Phrases & Expressions

Available to work or provide a service at any time when needed, especially outside normal working hours.

• I'm on call tonight.
• Doctors are on call.

Not typical of someone.

• That's out of character for him.
• Her reaction was out of character.

A formal request asking someone to give information, guidance, or their opinion about a situation.

• Please advise on the best course of action.
• Please advise if you can attend.

An air traffic control instruction meaning that radar vectors have ended and the pilot should navigate the aircraft again.

• The controller said, 'Resume own navigation, direct to the VOR.'
• After the last vector, we were told to resume own navigation.

An ATC instruction telling a pilot to stop following radar vectors and navigate independently again.

• After the vectors, the controller told us to resume own navigation.
• Resume own navigation, direct to the next waypoint.

A combined urgent warning in aviation about terrain proximity and the need to climb.

• The aircraft was descending fast when the 'terrain, pull up' warning sounded.
• The crew reacted to the 'terrain pull up' alert.

Used to describe an unexpected event that happened very quickly.

• The next thing I knew, I was in the hospital.
• The next thing I knew, she was gone.

Extremely wonderful, desirable, or delicious.

• This cake is to die for.
• Her dress is to die for.

Used before a direct, often blunt statement.

• To put it bluntly, he was wrong.
• To put it bluntly, the plan failed.

Used to suggest that a situation is much more extreme or serious than described.

• To put it mildly, the meeting was a disaster.
• He was upset, to put it mildly.