This is the show that explains the origin and usage of common American English expressions . Today , we are going to make a splash ! Yes , you make a splash when you jump into water . But to make a splash also means to attract a lot of attention , in a good way . For example you could say , “She made in splash in Washington , D.C . as a political consultant .” Or “If he moves to Hollywood he will make a huge splash in the film industry .” But let's get back to actually splashing in water . When it's hot , people often go to the beach or swimming pools to cool off in the water . The water is also a great place to learn American expressions . Deep water can be scary if you do not know how to swim . Some people learn fast by jumping in . To sink or swim means the moment you test your ability , often before much practice . If you swim , you succeed . If you sink , you fail . If you sink and no one rescues you , you will probably be dead in the water . When something is dead in the water , it has stopped making progress . It has failed and has no hope for the future . A business , an idea , even a marriage or friendship can be dead in the water . For example , imagine you are involved in a business deal but your only financial supporter withdraws . Most likely , the deal is dead in the water . Let's hear these expressions used in a short dialogue : "Don't you think we should help Mary ? Her deadline is tomorrow and she is far from finished with the project ." "Look , she's been with the company for years . Anyway , I helped her on the last project . It is sink or swim for her this time .” "Well , if she isn't ready for the presentation tomorrow morning her project will be dead in the water ." Swimming in the ocean can be a lot of fun . Surfers love to ride the waves . But did you know , you can ride a wave without even getting wet ? In English , to ride a wave means that you are helped by being connected to something well liked . For example , you could say , “The president is riding the wave of recent economic growth .” When you are surfing , catching a wave means to ride your surfboard across the wave in the ocean . But to catch a wave can also mean to connect with and profit from something popular . For example , “The media company plans to catch the wave of new YouTube stars .” The word surf itself is used in other situations besides in the ocean . So surfers love catching big waves . When the ocean is calm , I'm sure they wish they could make waves . However , you do not always have to be in the water to make waves . This expression means to surprise , shock or trouble people or situations . It can be both good and bad . And you can add modifiers to the word “wave .” For example , “When the new boss started , she didn't make to make too many waves . She's changing things slowly .” But we all know what really makes the waves in the ocean – the tide . The tide is the rising and falling of the sea . In spoken English , the tide can also turn . When the tides turn , events have changed direction , or reversed . We also say to turn the tide . Ocean tides are strong . Swimming against the tide is not advisable . It can make you tired and you could drown . As an expression , it means to go against popular thought or opinion . Great leaders and scientists often swim against the tide . To be in over your head and to be out of your depth are both water expressions . And they both mean to be in a situation that is too difficult for you to deal with . For example , “At the meeting , Rachel had no idea what they were talking about . She was way out of her depth .” And finally , to blow something out of the water means to destroy something completely . To show how versatile these ocean expressions really are , let's use them in a very dry environment – a courtroom . "Wow , the defense attorney really made waves today in the courtroom when she presented that new evidence ." "Yeah , I did not see that coming . I think the tide is really turning in favor of the defendant ." "Well , the new evidence helps . But what really blew the case out of the water is the defense's new witness ." "You know , I feel bad for the prosecutor . He is new and just out of his depth ." He's lost his last nine cases ! If he loses this one , he will lose his job . It's either sink or swim ." "If he gets fired , his career could be dead in the water ." And that brings us to the end of this collection of expressions from the sea . If you use a couple in your next English conversation , you are sure to make a splash !