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?