PE 6/24 May Customers Use Our Restroom?

* have/get a handle on: to have a clear understanding

ex> Let’s ask some questions to try to get a handle on what caused the accident.

Note> If you have/get a “good” handle on something, you effectively have control over a situation or have a good understanding of something.

* take the high road: to choose the option that is most ethical or positive

ex> Dale tried to start a fight by calling me names, but I took the high road and walked away.,

* adamant [^|ӕdəmənt]: refusing to change one’s mind

ex> The navigator was adamant that the captain’s instructions would put the plane off course.

* one of these days: at an unspecified time in the future

ex> My husband says he’ll clean the garage one of these days, but I doubt it.

* out of order: no longer functioning

ex> Is the vending machine in the hallway still out of order?

Note> Please note that this also means “not in the correct sequence.”

ex> The document pages are all out of order.

* unsavory [ʌ̀nséivəri]: distasteful; not respectable

ex> My uncle Gavin had a habit of making unsavory remarks when he’d been drinking.

* battle axe: This term is considered insulting, so it is rarely said of someone to their face. “Battle axe” literally means an ancient weapon with a blade at the end of a long handle that was used in wars. Interestingly, the same expression is used in Australia to refer to a piece of land that is joined to a roadway by a narrow strip of land.

ex> Just ignore that old battle axe. She’s probably just having an unhappy life.