to take by surprise: to surprise, to amaze, to astonish
to shut up: to close for a period of time; to be quiet, to stop talking Examples of TO SHUT UP She just WOULD NOT SHUT UP, and eventually Duncan took to just yelling over her. In cases like these they just need to shut up and take a big bite of humble pie
What Does “A Hit and Run Accident” Mean?Have you ever heard someone say, “That was a hit and run accident”? It doesn’t always refer to cars! In English, this phrase is also an idiom, meaning that someone caused harm and didn’t take responsibility for it. Let’s break down this expression, its literal and idiomatic meanings,…
to stand up for: to insist on, to demand; to defend, to support Examples of TO STAND UP FOR Encouraging people to think, and to stand up for what they believe, is terrific. Those men, while misguided on some fronts stood up for what they felt was right.
to do over: to revise, to do againA noun or pronoun must separate the two parts of this idiom. Examples of TO DO OVER Who wouldn’t like the chance to go back to high school and do it all over again? You’d better do the essay over because it is written so poorly.
by far: by a great margin, clearly Examples of BY FAR Germany continued to have by far the largest trade surplus in the currency area. This was one of the best dishes by far and nobody is reinventing the wheel here.
to get on (someone’s) nerves: to annoy or disturb Examples of TO GET ON (SOMEONE’S) NERVES I wish they would turn off that radio. It’s getting on my nerves. Ruby loves to talk to anyone. Sometimes her chatter really gets on my nerves.