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Category: idioms

  • Grasping at Straws

    🗓️ Idiom: Grasping at Straws (v)

    💬 Meaning

    • To try anything, even if it’s unlikely to work, because you are desperate.
    • Trying different solutions to a problem that probably won’t work.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • When none of the strategies worked, the team started grasping at straws.
    • He was grasping at straws by suggesting random fixes without proper analysis.
    • In the final meeting, they were clearly grasping at straws to save the failing project.

    🏛️ Origin

    This idiom comes from the image of a drowning person reaching for straws (thin pieces of material), something with no real chance of saving them. It’s now used when people are trying desperate or unlikely solutions.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    The project was falling apart, and the team was __________ with last-minute, untested ideas.

    Answer

    grasping at straws

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “grasping at straws”:

    A) Trying a method that is proven to work
    B) Taking careful, well-planned steps
    C) Trying anything without confidence it will help
    D) Giving up completely

    Answer

    C) Trying anything without confidence it will help

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “They were making desperate suggestions that probably wouldn’t solve the issue.” → Change the sentence using: grasping at straws

    Answer

    They were grasping at straws with suggestions that probably wouldn’t solve the issue.

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  • Swimming Up Stream

    🗓️ Idiom: Swimming Upstream (v)

    💬 Meaning

    • Trying to achieve a difficult challenge against the odds.
    • Trying something when the conditions are against you.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • Launching a fresh idea in a traditional company can feel like swimming upstream.
    • She was swimming upstream trying to change the decision-making process.
    • We’re swimming upstream with this project during this bad economy.

    🏛️ Origin

    This idiom comes from the image of fish, like salmon, swimming against the current to reach their goal. In business, it represents working hard even when things are not easy.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    They were __________ trying to convince the board to try a new strategy.

    Answer

    swimming upstream

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “swimming upstream”:

    A) Working without a plan
    B) Making progress easily
    C) Moving against resistance or difficulty
    D) Taking a break before starting work

    Answer

    C) Moving against resistance or difficulty

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “They faced many challenges while trying to introduce the new system.” → Change the sentence using: swim upstream

    Answer

    They were swimming upstream while trying to introduce the new system.

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  • Nip It in the Bud

    🗓️ Idiom: Nip It in the Bud (v)

    💬 Meaning

    • To stop a problem early before it becomes serious.
    • It means taking quick action to prevent something from getting worse.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • If we nip the issue in the bud now, it won’t affect the final project.
    • The manager noticed a drop in quality and decided to nip it in the bud.
    • We should nip the communication gap in the bud before it leads to bigger problems.

    🏛️ Origin

    This idiom comes from gardening — to “nip” (cut off) a bud before it grows into a full plant. In conversation, it means stopping a small issue before it grows out of control.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    The project was falling behind, so they decided to __________ before deadlines were missed.

    Answer

    nip it in the bud

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “nip it in the bud”:

    A) To delay a decision
    B) To fix something after it becomes a big problem
    C) To ignore an issue
    D) To stop a problem early before it grows

    Answer

    D) To stop a problem early before it grows

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “They stopped the small issue before it got worse.” → Change the sentence using: nip it in the bud

    Answer

    They nipped it in the bud before it got worse.

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  • Put Our Heads Together

    🗓️ Idiom: Put Our Heads Together (v)

    💬 Meaning

    • To work with others to solve a problem or make a decision.
    • It means to discuss something as a team and share ideas.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • We need to put our heads together and find a way to fix the delivery issue.
    • The designers put their heads together and came up with a brilliant layout.
    • Let’s put our heads together and figure out how to cut costs without losing quality.

    🏛️ Origin

    The idiom comes from the image of people literally putting their heads close to talk and think together. It’s often used in teamwork or collaborative problem-solving situations.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    The situation is tricky, so let’s __________ and come up with a solution.

    Answer

    put our heads together

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “put our heads together”:

    A) To avoid the issue
    B) To ask the boss for help
    C) To think carefully on your own
    D) To collaborate and solve a problem together

    Answer

    D) To collaborate and solve a problem together

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “They worked as a team to solve the issue.” → Change the sentence using: put their heads together

    Answer

    They put their heads together to solve the issue.

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  • Brainstorm Ideas

    🗓️ Idiom: Brainstorm Ideas (v)

    💬 Meaning

    • To think of many ideas quickly, often in a group.
    • It means to generate different solutions or suggestions before making a decision.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • Let’s brainstorm ideas for the new client presentation.
    • The team spent the morning brainstorming ideas to reduce costs.
    • Before choosing a strategy, we should brainstorm a few more ideas.

    🏛️ Origin

    The term became popular in the 1940s as a method for group creativity. The word “storm” suggests a burst of energy or activity. In this case, a storm of ideas.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    Before we decide on the next steps, let’s __________ and see what we come up with.

    Answer

    brainstorm ideas

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “brainstorm ideas”:

    A) To delay a project
    B) To focus on one fixed idea
    C) To quickly come up with many possible ideas
    D) To write a long report

    Answer

    C) To quickly come up with many possible ideas

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “They discussed many creative solutions together.” → Change the sentence using: brainstorm ideas

    Answer

    They brainstormed ideas together.

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  • Chew the Fat

    🗓️ Idiom: Chew the Fat (v)

    💬 Meaning

    • To have a relaxed, informal conversation.
    • It often means talking casually to share ideas or solve problems together.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • Before making a final decision, the team chewed the fat over coffee.
    • We spent an hour chewing the fat about different ways to fix the issue.
    • Sometimes the best ideas come when you’re just chewing the fat with a colleague.

    🏛️ Origin

    This idiom comes from old sailing days, when workers would chew salted fat and chat to pass time. Now it means to talk casually, especially when sharing ideas or discussing solutions.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    Let’s grab a coffee and __________ about how to move forward with the project.

    Answer

    chew the fat

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “chew the fat”:

    A) To argue in a meeting
    B) To write a long report
    C) To chat informally and exchange ideas
    D) To take a break alone

    Answer

    C) To chat informally and exchange ideas

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “They had a casual chat to explore ideas.” → Change the sentence using: chew the fat

    Answer

    They chewed the fat to explore ideas.

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  • Put Your Thinking Cap On

    🗓️ Idiom: Put Your Thinking Cap On (v)

    💬 Meaning

    • To start thinking seriously about how to solve a problem.
    • It means focusing your mind to find a good idea or make a decision.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • We need to put our thinking caps on and figure out how to cut costs.
    • The manager told the team to put their thinking caps on and improve the process.
    • Before the deadline, everyone put their thinking caps on to find a solution.

    🏛️ Origin

    This idiom likely comes from the idea of wearing a special “cap” to help you think better. It is about hats worn by scholars and intellectuals, such as the “considering cap”. Learning and university was linked with wearing caps or hats.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    We need to __________ and come up with a better plan for the next phase.

    Answer

    put our thinking caps on

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “put your thinking cap on”:

    A) To relax after work
    B) To think seriously about a problem
    C) To forget about the task
    D) To ask someone else to decide

    Answer

    B) To think seriously about a problem

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “She needs to focus and come up with a good solution.” → Change the sentence using: put your thinking cap on

    Answer

    She needs to put her thinking cap on and come up with a good solution.

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  • Top Notch

    🗓️ Idiom: Top Notch (adj)

    💬 Meaning

    • Of the highest quality or standard.
    • It means excellent or very good.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • The development team delivered top-notch software ahead of schedule.
    • Our IT support provides top-notch service to all clients.
    • This new security system is top notch compared to the old one.

    🏛️ Origin

    “Top notch” originally referred to the highest notch or mark on a tool or measuring device. Over time, it came to mean the best quality or highest standard.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    Our company hired a __________ cybersecurity expert to improve our defenses.

    Answer

    top-notch

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “top notch”:

    A) Average quality
    B) Very poor
    C) The highest quality
    D) Cheap

    Answer

    C) The highest quality

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “The software developer is one of the best in the company.” → Change the sentence using: top notch

    Answer

    The software developer is top notch.

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  • Trojan Horse

    🗓️ Idiom: Trojan Horse (n)

    💬 Meaning

    • A trick or tool that looks safe but causes harm once inside a system.
    • In IT, it often means a type of malware disguised as helpful software.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • The fake update was actually a Trojan horse that infected the network.
    • That free app turned out to be a Trojan horse filled with spyware.
    • Always scan attachments — one Trojan horse can crash your system.

    🏛️ Origin

    This idiom comes from a very old Greek story where the Greeks gave the city of Troy a wooden horse. The wooden horse had soldiers hidden inside. These soldiers then attacked the city form the inside.

    In IT, it describes malware that enters by pretending to be useful or safe.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    Be careful. That free software could be a __________ designed to steal your data.

    Answer

    Trojan horse

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “Trojan horse” in IT:

    A) A safe program
    B) A coding shortcut
    C) Malware hidden in a harmless-looking file
    D) A strong password

    Answer

    C) Malware hidden in a harmless-looking file

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “The hacker sent a file that looked safe but caused damage after installation.” → Change the sentence using: Trojan horse

    Answer

    The hacker sent a Trojan horse that caused damage after installation.

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  • Put a Square Peg in a Round Hole

    🗓️ Idiom: Put a Square Peg in a Round Hole (v)

    💬 Meaning

    • To try to fit someone or something into a role that doesn’t suit them.
    • It means forcing a tool, person, or idea into a place where it doesn’t belong.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • Using that old CRM with our new tools is like putting a square peg in a round hole.
    • Assigning a creative developer to repetitive coding tasks felt like putting a square peg in a round hole.
    • Their platform isn’t made for this type of integration. It’s a square peg in a round hole.

    🏛️ Origin

    The idiom comes from the idea that a square object doesn’t fit into a round space. In modern business and IT, it describes poor fits between tools, systems, or people and roles.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    Trying to use a mobile app designed for iOS on an Android system is like __________.

    Answer

    putting a square peg in a round hole

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “put a square peg in a round hole”:

    A) To create a smooth upgrade
    B) To apply a perfect match
    C) To force a bad fit between tools or roles
    D) To test a new feature

    Answer

    C) To force a bad fit between tools or roles

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “That outdated plugin doesn’t work with the new system.” → Change the sentence using: put a square peg in a round hole

    Answer

    Using that outdated plugin is like putting a square peg in a round hole.

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