She dabbled in local politics for a while.
2) Be In The Soup-to be in trouble or experiencing difficulties-
I was in the soup after I dented my mom's brand new car.
3) Rite Of Passage-an event or activity often performed or experienced as part of passing from one stage of life to another-
Getting lost while trying to find their classrooms is kind of a rite of passage for freshmen at this school.
4) Keep One's Head Above Water-to barely avoid being consumed by a stressful or unpleasant situation-
If credit cards are the only thing keeping your head above water, then your situation is more dire than I thought.
5) Third Time's The Charm-the third time you try to do something, it will work-
The fellow finally managed to pass his exam. As they say, third time's a charm.
6) Hour Of Need-at a time when someone really needs help-
She helped me in my hour of need, and for that, I am forever grateful.
7) Connect The Dots-to understand something by piecing together hints or other bits of information-
Once I started to connect the dots, I realized that, if they hadn't called me by now, I probably wasn't getting the job.
8) Take Something In One's Stride-to calmly deal with something unpleasant and not let it have an effect on you-
You have to learn how to take criticism in your stride if you want to be successful in this business.
9) A Fish Out Of Water-someone who is uncomfortable in a specific situation-
I felt like a fish out of water at my new school.
10) Behind Bars-in prison-
He's spent most of his life behind bars.
11) Hang One Out To Dry-to desert one in a troubling situation-
He says he's my friend, but then he totally hung me out to dry in that meeting! Not one word of support as the boss tore into me!
12) One Too Many-one drink of liquor too many, implying drunkenness-
Don't drive if you've had one too many.
13) One Size Fits All-relating to policies or approaches that are standard and not tailored to individual needs-
One cannot apply one-size-fits-all approach to improve education.
14) Moral Compass-used in reference to a person's ability to judge what is right and wrong and act accordingly-
He is by no means the only senior politician who has mislaid his moral compass.
15) Keep The Wolf From The Door-to do, acquire, or provide something that will allow one or something to narrowly avoid death, ruin, etc-
This loan will keep the wolf from the door, at least, but I'm worried it won't last long.
16) Hold Your Horses-wait a moment or be patient because you are moving too quickly or thoughtlessly-
Whoa, hold your horses, kids. We're going to sing before we start eating cake.
17) When The Chips Are Down-when you are in a very difficult or dangerous situation, especially one that makes you understand the true value of people or things-
One day when the chips are down, you will know who your true friends are.
18) Up The Ante-increase your demands or the risks in a situation in order to achieve a better result-
The government has upped the ante by refusing to negotiate until a ceasefire has been agreed.
19) On Fire-performing very enthusiastically, adeptly, or successfully-
The team has been on fire lately, winning 11 of its last 12 games.
20) Pull Oneself Together-recover control of one's emotions-
You've got to pull yourself together and find a job, instead of thinking about your failures.
