Don’t Hold Your Breath
Definition:
An idiom advising someone not to wait for something that is highly improbable. It’s the verbal equivalent of giving a skeptical side-eye. 🌚
Related and Similar Terms:
- With Bated Breath: Waiting eagerly but anxiously.
- When Pigs Fly: An event so unlikely to happen, it practically belongs in the realm of fantasy.
- Over My Dead Body: Something that one vehemently opposes happening.
Synonyms:
- Don’t Count On It
- Don’t Get Your Hopes Up
- Highly Unlikely
Antonyms:
- Count On It
- Rest Assured
- It’s A Sure Thing
Humor-Filled Quote:
“If you’re holding your breath waiting for me to be impressed, you’d better pack a lunch - maybe pack a little oxygen, too.” - Anonymous
Proverbs:
“He who lives on hope dies fasting.” - Italian Proverb
Suggested Literature, Books, Songs, Poetry, and Movies:
- Literature: “Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett 🌿
- Books: “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway 📕
- Songs: “I Want It All” by Queen 🎸
- Poetry: “Death, Be Not Proud” by John Donne 📜
- Movies: “Groundhog Day” starring Bill Murray 🎥
Farewell Thought 💭
“To keep waiting in anticipation for improbabilities is to hold up the future for hopes that may never breathe life. Don’t hold your breath—go forth and create your own moments of certainty and joy.”
### Which of these is a real idiom?
- [x] Don't hold your breath
- [ ] Whistling through pineapples
- [ ] Dancing with carrot shoes
- [ ] Laundry-tumbling in the moonlight
> **Explanation:** "Don't hold your breath" is a real idiom, advising not to wait for something that is unlikely. The other phrases are just whimsical nonsense.
### Which phrase is genuine?
- [ ] Flying on popcorn clouds
- [x] When pigs fly
- [ ] Painting with elbow grease
- [ ] Wearing cobweb glasses
> **Explanation:** "When pigs fly" refers to something that will never happen. The alternatives, albeit vivid, are purely imaginative.
### True or False: 'With bated breath' is an idiom
- [x] True
- [ ] False
> **Explanation:** Indeed, "with bated breath" is an idiom, meaning to eagerly anticipate something, often with anxiety.
### Fill in the blank: "I'll finish my ______ when pigs fly."
- [ ] homework
- [ ] spinach
- [x] to-do list
- [ ] sentence
> **Explanation:** "I'll finish my to-do list when pigs fly" emphasizes the improbability of ever finishing it, a feeling many of us can relate to!
### Which idiom means to oppose something vehemently?
- [x] Over my dead body
- [ ] Within a bee's sneeze
- [ ] Dip into sour cream
- [ ] Cook a goblin stew
> **Explanation:** "Over my dead body" means you'll go to great lengths to oppose something. The others are just our attempts to sprinkle some silliness into your day.
