Author: Daily Devotional

Idiom of the day :- One for the road

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

One last drink, usually alcoholic, before leaving a pub, house etc A : It’s a pity you have to leave the party so soon. If you’re not in a hurry how aboutone for the road ? B : Yes of course I can stay a little longer. A : Great. I’ve just invented a special cocktail. It’s warm beer mixed with orange juice, whisky and strawberry jam ! B : Err … Actually I think I’ll go now. I’ve just realised that I forgot to fed the cat. Goodbye ! In London during the Middle Ages, prisoners who were condemned to death would be taken from the Old Bailey prison ( now law courts ) to Tyburn ( now Marble Arch ). The journey was along the straight road from the City to the West End in a wagon pulled by a horse. Before leaving, it was traditional fro the prisoners to visit the pub opposite the Old Bailey. In the pub, the Magpie and Stump, they could have a large glass of beer or one for the road. The prisoners would arrive at Tyburn drunk and therefore would not worry about the execution to come !

Idiom of the day :- fall short / (To) fall short

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

To lack something. ex. “We tried to raise 50,000 dollars, but we fell short by about ten thousand.” 

Idiom of the day :- Bring out the big guns

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

The mice are tired of Chadwick giving them trouble. now that he’s asleep they’re seizing the opportunity to bring out the big guns to show him who’s boss. To bring out the big guns is to make use of a concealed plan to defeat an opponent in an argument or in a game, debate or competition.

Idiom of the day :- Last ditch (adj.)

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

Final (*has a slight connotation of “desperate”*). ex. “They made a last-ditch effort to win the game, but came up short.” 

Idiom of the day :- A soap opera

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

Before television, daily radio serials were aimed at housewives and were sponsored primarily by manufacturers of soap products. That led to them being called soap operas. Today’s sentimental, sensational and melodramatic radio and television serial dramas are still called soap operas. ‘DYNASTY and DALLAS are my favorite television soap operas.’

Idiom of the day :- Underdog

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

Someone who is almost certain to fail / lose a competition / argument / war etc A : Kevin Klumsy is the British entry at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships this year. He’ll be the underdog as usual. B : Why do you say that ? He might win ! A : Well, for a start he’s very shortsighted and has a wooden leg ! An underdog can be a person, animal or country. A common way of using it is in the expression support the underdog. One theory about its origin is that it came from the time when dogfighting was popular. The dog who was strongest was called the top dog ( which can be used of people today ) and the animal who was more likely to lose was called the under dog.

Idiom of the day :- big mouth / (To have a) big mouth

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

To not be able to keep a secret. ex. “Don’t tell her anything. She’s got a really big mouth.” 

Idiom of the day :- drop it / (To) drop it

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

To stop talking about something. ex. “I told you to drop it! I don’t want to talk about it.” 

Idiom of the day :- by the book / (To do something) by the book

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

To do something legally, without breaking any laws. ex. “The new sheriff made sure that everything was done by the book.” 

Idiom of the day :- Marry beneath oneself

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

To some people the social position of the person they marry is very important consideration. ‘People who believe in that kind of nonsense almost never marry beneath themselves, do they Myrtle ?’ ‘No,’ Myrtle answered ‘ because marrying beneath oneself means to marry a person of a lower social class than the one — real or imagined — they belong to.’