Posts tagged idiom
To bite off more than you can chew
Sep 26th
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If you bite off more than you can chew things might be difficult for you. This expression might sound like it is talking about eating but – don’t be fooled – it is not. Another expression with a similar meaning is to get in over your head. You can use both of these expressions when you agree to do something and then find that it is too difficult.
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Maura: Right! So you get involved in something, but it’s more difficult than you realized and maybe too difficult for you.
Jessie: Right! Or maybe you take more responsibility than you can actually handle.
Maura: Right! So, if you imagine that you bite a piece of food and it’s a very, very big piece, it will be difficult to chew the food.
Jessie: Right! So, when we’re talking about this as an idiom, you can imagine that you’re agreeing to do something, but then you can’t actually do it. Just like you’re biting the food, but you can’t actually chew it.
Maura: Right, because it’s too much or too difficult.
Jessie: Exactly! So, for instance, if I agreed to arm wrestle Arnold Schwarzenegger, I would be biting off more than I can chew.
Maura: I think you would definitely be biting off more than you can chew because Arnold Schwarzenegger is pretty strong.
Jessie: Yeah, he’s probably a lot stronger than me.
Maura: And a lot stronger than me, too.
Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo credit: Dave 77459
Have you had a crush on someone?
Dec 6th
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Have you ever had a crush? At some time in your life, you have probably had a crush, someone who you liked in a special way. This week, Maura and Robin are talking about the expression, “to have a crush on someone”. They also look at other ways that you can say that you are thinking about someone romantically.**This could be important for you if you have a crush on an English speaker.**
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Robin: Me? I don’t know actually I can remember one when I was young, when I was, I think, 5 years old.
Maura : Tell us.
Robin: I was in Kindergarten and I had this wonderful teacher named Mrs. Carter and she was married, so it wouldn’t have worked out between us but I remember we went out to see some fireworks, my family and I and we bumped into her at Ontario place, a place in Ontario, and I remember that my heart was jumping in my chest because I ran into her but she was a really wonderful teacher, really wonderful person and because of that I got excited when I thought about her.
Maura : Yeah for sure, so a crush isn’t usually very serious so it can be between like Robin’s case, a kid, a child and maybe even an adult. It is innocent, not serious.
Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Illust: sarahracha
Idiom: Out of it
Nov 22nd
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How are you feeling today? Are you a bit out of it? Here we look at a common expression for not quite feeling awake or present. Maybe Canadians are always sleepy because we use this expression often! Learn about it and similar expressions in this episode.
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Maura: Yeah, a lot of people are out of it in the morning, for sure. I remember an old roommate of mine used to tell me that I was out of it.
Robin: Really?
Maura: Yeah, and when are you out of it?
Robin: When am I out of it? I think sometimes if I do a lot of exercising and then I come back home and I am really tired, I can be pretty much out of it.
Maura: Right so you are kind of tired, not talkative. It is important that we point out, about this expression that we really don’t pronounce each word properly. It is out of it, but we never pronounce it clearly, do we?
Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: htf
Idiom: He had better go to work soon.
Oct 18th
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You had better listen to this episode! Did you understand this first sentence? If you didn’t, check out this episode and hear us explain “had better” for you. We will also give you lots of examples of how to use it.
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Robin: Something bad will happen
Harp: Exactly so it is a fixed expression to say that you have to do something or something bad will happen and the something bad, we don’t always say that in the expression.
Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: moonwire
Idiom: Have Something Down Cold
Oct 4th
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Do you have all English idioms down cold? If you don’t know every English idiom, listen to this podcast to learn a couple more. The question this week is about the expression “to have something down cold.”
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Maura: “To have something down cold” means that you know something very well.
Robin: The meaning has absolutely nothing to do with “cold.”
Maura: Let’s look again at the example that we got with the question.
Robin: “She has been rehearsing the play for months. She has her part completely down cold.”
Maura: This means that she knows her part for the play very well. She knows every scene perfectly. She doesn’t make any mistakes because she has it down cold.
Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: -Nat
Idiom: Get Under Someone's Skin
Sep 13th
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This episode our idiom is “to get under someone’s skin.” This means to bother or annoy someone. We give tons of examples of how you can use it and look at similar expressions, like “to rub someone the wrong way” and “to drive someone crazy”. To find out what drives Harp crazy, start listening to this episode!
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Harp: When people are late, maybe?
Maura: Yeah sometimes. Yeah, that’s true, if people are late it can get under my skin, if you’re waiting for them or if you have somewhere to go or if you made an effort to be on time and then they are late, it can bother me or it can get under my skin.
Harp: Sometimes people get bothered by other people’s physical actions. Like maybe they scratch at themselves and it really gets under people’s skin.
Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: e³°°°
Idiom: Are you eavesdropping?
Aug 30th
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When you listen to our Culips podcast, are you eavesdropping? No, you aren’t because that would be rude. What is eavesdropping? It is a special kind of listening. In this episode, we explain the word eavesdropping and overhearing. Listen here!
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Harp: I would say very public places. So, for example, I take public transportation, I take the metro and I take the bus in Montreal, and I love eavesdropping.
Maura: Here, because of the French, it’s a little like a listening comprehension exercise.
Harp:Exactly!
Maura: But, yeah, you can eavesdrop in restaurants or bars—you listen to what other people are talking about—especially if it starts to get interesting, right?
Harp: Exactly, exactly! Sometimes people have arguments or sometimes people are telling secrets that aren’t so secret if you’re listening.
Maura: So, we thought of this word “eavesdropping” because just a few minutes ago the phone rang and it was Harp’s boyfriend.
Harp:Everyone started eavesdropping in the room.
Maura: Well, what really happened is that Harp was talking and the rest of us were quiet.
Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Joe Howell
Idiom: Are we on for tonight?
Aug 2nd
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Are we on for tonight? Here we have a question about a casual expression for confirming plans. To find out exactly what it means, you’ll have to listen to this episode!
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Harp – No
Robin – No?
Harp – No, yes, yes of course. I’m just joking.
Robin – So when you want to be specific about making plans you can say “are we on for tonight?” or “are we on for Thursday at 6?”
Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast
Idiom: Watch out! Watch your lip!
Jul 12th
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In this episode Robin and Maura look at the word watch. Watch can be a verb or a noun and is used in quite a few expressions. First we discuss how watch and look are different. Then we tell you how to watch out!
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Robin: Hey! That’s a pretty harsh expression!
Maura: So a lip is the part that makes up your mouth, that’s on the outside of your face, I guess. So when I say watch your lip Robin, what am I saying?
Robin: You’re basically telling me to shut up or basically, telling me to be a little bit careful about what I say to you.
Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast
“Let’s…” and “Why don’t we…”
Jul 5th
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Let’s listen to this Culips episode! This time we talk about the expressions beginning with “Let’s…” and “Why don’t we…”, give your examples and explain the differences between them. Why don’t you stop reading and listen to it now!
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Maura: What is the difference between “Let’s do…” and “Why don’t we do…”?
Harp: The answer is simple. There is really no difference in meaning or intention. They are essentially the same. In your standard ESL textbook these expressions are often taught together because they are used in the same way: to suggest something.
Maura: Let’s go see a movie. Why don’t we see a movie? In both cases I’m suggesting we see a movie.
Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: compscigrad
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