Sports
Meaning: an opportunity to participate in a sporting event without having to compete in qualifying matches or be ranked at a certain level.
Example: Nobody can guess what Mark is going to do next. He's always been a bit of a wild card. Read on
Meaning: to stop someone from feeling awkward or embarrassed.
Example: My teacher spoke up to spare the blushes of the new student. Read on
Meaning: declining an offer that might be taken up later.
Example: He said he would take a rain check on visiting us today. Read on
Meaning: another burst of energy when you had been too tired to finish
Example: Come on, let's have that shovel again. I'm getting a second wind now. Read on
Meaning: to play with or tease someone
Example: The cops do not like playing cat and mouse games with the culprits before catching them. Read on
Meaning: passing blame to another person
Example: That particular supervisor tends to pass the buck of all light duties to newly hired interns. Read on
Meaning: the initiative for taking action lies with somebody
Example: We did what we could, and now the ball is in your court. Read on
Meaning: alert to new trends, ideas, and methods
Example: The mother is glad to know that her son is always on the ball to learn new things in class. Read on
Meaning: fix the standards acceptable for the task
Example: Don't set the bar so high that it's impossible to achieve anything. Read on
Meaning: to lower standards or expectations
Example: The revision bill aims to lower the bar on picking candidates. Read on
