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Influence & Involvement - Importance & Unimportance

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

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English idioms related to Influence & Involvement
matter of life and death

a situation that is not to be ignored or underestimated

Ex: Getting clean water to the village is a matter of life and death. 
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big deal
big deal
[noun]

something of high priority or special importance

Ex: Getting the contract signed is a big deal for the company. 
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crying need

an urgent need or desire that one feels for something

Ex: There is a crying need for affordable housing in the city. 
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to [loom] large

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

Ex: The threat of layoffs loomed large over the meeting. 
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to [make] the world go around

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

Ex: Money may not buy happiness, but in business it makes the world go around. 
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meat on the bone

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

Ex: The proposal has potential, but it needs more meat on the bone before we present it. 
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larger than life

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

Ex: Her larger-than-life personality filled every room she entered. 
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a dime a dozen

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

Ex: Cheap souvenirs are a dime a dozen near the beach. 
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for the birds

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

Ex: That long speech was for the birds; it didn't say anything useful. 
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hill of beans

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

Ex: All his promises don't amount to a hill of beans if he never keeps them. 
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little frog in a big pond

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

Ex: At his old company he was a star, but at the new firm he felt like a little frog in a big pond. 
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odds and ends

various small things that have no importance or value

Ex: The drawer is full of odds and ends I never use. 
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third wheel

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

Ex: I didn't want to be a third wheel on their date. 
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no laughing matter

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

Ex: A gas leak is no laughing matter; call emergency services immediately. 
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red herring

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

Ex: The argument about office snacks was a red herring; the real issue was the budget cut. 
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small potatoes

a person or thing of small importance

Ex: Compared with the merger, that complaint is small potatoes. 
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chopped liver

a very insignificant individual or thing

Ex: They invited everyone from the team except me.  What am I, chopped liver? 
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to [be] no big deal

to not be very important, serious, or difficult

Ex: The mistake was no big deal. 
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to [be] no joke

to be serious, difficult, or important

Ex: Raising three children is no joke. 
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to [mean] the world to {sb}

to be extremely important or valuable to someone

Ex: Your support means the world to me. 
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be-all and end-all

the ultimate or most important thing

Ex: For a successful business, customer service is often the be-all and end-all in building long-term relationships with clients. 
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