The most basic and important part of something is the meat and potatoes.
The meat and potatoes of this newspaper is the business news.
Volunteer work is the meat and potatoes of the programme.
When you find a task, that others find difficult, easy and pleasant, it is meat and drink to you.
Most people dislike making speeches in front of audiences but it's meat and drink to me.
Greek is the adjective form for the country Greece.
It's (all) Greek to me is used to describe something that is very confusing or not understandable.
I've tried reading the instructions but it's all Greek to me.
Dutch is the adjective for the Netherlands, also known as Holland.
You are more likely to get sick during winter, so here are some expressions that, unfortunately, you might find useful at this time of year:
Catch means get, so catch a cold means get a cold. We can also say pick up a cold.
I caught a cold from my brother. I hope I don't give it to anyone.
I don't feel very well today, I think I have picked up a cold.
When we become sick we say have come down with a cold.
In the driving seat
When you are in the driving seat, you are in control of a situation.
"During negotiations, he felt he was in the driving seat."
The driving force
The driving force behind someone or something is the person or thing that motivates and directs it.
"His wife was the real driving force behind his success."
Driving blind
When something is a piece of cake, it is very easy to do.
Jane passed her driving test. She said it was a piece of cake.
Taking exams is a piece of cake if you are prepared.
Finding the way to your house was a piece of cake thanks to your instructions.
When you give someone a piece of your mind you speak angrily with them because they have done something wrong.
Cut down means to use less or do less of something.
You should cut down on the amount of cigarettes you smoke.
I've cut down on how much coffee I drink. I used to drink five cups a day, now I drink two.
We're cutting down on the amount of paper we use in the office.
To completely stop eating something, usually for health reasons.
My doctor recommended I cut out salt from my diet.
This cartoon is based on the idiom collecting dust.
If something is collecting (or gathering) dust, it isn't being used any more. Dust is the fine dirt that builds up on surfaces that have not recently been cleaned. Objects become dusty if they are not used for a long time.
Examples:
When you imagine something that is not real, it is all in your head.
They were not gossiping about you, it’s all in your head.
When you are ready and eager to listen, you are all ears.
Tell me what she said, I’m all ears.
When something is unusual for other people but not unusual for you, it’s all in a day’s work.
If you do exactly what you are told to do, you follow instructions to the letter.
I don't know how it went wrong, I followed the instructions to the letter.
A letter a woman send to her boyfriend when she wants to end their relationship.
He's upset because he just got a Dear John letter from his girlfriend.
Good luck is the most common expression we say to someone when we hope that they will be successful.
Good luck with your driving test.
Break a leg is used in informal English when we wish someone good luck, especially before a performance. We usually say "Break a leg" to actors and musicians before they go on stage to perform, but it can be used as for other situations too.
Tonight's your first time acting in front of an audience isn't it? Well, break a leg!
