4093429 some informal useful english phrases

7/30/2019 4093429 Some Informal Useful English Phrases

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/4093429-some-informal-useful-english-phrases 1/152

In the name Of God

I have provided these slides for my friends to help them with their English. I hope these slides will be useful for

them. I would like to express my sincere thanks to all

my friends for their kindness, affection, patience,encouragement, and their tolerance.

Time goes, we also go, only kindness and affection is everlasting.

Behnam. You… 30 June, 2008



People in glass houses

shouldn't throw stonesUsed to say that you should not criticize someone

for having a fault if you have the same fault

yourself She always criticized her friends for driving too fast,

but she herself used to do it. At last I told her, "People

in glass houses shouldn't throw stones".



Can't hold a candle to

somebody/somethingIf something or someone cannot hold a

candle to something or someone else, they

are not as good as the other thing or person.

You can’t hold a candle to me when it comes

to playing the piano.



Rain cats and dogs

Rain very hard

It is raining very hard. You will get all soaked the minute you step out.



Cat got your tongue?

Used to ask someone why they are not

talking

Why did you come home so late last night? Answer me! Cat got your tongue?



Out of the blue

If something happens out of the blue, it isvery unexpected

Do you remember Jane? Well, she phoned me yesterday, completely out of the blue.



As like as two peas in a pod

Exactly the same in appearance,

behaviour etc

The two sisters are as like as two peas in a

pod.



Bend over backwards

To try as hard as possible to help or

please someone

For passing all the exams successfully, her parents bent over backwards to help her.



Under the table

Money that is paid under the table is

paid secretly and illegally

They paid him under the table so he wouldn't

have to pay taxes .



Let the cat out of the bag

To tell someone a secret, especially

without intending to

I'm sorry. Jim knows about last week's

party. I'm afraid I let the cat out of the bag.



Hit the nail on the head

Used to say that what someone has said is

exactly right

A:I guess we need a lot of money to carry out the plan.B: You’re absolutely right. You’ve hit the nail on the

head .



Go into a nosedive

A sudden very large fall in the price,

value, or condition of something

The economy went into a nosedive.



Save somebody's neck

To help someone to escape from an

extremely difficult or dangerous situation

Thanks for not letting the boss fire me. You save my neck in time.



leave somebody/something

high and dryIf someone is left high and dry, they areleft without any help or without the things

that they need

She promise to help me with the dishes after the party, but she left me high and dry .



Let sleeping dogs lie

To deliberately avoid mentioning asubject, so that you do not cause any

trouble or argument

The best plan is just to let sleeping dogs lie.



A horse of a different colour Something that is completely different

from another thing

I was talking about trees, not bushes.Bushes are a horse of different colour.



Like a bull in a china shop

If you are like a bull in a china shop, you keep

knocking things over, dropping things,

breaking things etc

Each time you enter the room, you knock something down. You’re really like a bull in a china shop.



Be/get carried away

To be so excited, angry, interested etc

that you are no longer really in control of

what you do or say, or you forgeteverything else

Calm done! Don’t get carried away. We have

to sit down and talk sense.



Speak of the devil

Used when someone you have justbeen talking about walks into the room

where you are

Speak of the devil! We just mentioned your name before you stepped in.



Get out of bed on the wrong

sideTo feel slightly angry or annoyed for no

particular reason

Why are you so grouchy today? Did you get out

of bed on the wrong side?



Keep your shirt on

Used to tell someone who is becoming

angry that they should stay calm

Keep your shirt on! You’re next in line.



Can't make head or tail of

somethingTo be completely unable to understand

something

I can’t make head or tail of what you’re saying.

Why don’t you speak more clearly?



Be/feel like a fish out of water

To feel uncomfortable because you feel

you do not belong in a place or situation

I felt like a fish out of water in my new school.



Keep/put something on ice

To do nothing about a plan or

suggestion for a period of time

I'm putting my plans for a new car on ice until I finish college .



Pass the hat around

To collect money from a group of people,especially in order to buy someone a present

No matter how hard he tries, he won’t be able to pay his debts. I guess we’ll have to pass the hat around for him.



Dog eat dog

When people compete against each

other and will do anything to get what

they want

It's a dog eat dog world out there.



Keep your ear to the ground

To make sure that you always knowwhat is happening in a situation

I haven't heard any more news, but I'll keep my ear to the ground.



Shake a leg

Used to tell someone to hurry, or quickly

start doing something

It’s getting late. Come on, Shake a leg!



Drag your feet/heels

To take too much time to do somethingbecause you do not want to do it

If you keep dragging your feet, you’ll miss the train.



On its last legs

Old or in bad condition, and likely to

stop working soon

My car is its last legs. I have to get rid of it as soon as I can.



Not have a leg to stand on

To be in a situation where you cannotprove or legally support what you say

If you didn't sign a contract, you won't have a leg to stand on.



Cock and bull story

A story or excuse that is silly andunlikely but is told as if it were true

Who the hell do you expect to believe your cock and bull story?



Make a mountain out of a

molehillTo treat a problem as if it was very

serious when in fact it is not

She was only five minutes late! You're

making a mountain out of a molehill.



Throw the book at somebody

To punish someone as severely aspossible or charge them with as many

offences as possible

If you get caught they'll throw the book at you!



Be up to your ears in

work/problem/debtTo have got a lot work/problem/debt

I’m up to my ears in debt.



The coast is clear

If the coast is clear, it is safe for you to do

something without being seen or caught

Okay guys, You can come out of your hiding

place now. The coast is clear.



Snow job

An act of making someone believe somethingthat is not true

That car dealer did a snow job on me by selling me a car that was a piece of junk.



Pay lip service to

somebody/somethingTo say that you support or agree with

something without doing anything to prove it

Don’t sit and pay lip service to human rights.Get busy!



Put your heads together

To discuss a difficult problem together

The next morning, we all put our heads together to decide what should be done.



Look daggers at somebody

To look at someone angrily

Why are you looking dagger at me? Have I

done anything wrong?



Be going to the dogs

If a country or organization is going to the dogs, it

is getting worse and will be difficult to improve

Our neighborhood has really been getting to the dogs since a bunch of drug addicts moved in.



Step on somebody's toes

To offend or upset someone, especiallyby trying to do their work

I hope I have not stepped on anyone’s toes by what I said at the meeting.



Catch somebody red-handed

To catch someone at the moment whenthey are doing something wrong

Earl was caught red-handed taking the money.



Go bananas

To become very angry or excited

Mum went bananas when I said I was going to leave nursing.



Be at the end of your tether

To be so worried, tired etc that you feel you

can no longer deal with a difficult or upsetting

situation

I had no money, my husband was sick, and I

couldn't get a job. I was at the end of my tether.



Be/get on your high horse

To give your opinion about something in a

way that shows you think you are definitely

right and that other people are wrong

Don't get on your high horse with me.



Be (living) on easy street

To be in a situation in which you have plenty

of money

Everyone has got some problems, even people who

live on easy street.



At sixes and sevens

Disorganised and confused

When the visitors arrived we were still at

sixes and sevens.



Be a pain in the neck

To be very annoying

There’s something wrong with my car almost every day. It’s really become a pain in the

neck.



Get the hang of somethingTo learn how to do something or use

something

It seems difficult at first, but you'll soon get the hang of it.



Make waves

To cause problems, especially when youshould not

Lora can do what ever she wants at work as long as she doesn't make waves.



The ball is in somebody's court

It is their turn to take action or to reply

I've emailed her - now the ball's in her court.



Pay through the nose

To pay much more for something than it

is really worth

Catherine, paying through the nose to search

for fun and relaxation.



Get off somebody's back

To stop annoying someone with a lot of

questions, criticisms etc or to make

someone stop annoying you in this way

Do me a favour and get off my back!



Fly off the handle

To suddenly get very angry

Calm down - there's no need to fly off the handle.



Touch wood

Said just after you have said that things aregoing well for you, when you want your good

luck to continue

I've never been in trouble with the police,touch wood.



Big mouthIf someone has a big mouth, they say too

much or tell another person's secrets

Don’t tell her any secrets. She has a big

mouth.



Pass the buck To make someone else them responsible for

something that you should deal with

It's easy to pass the buck and blame someone else for your failure.



Cross my heart

Used to say that you promise that you will do

something, or that what you are saying is true

I didn't take it, cross my heart!



The fat is in the fire

Used to say that there will be troublebecause of something that has

happened

The fat’s in the fire! There is 100,000 $ missing from the office safe.



Make a splash

To do something that gets a lot of publicattention

Russell's new show made a big splash in New York.



Henpecked husband

A man who is henpecked is alwaysbeing told what to do by his wife, and is

afraid to disagree with her

I respect my wife’s views, but I’m not a henpecked husband.



A shot in the arm

Something that makes you moreconfident or more successful

The new factory will give the local economy a real shot in the arm.



A shot in the dark

An attempt to guess something without

having any facts or definite ideas

My answer to the last question was a complete

shot in the dark.



Make ends meet

To have only just enough money to buythe things you need

Things are so expensive nowadays that it’s very

difficult to make ends meet.



Grease somebody's palm

To give someone money in a secret or dishonest way in order to persuade them to

do something

Joseph was able to grease a few palms, thus helping his brother to escape.

Get a jump on



Get a jump on

somebody/something

To gain an advantage, especially bydoing something earlier than usual or

earlier than someone else

I want to get a jump on my Christmas shopping.



Money talks

Used to say that people with money havepower and can get what they want

Money talks, and poor working people are ignored.



Monkey business

Bad or dishonest behaviour

Stop the monkey business! This is serious.



Sitting duck

Someone who is easy to attack or easyto cheat

Out in the open, the soldiers were sitting ducks for enemy fire.



Laughing stock

Someone who is a laughing stock hasdone something so silly that people

have no respect for them

We can't do that - we'd be a laughing stock!



Neck and neck

If two competitors or groups are neckand neck in a competition or race, they

are level with each other

There were coming toward the finish line neck and neck.

Somebody is no spring



Somebody is no spring

chickenUsed to say that someone is no longer young

- used humorously

I’m not as agile as I used to be. I’m no spring

chicken.



Play gooseberry

To be with two people who are having aromantic relationship and who want to be

alone together

I think you two want to be left alone; I’m not going to play gooseberry.

Bite off more than you can



Bite off more than you can

chewTo try to do more than you are able to do

Many kids who leave home to live alone find they have bitten off more than they can chew.



Bite the bullet

To start dealing with an unpleasant or dangerous situation because you

cannot avoid it any longer

It's not easy, but as a manager, sometimes you have to bite the bullet and fire people.



Be in the doghouse

To be in a situation in which someone isannoyed with you because of something

you have done

I'm in the doghouse for forgetting Valentine's Day.



Beat around the bush

To avoid or delay talking about somethingembarrassing or unpleasant

Don't beat around the bush. Ask for your account to be paid, and paid quickly.



Be full of it

A rude expression used to say thatsomeone often says things that are wrong

or stupid

Don't listen to Jerry. He's full of it.



Pardon my French

Used humorously to say that you aresorry for using a swear word

He is really a bastard, if you we'll pardon my French.



Be a piece of cake

To be very easy to do

A: How do you do that?

B: It's a piece of cake! Watch!

Have a bone to pick with



Have a bone to pick with

somebodyUsed to tell someone that you are annoyedwith them and want to talk about it

Betty, I’ve got a bone to pick with you. Why didn’t you come and see me yesterday? I waited for you for hours.



Test the water

To check people's reaction to a planbefore you decide to use it

We have to test the water, before we make a final decision.



Stick to your guns

To refuse to change your mind about

something, even though other people are

trying to persuade you that you are wrong

Many people tried to change his mind, but he stuck

to his guns.

Bury the hatchet/bury your



Bury the hatchet/bury your

differencesTo agree to stop arguing about something and

become friends

You’d better bury the hatchet before things get

worse between you two.



Have a frog in your throat

To have difficulty in speaking, especiallybecause of a sore throat

Excuse me, I can’t talk clearly. I have got a frog in my throat.

Gi b d h li



Give somebody the slip

To escape from someone who is chasingyou

The street was really full of people that the thief managed to give them the slip.

P f i i



Put your foot in it

To say something without thinkingcarefully, so that you embarrass or upset

someone

I've really put my foot in it this time. I didn't realise that was her husband!

Stick/poke your nose into



Stick/poke your nose into

somethingTo become involved in something that doesnot concern you, in a way that annoys people

Why don’t you stop poking your nose into my business? You’d better mind your own life.



Hit below the belt

To be unfair or cruel

The comments hit below the belt.



Break the ice

To make people feel more friendly and willingto talk to each other

I tried to break the ice by offering her a drink,but she said no.

F



For a song

Very cheaply

He bought the house for a song five years ago.



Hit th f/ ili



Hit the roof/ceiling

To be very angry

Ritz returned, saw the mess, and hit the roof.

P ll i



Pull strings

To secretly use your influence with importantpeople in order to get what you want or to

help someone else

Is it possible to get anything done around here without pulling strings?

B k h



Bark up the wrong tree

To have a wrong idea, or do something in away that will not give you the information or

result you want

You're barking up the wrong tree if you think Sam can help you.

P h b f h h



Put the cart before the horse

To do two things in the wrong order

Hey, tom! Why are you eating your dessert

first? You’re putting the cart before the horse.

B h id i h il



Burn the midnight oil

To work or study until late at night

I’m going to go home and burn the midnight oil tonight. I have to take a big test tomorrow.

Ch lk d h



Chalk and cheese

Completely different from each other

The two brothers are as different as chalk and cheese.

R i hi



Rain or shine

Whatever happens or whatever the weather is like

Don't worry. We'll be there - rain or shine.

G t/h ld f t



Get/have cold feet

To suddenly feel that you are not braveenough to do something you planned to do

The plan failed after sponsors got cold feet.

S ll t



Smell a rat

To guess that something wrong or dishonestis happening

I smelled a rat as soon as I saw a strange man walking on our farm.

Ring a bell



Ring a bell

If something rings a bell, it reminds you of something, but you cannot remember

exactly what it is

Her name rings a bell but I can't remember her face.

Pig in a poke



Pig in a poke

Something you bought without seeing itfirst and that is not as good or valuable

as you expected

I won’t buy your car without checking it. I can’t buy a pig in a poke.

R k th b t



Rock the boat

To cause problems for other members of a group by criticizing something or trying

to change the way something is done

He kept his feelings to himself, not wanting to rock the boat.

Follow your nose



Follow your nose

a) to go straight forward or continue in thesame direction

b) to go to the place from where there is aparticular smell coming

A:Excuse me, where is the nearest gas station? B:Just follow your nose!

G t ff



Get off my case

Used to tell someone to stop criticizingyou or complaining about you

OK, OK, just get off my case!

B lki i



Be walking on air

To be feeling extremely happy

Bob was walking on air on his graduation day.

Rub somebody's nose in



y

it/in the dirtTo keep reminding someone about something

they did wrong or failed to do, especially inorder to punish them

I know I made a terrible mistake, but there is no need to rub my nose in it.

H l



Have a screw loose

To be slightly crazy

He never talks sense. He seems to have a screw loose!

T ist somebod 's arm



Twist somebody's arm

To persuade someone to do somethingthey do not want to do

Daady won’t buy me the car unless I twist his arm.

Hold your tongue



Hold your tongue

Used to tell someone to stop talking or to nottell someone about something

Hold your tongue, Steve! You can’t talk to your sister that way.

By the book



By the book

Exactly according to rules or instructions

Rules are not to be broken - Barb does everything by the book.

Strike while the iron is hot



Strike while the iron is hot

To do something immediately rather thanwaiting until a later time when you are lesslikely to succeed

Don't wait until tomorrow before you tell him,strike while the iron is hot!

String along



String along

To deceive someone for a long time bymaking them believe that you will help them,

that you love them etc

Bob doesn’t want to marry your sister, he is just stringing her along.

Hold your horse



Hold your horse

Used to tell someone to do somethingmore slowly or carefully

Hey, don’t get so mad! Hold your horse and let us explain.

Talk somebody's ear off



Talk somebody s ear off

To talk too much to someone

My grandmother takes my ear off whenever I see her.

Talk turkey



Talk turkey

To talk seriously about details, especially inbusiness

Let’s stop joking around. We’ve got to sit down and talk turkey.

The salt of the earth



The salt of the earth

Someone who is ordinary but good andhonest

Everybody knows that Jim and his old lady are the salt of the earth.

It's (a case of) the tail



wagging the dogUsed to say that an unimportant thing is

wrongly controlling a situation

Nowadays, children control parents. It’s a case of the tail wagging the dog!

Bite the dust



Bite the dust

To die, fail, or be defeated

My old car's finally bitten the dust.

I'll eat my hat



I ll eat my hat

Used to emphasize that you thinksomething is not true or will not happen

You’re not studying hard enough, I’ll eat my

hat if you pass the test.

Be in the same boat



Be in the same boat

To be in the same unpleasant situationas someone else

If marriage is a boat, then many of us are in the same boat!

Get somebody's goat



Get somebody s goat

To make someone extremely annoyed

Relax - don't let him get your goat.

Jump out off one’s skin



Jump out off one s skin

Very shocked or frightened

Don't shout. I nearly jumped out of my skin.

Be all fingers and thumbs



Be all fingers and thumbs

To be unable to do something in whichyou have to make small careful

movements with your fingers

She was all fingers and thumbs - and worry.

Take somebody for a ride



Take somebody for a ride

To trick someone, especially in order toget money from them

I'd just begun to realise he was taking me for a ride.

Sell somebody/something



shortTo not give someone or something the praise,

attention, or reward that they deserve

Don't sell yourself short - tell them about all

your qualifications.

Shoot from the hip



Shoot from the hip

To say what you think in a direct way, or make a decision very quickly, without

thinking about it first

Don’t pay any attention to him. It’s just his nature to shoot from the hip.

Wet blanket



Wet blanket

Someone who seems to want to spoil other people's fun, for example by refusing to jointhem in something enjoyable that they are

doing

You shouldn’t invite him to your party. He is such a wet blanket!

Go fly a kite



Go fly a kite

Used to tell someone to go away, stopsaying something, or stop annoying you

Stop bothering me! Go fly a kite!

Split hair



Split hair

When people pay too much attention to smalldifferences and unimportant details,

especially in an argument

Let’s stop hair - splitting. We should look at the problem as a whole.

Call a spade a spade



Call a spade a spade

To speak about things in a direct and honestway, even though it may be impolite to do this

Grandfather hates fancy words; he always calls a spade a spade.

Pull somebody's leg



Pull somebody s leg

To tell someone something that is not true, asa joke

Don't worry. I was just pulling your leg about moving - I'm not going anywhere.

Give somebody (a) five



Give somebody (a) five

To hit the inside of someone's handwith your hand to show that you are

very pleased about something

Hey man! Give me five!

Level with somebody



Level with somebody

To speak honestly to someone, after hiding some unpleasant facts from them

Come on Bill! I want you to level with me.Did you do that?

Cut corners



Cut corners

To save time, money, or energy by doingthings quickly and not as carefully as youshould

Don't try to cut corners when you're decorating.

Put/lay your cards on the

bl



tableTo tell people what your plans and intentions

are in a clear, honest way

Come on, lay your cards on the table. Tell me what you really think.

Hit the road/trail



Hit the road/trail

To begin a journey

It’s getting pretty late. Let’s hit the road!

Feel like a million dollars



Feel like a million dollars

To feel or look very healthy, happy, andbeautiful

How are you doing Rosa?

I feel like a million bucks!

Lead a dog's life



Lead a dog s life

A life that is difficult and unpleasant, with verylittle pleasure

I’m going to get rich soon. I’m quite tired of leading a dog’s life.

Lay an egg



Lay an egg

To fail or be unsuccessful at somethingthat you are trying to do

I hope I won’t lay an egg, when it’s my turn to sing!

Off the record



Off the record

An off-the-record remark is unofficial and isnot supposed to be made public

The Prime Minister's remarks were strictly off the record.



Blow the whistle on

b d



somebodyTo tell someone in authority about

something wrong that someone is doing

He blew the whistle on his colleagues.



Paint the town



a t t e tow

To go out to bars, clubs etc to enjoy yourself

Tonight we're going to paint the town red.

Play something by ear



y g y

To decide what to do according to theway a situation develops, withoutmaking plans before that time

We'll see what the weather's like and play it by ear.

Be sitting pretty



g p y

To be in a very good or favourableposition

We've paid off the mortgage, so we're sitting pretty now.



THE END



I provided these slides in the hope that they

would be useful. I have selected them from some

dictionaries.

Please forgive me for making mistakes.

All the best,B h Y 30 J 2008

4093429 some informal useful english phrases

Documents