It never rains but it pours

It never rains but it pours - used to say that as soon as one thing goes wrong, a lot of other things go wrong as well

to man up

to man up = to be brave or to take responsibility for the consequences of your actions

A heart-to-heart

A heart-to-heart is a serious conversation between two people in which they talk honestly about their feelings.

Example:
Why don't you have a heart-to-heart with him and sort out your problems?

A Guinea Pig

A guinea pig is someone who is used in a scientific test to see how successful or safe a new product, system etc.




Examples:
We're looking for volunteers to act as guinea pigs for a new AIDS vaccine.
My guests are guinea pigs for all the new dishes I try out.

To Turn a Blind Eye

If you turn a blind eye to something, you deliberately ignore something that you know should not be happening.



Examples:
Teachers were turning a blind eye to smoking in school.
Management often turn a blind eye to bullying in the workplace.

To Set the Ball Rolling

To set/start the ball rolling means to start something happening.



Examples:
I've started the ball rolling by setting up a series of meetings.
The hospital appeal received a gift of £1 million to set the ball rolling.
To start the ball rolling, the government was asked to contribute £1 million.

To Be Up in the Air

If sth is up in the air it means that no decision has been made, often because other matters have to be decided first.



Example:
I may be moving to Canad, but it's still up in the air.

To Take the Bull by the Horns

To take the bull by the horns means to bravely or confidently deal with a difficult, dangerous, or unpleasant problem.



Examples:
I decided to take the bull by the horns and ask him to leave.
Helena decided to take the bull by the horns and organize the show herself.
Nora decided to take the bull by the horns and organize things for herself.
We decided to take the bull by the horns and go to court, instead of paying the fine.

To Rush from Pillar to Post

To rush from pillar to post means to go from place to place in a panic.



Example:
The poor kid has been rushing from pillar to post.

A Splitting Headache

If you have a splitting headache, you have a very bad headache. You can also say to have a pounding headache. Please note that the word headache is a countable noun, so you should say a headache.



Examples:
I had a splitting headache, and couldn't go to work.
She went home because she had a splitting headache.

Down in the Dumps

To be / feel down in the dumps means to be very sad and without much interest in life.



Examples:
Some Mondays I just feel in the dumps.
She's feeling a bit down in the dumps.

In the Middle of Nowhere

In the middle of nowhere means a long way from the nearest big town.



Examples:
They live miles away, in the middle of nowhere.
We had a puncture in the middle of nowhere, with no mobile and no water.

To Be in the Red

To be in the red means to owe more money than you have; to be operating at a loss, in debt.



Examples:
This is the airline's fourth straight year in the red.
Many of the students were in the red at the end of their first year.

The Tip of the Iceberg

The tip of the iceberg is a small sign of a problem that is much larger.



Examples:
The reported cases of food poisoning are only the tip of the iceberg.
I'm afraid that these few reported cases of the disease might only be the tip of the iceberg.

To Have a Narrow Escape

If you have a narrow escape, you just manage to avoid danger or trouble.



Examples:
The crew had a narrow escape when the pilot made a crash landing.
A woman had a narrow escape yesterday when her car left the road.
He only just got out of the vehicle before the whole thing blew up. It was a narrow escape.

A Laughing Stock

Someone who is a laughing stock has done something so silly that people have no respect for them.



Example:
The programme has made the US a laughing stock.

The Acid Test

The acid test is a key test which will prove the value, quality or truth of something.



Examples:
The producer says critics love the film, but box-office takings will provide the acid test.
People ask if the team is good enough. This match will be the acid test.

On the One Hand

The expressions on the one hand and on the other hand are used to present two opposite facts or two different ways of looking at the same issue.



Examples:
I'd like to eat out, but on the other hand I should be trying to save money.
Braque, on the other hand, developed more slowly as an artist than Picasso.
High schools need to develop clear connections with post-secondary institutions, on the one hand, and businesses, on the other.

To Bend the Rules

To bend the rules means to do something or allow someone to do something that is not usually allowed, especially in order to make things easier on one occasion.



Examples:
They shouldn’t bend the rules for him just because he’s the director’s son.
We might be able to bend the rules just this one time.

To Face the Music

To face the music means to accept criticism or punishment for something you have done.



Examples:
I had to face the music, I had to face myself.
It was not just Diana who had to face the music but her parents as well.
They can't tell us how to live and not face the music when their own conduct is questioned.