fall into someone's lap
Meaning: To come to someone without any effort.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “The job fell into her lap when a friend recommended her.”
Category: Body & Senses
Origin: As if something good had simply dropped into one's lap while sitting. The phrase is common from the 19th century.
Equivalents in other languages
- French: Tomber dans l'escarcelle de quelqu'un — literally: To fall into someone's purse
More idioms — Body & Senses
- fire in the belly — Strong ambition and drive.
- breathe down someone's neck — To watch someone too closely, or to be close behind them.
- elbow grease — Hard physical work, especially scrubbing or polishing.
- have a heavy heart — To feel sad or burdened.
- in one's heart of hearts — In one's deepest private feelings.
- an old hand — Someone with long experience at something.
More English idioms
- cold hard cash — Actual money in coins and bills, not credit or promises.
- cherchez la femme — There is probably a woman behind this situation.
- throw money down the drain — To waste money.
- all fired up — Very excited or enthusiastic.
- the oldest trick in the book — A very familiar trick that should not fool anyone.
- a slippery slope — A small step that leads to worse and worse consequences.
From our untranslatable words
- Vergüenza ajena — The squirming embarrassment felt on behalf of another person, who may be entirely untroub…
- Magari — One word doing the work of 'if only', 'I wish', 'perhaps' and 'you bet' — the tone decide…
- Sprezzatura — The art of making something difficult look wholly effortless, hiding every trace of the w…