A wolf in sheep’s clothing

Example 1:

Madeline: Watch out for him. I don’t believe he’s the “nice guy” everyone thinks he is.

Sally: How do you know?

Madeline: I don’t really have any proof, but I get a sense he’s just a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He’s being nice now, but he’ll take advantage of you if he can.

Example 2:

Allison: I just had the greatest experience at the used-car dealer! I met the nicest salesman who showed me so many great cars. He promised me he’d give me the best deal.

Bradley: Be careful, buddy! Used-car salesmen are not known for being the most honest people. They’re often characterized as wolves in sheep’s clothing. Just make sure that what he promises is what you pay. And DON’T sign anything until you’re sure.

Explanation:

A wolf in sheep’s clothing is a biblical idiom that is used to warn people against individuals who do not show their true intentions in order to gain from unsuspecting people. Imagine a wolf, generally a dangerous animal, disguising itself as a sheep in order to take advantage of someone. 

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As quiet as a mouse

Example 1:

Mom: Shhhh! The baby just fell asleep. It took my so long to put her to bed.

Dad: OK. So I guess I shouldn’t watch the football game in the next room?

Mom: Don’t even think about it! I need you to be as quiet as a mouse.

Example 2:

Sharlene is a brand new student in my class. She’s in our advanced class, but I can’t tell if she speaks English very well; she’s as quiet as a mouse and almost never answers when the teacher calls on her.

Explanation:

To be as quiet as a mouse means to be extremely quiet. In Example 1, Mom tells Dad that he must be extremely quiet because the baby has just fallen asleep. In Example 2, Sharlene is a very quiet and shy student. 

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A Ripoff

Context #1

Jim: Wow!  Look at the ticket prices for the Jay-Z concert.  The cheapest tickets in the seats way up at the top are over $200!

David: That's a ripoff!

Context #2

Sara: I need to get my oil changed, but the place I went to was going to charge me $100.

Christine: Don't do it!  That's a ripoff!  You should try somewhere else.

Meaning: "ripoff" is a noun, and it is used for any time something is unreasonably expensive.  Sometimes it's because something is just too expensive, and sometimes it's because people are being dishonest and trying to take money from the customers or consumers.

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Wet Blanket

Example:

Kim: I can’t wait to go to Bangkok.  It’s going to be so much fun. There are so many places to see.

Vijo: I hate the city. I prefer a more quiet countryside place. The city is for unstable people.

Kim: Oh, don’t be such a wet blanket. Why do you always have to complain when I want to do something that’s fun for me?  We always do what you want and I never complain.

Vijo: You’re right, I’m sorry. I always seem to have this behavior when this happens. I’m sorry; I’m just really uncomfortable with city people. I’ll give it an honest try this time.

Kim: I would really appreciate that. Nobody likes a wet blanket. 

Meaning: The expression "wet blanket" means a person that is always negative and usually ruins other people’s good times. 

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Haste makes waste

Example:

Ina: I heard you won some money from the lottery. 

Michael: I did.  I’m going to buy a house, and a boat, and get married, and……

Ina: Whoa! Wait a second. Don’t you want to save or invest some of that money? Also, don’t you want to wait to get to know your girlfriend better before you make a mistake? I mean haste makes waste, don’t you think?

Michael: What are you saying? I mean, I love her and I want to share my new wealth. Besides, I always wanted all that other stuff.

Ina: I know you’re excited right now, but you have to think about things before rushing and making mistakes that could cost you more in the future.

Meaning: The expression "haste makes waste" means to rush into something, or do something quickly, with the possibility of making mistakes that may cause one severe problems or a waste of money and/or materials.

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A Bull in a China Shop

Idiom: A bull in a china shop: behaving like a clumsy or careless person and causing damage in situations that require careful thinking or actions.

Context #1 – Two salespeople are discussing a wealthy client

Mitzi: Hey, Valerie! How did it go yesterday at Mrs. Christensen’s penthouse? I heard it’s really gorgeous and full of expensive furniture and art.

Valerie: It was an absolute disaster. I’ll be lucky if I still have a job when the boss finds out about my visit.

Mitzi: Why? What happened?

Valerie: Well, my babysitter was sick yesterday, so I had no choice but to take along Jason, my three-year-old son.

Mitzi: Oh, no!

Valerie: Oh, yes. As you know, he is a very active little boy. He was like a bull in a china shop. He caused so much damage by knocking stuff over and breaking her expensive things.

Mitzi: I’m so sorry, Valerie. Maybe the boss will understand. I’ve heard she has children, too.

Valerie: Well, I hope so. I’ve offered to pay for all the damage Jason caused.

Context #2: Two friends talking after class

Cassie: I can’t believe how Sherry acted during our class meeting!

Tabitha: I know! Didn’t anyone tell her that the situation was delicate and that we had to be careful with our complaints to the teacher?

Cassie: I told her that we needed to be careful. Mr. Johnson is a good teacher, but he just needs to talk slowly and write more on the board. We didn’t want to hurt his feelings.

Tabitha: Well, she obviously didn’t listen. Sherry was like a bull in a china shop and just went on and on complaining about every little thing Mr. Johnson does. I thought he was about to cry!

Cassie: She was careless with her words, and I think she messed everything up even more.

Tabitha: I’m going to go talk to Mr. Johnson now and tell him that Sherry doesn’t represent us.

Cassie: Good idea. I’ll go with you.

Explanation: “A bull in a china shop” is used for a person who breaks things or who often makes mistakes or causes damage in situations that require careful thinking or behavior. In the first context, Valerie’s 3-year old son caused a lot of damage in the penthouse apartment full of expensive things. In context 2, Sherry complained very carelessly about the teacher when everyone had agreed to be careful and respectful in their criticism. Therefore, Sherry behaved carelessly, or like a bull in a china shop.

A miss is as good as a mile

Idiom: A miss is as good as a mile - A near miss is still a miss and is no better than missing by a big margin. In other words, losing is still losing.

Context #1

Timothy: Hi, Samantha. What’s wrong?

Samantha: I feel so bad because my basketball team played for the championship last night and we lost. It was our big chance and we failed!

Timothy: What was the final score?

Samantha: It was 82-83 in overtime. We missed a free throw at the very end and the other team won by a point.

Timothy: Well, it sounds like the game was really close and your team played well.

Samantha: Does the score really matter? A miss is as good as a mile. Losing a game by one point is still losing.

Timothy: I see your point.

Context #2

Sal:  Good Morning, Mr. Smith. I’m so sorry I’m late.

Mr. Smith: This is the third time in a week, and we really needed you today in the meeting. Everyone else from the department was there.

Sal: I only missed the train by one minute! It was pulling out of the station just as I arrived. I almost made it. So then I had to wait another hour for the next train.

Mr. Smith: Well, a miss is as good as a mile. Being late for the train one minute is the same as being late an hour. You still missed it. You need to make a greater effort to be on time.

Sal: You are right. It won’t happen again.

Meaning: A close miss is still a miss, even if it’s only by a small margin. In context 1, Samantha’s basketball team lost the championship by 1 point, but they still lost, so the margin didn’t really matter. In context 2, Timothy only missed the train by one minute, but he had to wait one hour for the next train. Therefore, there was no difference in missing the train by one minute or one hour. He was still late.

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