Winning English - Mastering Idioms, Slang, and Cultural References
Cut through red tape • Jump through hoops • Take it in stride • Winter blahs • Soaking up the sun
Have you ever had to deal with a bureaucracy to get something you needed? I know I have. A couple of typical examples are having to renew your driver’s license and just about anything you need to do with your bank. It always involves a bunch of red tape and jumping through hoops. It can be pretty frustrating! But if you have the right attitude, hopefully you can find a way to take it in stride.
“Red tape” is what we call it when there are a lot of rules or steps to get something done, many of which seem stupid or unnecessary. Large bureaucracies are usually associated with “red tape”. The phrase comes from the fact that many western governments have used red tape or ribbon for several centuries to bind together official government documents. Note that there is a related saying, “cut through red tape.” When you do that, it means that you have found a way to accomplish your goal, despite the bureaucracy.
“Jump through hoops” is similar in meaning to “red tape”. It means that a system requires you to perform a number of seemingly silly tasks to get something done. The idea is that you are like a small dog in a circus having to perform tricks just to entertain other people.
“To take it in stride” means to not get upset or angry over something that you have to do or that has been done to you. For example, if you know from the beginning that you’ll have to deal with “red tape”, you can mentally prepare not to be frustrated. The idea is that you are walking along with your usual “stride” - or pattern of walking - and nothing will cause you to stop.
At this time of year where I live, when it’s cold and dark for so many days, it can be hard to avoid the winter blahs. It seems like winter will never end. But of course, you have to tell yourself that summer will be here soon enough. Before long, we’ll be outside, soaking up the sun!
“The winter blahs” is a slang phrase for the sadness or depression we often feel in the middle of winter. Whenever you feel “blah”, you feel a bit sad and unmotivated.
When we “soak up the sun”, we are outside in bright sunshine - maybe on a beach - feeling the sun’s warmth and enjoying ourselves.
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