Winning English - Mastering Idioms, Slang, and Cultural References
Holds water • Nail down • Dig into • Easy peasy • A walk in the park - And please fill out the survey!
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You and a colleague are discussing a project at work.
You say, “I don’t understand this analysis we just received. These numbers don’t hold water.”
“Really?” your colleague asks. “Well, that’s not good. We really need to get this nailed down. We’re supposed to let everyone know this week if we think this project will be profitable.”
You say, “Yes, I know. Let me dig into the numbers to see if I can find a problem.”
When we say an idea or a presentation “holds water”, it means that it is reasonable, logical, and valid. However, most often this saying is used as a negative, as in, “This doesn’t hold water”. This saying comes from a bucket of water. If the bucket can’t “hold water”, the water leaks out, and the bucket isn’t good for much of anything.
“To nail something down” means to make sure that it is correct and complete. Think of it this way - if you nail a piece of wood to another piece, it’s solid and possibly useful.
“To dig into” something means to review all of the details and understand them well. Picture digging in the ground with a shovel. Once you’ve moved all of the dirt, you’ll understand better what’s underground.
Note that there is a second, unrelated meaning, as well. You can “dig into” a big plate of food, too. This means you start eating quickly and intensely, usually because you are hungry or like the food a lot. Someone might even give you permission to start eating at a meal by saying, “Dig in”.
You spend a few minutes studying the analysis, and what you find makes you very happy. You tell your colleague, “I found a small mistake in the spreadsheet. Let me fix it right now.”
After a few clicks, you say “See, easy peasy! Now these numbers make more sense.”
“Yes,” your colleague says. “And it looks like being profitable with this project will be a walk in the park!”
“Easy peasy” is likely - well - easy to understand! It means that something is simple and not hard to do. “Easy peasy” is just an informal way to emphasize how easy it is.
When something is “a walk in the park”, it is also easy. Think of a pleasant walk through a sunny warm park on a clear day. Very nice.
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