SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS

If you went to the "school of hard knocks," you did not receive a formal education, but, instead, learned through life's, often difficult/hard, experiences.

DON'T CRY OVER SPILLED MILK

If someone tells you not to cry "over spilled milk," this means you should not get upset about mistakes, especially minor ones, that have occurred and cannot be reversed.


For example:  Little Sam broke her grandmother's flower pot while playing. Grandmother consoled the crying child, and instead of getting angry she told Sam: "It's no use crying over spilled milk."

                                               image courtesy of dreamstime.com

HANG

The word "hang" is a verb meaning to "suspend from above with the lower part dangling free."
You can hang your clothes to dry or you can hang lights on a Christmas tree.

There are many expressions and idioms using the word "hang" with a preposition (resulting in phrasal verbs). These are just some examples:

1. Hang up
- (verb) to suspend, to delay, to impede.
Example: We hang up the phone to end a conversation. We can say that the construction project was hung up due to financial problems.  

2. Hang in/on
- (verb) to persevere
Example: He had trouble in school because of his English, and that sometimes made him want to quit. However, his family, friends and teachers encouraged him. Therefore, he decide to hang in there. He studied harder and got tutoring, and soon after he began to get better grades.

3. Hang on
- (verb) to wait for a short period of time, to cling tightly, to persevere
Example: Jane called Sue, and when Sue's mother answered the phone, Jane was told to "hang on" for a few minutes before Sue came to the phone.

4. Hang out
- (verb) to spend time with people or at a place (casually)
Example: Teens love to hang out with their friends at the mall on weekends.

5. Hang loose (very slangy)
- (verb) to relax
Example: When Tom started to get angry, his friend told him to "hang loose."

                                            this is a picture of hang glider in a bright blue sky
                                               courtesy of dreamstime.com

THE GRAVEYARD SHIFT

If you have to work the graveyard shift, it means you have to work late at night - sometime between midnight and 8am - when everyone else is sleeping.

What kinds of occupations would require you to work late at night?

Happy Halloween!