to blow up: to inflate, to fill with air; to explode, to destroy (or be destroyed) by explosion Examples of TO BLOW UP Linda must have been pretty angry to blow up at you like that. A storm blew up off the east coast.

to take over: to assume control or responsibility for; to do or perform again Examples of TO TAKE OVER When the publisher of that magazine retires, his daughter will take it over. Chloe worked on the report for several days and then James took over.

to run into: to meet someone unexpectedly; to crash or collide into Examples of TO RUN INTO Just the other day, I ran into a colleague who was on her way to a tango lesson. While researching Wednesday’s post, I ran into a number of strange case studies.

once and for all: finally, absolutely Examples of ONCE AND FOR ALL We’re going to solve this mystery once and for all, the detective thought to himself. After trying repeatedly, they were able to get the engine fixed once and for all.

to make the best of: to do the best that one can in a poor situation Examples of TO MAKE THE BEST OF Even though my car broke down in a strange town, I’m going to make the best of it and have a nice lunch while it’s getting repaired. The annoying optimist was always…

back and forth: in a backward and forward motion Examples of BACK AND FORTH She and I went back and forth, continually trading ideas, but we never reached an agreement. My job has me going back and forth between Atlanta and New York right now.