American 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.

Run to it: be enough.

e.g. Do you think the water supply will run to it?

Man of parts: an individual with different accomplishments.

e.g. He is a writer, a painter, and a musician--certain a man of parts.

Pull one's weight: do one's share.

e.g. Everyone should pull his weight if we want the project to succeed.

Rich: absurd; unreal.

e.g. He says he'll work hard from now on--that's rich!

Lump it: endure; bear with it.

e.g .It's too bad if you don't it; just lump it!

Near thing: almost did not succeed.

e.g. He won the race, but it was a near thing.

Clear as mud: obvious.

e.g. I thought everybody knew. It was clear as mud!

Have been had: cheated.

e.g. If you paid $50 for this, you've been had!

Go to pot: be discarded as useless.

e.g. This innovation will soon go to pot.

A bust up: a violent quarrel.

e.g. My wife and I had a bust up last night.

Keep one's countenance: refrain from moving or laughing.

e.g. She was so funny with her jokes that hardly anyone could keep his countenance.

Now you're talking!: talking sensibly.

e.g. It's good to hear your suggestions. Now you're talking! All along you were objecting to the plan! 

A look in: chance.

e.g. You can try. But I tell you what: you won't have a look in to get that job.

Go while the going is good: leave while the opportunity is still favorable.

e.g. If I were you, I would depart right now; go while the going's  good.

Made man: a successful individual

e.g. After all these years of hard work, he is finally a made man.

Go slow with: don't use too much.

e.g. Please go slow with the sugar; that's all we have left.

A lone wolf: a self-centered person.

e.g. He is a lone wolf, and never seems to get along with anyone.

Keep someone sweet: keep someone satisfied.

e.g. He is very good at keeping his boss sweet; that's why he can hold on to his job for that long.

Stephen Lau

All About Stephen Lau

SLANG AND COLLOQUIAL EXPRESSIONS

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.

Distinguish the Following

Good and Well

Good is an adjective; well can be an adjective or an adverb.

 e.g. The food looks good. (adjective: good taste)

e.g. This is good advice. (adjective)

e.g. You look well today. (adjective: in good health)

e.g.  The engine works well. (adverb: functions efficiently)

Human and Humane

Human refers to a person; humane means considerate and merciful.

 e.g. This is profound human wisdom.

e.g. This is not a humane way of treating an animal

Common and Mutual

Common refers to many or all; mutual means “reciprocal.”

 e.g. This is our common interest.

e.g. Our love and respect are mutual, and that is why we can get along.

Ability and Capacity

Ability is the power to do something; capacity is the power to hold or contain.

 e.g. We have the ability to finish this project on time.

e.g. This room has the capacity for a few hundred people.

Genius and Genus

Genius means a talented person; genus refers to class or kind.

 e.g. Albert Einstein was a genius.

e.g.  This bird belongs to an uncommon genus.

Healthful and Healthy

Healthful means making you healthy; healthy means possessing good health.

 e.g. This food is healthful.

e.g. We are not living in a healthful environment.

e.g. You are healthy, and your dog is also healthy.

If and Whether . . or

If suggests a condition; whether . . . or suggests doubt.

 e.g. If it rains, we will stay home.

e.g. I wondered whether the money was stolen or not.

Inferior than and Inferior to

Inferior to means not as good as; inferior than is not a standard idiom.

 e.g. My performance was inferior to yours.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

More Slang

Talk nineteen to the dozen: talk incessantly; talk too fast.

e.g. You were talking nineteen to the dozen; I just couldn't make hear or tail of what you were saying.

Gumption: common sense.

e.g. If you've some gumption, you 'll understand the difference between this and that.

Have a load on: very drunk.

e.g. He looked as if he had a load on.

Not born yesterday: not as naive or foolish as you think.

e.g. Don't give me all that nonsense. I was not born yesterday.

Hell-bent on: very determined.

e.g. The team is hell-bent on winning the game tonight.

Right you are: I agree.

e.g. "I think I'm going to accept this job." "Right you are."

All at sea: confused.

e.g. "What do you think of the proposal?" "I'm all at sea; I'm completely clueless."

Get cold feet: become anxious and fearful.

e.g. He got cold feet, and left without taking the challenge.

All hot and bothered: agitated, confused, or excited.

e.g. She was all hot and bothered when she heard the news of their divorce.

Poorly: sick or unwell.

e.g. What's the matter with you today? I say, you look poorly!

Saw you coming: realized your ignorance.

e.g. You gave him the money right away without asking any question; he saw you coming!

Pooped: exhausted.

e.g. I was pooped after working for nine hours in the yard.

Say one's piece: say what one ought to say.

e.g. I must say my piece: that was not a nice thing to say to your parents.

Fork out: pay

e.g. Well, everybody has to fork out $30 for the farewell present to the boss.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Correct Sentence Construction

Correct Sentence Construction

Effective writing means sentences are not only grammatically correct but also balanced. Awareness holds the key to better sentence construction.

e.g. We like not only watching soccer but also enjoy drinking beer.

e.g. We not only like watching soccer but also enjoy drinking beer. (improved)

If "not only" is followed by a verb, then "but also" should also be followed by a verb.

e.g.The man shot not only the policeman but also killed himself.

e.g. The man not only shot the policeman but also killed himself. (balanced)

e.g. I have and will support the politician. ("will support" is correct, but "have support" is incorrect)

e.g. I have supported and will support the politician. (improved)

e.g. This is not about your income but how you perform in your work.(not balanced)

e.g. This is not about your income but about your work performance. (improved)

e.g. This is not about how much you earn but about how well your perform. (improved)

e.g. Your tennis is better than your son. (incorrect: it is the "tennis" that is better, and not the person)

e.g. Your tennis is better than your son's tennis. (correct)

e.g. The schools in the suburbs are better than the city. (unclear)

e.g. The schools in the suburbs are better than the schools in the city. (improved)

e.g. The schools in the suburbs are better than those in the city. (improved)

e.g. The schools in the suburbs are better than the city's. (improved)

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

More Prepositional Words and Phrases

EASE

Ease someone of something: to relieve or reduce someone of something.

e.g. The doctor eased me of my back pain.

Ease off: diminish; let up doing something.

e.g The rain has eased off; we'd better leave now.

e.g. Come on, he's just a kid. Ease off!

ARGUE

Argue down: defeat someone in a debate.

e.g. He tries to argue down everyone who has opposite views.

Argue for: make a case for someone.

e.g. My lawyer will argue for me in court.

Argue into: convince someone to do something.

e.g. I could not argue myself into helping you in this project.

Argue with: challenge someone or something.

e.g. I won’t argue with what you do; after all, it is your choice.

FALL

Fall apart: break into pieces.

         

e.g. This old house is falling apart; we'd better sell it as soon as possible.

e.g. After the death of his wife, his life began to fall apart.

Fall away: drop away from something.

e.g. The paint is falling away from the side of the house.

Fall back on someone or something: use someone or something as reserve.

e.g. Your father is someone you can fall back on when you run out of money.

e.g. We fell back on the emergency generator when the ower went out.

Fall behind: lag behind schedule.

e.g. You are falling behind in your mortgage payments.

e.g. Get cracking, and don't fall behind your work.

Fall by: drop in value.

e.g. The gold price fell by 10 percent within this week.

Fall down on the job: fail to do a job efficiently.

e.g. If you keep falling down on the job, you will be fired!

Fall for someone: be in love with someone.

e.g. He had fallen for his cousin, and soon they became engaged.

Fall in with someone or something: become involved with someone or something.

e.g. I am afraid he has fallen in with the wrong group with people.

e.g. Your son has fallen in with drugs.

Fall into disfavor: lose one's influence.

e.g. The Mayor has fallen into disfavor with his supporters; he might lose in the coming election.

Fall into disgrace: become without honor.

e.g. The Governor fell into disgrace because of his involvement with the murder case.

Fall into disuse: to be used less and less.

e.g. Your car has fallen into disuse; if I were you, I would sell it.

Stephen Lau     

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Learn Some American Idioms

Take to one’s heels: run away

e.g. Before the police could come, the thief took to his heels.

Feel like: have a desire for something

e.g. I feel like eating a hamburger.

Under a cloud: under suspicion

e.g. He has been under a cloud; the police has been investigating him for some time.

Pull the wool over someone’s eyes: deceive

e.g. Don’t try to pull the wool over my eyes: I wasn’t born yesterday.

Odd man out: a typical person or thing

e.g. Everybody has a partner, and you are an odd man out because you don’t have one.

Take the bull by the horns: deal with the challenge directly

e.g. This is a very difficult situation, but we must take the bull by the horns.

Make as if: pretend

e.g. You made as if you enjoyed the film, but you really didn’t.

Late in life: in old age

e.g. It was only late in life that he became a famous writer.

Bark up the wrong tree: make the wrong choice; accuse the wrong person.

e.g. If you think I took your money, you’re barking up the wrong tree.

Poke one’s nose into something: interfere with

e.g. I don’t like the way you poke your nose into my affairs.

Above all: most importantly

e.g. Above all, you must have a valid visa if you wish to continue to stay in the United States.

A little bird told me: somehow I knew

e.g. “How did you know what I did?” “Well, a little bird told me.”

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau