a long shot, count your chickens before they hatch, back to square one, kill two birds with one stone, have what it takes: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 idioms from Idioms set 13. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

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.