to put out: extinguish, to cause to stop functioning Examples of PUT OUT I decided to put out the light and go to sleep. We hope to put out a deluxe edition of the award-winning novel later this year.

to knock one self out: to work very hard (sometimes too hard) to do somethingA reflexive pronoun must divide the idiom. Examples of TO KNOCK ONE SELF OUT She really knocked herself out trying to pass that difficult class. Don’t knock yourself out during practice. Save your strength for the competition later.

a fat cat: someone who has a lot of money, especially someone in charge of a company who has the power to increase their own payExamples: Some say that rich, privileged people are fat cats. Don’t wait around for a fat cat to help you.

to throw away: to discard, to dispose of Examples of THROW AWAY We’re having leftovers tonight because George can’t bear to throw away food. I didn’t want to throw away the old suit because it might have been possible to donate it to a homeless shelter.

Crocodile tears: False or fake tears. Examples: Politicians love to cry crocodile tears about how hard it is to cut government spending. President Obama shed his crocodile tears for the latest group of victims.

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.