Thursday, May 12, 2016

Be On The Fence




Context #1

Jim:  Have you decided who you're going to vote for?

Chris: I still don't know.  I'm kind of on the fence right now.  Both candidates are qualified and seem great for the job.





Context #2


Carol:  Have you and your husband found a new apartment yet?


Shelly:  Well, we're still on the fence about which city to live in.  I want to live closer to the beach, but my husband wants to live closer to his work. 


MEANING: to be on the fence means that you cannot make up your mind between two choices or alternatives.  It means that you are having a hard time deciding on one thing over the other. 

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

To Wake Up On The Wrong Side Of The Bed




Context #1:

Tom: Man!  Chrissy must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed today!

Steve:  I know.  She is in such a bad mood.  

Tom: I think I'll just stay away from her today.





Context #2:

Sara:  Jenny, can I borrow a pen?  I forgot mine.

Jenny: Really? Again? You always forget your pen.  How many times has it been now? A million...

Sara: Wow!  Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

Jenny: I'm sorry.  Yeah, I'm a little stressed out today.  Here you go.  You can use this pen.

MEANING: to wake up on the wrong side of the bed is an expression used when someone is really grumpy or in a bad mood.  It is almost always used with a past tense form, like in example #2.