Phrases & Expressions

To eat whatever meal your host already has, because nothing special has been prepared for you.

• When friends drop in unexpectedly, we invite them to take pot luck and share whatever we are having.
• My flatmate invited three friends round at short notice, so they had to take pot luck with whatever was in the fridge.

To become firmly established and accepted by many people, used about ideas or customs.

• It took several decades for the idea of recycling to take root in most European households.
• Once a culture of long working hours takes root in a company, it is very difficult to change.

To deal calmly with a problem or difficult situation without letting it upset you.

• Moving to a new country can be stressful, but most young children take the change in their stride.
• She lost her job last spring, but she took it in her stride and soon started her own business.

To deal with a crime or wrongdoer personally, often violently, rather than relying on the police.

• After a string of burglaries, some residents took the law into their own hands and attacked a suspect.
• However angry you feel, it is never acceptable for people to take the law into their own hands.

To take a serious risk of getting hurt or killed by doing something.

• Cyclists in this city take their lives in their hands every time they ride in rush-hour traffic.
• You'd be taking your life in your hands if you went hiking in those mountains without a guide.

To talk about your job or business in a social situation, outside work.

• Whenever my parents' doctor friends come for dinner, they end up talking shop all evening.
• My partner hates it when I talk shop with my colleagues at dinner parties.

Behaviour that is generally accepted as correct and proper according to social custom.

• In some countries tipping waiters is the done thing, while in others it can seem rude.
• When I first arrived in Britain, I didn't realise that queuing patiently was very much the done thing.

A person or thing that is real and authentic, not a fake or imitation.

• Experts examined the painting for months before confirming that it was the genuine article.
• Lots of restaurants claim to serve authentic Italian pizza, but this little place is the genuine article.

Early evidence that a weak economy is beginning to get better after a difficult period.

• Rising factory orders are being seen as the green shoots of recovery after two difficult years for manufacturers.
• After two years of falling sales, estate agents are finally seeing the green shoots of recovery in the housing market.

An ordinary member of the public, as opposed to experts, officials or people in power.

• Economists often forget that the man in the street cares more about food prices than about growth figures.
• Politicians should explain their policies in a way that the man in the street can easily understand.