For company classes or private tuition, contact: [email protected] / http://www.learnhotenglish.com / 1710 Cross your fingers
If you physically “cross your fingers” (by putting
your middle finger over your index finger), you want
someone to have good luck. As part of this, you can
say, “Fingers crossed!”
A They said they’d be sending the exam results tomorrow.
B Fingers crossed!If someone “makes your day”, they make you
happy, especially when you’re having a really
boring or bad day.
“That free cake and coffee the cashier gave me really made
my day.”
“Go ahead, make my day" is a famous phrase by detective
Harry Callahan from the Clint Eastwood movie Sudden
Impact (1983). Callahan says this to a criminal he’s arrested,
inviting him to try to get his gun so Callahan can have an
excuse to shoot him, and “make his day”.7 Have it in for someone / have got it in for someone
If someone “has it in for you”, they seem to hate
you, and spend a lot of time criticising you, hurting
you, harming you...
“The boss invited everyone to the conference except me.
I think she’s got it in for me.”11 Get the sack
If someone “gets the
sack”, they lose their job.
Other similar expressions
include “get fired” or
“let someone go”.(^) He got the sack after
arguing with the client.
(^) He got fired after arguing
with the client.
(^) They let him go after
arguing with the client.
9 To clutch at straws
If someone is “clutching at straws”, they’re acting
desperately, and are ready to do or accept anything
to get out of a bad situation, even if it will never be
successful.
“He offered to do the work for half what he normally charges,
but he was just clutching at straws.”
13 To make someone’s day
8 Kiss and make up
If two people in a relationship
“kiss and make up”, they
become friends again after a
fight or argument.
“They had an argument last week
about the new house, but they’ve
kissed and made up now.”
12 Better safe than sorry
This expression means that it’s better to
do something properly and safely than to have
an accident.
A I’ve got to get to the meeting in 10 minutes.
B Well, drive safely. Better safe than sorry!