If two people in a competition
are level and have the same chance of winning, we say ‘it’s neck and neck’.
John and Tom finished the race neck and neck.
When you’re coming to the end of a long task, we can say ‘we’re on the home
straight or the home stretch’.
We can't give up now we're on the home straight.
If we are unsure of the result
of something until the very last moment, we say ‘it’ll go down to the
wire.
The Democrats struggled down to the wire to choose their candidate.
If someone is doing something
risky or dangerous, we can say they’re skating on thin ice.
Like that time I took my boss’s wife out for dinner. I really was skating on thin ice.
When we want someone to give
their complete attention to something, we say ‘keep your eye on the ball’.
It's important to keep your eye on the ball this week, our biggest client
will be visiting the factory for random inspections.
If there is a situation we know little about or is totally different, we can say ‘It’s a whole new ball game'.
Now that you're here, it's a whole new ball game.
If someone is very quick to understand something, we say they’re on the ball.
Their staff seems to be really on the ball, able to get projects done on
time.
If you try to do something which
fails because you are not properly ready or able to do it, we call it a false start.
After a false start when he left his first job after only a week, he was
offered some modelling work.
If someone tries to do something
too soon without thinking about it properly, we say they’ve jumped the gun.
Like that time I asked a girl to marry me just minutes after meeting her. I
really jumped the
gun.
If we’re speaking informally, we
can call the start of any event, not just a sports match, the kick off.
He says I was late for a meeting yesterday. He told me kick off was at 12 o’clock.
If someone changes the rules
while we are trying to do something to make it harder, we say they’re moving the goalposts.
My boss is never satisfied. Whenever I think I've done what he wants, he
moves the goalposts.
If we have to accept an
unpleasant situation without complaining we say you ‘take it on the chin’.
Why do I have to take it on the chin for something I didn't do?
When you give up… or are about
to admit defeat, we can say you ‘throw in the
towel’
When John could stand no more of Mary's bad temper, he threw in the towel
and left.