Phrases & Expressions

To know every detail of a subject, place or system extremely well.

• After teaching the course for ten years, she knows the syllabus inside out.
• Don't worry about getting lost — Ahmet grew up here and knows the city inside out.

To give orders in a very bossy, authoritative manner, expecting others to obey without question.

• Our new manager laid down the law on his first day, banning phones in all meetings.
• My father would lay down the law whenever we came home late on a school night.

To be so far ahead of rivals in speed, quality or success that they seem to stand still.

• The new electric car's acceleration leaves most sports cars standing.
• In the final lap, she left the other runners standing and won by a huge margin.

To deliberately leave someone anxious for a while, often as a punishment for something they did.

• My sister broke my laptop, so I let her stew all evening before telling her it could be repaired.
• The manager let the team stew over the weekend before announcing who would lose their bonus.

An exciting, busy and often stressful lifestyle, typically involving money, success and pleasure.

• After ten years of life in the fast lane in London, she moved to a quiet village by the sea.
• Many young bankers enjoy life in the fast lane, but the long hours eventually take a toll on their health.

To give a rough figure based partly on guessing and partly on facts you know.

• I can't give you exact numbers, but if I had to make a guesstimate, I'd say about forty people will come.
• Can you make a guesstimate of how much the trip will cost, just so I know how much to save?

To unfairly change the rules or conditions of something while it is already happening.

• Students complained that the university had moved the goalposts by raising entry requirements after they had applied.
• The government has been accused of moving the goalposts by changing the rules on pension payments.

To always look extremely neat, tidy and well groomed.

• Our head teacher never had a hair out of place, even on the hottest days of the year.
• TV presenters never seem to have a hair out of place, thanks to their team of stylists.

Used to say that a room or other place is extremely small.

• My first student room was so small that there was no room to swing a cat.
• The kitchen looks nice in the photos, but in reality there's no room to swing a cat.

To be romantically interested in one particular person and in nobody else.

• Plenty of people asked her out at university, but she only had eyes for her childhood sweetheart.
• He has been married for forty years and still only has eyes for his wife.