An underdog whose determination usually results in success. For Example: “No one thought Mark stood a chance in that fight, but he is one tough cookie and proved everyone wrong.”

A phrase that indicates the phrase you’re using to describe something is being used with sarcasm. For Example: You might say, “Bill thinks one day he’s going to ‘save the company’ in inverted commas.” What you’re implying is that you don’t believe Bill genuinely intends to save the company.

With great success. For Example: If Sarah needed to score 80% to pass a test and she scored 97% on the test, you would say “she passed the test with flying colors.”

Failing to include someone as part of an activity. For Example: “The government’s health care policy leaves seniors out in the cold.”

To see things from a different, opposing perspective. For Example: “let’s look at the other side of the coin for a minute and contemplate what will happen if we don’t go forward with this plan.”