to take for granted

to take for granted: not to appreciate fully(S); to assume to be true without giving much thought(S)

A noun or pronoun often follows the verb take.

• Bruno took his wife for granted until once when he was very sick and needed her constant attention for a week..
• He spoke English so well that I took it for granted he was an American.
• He took for granted that I wasn't American because I spoke English so poorly!

to cross out

to cross out: to cancel by marking with a horizontal line(S)

• The teacher crossed out several incorrect words in Tanya's composition.
• I crossed the last line out of my letter because it had the wrong tone to it.

to give up

to give up: to stop trying; to stop a bad habit(S); to surrender(S)

• I'm sure that you can accomplish this task. Don't give up yet!
• If you give up smoking now, you will probably live a longer life.
• The soldiers gave themselves up in the face of stronger enemy forces.

once in a blue moon

once in a blue moon: rarely, infrequently

• Snow falls on the city of San Diego, California, once in a blue moon.
• Once in a blue moon my wife and I eat at a very expensive restaurant.

to break down

to break down: to stop functioning

Compare this idiom with to burn out . To burn out means that electrical equipment becomes hot from overuse and stops functioning. To break down means that something stops functioning mechanically, whether from overuse or not.

• I just bought my new car yesterday and already it has broken down.
• The elevator broke down, so we walked all the way up to the top floor.

to fell sorry for

to fell sorry for: to pity, to feel compassion for(also: to take pity on)

• Don't you feel sorry for someone who has to work the night shift?
• I helped drive Pierre around when he broke his foot because I took pity on him.

for one thing

for one thing: for example, for instance

This idiom is used when giving a detail to support a statement or opinion

• My dog is my best friend. For one thing, he is always there when I need him.
• Why don't you like your new roommate?Because she's very messy, for one thing. She leaves her things all over our apartment.

as for

as for: regarding, concerning (also: as to)

• As for the money, we will simply have to borrow some more from the bank.
• There is no doubt as to her intelligence; she's the smartest one in the class.
• as for, math, I'm a hotshot but when it comes to geography I truly suck (bite, stink).

to break out

to break out: to become widespread suddenly

• An epidemic of measles broke out in Chicago this past week.
• If a nuclear war ever breaks out, it is unlikely that many people will survive.
• The news says that a large fire has broken out in a huge chemical plant.

outbreak(n): if there is an outbreak of fighting or disease in an area, it suddenly starts to happen

• a cholera outbreak

outbreak of

• outbreaks of fighting
• the outbreak of World War II

stands to reason

stands to reason: to be clear and logical

This idiom is almost always used with the pronoun subject it and is followed by a that clause.

• It stands to reason that a person without experience cannot do the work as well as an experienced me.
• It stands to reason that he isn't going to pass the course if he never studies.