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Complete English transcript
Julia, I have a business idea: a food truck that sells nothing but toast.
A whole business built on breakfast, Martin?
Exactly.
I have already designed the napkins.
Before you order ten thousand, let us talk about risk.
Welcome to Your English Toolbox.
I am Martin.
And I am Julia.
Today, four idioms from lesson thirteen, Risk, in our free Idiom Toolbox course.
Find it at yourenglishtoolbox.com for explanations, examples and practice.
The direct lesson link is in this episode's description.
First question: can I park my toast truck anywhere I like?
If you ignore the rules and hope nobody notices, you could be playing with fire.
Playing with fire means doing something risky that could cause serious trouble.
There does not need to be any real fire.
Right.
You are playing with fire by sharing your password with strangers.
It usually sounds like a warning, not encouragement.
Understood.
Second idea: every toast customer must come from one office next door.
Then you are putting all your eggs in one basket.
But I am not selling eggs.
It is a picture, Martin.
If that one basket falls, you lose everything inside it.
The expression means relying on just one plan, option or source of success.
So I could look for customers in several places.
Exactly.
It is not just about money.
Applying to only one course can also mean putting all your eggs in one basket.
Now, would you tell the festival organiser that my toast deserves a space?
If I recommend your untested idea, I am sticking my neck out.
That means exposing yourself to risk or criticism.
You are taking a chance by supporting me.
Yes, although supporting someone is only one use.
I might also stick my neck out by making a prediction that could be wrong.
Like predicting that toast will replace pizza.
I am not sticking my neck out that far.
Our fourth idiom is take a leap of faith.
That means doing something even though you cannot be sure it will succeed, because you choose to trust or believe.
I have tested the menu and checked the rules.
Opening the truck would still feel like a leap of faith.
Good example.
A leap of faith does not mean you must ignore evidence or preparation.
We have used take the plunge before: finally deciding to do something you have hesitated about.
Take a leap of faith puts more emphasis on trust when the result is uncertain.
Related ideas, but not exactly the same focus.
Your turn.
Someone keeps ignoring a safety rule that could lead to trouble.
Which idiom sounds like a warning?
You are playing with fire.
Next: you depend on one customer for all your work.
You are putting all your eggs in one basket.
Now a colleague recommends your unusual proposal, knowing people may criticise her.
She is sticking her neck out for you.
Finally, you join a new project because you trust the team, even though success is uncertain.
You take a leap of faith.
Which expression fits a decision in your own life?
Choose the meaning, not just the most dramatic phrase.
Lesson thirteen of the free Idiom Toolbox has more practice with all four.
I will start with a small toast event, not ten thousand napkins.
That sounds like a plan worth testing.
See you next time.
