This phrase usually has something to do with facing a negative situation. When you come to terms with something, you accept that something undesirable has happened or is going to happen and there's nothing you can do to change the situation. You face the fact and get used to it. For example if Tim gets fired, he now has to come to terms with getting fired. As a result of getting fired, he won't be able to go to Tahiti on vacation, so he has to come to terms with the fact that he will have to stay home and look for a job instead of going on vacation. If he doesn't find a job quickly enough and runs out of money, he may have to come to terms with the possibility of going bankcrupt and losing his house, a sad reality for many people these days. We often say this expression to help ourselves or others deal with a negative situation, so we can then move on with our lives.
like this:
A: How's Tim doing these days?
B: Oh, he found a job! You haven't heard?
A: No, I haven't. That's great! What's he doing now?
B: He got hired as an assistant to a film director. He loves it.
A: That's awesome. It's too bad he broke up with his girlfriend. I know he had to come to terms with that.
B: Oh, they got back together. They actually got back together before he found this job.
A: That's wonderful. He must be on top of the world right now. His parents must be happy, too.
B: They're overjoyed about the job, but they've never liked the girlfriend, so now they have to come to terms with the fact that he's gotten back together with her.
A: Oh well. You can't win everything. At least he doesn't have to go bankcrupt.
run out of something - use all of something so there's nothing left (see the June 16 blog)
going bankcrupt - going into financial ruin
move on - continue
What's he doing? - What's his job? (in this context)
on top of the world - feeling fantastic
We all have to come to terms with something bad or undesirable, big or small, sometime. Let us know if you have an example you'd like to share and how you dealt with the situation. (... if it's not too depressing.)
Good luck!
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