To Chicken Out

Context #1 - 

Tim: Have you heard about the new ride and Magic Mountain called the Death Drop?

John:  Yeah, I heard it's super scary.  Have you been on it?

Tim:  Well, we went there this weekend and I was going to go on it with my friends, but I chickened out at the last minute.

John:  Really?  That must have been a little embarrassing.

Tim:  Yeah, it was!

Context #2 -

Christine: Did you hear about Steve and Carol's anniversary trip to Yosemite?

Stacy:  No, what happened?

Christine:  They agreed to go bungee jumping off this bridge, but Carol was ready to jump and then chickened out.

Stacy: Oh no!  How did Steve take it?

Christine:  He wasn't upset at all.  He actually thought it was kind of funny.

Meaning:  to chicken out is used when someone gets too scared or too afraid to do something so they back out or don't attempt it. 

http://languagesystems.edu/

Strike Up a Friendship

Idiom: Strike up a friendship

Example 1:

Daniel: Is that your Star Wars bag?

John: Yeah, why? 

Daniel: I’m a HUGE Star Wars fan! 

John: Awesome! Who is your favorite character? Mine is Darth Vader.

Daniel: ME TOO! Oh man, did we just strike up a friendship right now?

John: I think so, haha.

Example 2:

Adrian: I want a girlfriend.

Miran: Then go out and get one!

Adrian: It’s harder than you think! Work keeps me so busy that I can’t even strike up a friendship, let alone get a girlfriend!

Meaning: to start a new friendship

www.languagesystems.edu