Quote
1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.

“I can never be safe; I always try and go against the grain. As soon as I accomplish one thing, I just set a higher goal. That’s how I’ve gotten to where I am.”
Singer Beyonce, talking about working hard and making her own rules. (BrainyQuote)
Definition
1. Definition - Study the definition.
opposite of the normal way or opinion
2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.
Robert Downey, Jr. is best known for his role as “Iron Man.” But before that, he had gotten himself in a lot of trouble. He first took drugs at the age of eight, and spent a lot of his young adult life in jail. But somehow, after many years of going against the grain, he became a successful and likable, famous actor.
To go against the grain means to do things very differently than the way they are normally done. Do you remember the “cool kid” at your school? What did he or she do? What did he or she wear? Many times, it is people like this, ones that do things differently than most people, that everyone else starts to follow. Going against the grain often ends up being the popular thing to do.
Singer Beyonce says that she has always gone against the grain to make her music better. She thinks that being normal is OK, but being different is the only way to be successful.
What do you do that goes against the grain?
Examples
1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.
“To be a vegetarian in Poland is really going against the grain.”
“I like Bernie Sanders as a politician because his views are really against the grain.”
“You have to go against the grain if you want to succeed in the music industry.”