Breathing Room

Idiom:  Breathing Room; used as a noun.

Example:  

“Tom is having a really hard time at work.  His boss loves to micro-manage him and controls almost every little thing he does.  If Tom’s boss doesn’t give him some Breathing Room, I think he’s going to quit his job soon.”

Meaning:  Breathing Room refers to giving someone sufficient room to breathe and move comfortably.  It can also mean to give someone sufficient space or independence in his/her daily activities.  In this example, Tom’s boss constantly monitors him and does not give him the freedom to perform his work independently.  As a result, Tom feels that he doesn’t have the freedom to do his work comfortably and at his own pace.  This idiom can apply to any situation where it might be necessary to give someone the space to feel comfortable at doing a particular activity. 

This idiom is from the book "The Idiom Advantage – Fluency in Speaking and Listening," which is used as a primary Idioms material in LSI’s Advanced Conversation classes.

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