Phrases & Expressions

To be quick to understand and react to things, and well prepared.

• You have to be on the ball in this job, because customers expect immediate answers to their questions.
• The receptionist was on the ball and spotted the double booking before the guests arrived.

To be in very poor condition and likely to stop working or die soon.

• Many hospitals are still using equipment that is on its last legs because there is no money to replace it.
• The town's only cinema has been on its last legs for years and will probably close next spring.

To have got through the most difficult or dangerous part of a situation.

• The economy is growing again, but experts warn that we are not out of the woods yet.
• After two difficult years of falling sales, the airline finally seems to be out of the woods.

To be squashed tightly together with many other people in a crowded place.

• The hostel had been overbooked, so backpackers were packed in like sardines in every dormitory.
• The lecture hall only holds 200, but 300 students turned up, so everyone was packed in like sardines.

(informal, often humorous) to be considered too old to do things you once did well.

• My kids think I'm past it, but I can still beat them both at tennis.
• Many people assume older workers are past it, but experience is often more valuable than speed.

To be extremely rich, or to suddenly have far more money than usual.

• Since her online business took off, she has been rolling in it and has just bought a house by the sea.
• Footballers at top clubs are rolling in it, while players in the lower leagues often need second jobs.

To be short of money at the moment, so that paying for things is difficult.

• With rents so high, lots of young people are strapped for cash and end up sharing flats or living with their parents.
• The club is strapped for cash, so this year's end-of-season party will be a simple picnic in the park.

To be trapped in a dull routine, especially at work, with no change or progress.

• After ten years in the same office, I felt I was stuck in a rut and decided to retrain as a teacher.
• Travelling abroad for a year can be a good way to avoid getting stuck in a rut.

To face serious difficulties, especially with too little time or too few resources.

• With three staff off sick and a deadline on Friday, we are really up against it this week.
• Small farmers are up against it as fuel and fertiliser prices keep rising.

To have far more of something difficult, such as work or debt, than you can easily deal with.

• I'd love to come to the party, but I'm up to my neck in marking at the moment.
• By the age of thirty, he was up to his neck in debt after a series of bad investments.