| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|
| a new broom sweeps clean |
an employee works hard on the first day or two, make a good impression |
After my first day working for Grandfather, he said, "A new broom sweeps clean." |
| a new lease on life |
a feeling that life will be better, a fresh start |
The promotion gave him a new lease on life. |
| a notch below |
inferior, not as good |
That bicycle is a notch below the Peugeot. It's not quite as good. |
| a nut case |
a person who is crazy, crackpot |
If you go to work in pajamas, people will say you're a nut case. |
| a pack of lies |
many lies, no truth to it |
What Gail is saying about Julie is a pack of lies. It's not true. |
| a pain in the ass [B] |
a bother, a lot of trouble |
Fixing that car every day is a pain in the ass. |
| a pain in the butt |
a person who causes problems, a pain in the ass |
Hal keeps interrupting me. He's a pain in the butt! |
| a paltry sum |
a small amount of money, chicken feed, peanuts |
What did I pay for this painting? A paltry sum - I bought it at a garage sale. |
| a paper trail |
a series of memos or letters that record events |
A business merger leaves a long paper trail - many documents. |
| a party to that |
a person who helps to do something bad |
Jane said she didn't want to be a party to computer theft. |
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