• Do you know anyone who speaks in riddles? 

• What is something you found out through word of mouth?

• From your friends, do you have to take any of them with a pinch of salt?

• What do you do when you have something on the tip of your tongue?

• Have you ever tried to discuss something with someone and it was like talking to a brick wall?

• What do you do if a colleague/customer is talking a mile a minute and you can't understand?

• Off the top of your head, how many employees are there in your company?

• Have you ever felt that you needed to get something off your chest?

• Have any rumors about you ever spread like wildfire?

• My husband is trying out a new stand up comedy routine tonight at the coffee shop. I told him to break a leg!
• I know you really do not need the luck with all the practice that you have been putting in, but make sure to break a leg!

• Kelly did not mean to make a clown of her coworker but the coworker was trying to exaggerate their role in the project so much without understanding it that it was embarrassing for everyone who was listening.

• up in arms
  • "If you are up in arms about something, you are very angry."
    "The population was up in arms over the demolition of the old theatre."
• get off my back!
  • If you tell someone to get off your back, you are annoyed and ask them to stop finding fault or criticizing you.
    "Liz, please, get off my back! You've been making comments about my work all morning!"
• bear with a sore head
  • If someone is behaving like a bear with a sore head, they are very irritable and bad-tempered.
    "When his team lost the match, Brad was like a bear with a sore head."
• bite someone's head off
  • If you bite someone's head off, you criticize them strongly (and perhaps unfairly).
    "I worked 10 hours a day all week and my boss bit my head off for not doing my share of the work!"
• (be) in a black mood
  • To be in a black mood means to be irritable, angry or even depressed.
    "You'd better keep away from Bill today.  He's in a black mood."
• blow a fuse
  • If you blow a fuse, you suddenly lose your temper and become very angry.
    "Charlie blew a fuse yesterday then he discovered that his bike had been stolen."
• blow your top
  • If you blow your top, you suddenly become very angry.
    "When my mother saw the state of the house after the party, she blew her top!"
• (have a) bone to pick with someone
  • If you have a bone to pick with someone, you are annoyed with them and want to talk to them about it.
    "Mark wants to see the boss. He says he's got a bone to pick with him."
• be cheesed off
  • If someone is cheesed off with something, they are annoyed, bored or frustrated.
    "Jenny is absolutely cheesed off with her job."
• (have a) bone to pick with someone
  • If you have a bone to pick with someone, you are annoyed with them and want to talk to them about it.
    "Mark wants to see the boss. He says he's got a bone to pick with him."
• for crying out loud!
  • This expression is used to show irritation, exasperation or anger.
    "For crying out loud, turn that television off!"
• cut it out!
  • If you say 'cut it out' to someone, you are telling them to stop doing something.
    "I've had enough of your insinuations, so just cut it out!"
• drive someone up the wall
  • If somebody or something drives you up the wall, they do something that greatly annoys or irritates you.
    "I can't concentrate with all the noise - it's driving me up the wall."
• eat someone alive
  • If you criticize someone severely because you are angry with them, you eat them alive.
    (You can also be eaten alive - bitten repeatedly -  by insects.)
    "The boss will eat me alive if the report arrives late."
• fit to be tied
  • Someone who is fit to be tied is extremely irritated, upset or angry.
    "Harry was fit to be tied when his dog dug up the flowers he had planted."
• get/take flak
  • If you get or take flak, you receive severe criticism for something you have done.
    "Harry got a lot of flak for the way he handled the situation."

• What annoys you about living where you live now?
• What annoys you about taking trains to work? or driving a car? 
• Do you think you have habits that annoy other people?
• Does it annoy you when people kiss in public?
• Do you get annoyed when someone cuts in front of you when you are waiting in line?
• Does smoking bother you?
• Do you get annoyed when other people display bad manners? Give some examples.
• What is the most annoying thing for you?
• Can annoying someone be a good thing?
• If something is annoying you, what do you usually do?
• How do you change annoying habits?
• Can you think of some things children do that annoy adults around them?
• What does pet peeve mean?
  • What is your pet peeve?
• What kind of people annoy you?
• Who is the most annoying person you know? Why?
• How do you inform someone they are being annoying
• Which is more annoying, being caught in the rain without an umbrella, or finding out you don't have enough money to pay for something you really need?

• A grey area – Something unclear
• A rip-off – Too expensive
• Add fuel to the fire – To add more to an existing problem
• As easy as ABC – Something is very easy
• Call it a day – Time to quit
• Cool as a cucumber – To be very calm under stress
• Crack a book – Open up a book and study
• Down to the wire – At the last minute
• Draw a blank – Can’t remember
• Fill in the blanks – Provide more information
• Get a kick out of it – Really enjoy/like something
• Get your act together – Behave properly
• Give it a shot – To try to do something
• Have mixed feelings – Be unsure of how you feel
• Have second thoughts – Have doubts
• In hot water – Be in trouble
• In the same boat – Be in the same situation
• It’s in the bag – It’s a certainty
• I've got your number – To say you can't be fooled by someone since you have them figured out
• Miss the boat – You missed your chance
• Mumbo jumbo – To call something total nonsense
• Out of the blue – With no warning
• Pass with flying colors – To succeed at something easily
• Piece of cake – Something very easy
• Read between the lines – Find the hidden meaning
• Second to none – The best
• The icing on the cake – Something additional that turns good into great

• How does life change when you have kids?
• How can other family members help with childcare?
• What things do you think new parents miss about their old life?

• Feeling unprepared for parenthood
• Suffering from sleep deprivation
• A loss/lack of intimacy
• Changing dirty nappies/diapers
• Picking kids up from kindergarten/nursery
• Financial struggles

• The first child?
• The middle child?
• The baby?

• Babies (0-1)
• Toddlers (1-3)
• Kids (3-10)
• Pre-teens (10-12)
• Teenagers (13-18)
• Young adults (18-22)

• I am taking a math exam on Friday and I'm sure I'm going to ace
• Hey, I heard that Tommy aced his job interview at Google.
• How did you bomb the history exam? Didn't you study?
• Oh man, I should have been better prepared for that interview. I totally bombed
• Instead of spending the whole night looking at tick tock, why don't you try hitting the books. Don't you have an exam next week?
• I need to head to the library today and hit the books.
• You guys know my second language is Japanese. So I've decided to brush up on my reading and writing skills.
• Nick decided to brush up on his Italian for his vacation this summer.
• The best way to remember idioms is to learn them by heart.

• How important is learning? Why?
• Besides English, what are you currently learning?
• What things are you good/bad at learning? Why?
• What would you most like to learn?
• What is the most difficult part of learning? Why?
• Do you or somebody you know have any learning difficulties? How does that affect their lives?
• What is the best learning experience you’ve had?
• Do you think you’ll always be involved in lifelong learning?
• Do you think learning by doing or learning by listening is best
• When you learn new things, is there always a steep learning curve?
• Do you think we ever stop learning? Are we ever too old to start learning something new?
• What’s the unhappiest and the happiest you’ve been while learning something?

“I’ve been trying to download the file all day and I keep getting an error message – I’m at my wits’ end!”

“Getting your first job is a catch-22 because companies want to hire someone with experience, but how can I get experience unless someone gives me a job?”

“One of my ex-boyfriends later became a drug dealer! I’m glad I broke up with him – I definitely dodged a bullet.”

“Of course there are a number of things that the country needs to improve, but the crux of the matter is that the politicians are corrupt.”

“The police are grasping at straws because there’s virtually no evidence at the crime scene.”

“Harry has been unemployed for the past three years – he’s really in dire straits.”

“You want to finish a four-year college degree in just two years? Well, you’ve got your work cut out for you.”

“If we can’t stay with any of our friends in London, then we can always book a hotel as a last resort.”

“My parents’ arguing about where to go on vacation was only the tip of the iceberg; they treated each other horribly throughout their marriage.”

“When I gain weight, I have less energy to exercise… and when I do less exercise, I gain even more weight. It’s a vicious cycle."

• How do you deal with your problems?
• Who do you go to when you run into a problem?
• What problems do you come across in your work or life?
• Do you feel that problems are opportunities? Why or why not?
• What was the last problem you solved and how did you do it?
• “Problems don’t matter. Solutions do.” Do you agree or disagree?
• What personal problems do you have right now?
• Have you ever asked anyone for advice about your personal problems? Who did you ask? What did they suggest?
• Has anyone ever asked you for advice about a personal problem?
• What was their problem? What did you suggest?

• cut a dash
  • If a person cuts a dash, they make a striking impression by their appearance and attractive clothes.
    "Wearing his uniform, my grandfather cut a dash on his wedding day."
    
    
• deck out
  • If you deck out someone or something, you dress or decorate them in a special way.
    "Paul decked out his car for the occasion."
    
    
• dressed to kill
  • When someone, especially a woman, is dressed to kill, they are wearing very fashionable or glamorous clothes intended to attract attention.
    "She arrived at the reception dressed to kill."
    
    
• down at heel
  • A person who is down-at-heel is someone whose appearance is untidy or neglected because of lack of money.
    "The down-at-heel student I first met became a successful writer."
    
    
• face like a bulldog chewing a wasp
  • To say that someone has a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp means that you find them very unattractive because they have a screwed-up ugly expression on their face.
    "Not only was he rude but he had a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp!"

• face that would stop a clock
  • This is a humoristic way of saying that someone is ugly or unattractive.
    "You'll recognize him - he's tall and thin, with a face that would stop a clock!"
    
    
• five o'clock shadow
  • This expression refers to a patch of stubble on the face of a man who hasn't shaved for at least a day.
    "He looked tired and had a five o'clock shadow."
    
    
• not a hair out of place
  • To say that someone does not have a hair out of place means that their appearance is perfect.
    "Angela is always impeccably dressed - never a hair out of place!"
    
    
• like something the cat dragged in
  • If you compare a person or thing to something the cat dragged in, you think they they look dirty, untidy or generally unappealing.
    "My teenage son often looks like something the cat dragged in."
    
    
• look a sight
  • If a person looks a sight, their appearance is awful, unsuitable or very untidy.
    "She looks a sight in that dress!"
    
    
• look like a million dollars
  • If you look like a million dollars, you look extremely good.
    "With a tan and a new hairstyle she looked like a million dollars!"

• pretty as a picture
  • Someone who is (as) pretty as a picture is very attractive or appealing in appearance.
    "The young bride looked (as) pretty as a picture in her beautiful dress.

• (as) ugly as sin
  • The expression as ugly as sin is used to refer to people or things that are considered to be very unattractive.
    "Have you seen the new neighbour's dog? It's as ugly as sin!"
    
    
• vertically challenged
  • This term is a humoristic way of referring to someone who is not very tall.
    "High shelves are difficult for vertically challenged shoppers."

• What is the first thing you notice about a person ?
• Is it important how people dress ?
• Is weight/physical well-being/fitness important ?
• Which is the most important : clothes, shoes, hair, hygiene, fitness, style … ?
• Does a person’s appearance reveal their personality ?
• Is it wrong to judge people by their appearance ?
• Could you be intimidated by someone’s appearance ?
• What can people do to maintain or improve their appearance?
• Is it acceptable to tell someone that they need to improve their appearance?
• How should you dress for a job interview ?
• On what occasions is it acceptable to dress casually ?
• Can you think of expressions relating to clothes and/or appearance :
  (e.g. 'off the peg' / 'down at heel' / 'dressed to kill' / 'not a hair out of place' …)
• Do you know the meanings of the following idioms? 

• Do you pay attention to fads?
• What were some fads when you were in high school or university?
• What are some fads now?
• Are fads the same as popular culture?
• What are some of the fads in your home country? Do you like them?
• Why do you think people pay attention to fads?
• What fad influence your life the most?
• What portion of the general population do you think creates or follows fads?
• How do fads start and who starts them? Today? In the past?
• If you wanted to start a trend, how would you go about it?
• What are the current trends in fashion, electronics, music, books or movies?
• What are the current trends in dating/relationships?
• Are there any current trends you don't like?
• Are there any trends from the past you hope come back?
• Are there any trends from the past you hope never come back?

• had one wish, what would it be?
• were a millionaire, what would you buy?
• could be famous for one day, which celebrity would you become?
• could travel everywhere, where would you go?
• had a chance to change only one thing in your personality or appearance, what would it be?
• could change your past, would you do it?
• were a president of your country, what would you do first?

• your child failed his university exam?
• your 13-year old child got a tattoo on the back of a tarantula?
• your child didn't eat vegetables at dinner?
• your 12-year old daughter said she was dating a high school student?
• your child kept screaming because you didn't buy him candy in the grocery store?

• be invisible or superfast?
• change your appearance or personality?
• help animals or people?
• work in a company or have a small business?

• He is very long in the tooth to pursue a career in football.

• My Uncle Ted is dating a 20 year old girl. That’s really robbing the cradle!

• I had a senior moment and forgot where I put my phone.

• The style doesn’t suit her, she looks like a mutton dressed as lamb.

• Stop being silly and act your age.

• Commenting on the situation/environment around you. For example, “This cafe has the best coffee in town, hasn’t it?”
• Giving a compliment. For example, “I love your coat. Do you mind me asking where you got it?”
• Mentioning a common interest/person/similar background. For example, “Have you seen the latest episode of X?”
• Asking for advice/opinion. For example, “Do you know the best place to get lunch in town?”
• Talking about a shared experience. For example, “I really enjoyed today’s class. The new teacher is great, isn’t she?”

• afraid of one's own shadow
  • A person who is afraid of his/her own shadow is very nervous or easily frightened.
    "I've never seen anyone so easily scared. She's afraid of her own shadow!"
    
    
• bated breath
  • If you wait for something with bated breath, you are both anxious and excited about an imminent event.
    "We waited with bated breath for the winner to be announced."
    
    
• make your blood run cold
  • If something makes your blood run cold, it shocks or scares you a lot.
    "The look in the prisoner's eye made my blood run cold!"
    
    
• break out in a cold sweat
  • If you break out in a cold sweat, you begin to perspire a lot, usually from anxiety.
    "I get nervous at the dentist's and usually break out in a cold sweat."
    
    
• bundle of nerves
  • If you describe someone as a bundle of nerves, you mean that they are very nervous, tense or worried.
    "My son is doing his driving test today. Needless to say he's a bundle of nerves!"
    
    
• (have) butterflies in stomach
  • If you have butterflies in your stomach, you are feeling very nervous.
    "At the beginning of an exam, I always have butterflies in my stomach."
    
    
• can't stand the pace
  • If you can't stand the pace, you are unable to do things well when there is a lot of pressure.
    "She once worked for a famous fashion designer but she couldn't stand the pace."
    
    
• (like a) cat on hot bricks
  • A person who is like a cat on hot bricks is very nervous or restless.
    "The week before the results were published, she was like a cat on hot bricks."
    
    
• on the edge of one's seat
  • Someone who is on the edge of their seat is very interested in something and finds it both extremely exciting and nerve-wracking.
    "Look at Bob! He's on the edge of his seat watching that rugby match!"
    
    
• get one's fingers burnt
  • If someone gets their fingers burnt, they suffer as a result of an unsuccessful action and are nervous about trying again.
    "He got his fingers burnt so badly in the last elections that he decided to withdraw from politics."
    
    
• heart in one's mouth
  • A person who has their heart in their mouth feels extremely anxious or nervous faced with a dangerous or unpleasant situation.
    "Emma had her heart in her mouth when she saw her two-year-old son standing in front of the open window."
    
    
• heart misses a beat
  • If your heart misses (or skips) a beat, you have sudden feeling of fear or excitement.
    "When the lights suddenly went out, my heart missed a beat."
    
    
• heebie-jeebies
  • A state of apprehension, nervousness or anxiety is called the heebie-jeebies.
    "Having to go down to the car park at night gives me the heebie-jeebies."
    
    
• hold your breath
  • If someone is holding their breath, they are waiting anxiously or excitedly for something to happen or be announced.
    "I went for a second interview today - now I'm holding my breath!"
    
    
• if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen
  • This expression means that if you feel that there is too much pressure, you can leave.
    Amid the growing tension, the organiser declared : "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!"
    
    
• ignorance is bliss
  • This means that if you don't know about a problem or unpleasant fact, you won't worry about it.
    "I didn't know our neighbour was an escaped prisoner until the police arrived - ignorance is bliss!"

• Animal type: Examples include dogs, snakes, and spiders.
• Natural environment type: Examples include storms, water, and heights.
• Blood, injection, and injury (BII) type: Examples include needles, invasive medical procedures, and blood.
• Situational type: Examples include a fear of flying and a fear of enclosed spaces.
• Other type: This type is characterized by any phobia that does not fit into the above categories.
• Acrophobia (fear of heights)
• Aerophobia (fear of flying)
• Agoraphobia (fear of public spaces or crowds)
• Glossophobia (fear of public speaking)

• All right – agreement in response to a direct appeal
• to be all for it – to give complete agreement
• I’m game – express willingness to do something 
• Count me in – agreeing to do something with the rest of the participants
• of the same mind – similarity in opinions
• to see eye to eye – to agree with someone having the same views and opinions on a particular matter
• Couldn’t agree more – to express a firm agreement with someone.
• Ayes – in favor of something (yes)

• Count me out – disagreeing to do something with the rest of the participants
• Not on speaking terms – a temporary breakdown in good relations
• to have a bone to pick with someone – to complain about something done by the other person
• to make something of – to argue about something
• Noes- Not in favor of something (No)

• If people make much ado about nothing, they make a lot of fuss about something which is not important.
  "A discussion took place about the colour of the receptionist's shoes - much ado about nothing!"

• If you argue the toss, you dispute a decision or choice which has already been made.
  "The final choice was made yesterday, so don't argue the toss now!"
  
  

• If you say that all hell broke loose, you mean that there was a sudden angry or noisy reaction to something.
  "When it was announced that the plant was going to close down all hell broke loose."
  
  

• If you tell someone to get off your back, you are annoyed and ask them to stop finding faults or criticizing you.
  "Liz, please, get off my back! You've been making comments about my work all morning!"
  
  

• This expression is used to say that opposing groups are ready to defend the reason behind the conflict.
  "The battle lines have been drawn between those who accept the changes and those who are against the proposed reforms. "
  
  

• A conflict, argument or struggle where both sides are determined to win is described as a battle of wills.
  "When they separated, neither party would make concessions - it was a battle of wills."
  
  

• A discussion among a group of people who try to determine who or what is to blame for a particular mistake, failure or wrongdoing, is called 'blamestorming'.
  "A blamestorming session took place following the unfavourable reviews in the press."
  
  

• A bone of contention is a matter or subject about which there is a lot of disagreement.
  "The salaries have been agreed on, but opening on Sundays is still a bone of contention."
  
  

• If you have a bone to pick with someone, you are annoyed with them and want to talk to them about it.
  "Mark wants to see the boss. He says he's got a bone to pick with him."
  
  

• If you are in somebody's good or bad books, you have their approval or disapproval.
  "I'm in my wife's bad books at the moment because I forgot our wedding anniversary."
  
  

• When people who have had a disagreement decide to forget their quarrel and become friends again, they bury the hatchet.
  "I didn't agree with my colleague's decision, but for the sake of peace, I decided to bury the hatchet."
  
  

• If you call someone's bluff, you challenge them to do what they threaten to do (while believing that they will not dare to do it).
  "When Jack decided to call his bluff after the next-door neighbour threatened to demolish the fence between their houses, there were no more complaints."

• above board
  • If a situation or business is described as above board, it is open, honest and legal.
    "There are not secret negotiations. Our dealings have always been above board."
    
    
• barefaced liar
  • Someone who lies easily, with a total lack of shame, is a barefaced liar.
    "That barefaced liar stole my watch and said he'd found it!"
    
    
• bend the truth
  • If you bend the truth, you say something that is not entirely true.
    "Ok, I bent the truth a bit. I told him it was my natural colour, but I didn't say that my hairdresser helped me to keep it natural!"
    
    
• (the) benefit of the doubt
  • If you give someone the benefit of the doubt, you choose to believe that the person is innocent, honest or telling the truth, because there is no evidence to the contrary.
    "Although he found it hard to believe Tom's explanation, the teacher decided to give him the benefit of the doubt."
    
    
• black market
  • The black market refers to the illegal buying and selling of goods or currencies.
    "Be careful of what you buy on the black market - it's not always good quality."
    
    
• break every rule in the book
  • If you behave in a completely unacceptable way, you break every rule in the book.
    "Our competitors obtained the contract by breaking every rule in the book."
    
    
• buy a lemon
  • If buy something, especially a car, that is defective, unsatisfactory, constantly gives trouble or stops running after a short time, you buy a lemon.
    "The car I bought was a real lemon. It broke down two weeks later."
    
    
• in cahoots with someone
  • If one person is in cahoots with another, they are working in close partnership, usually conspiring to do something dishonest.
    "There was a rumour that the Mayor was in cahoots with a chain of supermarkets."
    
    
• put/lay one's cards on the table
  • If you put (or lay) your cards on the table, you speak honestly and openly about your feelings and intentions.
    "Let's be honest with each other and put our cards on the table."
    
    
• catch red-handed
  • If a person is caught red-handed, they are caught while they are doing something wrong or illegal.
    "The police arrived as the burglar was leaving the house. He was caught red-handed."
    
    
• cook the books
  • A person who cooks the books is one who changes the facts or figures in the financial accounts, often in order to steal money.
    "The actor discovered after a while that his agent was cooking the books."
    
    
• (as) crooked as a dog's hind leg
  • To say that someone is as crooked as a dog's hind leg means that they are very dishonest indeed.
    "He can't be trusted - he's as crooked as a dog's hind leg."
    
    
• daylight robbery
  • The term daylight robbery is used when the price of something is thought to be much too high.
    "$10 for an orange juice? That's daylight robbery!"
    
    
• economical with the truth
  • To say that a person is economical with the truth means that, without actually lying, they omit important facts or give incomplete information.
    "The politician was accused of being economical with the truth.
• A white lie is a small lie that is not very important.
• If you pull someone’s leg, you tell a lie as a joke on a person.
• To lie through your teeth is to lie without caring at all, it can also mean telling a lot of lies.
• If a lie has no legs, it is quite obviously a lie and is recognized as one very quickly.
• A person who is as honest as the day is long is a very honest person.
  
  

• Be curious to hear what others think
• Be able to have their ideas challenged
• Not feel angry when they are wrong
• Have empathy for other people
• Consider what other people are thinking
• Be humble about their own knowledge and expertise
• Want to hear what other people have to say
• Believe others have a right to share their beliefs and thoughts

• Women are much more complicated than men.
• Beauty pageants are another way to objectify women.
• Social networking sites are used for stalking instead of communicating.
• Is binge-watching television and movies a good way to spend time?

• Robots are Expensive. Robots replace humans. ...
• Maintenance and Security. The upfront cost is not the only aspect of making the robots expensive. ...
• Human capabilities and Emotionlessness. ...
• Power and Programming. ...
• Increase in the rate of unemployment.

• a ten / a perfect ten
  This probably comes from rating people’s appearance on a scale of 1 to 10.
• a looker / a stunner
  “Wow, that flight attendant is a looker. I wonder if she’s single?”
• hot stuff
  “He’s not my favorite actor, but I watch all his movies ‘cause I think he’s hot stuff!”
• foxy (usually used for women, with “lady”)
  “She is one foxy lady for sure. She could be a model.”
• a stud / a hunk (only for men)
  “One of my coworkers is a major hunk, I get nervous every time I talk to him.”
• a babe (usually for women, although occasionally for men as well)
  “That babe over there in the red bikini is checking you out, dude!”
  (checking you out = looking at you as if she is attracted to you)

• much ado about nothing
  • If people make much ado about nothing, they make a lot of fuss about something which is not important.
    "A discussion took place about the colour of the receptionist's shoes - much ado about nothing!"
    
    
• argue the toss
  • If you argue the toss, you dispute a decision or choice which has already been made.
    "The final choice was made yesterday, so don't argue the toss now!"
    
    
• all hell broke loose
  • If you say that all hell broke loose, you mean that there was a sudden angry or noisy reaction to something.
    "When it was announced that the plant was going to close down all hell broke loose."
    
    
• get off by back!
  • If you tell someone to get off your back, you are annoyed and ask them to stop finding faults or criticizing you.
    "Liz, please, get off my back! You've been making comments about my work all morning!"
    
    
• battle lines are drawn
  • This expression is used to say that opposing groups are ready to defend the reason behind the conflict.
    "The battle lines have been drawn between those who accept the changes and those who are against the proposed reforms. "
    
    
• battle of wills
  • A conflict, argument or struggle where both sides are determined to win is described as a battle of wills.
    "When they separated, neither party would make concessions - it was a battle of wills."
    
    
• blamestorming
  • A discussion among a group of people who try to determine who or what is to blame for a particular mistake, failure or wrongdoing, is called 'blamestorming'.
    "A blamestorming session took place following the unfavourable reviews in the press."
    
    
• bone of contention
  • A bone of contention is a matter or subject about which there is a lot of disagreement.
    "The salaries have been agreed on, but opening on Sundays is still a bone of contention."
• Cat-and-dog life – This term refers to a life in which partners are constantly or frequently quarrelling.
  
  “They lead a cat-and-dog life. I don’t know why they stay together.”

• Clear the air – If you decide to clear the air, you try to remove the causes of fear, worry or suspicion by talking about them openly.
  
  “The atmosphere had become so unpleasant that he decided it was time to clear the air.”

• Dead set against something – If you are dead set against something, you are strongly opposed to it.
  
  “My father wanted a dog, but my mother was dead set against the idea.”

• Devil’s advocate – During a discussion or debate, if you play devil’s advocate, you pretend to be against an idea or plan in order to determine the validity of the arguments in favor of it.
  
  “She decided to play devil’s advocate just to see how strongly people felt about the project.”

• Hammer and tongs – If people are going at it hammer and tongs, they are arguing fiercely, with a lot of energy and noise.
  
  “Our neighbors are going at it hammer and tongs again. They’re constantly arguing!”
  
  
  

• Have you ever felt a generation gap with your friends?
• How do you over come the generation gap?
• When do you feel the generation gap the most?
• Is it possible to overcome a generation gap?
• At what point in life does the generation gap seem to be the largest?
• Do you think you can be a better parent than your own parents in future?
• Do you think it is OK to date or marry someone of a different generation to yourself, either older or younger?
• Some people think it is OK to marry a much older man but not a much older woman? Do you agree?
• How would you feel if your father was a generation older than your mother? Do you know a family where this is the case?
• What could be some problems with a partnership or marriage of different generations?
• Do you think your generation's fight is similar to your parents generation's fight.
• What do you think are some of the advantages or disadvantages of another generation?
• When did you first become an adult in your mind?
• What roll does music play in generation gaps?
• When is an age gap beneficial, and when is it a hindrance?
• How can you overcome a generation gap?
• Can you talk to your parents about everything?
• Do you ever disagree with your parents/grandparents about topics such as music, style and values?
• How many years difference causes a generation gap?
• Is it possible for parents and children to be friends?
• What influences the styles, values and interests of a generation?
• Are people from the "older" generation always more wise and correct in their ways of thinking and choices? Why or why not?
• Do you ever disagree with your friends/ parents/relatives/grandparents about topics such as music, style and values?
• Is it possible for parents and children to be friends? Or for people of different generations to be friends?

• Studies have shown that girls are more likely to have imaginary friends during the preschool years, but this statistic evens out by the school-age years.
• The oldest children in a family and only children tend to create imaginary friends. They likely have the time and creative space to explore this phenomenon more deeply.
• Highly social and creative children have a higher incidence of creating and engaging with imaginary playmates.
• Children with Down Syndrome have a higher rate of developing imaginary friends and keeping them into adulthood.

• 57% of the imaginary friends of school-age children were humans
• 41% of the friends were animals
• Children can have more than one imaginary friend at a time
• Not all imaginary friends are "friendly." (It is important to note that even naughty invisible pals serve a purpose for the child, and are not harmful to the child).

“Instead of quitting, why don’t you think about moving departments? A change may be as good as a rest.”

“I need to break the mold and try a new look.”

“I’m going to really try to turn over a new leaf next year.”