Recently I read of a couple who have to move out of their own home due to damage caused by the Christchurch earthquake. After this terrible disaster, they’re now starting to feel optimistic. They’re very happy that they’ve managed to buy a section of just the right size on which to build another house. They [...]
Organising a day in town recently, my husband asked where we should go for lunch. “Let’s just play it by ear”, I replied, as I wanted to keep our options open. Playing it by ear means deciding how to deal with a situation as it develops, rather than making plans beforehand. I suppose it comes [...]
“When you bike through the streets of Wellington, you take your life in your hands.” So said my daughter when she spoke of riding the narrow, steep and winding roads of Wellington. To take your life in your hands means to risk being killed. She still does it.
Yesterday one of my students said to me, ‘Your feedback has really hit the nail on the head’ after we discussed his writing. While I appreciated his compliment, his colleagues in the class all looked very shocked as they didn’t recognise the idiom. To hit the nail on the head means to say something that’s [...]
The other day, I heard someone say, “I don’t want all the bells and whistles, I just want basic insurance cover.” In this context, bells and whistles are attractive extra features. They will also be more expensive. When someone uses this phrase, they’re implying that the extra features are not necessary.
