cut and dried: predictable, known beforehand; boring Examples of CUT AND DRIED For those who have never been seriously ill, treatment often seems cut and dried. In conversation, the director concedes that the issue is not so cut-and-dried.

to die down: to decrease, to lessen in strength Examples of TO DIE DOWN On the plus side, the volatility in short-term money-market rates has died down. As the sun set, the winds began to die down and the 100-acre fire was contained.

to keep in touch with: to maintain contact with (also: to stay in touch with) Examples of TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH Good managers are people you keep in touch with even after you leave a position. Once the Thanksgiving holiday passes, I promise to get in touch with all of you.

to carry out: to accomplish, to execute Examples of TO KNOCK ONE SELF OUT It’s easy to write down a plan for losing weight, but much harder to carry it out. The men refused to carry out the captain’s orders.

bad egg: a person who is bad, dishonest, or unreliable; a good-for-nothing.Examples of BAD EGG Despite his reputation, John’s boss is not really such a bad egg – after all, he did promote John to a better paying position last year. She’s a bad egg, I’m afraid – we caught her stealing from the office…

to get over: to recover from an illness; to accept a loss or sorrow Examples of GET OVER “We just need to get over this wall,” said the prisoner who was leading the escape. The sick man hoped to get over his illness quickly.