700 Idioms 14

Oh you poor girl! Only two cookies and not three. IT'S A HARD KNOCK LIFE FOR YOU!

IT'S A HARD KNOCK LIFE FOR US (2)
Instead of treated; we get tricked
instead of kisses, we get kicked

When she was in the hospital, the office sent her flowers. THEY MEANT WELL AND WERE GOOD AT HEART

His speech at the wedding was horribly embarrassing, but HE definitely MEANT WELL AND WAS GOOD AT HEART

I know YOU MEAN WELL, but you're actually being very unhelpful at the moment

I know she gets angry sometimes, but basically SHE IS WELL INTENTIONED.

The death was just a freak accident. They say his luck STOPPED

I had my luck STOPPED when I was in South America. I nearly starved.

That politician has recently enjoyed a high POPULARITY in the polls. He is really popular.

The president's POPULARITY in the polls declined sharply.

The performers added SPECIAL SOUNDS to the song, tooting like train whistles at the end.

We have been talking about food all morning, WHILE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THIS SUBJECT, would you like to go get some lunch?

Let's DIVIDE IN TWO EQUAL PARTS the cost

The family is DIVIDED TWO IN EQUAL PARTS on this issue.

This issue has SPLIT the Democratic Party IN TWO EQUAL PARTS.

It doesn't make sense to buy two of these huge drinks for two children. Why not get an extra glass and DIVIDE/ SPLIT DOWN TO THE MIDDLE?

mix the mayonnaise DOWN TO THE MIDDLE

DIVIDE/ SPLIT DOWN TO THE MIDDLE

Politics makes AN ODD COUPLE TO COME TOGETHER. People whom you don't expect to work together, do.

A notorious playboy musician and an ultra-conservative media pundit may be AN ODD COUPLE THAT COME TOGETHER, but the two are coming together all this month to bring a spotlight to suicide awareness.

I thought that the two writers would make AN ODD COUPLE COMING TOGETHER, given the drastically different nature of their writing, but the books they've co-written actually work really well.

He just spoke whatever came to his mind. It was a - EXPRESS YOUR THOUGHT AS THEY COME - speech.

It was EXPRESS YOUR THOUGHT AS THEY COME with no therapist to interrupt, no fifty-minute time limit, no external force to interfere with its flow.

I will let you have that for free, but IN THE MOST LITERAL/ PRECISE SENSE, we aren't allowed to give them away [don't tell the boss].

THE MOST LITERAL/ PRECISE SENSE, we're not supposed to use the lab after hours, but there's really no way to avoid it.

So you didn't win the lottery after all? THAT'S THE WAY THINGS HAPPEN!

Oh, well. Everything can't be perfect. THAT'S THE WAY THINGS HAPPEN!

So I failed my test. THAT'S THE WAY THINGS HAPPEN! I can take it again some time.

He was so polite to the angry customer; his story was MADE TO SEEM ATTRACTIVE. (ADJ)

Stop giving me (PRESENTED IN A MANNER THAT IS EASY TO ENDURE, COPE WITH) responses whenever I ask about the state of the project. I need to know how it's actually progressing!

Don't DEODORIZE. SOFTEN ( THE NEWS ) it for me, Doc—is my wife going to make it?

My grandmother was never one to ATTENUATE / LIGHTEN her criticisms. If she thought you had messed up, she would tell you in no uncertain terms.

The competition was fierce. THE ONE WHO IS STRONGEST WILL WIN

In business, THE ONE WHO IS STRONGEST WILL WIN

THE ONE WHO IS STRONGEST WILL WIN will determine which farms make it.

The rescue guides trained the skiers in avalanche SURVIVAL TECHNICS

The government now has in place THE MOST IMPORTANT PART of a plan to handle further political setbacks in that area.

Her desire to speak openly and vulnerably about her emotions and inner workings forms THE MOST IMPORTANT PART of her music.

If you cheat on an exam, even if you pass, THE ONE WHO LOOSES THE MOST will be you, not anyone else.

They expected huge financial losses, but the THE BALANCE OF PROFITS / LOSSES did not look bad.

What is THE BALANCE OF PROFITS / LOSSES for this quarter?

How much do I owe you? Don't tell me all those figures! Just tell me THE BALANCE.

You have all made compelling arguments, but THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT is that we need a viable, cost-effective solution, and I still don't think we've found one yet.

THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT is that the great majority of our kids are physically unfit.

THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT is he's a real nice guy and I don't want to hurt him.

These large corporations are only driven by PROFIT OR THE DESIRE FOR PROFIT. They couldn't care less whether their product is durable.