Cultural Epicenter, I'll Let You Kick This One Off, Did You Get Him, Something You Can Live With, Meeting In The Middle

Cultural Epicenter
Literally, an epicenter is the point of origin of an earthquake, the part that has the strongest vibrations. Figuratively, especially when applied to culture, an "epicenter" is the center, the focal point, the place with the richest, highest concentration of something, such as culture.

Example: In a recent review of Sapporo University for potential exchange students to Japan, I wrote, "Of course, being removed from the cultural epicenters of Japan means making some compromises. Certain things will probably be more expensive in Hokkaido than they would be in Honshu. Hotels don’t seem to have free Internet, for instance."

To conclude the article, I wrote, "It’s an interesting mixture of nature and people, occupying a different place on the slider than options in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto." Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto are the cultural epicenters of Japan.


"I'll Let You Kick This One Off"
In idiomatic speech, to "kick off" something is to begin something; that is, to be the first to do something.

Example: In a recent "The Early Show" segment on CBS, two political commentators were being consulted by a CBS hostess about recent political events: (Republican) Ann Coulter, and (Democratic) Tanya Acker. The first question concerned credit for the U.S. withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq for President Obama. The second question concerned what the Associated Press now calls the "NY Mosque" controversy.

Ann Coulter had answered the segment's first question before Tanya. When the hostess posed the second question, she said, "Tanya, I'll let you kick this one off." This meant, Tanya would be permitted to answer first for the second part of the segment. It is in this sense that she was "kicking off" the second part.

(English Idioms takes no political positions, but this is a real-life example of the idiom.)


"Did You Get Him?"
In American action movies, to "get" someone is to successfully kill or make unable to fight an enemy in a gunfight.

This use was a feature of idiomatic speech in the U.S. Army long before ever seeing the movie screen.

Example: In "Cop Out," the goofy African-American sidekick "Paul" (played by Tracy Morgan) to Bruce Willis' character "Jimmy," successfully shoots "a bad guy" in a gunfight within the corridor directly behind the front door of a house owned by a notorious drug dealer.

"Jimmy" (Bruce Willis) asks, "Did you get him?"

"Paul" (Tracy Morgan) replies, "His head ain't on his body no more, does that count?" [Rough paraphrasing. I only saw the movie because a family member rented it.]

This means, the bad guy's head had been "taken off" by the gunshot so yes, that was probably a fatal shot. (Probably?)

Something You Can Live With
Broadly speaking, "something you can live with" is something that is undesirable, but is tolerable and can be withstood. In business, "something you can live with" is a deal that will not result in catastrophic consequences such as bankruptcy.

This idiom is used to describe a painful result that is not "fatal" to a company; if it is not "deadly" or "lethal" to the company's profits, the financial pain can be tolerated.

Example: "Company X made many concessions in its recent deal with the labor union. The deal was something the company could live with. Regardless, a prolonged strike would have been more damaging than the deal that was reached."


Meeting In The Middle
To "meet in the middle" (also: meet mid-way, meet halfway) is, put simply, to compromise during negotiations of some sort.

The context can be political or social, but is often applied to business deals. Each side concedes something in order to reach an agreement that benefits both sides in some way, even if neither side is fully satisfied with the result.

Example: "Company X avoided a long labor dispute with the union representing its workers. The union's demands were very high, but both sides met in the middle and a deal was reached."

➤ Read more idioms and phrases, English grammar and vocabulary at Basic English Grammar And Vocabulary .

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The Day of Reckoning, Aiming For Something, Hopping Mad, You've Gotta Be Kidding Me

The Day of Reckoning
Literally, the Day of Reckoning (capitalized) is, in Christian religion, the day of God's final judgment upon all nations. Figuratively speaking, the day of reckoning (not capitalized) for a person accused of a crime is the day upon which a verdict is rendered, finding the accused guilty or innocent.

Example: In medieval English law (let's say, 1066 to 1350 A.D.), an "appeal of felony" was a private prosecution against a person for some kind of crime. With rare exception, the appeal had to be made by the person harmed by the action. In the case of a murder, the wife of a murdered man could make the "appeal of felony."

In these times, such lawsuits were usually for some kind of financial compensation. These lawsuits were usually settled before the day of reckoning. If both sides came to terms, money or some other form of compensation was paid to the spouse of the victim.

That is to say, usually, a settlement would be reached before a judge decides whether the defendant is guilty or innocent. If found guilty of murder, the defendant would be executed through hanging! Clearly, there would be little point in settling the case after the day of reckoning, with the defendant either found innocent (and owing nothing) or guilty (and paying with his life!).


Aiming For Something
To "aim for" something is to work towards a particular goal.

The goal must be specific for the word "aim" (or "aiming") to have any meaning. Taking aim is as in archery or marksmanship; it is to identify a specific, particular target and aim a weapon at it, preparing to fire. Thus, figuratively, this means to move closer to one goal, rather than many.

Example: U.K. Universities Minister David Willetts urged high school graduates who did not successfully obtain a place at a university (when trying to do so) to do volunteer work to improve their resumes and to consider aiming for heavily attended (high student population), less exclusive, less prestigious universities. This would give students refused entry to better universities an opportunity to get some kind of university education, rather than nothing.


Hopping Mad
This idiom creates the image of someone hopping (jumping) up and down, enraged and furious.

This expression comes from the early 1800's and has been a regular feature of English since. It is not meant to be taken literally, but to be a vivid expression of intense emotion.

Example: "The boss was hopping mad when he found out that someone had been stealing from his department. He's very determined to fire the person responsible."


Getting Under Someone's Skin
To figuratively "get under someone's skin" is to annoy that person, as if you are a bad itch.

Example: "That used car salesman really gets under my skin. He's so annoying when he talks like he's your best friend, especially when he's trying to trick you into something. I wish he'd just go away."


You've Gotta Be Kidding Me
This is a modern, informal version of "You must be joking." It is an expression of disbelief regarding something another person has said.

Example: "I heard that Mary-Ann is going to marry Frank in two months." "You've gotta be kidding me! There's no way she'd get together with a boring man like that!" This is an expression of complete disbelief.

Although idioms in general are not "formal English," expressions like "gotta be" ("have got to be") are informal; they are slang, and should never be used in formal situations. This particular idiom/ expression is nonetheless extremely common in American English.

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Idioms Review

John was always an eager beaver whenever he bought a new tool. First, he would be a busy bee around the house, repairing or renovating everything in sight. Then, he would put his tools away in his overcrowded garage. John was a packrat who never threw a single tool away, leaving his garage very crowded.

Reginald was a fat cat who had made hundreds of millions during the real estate boom. However, his best known project, an expensive hotel, was criticized as a white elephant that consumed a great deal of money while delivering very little in return.

Carol believed at one time that her husband was being faithful, but she smelled a rat when he was arriving "late from work" one too many times. Carol's friend Sandra let the cat out of the bag by telling Carol that her husband had indeed been unfaithful; he had been sleeping with Sandra! This revelation opened a can of worms by causing a great deal of friction between the one-time friends.

Veronica enjoys pigging out at the local fast food restaurant. Often, she can be seen wolfing down a hamburger during her lunch break. Peter, an acquaintance, asked Veronica's friend Kathy if Veronica would ever eat in a more dignified and ladylike manner. Kathy replied, "Yeah, when pigs fly!"

Donald was speaking with his grandmother over the phone. She was having difficulty speaking clearly. Donald asked, "Are you all right? You sound like you have a frog in your throat. You should be careful. People have been dropping like flies with the flu this year. If you don't feel well, you need to see a doctor."

➤ Read more idioms and phrases, English grammar and vocabulary at Basic English Grammar And Vocabulary .

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Throwing The Baby Out With The Bathwater, Off The Reservation, At First Blush

Throwing The Baby Out With The Bathwater
To figuratively "throw the baby out with the bathwater" is to discard the good alongside the bad.

In old England, dirty, used bathwater from a baby's bath was discarded behind a house. No one sane would ever throw out the baby with the bathwater. Therefore, this expression describes an act of extreme foolishness and a complete lack of understanding of value and worth.

Example: "It is simply wrong to replace the entire marketing staff just because of one failed sales campaign. There are some people that need replacing, yes, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater! We need to hold onto the good people that we already have."


Off The Reservation
Someone who is, figuratively speaking, "off the reservation" is beyond the control of his or her supposed leader.

The word "reservation" is used in two senses: animal preserves, where hunting of animals is forbidden, and reservations for Native American Indians, upon which these people are permitted by national governments (be they American or Canadian) to live largely according to traditional tribal laws rather than under the authority of state or provincial governments.

In either case, to be "off the reservation" is to be beyond a well-defined boundary.

Example: "Richard was speaking to a reporter about his division's new product. Either his boss knows about it and this was planned, or Richard is completely off the reservation and will get in very serious trouble. Unless he had approval, he could lose his job over this."

In this case, Richard is either part of a plan to quietly announce the product to the news media, or he has leaked in violation of his company contract. The latter would definitely be beyond a well-defined boundary!


At First Blush
The idiom "at first blush" is based on the initial appearance of something.
Just as the rose-colored sky before the dawn is not representative of the color of the sky during the day, the first blush has a tendency to mislead the viewer about the truth of the situation.
Example: "At first blush, the offer seemed reasonable. However, I realized that the seller was asking for far too much given the questionable condition of the merchandise."


Love At First Sight
A particularly common English idiom, "love at first sight" is a strong and immediate attraction to someone upon meeting, and seeing, that person for the first time.
The implication is that this attraction is due to external factors: physical attractiveness, sex appeal, and so forth. It is not based on knowledge of the other person's thoughts or personality.
Example: "When Billy met Cassie, it was love at first sight. He was stunned by her casual charm and elegant figure."


A Busy Bee
A "busy bee" is someone or some creature who or that is very busy, like an industrious worker bee.
Example: "Lucy was a busy bee around the house, washing dishes, dusting shelves, and doing the laundry."


➤ Read more idioms and phrases, English grammar and vocabulary at Basic English Grammar And Vocabulary .

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Smelling A Rat, A Packrat, A Frog In Your Throat

Smelling A Rat
Just as something being "fishy" describes something suspicious, to "smell a rat" is to suspect trickery or treachery.

Trickery is as in fraud. Treachery is as in betrayal. Also, in criminal culture, "a rat" is a police informant. This term has spread into popular culture; "ratting" or "ratting out" is to inform on someone and betray that person to an authority of some kind, whether lawful (police) or unlawful (organized crime).

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When Pigs Fly, Horsing Around, An Eager Beaver, Dropping Like Flies

When Pigs Fly
One of English's more colorful idioms, "when pigs fly" describes an extremely unlikely event, one that will never realistically come to pass.

Pigs would only fly (legitimately) if they sprouted angel-like wings and began flying on their own power. This is a ridiculous idea, and is used to ridicule another idea.

Example: "Think you might wind up marrying Ray someday?"  "Me? Marry that fat, lazy slob Ray? When pigs fly!!" In this case, the speaker is strongly denying that there is even a remote possibility of marrying "Ray."


Horsing Around
To "horse around" is to play roughly, without regard for normal limitations such as rules or safety.

Real horses play very energetically and roughly. This is why "horsing around" creates an image of rough, physical activity. However, children "horsing around" can cause damage to private property, or injury to themselves or each other. Parents and school teachers usually limit or ban horsing around for this reason.

Example: "Ted and Tommy were horsing around outside. Because of that, Ted tripped and scraped his left knee. Their mother should tell them to tone it down."

The word horseplay (a noun) represents the act of horsing around.


An Eager Beaver
Someone said to be "an eager beaver" is someone very excited and enthusiastic about doing a particular task.

Example: "Ron's been such an eager beaver since joining the company. He volunteers for everything and never complains."

While this is usually a positive trait, excessive enthusiasm can be annoying, or threatening, to some, especially in a very competitive environment.

A person can be an eager beaver for a particular task, that the person particularly likes.


Dropping Like Flies
When many living creatures, including plants, are dying in large numbers, English natives often say, they are "dropping like flies."

Few high school graduates in Western countries are unaware of fruit fly experiments. Fruit flies have a short life span; that is why science studies them extensively. A group of fruit flies that has reached the end of that life span will result in many small, dead flies lying on their backs. This is the image created by the expression, dropping like flies.

Example: "Many elderly people have been dropping like flies during the heat wave in Russia. Please, check up on your loved ones and make sure they are safe and sound." (Safe and sound is another idiom that means "safe and in sound (good) health.")

➤ Read more idioms and phrases, English grammar and vocabulary at Basic English Grammar And Vocabulary .

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Wolfing Food Down, Pigging Out, Opening A Can Of Worms

Wolfing Food Down
To "wolf down" food is to eat food quickly, without fully chewing it.

Often, something that is wolfed down is not really chewed at all; it is simply swallowed.

Example: "Peter wolfed down his sandwich before leaving for work. I think he was in a hurry." In this case, Peter would have had to chew his sandwich somewhat (or choke to death!), but he did not take the time to eat the sandwich slowly. Rather, he ate as quickly as physically possible, swallowing his food in as large chunks as possible, to save time before hurrying to go to work.

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A White Elephant, The Tip of the Iceberg

A White Elephant
White elephants have been regarded as holy in Thailand, India and other Asian countries since ancient times. The owner of a white elephant was required by law to pay for the upkeep of the elephant with special (and thus, expensive) food and to provide access for common people to worship the white elephant.

It is said that if a Thai king was dissatisfied with a subject, he would give the subject a white elephant. Since the elephant was holy, it could not be refused. As a consequence, the cost of maintaining the elephant would bankrupt the subject, reducing him to poverty and suffering. Thus, the "gift" was a gift meant to hurt the recipient.

Idiomatically, a white elephant is something that is very expensive to maintain, and which provides absolutely no benefit whatsoever to the owner.

Example: The Millennium Dome, a structure built in England to house an exhibition from January 1, 2000 until the end of that year (which brought in the new millennium, hence the name). The Dome is considered to be a poorly planned and poorly managed project that did not attract the expected number of visitors. Also, after the original exhibition was closed, the Dome cost one million pounds per month to maintain. Because of this, many considered the Dome to be a white elephant, a building that was nothing but a financial burden to the government, and to taxpayers.

The English word boondoggle is often used with a similar meaning, implying financial waste without meaningful gain.


The Tip of the Iceberg
High school science classes teach us all about icebergs, or ice in general, and how the ice visible on the surface is only a small portion of the ice itself. This visual deception was one factor in the sinking of the Titanic in the early 20th century.

Figuratively, "the tip of the iceberg" is a small, visible portion of a larger, real problem.

Example: Company X is having trouble selling a particular product. A manager is examining customer complaints about the product. These complaints include frustration with customer support staff. The manager reports to the company president, "I'm sorry but, the complaints about thin-skinned customer support staff are just the tip of the iceberg. This product is the subject of five times the complaints of products we've sold in similar numbers. I'm convinced this is an indication of larger problems."


➤ Read more idioms and phrases, English grammar and vocabulary at Basic English Grammar And Vocabulary .

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Letting The Cat Out Of The Bag, A Fat Cat

Letting The Cat Out Of The Bag
Letting the cat out of the bag, is a metaphor for revealing a secret. It is far easier to keep a cat in a bag, than to put the cat back into the bag after it is out. Cats, like secrets, are very independent creatures that do not do as they are told; they follow their own desires. Once revealed, a secret cannot be made secret again; it spreads and becomes known to one and all.

Example: "Billy was having an affair with Jessica, but his wife didn't know. Jessica started bragging about it and one of her friends told Billy's wife. Now the cat's out of the bag and Billy's wife is probably going to divorce him." The consequences of a secret being revealed cannot normally be undone. Once the cat is out of the bag, it stays out.


A Fat Cat
Idiomatically, "a fat cat" is someone who is very wealthy and, as a result, is able to eat more food than necessary and otherwise enjoy a life of luxury. Thus, they resemble fat, lazy cats that eat, sleep and do nothing useful.

Once, wealthy people who were plump (not obese necessarily, but merely larger than average) had their size seen as proof of their wealth, showing that they could survive famine and that they stood above ordinary people.

Today, obesity is more of a problem with poorer people who cannot afford health food, gym memberships, and all the various trappings of a "healthy lifestyle." Fatter foods have become cheaper and available to the masses, while healthier foods have been made more expensive.

In practice, any wealthy person can be described as "a fat cat," but in modern times, this has a clear, negative connotation.

Example: "The fat cat who runs the local bank is a greedy jerk who enjoys taking advantage of people. Even though he has so much money, he tries to cheat other people in business, even over the most trivial things! He won't even tip waiters at restaurants properly." This describes a person viewed (by the speaker) as being unjustly rich, and unjustly aggressive in seeking to save trivial amounts of money (to a rich person).

➤ Read more idioms and phrases, English grammar and vocabulary at Basic English Grammar And Vocabulary .

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