What the hell is an idiom? by Laura Reyes

What the hell is an

idiom ?

WHAT THE HELL IS AN IDIOM? Unpublished edition, May 2016. ©Writed and designed by: Laura Reyes Jonathan Reyes David Celis This publisher was made into the development of the class: English IV | National University of Colombia, with the colaboration of Teacher Jenny Viviana Castelblanco. All rights reserved. Publish in Bogotá, Colombia.

Contents What the hell is an idiom?.........................................5 (To) Twist someone's arm...........................................6 (To) Sit tight...............................................................8 (To be) On the ball.....................................................10 (To) Find your feet.....................................................12 (To be) Up in the air....................................................14 (To) Go cold Turkey....................................................16 (To) Ring a bell............................................................18 (To) Get over something...........................................20 (To) Stab someone in the back..................................22 (To) Look like a million dollars/bucks...................24 (To) Keep your chin up................................................26 (To) Face the music.....................................................28

What the hell is an idiom? Every language has its own collection of wise sayings. They offer advice about how to live and also transfer some underlying ideas, principles and values of a given culture / society. These sayings are called “idioms” - or proverbs if they are longer. These combinations of words have (rarely complete sentences) a “figurative meaning” meaning, they basically work with “pictures”. This List of commonly used idioms and sayings (in everyday conversational English), can help to speak English by learning English idiomatic expressions. This is a list, which contains exactly 12 of the most commonly used idioms and their meaning.

Idiom: a manner of speaking that is natural to native speakers of a language.

(To) Twist someone’s arm (convencer a alguien)

To twist someone’s arm mean literally grab someone else’s arm and twist, which it would be very painful if you interpret the phrase word for word. If someone tells you: “your arm has been twisted” to say that someone has done a great job to convince you to do something that might not want to do. If you said: “twist someone else’s arm” means you have greats powers of persuasion and finally did you get someone to agree to something after begging. Example: - Jake you should really come to the party tonight! - You know I can’t, I have to hit the books. - C’mon, you have to come! It’s going to be so much fun and there are going to be lots of girls there. Please come? - Pretty girls? Oh all right, you’ve twisted my arm, I’ll come!

(To) Twist someone's arm (Convencer a alguien)

(To) Sit tight (esperar paciente)

To sit tight is a strange English idiom and literally means sit and tighten your body, which would really uncomfortable, not to mention rare. On the other hand, if someone tells you “to sit tight” wants you to wait patiently and do not do anything unless tells you otherwise. Example: - -

Mrs. Carter, do you have any idea when the exam results are going to come out? Who knows Johnny, sometimes they come out quickly but it could take some time. You’re just going to have to sit tight and wait.

(To) Sit tight (Esperar paciente)

(To be) On the ball (estar atento)

If you play this idiom literally, it means standing or sitting on a ball (but, who would do that?). If someone tells you “you’re on the ball” means you are very quick to understand certain things, very prepared for something or you react quickly and correctly to a given situation. For example, if you are preparing your wedding with a year in advance and already almost done with all the planning, ultimately you can say “you’re on the ball”, since no one would be so ready! Example: - Wow, you’ve already finished your assignments? There not due until next week, you’re really on the ball. I wish I could be more organized.

(To be) On the ball (Estar atento)

(To) Find your feet (acostumbrarse a una situación)

Is it possible that you lose your feet? Of course not! They are attached to your body. So, what do you mean when a person tries to find Their feet? If you are in a new situation. For example, living in another country while trying to get used to a new university, you can say, “I’m still finding my feet”. This means that you’re still adjusting and getting used to the new environment. Example: - -

Lee, how’s your son doing in America? He’s doing okay. He’s learned where the college is but is still finding his feet with everything else. I guess it’ll take time for him to get used to it all.

(To) Find your feet

(Acostumbrarse a una situaci贸n)

(To be) Up in the air (Estar en lo incierto)

Literally, means that something is floating in the air. But in context, up in the air is used when the things are uncertain and they are not yet determined. If someone tells you “I haven’t decided yet where to go. The travel schedule is up in the air”. This tells us about the uncertain and doubts that exist in the travel schedule and the place to travel. Example: - -

Jen have you set a date for the wedding yet? Not exactly, things are still up in the air and we’re not sure if our families can make it on the day we wanted. Hopefully we’ll know soon and we’ll let you know as soon as possible.

(To be) Up in the air

(Estar en lo incierto)

(To) Go cold Turkey (Dejar un hábito de repente)

It sounds really strange… but it means that you have definitely left a bad habit suddenly for any reason and you have chosen the unpleasant way for give it up. Go cold Turkey probably has been used since the second half of the 20th century, and the expression suggest that a person have completely stopped a bad habit looks like a cold turkey –pale and distant– Example: - Fernando has been tired and sad. I’ve heard that he has stopped taking pills…he just quit cold turkey.

(To) Go cold Turkey

(Dejar un hรกbito de repente)

(To) Ring a bell (Recordar algo)

The expression is use when someone tells you any date, person, place or thing but you not remember yet. Although you’re thinking “Oh Jesus, I’ve heard it before”, in this moment the bell in your head is activated. Example: - Do you know who Obama is? -Hmmm…«Ring» «Ring» «Ring» [A bell is ringing in my head] - His name rings a bell, but I’m not sure who he is.

(To) Ring a bell (Recordar algo)

(To) Get over something (Superar una situación)

Imagine that you are in a difficult situation, and then in a moment the situation ends. You are broken and you can’t stop thinking about it. Finally, after minutes, hours, weeks, months or years, you accept the situation and you decided to let it go, someone will tell you: “You’ve gotten over it”,“I’ve gotten over my drugaddiction“, that is, now is not worried or affected you in a negative way. In similarly way , you can said “get over an illness”, which means that you are recovered completely. Example: - -

How’s Paula? Has she gotten over the death of her dog yet? I think so. She’s already talking about getting a new one.

(To) Get over something (Superar una situaci贸n)

(To) Stab someone in the back (traicionar a alguien)

If we take this idiom literally, we would be getting in a big trouble with the police, because This means “grab a knife or other sharp object and stab someone in the back”. However, “to stab someone in the back” in their idiomatic sense it means betraying or break confidence to a close person. The person who make such kind of things it’s a back stabber. Example: - Did you hear that Sarah stabbed Kate in the back last week? - No! I thought they were best friends, what did she do. - She told their boss that Kate wasn’t interested in a promotion at work and Sarah got it instead. - Wow, that’s the ultimate betrayal! No wonder they’re not friends anymore.

(To) Stab someone in the back (Traicionar a alguien)

(To) Look like a million dollars/bucks (verse increiblemente bien)

Would not it be great if we could really look like a million dollars (see ourselves as a million dollars)? Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be rich! But that is not the case. If someone says: You look like a million bucks, you take it as a compliment because it means that you look absolutely fabulous and really attractive. Although sometimes this idiom is used in boys, most commonly, is used to make compliments to the girls. Example: - Wow, Mary, you look like a million dollars this evening. I love your dress!

(To) Look like a million dollars/bucks (Verse increiblemente bien)

(To) Keep your chin up (animarte)

Did you just have a very bad fight with your friend? You lost the final English exam? Your team lost the final match? Were you fired? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may feel sad and a little depressed, right? In this situation, a sympathetic friend can tell you: keep your chin up. When someone tells you this sentence, They are showing their support and wants to say “be strong, get over it. Do not let these things affect you too much”. Example: - - -

Hey, Keiren, have you had any luck finding work yet? No, nothing, it’s really depressing, there’s nothing out there! Don’t worry, you’ll find something soon, keep your chin up buddy and don’t stress.

(To) Keep your chin up (Animarte)

(To) Face the music (enfrentar la realidad)

In literal terms “facing the music” means turn your body towards the music and get in front of it. But if a friend or your parents tell you “face the music”, it has a different meaning. This means “face the reality” and deal with the situation and accept all the consequences, whether good or bad (usually bad). Example: - I can’t understand why I failed math. - You know you didn’t study hard, so you’re going to have to face the music and take the class again next semester if you really want to graduate when you do.

(To) Face the music

(Enfrentar la realidad)

If you really want to learn and get used to english language in another country, be sure to spend some time to study the idioms to make your transition easier.

Good luck and do not give up !

English IV