Have a heart of stone

Meaning:

• If you have a heart of stone, you are cold, unfriendly and/or cruel having no sympathy for people.

Example sentence:

She was never willing to help us when we needed her. She never smiled and she was somewhat cruel to everyone around her. However, although she had a heart of stone, it wasn't her fault.


Questions for you to answer:

1. What adjectives would you ascribe to someone who has a heart of stone?
2. Could you think of an idiom with the opposite meaning? 
3. Why do you think people have a heart of stone? 

Carry the ball

Meaning:

• If you carry the ball, you take control of an activity and do what is needed to get a piece of work done. You are considered reliable enough to make sure that a job gets done.

Example sentence: 

I'm afraid Jane can't carry the ball for us. She's too reckless and disorganized. We need someone who knows how to get the job done. 

Questions for you to answer: 

1. Are you the one who always carries the ball in a team? 
2. Who carries the ball in your family?
3. Have you recently met anyone who definitely couldn't carry the ball? Why?
4. What adjectives would you ascribe to someone who always carries the ball? 

Go by the Book

Meaning:

• If you do something by the book, you do it exactly as the rules tell you.

Example sentence:

Your reputation will be discredited if you don't go by the book. If I were you, I'd follow the rules strictly.

Questions for you to answer:

1. Do you always go by the book, or do you sometimes break the rules? 
2. In which situations do you think it's necessary to go by the book? 
3. When did you last regret not going by the book? 
4. What do you think is the origin of the idiom? What 'book' does it probably refer to? 

A step in the right direction

Meaning:

• An action or move that is expected to bring good results.

Example sentence:

Now you have no doubts that hiring him was a step in the right direction, right? You see, he's already brought us some new clients.


Questions for you to answer:

1. Can you remember an action that you doubted at first but that finally turned out to be a step in the right direction?
2. What usually indicates that something might NOT be a step in the right direction?
3. What do you do when something has turned out not to be a step in the right direction?
4. How would you describe a person who always takes a step in the right direction?

There's no smoke without fire

 

Meaning:

• If unpleasant things are said about something or someone, there's probably a reason for it.

Example sentence:

He claims he didn't steal the money but the truth is that there's no smoke without fire. Plus he had already done some nasty things before.



Questions for you to answer:

1. Do you agree with the saying or do you believe in the presumption of innocence (one is considered innocent until proven guilty)?
2. Can you think of situations based on your own experience when the saying proved wrong?
3. Do you think that this particular mental pattern (thinking that there's no smoke without fire) can be destructive? If yes, how?