Learn Some Slang and Colloquial Expressions

Learn Some Slang and Colloquial Expressions

Beat about the bush; prevaricate; not being direct.

e.g. Don't beat about the bush; tell me what's on your mind.

Pull a fast one: trick or deceive.

e.g. Don't try to pull a fast one on me: I wasn't born yesterday.

Get one's teeth into: make a vigorous start.

e.g. Look, he's very serious; he really gets his teeth into his project.

At a pinch: in emergency.

e.g. You may need this sum of money at a pinch.

Make a dead set at: very determined to.

e.g. He made a dead set at getting that house on the market.

Bone up on: study hard.

e.g. If you wish to pass your test, you'd better bone up on it.

At that: in addition.

e.g. The restaurant was expensive, and the service was bad at that.

In deep water: in a difficult situation.

e.g. I understand that you are in deep water, now that you've lost your job.

Boo-boo: an error.

e.g. This is just a boo-boo; don't take it too seriously.

Odd fish: an unusual type of person.

e.g. I must say your brother is an odd fish: the way he dresses himself, and the way he behaves.

Fed up: bored.

e.g. I'm fed up with what's going on.

In the family way: pregnant.

e.g. My daughter is in the family way; I'm going to be a grand parent.

Get cracking: start.

e.g. We don't have all the time in the world; come on, get cracking.

Get out of bed of the wrong side: be irritable.

e.g. Your Mom seems to have got out of bed on the wrong side.

Gasping: urgently in need of something.

e.g. I'm gasping for a drink.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© 2018 by Stephen Lau