GET COLD FEET & CALL SOMETHING OFF

If you "got cold feet," you suddenly became too scared to do something you had planned to do, especially something important.


If you "call something off," you cancel it.


For example: He got cold feet two days before the wedding and called it off.

IDIOMS ABOUT BEING HAPPY

Are you happy today? What are some idioms that can describe your happiness?

If you are experiencing an extreme state of happiness, you can say that you are: "on top of the world, "on cloud nine," "over the moon," or even "in seventh heaven." 

You can also use some of these animal-related idioms to describe your contentment by saying that you are "happy as a clam," "having a whale of a time," or "buzzing" (like a bee would).

What is the color associated with happiness? Well, that would be pink, in that if you are pleased with something, like a dinner offer, you say that you are "tickled pink."

Whoever decided that clams are so happy?! They end up being eaten in a chowder.

SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS

If you went to the "school of hard knocks," you did not receive a formal education, but, instead, learned through life's, often difficult/hard, experiences.

DON'T CRY OVER SPILLED MILK

If someone tells you not to cry "over spilled milk," this means you should not get upset about mistakes, especially minor ones, that have occurred and cannot be reversed.


For example:  Little Sam broke her grandmother's flower pot while playing. Grandmother consoled the crying child, and instead of getting angry she told Sam: "It's no use crying over spilled milk."

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HANG

The word "hang" is a verb meaning to "suspend from above with the lower part dangling free."
You can hang your clothes to dry or you can hang lights on a Christmas tree.

There are many expressions and idioms using the word "hang" with a preposition (resulting in phrasal verbs). These are just some examples:

1. Hang up
- (verb) to suspend, to delay, to impede.
Example: We hang up the phone to end a conversation. We can say that the construction project was hung up due to financial problems.  

2. Hang in/on
- (verb) to persevere
Example: He had trouble in school because of his English, and that sometimes made him want to quit. However, his family, friends and teachers encouraged him. Therefore, he decide to hang in there. He studied harder and got tutoring, and soon after he began to get better grades.

3. Hang on
- (verb) to wait for a short period of time, to cling tightly, to persevere
Example: Jane called Sue, and when Sue's mother answered the phone, Jane was told to "hang on" for a few minutes before Sue came to the phone.

4. Hang out
- (verb) to spend time with people or at a place (casually)
Example: Teens love to hang out with their friends at the mall on weekends.

5. Hang loose (very slangy)
- (verb) to relax
Example: When Tom started to get angry, his friend told him to "hang loose."

                                            this is a picture of hang glider in a bright blue sky
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THE GRAVEYARD SHIFT

If you have to work the graveyard shift, it means you have to work late at night - sometime between midnight and 8am - when everyone else is sleeping.

What kinds of occupations would require you to work late at night?

Happy Halloween!

AROUND THE CLOCK

New York City is called the "The City That Never Sleeps." Many places, such as restaurants, are open 24 hours a day. The public transport, including the subway and buses, run on a 24-hour schedule. Some laundromats are open even in the wee hours of the morning.

If a place is open or a service is offered 24 hours a day, it is said to be available around the clock.

What places in your neighborhood are open around the clock? 

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GIVE SOMEONE A HARD TIME

If you give a person a hard time, it means you criticize him or her for something, often for what he or she has done or not done as was expected.

Some examples:

When Tomas was little, the kids at school teased him because he was short. But then the year he turned 15, he grew nearly a foot, and no one gave him a hard time about his height any more.

or

Ray forgot his wife's birthday last year and she has been giving him a hard time about it since. So, this year, he has a big surprise planned. Hopefully, she will finally forgive him.

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TIME OUT

To take time out means to take a break from an activity, such as studying or working.

For example, many young people take time out or off between high school and college to travel or work.

Similarly, the hyphenated time-out usually refers to the break that players take in sports either as requested by the team or an official for the purpose of rest, consultation or substitution. 

However, in the real world, a time-out is a well-known expression referring to the break that children must take, as a form of punishment,  when they have misbehaved. They must cease doing what they were doing and sit or stand quietly in a place for a period of time. 

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RUNNING OUT OF TIME :: TIME'S UP

In many English-speaking countries, time is something very important. There are many idioms which include the word "time." 

During the month of October, we will explore some of them.

• If you are "running out of time," it means that you have almost used up all the allotted time and soon there will be no more time left. For example, this is what a teacher might say to her/his students when they are taking a test. This means the students will need to finish the test soon. Then, if the  teacher says "time's up," it means that the students have to hand in all their test papers.

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FOR THE BIRDS

We say that something is "for the birds" if it is worthless, trivial or to show that it is undesirable. 

This idiom most likely arrives from the idea that birds eat very little or because they eat seed; either way, what they eat would be of no or little value to humans. 

Example 1:
   "Jayce, don't watch those reality shows. They're not realistic. They are merely sensational. It's strictly for the birds. Put on the news instead or watch a good documentary."

Example 2:
   "I can't stand this winter weather any longer. It's for the birds. Can't wait for spring."
   

HIT THE ROAD

To hit the road means to leave a place. 

There's even a famous song where the singer tells Jack to "hit the road" and not to come back.

Danny: Do you want to stay for dinner?
Jim: No, thanks. I've got to hit the road. I want to get home before it starts snowing.

SURF THE NET

To surf the Internet means to browse through the pages coming from the World Wide Web, which are flowing like waves. 

A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES

If someone says you are "a sight for sore eyes," it means that the person is pleased to see you. 

Has anyone ever paid you this compliment?

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A NEW LEASE ON LIFE

If you got a new lease on life, it means you got a chance to be happy, successful or healthy again after having had experienced some misfortune.

Example: After her hip operation, my grandma got a new lease on life. She could now do all the things she used to enjoy, like gardening and taking her great grandkids to the park. 

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"A" FOR EFFORT

If you get an "A" for effort, you get a good grade or recognition for trying to do something, even if you were not successful. 

Example: Little Melissa tried to learn to ride her bicycle. She fell many times, without much success, but she didn't cry once and kept trying again and again. In the end, her mom told her that she deserves an A for her effort, and that they should try again tomorrow.

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ABSENCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER

The saying "absence makes the heart grow fonder" implies that if something or someone is absent, you will love it or him/her even more.

Do you miss someone you haven't seen in a long time?

This expression is contrary to "out of sight, out of mind," a saying which means that if you do not see someone or something for a long time, you will forget about it, him, or her. 

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A weekend warrior is a person who engages in a strenuous activity, such as a sport, only on weekends, but then does so rigorously. 
For example,  a person who works in an office all week long, but then participates in a triathlon on a Sunday.

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WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE

Water under the bridge refers to past conflicts which we have decided to forget. 


Example

Woman: Aren't you still angry about what Jamie has done?
Man: No. It happened so long ago. It's all water under the bridge now.

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AN ACT OF GOD

The expression "an act of God" is used to say when something, such as an earthquake, a hurricane or another natural disaster, occurred and no human was responsible.

For example: If the house was destroyed due to a typhoon, this would be considered an act of God.

GO TO THE DOGS

If a place has "gone to the dogs," it means that it is falling apart and needs to be repaired because no one is taking care of it.

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Example:

Mike: Have you seen our old elementary school recently? It's really gone to dogs!
Pete: I know. I walked by last week and almost didn't recognize it. Several windows are broken and the the roof looks like it' s about to fall off. I wonder if they're going to fix it up during the summer, before school starts up again.

AT FULL BLAST

To play your music at full blast means to play it at maximum volume or as loud as possible.

For example: John couldn't hear his brother because the music was playing at full blast.

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POP THE QUESTION

Pop the question means to propose marriage to someone. 

The question is: "Will you marry me?"

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IT'S A SMALL WORLD

We say it's or what a small world when we we encounter a person in an unexpected  place or when we discover that we know a person someone else knows.

For example:

Jake: Jill, this is my cousin Marta.
Jill: Oh, Marta and I know each other. We used to be lab partners in high school.
Marta: Hi Jill. What a small world!

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GO BANANAS

To go bananas is to go a little crazy, sometimes with excitement.

For example: When he found out he won a thousand dollars, he went bananas.

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CRY WOLF

To cry wolf is to complain or ask for help when you don't really need it. 

It comes from the children's story “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” where a shepherd boy called for help - cried "Wolf!"  when there was no wolf attacking them. Then later when help was needed because the sheep were being attacked, he got no help because no one believed him.

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WHAT'S THE CATCH

What's the catch? This means what is the drawback, the disadvantage, or the hidden problem. Someone wonders this if something seems or sounds too good to be true. 

MISS THE BOAT

"To miss the boat" means to be too late to get something you want or need.

Example:
Susan: Oh! They were giving away free samples of cheesecake in the cafeteria this morning?
Ian: Yes, it was delicious. You missed the boat!

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LIKE CLOCKWORK

If something happens "like clockwork," it happens on time, exactly, and regularly.

We can also say that something "runs like clockwork," to say that it works well.


For example, if your newspaper is delivered exactly at 7am each morning without fail, when you see the delivery boy arrive at 7am one morning, you can say: "Like clockwork."

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PAY THROUGH THE NOSE :: (BE) A STEAL

If you paid through the nose, it means you paid too much for something.

On the other hand, if something was a steal, it was a bargain or gotten at a reasonable price.


For example:

Ron: You paid $3000 for this car! I think you paid through the nose. You should try to get your money back.

Richie: I disagree. This car has only 50, 000 miles and runs like new. In my opinion, it was a steal.

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YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

You are what you eat means that if you eat healthily, you will be healthy.

BE SNOWED UNDER

If you are "snowed under," it means that you are overwhelmed with or have too much work and cannot manage it all.

A similar idiom is to be "swamped" - a swamp is a wetland near a forest.


Example:

The doctor has twenty appointments this morning. He is snowed under. He will probably not have time to have lunch until 2pm.

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COME UP WITH

To "come up with" means to think of something, such as an idea or a plan.

Example:

Suzy: "Julie's birthday is tomorrow and we haven't thought of anything to get her yet."
Katie: "Don't worry. We will come up with something."

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