1. A damp squib
Meaning – A disappointing result
Usage – The meeting turned out to be a bit of a damp squib. Half the people who'd been invited didn't turn up.
2. To bite the dust
Meaning – To be defeated
Usage - He hoped the new course would not bite the dust for lack of funding.
3. To be all at sea
Meaning – Confused or unable to decide what to do
Usage - She feels all at sea with Mathematics.
4. Cold comfort
Meaning – Poor or inadequate consolation
Usage - Another drop in the inflation rate was cold comfort for the 2.74 million jobless.
5. To die in harness
Meaning – To die while in service
Usage - With medicine and healthcare improving at such vast rates, far fewer people die in harness than ever before.
6. To show a clean pair of heels
Meaning – To escape/run away
Usage - He showed the mugger a clean pair of heels, skittering down a side alley and escaping out of sight.
7. To flog a dead horse
Meaning – To waste one’s effort
Usage – There is no point flogging a dead horse in roaming here and there without a proper plan.
8. To strain every nerve
Meaning – To make utmost effort
Usage - I strained every nerve to reach that book on the top shelf, and I still couldn't get it.
9. Sailing in the same boat
Meaning – Being in the same difficult situation
Usage - My sister failed her driver's test, and I'll be sailing in the same boat if I don't practice parallel parking.
10. Gift of the gab
Meaning – Ability to speak well
Usage - She's got the gift of the gab - she should work in sales and marketing.
11. To keep the wolf from the door
Meaning – Escape starvation
Usage - We have a small amount of money saved, hardly enough to keep the wolf from the door.
12. Soft option
Meaning – Easy and agreeable option
Usage - The soft option is simply to say nothing for the moment.
13. A little gush of gratitude
Meaning – Excessive enthusiasm
Usage - The young woman felt a little gush of gratitude towards her collogue for taking special efforts and making her comfortable.
14. To lose ground
Meaning – To lose a previously held advantage or lead.
Usage - His terrible performance in the debate caused him to lose ground to his opponent.
15. To fall back on
Meaning - Have recourse to when in difficulty.
Usage - They normally fell back on one of three arguments.
Verifying, please be patient.