Michael's last novel was a best seller. He has no need to toot his own horn about his literary accomplishments. His readers and critics alike will now become aware of his talent. He won't have to boast about his skill and success as a writer.
80-Stick to One's Guns (maintain one's position)
In spite of the fact that it was inadvisable to have a controversial figure address the club, the chairman stuck to his guns and insisted that it would make good sense to hear the other side of the question before taking a vote on the issue. He maintained his opinion and position on the matter, even though a number of members tried to make him change his mind.
81-Get the Ball Rolling (initiate action)
-Look! You've been talking about repearing the roof for weeks now. Don't you think it's about time to get the ball rolling?
-I know, but I've been busy with other things. I promise I'll get to it this weekend.
-The time to start doing it is right now! According to the weather report it's supposed to rain tomorrow.
82-Mind One's P's and Q's (take care in speech and action)
-Listen, Larry. If you want an invitation to Clarissa's party you'd better mind your P's and Q's.
-But I haven't been doing anything to offend her.
-I'll tell you one thing. You're going to have to be careful of what you say and how you act around Susan.
-Come on! Susan and I are just friends.
-I know that, but clarissa is the jealous type. She's liable to think that something is going between the two of you.
83-Hang On (persevere)
During the depression years the Smiths had a great deal of trouble with their business, but somehow or other they were able to hang on. Although they almost lost their store, they managed to persevere until things got better.
84-Give It One's Best Shot (try hard)
-Can you do anything about repairing this TV set?
-I'm not much of an electrician, but I'll give it my best shot.
-Many thanks. I'd be most appreciative.
-OK. I'll try my hardest to fix it, but I'm not promising that I'll succeed.
-At this point, I'll take all the help I can get.
85-Make Ends Meet (pay one's bills)
-It's almost impossible trying to keep up with the high cost of living.
-It's true. Things are so expensive nowadays that it's very difficult to make ends meet.
-You know, even with Lucie's salary, our combined income is hardly enough to pay all the bills.
86-Get the Jump on Someone (get the advantage over someone)
-Did you have a nice time the school dance last night?
-To tell you the truth, I would have enjoyed myself more if I had been able to go with Teresa instead of Elena.
-Why didn't you ask Teresa in the first place?
-I was about to, but Benito got the jump on me.
-How did he managed to do that?
-He got the advantage over me by telling Teresa that if she went with him, he'd take her out to dinner and then to the dance in his brand new convertible.
-Well, now, she can hardly be blamed for accepting an offer like that!
87-Pull Strings (exert influence)
Steven had been unsuccessful in getting tickets for the opening game of the season. However, he pulled some strings with the manager of the team and got excellent seats. There's no doubt that he got the tickets only by exerting his influence with a person important enough to help him get what he wanted.
88-Spread Oneself Too Thin (become involved in too many activities)
Although Teresa has always been an excellent student, her marks have been goign down lately because she is spreading herself too thin. Besides spending a great deal of time in after-school sports, she got a part-time job as a clerk in a department store. It's only natural that