A day at the beach

Idiom: A day at the beach

Ron and Lisa are both students in the same class in university. It's nearing the end of the term and Ron is stressed about his finals...

Ron: I've been doing research for two days now, and I don't feel any closer to writing my final essay. I wish our professor would just give us a multiple choice exam. That would be far easier for me.

Lisa: No way! I never do well on multiple choice tests; but, for me, writing an essay is like a day at the beach.

Meaning: A day at the beach is a non-stressful, relaxing day - an easy day. When someone uses the idiom a day at the beach, it means the project, task, or event will be easy or non-challenging.

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To bring sand to the beach

Idiom: To bring sand to the beach

Sandra and Jane are discussing a friend's up-coming birthday...

Sandra: I don't know what to get Julia - and her birthday party is this weekend!

Jane: I know she likes bracelets. She certainly has a lot of them.

Sandra: No kidding! She has so many that if I give her another, it'll be like bringing sand to the beach!

Meaning: Because there is so much sand at the beach, there is no point or purpose in bringing sand. When to bring sand to the beach is used, it means the action a speaker suggested or choice a speaker has made (in the above example, buying yet another bracelet for a person who has many) is without purpose or good reason.

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To bury one's head in the sand

Idiom: to bury one's head in the sand; used as a verb

First Example:

Teacher: Joe, can we talk about your test?   

Joe: I know. I did terribly.  But I'll do better next time.

Teacher: Isn't this the third one you've failed?                              

Joe: Yeah, so?

Teacher: Well, maybe you should stop burying your head in the sand and admit you need help.  If you fail another test, you won't pass the class.

Joe: Oh wow. Yeah, I guess I do need to do something.

Teacher: Why don't you go down to the tutoring center tomorrow? I hear they have some really great math tutors that should be able to help you.

Meaning: The idiom "to bury (one's) head in the sand" is used when someone is ignoring a bad situation. The idiom is based on the idea that ostriches bury their heads in order to avoid danger; however, this is actually a myth as ostriches do not hide in this way. Here is another example:

Tricia: I finally paid off my credit card.    

Val: That's awesome!  How did you do it?

Tricia: Well, for a long time I just buried my head in the sand about how much debt I had, but one day I finally added it up and realized I had $20,000 in credit card debt.

Val: Wow! That's a lot!

Tricia: Yeah. Once I finally admitted how bad it was, I quit using my cards and paid off as much as a I could each month.  It took me a couple years, and it was really tight, but I'm so glad I did it.

Val: Congratulations

Meaning: In this example, Tricia uses the expression to explain the she was ignoring the amount of credit card debt she had. 

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Life’s a beach

Idiom: Life’s a beach

Example 1: 

Mikey: My friends think I’m having a difficult time because of my new job, but to be honest, life’s a beach right now.

Rafael: Life’s always a beach with you.  You’re probably the only person I know who always has a good time.

Example 2:

Paco: I’ve always dreamt of having a house with a great view.  I would wake up every morning and think life’s a beach.

Emil: You and everyone else. Now put that lottery ticket away and stop day dreaming.  I’m a simple person. If I could only have a drink at work, then life would be a beach.

Paco: That’s kind of true. We should become bartenders. We could do it then.

Emil: I take that back. Life’s a beach when you’re not annoying me during work time.

Meaning: "Life’s a beach" is an expression used to describe when things are fantastic. People usually say it when they want to express an ideal or blissful situation.  

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A Beach Bum

Idiom: A Beach Bum

Example 1:

Chip: Dude, you never go to school. What do you do all day? 

Dale: It’s the summer bro. We’re next to the sand and sea. What’s better than being a beach bum this time of the year? As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing better than being a beach bum.

Example 2:

Simon: Sometimes I wish I could escape my work and just be a beach bum.

Sarah: Everyone thinks that way, but if you were a beach bum you wouldn’t get many things done.

Simon: That’s the point.

Meaning: "A beach bum" (noun) is someone who spends too much time at the beach. This expression is often used when referring to someone who only wants to be at the beach and be unproductive. It could be both negative and positive.  

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