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.

to burn out

to burn out: to stop functioning because of overuse; to make tired from too much work(S)

• The light bulb has burned out. Could you get another one?
• Studying all day for my final exams has really burned me out.

overwhelm

• Overwhelmed, my mom and dad went to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., in the spring of 1957, looking for the kind of medical miracle they believed the clinic's doctors performed.

overwhelm (verb): emotion/if someone is overwhelmed by an emotion, they feel it so strongly that they cannot think clearly

be overwhelmed by something

• Harriet was overwhelmed by a feeling of homesickness.

be overwhelmed with something

• The children were overwhelmed with excitement.
• Grief overwhelmed me.