She’s been really stressed lately, so let’s cut her some slack.
word origin — From sailing — giving someone slack on a tight rope allows movement and relief from constant tension.
cut someone some slack, take the bull by the horns, jump the gun, hit the roof, draw a line in the sand: meanings and examples
Learn these 5 idioms from Idioms set 36. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.
cut someone some slack · idiom/kʌt ˈsʌmwʌn sʌm slæk/
to be more lenient or forgiving with someone
She’s been really stressed lately, so let’s cut her some slack.
Origin: From sailing — giving someone slack on a tight rope allows movement and relief from constant tension.
take the bull by the horns · idiom/teɪk ðə bʊl baɪ ðə hɔrnz/
to take direct and decisive action to solve a problem
Instead of avoiding the problem, he took the bull by the horns and solved it.
Origin: From Spanish bullfighting — grabbing the bull's horns directly is the most dangerous but most decisive move.
jump the gun · idiom/dʒʌmp ðə ɡʌn/
to start too early or act before the right time
He jumped the gun and sent the email before getting final approval.
Origin: From athletics — sprinters who started running before the starting gun fired were disqualified for cheating.
hit the roof · idiom/hɪt ðə ruf/
to become extremely angry
When she saw the mess in the kitchen, she hit the roof.
Origin: An American 20th-century expression — describes anger so violent it seems to make someone jump up vertically.
draw a line in the sand · idiom/drɔ ə laɪn ɪn ðə sænd/
to set a limit or boundary that should not be crossed
This is where I draw a line in the sand—no more last-minute changes!
Origin: From the Bible and ancient warfare — drawing a literal line in sand challenged enemies to cross it at their peril.