LEARNING ENGLISH

AdaTeaches

WHAT IS A IDIOM?

An idiom is an expression that has a figurative meaning

unrelated to the literal meaning of the phrase.

IDIOMS

An idiom is a group of words whose meaning must be known

as a whole because it cannot be learned from the meaning
of the same words used separately.
There is a problem when you cannot look up individual
words in a dictionary and find the meaning. Thats what you
usually do with unfamiliar words. With idioms, you must
learn the whole group of words.

WHY LEARN IDIOMS FOR

RECOGNITION?

It is really valuable to recognize idioms when you hear them

or read them. Knowledge of idioms is essential for
understanding spoken English. People use them all the time
instead of more formal ways of expressing themselves. You
will hear them often in movies, on TV, in songs, and through
peoples everyday language use.

WHY USE THEM YOURSELF?

Idioms add life and vitality to language. Without idioms,

language can be correct, but it may be very dull.
When you are able to use idioms comfortably in your own
speech and writing, then you have achieved a higher level of
mastery and fluency in the language.

The dialogues show what kind of situation an idiom may be

used in. After each dialogue, an equivalent of each missing
idiom is provided to help you.

TIME

Shes had headaches four days

_________________ because of
tension about tomorrows
Accounting test.
(one after another, consecutively)

in due course
in a row
ahead of
time

He handed in that assignment

_______________________
because he wanted to take
time off.
(before, in advance)

Theyll get their grades

_____________________, about
two weeks from now when
processing is complete.
(in the usual amount of time)

TIME
(THE ANSWERS)

in due course
in a row
ahead of time

Shes had headaches four

days IN A ROW because of
tension about tomorrows
Accounting test.
He handed in that
assignment AHEAD OF
TIME because he wanted
to take time off.
Theyll get their grades IN
DUE COURSE, about two
weeks from now when
processing is complete.

BEING
REALISTIC
they cant
have their
cake and eat
it too
it makes
sense
lets not kid
ourselves

_______________ for you to

share your apartment and
save money. (it seems reasonable)
_____________________.
Theres no easy way for us
to complete this work.
(lets be

realistic)

They party all night and

still want top grades, but
____
___________________________
______.
(they cant have both things)

BEING REALISTIC (THE

ANSWERS)

they cant
have their
cake and eat it
too
it makes
sense
lets not kid
ourselves

IT MAKES SENSE for you to share

your apartment and save money.
LETS NOT KID OURSELVES. Theres
no easy way for us to complete this
work.
They party all night and still want top
grades, but THEY CANT HAVE THEIR
CAKE AND EAT IT TOO.

BEING
CRITICAL

You cheated and were

caught, so ___________
____________.
(you deserve it)

Youd like to win $1 million

on the lottery? Well,
_________ ______________.

it serves you
right
rubs people
the wrong way
That teacher works hard,
dont hold
but is unpopular because
your breath
(dont expect it to happen quickly)

she
_______________________.
(annoys other people)

BEING CRITICAL (THE

ANSWERS)

it serves you
right
rubs people the
wrong way
dont hold your
breath

You cheated and were caught, so IT

SERVES YOU RIGHT.
Youd like to win $1 million on the
lottery? Well,
BREATH.

DONT HOLD YOUR

That teacher works hard, but is

unpopular because she RUBS
PEOPLE THE WRONG WAY.

ENCOURAGING OR
PRAISING

hang in
there
never mind
good for
you

You were sick during the

exam but got the highest
grade. _________________.
(congratulations)

_________________ if you didnt

get that job. I know you tried
hard and learned a lot.
(dont worry

about it; it doesnt matter)

You find college work hard,

but I think youll succeed, so
_______________.
(dont give up; stay with it)

ENCOURAGI
NG OR
PRAISING
(THE
ANSWERS)

hang in there
never mind
good for you

You were sick during the exam but

got the highest grade. GOOD FOR
YOU!
NEVER MIND if you didnt get that
job. I know you tried hard and
learned a lot.
You find college work hard, but I
think youll succeed, so HANG IN
THERE!

MONEY MATTERS
under the table Steve is ______________ at the
mall because his day job
moonlighting
doesnt pay a good income.
cheapskate

(doing

another job in the evenings)

His boss is a _____________

and doesnt pay Steve
enough.

(someone who isnt generous with his money)

Joe fixes cars and sometimes

makes good money if he works
__________________.
(without keeping records or

paying taxes)

MONEY MATTERS (THE

ANSWERS)

under the
table
moonlighting
cheapskate

Steve is MOONLIGHTING at
the mall because his day job
doesnt pay much money.
His boss is a CHEAPSKATE
and doesnt pay Steve
enough.
Joe fixes cars and
sometimes makes good
money if he works UNDER
THE TABLE.

ANGER OR
FRUSTRATION

driving me up
the wall
that bugs me
cant stand

We __________that teacher as he is so
boring.(dislike strongly)
He was _______________
when he told us how clever he is.
(making me angry)

One thing ___________ is his voice. I

hate shouting. (that annoys me)

ANGER OR
FRUSTRATION
(THE
ANSWERS)
driving me up
the wall
that bugs me
cant stand

We CANT STAND that teacher as he

is so boring.
He was DRIVING ME UP THE WALL
when he told us how clever he is.
One thing THAT BUGS ME is his
voice. I hate shouting.

SURPRISE
no wonder
cant get
over
sit up and
take notice

_______________they didnt
recognize their old house.
They havent been there for
20 years.

(it is not surprising)

Her green hair made him

_________________. (pay attention)
He _____________how strange
she looks. (finds it difficult to believe)

SURPRISE
(THE ANSWERS)

no wonder
cant get
over
sit up and
take notice

NO WONDER they didnt recognize

their old house. They havent been
there for 20 years.
Her green hair MADE HIM SIT UP AND
TAKE NOTICE.
He CANT GET OVER how strange she
looks.

PAIRS

weigh the
pros and cons
last but not
least
by trial and
error

We learn best ________________,

from our mistakes. (by learning while
taking action)

Mr. Zhang is the __________ of the

candidates, in fact possibly the
best qualified. (final but not less important
than others)

Before a big decision,

______________. (consider both the advantages
and disadvantages)

PAIRS
(THE ANSWERS)

We learn best BY TRIAL AND

ERROR, from our mistakes.

weigh the
pros and
cons
last but not
least
by trial and
error

Mr. Zhang is LAST BUT NOT LEAST

of the candidates, in fact possibly
the best qualified.
Before a big decision, CONSIDER
THE PROS AND CONS.

SOCIAL
LIFE

did me a
good turn
no hard
feelings
lost track of

The boy _____________ by returning

my wallet. (helped me)
She forgives me, with
_________________. (without regret)
I missed the test when I
____________time. (I forgot about)

SOCIAL LIFE
(THE ANSWERS)

did me a
good turn
no hard
feelings
lost track of

The boy DID ME A GOOD TURN by

returning my wallet.
She forgives me, with NO HARD
FEELINGS.
I missed the test when I LOST TRACK
OF time.

SPORTS
keep them
on their toes
the balls in
your court
to get even

You must make this decision, not her.

The ______________________. (its your turn
to take action)

Hes a strong leader and will

___________. (make sure theyre ready)
I beat Jo in the last game, so Jo
wants ____. (to retaliate, pay me back)

SPORTS
(THE ANSWERS)

keep them
on their toes
the balls in
your court
to get even

You must make this decision, not her.

The BALLS IN YOUR COURT.
Hes a strong leader and will KEEP
THEM ON THEIR TOES.
I beat Jo in the last game, so Jo
wants TO GET EVEN.

FUNCTION OF IDIOMS

People use idioms to make their language

richer and more colorful and to convey
subtle shades of meaning or intention.
Idioms are used often to replace a literal
word or expression, and many times the
idiom better describes the full nuance of
meaning. Idioms and idiomatic expressions
can be more precise than the literal words,
often using fewer words but saying more.
For example, the expression it runs in the
family is shorter and more succinct than
saying that a physical or personality trait 'is
fairly common throughout one's extended
family and over a number of generations.'"

STEVE HARVEY'S INTERVIEW

WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA

cover a lot of ground

to deal with much information and many
facts.

love somebody to death

to feel extremely strong affection for
someone

A hot potato
Speak of an issue (mostly current) which
many people are talking about and which is
usually disputed

A penny for your thoughts

A way of asking what someone is thinking

Actions speak louder than words

People's intentions can be judged better by
what they do than what they say.

Add insult to injury

To further a loss with mockery or indignity;
to worsen an unfavorable situation.

An arm and a leg

Very expensive or costly. A large amount of
money.

At the drop of a hat

without any hesitation; instantly.

Back to the drawing board

When an attempt fails and it's time to start
all over.

Ball is in your court

It is up to you to make the next decision or
step

Barking up the wrong tree

Looking in the wrong place. Accusing the
wrong person

Beat around the bush

Avoiding the main topic. Not speaking
directly about the issue.

Best of both worlds

All the advantages. Best thing since sliced
bread A good invention or innovation. A
good idea or plan.

Bite off more than you can chew

To take on a task that is way to big.

Can't judge a book by its cover

Cannot judge something primarily on
appearance.

Cross that bridge when you come to it

Deal with a problem if and when it becomes
necessary, not before

Curiosity killed the cat

Being Inquisitive can lead you into an
unpleasant situation.

Cut corners
When something is done badly to save
money.

Devil's Advocate
To present a counter argument

Don't count your chickens before the eggs

have hatched
Don't make plans for something that might
not happen

Don't put all your eggs in one basket

Do not put all your resources in one
possibility.

Drastic times call for drastic measures

When you are extremely desperate you
need to take drastic actions.

Every cloud has a silver lining

Be optimistic, even difficult times will lead
to better days.

Feel a bit under the weather

Feeling slightly ill.

Give the benefit of the doubt

Believe someone's statement, without proof.

Hit the nail on the head

Do or say something exactly right

Hit the sack / sheets / hay

To go to bed

In the heat of the moment

Overwhelmed by what is happening in the
moment.

It takes two to tango

Actions or communications need more than
one person

Jump on the bandwagon

Join a popular trend or activity.

Kill two birds with one stone

To accomplish two different things at the
same time.

Last straw
The final problem in a series of problems

Let sleeping dogs lie

do not disturb a situation as it is - since it
would result in trouble or complications.

Let the cat out of the bag

To share information that was previously
concealed

Make a long story short

Come to the point - leave out details

Method to my madness
An assertion that, despite one's approach
seeming random, there actually is structure
to it.

Miss the boat

someone missed his or her chance
That ship has sailed

Not a spark of decency

No manners

Once in a blue moon

Happens very rarely.

Picture paints a thousand words

A visual presentation is far more descriptive
than words.

Piece of cake
A job, task or other activity that is easy or
simple

Sit on the fence

This is used when someone does not want to
choose or make a decision.

Speak of the devil!

This expression is used when the person you
have just been talking about arrives.

Steal someone's thunder

To take the credit for something someone
else did.

Take with a grain of salt

This means not to take what someone says
too seriously.

Taste of your own medicine

Means that something happens to you, or is
done to you, that you have done to someone
else

Wouldn't be caught dead

Would never like to do something

Your guess is as good as mine

To have no idea, do not know the answer to
a question

FIGURATIVELY/LITERALLY

Figuratively means metaphorically, and

literally describes something that actually
happened.
The metaphorical, idiomatic, or ironic sense
of a word or expression, in contrast to its
literal meaning.

If you say that a guitar solo literally blew

your head off, your head should not be
attached to your body.
Most of us were taught that figuratively
means something other than literal, and that
literally means "actually" or "exactly."

Somewhere along the line, literally began to be used as,

well, figuratively, like this:
But they're also going to create literally a tidal wave of
data. (Washington Post) There wasn't an actual tidal wave,
just a lot of data. Here are some examples that make word
nerds literally smile:
Today, protesters literally occupy Wall Street, camping in
Zuccotti Park at the heart of New York's financial district.
(Washington Post)
They're really, actually there.
People can literally drown in their own body fluids.
(Scientific American) "We literally had fish blood running
through the parking lot," he says. (Forbes)
Ew, but true.

Figuratively is more imaginative, it's used

when you mean something didn't really
happen. It's metaphorical, as in these
examples with boats and feathers:
Besides, figuratively speaking, they are still
in the same boat. (Mayne Reid)
So Joshas he figuratively put ithad not a
feather to fly with. (Burford Delannoy)

Although literally has been horning in on

figuratively's turf, they're really not the
same, in fact the two words are often go
together to complete a picture:
Watching a waterfall drowns out literally
and figuratively everyday cares. (Seattle
Times) "The Piano Lesson" tells a more
haunting story, both literally and
figuratively. (New York Times)

Will people understand you if you use

literally when you mean figuratively? Sure.
Most people will recognize that when you
say, "The guitar solo literally blew my head
off" it was an awesome solo, but your head
is, in fact, still on your neck.

CONTROVERSY

Cognitive linguists in particular disagree

with the notion that figurative language is
derivative or supplementary to literal
language and instead argue that figurative
language, particularly metaphor and
metonymy, reflect the way we conceptualize
abstract notions in terms of more concrete
ones"

"In France there is a saying 'C'est quoi, ce

Bronx?' Literally it means, 'What is this, the
Bronx?' Figuratively it means 'What a
dump!'"

ECCENTRIC
Eccentric first came into English in 1551 as a
technical term in astronomy, meaning 'a circle in
which the earth, sun, etc. deviates from its
center.' . . .
"In 1685, the definition slid from the literal to the
figurative. Eccentric was defined as 'deviating
from the usual character or practice;
unconventional; whimsical; odd,' as in an
eccentric genius, an eccentric millionaire. . . .
The astronomical meaning of eccentric has only
historical relevance today, while the figurative
meaning is the commonly recognized one"

Too often you are chasing your own (tale or

tail), getting nowhere, and in the process
losing all your energy.

Rocco insisted that unlocking both

combination locks would be a (peace or
piece) of cake.

The governor recommended across-the(board or bored) cuts in spending.

Everybody has a cross to (bare or bear), and

so we might as well get used to it.

Don't hold your (breath or breathe) waiting

for your friends to say thank-you.