Making a case or arguing a point 107Not exactly
Not exactly, when used before an adjective, means hardly.Well, this is not exactly the best pizza I ever ate.Inside out
Inside out can indicate that an inner surface has become the outer surface.You have your shirt on inside out.It can also indicate a thorough knowledge of something.Get Pierre to help you with your French. He knows the grammar inside out.Keep on
To keep on means to continue or not stop. It is followed by a verb in -ing form.We can’t take a break. We have to keep on studying.Think outside the box
To think outside the box means to be creative or to always have new ideas for solving problems.When she solved the school’s traffic problem, she was really thinking outside the box.Fall off
To fall off can mean, literally, to accidentally disappear from a high point.He broke his leg when he fell off the diving board.It can also mean to decline or be reduced.Sales of new houses began to fall off during the month of January.Put one’s two cents in
To put one’s two cents in means to offer one’s opinion.Everybody is arguing about this. OK, I’ll put my two cents in: we should go home and think
about this and then try to discuss it calmly next week.A bit uppity
To be a bit uppity means to act as if you were superior to other people. Alternative expressions
include to be stuck-up/to be snooty/to be a snob.Maybe she’s just not used to the job, but the new secretary seems to be a bit uppity.Put someone’s name up
To put someone’s name up means to nominate someone for a position or office.No, I’m not running for president of the fraternity. I don’t know who put my name up.