Idioms — Set 97

Set 97 of Idioms covers 5 idioms: shake things up, burn rubber, bring down the house, let something slip through your fingers, kick the habit. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

1. shake things up · idiom/ʃeɪk θɪŋz ʌp/

   to make significant changes to improve or refresh a situation

   The company was losing customers, so they hired a new manager to shake things up and bring in fresh ideas.

   Origin: From the 1800s — shaking up settled contents in a container disturbs everything that had peacefully sunk to the bottom.

2. burn rubber · idiom/bɜrn ˈrʌbɚ/

   to drive very fast

   He burned rubber as soon as the traffic light turned green, leaving the other cars behind.

   Origin: American 1900s slang from auto racing — driving so fast that tire rubber heated and left visible black marks behind.

3. bring down the house · idiom/brɪŋ daʊn ðə haʊs/

   to impress or entertain an audience greatly

   The comedian’s performance was so hilarious that he brought down the house with laughter.

   Origin: From the theater — applause was once so thunderous it sounded like the house's walls themselves would collapse.

4. let something slip through your fingers · idiom/lɛt ˈsʌmθɪŋ slɪp θru jʊr ˈfɪŋɡɚz/

   to lose an opportunity by not acting in time

   She had a chance to get promoted but let it slip through her fingers by missing the deadline.

   Origin: From the 1600s — slippery objects escape through fingers like sand or water, symbolizing missed chances.

5. kick the habit · idiom/kɪk ðə ˈhæbɪt/

   to stop a bad habit, especially an addiction

   After years of smoking, he finally kicked the habit and started living a healthier life.

   Origin: From American 1900s drug culture — heroin withdrawal caused leg-kicking spasms, so quitting was called 'kicking it.'