Jake was known for his pranks at the office. One day, he decided to pull a big one on his coworker, Sarah.
He switched her regular coffee with decaf, thinking she wouldn’t notice. But Sarah was on to him right away.
“Nice try, Jake,” she said with a smirk. “You’re going to have to step up your game if you want to beat me.”
Jake laughed. “Alright, you win this round. But I’m not done yet.”
The next day, Sarah put a fake spider in Jake’s drawer. When he opened it, he nearly jumped out of his chair.
“Okay, you got me. I totally lost my cool.”
Their boss walked by and caught the moment. “You two should really tone it down during work hours.”
Jake grinned. “No promises.”
By the end of the week, the whole office was talking about their prank war.
“It looks like you two really hit it off as partners in crime,” the boss joked.
Idioms Used in the Story
1. On to someone
Meaning: To be aware of someone’s plan or trick.
Examples:
- I’m on to you — stop hiding the snacks!
- She was on to his lies from the start.
2. Step up your game
Meaning: To improve your performance or effort.
Examples:
- If you want to win the match, you need to step up your game.
- He stepped up his game after the coach’s advice.
3. Lose your cool
Meaning: To become angry or lose control of your emotions.
Examples:
- She lost her cool when the computer crashed.
- Don’t lose your cool in stressful situations.
4. Tone it down
Meaning: To reduce the intensity of something, like behavior or noise.
Examples:
- Please tone it down; the neighbors are complaining.
- He was told to tone down his jokes during the meeting.
5. Hit it off
Meaning: To get along well, especially from the beginning.
Examples:
- They hit it off immediately at the party.
- We really hit it off during our first meeting.
