Rewriting history
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idiom

Rewriting history

Meaning
To change the way past events are interpreted or remembered.
Example
Some politicians try **rewriting history** to suit their narrative.
idiom

give it time

Meaning
to wait for something to improve or happen
Example
**Give it time**, you’ll see results soon.
idiom

the acid test

Meaning
a true and final test of success
Example
The real market will be **the acid test** for this invention.
idiom

pay it forward

Meaning
to do something kind for someone else after receiving kindness
Example
After receiving help from a stranger, he decided to **pay it forward** by helping someone in need.
idiom

refresh one's memory

Meaning
to help someone remember something
Example
Let me **refresh your memory** about what happened last week.
idiom

cold shoulder

Meaning
to ignore someone deliberately
Example
After the argument, she gave him the **cold shoulder** for days.
idiom

give out

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

Put one's nose to the grindstone

Meaning
To focus on hard work and continuous effort.
Example
She really had to **put her nose to the grindstone** to get the promotion.
idiom

hair-raising experience

Meaning
something very frightening or terrifying
Example
Driving through that storm was a **hair-raising experience**.
idiom

tighten the belt

Meaning
to reduce spending; to save money due to financial constraints
Example
In tough economic times, businesses must **tighten the belt** to survive.
idiom

get the creative juices flowing

Meaning
to start being creative or imaginative
Example
A walk in nature helps me **get the creative juices flowing**.
idiom

alive and kicking

Meaning
still healthy and full of life
Example
My grandmother is 90 but still **alive and kicking**.
idiom

behind bars

Meaning
in prison
Example
The murderer will spend the rest of his life **behind bars**.
idiom

go places

Meaning
to be likely to become successful in the future
Example
Everyone says he’s going to **go places** with his skills.
idiom

android-like

Meaning
acting emotionless or mechanical like a robot
Example
He works in an **android-like** manner, without any emotion.
idiom

pioneer new ideas

Meaning
to introduce or create new concepts or methods
Example
He is always looking to **pioneer new ideas** in his field.
idiom

feel like a new person

Meaning
to feel refreshed and healthy again
Example
After a good night’s sleep, I **feel like a new person**.
idiom

filter through

Meaning
to spread gradually among people
Example
News of the promotion quickly **filtered through** the office.
idiom

deep down

Meaning
in one’s innermost feelings
Example
**Deep down**, she knew she was wrong.
idiom

on the world stage

Meaning
in the international arena or community
Example
The country's economy is now strong **on the world stage**.
idiom

A battle of wits

Meaning
A contest or situation where people use intelligence or cleverness to outsmart each other.
Example
The negotiations were a true **battle of wits** between the two leaders.
idiom

see things differently

Meaning
to have a different opinion or perspective
Example
I **see things differently** when it comes to politics.
idiom

lazy bones

Meaning
a lazy person
Example
Come on, **lazy bones**, get out of bed!
idiom

on the stump

Meaning
to campaign for political office, especially by giving speeches in public
Example
The candidate has been **on the stump** for weeks, rallying support across the country.
idiom

salt of the earth

Meaning
a very good and honest person
Example
My grandfather was the **salt of the earth**.
idiom

a bone of contention

Meaning
a subject of disagreement or dispute
Example
Money has always been **a bone of contention** between them.
idiom

teacher’s pet

Meaning
a student who is favored by the teacher
Example
Everyone teases her for being the **teacher’s pet**.
idiom

follow in someone’s footsteps

Meaning
to do the same work or live the same way as someone else, usually a family member
Example
He decided to **follow in his father’s footsteps** and become a lawyer.
idiom

live out of a suitcase

Meaning
to travel frequently; to not stay in one place for long
Example
He’s been **living out of a suitcase** for months.
idiom

scared stiff

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

on all fours

Meaning
crawling on hands and knees
Example
The baby moved **on all fours** across the floor.
idiom

grow by leaps and bounds

Meaning
to grow or improve very quickly
Example
The company has **grown by leaps and bounds** in the last year.
idiom

plug and play

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

kick in

Meaning
to begin to take effect
Example
The backup generator should **kick in** within seconds.
idiom

have a way with words

Meaning
to be very good at persuading or charming people with speech
Example
He **has a way with words** that makes everyone listen.
idiom

slip one's mind

Meaning
to forget something accidentally
Example
Sorry, it completely **slipped my mind** to call you.
idiom

state of the art

Meaning
the most modern and advanced
Example
They built a **state-of-the-art** research facility.
idiom

count on

Meaning
to rely on or trust someone to do something
Example
You can always **count on** me.
idiom

stand one’s ground

Meaning
to refuse to change your opinion or position
Example
She **stood her ground** during the heated debate.
idiom

stay ahead of the game

Meaning
to be more successful or prepared than others
Example
To **stay ahead of the game**, you must always keep learning.
idiom

play second fiddle

Meaning
to take a subordinate role to someone else
Example
He was tired of **playing second fiddle** to his colleague.
idiom

Masterpiece

Meaning
A work of outstanding artistry or craftsmanship.
Example
The sculpture he created is truly a **masterpiece**.
idiom

Pull together

Meaning
To work as a group to achieve something.
Example
If we all **pull together**, we can finish the project on time.
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

lost in translation

Meaning
when the meaning is lost or changed in translation or communication
Example
The humor was **lost in translation** when the movie was dubbed.
idiom

work toward

Meaning
to make progress in order to achieve something
Example
We’re **working toward** a more flexible schedule for everyone.
idiom

a snowball effect

Meaning
a situation in which something increases in size or importance at a faster and faster rate
Example
The more followers she got, the more famous she became, creating **a snowball effect**.
idiom

chicken out

Meaning
to decide not to do something because of fear
Example
He was going to ask her out but **chickened out** at the last minute.
idiom

reap what you sow

Meaning
you get the results of your actions, good or bad
Example
If you’re kind to others, you’ll **reap what you sow**.
idiom

in the line of fire

Meaning
to be in a situation where one is likely to be blamed or criticized
Example
The manager found himself **in the line of fire** after the project failed.
idiom

burst with pride

Meaning
to be very proud of someone or something
Example
His parents **burst with pride** when he won the award.
idiom

have it out

Meaning
to talk openly about a disagreement to resolve it
Example
They decided to **have it out** instead of staying angry.
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

brain like a sieve

Meaning
having a very bad memory
Example
I keep forgetting things—I’ve got a **brain like a sieve**!
idiom

scare the life out of someone

Meaning
to frighten someone very badly
Example
That horror movie **scared the life out of me**.
idiom

Go broke

Meaning
To lose all your money; to become bankrupt.
Example
Many small investors **went broke** after the market crash.
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

to make a blunder

Meaning
to make a very big or stupid mistake
Example
The company **made a blunder** by ignoring customer feedback.
idiom

cream of the crop

Meaning
the best of a group; the finest selection
Example
These students are the **cream of the crop**.
idiom

Sow the seeds

Meaning
To begin a process that will develop in the future.
Example
Her small donations **sowed the seeds** of a larger charity movement.
idiom

size up

Meaning
to quickly assess someone or something
Example
She walked into the room and instantly **sized up** the situation.
idiom

kill two birds with one stone

Meaning
to succeed in achieving two things in a single action
Example
I can **kill two birds with one stone** by listening to a podcast while I exercise.
idiom

dream on

Meaning
used to say that something is unlikely to happen
Example
You think you’ll win the lottery? **Dream on!**
idiom

plan B

Meaning
an alternative plan if the first one fails
Example
We should have a **plan B** in case things go wrong.
idiom

kick the bucket

Meaning
to die (informal)
Example
He finally **kicked the bucket** after a long illness.
idiom

you’ve got this

Meaning
to reassure someone that they can handle a situation
Example
Don’t worry about the presentation—**you’ve got this**!
idiom

sing from the same hymn sheet

Meaning
to express the same opinion as others, especially publicly
Example
All the managers are **singing from the same hymn sheet** on this issue.
idiom

in the back of one's mind

Meaning
thinking about something without giving it full attention
Example
I've always had this idea **in the back of my mind**, but never really acted on it.
idiom

like one big happy family

Meaning
people living or working together in harmony
Example
Our office team works **like one big happy family**.
idiom

to learn the ropes

Meaning
to learn how to do something, especially a job
Example
She is new here, but she is quickly **learning the ropes**.
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

get it right

Meaning
to do something correctly after making a mistake
Example
It took a few tries, but she finally **got it right**.
idiom

take a chill pill

Meaning
to calm down or relax; to not overreact
Example
Hey, **take a chill pill**! It’s not that serious.
idiom

keep your chin up

Meaning
to stay positive and not lose hope in difficult situations
Example
**Keep your chin up**; things will get better soon.
idiom

itching to do something

Meaning
to be eager or impatient to do something
Example
He’s **itching to start** his new project.
idiom

shoulder the blame

Meaning
to take responsibility for something bad.
Example
He decided to **shoulder the blame** for the error.
idiom

to steal the show

Meaning
to attract all the attention or praise
Example
Her performance in the play completely **stole the show**.
idiom

the best is yet to come

Meaning
better things are coming in the future
Example
Don’t worry about the past; **the best is yet to come**.
idiom

spitting image

Meaning
someone who looks exactly like another person
Example
She is the **spitting image** of her mother.
idiom

have a heavy heart

Meaning
to feel deep sadness or sorrow
Example
He left the city **with a heavy heart**.
idiom

behind schedule

Meaning
later than planned or expected
Example
The flight is **behind schedule** because of the storm.
idiom

make a fresh start

Meaning
to start something again in a new way
Example
After the failure, she decided to **make a fresh start**.
idiom

pumped up

Meaning
full of energy and excitement
Example
He was **pumped up** before the big presentation.
idiom

get the credit

Meaning
to receive praise or recognition for something
Example
The whole team worked hard, but only he **got the credit**.
idiom

spread your wings

Meaning
to start doing new and independent things
Example
After graduation, she wanted to **spread her wings**.
idiom

out of the picture

Meaning
no longer involved or relevant
Example
After the gallery closed, the curator was **out of the picture**.
idiom

doubt creeps in

Meaning
to begin to feel uncertain or unsure
Example
After a few failures, **doubt began to creep in**.
idiom

Stick with it

Meaning
Keep doing something even if it’s hard.
Example
Learning English takes time, so **stick with it**.
idiom

roam around

Meaning
to travel or walk around aimlessly
Example
We spent the afternoon **roaming around** the old city.
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

back up

Meaning
to support or to make a copy of important data
Example
Can you **back up** my explanation during the meeting?
idiom

play one's cards close to one's chest

Meaning
to keep one's plans or ideas secret
Example
He always **plays his cards close to his chest** in business.
idiom

AI arms race

Meaning
competition among companies or nations to lead in AI development
Example
Big tech companies are engaged in an **AI arms race**.
idiom

tighten your belt

Meaning
to spend less money; to economize
Example
We’ll have to **tighten our belts** until business improves.
idiom

put the brakes on

Meaning
to slow down or stop an activity
Example
The company had to **put the brakes on** its expansion plans.
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

nose to the grindstone

Meaning
to focus and work hard for a long time
Example
He kept his **nose to the grindstone** and got promoted.
idiom

go over

Meaning
to review or discuss something thoroughly
Example
Can we **go over** the agenda together?
idiom

Put all your eggs in one basket

Meaning
to risk everything on a single opportunity
Example
Don’t **put all your eggs in one basket**; invest in different sectors.
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

lose faith in someone

Meaning
to stop trusting someone
Example
After what he did, I’ve completely **lost faith in him**.
idiom

form follows function

Meaning
the shape of a building or object should primarily relate to its intended function or purpose
Example
In modern architecture, **form follows function** is a principle that's widely accepted.
idiom

copycat

Meaning
someone who imitates another person
Example
She’s such a **copycat**, always doing what I do.
idiom

to play fair

Meaning
To act honestly and follow the rules.
Example
In every competition, we must **play fair**.
idiom

hand down to

Meaning
to pass something to someone of a later generation
Example
Grandma **handed this down to** me when I graduated.
idiom

A truth universally acknowledged

Meaning
A widely accepted truth or belief.
Example
**A truth universally acknowledged** is that honesty is important.
idiom

Open book

Meaning
Someone who is easy to understand or transparent.
Example
She’s an **open book**; you always know what she’s thinking.
idiom

a man of vision

Meaning
a person who has foresight and imagination
Example
He is **a man of vision** who transformed the company.
idiom

tack on

Meaning
to add something extra, especially at the end
Example
They **tacked on** a brief Q&A after the session.
idiom

have the guts

Meaning
to have courage or bravery to do something difficult
Example
She didn’t **have the guts** to tell him the truth.
idiom

A Scrooge

Meaning
A very stingy or miserly person.
Example
Don’t be **a Scrooge**—it’s Christmas!
idiom

fear the unknown

Meaning
to be afraid of things you don’t understand or haven’t experienced
Example
Many people **fear the unknown** when starting something new.
idiom

data-driven decisions

Meaning
decisions made based on factual data rather than assumptions
Example
AI encourages organizations to make **data-driven decisions**.
idiom

make headway

Meaning
to make progress or advance
Example
We are finally **making headway** with our new project.
idiom

in the dumps

Meaning
feeling sad or depressed
Example
After the argument, he was really **in the dumps**.
idiom

meet someone halfway

Meaning
to agree to compromise with someone
Example
We finally **met each other halfway** and agreed on a solution.
idiom

the tipping point

Meaning
the moment when a change becomes unstoppable
Example
Climate change has reached **the tipping point** for action.
idiom

carry through

Meaning
to complete something despite difficulties
Example
She promised to **carry through** with the training program.
idiom

slip up

Meaning
to make a small mistake
Example
Everyone **slips up** sometimes — don’t worry about it.
idiom

to teach an old dog new tricks

Meaning
to try to teach someone something they are set in their ways about
Example
It’s hard to **teach an old dog new tricks** when it comes to new technology.
idiom

sick as a dog

Meaning
very ill
Example
I was **sick as a dog** after eating that street food.