IDIOMS
You can do
it too!
DEFINITION
• 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. That’s 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 people’s
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.
THIS PRESENTATION
• Here is a sample of 30 commonly-used idioms
in 10 groups.
• 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.
• There’s a short test handout at the end (with
answers).
TIME
• You’d better leave early for the
airport before ___________
starts.
(period of heavy traffic)
•from the word go
• I love Canada and want to
•for good
stay
here
___________.
•rush hour
(always)
• The Titanic, that huge ship
that sank on its first voyage,
was a disaster
___________________.
(from the very beginning)
TIME
• You’d better leave early for
(the answers)
the airport before RUSH
•
•
•
from the
word go
for good
rush hour
HOUR starts.
• I love Canada and want to
stay here FOR GOOD.
• The Titanic, that huge ship
that sank on its first
voyage, was a disaster
FROM THE WORD GO.
BEING
REALISTIC
•it stands to
reason
•down-to-earth
•draw the line
• ____________________
Obama won. He was younger,
fitter, and more exciting than
his opponents. (it is logical that)
• No, I won’t lend you $50. I
have to _______________
somewhere. (set a limit)
• Mr. Kim is a practical and
____________ boss. He grew
up in a poor family in Seoul.
(showing good sense)
BEING REALISTIC • IT STANDS TO REASON
Obama won. He was
(the answers)
younger, fitter, and more
•
•
•
it stands
to reason
down-toearth
draw the
line
exciting than his opponents.
• No, I won’t lend you $50. I
have to DRAW THE LINE
somewhere.
• Mr. Kim is a practical and
DOWN-TO-EARTH boss. He
grew up in a poor family in
Seoul.
BEING
CRITICAL
• It was a nice mall when it
first opened, but it has
_________________ since
then.
• He behaves like a very
important man, but he is not.
_______________________.
•he really thinks
he’s something
•gone downhill
•par for the
course
• My cable TV company
(become less attractive, deteriorated)
(he’s conceited and egotistical, arrogant)
cancelled my service during
the soccer finals. Isn’t that
______________________?
(typical)
BEING CRITICAL
(the answers)
•
•
•
• It was a nice mall when it
first opened, but it has GONE
DOWNHILL since then.
he really thinks
he’s something
• He behaves like a very
gone downhill
important man, but he is not.
par for the
HE REALLY THINKS HE’S
course
SOMETHING.
• My cable TV company
cancelled my service during
the soccer finals. Isn’t that
PAR FOR THE COURSE?
ENCOURAGING
OR PRAISING
•take a crack at it
•I’ve got to hand it
to you
•no news is good
news
• It’s a difficult job, but
___________________. (make
an attempt)
• They haven’t heard from
their son in Canada? Oh
well,
__________________. ( when
you don’t hear from someone, things are probably fine)
• I thought you were wrong,
but now
__________________.
(I was
wrong, and I must congratulate you)
ENCOURAGING
OR PRAISING
(the answers)
•
•
•
take a crack at it
I’ve got to hand it
to you
no news is good
news
• It’s a difficult job, but TAKE
A CRACK AT IT.
•
• They haven’t heard from
their son in Canada? Oh
well, NO NEWS IS GOOD
NEWS.
• I thought you were wrong,
but now I’VE GOT TO HAND
IT TO YOU.
MONEY
MATTERS
• Only ______________
people can drive a
Mercedes car.
(rich)
•out of pocket
• We’ll pay all your expenses,
•bread and butter
so you won’t
•well-to-do
be____________.
(spending your own
money)
• She likes playing piano, but
accounting is her
__________.
(main source of income)
MONEY MATTERS • Only WELL-TO-DO people
can drive a Mercedes car.
(the answers)
•
•
•
out of pocket
bread and
butter
well-to-do
• We’ll pay all your expenses,
so you won’t be OUT OF
POCKET.
• She likes playing piano, but
accounting is her BREAD
AND BUTTER.
• When they started to laugh
ANGER OR
and joke in class, he told
FRUSTRATION
•cut it out
•pain in the neck
•hit the
roof/ceiling
them to
______________________.
(stop it)
• She’s a ________________,
always complaining and
being negative.
(annoying person or thing)
• When he saw them
cheating, he _________.
(became very angry)
ANGER OR
• When they started to laugh
FRUSTRATION (the
and joke in class, he told
answers)
•
•
•
them to CUT IT OUT.
cut it out
pain in the
neck
hit the
roof/ceiling
• She’s a PAIN IN THE NECK,
always complaining and
being negative.
• When he saw them
cheating, he HIT THE ROOF.
SURPRISE
• I _______________ when I
saw my boss drunk in a bar.
•a real eye-opener
•caught me off
guard
•did a double take
• It was _________________
when he shouted at me at 8
in the morning.
(looked again to make sure)
(a surprise, revelation)
• His anger ____________.
surprised me )
(really
• I DID A DOUBLE TAKE when
SURPRISE
I saw my boss drunk in a
(the answers)
•
•
•
a real eyeopener
caught me off
guard
did a double
take
bar.
• It was A REAL EYE-OPENER
when he shouted at me at
8 in the morning.
• His anger TOOK ME OFF
GUARD.
PAIRS
•neither here nor
there
•the ins and outs
•rank and file
• She understands
_________ of her job.
That’s why she is excellent.
(the details)
• That he is left-handed is
______________________.
He can do the work very
well.
(irrelevant, of no concern in this case)
• Ask the __________ as well
as the managers.
(the ordinary members)
PAIRS
(the answers)
•
•
•
neither here nor
there
the ins and outs
rank and file
• She understands THE INS
AND OUTS of her job. That’s
why she is satisfactory.
• That he is left-handed is
NEITHER HERE NOR THERE.
He can do the work very well.
• Ask the RANK AND FILE as
well as the managers.
SOCIAL
LIFE
•on the wagon
•many happy
returns
•for old times’
sake
• Don’t give him a beer. He’s
________________.
(not drinking alcohol)
• She wished me
___________________ when it
was my birthday.
(expression of best wishes)
• Let’s go to our student reunion
and have a glass of wine with
our old friends
_____________________.
(to relive
memories)
SOCIAL LIFE
• Don’t give him a beer. He’s
(the answers)
ON THE WAGON.
•on the wagon
•many happy
returns
•for old times’
sake
• She wished me MANY
HAPPY RETURNS when it
was my birthday.
• Let’s go to our student
reunion and have a glass of
wine with our old friends
FOR OLD TIMES’ SAKE.
SPORTS
•a ballpark figure
•out in left field
•going to bat for
• Thanks for
__________________ me with
my citizenship application. I
needed your support. (giving your support)
• $5 million is only
_____________ for the
college’s addition. (a rough estimate)
• His ideas are really
_________________, so we
shouldn’t listen to him. (unrealistic)
SPORTS
(the answers)
•a ballpark figure
•out in left field
•going to bat for
• Thanks for GOING TO BAT
FOR me with my citizenship
application. I needed your
support.
• $5 million is only A
BALLPARK FIGURE for the
college’s addition.
• His ideas are really OUT IN
LEFT FIELD, so we shouldn’t
listen to him.
LET’S SEE IF WE KEPT YOU ON YOUR TOES.
HAVE SOME FUN. TAKE THE HANDOUT TEST.
IF YOU PASS, GOOD FOR YOU.
IF YOU DON’T, IT MAKES SENSE FOR YOU TO
WORK ON …