to catch cold: to become sick with a cold of the nose for throat Examples of CATCH COLD If you don’t wash your hands regularly, you’re liable to catch a cold. The student always seemed to catch a cold on test days, the teacher thought to herself.

to stand for: to represent, to signify; to tolerate Examples of TO STAND FOR He stands for shrinking the federal budget almost in half, legalizing marijuana. The citizens wouldn’t stand for the increase in crime in their city, so they hired more police officers and built another jail.

used to: formerly did, had the habit of Examples of USED TO We used to go to the county fair every year when we were kids. I used to dream about becoming an astronaut and going into space.

few and far between: not frequent, unusual, rare Examples of FEW AND FAR BETWEEN It’s hard to find a trustworthy lawyer; they’re few and far between. Friendships like ours are few and far between, my best friend told me.  

to back out: to drive a vehicle out of a parking space; to withdraw support, to fail to fulfill a promise or obligation Examples of TO BACK OUT The parking lot attendant had to back another car out before he could get to mine. We were all ready to sign the contracts when one of…

inside out: with the inside facing the outside Examples of INSIDE OUT She turned the jacket inside out so that she could mend it but the stitches wouldn’t show. By turning your surplus left-hand gloves inside out you can restore the balance.