have the world at your feet, turn the screws on someone, read the tea leaves, go the way of the dodo, twiddle your thumbs: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 idioms from Idioms set 87. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. have the world at your feet · idiom/hæv ðə wɜrld ət jʊr fit/

   to be extremely successful and admired

   At just 22, she already has a successful career, millions of fans, and a bright future—she truly has the world at her feet.

   Origin: From the 1800s — describes such complete success that the entire world seems to lie below in admiration.

2. turn the screws on someone · idiom/tɜrn ðə skruz ɔn ˈsʌmwʌn/

   to apply pressure on someone to make them act

   The manager turned the screws on the sales team, demanding they hit their targets by the end of the month or face consequences.

   Origin: From medieval torture devices — turning screws gradually increased painful pressure, used as a metaphor for steady pressure.

3. read the tea leaves · idiom/rid ðə ti livz/

   to predict the future based on small signs

   The stock market is looking unstable—you don’t need to be an expert to read the tea leaves and see that trouble is coming.

   Origin: From traditional fortune-telling — patterns of tea leaves left in a cup were studied to predict future events.

4. go the way of the dodo · idiom/ɡoʊ ðə weɪ əv ðə ˈdoʊdoʊ/

   to become obsolete or extinct

   DVD rental stores have gone the way of the dodo since streaming services became popular.

   Origin: From the 1700s — the dodo bird went extinct after sailors hunted them all, becoming a symbol of complete obsolescence.

5. twiddle your thumbs · idiom/ˈtwɪdəl jʊr θʌmz/

   to be bored with nothing to do

   We were stuck in a waiting room for hours with nothing to do but twiddle our thumbs.

   Origin: An 1800s expression — twirling thumbs in slow circles is a classic image of complete idleness and boredom.