finger on the pulse,cliched,regarding Chinese New Year.........

1) There is an article in a parenting magazine featuring all the latest health news named "finger on the pulse".

Any idea of what does "finger on the pulse" stand for?

2) "No doctor was able to cure her disease over the last 2 years, but Doctor Peter did it with only one prescription. I know it sounds cliched, but it's true."

What does it mean of "cliched" here?

3) We all make resolutions during New Year to help us to achieve our goals. However, the year does not start quite as we hoped. Our pursuit of good health does not make it off the sofa and a round or two at the sales puts a dent in our wealth.

What does it mean of "does not make it off the sofa and a round or two at the sales puts a dent in our wealth"?

4) An article talking about there are numbers of customs to follow during Chinese New Year.

eg. "Today the traditions associated with Chinese New Year are so numerous as to be daunting to the uninitiated."

What does it mean of "to be daunting to the uninitiated"?

5) "During Chinese New Year, one might be forgiven for thinking that gambling would be a no-no."

What does it mean of:
a) no-no
b) the whole sentence

6) "Now it's the time to eat, drink and be merry. Competition, the need for power and status, all take a back seat.

What does it mean of "take a back seat"?


Many thanks

1 If you have your finger on the pulse, you are in touch with what is happening.

2 A cliche is something that has been said so often that it has lost its meaning, so the person is trying to say that while such claims have been made before many times, they are true here.

3 We spend too much in the sales and are too lazy to bother about our health.

4 People who don't know about them will find them a bit frightening because there are so many.

5 If something is a no-no, you mustn't do it.

6 Take a back seat- Be less important

Tdol,

Does "the uninitiated" mean "people who do not know about the Chinese tradition"? I couldn't find "uninitiated" in dictionary.

Thanks.