This is a common phrase that is spoken to ask someone who is in a hurry to slow down or stop for a moment. It is a reference to a person driving a vehicle that is pulled by horses. “Holding” the horses means to stop the horses and wait. For Example: “Hold your horses! Grab […]

The phrase does not literally mean that a person’s eyes are actually bigger than the person’s stomach. It basically means that a person has ordered more food than they are actually able to reasonably eat. For Example: The phrase is common with children because they may often order more food than they can eat at […]

It is usually used when talking about quitting a project or situation that seems too challenging to complete. For Example: It can be used when talking about a person: “He is jumping ship on the project.” This would basically mean the person is quitting the project. It can also be used in reference to a […]

This is a phrase that is conceptually related to driving a vehicle. The phrase is essentially saying to avoid a certain person, place, or thing. This is similar to avoiding obstacles when using the steering wheel while driving a car. For Example: The phrase can be used as a suggestion: “He recommends that people steer […]

Essentially means to stay attentive and focused on a task. This can be used in various ways. One example would be: “He is really on the ball since he started eating salad every day.” Another common way of using “On the ball” is to suggest that a person should “Stay on the ball.” For Example: […]

This is a relatively common English phrase used to state that something new and surprising has just been heard by a person speaking. For Example: Imagine a headline on a newspaper. The phrase is commonly stated in ways similar to this: “He moved to Hawaii?! It’s news to me!”

This is a really intriguing English phrase that likely sounds rather ridiculous when it’s first heard. The phrase is actually based on driving an automobile. The concept is that of pushing the gas pedal in an automobile to the metal floor (under the carpet), causing the automobile to go as fast as possible. The phrase […]

This English phrase may sound rather daring and it likely should. It is usually used to refer to an act of bravery on some level. The act of bravery being spoken about may be relatively small. If so, then the phrase is used somewhat humorously. For Example: “He took a leap of faith when he […]

This is an English phrase that is used to describe a person who is very open and not hiding anything. It can be used to describe a person or something about a person. For instance: “He is like an open book.” Another possibility is: “His personal affairs are like an open book.” This kind of […]

This common phrase doesn’t usually have much to do with a person physically bending over. The phrase is used to describe someone who is doing everything possible for a person or a situation. For Example: “He does everything he can for his girlfriend. He really bends over backwards for her.”