Phrases & Expressions

A safety procedure during an earthquake: get down on your hands and knees, cover your head and neck, and hold onto a sturdy object.

• When the shaking starts, drop, cover and hold on until it stops.
• The children practise drop, cover and hold on at school every month.

To fail to do something you are responsible for, often through carelessness.

• He dropped the ball on this project.
• We can't afford to drop the ball now.

To get support, interest, or business by working hard to find people.

• He travelled the country to drum up support for the cause.
• The company is trying to drum up new business.

To slowly destroy or reduce something by acting on it again and again.

• The acid had eaten away the metal pipe.
• Worry was eating away at her health.

Eating more food because you are pregnant and feeding a baby as well.

• You don't need to be eating for two.
• My grandmother told me that I was eating for two now.

To support a child's intellectual, emotional, social and physical development, not only academic learning.

• Our goal is to educate the whole child, not just to prepare pupils for tests.
• This program helps teachers educate the whole child through art and sport.

The end of an important period or activity.

• When the old cinema closed, everyone felt it was the end of an era.
• This marks the end of an era in aviation.

The condition of flying with one engine not working.

• The crew trained for engine out scenarios.
• An engine out landing requires careful planning.

A contract where the terms are explicitly stated, either orally or in writing.

• They signed an express contract.
• This is an express contract with clear terms.

To accept responsibility for something bad that you have done.

• You broke the vase, now you must face the music.
• If you keep missing work, sooner or later you'll have to face the music.