(to) come to expect

Here's an absolutely wild and extremely common transitive verb that I have seen very little attention paid to in vocabulary books or vocabulary lists, or grammar books.

Do a Google search on "come to expect". You'll be surprised what you find.

Our first instance of it in the headlines is here, in an important health article:

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“Many of the things that are routinely done are things that patients have come to expect and doctors have routinely ordered,” said Dr. Christine Cassel, president and CEO of the ABIM Foundation.

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SOUNDING BOARD: We've come to expect certain negative behavior

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And here's an interesting twist on the expression "(to) come to expect" in a video from Vanderbilt Hospital:

We've Come To Expect the Unexpected: Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt

What do you think it means?

Definition #13 of the Oxford Learner's Dictionary defines it as: 

13 [transitive] come to do something to reach a point where you realize, understand or believe something

Follow the link (above) and look at some other really good examples of this word in context.

And then come up with a few sentences and uses of your own.

For example, what have you come to expect from politicians?

What have you come to expect from life?
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Come Down Hard On ( ~ )

Here's a transitive multi-word idiom that you don't want people doing to you.

Let's first take a look at a few examples from the headlines and see if you can come up with any hypotheses as to what it might mean:

Supreme Court Health Care Law: Justices Come Down Hard On The Mandate 

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Law must come down hard on coal mine lawbreakers

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NFL Comes Down Hard On New Orleans Saints For 'Bounty-Gate'

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Well, based on these three headlines, would you say it means something closer to "to support" or "to admonish"? 

We see it meaning "to admonish", "to criticize harshly".  You can see that someone or something came down hard on somebody or something. It could be a teacher coming down hard on a student, a parent coming down hard on a child, or a spouse coming down hard on a spouse.  In each of these statements, it's a strong statement that may have strong repercussions, often legal.

Put this verb - (to) come down hard on (~ ) - in your browser and see the various cases in which this verb is used. In each case, look to see who did what, and who is coming down hard on him/them, and what would be the repercussions, legal or otherwise, of this.

 

Breaking Away (to) break away (from)

One of my favorite of all time movies was a 1979 film called "Breaking Away". It was about a group of teenage boys who discover a love for bicycle racing. The term "breaking away" has reference to sports and also to the boys' social lives, as each one has to break away from the expectations of the surrounding world to live a life right for him.

You can view the trailer of this movie by following this link.

This verb "(to) break away" can be used thus in a variety of contexts, from sports to politics to sociology. 

Let's look at how it's used in the news headlines.

As Romney breaks away from the pack, Rick Santorum hopes for an upset

Here's another one:

Presbyterian group breaks away over gay clergy

What is this group breaking away from, and why?

And here is a third headline:

Nigeria breaks away from African Union at its own risk

Why does Nigeria want to break away from the African Union? What could be the consequences of this?

See how many contexts you can find this word used.  In each case, what is the individual or group or object breaking away from, why, and what might be some consequences of this?

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(to be) at stake

Here's a nice expression that is useful in any number of situations.  It expresses the reality that life and consequences and choices go hand in hand. 

What’s at stake for the candidates tonight on Super Tuesday
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Global Warming - What's At Stake
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 Social Security:What’s at Stake for Children, Youth, and Grandfamilies

The expression implies that if one thing happens, something else will be at risk. It also implies that if one thing happens, there will be other major consequences.

Is Your Health At Stake? Do No Neglect On What That Really Matters

Is your health at stake if you spend too much time in front of your computer without the proper posture? 

What is at stake is the global warming problem is not controlled or solved?

Find some other colorful expressions in the news and on the Internet that use this expression. Find out what's at stake!!!

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cut back, (to) cut back on, (to) cut down on

Today's CNN poll was this:

Quick vote

Are rising gas prices making you cut back on driving?

• Yes
• No

There is a noun that derives from this verb, "(a) cut back", and this word is very common in political and economic circles:

Government Cutbacks Spur More Layoffs

 
The verb is - (to) cut back on (something).  Very similar to this is the verb (to) cut down on (something).  Here are some other examples of these verbs from news headlines:

Americans Cut Down On Checking For Colon Cancer During Recession 

 Chelsea Handler: Why I've Cut Back on My Drinking

India says it won't cut back on Iran oil imports, in defiance of stiffer US and EU sanctions

These two verbs, (to) cut down on (something) and (to) cut back on (something) are fairly interchangeable.  They both imply to reduce the level of whatever it is that's being done!!

So can you think of a few things in your own life that you'd like to cut down on?

Send us your thoughts in the comment box below.

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(to) weigh in on (an issue)

In the world of politics, everybody has an opinion. And many people want to add their opinion to the public record. When somebody adds their opinion to the pool of opinions, we use the verb (to) weigh in (on) ~. 

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Below you can see in our first headline, an entertainer-turned-politician adding his voice to the debate over the economy.

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'Dirty Harry' weighs in on deficit

 Here's one that might include you...

Passengers weigh in on carry-on-bag hassles
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Here's an athlete from the Boston Bruins hockey team adding his opinion about a current political question:*

Bruins goalie weighs in on Obama contraception decision
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Is there a current events issue that you would like to weigh in on?

Many weigh in on current events that are of importance to them by writing to their representatives and lawmakers.  If you are a citizen of the United States, you may want to visit www.whitehouse.gov, or email or write to you your local, State, or Federal representatives.

In a democracy, it seems like everybody wants to - and have an avenue - to weigh in on issues that are of importance to them.

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(to be) in it for THE LONG HAUL

Here's a colorful idiomatic expression for you that is featured prominently in the news as the Republican Party electoral races heat up; it seems like, as of this blog, all the remaining candidates are claiming to be IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL:

...Ron Paul Gears Up for the Long Haul
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Newt Gingrich called an unorthodox post-caucus press conference Saturday night to assure the press that not only was he in the race for the long haul, but that he had only begun to go negative against Mitt Romney. 

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Rick Santorum Says He’s Going Nowhere, in It for ‘Long Haul’

There was one news story that I found that actually used this expression in the context of its original meaning:

Air France says over 85 percent of long-haul flights maintained despite strike Monday

The word "haul" is both a noun, haul, and a verb, (to) haul. Its most common meaning is as a verb, and refers to carrying something over a long distance, usually something very heavy.  

Oddly, many married or engaged couples refer to themselves as being "in it for the long haul." I find this strange because of course marriage is this, by definition, intrinsically.  If you do not intend to be with somebody for the rest of your life, why would you get married? That's what marriage is!  Do you have any comments about using this expression in this context? Please share your comments with us.

Its most commercial face can be seen on the trucks and vans that are so ubiquitous: U-Haul.

At any rate,  see how you can find this colorful expression that functions as an adjective phrase ("He is in it for the long haul") used in print media and online.


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