Welcome to English in a Minute.  

Some things, like shoelaces, must be tied up to keep them from coming undone. But what do you think “tie up loose ends” means as an idiom?  
D: Anna, how is your trip planning coming along?  
A: Great! I just need to tie up a few loose ends, like booking a hotel room.  
D: That isn’t a loose end. That is a major part of trip planning! Please tell me you’ve booked your flight. 
A: Dan, Dan. It’s on my todo list.  

To “tie up loose ends” means to do all those little things that come with finishing a big project. Loose ends may be small and not so important. But they still need to get done.  
Originally published at https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a...