Here’s a cross-team conversation using popular idioms. Review it to understand the meanings of idioms, and then answer questions with them. Get more English practice here.
The Project “Phoenix” Post-Mortem
Setting: A glass-walled meeting room at 9:00 AM. Everyone looks exhausted but relieved.
Sarah (Manager): Morning, team. Before we dive into the next sprint, I want to say kudos to everyone for getting that patch live by the deadline. I know we had to burn the midnight oil all weekend to make it happen.
Leo (UX Designer): Thanks, Sarah. It was a close call. I honestly thought the stakeholders were going to give us the cold shoulder after that disastrous demo last week. I’m glad they’re still talking to us.
Kevin (Developer): I’m just glad it’s over. When the server cluster went down on Friday, I thought you were going to blow your top, Sarah. I’ve never seen you move that fast toward the server room.
Sarah: (Laughs) I was close! But I knew panicking wouldn’t help. We had to get the ball rolling on the recovery immediately, or we would live to regret the decision to delay the launch any further.
Leo: It didn’t help that the QA team started dropping like flies with that flu going around. I felt like I was doing a crash course in automated testing just to help Kevin cross the finish line.
Kevin: And you did great, Leo. But let’s be real—the Lead Architect was being a bit difficult. He was on such a high horse about the original code structure that he almost blocked the emergency fix.
Sarah: Well, the important thing is the site is stable. Let’s take the win, grab some coffee, and try to have a normal 40-hour week for once.
| Idiom | Definition | Sense | Example |
| blow ____ top | to be very angry, out of control with anger | negative | Wow! My manager really blew his top when my coworker suggested that our company is in trouble. |
| burn the midnight oil | study or work late into the night | neutral | Law students usually have to burn the midnight oil when preparing for their exams. |
| crash course | a very quick training | neutral | When she started working at the small cafe, another employee gave her a crash course in making espresso drinks. It was not enough, and the lines were long all day. |
| dropping like flies | becoming tired or sick, one person after another | negative | This year’s flu was so bad, my students were dropping like flies. By the fifth day, ten of my students had called in sick. |
| to be plastered / to get plastered | drunk | neutral to humorous | My friend made me a drink called Devil in a Dress. I thought the name was a joke, but after two drinks, I was plastered. |
| get the ball rolling | get started | positive | Well, we have finished making our plans. Now it’s time to get the ball rolling. |
| give _______ the cold shoulder | to avoid or ignore someone, usually because of anger | negative | I don’t know why Jennifer doesn’t like me, but she is definitely giving me the cold shoulder. When I saw her at the grocery store, she turned and walked in the opposite direction. |
| high horse | the feeling of being superior | negative | My husband thinks he’s right about everything. I tell him to get off his high horse and experience humanity. |
| kudos to | credit to, accomplishment goes to | positive | Kudos to John! He created our project plan, and now the company has a significant increase in annual revenue! |
| live to regret a decision | will regret a choice after some time has passed | negative | Her parents told her that if she quit medical school, she would live to regret the decision. It’s true that it is a difficult choice. |
Questions
1. Are you capable of blowing your top? Or do you know someone who is?
2. Do you like to burn the midnight oil when studying or working hard or do you prefer to schedule your time and wake up early?
3. Have you ever received a crash course in something?
4. Can you remember a time when people seemed to be dropping like flies?
5. Did you ever go to a party and get plastered?
6. When you work on a project, do you push people to get the ball rolling?
7. Have you ever given someone the cold shoulder? Or has anyone given you the cold shoulder?
8. Do you know anyone who seems to be up on a high horse all the time? Describe this person.
9. Who deserves credit for the good things that have happened to you in recent years? Say “Kudos to ___________.”
10. Do you know someone who made a decision that he/she lived to regret?
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