Phrases & Expressions

Acting as if you are better or more important than others.

• He thinks he's too cool for school.
• She acts too cool for school and never joins our games.

To boast about your own abilities or achievements.

• He's always tooting his own horn about his success.
• She never toots her own horn, even though her work is excellent.

Under pressure or facing a difficult deadline.

• The team is under the gun to finish the report.
• He felt under the gun during the exam.

To make someone feel uncomfortable or strange.

• That weirded me out.
• His behavior weirded her out.

To move around a social event, talking to many different people to be friendly or make connections.

• The host worked the room, greeting every guest personally.
• A good politician knows how to work the room.

Talking nonsense or making empty promises without real substance.

• Don't listen to him; he's full of hot air.
• My neighbour says he will fix everything, but he's full of hot air.

To fail spectacularly and completely.

• The entire project went down in flames.
• His career went down in flames after the scandal.

To start doing something only because it has become popular or fashionable.

• Everyone's jumping on the bandwagon now.
• Don't just jump on the bandwagon because your friends did.

To start doing something new for the first time, often in a small or careful way.

• She got her feet wet by volunteering at a local animal shelter.
• Let's get our feet wet with a small project first.

To move a surfboard away from the shore into the sea using your arms.

• It takes effort to paddle out past the waves.
• He decided to paddle out to catch the bigger waves.