To Get off to a Good Start

Idiom:  To Get Off to a Good Start; used as a verb.

First Example:  Mary’s first day of class got off to a good start because all of her students arrived on time and were excited for the first lesson of the day.

Meaning:  To Get off to a Good Start means to start a particular activity correctly or to have a successful beginning.  In this example, Mary’s first day of class had started out correctly because all of her students had arrived on time and were ready for class.  Further, her students were very excited for her first lesson and the idiom implied that she would have a successful day.  This idiom can apply to any situation where any particular project or activity starts off in a good way.  This usually applies to an activity that required a lot of planning.  It’s used as a verb in this example.

Here is another example:

Second Example:  John’s blind date with Cindy was off to a good start!  After meeting her at the restaurant, they both discovered that they had similar interests and were both very passionate about their pets.

Meaning:  In this case, the idiom, off to a good start, serves to express the idea that John and Cindy’s blind date had a successful start.  Typically, an awkward situation, such as a blind date, can be a potentially frustrating event.  However, since John and Cindy shared many common interests, the blind date could potentially lead to a very fruitful relationship in the future.  In this example, the idiom is being used as an idiomatic phrase.

This idiom is from the book "What’s up – American Idioms," which is used as supplemental material in the LSI Levels 5-7 Listening/Speaking classes.

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