The coach pulled no punches when criticizing the team’s poor performance.
word origin — From boxing — fighters sometimes 'pulled their punches' to soften hits, so 'no punches' meant fighting hard.
pull no punches, rock the boat, keep someone in the loop, play second fiddle, turn over a new leaf: meanings and examples
Learn these 5 idioms from Idioms set 43. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.
pull no punches · idiom/pʊl noʊ ˈpʌntʃɪz/
to be brutally honest without softening criticism
The coach pulled no punches when criticizing the team’s poor performance.
Origin: From boxing — fighters sometimes 'pulled their punches' to soften hits, so 'no punches' meant fighting hard.
rock the boat · idiom/rɑk ðə boʊt/
to cause trouble or disrupt a situation
I don’t want to rock the boat, so I’ll just agree with whatever the group decides.
Origin: From the 1800s — rocking a boat too much could tip everyone into the water, threatening group safety.
keep someone in the loop · idiom/kip ɪn ðə lup/
to keep someone informed about updates and developments
Make sure to keep me in the loop about any changes in the project.
Origin: An American 20th-century expression — refers to staying inside a closed loop of internal communication.
play second fiddle · idiom/pleɪ ˈsɛkənd ˈfɪɾəl/
to take a less important role in something
I hate playing second fiddle, I’d rather be the leader of the team.
Origin: From classical orchestras — the second violin part is essential but always less prominent than the first.
turn over a new leaf · idiom/tɜrn ˈoʊvɚ ə nu lif/
to make a positive change in one’s behavior or attitude
After getting fired, he decided to turn over a new leaf and start his own business.
Origin: From the 1500s — 'leaf' originally referred to a page in a book, so turning one began a fresh chapter.