“Roads were made for journeys, not destinations.”

Confucius

There’s a certain romantic feel to roads, isn’t there? The sweet sound of your car’s engine and a favorite radio station, light breeze and a warm afternoon sun… This post is inspired by this image, although the idioms we are going to look at are not necessarily about travel (for those, check out this one). Still, they are road-related. After you read the post, you may want to do a couple of exercises to practice the idioms. Enjoy! 😉

PEOPLE: CHARACTER, EMOTIONS & RELATIONSHIPS

Example	Meaning
It was a pleasure meeting you – I hope our paths cross again.	If two people’s paths cross, the people meet.
I’m really stuck in a rut in this job.	If you are stuck in a rut, you are in a boring situation, with no hope of excitement or future prospects.
A week on vacation with my relatives is enough to drive me around the bend.	If something drives you around the bend, it annoys or frustrates you.
These are ordinary middle-of-the-road people who want the usual things out of life.	If someone or something is middle-of-the-road, they are very ordinary, and not unusual, exciting, or extreme.
The job sounds right up your alley.	If something is right up your alley, it is very suitable for you.
I always encouraged Brian. I didn’t want to stand in his way/path.	If you stand in someone’s way or path, you prevent them from doing something.
At 18, most young people are ready to go their own way.	If you go your own way, you do what you want, make your own decisions, etc,
That road hog nearly knocked the children over.	Someone who drives carelessly and selfishly
I’m not the one to take shortcuts.	A shortcut is a quicker way of doing something in order to save time or effort.
After earning my degree, I’m at a crossroads. I need to figure out which direction my life should take.	If you are at a crossroads, you are at a point when a choice must be made.
That guy has a one-track mind.	If someone has a one-track mind, they are continuously thinking about one particular thing, especially sex.

ROAD IDIOMS THAT COMMENT ON SITUATIONS

Example	Meaning
I think the government is on the right/wrong track these days.	If you are on the right way, you are acting or developing in a way that is likely to be successful.
It’s an uphill battle/fight/struggle trying to persuade him to buy a new car.	It’s a very difficult task.
That restaurant has gone downhill lately.	The restaurant was good, but it’s not anymore.
This job I have now is a complete dead end.	I have no future, no prospects in this job.
I use a bicycle these days to get from A to B.	I use a bicycle for simple/typical journeys.
The new hotel has put the village on the map.	Now everybody has heard of the village.
Road rage is increasing in many countries.	Sudden and often violently aggressive behavior exhibited while one drives a car is increasing.
Hit the road – no one wants you here anyway!	To hit the road is to leave.
Often times, things such as your own health or the health of your marriage are kept on the back burner when a child is born. If you don’t pay attention to them, they will become bigger problems down the road.	They will become bigger problems in the future.
I think we are on a road to nowhere / we are going nowhere.	We’re in a situation offering no prospects of progress or advancement.
This treatment may be the way forward for many inherited disorders.	The treatment may lead to success.

Practice

Click the link here and complete the sentences with one word.

Click the link here and match parts of the sentences.

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