Summary
Highlights
This is the 45th video in the American idiom series, presenting five new idioms from 221 to 225. Viewers will first guess their meanings, and then each idiom will be explained with examples to aid understanding.
To 'be in one's good graces' means to be liked and thought highly of by someone. An example given is being in your boss's good graces after completing a project early. Conversely, not being in someone's good graces means they are displeased, as shown by a man losing his wife's good graces after losing money in Las Vegas.
A 'wild goose chase' refers to a complicated, lengthy, and usually fruitless quest or search for something. The example provided is trying to find an apartment in Manhattan using newspaper ads, which proved to be ineffective. Another example describes police being sent on a wild goose chase due to a false anonymous tip while looking for a fugitive.
To 'get or give the green light' means to allow or to be allowed to do something, similar to a traffic light indicating 'go'. An example illustrates city officials giving the green light for construction after all forms and permits were complete. Another instance shows an employee waiting for their boss's green light to start a new project.
To 'grind to a halt' signifies something moving more and more slowly and then stopping completely. This is exemplified by an economy slowing down and stopping growth due to a new tax increase. Another example highlights production at a workplace grinding to a halt during a union strike.
To 'build something from the ground up' means to do something from the very first step until its completion. An example includes buying a cheap, old house that requires rebuilding from scratch, potentially making it more expensive than anticipated. This idiom is also commonly used for starting a business, implying a deep, sentimental value for what was created from nothing.