Liam had always been the kind of guy who flew by the seat of his pants. Planning wasn’t his thing. So when he found out the company presentation was due first thing in the morning, he panicked.
“Don’t worry,” his friend Maya said, “I’ll help you out. We’ll burn the midnight oil together.”
Hours passed. Slides were messy. Ideas were scattered. Liam looked at the clock — 3 a.m. “We’re toast,” he sighed.
But then, Maya had an idea. “What if we flip the structure and make it more of a story?”
It worked. They wrapped it up just in time.
The next day, Liam nailed the presentation. The boss even said it was the best she had seen all year.
“You really pulled a rabbit out of your hat,” she said.
Liam laughed. “Honestly, I thought I was going to crash and burn.”
Idioms Used in the Story
1. Fly by the seat of your pants
Meaning: To do something without planning or preparation.
Examples:
- I didn’t study for the exam — I just flew by the seat of my pants.
- She’s not a planner; she always flies by the seat of her pants.
2. First thing in the morning
Meaning: Very early in the morning; as the first task of the day.
Examples:
- I’ll call you first thing in the morning.
- The report is due first thing in the morning, so don’t be late.
3. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: To stay up late working or studying.
Examples:
- We had to burn the midnight oil to finish the project.
- He’s been burning the midnight oil for his exams.
4. Pull a rabbit out of your hat
Meaning: To do something surprising or seemingly impossible.
Examples:
- Just when we thought we’d fail, she pulled a rabbit out of her hat.
- The magician pulled a rabbit out of his hat — literally!
5. Crash and burn
Meaning: To fail spectacularly.
Examples:
- His new business crashed and burned within a month.
- I tried singing karaoke and totally crashed and burned.
