1) Movers and shakers
-Aaron got an internship at the white house to rub shoulders with the Movers and Shakers.
- It is no point talking to the lowly councilman; he is not one of the movers and shakers.
-In order to ban guns, you need to speak to the movers and shakers.
Definition: These are the ones who have the powers to make decisions.
Etymology: People who can literally move or shake things.
Other examples:
A. He was used to being part of the movers and shakers of the company and he finds it so difficult to accept retirement.
B. If a country's economy goes wrong, it's the movers and shakers of the government that are responsible.
2)A new lease on life
- Yuna's plastic surgery gave her a new lease on life.
-Surviving a horrific car accident gave Carey a new lease on life.
- After being turned down for many jobs, Troy believed he got a new lease on life when he got accepted for a job.
Definition: A new enthusiasm for living.
Etymology: This term with its allusion to a rental agreement dates from the early 1800s and originally referred only to recovery from illness. By the mid-1800s it was applied to any kind of fresh beginning.
Other examples:
A. He decided to dump everything unnecessary in life and get a new lease on life.
B. Being admitted to Tsinghua University has given him a new lease on life.
3) Put on the back burner
-The building project was put on the back burner, as the mayor shifted money to build a new dam to stop a flood.
-After months being placed on the back burner, the law on email privacy is finally being addressed.
- Amy decided to work as a flight attendant and put her dream of an acting career on the back burner.
Definition: Refers to something that isn't being worked on at the moment, but it might be completed in the future.
Etymology: Alludes to putting a pot that needs less active attention on a back burner of a stove, leaving space for pots that need to be stirred.
Other examples:
A. He loves singing and would like to become a professional singer, but he put the dream on the back burner in order to make a living first.
B. Since we don't have the budget for the project, why don't we put it on the back burner and focus on other profitable projects first?