English Trends

To pose a question
Def: To present a question
Ex: The prime minister posed a question to the committee.

To pose a challenge
Def: To show itself as a challenge
Ex: It may pose a challenge if you want to park inside the city.

Poor as a church mouse
Def: Very poor
Ex: When I graduated from the university before I had my first job, I was poor as a church mouse.

A political football
Def: An issue that becomes a problem politically
Ex: The issue of Brexit has become a political football.

To poke fun at
Def: To make fun of
Ex: My uncle always pokes fun at me and makes me and my family laugh a lot.

A pocket of resistance
Def:A small group who continues to rebel
Ex:The dictator had problems because there was still a pocket of resistance.

The plot thickens
Def: The story becomes even more complicated
Ex: He was seen with someone who he was not married to. The plot thickens.

Play with a full deck
Def: To have all mental resources available
Ex: You have to play with a full deck when you have a hard negotiation.

Play the trump card
Def: Do something that will ensure your success
Ex: When negotiations were going bad, he decided to play his trump card.

The devil's advocate
Def: A person who represents an opinion that is not his
Ex: My wife played the devil's advocate to prove a point.

To play possum
Def: To play dead
Ex: When the tax man comes it is often appropriate to play possum or he may tax you more.