Associating Idioms

Associating similar things will increase the possibility of long memorization, so here I am going to associate similar Idioms. This way your use of idioms will be more vivid, especially if you are using it in writing.

Before heading ahead, I want to clear that these similar looking Idioms are not exactly interchangeable, but they are very close to each other.

a cinch - Be piece of cake - a snap - as easy as pie
very easy
Q. How was your test?
A. It was a cinch. /or/ It was a piece of cake for me. /or/ It was as easy a pie /or/ It was a snap to finish it.

bushed - beat - pooped
very tired; exhausted
I am going to hit the sack. I am really bushed.
It was a long day. I am beat.
Working all night, i am pooped.

cost an arm and a leg - a bundle
Very expensive
This laptop cost me a bundle.
This laptop really cost an arm and a leg, its not worth purchasing.

down in the dumps - feel blue
depressed
I failed to persuade that bull headed customer, i feel down in dumps /or/ I feel blue.

hit the hay - hit the sack
go to sleep
I am bushed. I am going to hit the hay /or/ I am going to hit the sack.

know something backward and forward - know inside out
know something thoroughly
I am working here from last five years now, i know inside out of this management.

on dot - on time
As scheduled
I am burning my midnight oil, I want to finish this project on time.
Better we should get going, Ralph will start the presentation on the dot.

you don't say (something hard to believe) - you 've to be kidding (You are not serious)
(although there these idioms don't share exact meaning, but are close)
A. Did you know Sumanth quit the job?
B. You don't say! /or/ you've to be kidding !

To weather the storm - to fuel the fire
to worsen the problem
In this market slump, attack on Indian financial capital will fuel the fire.
Mumbai attack will weather the storm of financial slow down.

Idioms & Phrases

1- A little bird told me:
When someone says "a little bird told me" it means they don't want you to know who told them.

2- Apple of someone's eye:
Someone's favorite person (and sometimes thing). ex. "Sarah was the apple of Tom's eye for quite a long time. He was very much in love with her."

3- (To) add fuel to the fire:
To make a bad problem even worse.

4- (From) all walks of life:
(From) all social, economic, and ethnic groups. ex. "People from all walks of life voted for him, but he still lost the presidential election."

5- At all hours (of the night):
Very late at night, throughout the night. ex. "Her boyfriend would call her at all hours of the night."

6-At each other's throats:
Fighting or arguing heavily. ex. "They were at each other's throats. The arguments never stopped."

7- (To) beg to differ:
A polite way of saying "to disagree", most often heard in the phrase "I beg to differ!"

8- Big fish in a little sea:
A person who's famous/ well-known but only in an unimportant place (city or area).

9- (To) burst into tears:
To start crying suddenly.

10- (To) bite one's tongue:
To struggle not to say something that you want to say. ex. "I wanted to tell her everything, but I had to bite my tongue because I had promised Bill I would not (tell her)."

Value of Innovation

From my experience I see there are two kind of employees in any organization. One kind who are involved in regular activities as solving bunch of outstanding items, developing features, working on bugs, documenting the needful.

Another kind of employees who are known to be innovators, they are found indulged in looking forward in terms of putting thoughts assimilating new technology, ideas etc. Both are important for the real success of any enterprise.

Hacking the hecklers

Mistakes are no longer mistakes

Mistakes are no longer mistakes when you learned out of them and took appropriate action to avoid them in future.