Even though he was only three years old, Jonathan kept a stiff upper lip the whole time he was in the hospital recovering from his surgery.
2) Shed Light On Something-to help to explain a situation-
Experts hope the plane's flight recorders will shed light on the cause of the crash.
3) Tip Of The Iceberg-a small, noticeable part of a problem, the total size of which is really much greater-
These small local protests are just the tip of the iceberg. The problem is much deeper.
4) Up A Blind Alley-at a dead end, on a route that leads nowhere-
The police are up a blind alley in their investigation of the crime.
5) Volte Face-a complete change of opinion or belief-
Everyone was surprised when the candidate made a complete volte-face on her stance on taxes.
6) The X Factor-a quality that you cannot describe that makes someone very special-
There are a lot of really talented singers in this contest, but I think Molly is the only one with the X factor.
7) Young Blood-young people who have a lot of energy and ideas-
We need to introduce more young blood into the organization.
8) Be A Recipe For Disaster-very likely to have unpleasant consequences or lead to failure-
All those children unsupervised sounds to me like a recipe for disaster.
9) Pour Oil On Troubled Waters-to do or say something in order to make people stop arguing and become calmer-
My husband is always arguing with my father, and I am the one who has to pour oil on troubled waters.
10) In The Cross Hairs-in a position in which other people are eager to criticize or attack-
The CEO has been in the cross hairs of politicians and business people alike for his recent comments on immigration.
11) In A Nutshell-very briefly, giving only the main points-
To put it in a nutshell, the servers are crashing because of an issue with our power supply.
12) First Things First-said when one thing needs to be prioritized over others-
I know we have a lot to discuss, but first things first, has anyone heard back from the client?
13) Within Earshot-close enough to something to hear it-
As soon as I got within earshot of the music, I decided that I really didn't belong there.
14) Every Nook And Cranny-every part of a place-
Every nook and cranny of the house was stuffed with souvenirs of their trips abroad.
15) The Jury Is Still Out-a decision has not been reached on someone or something-
The jury's still out on the safety of irradiated food.
16) Pecking Order-a hierarchy of status seen among members of a group of people or animals, originally as observed among hens-
He started as a clerk but gradually rose in the pecking order.
17) Dead Ringer-someone or something that looks very similar to someone or something else-
Susie was such a dead ringer for Kate Winslet that sometimes people would ask her for her autograph.
18) Cutting Edge-very modern, latest and with all the newest features-
The new phone is an epitome of cutting-edge design/technology.
19) Chill To The Bone/marrow-to frighten someone very much-
This is a film that will chill you to the marrow.
20) Blow One's Own Trumpet-talk boastfully about one's achievements-
I don't mean to blow my own trumpet, but this pasta sauce I made is quite delicious!
