PRACTICAL ENGLISH

  "Don't lose sleep over it." Meaning To lose sleep over means to excessively worry about someone or something so much to the point that you cannot sleep —usually used in negative statements. To not lose sleep over something means to not let something worry or upset you. Related words: worry a lot, overthink, get insomnia Example Sentences I know I made a mistake, but I wouldn't lose sleep over it. I wouldn't lose any sleep over what happened. I'm disappointed about their decision, but I'm not losing any sleep over it. It was just a mistake. Don’t lose any sleep over it. It’s just a practice game – I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it. Yes, my husband is in a little bit of trouble, but I'm not going to lose any sleep over him. I think my parents didn't lose sleep over my poor school performance. It's too bad, the experiment failed, but I'm not going to lose sleep over it. I hope you won't lose sleep over this issue with the comput...

  "Turn a blind eye" Meaning Pretend not to notice. To intentionally not give someone or something any attention. To ignore something that you know is wrong. If you say that someone is turning a blind eye to something bad or illegal that is happening, you mean that you think they are pretending not to notice that it is happening so that they will not have to do anything about it. Example Sentences Teachers are turning a blind eye to pupils smoking at school, a report reveals today. I can't turn a blind eye when someone is being robbed. As a police officer, you cannot turn a blind eye to any of the illegal activities around you. He knew that his wife was cheating on him but he chose to turn a blind eye.  She knows he’s lying to her, but she’s turning a blind eye to the situation. We should not turn a blind eye to the disadvantages of artificial intelligence. Why do so many people  turn a blind eye  when they see someone being attacked on the street? A lot of Ameri...

  "It comes at a price." Meaning (1) If you can buy something that you want at a price , it is for sale, but it is extremely expensive. (2) If you get something that you want at a price , you get it but something unpleasant happens as a result. Example Sentences I got the promotion, but it came at a price , as my ruthless behavior alienated a lot of people. That skateboard jump sure came at a price , now that you have two broken legs. He began to realize that fame comes at a price. Guests can always find a meal of sorts in the hotel restaurant, but at a price. Independence comes at a price. Fresh strawberries are now available at a price! It was a decision to be taken only at a price ; if he left his wife, it would mean leaving his children too. Convenience comes at a price. The chocolate is available by mail order, but at a price. In the big city, you can get anything you want— at a price. Freedom of speech came at a price for those protestors, as the crowd responded to...

  "At all costs" Meaning At all costs and at any cost are two idioms that describe a situation in which the speaker is willing to do anything to attain a goal.  Used for saying that something must be done, however difficult it is or however much damage it causes. If something must be done or avoided at all costs , it must be done or avoided whatever happens. At all costs  and  at any cost  are two versions of the same idiom. Synonyms: by any means, whatever happens,  no matter what, regardless, at any price Example Sentences The president must be protected at all costs. Ann told the doctor to preserve her mother's sight at all costs. He wanted her at any cost, even if it meant giving up everything he had. He is determined to win at any cost. We must avoid conflicts at any cost. I'm determined to attain my purpose at any cost. At all costs , we must avoid letting the press hear about this. She desires to succeed in business at any cost. He wanted to find h...

  "Lose track of..." Meaning To not know any longer where someone or something is, or to not be able to remember something To lose visibility of, forget about, misplace, or neglect to pay close attention to something. If you lose track of someone or something, you no longer know where they are or what is happening. Example Sentences What he was saying was so complicated that I lost track after the first couple of sentences. I've lost track of the number of times he's asked me to lend him money. I’ve lost track of most of my old college friends, unfortunately. Can you remember what number we were working on? I've lost track. You become so deeply absorbed in an activity that you lose track of time. I'm sorry I'm late. I lost track of time. With so much going on, it's easy to lose track. I was following my sister when she got into a small restaurant and I lost track of her. I was so absorbed in my work that I lost track of time. We took a walk along t...

  "Get their own way" Meaning To get, believe or do what you want, even though someone else wants something different. If someone gets their way or has their way , nobody can stop them from doing what they want to do. You can also say that someone gets their own way or has their own way. Synonym: get what you want, do what you want Example Sentences Samantha always has to get her own way when it comes to dividing responsibilities for group assignments. Toddlers often scream until they get their own way. She always gets her own way in the end. Alright, have it your own way — I’m tired of arguing. He is a spoiled child who always gets his own way. She is very good at using her charm to get her way. My little brother always gets his own way. Don't let the children always get their own way. The companies have been fighting hard to get their way. Trump is threatening another shutdown if he doesn’t get his way. After meeting resistance with her partner about how the bus...

  "Off guard" Meaning If you catch someone off-guard , you are surprising them by doing or saying something unexpected. If someone is caught off-guard , they are not expecting a surprise or danger that suddenly occurs. The phrase to catch someone off guard means to surprise someone in a way he or she was not expecting. It can be used in positive, negative, and neutral contexts. It is unclear when this idiom was first used. A similar English idiom, to catch someone by surprise , has the same meaning. Synonyms: take by surprise, startle, catch unaware, shocked Example Sentences The question caught her completely off guard. The news caught her completely off guard – she didn't know what to say. My mom was caught off guard when my 15-year-old brother announced his girlfriend was pregnant. When my boss told me he was raising my salary, he really caught me off guard . I hope I didn't catch you off guard when I arrived without calling. I've prepared answers to every...

   "That's the way to go" "Way to go!" Meaning The expression "That's the way to go" is used to say that's the best or most suitable decision, option, or method for doing a particular thing. People say "Way to go!" to show that they are pleased or impressed by something someone has done. It's a phrase of encouragement or praise for doing something correctly.  Synonyms/ related expressions: well done, good for you, you're doing it right Example Dialog 1  A: "I think we need to hold a vote with the board members."  B: "Yes, that's definitely the way to go. " Example Dialog 2 A: "I just found out I got into Harvard!"  B: "Wow, congratulations! Way to go!" Example Sentences When all of your friends have traditional 9 to 5 jobs with kids and mortgages, it can be easy to feel like that's the way to go , but some people just aren't suited to that lifestyle. A law against dumping was...

  "Follow suit" Meaning To follow someone else's lead in a situation and perform the same actions they have done in the same given situation. If people follow suit, they do the same thing that someone else has just done, especially by following their example. To follow suit means to follow an example set by someone else , to follow someone with actions in kind, to take a cue from someone else in influencing one’s behavior. Synonyms: copy someone, emulate someone, accord with someone, take your cue from someone Example Sentences When one airline reduces its ticket prices, the rest usually follow suit. Last summer, as the trade war with China broiled, Washington put pressure on its allies to follow suit and ban Huawei equipment from 5G infrastructure. When Allied Stores reduced their prices, other companies were forced to follow suit. One of the major banks has lowered its interest rates and the other banks are expected to follow suit. Budget companies have been so su...

  "Don't take any chances." Meaning To not do something that is risky or dangerous. When you take a chance , you try to do something although there is a large risk of danger or failure. But, if you take no chances or not take any chances, you don't try to do something that is risky or would put your life in danger. Synonyms: to avoid risk, be on the safe side, take precaution Example Sentences A COVID19 patient urges people not to take any chances and stay home as much as possible. She was taking no chances by refusing to go skydiving. They did not take any chances and called the fire department when they smelled gas. He said he couldn't afford to take any chances. Investigators decided to take no chances. People across the country were not taking any chances with suspicious packages after six pipe bombs were sent to prominent Democrats on the East Coast. Don't take any chances and start eating healthy food starting today. I don't take any chances ...

  "Get in the way" Meaning To prevent someone from doing something, or prevent something from happening To obstruct or interfere something. To get in the way of something means to make it difficult for it to happen or continue. Synonyms: hamper, obstruct, hinder, stop, prohibit, prevent Example Sentences Your social life must not get in the way of your studies. I never let unimportant details get in the way of a good plan. She had a job which never got in the way of her leisure interests. You can come into the kitchen to observe, but please try not to get in the way. The neighbor's trash cans always get in the way of my parking spot. You may not be getting along with your spouse but don't let it get in the way of good parenting in high conflict divorce. For many people, there is no more relaxing place to be than sitting on a beach by the roaring ocean, but of course pesky things like work and family life tend to get in the way of spending all of your time at that d...

  "Unheard-of" Meaning You can say that an event or situation is unheard-of when it happens for the first time and is very surprising or shocking. You can say that an event or situation is unheard-of when it never happens. Not heard of before; unprecedented or unknown. Synonyms: unprecedented, unusual, unknown Example Sentences It was not all that long ago that it was almost unheard-of for an unmarried couple to live together. These ideas are completely  unheard-of 50 years ago. Two years ago, his name was almost unheard-of in this country. Mom announced that she was going away, which was absolutely unheard-of . On the streets, you can see that women are also infiltrating typically “male” jobs: there are more and more female cops and taxi drivers, which would have been completely unheard-of only 60 years ago. According to an article I've read from a fashion book, it was almost completely unheard-of for women to wear pants until the 1850s. It is not unheard-of for a ...

  1. Open Book Meaning An open book is a person  or a subject that is easy to understand or easy to get to know. If a person is an open book , that means they share everything about their life and they're easy to get to know. If a subject is an open book , it's easy to learn or to know. Example Sentences My life is an open book. I have nothing to hide. His mind is an open book. He shares whatever is on his mind. My life is an open book. You can ask me anything. My life is an open book , just look for yourself. Your life in this town has been an open book. Not every celebrity's life is an open book.  I don't reveal a lot about my life like an open book . I believe some things are meant to be kept secret. 2. Closed Book Meaning A closed book is just the opposite of an open book. If a person or a subject is a closed book, they are not easy to understand or get to know. Someone who is a closed book is a very secretive person or they don't tell about their own lif...

  "Hit the books" Meaning to study very hard to start studying to get engaged reading books Interesting fact about Hit the Books In this phrase, hit means to start or to begin. Although no one knows the origin of the idiom “hit the books”, it seems to be related to early idioms such as “hit the trail,” which cowboys used when starting out on a journey. It’s clear that this saying is a fairy contemporary one, probably from the mid-20th century. Example Sentences I can't go out tonight. I need to hit the books. If you don't hit the books , I'm going to take away your phone and disconnect the Wi-Fi. Whenever I feel bored a bit – I often hit the books.  My friend never hits the books , even at exam time. He just listens very carefully in class and gets great grades. You better hit the books if you want to pass your exam on Friday. Why don’t you hit the books to find out more about that subject? At exam time we all hit the books. I hit the books all week. So now, ...

  "I've got nothing on you." "They have nothing on me." Meaning To have no advantage over someone or something else. If someone has nothing on you, they are not better than you at something. To lack the evidence necessary to place a charge against someone; to have no proof of wrongdoing or criminality about someone. Note:  " Someone has or someone's got nothing on you" means that somebody is comparing you to someone else and you are smarter, harder-working, more polite, more beautiful, etc. The expression compares your qualities, knowledge or skills to someone else's qualities, knowledge or skills. But there is also another meaning for the expression. It is used when the police investigates a situation and they think they know who did a bad thing but they have no evidence, no proof, no way to prove that the person is the one who is responsible for the problem. So in a sentence: The police are sure you did it, but the police have nothing on y...

  "Goes against..." Meaning If a decision or vote goes against someone, they do not get the result that they wanted. To oppose or disagree with something or someone To not be good for (someone) : to not produce the result that is wanted by (someone). If a person or their behavior  goes against your wishes, beliefs, or expectations, their behavior is the opposite of what you want, believe in, or expect. Example Sentences The judge's decision went against us. The vote went against her. Public opinion is going against the Republican Party on this issue. What you're asking me to do goes against everything I believe in. Anytime they go against each other, you know it’s going to be a good fight. I won't do anything that goes against my beliefs. He was surprised when some of his former supporters went against him. He was reluctant to go against his parents' wishes. Everything seemed to be going against her but she didn't give up hope. The verdict went ...

  The English terms in spite of and despite are very similar in meaning and usage. English speakers sometimes find them confusing. Note: The English terms  despite  and  in spite of  are synonyms.  Despite  might be a tiny bit more formal, but the two terms are interchangeable. Just be careful not to say something like " despite of " or " in despite " – it’s always either the three words  in spite of , or just the single word  despite . 1. Despite Despite  means "even though," "notwithstanding," or "regardless of." It’s the opposite of "because of/due to," and can be used with a noun or gerund. You use despite to introduce a fact which makes the other part of the sentence surprising. Example: She had difficulty communicating in French despite all her years of study. We lost the game, despite the fact that we practiced all week. Despite not having an umbrella, I walked home in the rain 2. In spite of In spite of  means exactly...

  "You can count on me." Meaning To be confident that you can trust or believe someone, depend on someone or something. If you count on someone or count upon them, you rely on them to support you or help you. If you count on something or count upon it, you expect it to happen and include it in your plans. Example Sentences I can always count on my parents  to help me when I'm in trouble. I can always count on you to cheer me up. You can always count on him to lend you money. I knew that I could count on you to help me with my homework, you are always there for me. If there's anything I can do,   you can  count on me. We can't count on him telling the truth. Don't count on other people to help you out of trouble. You can never count on him to get the job done, he is a very lazy man who never does his part. You can always count on your mom to give you good advice. I'm counting on the meeting ending on time , or I'll miss my bus. We hope we can...

  Meaning To cause someone to be disappointed, often because you have failed to do what you promised. If you let someone down , you disappoint them, by not doing something that you have said you will do or that they expected you to do. If something lets you down , it is the reason you are not as successful as you could have been. Example Sentences You will be there tomorrow. You won't let me down , will you?  When I failed to get accepted at the top university, I really felt I had let my parents down. I don't want to let myself down in the exam. My children would never let me down. I'm relying on your help. Please don' t let me down. Don't worry, mom, I won't let you down. She’s a great player, and never lets her team down. Dad said he'd be here to watch my baseball game, but he let me down again. I'll work hard. I don't want to let my family down. Have you ever been let down by someone? It's painful to feel let down by someone, but it happe...

  "I feel like..." Meaning To have the urge or desire to do or have something To seem to be something. To feel as one usually does.  To have a particular sensation or experience with the sense of touch. Example Sentences He didn’t feel like going to work. I feel like going on a vacation. Do you feel like another drink? I feel like going out tonight. I just don't feel like doing anything tonight. Where do you feel like going to dinner? I just feel like a burger and fries, nothing fancy. She felt like yelling at him, but she was determined not to lose her self-control. He was so rude, I felt like leaving immediately. We all got bored and felt like leaving.  I feel like ordering a cup of coffee. I felt like a fool when I couldn’t remember her name. You made me feel like I was your family. What does it feel like to be a father? She said she didn’t feel like herself today. I'm finally starting to feel like myself again, after battling that cold for wee...

  "Why are you giving me the cold shoulder?" Meaning To give no interest to someone or something usually with the intent of purposefully not giving attention. To give someone the cold shoulder means to treat someone in an unfriendly way, often by intentionally ignoring or showing contempt for the person. Example Sentences He got the cold shoulder from his former boss when he saw him at a restaurant. Jane was very upset at her husband for forgetting their anniversary. She gave him the cold shoulder for the whole day. When I walked into a luxury store wearing casual clothes with slippers, the sales clerks at the store gave me the cold shoulder. I thought she was giving me the cold shoulder. I didn’t know she was having difficult times. Julia was an uninvited guest. No wonder everyone gave her the cold shoulder at the party. Giving the cold shoulder to your partner , instead of trying to talk things out, can ruin the relationship. She thinks you started that rumor about he...

  1. Have/has to do with Meaning To be connected with (someone or something) to the extent specified. To have a relation or connection. To be involved with someone or something. Example Sentences My question has to do with last week’s assignment. His illness has a lot to do with his failing the exam. John is denying it but he  has do with  that bribery scandal. Your lack of confidence probably had a lot to do with your not getting the job. The new tax reform has to do with saving the economy. Phonetics has to do with the production of speech sounds. My wife eats too much these days and I think it has to do with her pregnancy. 2. Have nothing to do with Meaning To not involve someone or something. Have no contact or connection with. Unrelated or irrelevant to someone or something.  Absolutely no relations with someone or something. Example Sentences This argument has nothing to do with me. This lecture has nothing to do with your grades. I'm unhappy with your...