Idioms — Set 13

Set 13 of Idioms covers 5 idioms: a long shot, count your chickens before they hatch, back to square one, kill two birds with one stone, have what it takes. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

1. a long shot · idiom/ə lɔŋ ʃɑt/

   an unlikely situation

   Rodger believes that he can play in the National Football League but I think it's a long shot.

   Origin: From early firearms — shots at long distances rarely hit their target, so success was unlikely.

2. count your chickens before they hatch · idiom/kaʊnt jʊr ˈtʃɪkɪnz bɪˈfɔr ðeɪ hætʃ/

   to assume success too early

   You are making all those plans but they haven't offered you the job yet. Don't count your chickens before they hatch.

   Origin: From Aesop's fable of the milkmaid who counted future profits from unhatched eggs and lost everything.

3. back to square one · idiom/bæk tə skwɛr wʌn/

   to go back to the beginning, especially after failure

   We spent all our savings and a huge amount of time on this, and we’re back to square one.

   Origin: Possibly from 1930s radio football commentary where pitches were marked in numbered squares.

4. kill two birds with one stone · idiom/kɪl tu bɜrdz wɪð wʌn stoʊn/

   to achieve two different things in a single action

   So let's get your blood test done. We have to do that for a your driver's license anyway, so we'll kill two birds with one stone.

   Origin: From the 1600s — celebrates the efficiency of accomplishing two goals with a single deliberate action.

5. have what it takes · idiom/hæv wʌt ɪt teɪks/

   to have the necessary qualities for success

   Cameron has impressed us so much over the years and he sure has what it takes to be a world champion.

   Origin: An American 20th-century expression — refers to possessing the required qualities, often unspecified, to succeed.