Newspaper idioms

a flash in the pan

something that happened only once or for a short time and was not repeated

to keep sb guessing

to not tell someone what you are going to do next

up sticks

to take all the things that you own and go and live in a different place (UK)

pull up stakes

to take all the things that you own and go and live in a different place (US)

fall into place

events happen in a satisfactory way, without problems

at a loss for words, be lost for words

to be so shocked, surprised, full of admiration, etc. that you cannot speak

against the clock

you do it as fast as possible in order to meet a deadline

in force

in large numbers

be at a crossroads

to be at a stage in your life when you have to make a very important decision

the calm before the storm

a quiet or peaceful period before a period during which there is great activity, argument, or difficulty

set out your stall

you make your intentions or opinions very clear

take its toll

to cause harm or suffering

up and running

usually said of a system or a machine and it means that it is now operating successfully

one step forward, two steps back

you make some progress in a situation but then experience problems that mean the situation is now worse than when you started