BETTER ENGLISH
For You
Stephen Lau
For You
Stephen Lau
AMERICAN IDIOMS
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Through thick and thin: through good times as well as bad times
e.g. Don’t worry! I’ll stick by you through thick and thin.
Inch along: move very slowly
e.g. Business was inching along because of the economy.
You bet: yes, of course
e.g. “Are you hungry?” “You bet!”
Above and beyond: more than is required
e.g. Asking the employees to work extra hours but without paying them is above and beyond their loyalty.
Under one’s own steam: by one’s own effort
e.g. He cannot succeed under his own steam; he needs the support of his family.
As easy as pie: very easy
e.g. Cooking a turkey is as easy as pie.
Take something on the chin: get a direct blow
e.g. The bad news was a shock to me; I took it on the chin.
Flip-flop: change sides in an issue
e.g. Politicians who flip-flop too much are unpopular with voters.
Hold one’s end up: do one’s part; reliable
e.g. I know I can count on you; you always hold your end up.
As plain as day: plain and simple
e.g. The briefing was as plain as day; nobody had to ask any question.
Odd man out: atypical person or thing
e.g. Everybody has a partner, and you are an odd man out because you don’t have one.
Take the bull by the horns: deal with the challenge directly
e.g. This is a very difficult situation, but we must take the bull by the horns.
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.
Leave someone holding the bag: leave someone to take all the blame
e.g. The manager was responsible for the bankruptcy, but the assistant manager was left holding the bag.
Mind one’s p’s and q’s: pay attention to one’s manners
e.g. When you meet the President, you must mind your p’s and q’s.
Hit the nail on the head: do exactly the right thing
e.g. Your remark hit the nail on the head; that was precisely the solution to the problem.
Give someone or something a wide berth: keep someone or something at a distance.
e.g. That dog is very fierce. We’d better give it a wide berth.
e.g. Your Mom is in a foul mood; give her a wide berth.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
e.g. Don’t worry! I’ll stick by you through thick and thin.
Inch along: move very slowly
e.g. Business was inching along because of the economy.
You bet: yes, of course
e.g. “Are you hungry?” “You bet!”
Above and beyond: more than is required
e.g. Asking the employees to work extra hours but without paying them is above and beyond their loyalty.
Under one’s own steam: by one’s own effort
e.g. He cannot succeed under his own steam; he needs the support of his family.
As easy as pie: very easy
e.g. Cooking a turkey is as easy as pie.
Take something on the chin: get a direct blow
e.g. The bad news was a shock to me; I took it on the chin.
Flip-flop: change sides in an issue
e.g. Politicians who flip-flop too much are unpopular with voters.
Hold one’s end up: do one’s part; reliable
e.g. I know I can count on you; you always hold your end up.
As plain as day: plain and simple
e.g. The briefing was as plain as day; nobody had to ask any question.
Odd man out: atypical person or thing
e.g. Everybody has a partner, and you are an odd man out because you don’t have one.
Take the bull by the horns: deal with the challenge directly
e.g. This is a very difficult situation, but we must take the bull by the horns.
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.
Leave someone holding the bag: leave someone to take all the blame
e.g. The manager was responsible for the bankruptcy, but the assistant manager was left holding the bag.
Mind one’s p’s and q’s: pay attention to one’s manners
e.g. When you meet the President, you must mind your p’s and q’s.
Hit the nail on the head: do exactly the right thing
e.g. Your remark hit the nail on the head; that was precisely the solution to the problem.
Give someone or something a wide berth: keep someone or something at a distance.
e.g. That dog is very fierce. We’d better give it a wide berth.
e.g. Your Mom is in a foul mood; give her a wide berth.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
Through thick and thin: through good times as well as bad times
e.g. Don’t worry! I’ll stick by you through thick and thin.
Inch along: move very slowly
e.g. Business was inching along because of the economy.
You bet: yes, of course
e.g. “Are you hungry?” “You bet!”
Above and beyond: more than is required
e.g. Asking the employees to work extra hours but without paying them is above and beyond their loyalty.
Vested interest: a personal stake
e.g. He showed a vested interest in his uncle’s business.
Act one’s age: behave maturely
e.g. Stop behaving like a teenager! Act your age.
Under one’s own steam: by one’s own effort
e.g. He cannot succeed under his own steam; he needs the support of his family.
As easy as pie: very easy
e.g. Cooking a turkey is as easy as pie.
On one’s toes: be alert
e.g. A policeman has to be on his toes all the time when he is on duty.
Set great store by someone or something: have high
e.g. His parents set great store by his performance; they expected him to win the piano competition.
On pins and needles: anxious; in suspense
e.g. He was on pins and needles until he heard the outcome of the surgery.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
e.g. Don’t worry! I’ll stick by you through thick and thin.
Inch along: move very slowly
e.g. Business was inching along because of the economy.
You bet: yes, of course
e.g. “Are you hungry?” “You bet!”
Above and beyond: more than is required
e.g. Asking the employees to work extra hours but without paying them is above and beyond their loyalty.
Vested interest: a personal stake
e.g. He showed a vested interest in his uncle’s business.
Act one’s age: behave maturely
e.g. Stop behaving like a teenager! Act your age.
Under one’s own steam: by one’s own effort
e.g. He cannot succeed under his own steam; he needs the support of his family.
As easy as pie: very easy
e.g. Cooking a turkey is as easy as pie.
On one’s toes: be alert
e.g. A policeman has to be on his toes all the time when he is on duty.
Set great store by someone or something: have high
e.g. His parents set great store by his performance; they expected him to win the piano competition.
On pins and needles: anxious; in suspense
e.g. He was on pins and needles until he heard the outcome of the surgery.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
Hit the nail on the head: do exactly the right thing
e.g. Your remark hit the nail on the head; that was precisely the solution to the problem.
Flash in the pan: only temporary
e.g. His initial success was only a flash in the pan.
Keep a straight face: refrain from laughing
e.g. It’s difficult to keep a straight face when someone acts so funny.
Add insult to injury: make things worse
e.g. Enough is enough! Don’t add insult to injury.
Have it coming: deserve what one gets
e.g. Failure was unavoidable. What you did had it coming.
After hours: after normal working hours
e.g. We are so busy that many of us have to stay after hour.
Just as well: good that an unexpected problem has come up
e.g. It was just as well the customer didn’t show up; we didn’t have anything ready for him.
Pitch in: help and get busy
e.g. We need help for this project; would you like to pitch in?
Play both ends against the middle: gain an advantage by pitting people on opposite sides of an issue against each other
e.g. In American politics, it is not common for politicians to play both ends against the middle to win their elections.
Level with someone: speak honestly with someone
e.g. I’ll level with you: I think you made a serious mistake.
Lighten up: be less serious or sulky
e.g. Lighten up-that’s not the end of the world.
Make headway: make progress or advancement
e.g. Despite our effort, we have made little headway with our business.
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.
Have one’s fingers in the pie: become involved in something
e.g. As long as you have your fingers in the pie, things will not run smoothly.
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.
Run in the family: a characteristic in all members of a family
e.g. Longevity runs in the family: they all live to a ripe old age.
Above all: most importantly
e.g. Above all, you must have a valid visa if you wish to continue to stay in the United States.
Have it coming: deserve what one gets
e.g. Failure was unavoidable. What you did had it coming.
A little bird told me: somehow I knew
e.g. “How did you know what I did?” “Well, a little bird told me.”
Tie up: engage or occupy in doing something
e.g. He was tied up at the meeting, and could not come to the phone.
Eat like a horse: eat a lot
e.g. They won’t invite you to dinner next time; just now you ate like a horse.
Run in the family: a characteristic in all members of a family
e.g. Longevity runs in the family: they all live to a ripe old age.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
e.g. Your remark hit the nail on the head; that was precisely the solution to the problem.
Flash in the pan: only temporary
e.g. His initial success was only a flash in the pan.
Keep a straight face: refrain from laughing
e.g. It’s difficult to keep a straight face when someone acts so funny.
Add insult to injury: make things worse
e.g. Enough is enough! Don’t add insult to injury.
Have it coming: deserve what one gets
e.g. Failure was unavoidable. What you did had it coming.
After hours: after normal working hours
e.g. We are so busy that many of us have to stay after hour.
Just as well: good that an unexpected problem has come up
e.g. It was just as well the customer didn’t show up; we didn’t have anything ready for him.
Pitch in: help and get busy
e.g. We need help for this project; would you like to pitch in?
Play both ends against the middle: gain an advantage by pitting people on opposite sides of an issue against each other
e.g. In American politics, it is not common for politicians to play both ends against the middle to win their elections.
Level with someone: speak honestly with someone
e.g. I’ll level with you: I think you made a serious mistake.
Lighten up: be less serious or sulky
e.g. Lighten up-that’s not the end of the world.
Make headway: make progress or advancement
e.g. Despite our effort, we have made little headway with our business.
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.
Have one’s fingers in the pie: become involved in something
e.g. As long as you have your fingers in the pie, things will not run smoothly.
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.
Run in the family: a characteristic in all members of a family
e.g. Longevity runs in the family: they all live to a ripe old age.
Above all: most importantly
e.g. Above all, you must have a valid visa if you wish to continue to stay in the United States.
Have it coming: deserve what one gets
e.g. Failure was unavoidable. What you did had it coming.
A little bird told me: somehow I knew
e.g. “How did you know what I did?” “Well, a little bird told me.”
Tie up: engage or occupy in doing something
e.g. He was tied up at the meeting, and could not come to the phone.
Eat like a horse: eat a lot
e.g. They won’t invite you to dinner next time; just now you ate like a horse.
Run in the family: a characteristic in all members of a family
e.g. Longevity runs in the family: they all live to a ripe old age.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau