tear up
To dig a hole in; remove the surface of; remove from the surface.
The city tore up the street to lay a new water pipe.
Mother tore up the carpeting in the living room and had a new rug put in.
To rip into small pieces.
Mary tore up the old sheets and made costumes for the play out of the pieces.
John tore up his test paper so that his mother wouldn't see his low grade.
Deidre tore up the letter angrily and threw all the pieces into the trash can.
He told the lawyer to tear the old contract up and then to prepare a new one.
tearjerker
A sentimental novel or movie that makes one cry.
Love Story, both in its novel form and as a movie, was a famous tearjerker.
tempest in a teapot
Great excitement about something not important.
Bess tore her skirt a little and made a tempest in a teapot.
the ropes
know the ropes
learn the ropes
teach the ropes
Thorough or special knowledge of a job; how to do something; the ways of people or the world.
On a newspaper a cub reporter learns his job from an older reporter who knows the ropes.
When you go to a new school it takes a while to learn the ropes.
Betty showed Jane the ropes when she was learning to make a dress.
Mr. Jones was an orphan and he had to learn the ropes when he was young to make his way in the world.
The job applicant didn’t have much previous experience or knowledge, but she seemed intelligent enough to learn the ropes quickly.
It took the new schoolteacher a year to learn the ropes regarding administrative and curricular matters.
under one's own steam
By one's own efforts; without help.
The boys got to Boston under their own steam and took a bus the rest of the way.
We didn't think he could do it, but Bobby finished his homework under his own steam.
urban homesteading
Renovation and occupation through cooperative ownership by tenants of previously abandoned city apartment buildings.
Urban homesteading is on the rise in many big American cities these days.
wear and tear
Deterioration through use.
After 75,000 miles there is usually a lot of wear and tear on any car.
you can't teach an old dog new tricks
It is very hard or almost impossible to train an older person to acquire some new skill. A proverb.
Пословица: старую собаку новым трюка не научишь.
You'll never teach your grandfather how to do his income tax on a personal computer. You can't teach an old dog new tricks.
- I’ve always walked to work by feet, I don’t want to take the bus.
- Ok, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
- Ok, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
- Я всегда ходил на работу пешком. Я не хочу ездить на автобусе.
- Ну ладно, бесполезно тебя исправлять.
- Ну ладно, бесполезно тебя исправлять.