Phrases & Expressions

To swap positions so that the weaker side gains the upper hand.

• The underdog team turned the tables in the final minutes.
• She managed to turn the tables on her opponent.

To increase the pressure on someone or the intensity of a situation.

• The police turned up the heat on the suspect.
• The manager is turning up the heat to get the project finished on time.

Ten general principles for good interface design, based on user experience.

• Apply usability heuristics to the design.
• These usability heuristics are widely accepted.

To cross the stage at a graduation ceremony to receive your diploma.

• She will walk the stage next month.
• He was proud to walk the stage.

To ignore or forget past mistakes or problems and start again.

• They agreed to wipe the slate clean and move on.
• Let's wipe the slate clean and start our relationship anew.

Feeling mentally alert and anxious, but physically exhausted and unable to relax.

• After too much coffee, I felt wired and tired.
• The approaching deadline left him wired and tired all week.

To cancel a debt or record it as a loss because it will not be paid.

• The bank wrote off the bad debt.
• The company wrote off two million dollars in unpaid bills.

Said to mean that something you already have is better than something you might get.

• Take the job offer now; a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
• I'll accept the smaller offer today. A bird in the hand, as they say.

Using complex and often controversial methods to reduce the amount of tax a person or company has to pay, sometimes testing legal limits.

• Some companies use aggressive tax planning.
• Aggressive tax planning can be risky.

The standard of proof required in criminal cases, meaning the evidence must be so convincing that there is no other logical explanation.

• The jury was instructed to acquit if it was not sure beyond reasonable doubt.
• Convicting beyond reasonable doubt does not mean beyond every possible doubt.