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Opinion - Discussion

Discover how English idioms like "cut both ways" and "leg to stand on" relate to discussions in English.

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English idioms related to Opinion
a horse of a different color

a completely different matter in comparison to what one used to deal with

Ex: Fixing a typo is easy; rewriting the whole report is a horse of a different color. 
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elephant in the room

an obvious issue, problem, or matter that people purposely ignore

Ex: The student's plagiarism was the elephant in the room in the classroom, but the teacher didn't want to embarrass the student in front of the class. 
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a different kettle of fish

an issue or subject that is not in any way connected to what one was talking about

Ex: We're discussing the budget; staff complaints are a different kettle of fish. 
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a different cup of tea

a different matter that requires one's consideration in order to be resolved

Ex: Approving the design is easy; getting the permits is a different cup of tea. 
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to [cut] both ways

(of a point or statement) to be applicable or relevant to both sides of an argument

Ex: The argument that the government should not regulate businesses cuts both ways. On the one hand, regulation can stifle innovation and growth. On the other hand, it can protect consumers and the environment. 
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devil's advocate

a person who pretends to disagree with an opinion or idea just to promote a discussion concerning a particular subject

Ex: I know everyone thinks we should support the new zoning proposal, but I'm going to play devil's advocate and say that I think it will have some negative consequences. 
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it makes (no|little) odds

used to state one's indifference to the way a situation develops or what its result will be

Ex: He can take the bus or the train, it makes no odds to him as long as he gets there on time. 
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leg to stand on

a reasoning or explanation that is deemed sufficient to justify or defend someone's actions

Ex: The company's claims that the product is safe have no leg to stand on in light of the recent recall. 
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on (everyone's|everybody's) lips

used to refer to a topic that is being talked about by a lot of people

Ex: The news of the celebrity's divorce spread like wildfire, and within hours, it was on everybody's lips. 
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