Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[kerstin]

Q1.
His visual instincts are *off the charts*

wild?


Q2.


He ran the company to the ground.

Managed it badly to the point of failure?


Thanks for reading this thread.

[damon@English24/7]

Hi Kerstin,

Q1. "Off the charts" means that something is so exceptional that it is not measureable. You can use it both positively and negatively:

1. So good, it is off the charts.
2. So bad, it is off the charts.

Just think of it as being exceptional.

Q2. You are correct in your interpretation of "ran the company to the ground."

damon

[CP]

2. You also hear, "He ran the company into the ground."

I think the term comes from riding horses to death. If someone rides a horse until it expires, you say he rode it / ran it to the ground or rode it / ran it into the ground.
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