Phrases & Expressions

To work for an employer who does not guarantee you a fixed number of hours or a regular wage.

• Workers on zero-hours contracts often find it difficult to get a mortgage, because lenders want proof of a regular income.
• Because she is on a zero-hours contract, she never knows how much she will earn each month.

To be fully prepared to deal with a sudden danger or emergency.

• Emergency services are on red alert after forecasters warned of severe flooding along the coast.
• During the festival, police were on red alert for pickpockets in the crowded streets.

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 fewer in number than the people or things you are compared with or competing against.

• In most engineering courses, women are outnumbered by men, although the gap is slowly closing.
• According to the chart, in 2020 domestic tourists were outnumbered by international visitors for the first time.

To seem less important or successful because someone or something else gets more attention.

• The team's victory was overshadowed by violence between rival fans after the match.
• The country's economic achievements have been overshadowed by concerns about human rights.

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.

To be strongly criticised in reviews in newspapers, magazines or online.

• The musical was panned by the critics, but audiences loved it and it ran for three years.
• Her second album was panned by the critics, who said it sounded exactly like her first one.

(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.