To give your John Hancock

First Example:

Ken: I can’t believe that I have been offered a position to play in the Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball club.

Dan:  All you have to do is write your John Hancock on the contract and you will be eight million dollars richer.

Ken:  I never thought my Signature would mean so much.

Dan:  You better get used to it. Now that you’re famous, you will need to use your John Hancock for everything from contracts to autographs.

Second Example:

Nancy: We can’t buy this car without giving our John Hancock.

John: Everything official needs a signature.  Giving our John Hancock is our acknowledgement of commitment.

Nancy: Yeah, that’s true.  I just wish I would have practiced a nicer looking signature.

John:  It doesn’t really matter.  You’re not famous anyway.

Meaning: The expression "John Hancock" refers to a person’s signature.  It dates back to the signing of the American Declaration of Independence.  Mr. Hancock’s signature was so large that it was very noticeable.  It’s expressed in several ways.  Some of the most common ways are: “to give your John Hancock” or “Write your John Hancock.”

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Big Guns

First Example:

Nick: Who’s going to play on your basketball team for the tournament?

Ben: We have Michael taking the lead.

Nick: Oh! You’re bringing out the big guns.  You really want to win.

Ben: What’s the point of playing if you don’t have a strong leader that plays well?

Nick: That’s true.  We don’t have big guns on our team, just good team players.

Ben: Hey, that’s not bad.  You can’t depend on one good player only.  The big guns should only complement the team.

Second Example:

Julia: Hey, are you hosting the party this Saturday?

Tom: Yes.  I’m going to bring out the big guns and have a live band.

Julia: Oh cool.  You mean no DJ?  Just live music?  Who’s playing?

Tom: My friend’s brother is the lead singer of Green Day.

Julia:  What? That’s definitely the big guns.  No one will forget your party.

Meaning: The expression "big guns" refers to an important person in an organization or something/someone that has strong influence or value.  For example, Nick said to Ben that because Michael is playing, he’s bringing in the big guns.  He recognizes that Michael will make a big difference in favor of Ben’s team.  He can add value or strong competition for the team.

By Carlos T. #NELA

http://www.languagesystems.com/