Hi! Are these expressions commonly used, or are they less common? 🙏🏻
1. sine qua non (≈an essential condition)
2. on the cards (≈very likely to happen)
3. bore the pants off someone (≈to make someone feel very bored)
I was learned that the first one is a Latin word, and is used in formal cases. But is that a common expression in English?
The second one appears to be its figurative usage? Could I just take it as a phrasal preposition?
It seems to be common in daily conversation, doesn’t it?
_______
I find it hard to determine this with my limited English listening experience. (I’ve heard that abundant listening can help improve natural language usage.) I often read more than I listen, so it’s challenging to choose the proper words when trying to create natural sentences🤧