Not
in the same street: not in the same class or category.
e.g.
Of course, my car in not in the same street as yours: you paid a lot more.
Look
alive: hurry up.
e.g. Look
alive! We don't want to miss our flight.
Go
under: fail.
e.g. I
am sorry to say that all your proposals have gone
under.
Gray
matter: brains.
e.g. To
solve this complex problem, you need gray
matter, which you don;t have.
Make it
snappy: be quick.
e.g.
Common on, make it snappy!
We don't have all the time in the world!
e.g.
Why don't you get rid of your ark,
and get a new one?
Half-inch:
steal.
e.g.
Where did you get it from? You didn't half-inch it, did you?
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.
Hang
out: reveal everything.
e.g. I
want the truth, and nothing but the truth. Let it all hang out!
Go
round: be enough for all.
e.g.
Do you think we've enough drinks to go round at the party tonight?
Give
the lie to: contradict; prove something is false.
e.g. I
have to give the lie to what you just said: I did not take
your money.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen
Lau
Learning a language
takes time and effort, especially if it is not your first language. Even if it
is your mother tongue, you still need time and effort to master it because
almost every language has its own slang and colloquial expressions, and the
English language is no exception.
Language is forever
changing. What is currently acceptable or popular may be replaced by something
else in years to come, and the use of slang is a strong testament to that.
Slang is just an alternative way of saying something. It is sometimes hard to
identify what is slang and what is not. Slang and colloquial expressions are
often acceptable in informal writing because they are used in communication in
movies, newspapers, radio, television, and other mass media The more you learn,
the more you will know when to use or not to use them in your formal writing.
No matter what, knowing these common everyday expressions is a plus for all ESL
learners.
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