As the new year begins, it is the perfect time to improve yourself – out with the old and in with the new. Check out these two Cantonese slang phrases and 10 English idioms from Sue Ng for new beginnings and challenges. We hope your new year is off to a good start!
1. Out with the old and in with the new
Meaning: to get rid of old ideas or things and start fresh with new ones
Example: Out with the old, and in with the new: I’m hoping all of my injuries heal in the new year.
2. Early bird catches the worm
Meaning: the person who takes the earliest opportunity to do something will have an advantage over others
Example: The early bird catches the worm, so if you want to find a good internship, you should start preparing now.
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3. Blaze a trail
Meaning: to be the first to discover or do something important; to lead the way
Example: The rock band blazed a trail in the music scene with their groundbreaking album that used a style no one had seen before.
4. Break new/fresh ground
Meaning: to do or discover something new
Example: Scientists have broken new ground with their latest discovery on Mars.
5. A new lease of life
Meaning: a chance to continue living or to become successful or popular again
Example: The aged building got a new lease of life after renovation.
6. Back to square one
Meaning: back to where one started, with no progress having been made
Example: The experiment ended up destroying our sample, so we are back to square one.
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7. Go back to the drawing board
Meaning: an idea or proposal has been unsuccessful, so a new one must be made
Example: After his proposal was rejected, Jack went back to the drawing board.
8. Start with a clean slate
Meaning: to put your past behind you and begin again
Example: When switching to a different school, your new teachers and classmates won’t know much about you, so you can start with a clean slate.
9. Open the door to
Meaning: to allow something new to begin
Example: When the company started investing in new technology, it opened the door to sustainable growth.
10. A breath of fresh air
Meaning: a refreshing or invigorating change
Example: The interns are a breath of fresh air as they bring creativity and energy to our team.
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Here are a couple of Cantonese phrases all about fresh starts ...
1. 破舊立新 po3 gau6 lap6 san1 (paul-gau-lap-sun): “break the old to establish the new”
Meaning: to get rid of something old to bring in what is new
In English: out with the old and in with the new
Example: The new president vowed to paul-gau-lap-sun, abolishing outdated laws and working on new policies to address people’s needs.
2. 另起爐灶 ling6 hei2 lou4 zou3 (ling-hei-lo-cho): “set up another stove”
Meaning: to move past something that is already established and make a new start. This phrase usually refers to setting up a new business.
In English: to start anew; to start on a new path
Example: After working at his father’s company for a decade, Derek decided to ling-hei-lo-cho by starting his own business.
