectations**.
B1 idiom

fish out of water

Someone who feels uncomfortable or out of place
Meaning
Someone who feels uncomfortable or out of place
Example
At the formal party, the casual dresser felt like a fish out of water.
At the formal party, the casual dresser felt like a fish out of water.
idiom

scared stiff

Meaning
to be extremely frightened
Example
I was **scared stiff** when I heard strange noises at night.
idiom

the buck stops here

Meaning
I am the one responsible; I will take responsibility.
Example
**The buck stops here**, and I will handle the mistake personally.
idiom

in the cloud

Meaning
stored or managed on remote servers via the internet
Example
All our data is now **in the cloud**.
idiom

enter stage left

Meaning
to appear or arrive dramatically in a situation
Example
Just when things got complicated, **enter stage left**—our new competitor!
idiom

Behind the curve

Meaning
To be less advanced or slow compared to competitors.
Example
Our company is **behind the curve** in adopting AI technologies.
idiom

take with a grain of salt

Meaning
to view something with skepticism or not completely believe it
Example
He's known for exaggerating, so **take his stories with a grain of salt**.
idiom

jot down

Meaning
to write something quickly for later use
Example
I always **jot down** ideas as soon as they pop into my head.
idiom

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

Meaning
It's important to maintain good relationships with your friends, but it's equally important to understand your enemies.
Example
He always watches his competitors carefully because he believes in **keeping your friends close and your enemies closer**.
idiom

It’s not over till it’s over

Meaning
Don’t lose hope until the end.
Example
**It’s not over till it’s over**, we can still win this game.
idiom

know the ropes

Meaning
to be very familiar with something; to have a thorough understanding of something
Example
He really **knows the ropes** in this field of work.
idiom

slippery slope

Meaning
a situation that can lead to serious problems if not controlled
Example
Allowing AI to make moral decisions is a **slippery slope**.
idiom

drop your jaw

Meaning
to be extremely surprised or shocked
Example
Everyone’s jaws **dropped** when they saw the price.
idiom

lose your cool

Meaning
to become angry or impatient
Example
Don’t **lose your cool**; the situation will get better.
idiom

speak of the devil

Meaning
said when someone appears just as you mention them
Example
**Speak of the devil**, here comes John now!
idiom

go back to the drawing board

Meaning
to start over again because the previous plan failed
Example
Our experiment failed, so we have to **go back to the drawing board**.
idiom

lead from the front

Meaning
to lead by example, taking the initiative
Example
A good leader knows how to **lead from the front** and inspire others to follow.
idiom

chart a new course

Meaning
to plan a new direction or strategy
Example
After the crisis, the CEO decided to **chart a new course**.
idiom

to weigh the pros and cons

Meaning
to carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of something
Example
Before making a final decision, it's important to **weigh the pros and cons**.
idiom

ease up

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

Eager beaver

Meaning
A person who is very enthusiastic and eager to do something.
Example
She's an **eager beaver** who always volunteers for extra tasks.
idiom

eat humble pie

Meaning
to admit your mistake and apologize
Example
After blaming her friend, she had to **eat humble pie** when she realized she was wrong.
idiom

talk the same language

Meaning
to have similar ideas and understanding
Example
We get along because we **talk the same language**.
idiom

train the brain

Meaning
to improve one’s thinking or problem-solving ability through practice
Example
Developers constantly **train their brains** to create smarter algorithms.
idiom

spill your guts

Meaning
to tell someone all your private feelings or secrets
Example
After a few drinks, he started to **spill his guts** about his failed marriage.
idiom

carry a torch for someone

Meaning
to continue loving someone who doesn’t love you back
Example
He’s still **carrying a torch for** his ex-girlfriend.
idiom

beginner’s luck

Meaning
success for someone inexperienced
Example
He won his first game — must be **beginner’s luck**.
idiom

clamp down

Meaning
to take strong action to stop something
Example
The manager decided to **clamp down** on late arrivals.
idiom

in beta

Meaning
in the testing phase before final release
Example
The app is still **in beta**, so expect some bugs.
idiom

mad scientist

Meaning
a person who is dangerously or foolishly creative or obsessed with experiments
Example
He looks like a **mad scientist** when he’s working in his lab all night.
idiom

lock someone up

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

gather up

Meaning
to collect things together
Example
Let’s **gather up** the supplies before the workshop.
idiom

sweep under the rug

Meaning
to hide or ignore problems instead of solving them
Example
You can’t just **sweep problems under the rug** forever.
idiom

a heart-to-heart

Meaning
a sincere and open conversation
Example
We had **a heart-to-heart** about our future plans.
idiom

split the atom

Meaning
to do something revolutionary or extremely difficult
Example
Creating a universal AI is like trying to **split the atom** of intelligence.
idiom

adapt or perish

Meaning
to survive, one must adjust to the new conditions
Example
In the business world, it's all about **adapt or perish**.
idiom

full swing

Meaning
at the peak of activity or excitement
Example
The party was in **full swing** when we arrived.
idiom

turn the other cheek

Meaning
to ignore insults or avoid taking revenge
Example
He chose to **turn the other cheek** instead of fighting back.
idiom

social engineering

Meaning
manipulating people into divulging confidential information through psychological tactics
Example
The attacker used **social engineering** to gain access to the company’s secure database.
idiom

hang onto

Meaning
to keep something and not give it away
Example
I’ll **hang onto** the receipts in case we need a refund.
idiom

black box

Meaning
a system or process whose workings are not understood or transparent
Example
The neural network is often described as a **black box** because its decision-making process is not fully transparent.
idiom

have the gift of the gab

Meaning
to be good at talking or persuading people
Example
He’s a great salesman because he **has the gift of the gab**.
idiom

spread the love

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

double check with

Meaning
to confirm information with someone
Example
Could you **double check with** finance about the budget?
idiom

Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today

Meaning
Do not procrastinate; take advantage of the present moment.
Example
Finish your work now, **don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today**.
idiom

second childhood

Meaning
the time in old age when a person starts behaving like a child again
Example
After retirement, he entered his **second childhood**.
idiom

level playing field

Meaning
a fair situation where everyone has equal chances
Example
The new rules create a **level playing field** for all teams.
idiom

A nest egg

Meaning
A sum of money saved for the future or retirement.
Example
He built up a **nest egg** for his children's education.
idiom

to put two and two together

Meaning
to figure something out from the facts
Example
She didn’t tell me directly, but I **put two and two together**.
idiom

feel ten feet tall

Meaning
to feel very proud and confident
Example
He **felt ten feet tall** after completing the challenge.
idiom

power play

Meaning
a strategic move to gain or maintain control
Example
The alliance between the two countries is seen as a **power play**.
idiom

feeling blue

Meaning
to feel sad or depressed
Example
She’s been **feeling blue** all day.
idiom

pull the strings

Meaning
to control or influence someone or something secretly
Example
He got the job because his uncle **pulled the strings**.
idiom

soft power

Meaning
a country's ability to influence others through culture or values rather than force
Example
Japan uses **soft power** to promote its culture worldwide.
idiom

Keep at it

Meaning
Continue trying even when it’s hard.
Example
Don’t give up—just **keep at it**.
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

a fool and his money are soon parted

Meaning
people who are careless with their money will lose it quickly
Example
He spent all his money on useless gadgets; **a fool and his money are soon parted**.
idiom

hand in

Meaning
to submit something to someone in authority
Example
Please **hand in** your assignment by Friday morning.
idiom

know something by heart

Meaning
to memorize something perfectly
Example
She **knows all the poems by heart**.