Discussion: English Vocabulary List

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

"That's a different horse color."

"He thought the problem was simple, but the new evidence revealed it was a horse of a different color."

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

"Let's address the elephant in the room."

"Nobody wanted to mention the elephant in the room which was the fact that the company was about to go bankrupt."

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

"Being a manager is a different kettle of fish."

"Trying to fix the car is one thing, but understanding quantum physics is a completely different kettle of fish."

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

"That's a different cup tea."

"While I enjoy action movies, a quiet evening with a book is a completely different cup of tea."

(of a process or action) to have two opposite effects, particularly a good and a bad one

"It can cut both ways."

"Implementing stricter security measures might cut both ways, improving safety but potentially hindering convenience."

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

"He always plays devil's advocate."

"I like to play devil's advocate sometimes just to make sure everyone has considered all sides of the argument."

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

"We can meet Tuesday or Wednesday — it makes no odds to me."

"Whether the report is ten pages or fifteen makes little odds as long as the content is accurate."

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

"No leg to stand on."

"The lawyer argued that his client had no leg to stand on without any concrete proof of his involvement."

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

"The scandal is on everyone's lips."

"The scandal involving the famous actor has been on everyone's lips for the past few weeks."

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

"This statement can cut both ways."

"His argument about budget cuts was flawed because it tended to cut both ways, harming essential services as well as frivolous spending."