tri Idiome
bag of tricks
"skills, methods, plans; devices to entertain" You need a large bag of tricks to teach the Grade 8 class.
do the trick
work well, achieve a good result I think the new piece of equipment should do the trick and solve the problem.
ego trip
feeling of self importance, feeling superior If you tell him he played well, he'll go on an ego trip.
every trick in the book
every method or device, every way of doing it If you want to find boys, Keiko knows every trick in the book.
hat trick
one player scoring three goals in one hockey game Brad scored a hat trick in the game against the Blades.
have two strikes against one
have things working against one, be in a difficult situation He already has two strikes against him and it will be very difficult for him to get the job.
havoc strikes
problems happen, crises occur suddenly Farmers plant their crops, and havoc strikes in hailstones.
hold the purse strings
control how much is spent, decide when to spend He does the talking, but she holds the purse strings.
how's tricks
is life okay? are you learning new skills? "When Andy sees me, he always says, ""How's tricks?"""
in stride
(See take it in stride)
it strikes me
this is clear to me, this is my impression It strikes me that we share many interests and activities.
lay a trip
suggest guilt or blame or duty Don't lay a trip on me about low grades. I'm studying hard.
on a shoestring
on a very low budget, with little money to spend We went to China and Japan on a shoestring and enjoyed it very much.
on a string
controlled by a person, wrapped around his finger He's got you on a string, Bonny. Are you thinking for yourself?
on trial
in court as a defendant, defending your actions The man charged with the assault is on trial now. He's in court.
pay tribute
show that you respect or admire a person, honor someone In a letter to Ms. Lee, the City paid tribute to her for service to her community.
petrified
very frightened, scared stiff Gigi was petrified when a spider crawled up her leg.
play a trick on
deceive you for fun, play a joke on We played a trick on Liz. We sent her picture to a beauty contest.
play on my heart strings
cause me to feel emotional, make me feel sentimental The movie Hey Jude will play on your heart strings - make you cry.
power trip
showing power, showing authority Last week he went on a power trip and told us to work harder.
pull a few strings
help by talking to powerful people, it's not what you know... My application was late, but a friend of mine pulled a few strings and got me an interview.
pull strings
secretly use influence and power He was able to pull some strings and get his son a job for the summer.
strictly business
very serious, not joking, no nonsense When he conducts the band, he's strictly business. He's serious.
strictly for the birds
(See for the birds)
strike a bargain
find a satisfactory deal or price After discussing the price of the carpet, we struck a bargain: $15.
strike it rich
become rich or successful suddenly He struck it rich when he got a job at the computer company and was able to buy some stock very cheap.
strike me
causes me to pause, impresses me What strikes me is the color of the leaves. They're crimson.
strike out
be put out of action through one
strike out (baseball)
fail to hit the ball while at bat This time he'll hit the ball. Last time at bat he struck out.
strike out on your own
leave home and support yourself, be independent I was eighteen when I struck out on my own and found a job.
strike up a conversation
begin a conversation with a stranger Uncle Ho is sociable. He strikes up a conversation with anyone.
strike up the band
begin conducting the band, give the downbeat Maestro, strike up the band. We want to hear some music.
strike while the iron is hot
do it before it is too late, now is the time to act In business, timing is important. You strike while the iron is hot.
strike your fancy
interest you, appeal to you, turn your crank Do you see anything on the menu that strikes your fancy? Lobster?
string a line
create a story, make up a story He was stringing you a line. A dog wasn't driving the car.
string along
pretend that you believe, go along with When Franz talks about shark fishing, I just string along.
string bean
thin person, bean pole You string bean, Kenny! You're too skinny to hit the ball!
string of good luck
a series of lucky events, lucky streak He isn't the best pitcher. He's just having a string of good luck this season.
string out
make something extend over a great distance or over a long period of time The games of the soccer tournament were strung out over a period of about 3 weeks.
strings attached
obligations, restraining conditions He was able to borrow the money for the furniture with no strings attached.
strip mall
a row of stores with a small parking lot in front Does the Langdale strip mall have a video store?
stripped
(See bare bones)
take a drive/trip
travel, go for a drive, go on a trip They take a drive in the country every Sunday afternoon.
take a strip off
scold, lecture, give you hell The foreman took a strip off me for driving too fast. He was mad.
take a trip
go for a journey We plan to take a trip to Italy in November.
take in stride
accept good or bad luck and go on The boxer took his loss in stride and began to prepare for his next fight.
take it in stride
continue without delay, cope with Lilian is so steady. If there's a problem, she takes it in stride.
teach you the tricks of the trade
teach you how to do it, teach you the easy way, learn the ropes Welcome to the company, Ken. Paul will work with you and teach you the tricks of the trade.
tear a strip off
scold, lecture, criticize, give you hell Kasan's father tore a strip off him for missing a day of school.
the tricks of the trade
skills of an occupation, learn the ropes I know the printing business. I'll show you the tricks of the trade.
