Summary
Highlights
This video is the 67th installment in a series on American idioms, covering five new idioms from 331 to 335. The host encourages viewers to pause the video to guess the meanings before revealing the answers and providing examples.
The idiom 'a fluke' means an unexpected stroke of luck. An example provided is passing a difficult biology exam without studying, described as a fluke. Another example is finding an old coin unexpectedly in the backyard.
The idiom 'to dig in' means to defend or maintain a position firmly. The example illustrates a president who 'dug in' and refused to argue his immigration policy during an interview, similar to trench warfare where soldiers hold a firm position. Another example shows a boss refusing to compromise on a pay increase.
To 'take something in stride' means to deal with something unpleasant without disturbing one's behavior. Max, in the example, faced many setbacks on a project but took them in stride and finished on time. Another example shows someone returning to work soon after a tragedy, taking it in stride.
A 'lightning rod' refers to a person or thing that attracts powerful, often negative or hostile feelings and opinions. The example given is a speaker who became a 'lightning rod' for national debate after a speech on abortion. Another example describes someone becoming a 'lightning rod' for criticism of a presidential administration.
The idiom 'to mend one's fences' means to rectify a damaged relationship. An example is a mayor who tried to 'mend his fences' with city residents but failed and was not reelected. Another example is a person wanting to 'mend fences' with a sick sister before she passes away.