No can do: I
cannot do it..
e.g. "Can you do this
now?" "No can do.”
e.g.
The whole business was a turkey—there
were no investors at all!.
Dead set: very determined.
e.g. We were dead
set to finish the project despite the shortage of funds.
Jaw breaker: difficult word to
pronounce.
e.g. Can you help me
with this jaw breaker? It looks like a foreign word to me.
Try as I may: I regret or fail to do something.
e.g. "Can you do something
with this machine?" "Try
as I may, I can't make it work."
Worst-case scenario: the worst consequence.
e.g. A blizzard is coming. The worst-case scenario is
that all public transport will be suspended.
Pipe dream: Something impossible or unrealistic
e.g. The Mayor said that building another highway would be a
pipe dream in the current economic environment.
Not budging / Not giving an inch / Sticking to my
guns: Being firm.
e.g. "We're not going to cancel the charges. We're not
budging."
e.g. Despite the protests, the government would not give
an inch.
e.g. "I'm not moving out. That's out of the
question. I'm sticking to my guns."
See to it right away: Take care of a complaint or problem.
e.g. "The tap is leaking." "Yes, I'll see to it
right away."
Call for an apology: Demand an apology.
e.g. Your reckless behavior calls for an apology.
In a nutshell: In summary
e.g. "We're having serious financial and relationship
problems." "In a nutshell, you want to divorce your
wife?"
Beats me: I don't know; I've no idea.
e.g. "Do you know how this works?" "Bets me."
Stephen
Lau
Copyright©
by Stephen Lau
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