Learn American Idioms

Idioms are words and phrases in a language that have come into existence for a variety of reasons, some obvious enough, some inexplicable, but most of them appropriately and delightfully characteristic of the race that created them.

Hit the nail on the head: do exactly the right thing

e.g. Your remark hit the nail on the head; that was precisely the solution to the problem.

Flash in the pan: only temporary

e.g. His initial success was only a flash in the pan.

Keep a straight face: refrain from laughing

e.g. It’s difficult to keep a straight face when someone acts so funny.

Add insult to injury: make things worse

e.g. Enough is enough! Don’t add insult to injury.

Have it coming: deserve what one gets

e.g. Failure was unavoidable. What you did had it coming.

After hours: after normal working hours

e.g. We are so busy that many of us have to stay after hour.

Just as well: good that an unexpected problem has come up

e.g. It was just as well the customer didn’t show up; we didn’t have anything ready for him.

Pitch in: help and get busy

e.g. We need help for this project; would you like to pitch in?

Play both ends against the middle: gain an advantage by pitting people on opposite sides of an issue against each other

e.g. In American politics, it is not common for politicians to play both ends against the middle to win their elections.

Quick on the uptake: quick to understand; smart

e.g. He is quick on the uptake; you don’t need to give him unnecessary details.

All thumbs: awkward and clumsy with one’s fingers

e.g. She will not learn to play the piano because she knows her fingers are all thumbs.

Make headway: make progress or advancement

e.g. Despite our effort, we have made little headway with our business.

Actions speak louder than words: do something about it, not just talking about it

e.g. Show me what you have done! Actions speak louder than words.

Have one’s fingers in the pie: become involved in something

e.g. As long as you have your fingers in the pie, things will not run smoothly.

Abide by: accept and follow

e.g. If you wish to become a citizen of the United States, you must abide by U.S. immigration laws.

Everyday American Idioms for ESL Learners

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Choosing the Right Words

STUDIO / STUDIOUS

Studio: a place where pictures are taken, or films are made.

e.g. The film was made in a Hollywood studio.

Studious: fond of study; careful and thoughtful.

e.g. To be a good scientist, you must be studious.

MELLOW / MELODIOUS

Mellow: mature; soft and pure; rich and full.

e.g. As he continues to age, he become more mellow and compassionate.

Melodious: tuneful; pleasant to the ear.

e.g. He voice is melodious; he should take up singing.

GENTEEL / GENTLE

Genteel: well-bred, polite; imitating the lifestyle of the rich.

e.g. Your friend is genteel. Is he very rich?

e.g. All along he has been living in genteel poverty. He is not practical.

Gentle: kind, friendly, mild.

e.g. Be gentle to my puppy.

DISPOSABLE / INDISPOSED

Disposable: cant be removed or got rid of.

e.g. This machine is disposable; we can do without it

Indisposed: not feeling well; unwilling to

e.g. You look indisposed. Is there something wrong with you?

e.g. Many people are indisposed to working on weekends.

TERMINABLE / TERMINAL

Terminable: can be ended.

e.g. Your employment is only temporary and terminable at any time.

Terminal: at the end.

e.g. The doctor told him that he had terminal cancer.

DECORATIVE / DECOROUS

Decorative: having an artistic or showy effect.

e.g. The ballroom with all the ribbons and flowers are very decorative.

Decorous: showing good taste.

e.g. The Princess looks decorous in that simple but beautiful dress.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Common Slang Expressions

Back number: a person with outdated ideas or information.

e.g. If I were you, I wouldn’t take any advice from someone who is a back number

Swell-head: a conceited person.

e.g. Look at his ego, and he’s such a swell-head.

Hard and fast: unalterable.

e.g. He held hard and fast to his decision to retire.

Bean time: dinnertime.

e.g. Come on, guys, wash your hands; it’s bean time.

Half-baked: silly.

e.g. What do you take me for? A fool half-baked!

Hard hit: financially ruined

e.g. Our business was hard hit by the recession.

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.

Apple-pie order: very orderly; perfect condition.

e.g. When we returned home, we were surprised to find that everything was still in apple-pie order.

Also-ran: someone not likely to win.

e.g. In this presidential election, he was just an also-ran. In less than two months, he called it quit.

Turn in: go to bed.

e.g. Come on, guys, it’s time to turn in.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Learn Some Common Colloquial Expressions

Blue pencil: censor.

e.g. The committee will blue pencil whatever you are going to say.

Get the hang of: understand.

e.g. I still don't get the hang of how this machine works.

Put one's shirt on: wager everything.

e.g. We have to put our shirt on this project; we've no other option.

Pooped: exhausted.

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

Are you with me?: understand or agree with me.

e.g. I've been explaining this for an hour. Are you with me?

Bang out: reveal.

e.g. If you go into politics, you must be prepared to let all your secrets bang out.

Deliver the goods: do what is expected or required.

e.g. The new employee seems to deliver the goods -- very hard working and conscientious.

Half-baked: silly.

e.g. What do you take me for? A fool half-baked!

Not worth powder and shot: not worth the effort.

e.g. If I were you, I would just give it up; it's not worth powder and shot.

Have someone by the short hair: have control over; have someone at a disadvantage.

e.g. Not having adequate preparation will let your opponent have you by the short hair.

Cry blue murder: make a great fuss.

e.g. Just ignore him: he's crying blue murder over everything.

Have it in for someone: bear someone a grudge; be determined to punish someone.

e.g. All these years he has it in for you: you married his sweetheart.

Gift of the gab: ability to give effective speeches.

e.g. The new Mayor has the gift of the gab: people like listening to him.

Keep one's head above water: stay out of debt or a difficult situation.

e.g. In this economic environment, it is not easy to keep your head above water.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

American Idioms

Meet someone halfway: compromise

e.g. He settled the agreement with her by meeting her halfway.

First and last: above all; under all circumstances

e.g. She was an accomplished pianist first and last.

Late in life: in old age

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

Afraid of one’s own shadow: easily frightened.

e.g. Don’t tell him that this is an unsafe neighborhood; he is even afraid of his own shadow.

Abide by: accept and follow

e.g. If you wish to become a citizen of the United States, you must abide by U.S. immigration laws.

Poop out: tire out

e.g. The marathon race pooped me out; I could hardly walk.

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

Learn Some Slang and Colloquial Expressions

Are you with me?: understand or agree with me.

e.g. I've been explaining this for an hour. Are you with me?

Bang out: reveal

e.g. If you go into politics, you must be prepared to let all your secrets bang out.

Deliver the goods: do what is expected or required.

e.g. The new employee seems to deliver the goods -- very hard working and conscientious.

Half-baked: silly.

e.g. What do you take me for? A fool half-baked!

Not worth powder and shot: not worth the effort.

e.g. If I were you, I would just give it up; it's not worth powder and shot.

Cry blue murder: make a great fuss.

e.g. Just ignore him: he's crying blue murder over everything.

Beat hollow: be superior to.

e.g. She is bossy, beating everyone hollow.

Jump down one's throat: criticize or scold severely.

e.g. The boss jumped down my throat for not completing the project on time.

Back to square one: back to where one started.

e.g. We're back to square one: no deal.

Jump on: blame or criticize strongly.

e.g. You jumped on him every time he opened his mouth.

Darned sight more: a lot more.

e.g. "Do you think he should put more effort on this?" "A darned sight more!"

Dead to the world

Fast asleep.

e.g. When I paid him a visit, he was dead to the world; I didn’t have a chance to speak to him.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau