Useful Expressions #2

DEFINITION #Few and Far Between# Things that are few and far between are very rare or do not happen very often. Not happening or existing very often. In this economic climate new ideas were few and far between. Synonyms: scarce, rare, unusual, scattered

EXAMPLES Apartments that are both comfortable and reasonably priced are few and far between. In this area, good jobs are few and far between. There are some other mental health services, but they are few and far between. Be careful if you take the car because refuelling points along that route are few and far between. I witnessed the occasional fight, but such incidents were few and far between.

DEFINITION #To give someone a run for their money# to make it difficult for (someone) to win a game or contest by trying hard and playing or performing well Not allow someone to win easily EXAMPLES Though they lost, they gave last year's champions a run for their money.

EXAMPLES Carl is really getting a lot better at tennis. We played yesterday and I won, but he really gave me a run for my money. Betty wins the baking competition every year, but this year I think I’ll give her a run for her money with my apple pie.

DEFINITION #To top it all off# If you have been describing bad things that happened, and then say that to top it all off something else happened, you mean that the final thing was even worse to add something else unusually good or bad to a situation that is already unusual EXAMPLES The washing machine started leaking, my car broke down, then to top it all off I locked myself out of the house. Topping it all off, they found themselves locked out of their own house.