A. Evaluating People or Things
Parents who don’t control their children have a lot to answer for.
It means : are the main cause of the problems

That restaurant is not all it’s cracked up to be.
It means : is not as good as people it is

This computer has the edge over other models because it has such a huge hard drive
It means : is slightly better than

Her spoken English leaves a lot to be desired. 
It means : is not as good as it should be/ as we might expect

The recent events have all the makings of a big political scandal
It means : are likely to develop into

This suitcase is a bit on the heavy side
It means : heavier than you want it to be

This bottle opener’s a dead loss.
It means : completely useless

The accommodation was a bit rough and ready
It means : crude and lacking sophistication.

B. Commenting on people and their actions
If someone :
throws the baby out with the bathwater
Then they :
change things, but lose good things as well as bad

If someone :
gets/ jumps/ leaps on the bandwagon
Then they :
get involved in something already very successful

If someone :
plays devil’s advocate
Then they :
pretend to be against an idea so that others discuss it

If someone :
drives someone to distraction
Then they :
make someone very angry or very bored

If someone :
makes an exhibition of themselves
Then they :
do things in public that make them look stupid

If someone :
does something under false pretenses
Then they :
tell lies about who they are or what they’re doing

If someone :
never does anything halves
Then they :
always make a great effort and do things very well

If someone :
is laughing stock
Then they :
are laughed at/ mocked by everyone

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