Native Expressions 2: Good To Know

From the same book," Cheater's guide to Speaking English like a Native" by De Mente, here are 5 more interesting English expressions.

1.Can of worms:

Originally the phrase referred to live worms collected and put in a can for use as fish bait. Now it is used in reference to situations that are very unpleasant, disadvantageous or otherwise presents a problem.

E.g.

The new contract was so complicated that it quickly became a can of worms.
If you get involved in that partnership, you will be opening a can of worms.
I knew I was in a can of worms as soon as I accepted that new position.

2. Carrot and stick:

This phrase refers to offering a combination of a reward (carrot) and punishment (stick) to influence someone’s behavior. It goes back to the days when mules and horses were trained by giving them carrots when they behaved well and punishing them when they misbehaved.

E.g.

Some parents take a carrot and stick approach to bringing up their children.
Dictatorships often rely on the carrot and stick approach to controlling people
The carrot and stick approach doesn’t work with Teddy.

3.Cave in:

By nature, caves are subject to collapsing or ‘falling in on itself’. This happens when they are undermined, giving rise to the term ‘caving in’. Today, it is use in the general sense in reference to people giving up whatever they are trying to do.

E.g.

The union forced the company to cave in to its demands for a wage revision.
Their negotiating team suddenly caved in and agreed to our terms.
No matter how tough the going I am not going to cave in.


4.Clean sweep:

An expression deriving from the act of sweeping a floor completely of all debris. It now refers to ‘complete success’, winning everything, the whole series etc.

E.g.

The Home team made a clean sweep of the tournament championships.
The new owners are going to make a clean sweep of the old management.
We won every post in the union elections. It was a clean sweep.

5.Cook the books:

This expression grew out of cooking food to make it taste better. Today,it refers to illegally changing accounting information in the company books to make the financial situation of the company looks better that it really is.

E.g.

The accountant was cooking the books for over a year before he was found out.
The company went bankrupt after it was learned that its books had been cooked.
Some companies are very good at cooking their books.