rides イディオム

---

Always a bridesmaid, never a bride

If someone is always a bridesmaid, never a bride, they never manage to fulfill their ambition- they get close, but never manage the recognition, etc, they crave.

---

make great strides

make great strides
Advance considerably, make good progress, as in He made great strides in his study of Latin. Since its earliest recorded use in 1600, this expression has taken a number of forms—make a wide stride, take strides, make rapid strides. All of them transfer a long walking step to other kinds of progress.