Be taken aback- Company executives have been taken aback by the criticism.

He was beaten black and blue at boarding school.

Mr Paul refuses to allow anyone who is not of blue blood to marry his son.

Crocodile tears- The child wasn't really hurt, but she shed crocodile tears anyway.

Could you help me to translate to Spanish the expression "to cut a poor figure"?

The children are making an awful din.

Is John really ill again, or is he just taking French leave?

I don't like to hang around here after dark.

Most of the arguments put forward by our opponents simply do not hold water.

If need be, we'll rent a car.

The tenor part is not in harmony with the accompaniment.

I finally asked him if he was thinking of getting married again. "That's the long and the short of it," he admitted.

Her influence in on the wane, but she is still the boss.

Scientists hope that data from this expedition will pave the way for a more detailed exploration of Mars.

Today was a red-letter day in our history.