to be bound to: to be certain to, to be sure to Examples of TO BE BOUND TO “You’re bound to love this hit musical!” read the ad. Let me write down the shopping list; I’m bound to forget something.

to eat in/to eat out: to eat at home/to eat in a restaurant Examples of TO EAT IN/TO EAT OUT We decided to eat in and I made spaghetti and meatballs. We decided to eat out and tried a new restaurant downtown.

by oneself: alone, without assistance Examples of BY ONESELF He drove four hours to Los Angeles, by himself, for the audition. Frustrated with her useless team, Carol finished the project by herself.

to count on: to trust someone in time of need (also: to depend on) Examples of COUNT ON We’ll be able to count on Todd; everyone knows he’s reliable and gets things done on time. The store manager was able to count on the celebrity to make a big purchase.

to lay off: to abstain from, stop using as a habit; to release or discharge from a job (also: related idiom: to let go) Examples of TO LAY OFF Today is my 30th birthday, but I should probably lay off the cake and champagne. He said the company had to lay off employees and has…

face-to-face: direct, personal; directly, personally Examples of FACE TO FACE He thinks people should be allowed inside a judge’s office to talk face to face. You’ll make a meaningful, powerful connection when you communicate face to face.