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Learn Some American Idioms
Dance to another tune: change to a different attitude or behavior
e.g. If your parents were here, you would dance to another tune.
Make a stab at: try to do something
e.g. I knew you would make a stab at finishing the project.
Go ballistic: fly into a rage; be over enthusiastic
e.g. After she heard the bad news, she went ballistic and was uncontrollable.
Stick one’s neck out: take a risk
e.g. If I were you, I wouldn’t stick my neck out for that ungrateful friend of yours
All systems are go: everything is good and ready as planned
e.g. Everything is in order, and all systems are go. We can now launch the rocket.
Sleep on something: think seriously
e.g. I’ll sleep on what you just told me. I’ll give you an answer tomorrow.
Go through the roof: very angry
e.g. When he found out that you took his money, he went through the roof.
That’s the ticket: what is needed
e.g. That’s the ticket! If you do as I tell you, you will succeed.
Call it a day: quit work and go home
e.g. I’m tired; let’s call it a day.
Talk through the hat: talk nonsense
e.g. During the whole evening, your friend had been talking through his hat.
Talk until one is blue in the face: talk a great deal
e.g. I talked until I was blue in the face, but she would not change her mind.
After all: in spite of everything
e.g. She didn’t get a good score; after all, it was her first attempt
Late in life: in old age
e.g. It was only late in life that he became a famous writer.
You bet: yes, of course
e.g. “Are you hungry?” “You bet!”
Act one’s age: behave maturely
e.g. Stop behaving like a teenager! Act your age.
All of it: the best
e.g. From the way he presented him at the debate, he was all of it.
Vicious circle: a series of events that create more problems
e.g. You take drugs to remove the symptoms, but the drugs also cause symptoms that require more drugs; you are ony creating a vicious circle.
Lead someone astray: cause someone to do something wrong or illegal
e.g. If you are always in the company of lawbreakers, you may be easily be led astray.
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.
Pass the hat: collect money for
e.g. He is always passing the hat for something.
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.
Bag your face: shut up!
e.g. You and your loud mouth! Go and bag your face!
Live beyond one’s means: spend more than one can earn
e.g. You are in debt because you are living beyond your means.
Down and out: very poor
e.g. He is down and out without a job and a roof over his head.
Tail end: the last part
e.g. His speech was long, and only the tail end was interesting.
Ball of fire: an energetic and enthusiastic person
e.g. We all want his presence; he is a ball of fire.
No flies on: very alert, smart
e.g. You cannot trick her; there are no flies on her.
Add insult to injury: make things worse
e.g. Enough is enough! Don’t add insult to injury.
Ball of fire: an energetic and enthusiastic person
e.g. We all want his presence; he is a ball of fire.
Take someone for granted: do not take someone seriously
e.g. His wife complained that he always takes her for granted.
More than meets the eye: there is a hidden meaning
e.g. What the Mayor mentioned in the speech implied more than meets the eye.
In fine feather: in good condition; in good health
e.g. With a good night sleep, I am in fine feather today.
Name of the game: the main goal
e.g. The name of the game is winning; we must win this election no matter what.
Face the music: confront danger; accept a bad situation
e.g. There are many circumstances in life in which you have to face the music.
Bad sort: an unpleasant person
e.g. He is a bad sort; nobody likes him.
Bag your face: shut up!
e.g. You and your loud mouth! Go and bag your face!
Feel like: have a desire for something
e.g. I feel like eating a hamburger.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© 2018 by Stephen Lau
More to Come
Dance to another tune: change to a different attitude or behavior
e.g. If your parents were here, you would dance to another tune.
Make a stab at: try to do something
e.g. I knew you would make a stab at finishing the project.
Go ballistic: fly into a rage; be over enthusiastic
e.g. After she heard the bad news, she went ballistic and was uncontrollable.
Stick one’s neck out: take a risk
e.g. If I were you, I wouldn’t stick my neck out for that ungrateful friend of yours
All systems are go: everything is good and ready as planned
e.g. Everything is in order, and all systems are go. We can now launch the rocket.
Sleep on something: think seriously
e.g. I’ll sleep on what you just told me. I’ll give you an answer tomorrow.
Go through the roof: very angry
e.g. When he found out that you took his money, he went through the roof.
That’s the ticket: what is needed
e.g. That’s the ticket! If you do as I tell you, you will succeed.
Call it a day: quit work and go home
e.g. I’m tired; let’s call it a day.
Talk through the hat: talk nonsense
e.g. During the whole evening, your friend had been talking through his hat.
Talk until one is blue in the face: talk a great deal
e.g. I talked until I was blue in the face, but she would not change her mind.
After all: in spite of everything
e.g. She didn’t get a good score; after all, it was her first attempt
Late in life: in old age
e.g. It was only late in life that he became a famous writer.
You bet: yes, of course
e.g. “Are you hungry?” “You bet!”
Act one’s age: behave maturely
e.g. Stop behaving like a teenager! Act your age.
All of it: the best
e.g. From the way he presented him at the debate, he was all of it.
Vicious circle: a series of events that create more problems
e.g. You take drugs to remove the symptoms, but the drugs also cause symptoms that require more drugs; you are ony creating a vicious circle.
Lead someone astray: cause someone to do something wrong or illegal
e.g. If you are always in the company of lawbreakers, you may be easily be led astray.
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.
Pass the hat: collect money for
e.g. He is always passing the hat for something.
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.
Bag your face: shut up!
e.g. You and your loud mouth! Go and bag your face!
Live beyond one’s means: spend more than one can earn
e.g. You are in debt because you are living beyond your means.
Down and out: very poor
e.g. He is down and out without a job and a roof over his head.
Tail end: the last part
e.g. His speech was long, and only the tail end was interesting.
Ball of fire: an energetic and enthusiastic person
e.g. We all want his presence; he is a ball of fire.
No flies on: very alert, smart
e.g. You cannot trick her; there are no flies on her.
Add insult to injury: make things worse
e.g. Enough is enough! Don’t add insult to injury.
Ball of fire: an energetic and enthusiastic person
e.g. We all want his presence; he is a ball of fire.
Take someone for granted: do not take someone seriously
e.g. His wife complained that he always takes her for granted.
More than meets the eye: there is a hidden meaning
e.g. What the Mayor mentioned in the speech implied more than meets the eye.
In fine feather: in good condition; in good health
e.g. With a good night sleep, I am in fine feather today.
Name of the game: the main goal
e.g. The name of the game is winning; we must win this election no matter what.
Face the music: confront danger; accept a bad situation
e.g. There are many circumstances in life in which you have to face the music.
Bad sort: an unpleasant person
e.g. He is a bad sort; nobody likes him.
Bag your face: shut up!
e.g. You and your loud mouth! Go and bag your face!
Feel like: have a desire for something
e.g. I feel like eating a hamburger.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© 2018 by Stephen Lau
More to Come
