up to speed
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idiom

up to speed

Meaning
to have the latest information or be fully informed
Example
I’ll get you **up to speed** on the new system tomorrow.
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

step up to the plate

Meaning
to take responsibility for doing something important
Example
When the leader resigned, she **stepped up to the plate** and took charge.
idiom

offline mode

Meaning
a state of being disconnected from the internet or unavailable
Example
He’s been in **offline mode** all weekend, not answering any messages.
idiom

turn over a new leaf

Meaning
to start behaving better after doing something wrong
Example
After the accident, he decided to **turn over a new leaf**.
idiom

dig out

Meaning
to retrieve something that has been stored or buried
Example
Could you **dig out** last year’s budget notes?
idiom

get wind of something

Meaning
to hear a rumor or piece of information
Example
The media **got wind of** the secret meeting.
idiom

under the gun

Meaning
under pressure to perform or complete something
Example
We were **under the gun** to meet the deadline for the report.
idiom

through thick and thin

Meaning
in good times and bad times
Example
She stood by me **through thick and thin**.
idiom

Plain sailing

Meaning
Something that is easy and without difficulty.
Example
Once we solved the main issue, the rest was **plain sailing**.
idiom

blow your top

Meaning
to become very angry
Example
He **blew his top** when he found out about the mistake.
idiom

run the show

Meaning
to be in charge of an activity or organization
Example
Ever since the director left, Emma has been **running the show**.
idiom

High stakes

Meaning
Involving serious risk or significant consequences.
Example
Negotiating with investors is a **high-stakes** game.
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

sound out

Meaning
to quietly discover what people think
Example
She will **sound out** the team before making changes.
idiom

burn out

Meaning
to become very tired and lose motivation due to overwork
Example
If you don’t rest, you’ll **burn out** soon.
idiom

set a precedent

Meaning
to establish a standard or example for future actions
Example
Banning unethical AI systems will **set a precedent** for accountability.
idiom

dawn on

Meaning
to become clear to someone after not realizing
Example
It suddenly **dawned on** me that I’d left my wallet.
idiom

team spirit

Meaning
a feeling of pride and loyalty shared by members of a group
Example
Their **team spirit** helped them win the championship.
idiom

birds of a feather

Meaning
people with similar interests or characteristics
Example
Tom and Jerry are always together—**birds of a feather**.
idiom

come of age

Meaning
to reach maturity; to become fully developed
Example
The company has **come of age** in the last few years.
idiom

in the limelight

Meaning
to be the focus of public attention
Example
After winning the award, he was **in the limelight** for months.
idiom

small potatoes

Meaning
something insignificant or of little value
Example
Compared to oil exports, textile trade is **small potatoes**.
idiom

learn the hard way

Meaning
to learn something through experience, especially through making mistakes
Example
He **learned the hard way** that honesty is the best policy.
idiom

clash of civilizations

Meaning
the conflict between different cultural, religious, or civilizational groups
Example
The debate about cultural differences is often seen as a **clash of civilizations**.
idiom

build character

Meaning
to develop positive qualities or strength through challenges
Example
Going through this process will **build character** in the team.
idiom

zero in on

Meaning
to direct all your attention and efforts toward one thing
Example
The team needs to **zero in on** the main problem before making changes.
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

go bananas

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

jump the shark

Meaning
when something begins to decline in quality or popularity
Example
The show **jumped the shark** after season five.
idiom

trust someone with something

Meaning
to give someone responsibility for something important
Example
I trust you to **take care of the project**.
idiom

run out of time

Meaning
to have no more time available to complete something
Example
We **ran out of time** before finishing the project.
idiom

lose your temper

Meaning
to become angry suddenly
Example
He **lost his temper** when the kids broke the vase.
idiom

lose your train of thought

Meaning
to forget what you were thinking or saying
Example
I **lost my train of thought** when the phone rang.
idiom

land a job

Meaning
to successfully get a job
Example
He was thrilled to **land a job** at his dream company.
idiom

blossom into something

Meaning
to develop or become successful over time
Example
She **blossomed into** a confident and skilled leader.
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

as wise as an owl

Meaning
very wise or knowledgeable
Example
My grandfather is **as wise as an owl**.
idiom

get your wires crossed

Meaning
to misunderstand someone or something
Example
We must have **got our wires crossed**, because I thought the meeting was tomorrow.
idiom

Love me, love my dog

Meaning
If you love someone, you must accept their flaws too.
Example
**Love me, love my dog**—you can’t love me and hate my friends.
idiom

hit home

Meaning
to be fully understood or have a strong impact
Example
The reality of the housing crisis really **hit home** for them.
idiom

play hardball

Meaning
to be firm and tough in negotiation
Example
He decided to **play hardball** during the contract talks.
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

climb the ladder of success

Meaning
to achieve higher positions in career or life
Example
She’s been **climbing the ladder of success** through hard work.
idiom

bright spark

Meaning
a very clever or talented person
Example
The new intern is a real **bright spark** with great ideas.
idiom

go easy on someone

Meaning
to be gentle or patient with someone
Example
Go easy on him; he’s been through a lot lately.
idiom

eat your words

Meaning
to take back what you said
Example
He had to **eat his words** after the result was announced.
idiom

lie through one’s teeth

Meaning
to tell an obvious and bold lie
Example
He **lied through his teeth** when he said he was sick.
idiom

just what the doctor ordered

Meaning
exactly what is needed or wanted
Example
A cup of tea was **just what the doctor ordered**.
idiom

slip into

Meaning
to gradually enter a state or start wearing something
Example
She quickly **slipped into** a more comfortable outfit.
idiom

under the radar

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

how do you do

Meaning
a formal greeting used when meeting someone for the first time
Example
**How do you do?** It’s a pleasure to meet you.
idiom

set a good example

Meaning
to behave in a way that shows others how they should act
Example
Parents should **set a good example** for their children.
idiom

second to none

Meaning
the best; better than everyone else
Example
Her cooking is **second to none**.
idiom

yellow-bellied

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

make a name for yourself

Meaning
to become well-known or successful in a particular field
Example
She **made a name for herself** in the world of fashion design.
idiom

bond of friendship

Meaning
A strong connection of trust and affection between friends.
Example
Their **bond of friendship** grew stronger over the years.
idiom

be thick as thieves

Meaning
to be very close friends
Example
Those two have been **thick as thieves** since childhood.
idiom

to serve justice

Meaning
to ensure that fairness or punishment is properly given
Example
The court’s decision **served justice** for the victims.
idiom

lost for words

Meaning
unable to speak because of surprise or shock
Example
I was **lost for words** when I saw the results.
idiom

case closed

Meaning
the matter is settled or finished
Example
The evidence was clear, so it’s **case closed**.
idiom

live the dream

Meaning
to be living the life you always wanted
Example
After years of hard work, he’s finally **living the dream**.
idiom

follow your heart

Meaning
to make a decision based on your feelings
Example
When choosing a career, it’s best to **follow your heart**.
idiom

Make a move

Meaning
to take action or start doing something
Example
If you want success, it’s time to **make a move**.
idiom

dial into

Meaning
to connect to a call or meeting
Example
We’ll **dial into** the client briefing at noon.
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

get a grip on yourself

Meaning
to control your emotions and behave calmly
Example
You need to **get a grip on yourself** before talking to your boss.
idiom

paint yourself into a corner

Meaning
to put yourself in a difficult situation with no easy way out
Example
By making so many promises, he **painted himself into a corner**.
idiom

give someone a hard time

Meaning
to criticize or treat someone harshly
Example
The boss **gave me a hard time** for being late.
idiom

make an example of someone

Meaning
to punish someone to warn others
Example
The boss **made an example of** the dishonest employee.
idiom

data privacy

Meaning
the protection of personal information from unauthorized access or disclosure.
Example
The company implemented strong **data privacy** measures to protect customer information.
idiom

spin doctor

Meaning
a person who gives a favorable interpretation of events to the media
Example
The politician hired a **spin doctor** to handle the press.
idiom

map out

Meaning
to plan something in detail
Example
We should **map out** our marketing strategy for the next quarter.
idiom

throw caution to the wind

Meaning
to do something risky without worrying
Example
I decided to **throw caution to the wind** and try it.
idiom

Speak the truth and shame the devil

Meaning
Speak the truth even if it may cause trouble or discomfort.
Example
She always believes that **speak the truth and shame the devil** is the right way.
idiom

trendsetter

Meaning
someone who leads the way in fashion, technology, or other popular areas, setting trends for others to follow
Example
The company became a **trendsetter** in the tech world with its innovative new app.
idiom

Get off the ground

Meaning
To start successfully; to begin operating.
Example
Our startup finally **got off the ground** after months of planning.
idiom

drop your guard

Meaning
to relax your vigilance or become less careful
Example
Never **drop your guard** when dealing with competitors.
idiom

Go exploring

Meaning
To travel or look around to discover new things.
Example
Let's **go exploring** around the city this weekend.
idiom

throw money at

Meaning
to spend large amounts of money in a hasty or unwise way
Example
The company tried to **throw money at** the problem instead of addressing the root cause.
idiom

team effort

Meaning
work done by a group of people to achieve a common goal
Example
The success of the project was due to a great **team effort**.
idiom

give someone a dose of their own medicine

Meaning
to treat someone the same bad way they treated others
Example
He was rude to everyone, so I **gave him a dose of his own medicine**.
idiom

artificial instinct

Meaning
a machine’s ability to make decisions that seem natural or human-like
Example
The new model shows a kind of **artificial instinct** while driving.
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

a little bird told me

Meaning
someone told me something secretly
Example
A **little bird told me** that you got a new job.
idiom

spread kindness

Meaning
to do or say kind things to others
Example
We should all try to **spread kindness** every day.
idiom

Stay on track

Meaning
To continue doing the right thing to reach your goal.
Example
We need to **stay on track** to meet our deadline.
idiom

know something by heart

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

set the pace

Meaning
to establish a standard of performance or progress for others to follow
Example
Our CEO always **sets the pace** for the entire company.
idiom

never look back

Meaning
to focus on moving forward and not dwell on past mistakes
Example
Once she made the decision, she promised to **never look back**.
idiom

grateful as can be

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

carry through

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

A peaceful mind is a happy mind

Meaning
Mental calmness leads to happiness and contentment.
Example
She believes that **a peaceful mind is a happy mind**.
idiom

hit the ground running

Meaning
to start something energetically and successfully
Example
She joined the team and **hit the ground running** on her first day.
idiom

sell like hotcakes

Meaning
to sell very quickly and in large quantities
Example
After the ad went viral, the product began to **sell like hotcakes**.
idiom

in the black

Meaning
making a profit; financially stable
Example
Our company is finally **in the black** after two years.
idiom

Put your trust in someone

Meaning
To believe in someone's honesty or ability
Example
I chose to **put my trust in her**, and she didn't disappoint me.
idiom

clash of wills

Meaning
a conflict between two determined people
Example
It was a **clash of wills** between the manager and the employee.
idiom

Old school

Meaning
Having traditional ideas or values; not modern
Example
My father still prefers handwritten letters; he’s really **old school**.
idiom

in the spotlight

Meaning
receiving public attention
Example
After the award, she’s been **in the spotlight** constantly.
idiom

hammer out a deal

Meaning
to reach an agreement after long discussion
Example
They spent hours to **hammer out a deal** that satisfied both sides.
idiom

bridge the gap

Meaning
to reduce differences or improve relations
Example
The treaty aims to **bridge the gap** between the two sides.
idiom

bargain for

Meaning
to expect or plan for something
Example
The workload was more than we **bargained for**.
idiom

run out of steam

Meaning
to lose energy or enthusiasm
Example
After working all day, I completely **ran out of steam**.
idiom

ease up on

Meaning
to reduce how much you use or pressure someone
Example
Let’s **ease up on** the reminders now that the report is done.
idiom

algorithm

Meaning
a set of rules or instructions for solving a problem or performing a task
Example
The **algorithm** sorts the data into categories.
idiom

get something off your chest

Meaning
to talk about something that has been worrying you
Example
I needed to **get it off my chest**, so I finally told her the truth.
idiom

Straight shooter

Meaning
A person who is honest and direct.
Example
You can trust him; he’s a **straight shooter**.
idiom

dog days

Meaning
the hottest days of summer
Example
During the **dog days** of summer, everyone stays indoors.
idiom

to burn one's fingers

Meaning
to suffer from a bad experience or mistake
Example
He **burned his fingers** investing in that fake company.
idiom

blind date

Meaning
a romantic meeting between two people who have never met before
Example
She met her boyfriend on a **blind date**.
idiom

Old hat

Meaning
Something that is outdated or no longer interesting
Example
That style is **old hat** now—no one wears it anymore.
idiom

As far as I can tell

Meaning
As I understand; based on what I know
Example
As far as I can tell, everything is fine.
idiom

the glass is half full

Meaning
seeing the positive side of something
Example
Try to see **the glass as half full** instead of half empty.
idiom

overfitting

Meaning
when a model performs well on training data but poorly on unseen data
Example
The model seems to be **overfitting** because it performs well on the training data but poorly on the test set.
idiom

training data

Meaning
data used to train machine learning models to recognize patterns or make predictions
Example
The AI model's performance depends on the quality of its **training data**.
idiom

Out of fashion

Meaning
No longer trendy or popular
Example
Those jeans went **out of fashion** years ago.
idiom

crunch the numbers

Meaning
to process data or analyze statistics
Example
AI can **crunch the numbers** faster than any human.
idiom

AI accountability

Meaning
the responsibility of developers and organizations to ensure AI systems act fairly, safely, and ethically.
Example
Ensuring **AI accountability** is essential to avoid harmful consequences in society.
idiom

Word on the street

Meaning
Common rumor or gossip
Example
The **word on the street** is that the CEO might resign soon.
idiom

a Eureka moment

Meaning
a moment of sudden discovery or realization
Example
He had **a Eureka moment** when he solved the equation.