Idioms in Context The Road to Success

Here is a short essay on how to succeed in todays challenging economic environment. Try reading the selection one time to understand the gist without using the idiom definitions. On your second reading, use the definitions to help you understand the text while learning new idioms. Finally,  a short quiz on some of the expressions at the end of the story. The Road to Success The road to success is paved with failures. Thats a hard truth, but one that needs to be faced when considering how you are going to make a go of it in life. Its quite simple, to come out ahead we need to find careers that we can do with all our heart and soul, but that also allows us to come out ahead at the end of the day. Unfortunately, we cant live off the fat of the land although indigenous people did so for thousands of years. We now live in an era that is highly structured and requires us all to make sacrifices as we jockey for a position in life.   Lets call a spade a spade: Its dog eats dog out there in the real world! There are so many stumbling blocks for young adults these days. From high unemployment to the high price of higher education — not to mention all the red tape we have to deal with — its hard to succeed! However, with dedication, its possible to succeed in the long run. In fact, with dedication, we can find something that appeals to us. Once we find our special talent, we can carry the torch of the tradition we have chosen. This might be in education, health care, having your own business, or even in politics! Each of us is capable of doing something that takes everyones breath away if only for a moment. Getting there might mean that we have to fly by the seat of our pants from time to time, but, as they say, necessity is the mother of invention. Along the way, well need to figure out how to foot the bill, but on the horizon, well have the hope of doing something more purposeful with our time.   Idioms Used in the Selection By the seat of ones pants: Improvising, handling something as it happensCall a spade a spade: To tell the truth about something, even if it is difficult to acceptCarry the torch: Continue a traditionCome out ahead: Be profitable or advantageous in the endDog eat dog: Extremely competitiveFit in: Do something that helps you belong to somethingFoot the bill: Pay for somethingIn nothing flat: Very quicklyIn the long run: Over a long period of timeJockey for position: Try to get into an advantageous positionLive off the fat of the land: Survive based on what nature providesMake a go of it: SucceedOn the horizon: Coming in the not too distant futureRed tape: Official forms that you need to take care of to do somethingStumbling block: A problem or obstacle that blocks your wayTake someones breath away: Surprise someone with beautyWith all ones heart and soul: With complete commitment and dedication Expressions Quiz Check your understanding of the new idioms and expressions with this quiz: Well _____________ for all your expenses.We see many changes coming ____________.Theres a lot of ____________ during the application process.She _______ his __________. Hed never seen such a beautiful woman.Weve had a lot of costs on this project, but well ______________ in the end.The weekend will be over ____________. Time goes so quickly!Big cities are often _________________, at least as far as business goes.Lets move to the country and ___________________. Quiz Answers foot the billon the horizonred tapetook his breath awaycome out aheadin nothing flatdog eat doglive off the fat of the land More Idioms and Expressions in Context Stories Learn more expressions using stories with one or more of these further idioms in context stories with quizzes. There are also these  idiom and expression resources  that can help with definitions, but reading them in short stories can also provide context that makes them come more alive.