some informal useful english phrases!
DESCRIPTION
I have provided some informal phrases in English with their definition and example in the hope that it helps people who are interested in learning the English language.TRANSCRIPT
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 stones
Used 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/something
If 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 dogsRain 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 is very 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 headUsed 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 nosediveA sudden very large fall in the price,
value, or condition of something
The economy went into a nosedive.
Save somebody's neckTo 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 dry
If someone is left high and dry, they are left 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 lieTo deliberately avoid mentioning a
subject, 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 colourSomething 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 forget everything 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 just been 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 side
To 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 something
To 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 waterTo 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 aroundTo 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 dogWhen 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 know what is happening in a situation
I haven't heard any more news, but I'll keep my ear to
the ground.
Shake a legUsed to tell someone to hurry, or quickly
start doing something
It’s getting late. Come on, Shake a leg!
Drag your feet/heelsTo take too much time to do something
because you do not want to do it
If you keep dragging your feet, you’ll miss the train.
On its last legsOld 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 onTo be in a situation where you cannot prove 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 storyA story or excuse that is silly and
unlikely 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 molehill
To 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 somebodyTo punish someone as severely as
possible 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/debt
To have got a lot work/problem/debt
I’m up to my ears in debt.
The coast is clearIf 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 jobAn act of making someone believe something
that 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/something
To 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 togetherTo discuss a difficult problem together
The next morning, we all put our heads together to decide
what should be done.
Look daggers at somebodyTo look at someone angrily
Why are you looking dagger at me? Have I done anything
wrong?
Be going to the dogsIf 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 toesTo offend or upset someone, especially
by 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-handedTo catch someone at the moment when
they are doing something wrong
Earl was caught red-handed taking the money.
Go bananasTo become very angry or excited
Mum went bananas when I said I was going to leave nursing.
Be at the end of your tetherTo 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 horseTo 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 streetTo 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 sevensDisorganised and confused
When the visitors arrived we were still at sixes and sevens.
Be a pain in the neckTo 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 wavesTo cause problems, especially when you
should not
Lora can do what ever she wants at work as long as she
doesn't make waves.
The ball is in somebody's courtIt is their turn to take action or to reply
I've emailed her - now the ball's in her court.
Pay through the noseTo 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 backTo 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 handleTo suddenly get very angry
Calm down - there's no need to fly off the handle.
Touch woodSaid just after you have said that things are
going 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 buckTo 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 heartUsed 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 fireUsed to say that there will be trouble
because of something that has happened
The fat’s in the fire! There is 100,000 $ missing from the
office safe.
Make a splashTo do something that gets a lot of public
attention
Russell's new show made a big splash in New York.
Henpecked husbandA man who is henpecked is always
being 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 armSomething that makes you more
confident or more successful
The new factory will give the local economy a real shot in the
arm.
A shot in the darkAn 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 meetTo have only just enough money to buy
the things you need
Things are so expensive nowadays that it’s very difficult
to make ends meet.
Grease somebody's palmTo 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 somebody/something
To gain an advantage, especially by doing something earlier than usual or
earlier than someone else
I want to get a jump on my Christmas shopping.
Money talksUsed to say that people with money have
power and can get what they want
Money talks, and poor working people are ignored.
Monkey businessBad or dishonest behaviour
Stop the monkey business! This is serious.
Sitting duckSomeone who is easy to attack or easy
to cheat
Out in the open, the soldiers were sitting ducks for enemy
fire.
Laughing stockSomeone who is a laughing stock has
done something so silly that people have no respect for them
We can't do that - we'd be a laughing stock!
Neck and neckIf two competitors or groups are neck
and 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 chicken
Used 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 gooseberryTo be with two people who are having a
romantic 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 chew
To 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 bulletTo 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 doghouseTo be in a situation in which someone is annoyed with you because of something
you have done
I'm in the doghouse for forgetting Valentine's Day.
Beat around the bushTo avoid or delay talking about something
embarrassing or unpleasant
Don't beat around the bush. Ask for your account to be paid, and paid
quickly.
Be full of itA rude expression used to say that
someone often says things that are wrong or stupid
Don't listen to Jerry. He's full of it.
Pardon my FrenchUsed humorously to say that you are
sorry for using a swear word
He is really a bastard, if you we'll pardon my French.
Be a piece of cakeTo 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 somebody
Used to tell someone that you are annoyed with 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 waterTo check people's reaction to a plan
before you decide to use it
We have to test the water, before we make a final decision.
Stick to your gunsTo 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 differences
To 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 throatTo have difficulty in speaking, especially
because of a sore throat
Excuse me, I can’t talk clearly. I have got a frog in my throat.
Give somebody the slipTo escape from someone who is chasing
you
The street was really full of people that the thief managed
to give them the slip.
Put your foot in itTo say something without thinking
carefully, 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 something
To become involved in something that does not 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 beltTo be unfair or cruel
The comments hit below the belt.
Break the iceTo make people feel more friendly and willing
to talk to each other
I tried to break the ice by offering her a drink, but she
said no.
For a songVery cheaply
He bought the house for a song five years ago.
Cut the crapStop saying something that is not true
Cut the crap! Talk straight or buzz off!
Hit the roof/ceilingTo be very angry
Ritz returned, saw the mess, and hit the roof.
Pull stringsTo secretly use your influence with important
people in order to get what you want or to help someone else
Is it possible to get anything done around here without
pulling strings?
Bark up the wrong treeTo have a wrong idea, or do something in a way 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.
Put the cart before the horseTo do two things in the wrong order
Hey, tom! Why are you eating your dessert first? You’re putting
the cart before the horse.
Burn the midnight oilTo 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.
Chalk and cheeseCompletely different from each other
The two brothers are as different as chalk and cheese.
Rain or shineWhatever happens or whatever the weather
is like
Don't worry. We'll be there - rain or shine.
Get/have cold feetTo suddenly feel that you are not brave
enough to do something you planned to do
The plan failed after sponsors got cold feet.
Smell a ratTo guess that something wrong or dishonest
is happening
I smelled a rat as soon as I saw a strange man walking on our
farm.
Ring a bellIf 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 pokeSomething you bought without seeing it first 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.
Rock the boatTo 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 nosea) to go straight forward or continue in the
same directionb) to go to the place from where there is a
particular smell coming
A:Excuse me, where is the nearest gas station?
B:Just follow your nose!
Get off my caseUsed to tell someone to stop criticizing
you or complaining about you
OK, OK, just get off my case!
Be walking on airTo be feeling extremely happy
Bob was walking on air on his graduation day.
Rub somebody's nose in it/in the dirt
To keep reminding someone about something they did wrong or failed to do, especially in
order to punish them
I know I made a terrible mistake, but there is no need to rub my
nose in it.
Have a screw looseTo be slightly crazy
He never talks sense. He seems to have a screw loose!
Twist somebody's armTo persuade someone to do something
they do not want to do
Daady won’t buy me the car unless I twist his arm.
Hold your tongueUsed to tell someone to stop talking or to not
tell someone about something
Hold your tongue, Steve! You can’t talk to your sister that way.
By the bookExactly according to rules or instructions
Rules are not to be broken - Barb does everything by the book.
Strike while the iron is hotTo do something immediately rather than
waiting until a later time when you are less likely to succeed
Don't wait until tomorrow before you tell him, strike while the iron
is hot!
String along To deceive someone for a long time by
making 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 horseUsed to tell someone to do something
more slowly or carefully
Hey, don’t get so mad! Hold your horse and let us explain.
Talk somebody's ear offTo talk too much to someone
My grandmother takes my ear off whenever I see her.
Talk turkeyTo talk seriously about details, especially in
business
Let’s stop joking around. We’ve got to sit down and talk turkey.
The salt of the earthSomeone who is ordinary but good and
honest
Everybody knows that Jim and his old lady are the salt of the
earth.
It's (a case of) the tail wagging the dog
Used 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 dustTo die, fail, or be defeated
My old car's finally bitten the dust.
I'll eat my hatUsed to emphasize that you think
something 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 boatTo be in the same unpleasant situation
as someone else
If marriage is a boat, then many of us are in the same boat!
Get somebody's goatTo make someone extremely annoyed
Relax - don't let him get your goat.
Jump out off one’s skinVery shocked or frightened
Don't shout. I nearly jumped out of my skin.
Be all fingers and thumbsTo be unable to do something in which
you have to make small careful movements with your fingers
She was all fingers and thumbs - and worry.
Take somebody for a rideTo trick someone, especially in order to
get money from them
I'd just begun to realise he was taking me for a ride.
Sell somebody/something short
To 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 hipTo 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 blanketSomeone who seems to want to spoil other people's fun, for example by refusing to join them in something enjoyable that they are
doing
You shouldn’t invite him to your party. He is such a wet
blanket!
Go fly a kiteUsed to tell someone to go away, stop
saying something, or stop annoying you
Stop bothering me! Go fly a kite!
Split hairWhen people pay too much attention to small
differences 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 spadeTo speak about things in a direct and honest way, even though it may be impolite to do this
Grandfather hates fancy words; he always calls a spade a spade.
Pull somebody's legTo tell someone something that is not true, as
a joke
Don't worry. I was just pulling your leg about moving - I'm not
going anywhere.
Give somebody (a) fiveTo hit the inside of someone's hand with your hand to show that you are
very pleased about something
Hey man! Give me five!
Level with somebodyTo 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 cornersTo save time, money, or energy by doing things quickly and not as carefully as you
should
Don't try to cut corners when you're decorating.
Put/lay your cards on the table
To 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/trailTo begin a journey
It’s getting pretty late. Let’s hit the road!
Feel like a million dollarsTo feel or look very healthy, happy, and
beautiful
How are you doing Rosa?I feel like a million bucks!
Lead a dog's lifeA life that is difficult and unpleasant, with very
little pleasure
I’m going to get rich soon. I’m quite tired of leading a dog’s
life.
Lay an eggTo fail or be unsuccessful at something
that you are trying to do
I hope I won’t lay an egg, when it’s my turn to sing!
Off the recordAn off-the-record remark is unofficial and is
not supposed to be made public
The Prime Minister's remarks were strictly off the record.
Make no bones about (doing) something
To not feel nervous or ashamed about doing or saying something
Mary made no bones about enjoying a drink.
Blow the whistle on somebody
To tell someone in authority about something wrong that someone is doing
He blew the whistle on his colleagues.
In the bagCertain to be won or achieved
The governor's advisors believe the election is in the bag.
Paint the townTo go out to bars, clubs etc to enjoy yourself
Tonight we're going to paint the town red.
Play something by earTo decide what to do according to the
way a situation develops, without making plans before that time
We'll see what the weather's like and play it by ear.
Be sitting prettyTo be in a very good or favourable
position
We've paid off the mortgage, so we're sitting pretty now.
Rock the boatTo cause problems for other members of a group by criticizing something or trying to
change the way something is done
As long as you don't rock the boat, nobody cares what you do.
Be/fall in love
To have a strong feeling of liking someone a lot combined with sexual attraction
I think I'm falling in love with Rosa.
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,Behnam. You… 30 June, 2008 [email protected]