Idioms

to hang up: to place clothes on a hook or hanger; to replace the receiver Examples of HANG UP I loved talking to Sam and I didn’t want to hang up the phone. My secretary decided to hang up on the crank caller.

under the weather: not feeling well, sick Examples of UNDER THE WEATHER Sara coughed and apologized for being under the weather, even though everyone gets sick sometimes. My boss sent me home because I was under the weather and he didn’t want anyone else to catch whatever I had.  

in a hurry: hurried, rushed (also:in a rush) Examples of IN A HURRY I didn’t do the best job because I was in a hurry to finish the order. The puppy was pulling at his leash, in a hurry to explore the park.

to put off: to postpone Examples of PUT OF The procrastinating student decided to put off doing his homework until the last minute. The Judge decided to put off reaching a decision until he’d thought about what he heard.

to call off: to cancel Examples of CALL OFF We’re going to call off the rescue mission because the weather is too bad. Henry couldn’t convince them to call off the attack, even though he knew it was a bad idea.

for good: permanently, forever Examples of FOR GOOD “I’m ending this conversation for good!” she yelled, storming out and slamming the door. It feels great to have the race finished for good.

for the time being: temporarily (also: for now) Examples of FOR THE TIME BEING For the time being, you’ll need to get extra rest, until you’re healthy again. The project was almost done, but for the time being, it was horrible.

to change one’s mind: to alter one’s decision or opinion Examples of CHANGE ONE’S MIND I tried to change his mind, but he insisted on leaving the office early on Friday. It’s easy for Kelly to change her mind; it seems like she never sticks with any one thing very long.    

to make up one’s mind: to reach a decision, to decide finally Examples of MAKE UP ONE’S MIND He needs to make up his mind what restaurant to go to, otherwise we’ll never eat. She can’t make up her mind between two great jobs.

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.