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Thorn in your side
To have a thorn in your side means to have a person or problem that causes constant annoyance or trouble and just doesn't seem to go away.The phrase comes from the painful experience of having a thorn stuck in your skin. Because it keeps hurting until it is removed, the image became a way to describe ongoing irritation.
That reporting system has been a thorn in my side for months, it keeps breaking right when I need to use it.
Three strikes and you're out
The idiom three strikes and you're out means that after three mistakes or failures, someone loses their chance or faces a consequence. It means there is a limit to how many times someone can fail before action is taken.The phrase comes from baseball, where a batter is out after three strikes during their turn at bat. Because the rule is clear and final, the expression became a way to describe reaching the last allowed mistake.
After missing the deadline twice already, he knew that if it happened again it would be three strikes and you're out.
Throw a curve ball
To throw a curve ball means something unexpected or difficult happens.The expression comes from baseball. A curveball is a pitch that bends as it travels toward the batter, making it harder to predict and hit.
The sudden rule change threw a curve ball at everyone preparing for the competition.
Throw caution to the wind
To throw caution to the wind means to stop worrying about danger or consequences and act boldly or recklessly. It describes a moment when someone decides not to be careful anymore.The expression comes from the image of literally throwing one's caution away so that the wind carries it off. The phrase has been used in English since at least the 1800s.
On the last day of the trip, they threw caution to the wind and tried the steep hiking trail.
Throw in the towel
The phrase throw in the towel means to give up. It means that you are stopping because something is too difficult.This saying originates from boxing, where a boxer would throw down his towel to say he is surrendering.
He almost threw in the towel, but kept going.
Tie up loose ends
To tie up loose ends means to finish the small remaining tasks in a project so that everything is complete.The phrase likely comes from knitting or similar crafts, where loose threads are tied or trimmed so the work does not unravel. Over time it became a general expression for finishing the last unfinished parts of a task.
Before leaving for vacation, she stayed late at the office to tie up loose ends.
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.
Time flies
Time flies, or time flies when you're having fun is a way of saying that time passes quickly when you are busy or enjoying yourself. It may also be a way of commenting how quickly the time has passed.Have we really been married for ten years? Time flies!
Time will tell
The idiom time will tell means that the truth or result of something will become clear in the future. It is used when people cannot know the outcome yet and must wait to see what happens.The phrase has been used in English for many centuries. It reflects the idea that time eventually reveals what will really happen.
We are not sure if the new plan will work, but time will tell.
To each their own
To each their own means that everyone has different tastes or preferences, and people should be free to like what they like. This idiom is often used when someone chooses something that others might not like.The phrase has been used in English for many years as a way to accept differences in opinion or lifestyle.
I don't like coffee, but to each their own.