to take time to think about something before deciding
example
I can’t decide yet. Let me sleep on it.
word origin — From the 1500s — old wisdom that a night's sleep gives clearer perspective to difficult decisions in the morning.
sleep on it, knock it out of the park, walk a fine line, call the shots, let bygones be bygones: meanings and examples
Learn these 5 idioms from Idioms set 40. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.
sleep on it · idiom/slip ɔn ɪt/
to take time to think about something before deciding
I can’t decide yet. Let me sleep on it.
Origin: From the 1500s — old wisdom that a night's sleep gives clearer perspective to difficult decisions in the morning.
knock it out of the park · idiom/nɑk ɪt aʊt əv ðə pɑrk/
to do something exceptionally well, especially in sports or performance
His performance was amazing—he really knocked it out of the park!
Origin: From American baseball — a home run that flies completely out of the stadium is the most impressive hit.
walk a fine line · idiom/wɔk ə faɪn laɪn/
to maintain a difficult balance between two opposing things
She has to walk a fine line between being a boss and being a friend to her employees.
Origin: From tightrope walking — staying on a thin line between two extremes requires constant careful balance.
call the shots · idiom/kɔl ðə ʃɑts/
to be in control and make important decisions
As the team leader, he gets to call the shots on major decisions.
Origin: From American pool/billiards — a player calls which ball to hit before each shot, controlling the game.
let bygones be bygones · idiom/lɛt ˈbaɪɡɔnz bi ˈbaɪɡɔnz/
to forgive and forget past conflicts
They decided to let bygones be bygones and move on from their past arguments.
Origin: Used in English since the 1500s — 'bygones' are things gone by, urging acceptance of the past as past.