Phrases & Expressions

To harm oneself in an attempt to punish or annoy someone else.

• He quit his job to spite his boss, cutting his nose to spite his face.
• Refusing the offer is cutting your nose to spite your face.

Used on the radio to say that a signal is received loud and perfectly clear.

• Your transmission is five by five.
• Read you loud and clear, five by five.

To try to win the favour of someone in authority by flattering that person or being too helpful.

• He always polishes the apple with the boss.
• She was polishing the apple to get a promotion.

To live in a basic or uncomfortable way, without luxuries.

• They had to rough it during their backpacking trip.
• He doesn't mind roughing it in the wilderness.

A pointless or hopeless pursuit; a futile search for something unattainable.

• It turned out to be a wild goose chase.
• Looking for that lost key was a wild goose chase.

A memory aid for twin-engine pilots: the foot not pressing a rudder pedal is on the side of the failed engine.

• Remember "dead foot, dead engine" when an engine fails after takeoff.
• The instructor taught us "dead foot, dead engine" to find the failed engine.

An old-fashioned and slightly humorous way to say a woman is pregnant.

• She's in the family way again.
• He announced his wife was in the family way.

The late-night and early-morning hours, when people normally sleep, used about overnight work or flying.

• Cargo pilots often fly the back of the clock.
• Working the back of the clock increases the risk of fatigue.

To adopt the customs and way of life of the local people when living in a foreign country.

• After years in the jungle, he seemed to have gone native.
• The anthropologist tried not to go native too quickly.

To rely on the aircraft's flight management system (FMS) for navigation and control.

• In this situation, pilots are trained to trust the box.
• When the autopilot is engaged, you must trust the box.