WOTD Getting the intonation right C – answers
1 We will have to pull out all the stops to win this new contract.
pull out the stops – do everything you can to make something successful. To pull out the stops comes from organ-playing – on an organ, if you pull out any stops it makes the range, pitch and / or volume greater. More often than not you will hear ‘all the stops‘, meaning an all-out effort.
2 Having to take a pay cut is really the pits!
the pits – informal – a low point, a difficult situation or very bad place to be in.
3 I’m sorry I got your job title wrong, it was just a slip of the tongue.
a slip of the tongue – a mistake in speaking where the wrong word is used
4 I understand how you feel about his ideas, but you don’t have to get on your soap-box every time you see him!
A soapbox is a box or crate used as a makeshift / temporary stand for public speaking. To get on your soap-box means somebody talks a lot about something they feel very strongly about. We use the term ‘hobby-horse‘ in a similar way, but this does not necessarily imply a controversial topic – eg He got onto his old hobby-horse – i.e. a favourite topic he often talks about at length. A hobby horse is a child’s toy made of a wooden stick with a modelled horse’s head on one end of it. For advanced writing, you should have added a comma after the first clause.
5 With the election of Obama, US politics is now a whole new ball game.
a whole new ball game – a completely new situation. For advanced writing, you should have added a comma after the opening phrase.
6 The finance manager bent over backwards to keep Sue on the team!
bend over backwards – go to great lengths to help someone