[General] verification of a few sentences

[vil]

Dear teachers,

Would you be kind enough to verify the collocation of the words in bold in the following sentences?

Varsity basketball teams receive a lot more money than junior-varsity basketball teams.
varsity (adj.) = university

But if your daily workload is taxing you may feel too drained to exercise.
workload = the amount of work to be performed
taxing = wearing
drained = very tired

It is money down the drain if you spend it all on candy.
down the drain = wasted; lost

She has been doing gymnastics for over five years now.
The dog always stayed at her side.

I coached at a gym that allowed 18 month old to begin basic things with parents at their side.
side = the area next to a person.
with parents at their side = in their parents presence

My grandchild goes horse riding twice a week.

His idea of the perfect summer holiday is to rent a sailboat and go sailing between the islands of the Mediterranean sea, in particular in the most popular sailing area between Bodrum and Marmaris.

Thank you for your efforts.

Regards,

V.

 

[billmcd]

1. In the U.S., "varsity" is not synonymous with "university" and in high school and universities/colleges junior varsity usually refers to the younger or less talented team at an institution. Also, while some would argue the point about being "paid", it is not the case in universities and certainly not in high schools.

2. In the U.S. we would use the term, "horseback riding".

3. "go sailing among the islands" and between the islands of .............."

Your other interpretations/definitions are OK.

 

[Barb_D]

Hi Vil,

She has been doing gymnastics for over five years now.

Every time I write "over X years" my editor corrects it to "more than five years."

I coached at a gym that allowed 18-month-olds to begin basic things w