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by a hair
→ just barely; very narrowly; by a small amount
EXAMPLE 1: Larry won the bicycle race by a hair. The second-place winner came in just a second behind him.
EXAMPLE 2: Was the tennis ball in or out? I think it was out by a hair. You know the old saying: "When in doubt, call it out!"
(to) cheer up
→ to make someone happy
EXAMPLE 1: Susan called her friend in the hospital to cheer her up.
EXAMPLE 2: My father has been depressed for weeks now. I don't know what to do to cheer him up.
NOTE: You can tell somebody to "Cheer up!" if they are feeling sad.
Face it
→ accept a difficult reality
EXAMPLE 1: Let's face it, if Ted spent more time studying, he wouldn't be failing so many of his classes!
EXAMPLE 2: Let's face it, if you don't have a college degree, it can be difficult to find a high-paying job.
fair and square
→ honestly
EXAMPLE 1: Did George Bush win the 2000 presidential election fair and square? That depends on whether you ask a Democrat or a Republican!
EXAMPLE 2: Tony won the ping pong tournament fair and square.
for sure
→ definitely
EXAMPLE 1: This year, Tom Cruise will win an Academy Award for sure.
EXAMPLE 2: Mike is the most popular guy in school. If he runs for student body president, he'll win for sure.
Get real
→ be serious or realistic about what's going on
EXAMPLE 1: You think you won't get a speeding ticket when you drive 85 miles per hour? Get real!
EXAMPLE 2: You think you're going to win $1 million in the lottery? Get real!
(to) give it one's best shot
→ to try as hard as one can
EXAMPLE 1: Courtney lost the race, but at least she gave it her best shot.
EXAMPLE 2: I know you're nervous about the interview. Just give it your best shot and see what happens.
give me a break
→ that's ridiculous; that's outrageous
EXAMPLE 1: You want me to pay $3 for one cookie? Give me a break!
EXAMPLE 2: You expect me to believe that excuse? Give me a break!
NOTE: YOU might see this written in its informal, conversational form: "Gimme a break!" This is usually how the idiom is pronounced.
(to) give up
→ to admit defeat; to surrender
EXAMPLE 1: Bill gave up golf after realizing he'd never be good at it.
EXAMPLE 2: I know you're 100 points ahead of me, but I still might win the Scrabble game. I'm not giving up yet!
(to) go wrong
→ to make a mistake; to go astray; to malfunction; to work incorrectly
EXAMPLE 1: Follow the directions I gave you, and you can't go wrong.
EXAMPLE 2: Something went wrong with my neighbor's car alarm system, and the alarm wouldn't stop ringing all night.
(to) live with it
→ to accept a difficult reality
EXAMPLE 1: Your boss is an idiot. Live with it.
EXAMPLE 2: Your hair will never be straight. Just live with it!
NOTE: There is also the expression "to learn to live with it," which means to get used to something annoying or difficult. Example: Sandra knew that Roger would always throw his dirty clothes on the floor. She'd just have to learn to live with it.
(to) make a fool of oneself
→ to cause oneself to look stupid
EXAMPLE 1: Dan drank too much and then made a fool of himself.
EXAMPLE 2: Please stop arguing with me in front of all these people. You're making a fool of yourself!
(to) mess up
→ to make a mistake; to spoil an opportunity
EXAMPLE 1: Amber messed up and put salt instead of sugar in the cookies.
EXAMPLE 2: Ted really messed up on his chemistry test. He got a "D."
SYNONYM: screw up [slang]
(to) put the blame on (someone)
→ to name somebody else as responsible for a misdeed or misfortune
EXAMPLE 1: Mrs. Lopez put the blame on her husband for losing their life savings in the stock market.
EXAMPLE 2: Don't put the blame on me that your plants died while you were on vacation. You forgot to tell me to water them!
(to) set the record straight
→ to correct an inaccurate account
EXAMPLE 1: Ken knew his father was innocent, and he hoped he could set the record straight one day.
EXAMPLE 2: Let me set the record straight. I won the last game.
sure thing
→ an outcome that is assured
EXAMPLE 1: Gary bet all his money on a horse named Trixie, thinking she was a sure thing.
EXAMPLE 2: Nicole has a good chance of getting accepted to Yale, but it's still not a sure thing.
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