to turn over a new leaf

– C1 (advanced) –

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In North American English, this idiom typically means:

  1. to completely change your usual behaviour, attitude, actions, and/or habits in a positive way

EXAMPLES

  1. “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.”

  2. “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.


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5 Indigenous Terms Used In Canadian English, Part II