read someone's lips
To pay close attention (often imperative).
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Read my lips: we are not going out tonight.”
“The coach told the team to read his lips because the stadium was too loud to hear him.”
“He stared directly at her and said, read my lips, I will never agree to those terms under any circumstances.”
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another nail in someone's coffin
An event that increases the likelihood of or causes further failure.
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answer someone's prayers
To be or do exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.
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answer to someone's prayers
Exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.
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apple of someone's eye
The object of somebody's affections; a person (or sometimes a thing) that someone strongly prefers; a favorite, a loved one.
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bane of someone's existence
Someone or something that poses a significant problem to someone.
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bash someone's face in
To beat someone violently.
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bash someone's head
To beat up someone violently.
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be someone's to lose
To be anticipated to be won by someone.
Last updated August 10, 2026