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Mind your own business
Mind your own business means to focus on your own concerns and not interfere in other people's matters. This idiom is used when someone is being too curious or involved in something that does not concern them.The phrase has been used in English for centuries as a straightforward way of telling someone to stop asking questions or giving opinions about someone else's affairs.
When he started asking about their private plans, she told him to mind your own business.
Missed the boat
If you missed the boat it means you missed a good chance or opportunity. If you wait too long, it may be gone. The origin of this phrase is literal, if you miss a boat it leaves without you.A similar idiom is that ship has sailed.
He took so long to get his application together he missed the boat.
Mix and match
To mix and match means to combine different things in many possible ways. People use the phrase when items can be chosen and put together freely instead of having to use a fixed set.This phrase became common in advertising and everyday language in the 1900s, especially when describing clothing or household items that could be combined in different styles or colors.
You can mix and match these pieces easily.
Money is the root of all evil
The idiom money is the root of all evil means that the strong desire for money can cause people to behave in harmful or dishonest ways.The phrase comes from a line in the Bible, in the First Letter to Timothy, which says that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Over time the wording was shortened and became a common proverb in everyday English.
After watching the partners argue bitterly over profits, he muttered that money is the root of all evil.
More than meets the eye
The idiom more than meets the eye means that something is more important or interesting than it first appears. At first glance it may seem simple, but there are hidden details or deeper reasons behind it.The phrase has been used in English for many years to describe situations where the true nature of something is not immediately obvious. It reminds people not to judge something too quickly based only on what they first see.
The quiet little shop looked ordinary, but there was more than meets the eye once you stepped inside.
Move the goalposts
To move the goalposts means to change the rules after something has already started, making it harder for someone to succeed. It often feels unfair because the target keeps shifting just when people think they are close to reaching it.The phrase comes from sports such as soccer or rugby, where goalposts mark the place where points are scored. If the posts were moved during the game, it would be harder to score points.
Every time he finished the task, his boss added another requirement and seemed to move the goalposts.
Moving target
A moving target is something that keeps changing, making it difficult to finish. When a situation keeps shifting, it becomes harder to plan or make progress.This phrase comes from shooting or military training, where hitting a target that is moving is much harder than hitting one that stays still. The phrase later came to describe problems or goals that keep changing.
The deadline kept changing, so finishing the project felt like chasing a moving target.
Nail in the coffin
Saying another nail in the coffin or the last (or final) nail in the coffin means this is another of a chain of mistakes, poor decisions or bad luck leading to the end or failure of something, like the visual of someone nailing the lid of a coffin closed.Having our key designer quit was another nail in the coffin for this project.
Nature of the beast
The nature of the beast means the basic qualities of something that cannot easily be changed. This idiom is used when a problem or difficulty is simply part of how a situation or system works.The phrase has been used in English for many years. The word beast is used figuratively to describe something powerful or difficult to control, emphasizing that certain behaviors are built into its character.
The work can be stressful at times, but long hours are just the nature of the beast in this industry.
Neck and neck
The phrase neck and neck means very close, with no clear winner. It is often used to describe two choices, or two sides of a competion.The origin is horse racing, where two horses that are very close are described as neck and neck.
The two teams were neck and neck until the end.