Riding Someone's Coattails
"Riding coattails" means using the fame or popularity of another person to increase one's own fame or popularity. Someone else does all the work, while you receive credit just by being seen with the hard working person. Can also be used in a business context. Ex.: "AMD (shares) riding Intel's coattails, but will it last?" This indicates, AMD shares are rising simply by being in the same sector (computer chips) as Intel when Intel's profits are up (but not AMD's, specifically).
Make Do With Less
In these difficult economic times, many individuals and families are "making do with less." To make do with less is to stay afloat rather than figuratively sink under the surface of the water (and drown). Ex.: "Ever since Martha was laid off, her family had to make do with less and cut back on spending on luxury items." This means spending less money on things that are not absolutely necessary.
Caught On Tape
When someone is "caught on tape," the person has been recorded (either by a cassette, which has literal "tape," or more likely, some kind of digital data recorder) doing something bad, embarrassing, or scandalous (or all three). The word "caught" implies "caught in the act" of something improper. Ex.: "Mel Gibson's latest rant was caught on tape..."
Armed to the Teeth
This means, to be heavily armed; to be carrying multiple weapons. The phrase originates from pirates in the 1600's. In those days, pistols were single-shot, so a pirate had to carry many to be considered "armed to the teeth." Ex.: "The gunman was armed to the teeth! He had a rifle, three pistols and two knives." (This is just an example.)
Milking The Cow
Usually a reference to treating a person or entity as a cash cow. This implies taking advantage of a situation and has a strongly negative tone (except to those happily taking the money). Ex.: "Defense contractors get hugely inflated contracts from the government. They're really milking the cow - and making the rest of us pay for it." (An example of the issue)
A Cash Cow
A "cash cow" is a source of steady income. Ex.: "Before the housing bubble collapsed, mortgages were a cash cow for banks and investors alike." That is, until the recent economic troubles, mortgages were a steady source of profit (even though that was a "bubble" effect).
Get Over It
To "get over" something is to move beyond it; to leave it in the past. Conversely, to not "get over" something is to dwell on it and keep it alive as an issue. Ex.: "Your party lost in the last election. Get over it!" This is insensitive, but means, accept defeat with grace; do not be a sore loser.
Seeing Eye To Eye
To see "eye to eye" with another person is to be in complete, total agreement about a particular subject. Ex.: "Lisa's father and mother both saw eye to eye about her new boyfriend: they both thought he was no good for her at all." (Here, the idiom is in the past tense. Seeing -> Saw)
Cool as a Cucumber
A cucumber is a gourd that is usually stored cold in a fridge (in the West, anyway). Thus, to be "cool as a cucumber" is to be very cool; that is, level-headed, even-tempered, in strong command of oneself. Ex.: "You've already done one TV interview. You'll be cool as a cucumber in the next one!"
➤ Read more idioms and phrases, English grammar and vocabulary at Basic English Grammar And Vocabulary .
"Riding coattails" means using the fame or popularity of another person to increase one's own fame or popularity. Someone else does all the work, while you receive credit just by being seen with the hard working person. Can also be used in a business context. Ex.: "AMD (shares) riding Intel's coattails, but will it last?" This indicates, AMD shares are rising simply by being in the same sector (computer chips) as Intel when Intel's profits are up (but not AMD's, specifically).
Make Do With Less
In these difficult economic times, many individuals and families are "making do with less." To make do with less is to stay afloat rather than figuratively sink under the surface of the water (and drown). Ex.: "Ever since Martha was laid off, her family had to make do with less and cut back on spending on luxury items." This means spending less money on things that are not absolutely necessary.
Caught On Tape
When someone is "caught on tape," the person has been recorded (either by a cassette, which has literal "tape," or more likely, some kind of digital data recorder) doing something bad, embarrassing, or scandalous (or all three). The word "caught" implies "caught in the act" of something improper. Ex.: "Mel Gibson's latest rant was caught on tape..."
Armed to the Teeth
This means, to be heavily armed; to be carrying multiple weapons. The phrase originates from pirates in the 1600's. In those days, pistols were single-shot, so a pirate had to carry many to be considered "armed to the teeth." Ex.: "The gunman was armed to the teeth! He had a rifle, three pistols and two knives." (This is just an example.)
Milking The Cow
Usually a reference to treating a person or entity as a cash cow. This implies taking advantage of a situation and has a strongly negative tone (except to those happily taking the money). Ex.: "Defense contractors get hugely inflated contracts from the government. They're really milking the cow - and making the rest of us pay for it." (An example of the issue)
A Cash Cow
A "cash cow" is a source of steady income. Ex.: "Before the housing bubble collapsed, mortgages were a cash cow for banks and investors alike." That is, until the recent economic troubles, mortgages were a steady source of profit (even though that was a "bubble" effect).
Get Over It
To "get over" something is to move beyond it; to leave it in the past. Conversely, to not "get over" something is to dwell on it and keep it alive as an issue. Ex.: "Your party lost in the last election. Get over it!" This is insensitive, but means, accept defeat with grace; do not be a sore loser.
Seeing Eye To Eye
To see "eye to eye" with another person is to be in complete, total agreement about a particular subject. Ex.: "Lisa's father and mother both saw eye to eye about her new boyfriend: they both thought he was no good for her at all." (Here, the idiom is in the past tense. Seeing -> Saw)
Cool as a Cucumber
A cucumber is a gourd that is usually stored cold in a fridge (in the West, anyway). Thus, to be "cool as a cucumber" is to be very cool; that is, level-headed, even-tempered, in strong command of oneself. Ex.: "You've already done one TV interview. You'll be cool as a cucumber in the next one!"
➤ Read more idioms and phrases, English grammar and vocabulary at Basic English Grammar And Vocabulary .
