English Vocabulary: Expressions & Idioms

Examples:

• He achieved success at the expense of his health.
• They cut costs at the expense of quality.
• Don't make jokes at the expense of others.

Examples:

• She has gone to great lengths to help her students succeed.
• The company went to great lengths to keep the project secret.
• He went to great lengths to impress his future in-laws.

Examples:

• Every so often, I like to revisit old photos.
• He calls me every so often to check in.
• Every so often, we treat ourselves to a nice dinner.

Examples:

• The weather was terrible—but I digress, let me get back to the story.
• That reminds me of... but I digress.
• I could talk about this for hours, but I digress.

Examples:

• At its core, this is a story about love.
• The problem, at its core, is a lack of communication.
• At its core, the business model is simple.

Examples:

• Tensions came to a head at the board meeting.
• The conflict finally came to a head after months of problems.
• Things are coming to a head—we need to decide now.

Examples:

• I've lost track of how many times I've told you.
• With so many projects, it's easy to lose track.
• Don't lose track of your original goal.

Examples:

• Let's take turns driving.
• The children took turns on the swing.
• We take turns cooking dinner.

Examples:

• The offer sounds great—what's the catch?
• There's always a catch with these deals.
• The only catch is that you have to pay upfront.

Examples:

• Don't stir up trouble.
• The article stirred up controversy.
• The music stirred up old memories.

Examples:

• There's no point in arguing about it now.
• There's no point in worrying about things you can't control.
• There's no point in waiting any longer.

Examples:

• Broadly speaking, the plan is working.
• Broadly speaking, there are two types of investors.
• The results, broadly speaking, are positive.

Examples:

• Strictly speaking, tomatoes are fruits, not vegetables.
• Strictly speaking, he didn't break the rules.
• Strictly speaking, we're not allowed to do this.

Examples:

• You can think of it as a digital library.
• Think of it as an investment in your future.
• You can think of it as insurance for your business.

Examples:

• His recovery was nothing short of miraculous.
• The performance was nothing short of brilliant.
• It's nothing short of a disaster.

Examples:

• I subscribe to the view that education should be free.
• Many economists subscribe to this view.
• Do you subscribe to the view that hard work always pays off?

Examples:

• Helping neighbors is a matter of course in this community.
• He accepted the award as a matter of course.
• For her, excellence is a matter of course.

Examples:

• On the occasion of his retirement, we're throwing a party.
• She received an award on the occasion of the company's 50th anniversary.
• On the occasion of your graduation, congratulations!