Bidding an idiomatic end to 2023 – 9 English phrases all about endings

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  • Finish off the year with these idioms all about the end – but remember that every ending is also a new beginning
  • Now that 2023 is ‘in the can’, what are your hopes for 2024?
Sue Ng |
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2023 has come to an end, and we are all set to welcome 2024! Photo: Shutterstock

What a remarkable year it has been! As we reach the last day of 2023, it’s the perfect time to look back and cherish the moments that made this year truly unforgettable. We sincerely thank you, our beloved readers, for your unwavering support throughout 2023, and we will return with even more exceptional content in the new year. In the meantime, here are nine English idioms we can use to celebrate the end of 2023. Here’s to a fantastic year ahead!

Done and dusted

Meaning: to complete a task or an event
Example: After many changes, the project is finally done and dusted.

Call it a day

Meaning: to stop work or another activity
Example: Class was supposed to end an hour ago, but the teacher still hasn’t called it a day.

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In the can

Meaning: successfully completed and ready for public viewing or consumption
Example: Mark’s book is in the can and will be published next week.

It’s a wrap/that’s a wrap

Meaning: to say something is finished, often the filming of a video, movie scene, or show
Example: After three months of filming, the director finally called it a wrap.

Annnndd scene! Photo: Shutterstock

That’s that

Meaning: an expression meaning there is nothing more to do or say about a topic
Example: Ada’s mother is so controlling; she decides everything for her, and that’s that.

The end of the line/the end of the road

Meaning: a point where somebody or something cannot continue
Example: Janice has reached the end of the road at her job; she’s ready to leave and move on somewhere else.

Tie up loose ends

Meaning: to finish parts of something that have not been completed
Example: The project is due tomorrow. Let’s tie up some loose ends in our PowerPoint presentation.

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Pull the plug

Meaning: to stop something or prevent an activity from continuing, especially by no longer giving money to support it
Example: The company pulled the plug on the programme because it does not make any money.

Put the finishing touches on something

Meaning: to add or do the final things to complete a task
Example: The singer is putting the finishing touches on his upcoming album, which will be released this summer.

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