Flat footed?
To be caught flat footed is to be caught unawares and therefore unable to react quickly.
Writ large?
If something is described as writ large, then it is big and magnified, clear and unmistakable.
Game, set and match to you
People usually say this after you have accomplished something and done it with flair and in style.
Telltale signs?
So tell-tale signs are signs that tell the tale, the true tale, that is.
Golden handcuffs
It means that people find it very hard to leave well-paying jobs.
Full steam?
If an economy or for that matter a plan or project is going full steam ahead, it is moving forward at top speed.
Cheap shot?
A cheap shot is literally an attack that is considered cheap, low in value or moral estimation.
Going nuclear?
To go nuclear is to get extremely mad and resort to taking the most extreme measures possible.
Inside track?
Gaining the inside track, in short, means gaining an advantage in a race or any competitive situation.
Road kill?
An animal is killed but the perpetrator of the “crime” goes free.
Rubbing along?
To rub along with someone is to get along with them without major problems, without letting small problems getting out of hand.
Put up or shut up?
In other words, prove your worth with action or swallow the hurt and never complain.
Garden variety?
In short, the garden variety is the commonplace kind.
Kept his wits about?
Wits, plural, refer to one’s mental sharpness, awareness, composure, resourcefulness.
Walk the plank?
The long and short of it is, he who walks the plank is doomed.