The sky is the limit

Meaning:

• There's no upper limit. You can do and achieve almost anything under certain circumstances.

Example sentence:

Don't be so pessimistic. If you know the right people, the sky is the limit.



Questions for you to answer:

1. Are you an optimist who believes that the sky is the limit?
2. What skills and knowledge would you need at the moment to feel that the sky is the limit?
3. How does this idiom relate to another English term: American dream?
4. Would you say that this idiom is the opposite of close the door on something ?

All along the line

 Meaning:

• Ever since the beginning of a project; at every stage in a process; at ever point or moment; all the time 

Example sentence:

While writing the thesis, he made mistakes all along the line.



Questions for you to answer:

1. When you go to an interesting lecture or a seminar, do you take notes all along the line or do you just listen and enjoy?
2. Have you ever participated in a project that suffered from financial problems all along the line but finally succeeded?
3. Do you have friends that have helped you all along the line since you got to know them?
4. Do you remember a situation or a period when everything went badly all along the line?

Better (to be) safe than sorry

Meaning:

• This means that you should be cautious because if you are not, you may regret it. 
• It is best not to take risks even if it seems boring or hard work to be careful.

Example sentence:

My mother-in-law checks on my sons ten times a night. I find it irritating but she says it's better to be safe than sorry.



Questions for you to answer:

1. Do you know any people who irritate you by being too cautious?
2. On the other hand, has anything bad happened to you just because you were not cautious enough?
3. Do you think you can stop certain negative things from happening by being cautious?

As the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined

Meaning:

• This proverb means that a grown person will act the way he or she was taught to act as a child.

Example sentence:

Don't let your little daughter make faces at people. Don't think she'll grow out of it. As the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined.



Questions for you to answer:

1. Do you believe that parents need to encourage their children to behave well or do children just observe what adults do and then do the same?
2. Did your parents have to 'bend the twig' when you were a little child or were they too liberal?
3. Do you think that strict upbringing can influence a child in a negative way?

A piece of cake

 Meaning:

• When something is a piece of cake, it is very easy to do.

Example sentence:

Learning English is a piece of cake but Chemistry is a nightmare!



Questions for you to answer:

1. Is learning English a piece of cake?
2. How do you react when somebody says: 'Come on, it's a piece of cake. You can make it.'?
3. Do you know people who find bungee jumping a piece of cake?