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Idioms Lesson 31. To go through: 1.to undergo, to experience 2. to consume, to use (also: to use up). I can’t believe you had to go through such an awful experience. You’re lucky the plane didn’t crash!
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To go through: 1.to undergo, to experience2. to consume, to use (also: to use up) • I can’t believe you had to go through such an awful experience. You’re lucky the plane didn’t crash! • Frank said they had gone through all the toilet paper, but Bill didn’t believe they had used it all up
To go without saying: to be known without the need to mention—but mentioning it anyway • It goes without saying that anyone who does not study for the final will fail it. • Almost always begins with IT and is followed by THAT • TO GO must be conjugated
To put (someone) on: to mislead by joking or tricking • I don’t believe that the final has a hundred vocabulary words on it. The teacher must be putting us on. • You’re putting me on! There is no cat in my backpack!
To keep one’s head: to remain calm in an emergency • I admire her aplomb; she kept her head while everyone else was freaking out. • Change ONE’S to a possessive pronoun: his, her, my, our, etc.
To lose one’s head: not to think clearly; to lose self control • She must have completely lost her head, because no one in their right mind would wear that out in public. • If the politician hadn’t gotten stirred up and lost his head, he never would have spoken with such vitriol against his opponent. • Change ONE’S to a possessive pronoun
Narrow-minded: not willing to accept the ideas of others (ant: open-minded) • She is so insular and narrow-minded I don’t know how she manages to function. • Narrow-minded people are often guilty of discrimination against groups of people with whom they have nothing in common.
To stand up: 1. to withstand use or wear 2. to fail to appear for a date or social engagement • My car has stood up well to the effects of time and wear. • I can’t believe you stood me up last night! I was stuck waiting at the restaurant for a whole hour! • For usage 2, always use a noun or pronoun between stand and up.
To get the better of: to win or defeat by gaining an advantage over someone • He might not seem very smart, but he’s tricky and he will easily get the better of you in a debate. • You are 18, and your brother is 10, but you always let him get the better of you in an argument!
To break loose: to become free or loose; to escape (also to break free) • During a hurricane, boats often break loose of their mooring and drift away. • No matter how hard she tries, she can’t break free of her addiction to smoking.
On edge: nervous, anxious; upset or irritable • I don’t mean to snap at you, but this job interview really has me on edge. • I don’t like being around Jake when he’s on edge like that. I’m always afraid he’ll hurt someone.
To waste one’s breath: to speak uselessly • Don’t waste your breath trying to argue with him; he’s so narrow-minded he never sees anyone’s opinion but his own. • You’re wasting your breath complaining about the government.
To cut short: to make shorter or interrupt • I was cut short by a phone call while trying to explain to my son why peanut butter and ketchup don’t go well together. • It is never pleasant when you have to cut your vacation short to deal with bad news from home.
