SLEEP - EXPRESSIONS

In this post let us learn some expressions using the word, " sleep".

" sleep with" ," sleep around ", " sleep together " - all the above expresions have sexual connotations.  

English learners should be very careful with the use of prepositions after a verb. With a verb like " sleep" ,if you use wrong prepositions, you had it. You will make a fool of yourself. You may say something not intended by you.

" sleep like a log"

This is a nice idiom. When you are very tired,you sleep like a log.

That means you sleep soundly.

" to sleep on it"

When you don't want to decide an issue immediately or in a hurry, you sleep on it. Perhaps, you may give the decision tomorrow.  You have time to deliberate and take a correct decision.

I had to solve a tough problem in maths. I slept on it. Lo! I could solve it in a trice the next day.

" Not to lose sleep over something"

The above expresion means " not to worry too much over an issue"

John,please complete the job by tomorrow evening.  But don't lose your sleep over it as you have plenty of time.

" Let sleeping dogs lie"

When we don't want to reopen some past problems which were unpleasant and troublesome, we use the above expresions.

Peter, my cousin John is visiting us today. Please don't discuss with him his earlier relationship with Jane. Let sleeping dogs lie.

" Sleeping Partner"

In a business partnership,if a partner is not involved in the daily affairs of the business,then such a partner is known as sleeping partner.

My wife has invested considerable amount in my business.  But she is a sleeping partner only.

" Could do something in one's sleep "

The above expresion means that the work to be done is easy as the concerned person has sufficient expertise and skill to do the job easily.

Give Ramanujan a tough problem in number theory. He could do it in his sleep.

" to sleep out"

The expresion means that one sleeps in a place other than his home. In the case of domestic help, it means that she sleeps in a place other than her place of work.

I have lots of work to do.   I may even have to sleep out for a day or two.

" put to sleep "

The above expresion means killing an animal gently for various reasons.

Municipal authorities put to sleep nearly 100 stray dogs last month.

That is all for now.

Happy learning!

Sayee Jayaraman

21/02/2015