Throwing The Baby Out With The Bathwater
To figuratively "throw the baby out with the bathwater" is to discard the good alongside the bad.
In old England, dirty, used bathwater from a baby's bath was discarded behind a house. No one sane would ever throw out the baby with the bathwater. Therefore, this expression describes an act of extreme foolishness and a complete lack of understanding of value and worth.
Example: "It is simply wrong to replace the entire marketing staff just because of one failed sales campaign. There are some people that need replacing, yes, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater! We need to hold onto the good people that we already have."
Off The Reservation
Someone who is, figuratively speaking, "off the reservation" is beyond the control of his or her supposed leader.
The word "reservation" is used in two senses: animal preserves, where hunting of animals is forbidden, and reservations for Native American Indians, upon which these people are permitted by national governments (be they American or Canadian) to live largely according to traditional tribal laws rather than under the authority of state or provincial governments.
In either case, to be "off the reservation" is to be beyond a well-defined boundary.
Example: "Richard was speaking to a reporter about his division's new product. Either his boss knows about it and this was planned, or Richard is completely off the reservation and will get in very serious trouble. Unless he had approval, he could lose his job over this."
In this case, Richard is either part of a plan to quietly announce the product to the news media, or he has leaked in violation of his company contract. The latter would definitely be beyond a well-defined boundary!
At First Blush
The idiom "at first blush" is based on the initial appearance of something.
Just as the rose-colored sky before the dawn is not representative of the color of the sky during the day, the first blush has a tendency to mislead the viewer about the truth of the situation.
Example: "At first blush, the offer seemed reasonable. However, I realized that the seller was asking for far too much given the questionable condition of the merchandise."
Love At First Sight
A particularly common English idiom, "love at first sight" is a strong and immediate attraction to someone upon meeting, and seeing, that person for the first time.
The implication is that this attraction is due to external factors: physical attractiveness, sex appeal, and so forth. It is not based on knowledge of the other person's thoughts or personality.
Example: "When Billy met Cassie, it was love at first sight. He was stunned by her casual charm and elegant figure."
A Busy Bee
A "busy bee" is someone or some creature who or that is very busy, like an industrious worker bee.
Example: "Lucy was a busy bee around the house, washing dishes, dusting shelves, and doing the laundry."
➤ Read more idioms and phrases, English grammar and vocabulary at Basic English Grammar And Vocabulary .
To figuratively "throw the baby out with the bathwater" is to discard the good alongside the bad.
In old England, dirty, used bathwater from a baby's bath was discarded behind a house. No one sane would ever throw out the baby with the bathwater. Therefore, this expression describes an act of extreme foolishness and a complete lack of understanding of value and worth.
Example: "It is simply wrong to replace the entire marketing staff just because of one failed sales campaign. There are some people that need replacing, yes, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater! We need to hold onto the good people that we already have."
Off The Reservation
Someone who is, figuratively speaking, "off the reservation" is beyond the control of his or her supposed leader.
The word "reservation" is used in two senses: animal preserves, where hunting of animals is forbidden, and reservations for Native American Indians, upon which these people are permitted by national governments (be they American or Canadian) to live largely according to traditional tribal laws rather than under the authority of state or provincial governments.
In either case, to be "off the reservation" is to be beyond a well-defined boundary.
Example: "Richard was speaking to a reporter about his division's new product. Either his boss knows about it and this was planned, or Richard is completely off the reservation and will get in very serious trouble. Unless he had approval, he could lose his job over this."
In this case, Richard is either part of a plan to quietly announce the product to the news media, or he has leaked in violation of his company contract. The latter would definitely be beyond a well-defined boundary!
At First Blush
The idiom "at first blush" is based on the initial appearance of something.
Just as the rose-colored sky before the dawn is not representative of the color of the sky during the day, the first blush has a tendency to mislead the viewer about the truth of the situation.
Example: "At first blush, the offer seemed reasonable. However, I realized that the seller was asking for far too much given the questionable condition of the merchandise."
Love At First Sight
A particularly common English idiom, "love at first sight" is a strong and immediate attraction to someone upon meeting, and seeing, that person for the first time.
The implication is that this attraction is due to external factors: physical attractiveness, sex appeal, and so forth. It is not based on knowledge of the other person's thoughts or personality.
Example: "When Billy met Cassie, it was love at first sight. He was stunned by her casual charm and elegant figure."
A Busy Bee
A "busy bee" is someone or some creature who or that is very busy, like an industrious worker bee.
Example: "Lucy was a busy bee around the house, washing dishes, dusting shelves, and doing the laundry."
➤ Read more idioms and phrases, English grammar and vocabulary at Basic English Grammar And Vocabulary .
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