Two Inverted Idioms

Two Inverted Idioms Two Inverted Idioms Two Inverted Idioms By Maeve Maddox As the residents of my state prepared for a cold front, one of the local television anchors remarked, We are in store for a big chill. His meaning was that extremely cold weather was about to descend upon us, but that is not what he said. The word store in the idiom â€Å"in store for† means, â€Å"a stock of something laid up for future use.† Figuratively speaking, events or conditions (like a cold front) are â€Å"in store for† those who will experience them in the future. The people of the state were not in store for the big chill. The big chill was in store for the people of the state. Here are some examples from the Web that get it right: More Snow in Store for Turkey, Jerusalem This Weekend The New Congress: What’s In Store for Natural Health? That same television anchorman, reporting news about two businessmen, said, They’re in the works of opening up two new restaurants. The businessmen are not â€Å"in the works†; the two new restaurants are â€Å"in the works.† One meaning of works (noun) is â€Å"the working parts of a machine.† For example, one removes the back of a clock to reveal the works inside. â€Å"In the works† is a figurative expression meaning â€Å"being prepared† or â€Å"in development.† The processes or stages of getting something done are being compared to the workings of a machine. Here are some examples from the Web in which the expression is used correctly: A new big solar panel farm in the works in California Beamdog confirms that a new Baldurs Gate game is in the works Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Synonyms for â€Å"Angry†Homogeneous vs. HeterogeneousWhen to Spell Out Numbers