a sudden success that lasts only a short time and is not likely to be repeated
A well-oiled machine
someone or something that functions very well or efficiently
Pull the plug
to do something that prevents an activity from continuing, especially by no longer giving money to support it
The brainchild of somebody
a product of one's creative thinking, work, or imagination, such as an idea, plan, invention, or creation.
Light-years ahead
very advanced in its development
Not rocket science
not difficult, easy to implement, easy to understand
hot off the press
Newly printed; usually sth sensational and exciting (For example, I've got it hot off the press—he's resigning)
throw a spanner in the works
to prevent something happening smoothly in the way that it was planned, by causing a problem or difficulty.
Go back to the drawing board
To revise something (such as a plan) from the beginning, typically after it has failed / start over
The nuts and bolts (of something)
If you talk about the nuts and bolts of a subject or an activity, you are referring to the detailed practical aspects of it rather than abstract ideas about it.
Open the door to something
to allow something new to start
Have/Get something down to a science
to have mastered a task or skill to the point of being able to perform it quickly, efficiently, and with great precision
Blind someone with science
to confuse someone by using difficult or technical words to describe something
The ins and outs
the detailed or complicated facts of something
Take a long, hard look at something
to examine something very carefully in order to improve it in the future
Get your wires crossed
to misunderstand somebody; to become confused
Be jam-packed with something
full of people or things that are pushed closely together: jam-packed with The streets were jam-packed with tourists.
to push the right buttons
to cleverly do or say exactly what is needed to achieve a desired result or elicit a specific reaction from someone or a situation
Run out of steam
to suddenly lose the energy or interest to continue doing what you are doing
Up and running
If something, especially a system or a machine, is up and running, it is operating normally.
Dead as a dodo
out of fashion or out of date
A cog in the machine
a small or insignificant member of a larger organization or system.
At the cutting edge
at the most modern stage of development in a particular type of work or activity
To reinvent the wheel
to waste time doing things that others have already done
Museum piece
something that is very old-fashioned and should no longer be used
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