Book of Idioms, Episode 13

To describe something as "you can't miss it" means that it is so obvious that more detailed directions are unneeded.
Ex.: "Take a right at the church; it's the store with the big purple dinosaur in front. You can't miss it!" Whether you want to or not, it's hard to ignore a big purple dinosaur.

A "raw deal" is a disadvantageous transaction of some sort. As an idiom, it can be used even more broadly.
Ex.: "Voters got a raw deal when they voted for a change in government, only for the new government to follow the same policies as the old. That wasn't what they bargained for."

To "roll out the red carpet" is to treat a guest with the highest possible degree of formal welcome.
Ex.: "The governor rolled out the red carpet for his celebrity friends, treating them to a full course meal and expensive wine."

Today I saw "Italy banks moving into the eye of the storm" to say they're getting deeper into trouble. Now, only hurricanes/ typhoons have "eyes". The eye is a place of calm around which the highest power winds blow. Beware of possible idiom confusion/ misuse; when a hurricane loses its "eye" it becomes just a storm.

In any competition, the "favorite" is favored to win, and the "underdog" is not favored; therefore the underdog winning is a surprise. This applies to betting/ gambling.
Ex.: "Tom was the underdog in the amateur boxing match, but he won a stunning victory against Greg, who was the favorite."

As an idiom, a "Mecca" (small m, not the city) is a place where like-minded people from many places come and gather together.
Ex.: "The Japanese district of Akihabara is a Mecca for electronic device and video game geeks from all over Japan, and famous among nerds around the world."


A "change of heart" means a change in one's decisions and intentions. The implication is that the change was for reasons of sentiment or emotion, not logic.
Ex.: "Billy was engaged to marry Roxanne, but he had a quick change of heart when he found out she was already cheating on him."


A "raw deal" is a disadvantageous deal; an unfair deal. It is not necessarily fraud, but is at least morally dubious.
Ex.: "When a car salesman tells you to trust him, that's a red flag that you're getting a raw deal."

A "red flag" is an indication that serves as a warning. The warning is often unintended.
Ex.: "Often, when someone says the words 'Trust me', that's a red flag warning you not to trust them. A used car salesman always wants you to trust him - especially when he's cheating you."

Time is thought to pass very fast in a busy city like New York. Therefore, a "New York minute" is a period of time that's very fast, subjectively. Ex.: "Luck comes and goes in a New York minute. You can't rely on it at all."

A "smoking gun" (as an idiom) is clear proof of guilt.
Ex.: "The DNA evidence was the proverbial smoking gun that conclusively linked the defendant to the scene of the murder."

To "lose your luster" is to lose your previously high appeal. Luster is a word for the shine of an object, like a properly polished silver vase. Ex.: "US leadership has lost some of its luster abroad, suggesting President Barack Obama can't count on as much global euphoria..." meaning, Obama's lost some "shine" (popularity).

To "read the tea leaves" is to make a prediction about the future. The expression comes from one method of supposed fortune telling.
Ex.: "Reading the tea leaves, many American labor unions will continue to depend on public employees for the majority of their members." Meaning, the above trend should continue.

➤ Read more idioms and phrases, English grammar and vocabulary at Basic English Grammar And Vocabulary . You might also like ⏬

➤ Book of Idioms

➤ Idioms about Animals

➤ Idioms of Expression

➤ Idioms on Food

➤ Idiomatic Expressions

➤ Origin of Idioms

➤ Proverbs

➤ Idioms on Situation

➤ Idioms on Temperature