LEAD SOMEONE UP THE GARDEN PATH

Meaning: if someone leads you up the garden path, they deceive you by making you believe something which is not true.

EXAMPLES:

Don't lead me up the garden path—tell me what is really going on here.

He led me up the garden path. He said the relationship with Penny was over but now he seems to be seeing her again.

According to by some websites, LEAD SOMEONE UP THE GARDEN PATH is mainly British. There is also the variety LEAD SOMEONE DOWN THE GARDEN PATH, which is mainly American English.

EXAMPLES:

Don't lead me down the garden path—tell me what is really going on here.

Now, be honest with me. Don't lead me down the garden path. That cheater really led her up the garden path.

He believes the average consumer is being led down the garden path by the promises in advertisements.

In a nutshell, what does 'LEAD SOMEONE UP THE GARDEN PATH' mean?

“If someone leads you up the garden path, they deceive you, or give you false information that causes you to waste your time. 'Lead someone down the garden path' is also used.”

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In some instances, I have been unable to trace the owners of the pictures used here; therefore, I would appreciate any information that would enable me to do so. Thank you very much.

Is something important missing? Report an error or suggest an improvement. Please, I strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact me!

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IN THE PIPELINE

You may have heard this one before. A pipeline is a large pipe that carries oil or gas over a long distance, often underground.

If something is in the pipeline, it is being planned or developed.

EXAMPLES:

o   The group has a new CD in the pipeline.

o   The theatre company has several new productions in the pipeline for next season.

o   Twenty-eight lawsuits were filed this week, and another 200 cases are in the pipeline.

o   The project has been in the pipeline since forever. I am not sure if it will ever get completed.

o   I am not working right now but have a few offers in the pipeline.

o   She keeps telling me that her new book is in the pipeline but is she even writing something right now?

o   My mother's operation has been scheduled. Finally, it has been in the pipeline for a very long time.

o   My boss asked for an update about every project that is in the pipeline right now. Is something going on that I don't know about?

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In some instances, I have been unable to trace the owners of the pictures used here; therefore, I would appreciate any information that would enable me to do so. Thank you very much.

Is something important missing? Report an error or suggest an improvement. Please, I strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact me!

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KEEP A LOW PROFILE

Read the sentences below:

• With police apparently keeping a low profile, the violence intensified during the night.

• Apple kept a low profile for the first few days of the conference, making no major announcements or product introductions.

• Many of the exiles have married, taken jobs, and generally kept a low profile.

• But since then they have kept a low profile and not made their findings public.

• Kendall keeps a low profile, refusing to grant on-the-record interviews with the news media.

• Like every really smart lobbyist, Boggs knows the importance of being subtle and of keeping a low profile.

• She's keeping a low profile until the scandal is forgotten.

• There was nothing she could do about it, other than keep a low profile and stay well out of his way.

• Western visitors to the region are asked to keep a low profile.

• I decided to keep a low profile, after all I was a guest.

• During the event Clinton will keep a low profile.

· The president continues to keep a low profile on vacation in Maine

Having read the sentences, I would like to call your attention to KEEP A LOW PROFILE.

If someone KEEP A LOW PROFILE, they avoid doing things that will make people notice them. We KEEP A LOW PROFILE in order to avoid drawing attention, scrutiny, or observation to oneself.

PORTAL DA LÍNGUA INGLESA has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-partly internet websites referred to in this post, and does not guarantee that any context on such websites are, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

In some instances, I have been unable to trace the owners of the pictures used here; therefore, I would appreciate any information that would enable me to do so. Thank you very much.

Is something important missing? Report an error or suggest an improvement. Please, I strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact me!

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[IDIOMS] IT COSTS AN ARM AND A LEG

One famous expression used in Brazil is that one about the cost of things, especially when we are talking about something very expensive. In English there are very similar idioms. When something costs a lot of money, we say that IT COSTS AN ARM AND A LEG. If I can remember well, in Brazil people say “Isso custa os olhos da cara” to refer to ‘It costs an arm and a leg’.

The idea here is pretty obvious: GIVING UP AN ARM AND A LEG TO BUY OR PAY FOR SOMETHING IS CLEARLY TOO COSTLY.

There are of course other ways of saying that in English – you can even use verbs such as PAY, CHARGE, and SPEND instead of COST.

EXAMPLES:

College tuitions cost an arm and leg nowadays.

I'm sick of paying rent in this town because it costs an arm and a leg!  

It cost us an arm and a leg to get here. But it has been worth every penny and more.

This suit cost me an arm and a leg.

I'd really like to have a new farm house, but it may cost me an arm and a leg.  

"How much would you pay for luxurious farmhouse by the beach? An arm and a leg?"

He really wants to go to that event. He's willing to pay an arm and a leg for it.

If you can read and Portuguese, I would like to suggest you more about both the origin and meaning of Custar os olhos da cara. According to the website significados (English: meanings), Custar os olhos da cara “é uma expressão popular que significa custar muito caro, ter um preço muito alto, preço acima da média esperada.”  You can learn more about its origin here: (custar os olhos da cara)

REFERENCES

cost an arm and a leg. (n.d.) Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. (2015). Retrieved June 26 2020 from https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/cost+an+arm+and+a+leg

Modern Slang – Easy Way, de Jack Scholes, Disal Editora, 2005.

Significado de Custar os olhos da cara: (click here)   

theidioms.com

PORTAL DA LÍNGUA INGLESA has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-partly internet websites referred to in this post, and does not guarantee that any context on such websites are, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

In some instances, I have been unable to trace the owners of the pictures used here; therefore, I would appreciate any information that would enable me to do so. Thank you very much.

Is something important missing? Report an error or suggest an improvement. Please, I strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact me!

Your feedback is welcome. Please direct comments and questions to me at bruno_coriolano@hotmail.com

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What does HIT THE GROUND RUNNING mean?

If you HIT THE GROUND RUNNING, you start a new activity with great energy and enthusiasm, working effectively from the beginning.

EXAMPLES:

We want our students to hit the ground running after they graduate.

She is in excellent shape and in good spirits. She will hit the ground running when she gets back.

They have worked hard and hit the ground running.

As soon as the CEO approval of the new product came through, the entire office hit the ground running.

I'm confident that our new CEO will just hit the ground running once she starts here.

A decade ago, I had a lot more energy. I would wake up, hit the ground running, and never stop until I went to bed again.

We need someone who is fully trained and can hit the ground running. She's in excellent shape and in good spirits. She'll hit the ground running when she gets back.

They hit the ground running and demonstrate leadership qualities at a faster rate.

PORTAL DA LÍNGUA INGLESA has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-partly internet websites referred to in this post, and does not guarantee that any context on such websites are, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

In some instances, I have been unable to trace the owners of the pictures used here; therefore, I would appreciate any information that would enable me to do so. Thank you very much.

Is something important missing? Report an error or suggest an improvement. Please, I strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact me!

Your feedback is welcome. Please direct comments and questions to me at bruno_coriolano@hotmail.com

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What does 'a drop in the bucket' mean?

“If you count all the rich people in the world they are just a drop in the bucket in comparison to the world’s population.”

“These contributions are just a drop in the bucket; the new church wing will cost thousands more.”

“I'm glad Tony started repaying the money he borrowed from me, but the five dollars he gave me yesterday is just a drop in the bucket compared to what he still owes.”

“I know $200 is a drop in the bucket but please use it to make an extra payment on your student loans anyway.”

“I shouldn't be surprised I failed the class. The studying I did was a drop in the bucket of the requirements and I never went to class either.”

I’m sure you know the meaning of the expression a drop in the bucket. This expression is used to show:

1.   A very small quantity, especially one that is too small.;

2.   A tiny amount, especially when compared to a much larger one;

3.   A small, inadequate quantity;

4.   A very small proportion of the whole.

What's the origin of the phrase A drop in the bucket?

It comes from the Bible, more specifically, Isaiah 40:15 (King James Version):

"Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing."

Is there any difference between 'a drop in the bucket' and 'a drop in the ocean'?

The answer is straightforward: NO. 'A drop in the bucket' is the predecessor of 'a drop in the ocean'; they mean exactly the same thing. However, ‘a drop in the ocean’ seems to have been used for the first time in 1802 in a piece from the Edinburgh Weekly Journal:

"The votes for the appointment of Bonaparte to be Chief Consul for life are like a drop in the ocean compared with the aggregate of the population of France."  

Considering that it seems to be much easier to remember new vocabulary and new expressions when you write your own phrases, I would like to challenge you to write your own sample sentences in the comments section below. Can you do it?

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa   

Drop in the Bucket is also a Los Angeles based, charity with field offices in Uganda and South Sudan. You can check it here if you want.

You can also find them on

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dropinthebucket/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DropInTheBucket

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/dropinthebucket1

PORTAL DA LÍNGUA INGLESA has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-partly internet websites referred to in this post, and does not guarantee that any context on such websites are, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

In some instances, I have been unable to trace the owners of the pictures used here; therefore, I would appreciate any information that would enable me to do so. Thank you very much.

Is something important missing? Report an error or suggest an improvement. Please, I strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact me!

Your feedback is welcome. Please direct comments and questions to me at bruno_coriolano@hotmail.com

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What does ‘rain on someone’s parade’ mean?

‘Rain on someone’s parade’

This expression suggests that spoiling someone’s happy feelings is similar to having it rain during a parade. The expression is usually used in the negative. In other words, it means, according to Macmillan dictionary, it means: “to do something to stop someone enjoying something good that is happening to them.”  

Example 01 – She is in a great mood, so don’t tell me anything that might change the way she’s feeling. Don’t rain on her parade, ok?

Example 02 – I hate to rain on your parade, but your plans are all wrong.

Example 03 – I don't mean to rain on your parade, but I have some bad news.

SYNONYMS:

(Vulgar) to piss in someone's cornflakes which means ‘to disappoint or irritate someone.’

Example: Sorry to piss in your cornflakes, but my mom's got asthma, so take your cigarettes outside. 

ATTENTION:

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In some instances, I have been unable to trace the owners of the pictures used here; therefore, I would appreciate any information that would enable me to do so. Thank you very much.

Is something important missing? Report an error or suggest an improvement. Please, I strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact me!

Your feedback is welcome. Please direct comments and questions to me at bruno_coriolano@hotmail.com

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