Vocabulary
Expressions 2
Study the following vocabulary.
It seemed that everything was making me upset; my husband and children were driving me up a wall and life as a suburban housewife was not all it’s cracked up to be. Then one day, I arrived at home to find the house dark. I opened the door and turned on the light, there was my whole family waiting to surprise me – it took my breath away. They had found old photos, and we took a trip down memory lane; my children got a kick out of the pictures of me and their father from when we were young. I realized that I had blown everything out of proportion; my life really was not so bad. Everything finally fell into place – my husband and my children made me so happy, I was on top of the world.
get a kick out of – to very much enjoy doing something
I get a real kick out of going for a run first thing in the morning before anyone else is up.
drive up a wall – to make someone very angry or frustrated
The neighbors’ loud music every night is driving me up a wall.
fall into place – to understand something you did not understand before, when everything goes well
As soon as I met his family, everything fell into place.
lay down the law – to be clear and firm about the law, to enforce a rule
We need a government that is prepared to lay down the law.
not all it’s cracked up – to be not as good as people say it is
That restaurant is not all it's cracked up to be.
blow out of proportion – behave as if something is much worse than it really is
The newspapers have blown the political debate out of proportion.
to be on top of the world – to be very happy
I have passed all of my exams; I am on top of the world today.
take my breath away – to be shocking in a positive way
When I first saw the Grand Canyon it took my breath away.
it’s no good crying over spilt milk – there is no reason to get upset about a past event that you cannot change
“I scratched the paint on my new car, I am so upset!”
“Oh well, it’s no good crying over spilt milk.”
take a trip down memory lane – to remember happy events from the past
They went back to their favorite restaurant from childhood and took a trip down memory lane.