介绍:
1) By the Book
-The match officials in the golf tournament acted strictly by the book when they disqualified a player for marking down the wrong score on his scorecard.
-The embassy officials process visa applications by the book, so it is often difficult to get a visa.
-James was fired from the police force for not doing everything by the book.
Meaning:
If you do something by the book, you do it strictly according to the rules or the official procedures.
Etymology:
'The book' refers to a rulebook. So it is essentially saying to not break the rules.
2) At Loose Ends
-Hank's been at loose ends since he lost his job, His friends hope he finds another one soon.
-Tom has been at loose ends since he got kicked out of school.
-We tried limiting the time Jimmy could play computer games, but he gets restless and moody whenever he's at loose ends, so we let him play.
Meaning:
If you're at loose ends, you feel restless and unsettled because you don't have anything to do.
Etymology:
The loose end is metaphorical for a broken path; it implies the person has nowhere to go or nothing to do.
3) Come Up Trumps
-Nicole came up trumps, winning her match despite her injured knee.
-Although the opposing team was really good, the coach new his team would come up trumps
-David was having trouble finding a job but expected to come up trumps.
Meaning:
If you come up trumps, you succeed in something that you may not have been expected to succeed in.
Etymology:
From card games in which a card of the suit that is designated "trumps" is of greater value than a card of another suit, so a player with many trumps in his hand has a good chance of winning.
