Showing 11-15 of 15
Roll up your sleeves
To roll your sleeves up means getting ready to start working hard on a task.The phrase comes from the habit of rolling up shirt sleeves before doing physical work so the fabric does not get in the way. The image became a symbol of preparing to work.
The team rolled their sleeves up and began fixing the broken fence.
Tighten your belt
To tighten your belt means to spend less money and live more carefully because money is limited.The expression comes from the idea of tightening a belt around the waist when someone has less food to eat and becomes thinner. Over time the phrase came to mean reducing spending and being more careful with resources.
With prices rising, many families have had to tighten their belts.
Walk a mile in their shoes
To walk a mile in someone's shoes means really trying to understand another person's situation before judging them.The saying appeared in English in the 1800s. It uses the image of wearing another person's shoes and traveling their path to represent understanding their life.
Before criticizing her decision, try to walk a mile in someone's shoes.
Wears the pants
To wear the pants means to be the person who has the most authority or control in a relationship or group. It usually describes the person who makes the main decisions.The expression comes from older social customs when trousers were traditionally worn by men and were associated with authority in the household. Over time the phrase became a general way to talk about who is in charge.
Everyone jokes that she wears the pants in their family because she is the one who makes all the big decisions.
Well heeled
To be well heeled means to be wealthy or having a lot of money. It is often used to describe people who are financially comfortable or able to spend freely.The phrase appeared in English in the early 1900s in American slang. One explanation is that it referred to having money hidden in the heel of a shoe, which was once used as a small secret pocket.
The restaurant was popular with well heeled tourists visiting the city.