To stop dead n one's tracks

Idiom: to stop dead in one's tracks; used as a verb

Example:

Larry: How was your camping trip?

Vickie: It was awesome! Except for the bear.

Larry: The bear?!

Vickie: Yeah, we went out for a night hike, and when we returned, there was a bear in our campsite going through our food. We forgot to put everything away.

Larry: What did you do?

Vickie: When I first saw it, I stopped dead in my tracks; I was terrified. But then Christina suggested that we should try to scare it away. So we got in her car and turned it on. We honked the horn, revved the engine, and we yelled and clapped, and that scared it away.

Meaning: The expression "to stop dead in one's tracks" means to suddenly stop moving, usually when frightened. In the above example, Vickie says she "stopped dead in (her) tracks" when she saw a bear. The expression comes from hunting and can also be used in the more literal meaning. 

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To Scratch the surface

Example 1: 

Katya: Hey,​Yuko! What did you learn about in school today?

Yuko: Our professor talked about space. We learned about stars, planets, and black holes. It was so interesting!

Katya: Wow! I've always wondered if there could be life on other planets. Did you learn about that?

Yuko: No, our lesson was only one hour long. The professor only scratched the surface. I will have to learn a lot more about space before I can understand it completely.

Example 2: 

Amy: How was your trip to Los Angeles?

Jason: It was great, but I wish it had been​ longer. I was there for a week, and I got to see the Santa Monica Pier, the Hollywood sign, and the ​Dodger Stadium. But I feel like there is so much more to see and do in LA. I barely scratched the surface. 

Meaning: To ​talk about a topic on a superficial level; not go deeply into the subject; only deal with a small part of a problem or situation.

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