Phrases & Expressions

Paid for by taxes or other means, so the user pays nothing when using the service.

• Healthcare in this country is free at the point of use.
• The service is free at the point of use.

To promise in a contract that another party will not be held responsible for a loss or claim.

• The contract includes a hold harmless clause.
• We need to hold them harmless from any future claims.

Having a lot of money, especially suddenly.

• After selling her old house, she was suddenly in the money.
• If this plan works, we will all be in the money.

The belief that information should be freely accessible to everyone without restrictions.

• The activist group believes information wants to be free.
• In the digital age, information wants to be free.

The right of ships to pass through the territorial waters of another country without being challenged, provided they cause no harm.

• All ships enjoy the right of innocent passage.
• The vessel was exercising innocent passage.

A directive to capture a person alive if possible, but to kill them if necessary.

• The special forces received a kill or capture order.
• The soldiers were sent on a kill or capture mission in the mountains.

To live without spending more money than you earn; to manage your finances carefully.

• They learned to live within their means after the job loss.
• It's important to teach children to live within their means.

To look at someone or something with suspicion or disapproval.

• He looked askance at the stranger in his house.
• The boss looked askance at his late arrival.

A slogan meaning that no decision about a group should be made without that group taking part.

• The disability rights movement's motto is 'Nothing about us without us'.
• The new policy follows the principle of 'nothing about us without us'.

Of an aircraft, having started to move away from its parking position for departure.

• We were off blocks at ten past nine and airborne twenty minutes later.
• The flight was off blocks five minutes late because of a missing passenger.