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