Learn Some Idiomatic Expressions (4)

Learn some idiomatic expressions. The English language is rich in idiomatic expressions. A student with only limited knowledge of idioms will find himself or herself in a serious disadvantage in reading, discussions and debates.

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Poke about: search for something
e.g. He was poking about the basement, looking for the lost files.

In one's prime: at one's peak or best time
e.g. My mother could work long hours when she was in her prime, but those were the days.

Out of the hole: out of debt
e.g. Today many people find it difficult to get out of the hole.

Put in one's oar: interfere
e.g. I put in my oar as soon as I knew he was taking the wrong steps.

Lay it on thick: exaggerate
e.g. He was laying it on thick when he said he had made a fortune in the stock market. .

On pins and needles: anxious; in suspense
e.g. She was on pins and needles before the surgery.

From pillar to post: from place to place
e.g. Because of my work, my family had to move from pillar to post.

Look the other way: ignore on purpose
e.g. The Congress preferred to look the other way, instead of solving the debt crisis.

Come a cropper: meet misfortune
e.g. He came a cropper as soon as he started his own business.

Get someone's ear: get someone to listen to you; get someone's attention to what you are saying
e.g. His wife got his ear and talked for almost an hour.

Stephen Lau

Read my book Effective Writing Made Simple. To download the Amazon Kindle edition for only $4.40, click here; to purchase the paperback edition for only $7.00, click here; to download the e-book for only $4.40 from ClickBank, click here.

Learn Some English Slang (4)

Learn some English slang. Slang is highly ephemeral: it changes from one generation to another. Slang terms come into existence for various reasons, some obvious, some inexplicable, but most of them are delightfully direct and to the point. The use of slang adds spice to speech and writing.

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Out in the sun: slightly drunk.

e.g. You look as if you were out in the sun.

Room to swing a cat: ample space.

e.g This bedroom is so small--hardly room to swing a cat!

Play it low: take an unfair advantage of.

e.g. He got his promotion by playing it low.

Rough and ready:: makeshift.

e.g. The room is rough and ready for the unexpected guest.

Salt away: store away money.

Where did the money come from? You must have salted it away.

Plastered: drunk.

e.g. When he came home from work, he looked plastered.

Out with it: confess; be honest.

e.g. Out with it, what did you do with my money?

Play up with: mess up; cause trouble.

e.g. The storm played up with our plans.

Over one's head: beyond understanding.

e.g The speech was over everyone's head. 

Rough it: live with it; endure.

e.g. This is not much of bed; you've got to rough it.

Stephen Lau

Read my book Effective Writing Made Simple. To download the Amazon Kindle edition for only $4.40, click here; to purchase the paperback edition for only $7.00, click here; to download the e-book for only $4.40 from ClickBank, click here.

Learn Some Idiomatic Expressions (3)

Learn some idiomatic expressions. The English language is rich in idiomatic expressions. A student with only limited knowledge of idioms will find himself or herself in a serious disadvantage in reading, discussions and debates.
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(3)

Not for love or money: not at any price.
e.g. All tickets are sold out; you won't get one for love or money.

To crown it all: on top of everything else.
e.g. He forgot to bring the documents. To crown it all, he forgot his passport.

Become second nature: become habitual.
e.g. You have to continue practicing it until it becomes second nature to you.

Walls have ears: be careful what you say.
e.g. If I were you, I would shut up; walls have ears.

A house of cards: an idea that has no foundation.
e.g. His proposal is no more than a house of cards.

Go to the wall: fail; go bankrupt.
e.g. His business overseas has gone to the wall.
e.g. In this day and age, the weakest go to the wall.

As close as an oyster: secretive.
e.g. You can never get any information from him; he is as close as an oyster.

Like a fish out of water: in an awkward or unfamiliar environment.
e.g. In a room full of ladies, he felt like a fish out of water.

Milk and water: feeble; weak.
e.g. These milk-and-water economic policies won't help the economy at all.

Stephen Lau

Learn Some English Slang (3)

Learn some English slang. Slang is highly ephemeral: it changes from one generation to another. Slang terms come into existence for various reasons, some obvious, some inexplicable, but most of them are delightfully direct and to the point. The use of slang adds spice to speech and writing.

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(3)

Double Dutch: Incomprehensible talk.
e.g. For 20 minutes, he had been talking double Dutch as if he were drunk.

No two ways about it:: no doubt; no other alternative.
e.g. This is the way to go; there're no two ways about it.

Cop out: faint; pass out; die.
e.g. As soon as she heard the news, she copped out.

Make someone's ears burn: talk intimately behind someone's back.
e.g. What you have been saying about your wife must have made her ears burn.

Grand slam: a great success.
e.g. The project was a grand slam.

Knock off: create; make.
e.g. This composer has the talent to knock off a masterpiece.

Make head or tail of: understand.
e.g. Honestly, I could not make head or tail of what he was saying.

Noodle: a simpleton; a fool.
e.g. He is no more than a noodle; don't pay any attention to him.

Make it snappy: Be brief.
e.g. Please make it snappy! We don't have all the time in the world.

Pack up: stop working.
e.g. If you make one comment, I'll pack up and go.

Stephen Lau

Read my book Effective Writing Made Simple. To download the Amazon Kindle edition for only $4.40, click here; to purchase the paperback edition for only $7.00, click here; to download the e-book for only $4.40 from ClickBank, click here.