To rip off

Idiom: to rip off (verb), a rip-off (noun) – to steal something from another person; to cheat or trick someone into spending more money on a product than what it is worth.

Context #1 – Friends are taking a tour of Los Angeles

Dan: Let’s go see the Hollywood sign next, but don’t leave your bag in the car.

Juan: Really? Why not?

Dan: Because there are thieves at popular sites who often rip off tourists who are not careful with their bags and belongings.

Juan: Oh, I see. That happens sometimes in my country, especially in areas where there are a lot of tourists.

Dan: Yes, so be careful.  If someone rips us off, then we will really be in trouble!

Context #2 – Two friends are talking about buying a car

Sami: I saw an advertisement for a new car. It’s so cheap, so I really need to get to that dealership to buy it now!

Petra: Sami, do you really believe that? It’s too good to be true. Those car dealerships rip everyone off.

Sami: Really? But they can’t lie to people. That’s terrible.

Petra: They put up those advertisements to get people to go to the dealership.  Then, they say unfortunately that “good deal” is no longer available. They are very tricky. Then they will pressure you into paying a lot more for a car than what it is really worth.

Sami: What a rip-off!! That’s outrageous.

Petra: Yes, it is. You are better off knowing the full market value and shopping around at many different places. Then, hopefully, you won’t get ripped off like so many customers.

Sami: That sounds like a plan!

Meaning: To rip off is a verb and a “rip-off” is a noun. This idiom means to steal something or to purposely deceive or trick someone into paying more for a product than what is necessary.  In context 1, two friends are touring Los Angeles and are afraid that if they leave their bags in the car, a thief will “rip them off” or steal their bags. In context 2, Sami sees a really good advertisement for a car, but Petra warns him that the car dealership may be trying to “rip him off” by getting him to go there through false advertising. 

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A drop in the bucket

First Example:

            Mary: Thanks for the donation for the Children's Hospital.

Conner: I wish I could give more. I know $100 is a drop in the bucket compared to what they need.

Mary: It's still generous of you. Yeah, we need to raise about $10 million, but if more people give, it'll really make a difference to a lot of sick kids.

Meaning: The expression "a drop in the bucket" means that something is very small when compared to what is necessary. In the example above, Conner has given Mary a donation for children's hospital, but he realizes that compared with the $10 million necessary, it seems almost worthless (which Mary denies).

Second Example:

When the employees found out how much money the company had made without giving any raises or bonuses, the employees were furious. They argued that a small raise for each employee would have been a drop in the bucket when compared with the record profits, but the company argued that they were investing the profits to ensure future growth.

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Mixed Feelings

Idiom: mixed feelings; used as a noun

First Example:

Harry: Did you hear about the policy new change?

Victoria: Yeah.

Harry: You don't sound happy about it.

Victoria: Well, I have mixed feelings. I mean, I can see how it'll make the experience better for our clients, so that's good.

Harry: Right.

Victoria: But it's going to make our jobs harder, and the company isn't going to be getting more money for our time from our clients. So sure, it's great for the clients, but I have enough work to do already.

Meaning: The expression "mixed feelings" means a reaction that is both positive and negative. In the above example, Victoria says she has "mixed feelings" about a policy change at work because it's better for the clients, but it's worse for the employees. Also, note that Victoria uses the expression after the verb "have;" "have mixed feelings" is probably the most common form when using this expression, but it's not the only one.

Second Example:

Dan: The Oscars were crazy this year!

Robin: I know! I watched that ending with so many mixed feelings.

Dan: What do you mean?

Robin: Well, I wanted Moonlight to win, but they said La La Land won, which didn't surprise me. But then they took it away from them! I was happy for the Moonlight people but sad at the same time for the La La Land people!

Dan: Yeah, that was a roller coaster of emotions.

         

Meaning: Note that Robin doesn't use the verb "have", instead saying she did something  "with mixed feelings". This is probably the second most common way of using this idiom.

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A small world

Context #1

Tom: So Sara, where are you from?
Sara: I'm from California.
Tom: Really? Me too! Where in California?
Sarah: I'm from San Diego. How about you?
Tom: I'm from San Diego too. Wow! It's a small world!

Context #2

Chris: You know that new girl in our class? Well, I just found out that we grew up in the same neighborhood. We went to the same elementary school 30 years ago!
Sam: Wow! That's amazing. What a small world!

Meaning: "a small world" is used to describe a situation where two people find out that they grew up together, live in the same apartment building, or have something truly amazing in common.

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