English Idioms of North America

ring a bell A: Do you know April ONeil? Definition

B: Hmm. Maybe. That name rings a
bell. = is familiar to you but you cant
remember where you heard it
on the one hand / on the other On the one hand, Peters roommate is Definition
hand kind. On the other hand, hes quite = (expression used when
messy. considering the advantages and
disadvantages of sth)
have/keep an open mind I tried to keep an open mind about Definition
Allan even though Id heard some bad = be open-minded
things about him.
on the tip of your tongue His name was on the tip of my Definition
tongue but I couldnt remember it. = used to say you are almost able to
remember something, but you cant
a hangover (noun) / hung- Tyler was too hung-over from last Definition
over (adj) nights party to go to work. = unwell from drinking too much
alcohol on the previous day
~ish Lets meet around 4ish. Definition

= used to make sth more vague and

less exact
fed up Im fed up with my neighbors dog. Definition

= so angry that you can no longer

tolerate any more of sth
Big deal! It takes you 15 minutes to walk to Definition
school? Big deal!
= a sarcastic expression meaning
that sth is actually NOT a big deal.
Give sb a hand My dad gave me a hand with my Definition
homework.
= helped you
let the cat out of the bag It was going to be a surprise party, Definition
until Todd let the cat out of the bag.
= told the secret so other people
found out too early
give it a shot If you think you can make the team, Definition
then give it a shot.
= give it a try
No way! A: George, Im pregnant. Definition

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B: No way!
= similar to that cant be
possible! / I dont believe you!
The more the merrier. A: Can I invite my brother? Definition
B: Sure. The more the merrier.
= used to say that the more of sth
there is, the better it will be.
give it your all Even though I lost the race, I gave it Definition
my all.
= tried your hardest
first-hand I saw the accident happen, first-hand. Definition

= you experienced it personally

a dead end Lets not take this path. It leads to a Definition
dead end.
= a place with only an end
time flies Time flies when youre having fun. Definition

= time passes quickly

pull sbs leg You have 6 brothers? Youre pulling Definition
my leg!
= same as Youre joking!
have sth on your mind When Dana has something on her Definition
mind, she likes to go for a long walk
by herself. = to have a certain topic in your
thoughts
keep track I use my watch to keep track of time. Definition

= to monitor the time

from scratch My aunt made the cake from scratch. Definition

= from nothing (without any

already-prepared materials)
off the top of your head He asked me to tell him a joke, but I Definition
couldnt think of one off the top of my
head. = using only the ideas you have in
your head at that moment
learn your lesson The boy learned his lesson. Hell never Definition
play with fire again.
= to learn sth important about life

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from making a mistake/doing

something wrong
keep/bear in mind The professor told his students to keep Definition
in mind that they only have 50 minutes
to complete the test. = not forget; remember
speak your mind Timmy was afraid to speak his mind in Definition
front of his schoolmates.
= say what you honestly feel
Just my luck! It rained on my only day off. Just my Definition
luck!
= expression used when sth
unlucky happens to you. It implies
that unlucky things happen to you,
thus your luck is bad luck
Theres nothing to it. Why dont you make a simple website Definition
for your business? Theres nothing to
it. = its very easy; its a piece of cake
get out of hand The house party got out of hand, so we Definition
had to call the police.
= got out of control
cut a long story short To cut a long story short, Lisa and I Definition
have had some interesting experiences
together. = to make a long story shorter so it
takes less time to say
a piece of cake The test was a piece of cake. I finished Definition
it in 20 minutes.
= very easy
break the ice At the start of the meeting, Mike tried Definition
to break the ice by telling a joke.
= to initiate social
interaction/conversation. (Note: the
ice is that cold feeling when no
one is talking or people dont know
each other. You break the ice by
beginning to speak or starting an
activity (e.g. telling a joke, or doing
a warm-up activity))
go out of your way to do sth I went out of my way to help Jenny Definition
find an apartment, and she didnt even
say thanks! = to take extra time to make an
additional effort to do sth

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cross your mind The thought never even crossed my Definition

mind.
= to think about sth; to consider sth
road rage I dont like being in the car with Gary. Definition
He has difficulty controlling his road
rage. = extreme anger when driving
go on about The old man went on about his school Definition
days for nearly an hour.
= to speak for too long about sth
uninteresting
slip your mind I was going to return the library books Definition
today after work, but the thought
slipped my mind. = used to say you forgot to do sth
have/throw a fit The baby threw a fit when I took his Definition
toy away.
= to get angry and begin acting like
an angry child
The ball is in your court The ball is in their court now. Lets Definition
wait for their decision.
= used to say that YOU now have
control of the situation
make your day Finding a fifty-dollar bill on the ground Definition
made my day.
= used to say that sth made your
day special (and great).
a rip off / to rip sb off Six dollars for a cup of coffee?! What a Definition
rip off!
= sth very over-priced
get a kick out of sth I get a kick out of reading science Definition
fiction novels.
= to get enjoyment from sth
catch sbs eye The bright advertisement caught my Definition
eye.
= to grab sbs attention and make
them look at sth
jump the gun I jumped the gun and asked Gail to Definition
marry me. She said she wasnt sure
what to say. = to do sth too soon.
give sb a piece of your mind The angry worker gave his boss a piece Definition
of his mind.

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= to speak angrily to sb about sth

bad they have done
cross your fingers Kate crossed her fingers and hoped it Definition
wouldnt rain on her wedding day.
= (Westerners cross their fingers
when they want good luck)
cost (sb) an arm and a leg The designer handbag cost her an arm Definition
and a leg.
= to cost a LOT of money
be in hot water Ken was in hot water about forgetting Definition
his wedding anniversary.
= to be in trouble
in a bind Susan is really in a bind. She has two Definition
essays due tomorrow and she hasnt
started either of them. = in a difficult situation; stuck in a
difficult situation
an eye-opener The film on global warming was a real Definition
eye-opener for Tom.
= sth that makes you see or think
about sth differently from then on
let off steam Ted plays squash when he needs to let Definition
off steam.
= to release anger and frustration
read between the lines You can figure out the authors opinion Definition
by reading between the lines.
= to find the hidden meaning in sth
that is written or said
go all out We went all out and booked a five-star Definition
hotel for our trip.
= to use all of your energy or
resources (e.g. money in the above
example) to do sth
out of line Marks comment was out of line. He Definition
shouldnt have said that to a client.
= inappropriate; not in accordance
with how sb is supposed to behave
be on sbs back My manager is on my back about being Definition
at work on time.
= to persistently urge sb to do (or
not to do) sth

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would not be seen/caught I wouldnt be seen dead wearing an Definition

dead ugly dress like that.
= used to say that you would
NEVER do sth
have mixed feelings Larry has mixed feelings about his new Definition
job.
= to be unsure about sth
draw a blank When asked for her postal code, Amy Definition
drew a blank.
= to be unable to remember
anything
You name it. A: Daddy, can I have anything on the Definition
menu?
B: Sure. You name it, you got it. = synonym of whatever you want';
anything
know your stuff Jim has been a mechanic for 20 years. Definition
He really knows his stuff.
= to know sth well
left, right and centre Businesses were closing in town left, Definition
right and centre.
= everywhere
a change of heart After seeing a mouse on the floor, I Definition
had a change of heart about eating at
the restaurant. = a change of feeling; used to say
you changed your mind about sth
a long haul Peter told his boss that he wouldnt Definition
quit. Hes in it for the long haul.
= the long road; the option that
takes the most time
be man enough George was the only one man enough Definition
to admit he had made a mistake.
= strong enough in character, or
strong enough as a man
be second to none The apple pie at this restaurant is Definition
second to none.
= the best
know/learn the ropes It took me a month to learn the ropes at Definition
my new job.
= the process of learning about sth
so you are comfortable with it

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a breath of fresh air The new employee, Gail, is a breath of Definition

fresh air in the office.
= sth new that adds life and energy
to a situation
get your act together The coach told me that if I didnt get Definition
my act together, Id be kicked off the
team. = start behaving properly
set your heart on sth Eric has his heart set on participating in Definition
the Olympics.
= to be firmly resolved to do sth
take sb/sth for granted Keith took it for granted that his Definition
girlfriend would always stay with him.
Then, one day, she was gone. = to assume too confidently that
youll have sth in the future or
forever
play it by ear A: How long will you stay in Definition
Australia?
B: Im not sure. Im just going to play = to improvise; to not make a plan
it by ear. but decide what to do as you do it
put all your eggs in one Greg invested his money in a few Definition
basket different areas. He didnt want to put
all his eggs in one basket. = to put all of sth you have in the
same area (note: generally viewed
as a bad thing to do)
Birds of a feather (flock A: Its funny that all of Kates friends Definition
together) are attractive.
B: So is she. I guess birds of a feather = similar people tend to spend time
flock together. with each other.
have second thoughts Im starting to have second thoughts Definition
about my new apartment.
= to have doubts
pay the price for sth Dont touch my stuff. If you do, youll Definition
pay the price.
= to suffer as a consequence of
doing sth
a basket case Darryls ex-wife is a total basket case. Definition

= a crazy person; a nut

on the dot We arrived at 8 oclock on the dot. Definition

= exactly

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not have a clue I dont have a clue where Nunavut is. Definition

= to have no idea or absolutely no

knowledge (about sth)
have a shot at Our team has a shot at winning the Definition
championship.
= has a chance
the word spread It took only an hour for word to spread Definition
around the office that John had been
fired. = for some news to spread (the
word = some news)
safe and sound I arrived home from my trip safe and Definition
sound.
= safe
be a pain (in the neck) My brother is a real pain in the neck Definition
sometimes.
= to be annoying/irritating
be in the same boat The governments of Portugal and Definition
Greece are in the same boat. They both
need financial assistance. = to be in the same situation
be/feel at home After two years, James felt at home in Definition
Prague.
= to feel comfortable, as if you
were in your home or hometown
be in sbs good books Ryan is not in his fathers good books Definition
right now because he scratched his car.
= to be on someones good side; to
be thought of as someones friend
or ally
get out of bed on the wrong Id avoid talking with Bob today. He Definition
side mustve got out of bed on the wrong
side. = to wake up in a bad mood
up-and-coming Roger is an up-and-coming hockey Definition
player from Toronto.
= young and rising to the top; new
and becoming successful
get into gear Youd better get into gear or youll be Definition
late.
= hurry up; start moving at a faster
speed

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out of the blue One day, out of the blue, I received a Definition
letter from my former schoolmate.
= unscheduled; without previous
warning
set the record straight In a TV interview, the politician set the Definition
record straight about his experiences in
the military. = to clarify what is true/factual
about a story or thing
keep an eye on The security guard kept an eye on the Definition
suspicious man.
= watch closely; monitor
a grey area Because of a grey area in his job Definition
description, Peter was not exactly sure
what all of his responsibilities were. = a vague area; an unclear area; an
area that is neither black nor white
get/let sb off the hook Luckily for her, the policeman let Jane Definition
off the hook for parking her car in a
no-parking zone. = to let someone go free instead of
holding them responsible for sth
bad
out of sight, out of mind. Jim was happy when his ex-girlfriend Definition
moved out of his apartment out of
sight, out of mind. = this means that if you do not see
someone regularly, you will stop
thinking about them.
give sb the cold shoulder Ted gave his ex-girlfriend the cold Definition
shoulder when he saw her at the party.
= to ignore sb
The ins and outs It took Alan a year to learn all the ins Definition
and outs of his job.
= to know all aspects of sth; to
know completely how sth works
line of work The fireman said that injuries were Definition
common in his line of work.
= job field; type of work
make do I forgot to buy groceries so I had to Definition
make do with what was left in the
fridge. = to survive/get by with what you
have at that moment
get sth off your chest A: Keith, theres something I need to Definition
get off my chest.

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B: Whats bothering you? Tell me. = to say something serious or

difficult that you have been
thinking about for a while.
know sth like the back of your Takeshi knows the streets of Kyoto Definition
hand like the back of his hand.
= to be very familiar with sth
in the bag After scoring their fourth goal, the Definition
victory was in the bag.
= certain to be secured/obtained;
be on the ball Greg isnt on the ball today. He keeps Definition
making silly mistakes.
= to be thinking well and reacting
quickly
off and on / on and off Tara and Mike have been seeing each Definition
other off and on for a year now.
= intermittently
for the time being I plan to move into my own apartment Definition
in September. For the time being, Im
staying with friend Doug. = just for the present moment
burn your bridges Jack tried to be kind to his boss when Definition
he quit in job because he didnt want to
burn his bridges. = ruin a relationship, resulting in
you being unable to return
somewhere
get/be given the sack / sack Alan got the sack for repeatedly Definition
(verb) coming into work late.
= to be fired
on the back burner The project was put on the back burner Definition
while the company focused on a more
immediate problem. = set as a lower priority
get cold feet Its normal to get cold feet before your Definition
wedding day.
= to become nervous/frightened
right before sth you had planned to
do
hit rock bottom After being fired and then kicked out Definition
of his apartment, Jake really hit rock
bottom. = to be in the lowest situation, e.g.
without money or friends. to be in
the unhappiest situation of your life

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talk shop Everyone agreed not to talk shop at the Definition

staff party.
= to talk about work-related things
start/get the ball rolling Its time we start the ball rolling on the Definition
new project.
= to take the first step to begin a
process
get your foot in the door Janice took a position as an Definition
administrative assistant to get her foot
in the door at the famous fashion = to complete the first step towards
company. achieving an opportunity
well-off / well-to-do Lloyd comes from a well-to-do family. Definition
His friends often ask to borrow money
from him. = rich; wealthy
pull your weight Lisa had to work extra hard because a Definition
few members of the team werent
pulling their weight. = to do your share of the work; to
contribute your share of effort
a gut feeling I have a gut feeling that something bad Definition
is going to happen today.
= an intuitive feeling
if need be If need be, we can take a taxi home. Definition

= If necessary,..
in the middle of nowhere Their car broke down in the middle of Definition
nowhere.
= in a place far away from
anywhere known to you
go with the flow Jake didnt want to go to another bar, Definition
but everyone else did, so he went with
the flow. = to let yourself to be guided by the
choices of others
play your cards right If Linda plays her cards right, she Definition
could be the department manager by
next year. = make the appropriate
moves/choices
follow in sbs footsteps Bill chose to follow in his fathers Definition
footsteps and become a dentist.
= follow someone elses path
have your heart set on sth Alan has his heart set on participating Definition

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in the 2020 Olympics.

You can say that again! A: I met your boss today. Hes a real Definition
jerk.
B: You can say that again! = expression that means that you
definitely agree with what was just
said.
Im all ears A: Doug, Ive discovered the meaning Definition
of life.
B: Really? Im all ears. = Im listening intently.
small talk After some small talk, the interview Definition
began.
= discussion about light topics such
as the weather
put sth on hold Greg had to put his weekend plans on Definition
hold and go into the office on Saturday
for a few hours. = to postpone sth
common ground The two boys had some common Definition
ground: they both loved football.
= something held in common; a
common interest or trait
politically (in)correct Marcel told a politically incorrect joke Definition
at the company party. No one laughed.
= politically correct = worded in a
sensitive way that will not harm the
audience
have had it up to here Ive had it up to here with this mess! Definition
Clean your room now!
= Im fed up; Ive had enough;
something said when you cannot
handle anymore of something that
is aggravating you
have your work cut out If we want to finish this by Friday, Definition
then weve really got our work cut out
for us. = expression that means you have a
lot of work to do in little time
get the picture A: The fight was horrible. One man Definition
kept punching the other again and
again and again = to understand what is being
B: OK. Thats enough. I get the illustrated or explained
picture.
see eye to eye Mike and his father dont see eye to Definition

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eye on the issue of abortion.

= to agree on sth; to have the same
views on sth
call it a day Its already 6 pm. Lets call it a day. Definition

= expression said near the end of a

day which means Thats enough
for today. Lets end and go home.
twist sbs arm I really had to twist my sisters arm to Definition
get her to pick me up from the airport.
= to make a great effort to convince
sb to do sth for you
bring sth to light The report brought some previously Definition
unknown facts to light about the causes
of cancer. = to make something previously
unknown become known
be in the dark / keep sb in the Most of the employees were kept in the Definition
dark dark about the merger until the last
minute. = to be uninformed; to not be told
know whats happening
go up in smoke After breaking his leg, Darryls dream Definition
to play professional hockey went up in
smoke. = to be wasted; to become
impossible; when the chances of sth
happening burn away
go downhill After his wife divorced him, Victors Definition
life really went downhill.
= decline; become worse
at your fingertips With the World Wide Web, people Definition
have a vast amount of information at
their fingertips. = directly accessible
poke fun at The kids poked fun at George because Definition
he was wearing his t-shirt backwards.
= to make fun of sb
Easier said than done. A: You should get a girlfriend whos Definition
beautiful AND kind.
B: Easier said than done. = expression that means that sth is
much easier to SAY than actually
accomplish.
the bottom line A: Doctor, whats the bottom line? Definition
B: If you dont quit smoking, youll die

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within a year. = the final result

call the shots The boss told Janet to call the shots Definition
while he was away.
= to make the decisions
know/learn sth by heart Hank knows every Elvis song by heart. Definition

= to memorize sth
get a move on If we dont get a move on, well miss Definition
the bus.
= to start moving; to start going
miss the point You missed the point. The book was Definition
about the problems of capitalism, not
how to make money. = to fail to grasp the most important
part of sth
hold/stand your ground Although their enemy outnumbered Definition
them, the soldiers stood their ground.
= to stay in your position without
running away.
be childs play The tennis match was childs play for Definition
Ben.
= a piece of cake; something so
easy a child could do it
be only a matter of time The scientist said its only a matter of Definition
time before a big earthquake hits
California. = used to say that sth will
inevitably happen (sooner or later)
push your luck A: Dad, can I have another ice cream Definition
cone?
B: Dont push your luck, kid. = to expect continued good fortune
raise (a few) eyebrows Francines short skirt raised a few Definition
eyebrows.
= to make people slightly shocked
or surprised
a matter of opinion The best restaurant in Europe is, of Definition
course, a matter of opinion.
= sth that is subjective
be that as it may A: Tyler is such a selfish guy. Definition
B: Be that as it may, hes your brother.
You have to love him. = expression that means even
though that is true / even so, ..

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if/when push comes to shove If push comes to shove, Ill be here to Definition
support you.
= if/when the situation becomes
difficult/intense
against your better judgement Against his better judgement, Jim let Definition
his friend drive home drunk.
= sth you did even though, at that
time, you thought it was wrong
thing to do
add insult to injury To add insult to injury, Gregs wife left Definition
him for his best friend.
= to make an insulting situation
even worse
the last straw When the boss told me to come in to Definition
work on Saturday, that was the last
straw. = the final thing that causes sth to
collapse or sb to lose their
temper/get angry
be up in the air Jims vacation plans were still up in the Definition
air.
= for sth to be undecided;
undetermined
not have the faintest/foggiest I dont have the faintest idea where Definition
idea Wollongong is.
= to not know sth at all
the icing on the cake Paula enjoyed the concert, and getting Definition
to meet the artist backstage after the
show was the icing on the cake. = an additional thing that makes sth
good become great
get/jump/leap on the Janet doesnt normally watch hockey Definition
bandwagon but she jumped on the bandwagon
because her citys team was in the = to join the crowd; to do what
playoffs. most other people are doing
the fine/small print My father reads the fine print on every Definition
contract he signs.
= the information typed in a smaller
font, usually on a contract
stuck/be in a rut The singer was stuck in a rut. All of Definition
her recent songs sounded the same.
= to be in a situation in which you
cannot make any progress

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run-of-the-mill Kate is a waitress at a run-of-the-mill Definition

bar and restaurant in London.
= typical
face the music Tina knew that one day her parents Definition
would see her tattoo and then shed
have to face the music. = to take responsibility for what
you have done
to keep sth/sb at bay Bodyguards kept the reporters at bay Definition
while the movie stars entered the
theatre. = to keep a threat away from
coming too near
be up in arms People were up in arms [about/over] Definition
the governments plan to raise the
retirement age. = in an uproar; very angry
bite your tongue Jack bit his tongue while his manager Definition
criticized his performance.
= to refrain from saying sth because
you dont think it would be a good
idea
leave a lot to be desired The design of our office building Definition
leaves a lot to be desired.
= is unsatisfactory
off the beaten track Mike and Mary had dinner a quiet Definition
restaurant off the beaten track in Paris.
= away from the area most people
visit/go
pick sbs brains Mike is a marketing genius. People Definition
often invite him to lunch or dinner so
they can pick his brains. = to ask someone many questions
so you can learn from him/her
whet your appetite The 30-second trailer was designed to Definition
whet peoples appetites.
= to make people want more; to
stimulate your appetite so you
desire more
sour grapes A: People with nice cars just want Definition
attention.
B: That sounds like sour grapes = expression that means something
because you cant afford one. was said out of jealousy
a blessing in disguise Losing his job turned out to be a Definition
blessing in disguise. Afterward, Roger

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found his dream job. = a good thing that first appears as

a bad thing
give sb the benefit of the I told the teacher that it wasnt me who Definition
doubt broke the window. Thankfully, he gave
me the benefit of the doubt. = to choose to believe sth good
about sb instead of believing sth
bad (when you have the choice to
believe either)
jog sbs memory Jeff said he couldnt remember the Definition
songs lyrics, but hearing the first few
words jogged his memory.
foot the bill George agreed to foot the bill for Definition
dinner.
= to pay the bill for sth
have it in for sb A: Why are you hiding from your Definition
brother?
B: He has it in for me. He knows I lost = to be very angry at sb
his football.
be in the red The company has been in the red since Definition
September.
= at a deficit; running at a loss;
losing money
get/catch wind of sth Once the school principal caught wind Definition
of the problem, she called a teachers
meeting. = to learn about some news;
a rule of thumb As a rule of thumb, I dont eat food Definition
that smells bad.
= a personal principle
be on the same wavelength The group members were all on the Definition
same wavelength, so they were able to
finish their project quickly. = to think in a similar way to others
up to speed After her holiday, it took Kate a few Definition
hours to get back up to speed on the
recent developments in her company. = to be updated; to not be behind;
to have all the current information
play devils advocate Although Jim is against the death Definition
penalty, he told his friend he was for it
just to play devils advocate. = to argue against sb just so you
can hear your opponents reasoning
bend/lean over backwards Lisa bent over backwards to get her Definition

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brother a job in her company, so she

was surprised to learn he quit today. = to make a great effort to do sth or
help sb
pass the buck The politician passed the buck onto Definition
someone else instead of accepting
responsibility for the problem. = to pass blame onto sb else
take the plunge Jerry has finally decided to take the Definition
plunge. Tomorrow hes going to start
looking for an office job. = begin an important/difficult task
that youve been thinking about for
a long time (note: to plunge is into
dive into something)
call sbs bluff When Mike heard his friend say she Definition
knew all of the worlds capitals, he
called her bluff and asked her to name = to make sb prove that what they
the capital of Mozambique. are saying is true
have a chip on your shoulder Tim has had a chip on his shoulder Definition
about businesswomen since he lost his
job to a woman three years ago. = to have anger about sth that
happened in the past
breathe down sbs neck Jim found it hard to focus on his work Definition
with his boss breathing down his neck.
= to watch sb very closely (often in
an annoying way)
climb to the top of the Having children can be an obstacle for Definition
career/corporate ladder women who want to climb (to the top
of) the corporate ladder. = to advance in a company by
being promoted to the top
red tape Marks visa application was held up Definition
for six months because of red tape.
= rules and regulations that prevent
you from achieving sth easily
give sb free rein When his father died, Mark was given Definition
free rein to do whatever he liked with
the family business. = to give sb full control of sth
the be-all-and-end-all Getting into Harvard Law School Definition
became the be-all-and-end-all of
Tonys existence. = the only thing that matters; sth so
good that it will end the search for
sth better
blow sth out of proportion The media blew the story out of Definition

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proportion.
= exaggerate sth; to make sth seem
much more significant that it really
is
bury the hatchet Susan and Mike agreed that it was time Definition
to bury the hatchet. They apologized
and decided to be friends again. = to stop fighting and become
friendly. (A hatchet is a small axe.)

Activity
1. After teaching your students 8-12 idioms or phrasal verbs (for a print-out of
useful idioms, see here), put your students into pairs.
2. Tell them you're going to give them 5 minutes to create a conversation
dialogue with their partner using as many of the idioms/phrasal verbs as
possible. (You can say "the group who uses the most/all the expressions
wins" if you want to motivate them, but this probably won't be necessary).
3. Tell them to try to make their role-play about 2 minutes or longer, if they can.
4. Let them do it. Listen while they plan it and offer help where possible.
5. Have each group present their role-play.
This activity is simple but effective. Students enjoy using their creativity. The role-
plays my students create are usually pretty entertaining. Give it a shot and be sure
to commend your students on their role-plays and review major mistakes after they
have finished.
REVIEW/REHEARSAL OF PREVIOUS CLASS
Make a Story: Pictures + Vocabulary Activity

Basic Idea: Have students put together a story using pictures and key vocabulary
from the previous class(es).
Total Time: 15 minutes (depends on the number of groups)
Strengths: entertaining + allows students to use their creativity + facilitates review

Preparation (before class):

Cut-out some interesting pictures from a magazine. Cut out enough so that
each student group will have three pictures at least. The more
interesting/provocative the pictures, the better.
Look over the vocabulary/key language items you have taught the students
recently. Pick about seven or eight items (e.g. "chat up", "bribe", "used to",
past perfect, etc) that you want students to use in this activity.

Execution:
Write the vocabulary/language items on the board. (You may briefly review
them, but don't spend a lot of time on it. They don't need to know them _all_
for this activity. If they forget one or two, they'll learn it later as the activity
unfolds or you can review it at the end.)
Divide your students into groups of two.

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Distribute the pictures (three or four to each group). Have them take the
pictures before you explain the activity.
Tell them that they have to make a story. The story should:
1) Reference each picture they have. (Clarify that there should only be
one story not separate stories for each picture).

2) Include five of the seven (or roughly 70%) of the vocabulary items on
the board. Students may initially think this will be hard, but in my
experience, they always do a really good job. I don't require them to use
all the vocabulary items in case they are unsure about the meaning of a
few of them or that some items are too specific to match their pictures.
Give them 3-5 minutes to prepare their story, together, in pairs. If they are a
mid/high-level class, have the students prepare their story together in
English (not in their native tongue). Tell them to make their story 2-3
minutes long, and that they will each have to tell one part of it (e.g. the intro
or conclusion).
Have the students present their stories to the class while showing the
pictures. Write down their errors on paper and commend them on their work
+ review major mistakes after their story is over.

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