Improvisation & Compromise: English Vocabulary List

to not worry about something beforehand and deal with it whenever it happens

"Cross bridge later."

"We do not know if we will have enough money yet so we will cross that bridge when we come to it."

to deal with things as they occur instead of planning for them in advance

"Just take it as comes."

"She learned to take each challenge as it comes, which made her much more resilient and adaptable in difficult situations."

to allow things to unfold naturally without excessive interference or control, embracing a relaxed and accepting attitude towards the outcome

"I decided to just let it roll."

"When things go wrong the easygoing man just lets it roll and does not get upset."

a condition or method that falls in between two opposing and extreme choices

"We need to find a happy medium."

"The couple found a happy medium between saving money and enjoying their lives."

a situation where multiple factors, responsibilities, etc. must be handled or managed

"Juggling work and family is a balancing act."

"Juggling work and family is a balancing act and she often feels pulled in two directions."

in a way that solely relies on one's intuition or personal judgment rather than the necessary knowledge, tools, etc.

"He managed it by the seat of his pants."

"With no prior experience, she navigated the complex negotiation entirely by the seat of her pants."

to follow one's intuition instead of rules or what others say

"Just follow your nose to the bakery."

"I did not have a map so I just followed my nose and somehow found the train station."

to come to an agreement with someone by granting some of their requests while they grant some of one's requests

"We will meet halfway."

"Both sides agreed to meet halfway on the salary negotiation to reach a mutually beneficial contract."

without any preparations or prior plans

"He gave a funny speech off the cuff."

"The president made some off the cuff remarks that got him into trouble with the press."

from one's memory, without spending time to carefully consider or think

"Off the top of my head, I think it is 50 dollars."

"Off the top of my head I can think of at least three reasons why that plan will not work."

to quickly say something without thinking about it first, usually as a reply to something

"Pluck answer from air."

"When asked for a solution, he seemed to pluck an idea out of thin air."

to stop being harsh or strict with someone

"Give him a break, please."

"Please give the new employee a break; he's still learning the ropes and needs some patience."

to not punish or criticize someone for their inappropriate or rude action or behavior

"Give him a free pass."

"The teacher decided to give him a free pass this time because he had been dealing with personal issues at home."

to treat a person in a more gentle and caring way and be less harsh or strict with them

"Please go easy on him."

"The teacher decided to go easy on the students because they had already studied very hard for the exam."

to not be so harsh, strict, or critical when dealing with someone

"Cut him some slack now."

"You should cut her some slack because she has been working extremely hard and deserves a break from criticism."

to deal with a situation or problem in a way that is the easiest instead of proper or honorable

"He took the easy way out and quit."

"Instead of solving the problem the lazy manager took the easy way out and ignored it."

to think and react quickly to something without prior thought

"She thinks on her feet well."

"During the interview, he had to think on his feet when they asked unexpected questions."

to make decisions or take actions without prior planning or preparation, based on how the situation develops

"Let's play it by ear today."

"We don't have a fixed plan for the weekend, so we'll just play it by ear and see what happens."

to continuously change one's attitudes or opinions in order to please people

"You cannot be all things to all people."

"The politician tried to be all things to all people and ended up pleasing nobody."

to follow one's intuition instead of rules or what others say

"I will follow my nose."

"Instead of sticking to the map, she decided to follow her nose and explore the hidden alleyways."

something with a mixture of the different qualities of two separate things

"It's a halfway house."

"This experimental program serves as a halfway house between traditional education and vocational training for young adults."

a soft treatment that does not require someone to face the consequences of their actions

"He expects a free ride."

"He expects a free ride and does not want to contribute his fair share of the work."