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 the media.
Easy on the eye: good looking.
e.g. I say, your girlfriend is easy on
the eye.
Beefcake: a
muscular man.
e.g. She has been
dating a beefcake.
e.g. He goes to
the gym regularly because he wants to be a beefcake.
Caught short: caught at a disadvantage.
e.g. The market plunged, and we were caught
short just as thought we were on the road to recovery..
Daylight robbery:
too costly.
e.g. That’s daylight
robbery; to pay $300 just to fix this!
Not in the same street: of a different
quality (usually inferior).
e.g. These two dresses may look similar, but
they are not in the same street. This one looks much more elegant
than that one.
Alive and kicking:
in good health.
e.g. "How is
your grandmother doing?" "Very much alive and kicking."
Bad shot:
wrong guess.
e.g. “He came with
his wife, didn’t he?” “Bad shot:
he came all by himself.”
Not so dusty: quite good.
e.g. Well the performance was not so dusty; much better than I
expected.
Whistle for: wish in vain.
e.g. The stock market has fallen sharply.
You can whistle for your
money invested.
Break a leg:
good luck!
e.g. "I'll
have my first piano competition tomorrow." "Break a leg!"
Stephen Lau
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