Language is forever changing. What is currently
popular may be replaced by something else in years to come, and the use of
slang is a strong testament to that. Colloquial expressions are often
acceptable in informal writing. The more you learn, the more you will know when
to use them or not to use them in your writing or speaking.
Blue pencil: censor.
e.g. The committee
will blue pencil whatever you are going to say.
Put one's shirt on: wager everything.
e.g. We have to put
our shirt on this
project; we've no other option.
Pooped: exhausted.
e.g. I was pooped
after working for nine hours in the yard.
Hard at it: busy.
e.g. "Are you
working on the project?" "You bet! I'm hard
at it."
Not so dusty: quite good.
e.g. Well the
performance was not so dusty; much better than I
expected.
Are you with me?: understand or agree
with me.
e.g. I've been
explaining this for an hour. Are you with me?
Bang out: reveal.
e.g. If you go into
politics, you must be prepared to let all your secrets bang
out.
Half-baked: silly.
e.g. What do you take me
for? A fool half-baked!
Not worth powder and
shot:
not worth the effort.
e.g. If I were you, I
would just give it up; it's not
worth powder and shot.
Cry blue murder: make a great fuss.
e.g. Just ignore him:
he's crying blue murder over everything.
Beat hollow: be superior to.
e.g. She is bossy,
beating everyone hollow.
Excuse my French: pardon my bad
language.
e.g. Ladies, please excuse my French; he really
made me mad.
Back to square one: back to where one
started.
e.g. We're back
to square one: no deal.
Jump on: blame or criticize
strongly.
e.g. You jumped on him every time he opened his mouth.
Gift of the gab: ability to give effective speeches.
e.g. The new Mayor has
the gift of the gab: people like
listening to him.
Keep one's head
above water: stay out of debt or a difficult situation.
e.g. In this economic
environment, it is not easy to keep
your head above water.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
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