Idioms — Set 91

Set 91 of Idioms covers 5 idioms: get your wires crossed, take the wind out of someone’s sails, bend the truth, throw your hat into the ring, skate on thin ice. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

1. get your wires crossed · idiom/ɡɛt jʊr ˈwaɪɚz krɔst/

   to misunderstand each other due to miscommunication

   I thought we were meeting at 6, but she thought it was 7—we must have gotten our wires crossed.

   Origin: From early telephone exchanges — when operators accidentally crossed wires, callers reached the wrong people entirely.

2. take the wind out of someone’s sails · idiom/teɪk ðə wɪnd aʊt əv ˈsʌmwʌnz seɪlz/

   to discourage someone or reduce their enthusiasm

   I was so excited to present my idea, but his negative feedback really took the wind out of my sails.

   Origin: From sailing — sailing close enough to another ship can steal its wind, instantly stopping its progress.

3. bend the truth · idiom/bɛnd ðə truθ/

   to exaggerate or misrepresent the truth

   Instead of admitting he missed the deadline, he bent the truth and blamed it on a system error.

   Origin: A 20th-century expression — describes shaping truth like a flexible material, neither completely honest nor completely false.

4. throw your hat into the ring · idiom/θroʊ jʊr hæt ˈɪntu ðə rɪŋ/

   to officially enter a competition or opportunity

   After years of working behind the scenes, she finally threw her hat into the ring and ran for city council.

   Origin: From 19th-century American boxing — tossing your hat into the ring publicly accepted a fight challenge.

5. skate on thin ice · idiom/skeɪt ɔn θɪn aɪs/

   to take a big risk in a dangerous or uncertain situation

   By constantly missing deadlines, he's skating on thin ice with his boss.

   Origin: From the 1700s — skating on thin ice can break beneath the skater at any moment, sending them into freezing water.