Winning English - Idioms, Slang, and Cultural References
End of civilization as we know it • At my wits end • Go off the deep end • Feast your eyes • Have the time of your life • Stick-in-the-mud • You're on • Let's do this
Imagine you are sitting having lunch when a friend walks up to you. Your friend says, “Hey, you look sad. What’s wrong?”
You answer, “This has been a horrible week. There’s so much going wrong. It’s the end of civilization as we know it, and I’m at my wits end.”
Your friend responds, “I understand, but don’t go off the deep end. Feast your eyes on this!”
“The end of civilization as we know it” is a common phrase. Sometimes it’s used seriously and sometimes humorously. But it always means something important is coming to an end.
To be “at your wits end” means that you are exhausted and confused, so much so that you can’t think very well. “Wits” are what we call a person’s ability to keep calm, think well, and respond to problems.
A related saying is, “You better keep your wits about you.” This phrase is said as warning to stay alert for trouble.
“To go off the deep end” means to go too far emotionally, or to go too far along a bad and destructive path. Imagine that you can’t swim. You choose to walk off a diving board and fall into the deep end of a pool. You’ve clearly gone too far, and now you’re in danger.
“Feast your eyes on this” is a phrase people use when they reveal something good.
Your friend pulls two pieces of paper out of a pocket and shows them to you. “I have two free tickets to a special preview of that new movie we’ve wanted to see. I want you to come with me. You’ll have the time of your life!”
You say, “I don’t know. I don’t feel like going.”
Your friend responds, “Don’t be a stick-in-the-mud! Come with me. It will help you feel better, at least for a short while.”
“Okay,” you say, “You’re on. Let’s do this!”
“To have the time of your life” means to do something so fun that nothing else you will ever do will be better.
To be a “stick-in-the-mud” is to be someone who doesn’t want to have fun. It can also mean the person wants to stop other people from having fun, too. The origin of this phrase is unclear, but it’s easy to think that being stuck in mud is no fun at all. Note that this is a compound word with hyphens between each individual word.
When you say, “You’re on” or “Let’s do this”, you are agreeing to do something.
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