to turn over a new leaf
– C1 (advanced) –
Practice Your Listening Comprehension
Practice Your Reading Comprehension
In North American English, this idiom typically means:
to completely change your usual behaviour, attitude, actions, and/or habits in a positive way
EXAMPLES
“She smoked for 15 years, but now that she has been diagnosed with lung cancer, she is turning over a new leaf: no more cigarettes; she quit.”
“My therapist has challenged me to say something positive about myself each time I recognize that I’m saying something self-deprecating. He says that it will help me turn over a new leaf and experience more joy in life. After all, negativity just breeds more negativity.”
Have you ever turned over a new leaf? What did you do? Practice using this idiom by letting me know in the comments below.