Influence & Involvement - Importance & Unimportance

Dive into English idioms regarding importance and unimportance, like "red herring" and "loom large".

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a matter of life and death [phrase]

a situation that is not to be ignored or understimated

Ex: The survival skills they learned in the wilderness were a matter of life and death during their expedition .

big deal [noun]

something of high priority or special importance

Ex:

crying need [noun]

an urgent need or desire that one feels for something

Ex: The underfunded schools in the area highlighted a crying need for improved education resources .

to [loom] large [phrase]

to be of significant influence or importance and often a cause of worry

Ex: The memory of the tragic event continues to loom large in the community 's collective consciousness .

to [make] the world go around [phrase]

to play a crucial role in causing other things in life to work the way they are supposed to

Ex: In the field of medicine , healthcare professionals are the ones who make the world go around by providing care and treatment .

meat on the bone [phrase]

extra details that are added to a plan, idea, etc. that make it more complete or much better

Ex: The business plan is sound , but there 's some meat on the bone in terms of marketing and expansion opportunities .

larger than life [phrase]

(of a person) behaving in a manner that is very exciting and attracts others' attention

Ex: Most characters in his movies are somewhat larger than life .

a dime a dozen [phrase]

something that is very common and therefore, not very high on price and value

Ex: Amateur photographers are a dime a dozen , but truly talented ones are hard to come by .

for the birds [phrase]

used to refer to something that does not deserve one's attention due to not being important or interesting enough

Ex:

hill of beans [phrase]

something that is completely worthless in terms of importance, value, or use

Ex: Compared to the issues we 're dealing with , your little argument seems like a hill of beans .

little frog in a big pond [phrase]

a person who is less qualified or important when compared to others in a company or organization

Ex:

odds and ends [phrase]

various small things that have no importance or value

Ex: After moving , they had a box of odds and ends that did n't fit into any category .

third wheel [noun]

someone who is considered as an extra or unwanted person in a situation, especially in presence of a couple

Ex:

no laughing matter [phrase]

something very important and serious that cannot be joked about or underestimated

Ex: The accident on the highway was a no laughing matter , with several injuries and extensive damage .

red herring [noun]

anything that is intended to take people's focus away from what is important

Ex: Politicians often use red herrings to shift focus from controversial issues to more favorable subjects .

to small potatoes [phrase]

a person or thing of small importance

Ex: His criticism of my outfit is small potatoes compared to the bigger challenges I 'm dealing with .

chopped liver [noun]

a very insignificant individual or thing

Ex:

Influence & Involvement
Having an Effect	The Reason Why	Results & Consequences	Persuasion
Reversal of a Situation	Change	Involvement	Uninvolvement
Ending	Importance & Unimportance	Priority	Main Elements