Author: Daily Devotional

Idiom of the day :- zero in on something / (To) zero in on something

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

To aim or focus directly on something. ex. “I would like to zero in on another important issue.” 

Idiom of the day :- make light of something / (To) make light of something

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

To treat something as if it were trivial or unimportant. ex. “Don’t make light of the situation. It’s more serious than you think.” 

Idiom of the day :- That’s the story of my life

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

This remark doesn’t refer to a historical account of a person’s life : it’s usually spoken when something goes wrong. And the more that things go wrong, the more often a person is likely to say this. ‘I spent six years writing a book but no publisher wanted it. That’s the story of my life,’ Victor frowned.

Idiom of the day :- Gift of gab

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

Some seem born with a gift of gab. Others might study to acquire it. Many more never have it at all. That’s because a gift of gab ( or the gift of the gab ) refers tohaving the ability to speak freely and easily. ‘Mona’s such a quiet girl. No one could describe her as having a gift of gab,’ Linux said.

Idiom of the day :- All kidding aside; all joking aside

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

You say this when you want to tell someone that you’re now speaking seriously. ex: “All joking aside, I really do think he’s the best man for the job.” 

Idiom of the day :- Starry-eyed

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

‘I notice that today’s tourist boat had some pretty big Hollywood celebrities on it,’ Petrock said. ‘How can you tell ?’ Bighead asked. ‘Look over there at Eggmont. The boat may be gone, but he’s looking all starry-eyed just thinking about it,’ Bighead said. When a person is described as being starry-eyed, he or she is dreaming fanciful dreams. ‘And they are usually impossible ones that are never likely to come true,’ Petrock added.

Idiom of the day :- Rob Peter to pay Paul

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

There are a number of stories concerning the origins of this expression, but no one is sure where it comes from. What is known is that it has been in use since 1380, which may explain why we don’t know much about its beginnings. It describes taking or borrowing something from one person ( Peter ) to repay a debt owed to someone else ( Paul ). ‘Gregory wants to borrow some money from me so he can repay a loan. I declined, saying that would be like robbing Peter to pay Paul.’

Idiom of the day :- Heath Robinson

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

Strange-looking/appearing to be homemade or improvised ( used about machinery/vehicles ) A : Bob’s father wouldn’t buy him a VW for his birthday so Bob built himself a Heath Robinson car out of a bath, a motor bike engine and six bicycle wheels ! He was really pleased with the result. B : But surely it wasn’t as good as a VW car. A : No it wasn’t, but Bob’s father was so embarrassed every time his son drove around in it that he agreed to buy him a proper car ! W Heath Robinson was a British artist who lived from 1872 to 1944. He became famous for his incredible cartoon drawings about inventors and their mad inventions. Today his name has entered the English language to describe any machinery or contraption which looks like part of one of his cartoons.

Idiom of the day :- What’s with (someone)

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

What’s wrong with (someone). ex. “What’s with you? You’ve been acting strange all day!” 

Idiom of the day :- make life miserable for someone / (To) make life miserable for someone

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

To cause someone lots of problems. ex. “Patricia’s boss is making life miserable for her.”