Phrases & Expressions

A sincere and intimate conversation between two people.

• We need to have a heart-to-heart about our future.
• After the argument, they had a heart-to-heart and resolved their differences.

Individuals who share similar tastes and outlook and so tend to stick together.

• Birds of a feather flock together, so they became friends quickly.
• Those two are birds of a feather; they both love fast cars.

Coal, especially when considered a valuable natural resource.

• The country's wealth came from its black diamonds.
• Miners worked hard to extract the black diamond.

Unable to see very well.

• I'm blind as a bat without my glasses.
• He's blind as a bat in the dark.

To make someone or something conscious or alive again.

• The paramedics brought the patient back to life.
• The doctors fought for ten minutes to bring him back to life.

Intense emotional suffering caused by loss or disappointment.

• She had a broken heart after the breakup.
• He felt like he had a broken heart.

The way someone dresses influences how they are perceived by others.

• He believes the old saying, 'Clothes make the man'.
• For the interview, remember that clothes make the man.

To turn eighteen (or whatever age the law sets) and gain adult rights.

• In many countries, you come of age at 18.
• When she came of age, she inherited her grandfather's house.

To become less shy and more willing to talk to people or try new activities.

• After a few weeks, she started to come out of her shell.
• Moving to a new city helped him come out of his shell.

To compare two things that are very different and cannot be logically compared.

• Comparing their salaries is like comparing apples to oranges.
• You can't compare these two jobs; it's apples and oranges.