Idioms — Set 75

Set 75 of Idioms covers 5 idioms: no strings attached, give it a shot, face the music, play with a full deck, be water under the bridge. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

1. no strings attached · idiom/noʊ strɪŋz əˈtætʃt/

   without conditions or obligations

   The company offered a free trial with no strings attached—there was no commitment required.

   Origin: From the 1800s textile trade — strings attached to fabric noted defects that limited resale, so 'no strings' meant flawless.

2. give it a shot · idiom/ɡɪv ɪt ə ʃɑt/

   to try something to see if it works

   I don’t know if I’ll be good at painting, but I’ll give it a shot.

   Origin: American slang from the 1900s — 'shot' meant attempt or try, drawn from sports such as golf and basketball.

3. face the music · idiom/feɪs ðə ˈmjuzɪk/

   to accept consequences, especially negative ones

   He knew he messed up at work and had to face the music when his boss called him in.

   Origin: American 19th-century — disgraced military officers were drummed out of camp, forced to face their regiment's music.

4. play with a full deck · idiom/pleɪ wɪð ə fʊl dɛk/

   to think logically and make good decisions

   I don’t think he’s playing with a full deck—his decisions don’t make any sense.

   Origin: From card games — a deck missing cards leads to bad decisions, so a 'full deck' represents clear, complete thinking.

5. be water under the bridge · idiom/bi ˈwɔɾɚr ˈʌndɚ ðə brɪdʒ/

   to be a past conflict or issue that is no longer relevant

   They had a huge argument last year, but it’s all water under the bridge now.

   Origin: From the 1900s — water flowing under a bridge is gone forever, never returning to be a problem again.