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🇬🇧 Daily English Leassons
🇬🇧 by word of mouth
If something becomes well-known by word of mouth, it becomes well-known because people are telling each other about it, and not because of advertising or other marketing tools. Examples: Word of mouth made this movie a hit. A few people saw it and told their friends about it, and then they told more people about it, and before long everyone was going to see it. The best possible marketing tool is word of mouth, but a product has to be extremely good to earn it.
🇬🇧 order off
to tell a player to leave the field of play, or the court, usually because they have committed a foul or broken a rule Examples: order sb off The referee ordered Paddy off because he made an illegal tackle on another player, and could have seriously injured him. order off sb The umpire will order off any players who are bleeding or have blood on their uniforms.
🇬🇧 loot
stolen money or goods Examples: After robbing the store, Billy stashed the loot in his girlfriend's apartment. Des reckons many corrupt politicians deposit their loot in Swiss bank accounts.
🇬🇧 He teaches ill, who teaches all
🇬🇧 (it's) raining cats and dogs
You can say "it's raining cats and dogs" if it's raining very hard. Examples: We can't go now because it's raining cats and dogs. Why do people always use "it's raining cats and dogs" as an example of an idiom? No-one actually uses it any more, do they?
🇬🇧 roll up
If you roll up a piece of paper, you fold or roll it in such a way that it becomes a cylinder or a ball. Examples: roll sth up You roll up the poster and put it into a mailing tube, and then you send it. roll up sth The magician took a piece of cloth and rolled it up into a ball and held it in his fist, but when he opened his hand it was gone!
🇬🇧 gag
a joke Examples: Every night he starts the show with a few opening gags about stories in the news, and then he introduces his first guest. A comedian makes people laugh by telling gags.
🇬🇧 Waste not, want not
🇬🇧 a quantum leap
A quantum leap is a major step in the development of something, or in the improvement of something. Examples: The discovery of penicillin was a quantum leap in the treatment of bacterial infections. The election of an African-American president amounted to a quantum leap forward for racial equality.
🇬🇧 narrow down
to reduce the number of possibilities, options or choices Examples: narrow down sth I was buying a new car and there were many models to choose from, but I wanted a fuel-efficient car so that narrowed down the range quite a bit. narrow sth down to sth Thirty people applied for the job, but after the first round of interviews we'd narrowed it down to just three.
🇬🇧 puke
to vomit (v.) | vomit (n.) Examples: Quick! Stop the car! I think I'm going to puke. My cat made a coughing sound, and then I saw some puke on the floor. Guess who had to clean it up!
🇬🇧 Revenge is sweet
🇬🇧 another string to your bow
If you have another string to your bow, you have another way of making a living. Examples: Lots of people learn to teach English so they'll have another string to their bow. I've lost my job and I'll have to retrain for something else. I wish I already had another string to my bow.
🇬🇧 come of
to be the result of an event or situation Examples: come of sth Did anything come of your job interview at the bank? come of sth They should stop seeing each other behind her husband's back. No good can come of it.
🇬🇧 narc | nark
a narcotics officer, a police officer working in drug trade suppression Examples: The narcs raided the dealer's apartment after being tipped off by his neighbours. There are a lot of narks working at the airport.
🇬🇧 Possession is nine points of the law
🇬🇧 Things are looking up.
You can say "things are looking up" if things are improving. Examples: John: "Is business getting any better?" Barry: "Well, things are looking up, but it still isn't as good as it was last year." Things are looking up now that the tourist season is here.
🇬🇧 muddle through
If you muddle through, you succeed in doing something even though you haven't got the skills or equipment usually needed. Examples: muddle through Our coach was sick, so I had to train the team myself. I'd never done it before but I muddled through somehow and it wasn't too bad. muddle through He'd never refereed a football match before, but he muddled through without making any really bad mistakes.
🇬🇧 up shit creek
to be in a difficult situation with little chance of finding a solution Examples: Johnny had a bag of cocaine in his pocket, so when the cops started searching him he knew he was up shit creek. Thanks to this government, we're up shit creek! It'll take years for the economy to recover!
🇬🇧 Revenge is sweet
🇬🇧 an axe to grind
If you have an axe to grind, you have a strong opinion about something and you express this opinion whenever you can. Examples: Billy's had this axe to grind about globalisation recently and he's always going on about it. These people always seem to have an axe to grind and whenever someone interviews them they see it as a chance to push their ideas.
🇬🇧 bow out
to resign from a job, or to end a career, usually after a long time Examples: bow out After being captain for many years, Paul bowed out so that a younger member of the team could take over. bow out Some politicians don't seem to know when it's time to bow out, and they cling to power for too long.
🇬🇧 beat
tired, exhausted, weary Examples: After running for an hour, I was totally beat so I had to lie down for a while. Pete's working too hard. He looks really beat when he gets home and he hasn't even got the energy to play with his kids.
🇬🇧 Birds of a feather flock together
🇬🇧 jobs for the boys
If you say "jobs for the boys" you're referring to the fact that people in positions of power sometimes use their power to give jobs to their friends or family members. Examples: Henry deserved the position, but it was a case of jobs for the boys, as usual, and one of the boss's old school friends got it instead of Henry. The new government has promised to stop the old system of jobs for the boys when it comes to appointing departmental heads.
🇬🇧 bail out
to help out someone or something that's in serious trouble, especially financial trouble Examples: bail out sb/sth The government had to bail out many banks and financial institutions in the 2008 financial crisis. bail sb/sth out Why do we have to bail them out with taxpayer's money? Why not just let them go bankrupt?
🇬🇧 yeah
yes Examples: I told my daughter to do her homework and she said, "Yeah, I'll do it. You don't have to bug me about it." When I said I'd force him give us our money back, he said, "Yeah? You and whose army, pal?"
🇬🇧 You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs
🇬🇧 have your head in the clouds
If someone has their head in the clouds, they are out of touch with the everyday world and can be unrealistic or naive as a result. Examples: If you think oil companies are going to help destroy their own industry by developing alternative energy sources, you have your head in the clouds. Janette must have her head in the clouds if she thinks her insurance company is going to pay the full cost of rebuilding and refurnishing her house.
🇬🇧 sit up
to not go to bed until later than usual Examples: sit up The first time my wife and I met, it was at a party, and we sat up most of the night talking. sit up I sat up half the night waiting for my daughter to come home.
🇬🇧 laid-back
easygoing, relaxed Examples: Amy has always been a laid-back, easygoing woman, so I doubt that she'll be too nervous about speaking in front of a large crowd. People in the Caribbean are pretty laid-back. They just take life as it comes and doubt worry too much about the future.
🇬🇧 Handsome is as handsome does
🇬🇧 add fuel to the fire
If you add fuel to the fire, you do something to make a bad situation even worse. Examples: People are already unhappy, and if the government allows oil prices to increase it'll just be adding fuel to the fire. If Billy's angry, don't say anything. You'll just be adding fuel to the fire.
🇬🇧 print out
to make a printed copy of a document Examples: print out sth Could you print out the contract and leave it on my desk, please? print sth out Print a test copy out and let me check it before you send the file to the printers.
🇬🇧 screw
to cheat or swindle someone Examples: We knew we were being screwed, but what could we do? This was the only hotel around with vacant rooms, so they could charge whatever they liked. George reckons the taxation system screws people who work hard and set up small businesses.
🇬🇧 United we stand, divided we fall
🇬🇧 dig up dirt
If you dig up dirt on someone, you try to find details from their past to make them look bad in the present. Examples: Many politicians pay people to dig up dirt on their opponents, and then pass the information to the media. Very few of our leaders come from disadvantaged backgrounds because it's so easy to dig up dirt on them or their family members.
🇬🇧 come about
to happen, especially partly or totally by chance Examples: come about Jim's business success came about after a series of failures, so he was very happy that something had worked for him at last. come about How did the discovery come about? Were they looking for it or did they find it by chance?
🇬🇧 grand
one thousand dollars, one thousand pounds Examples: My new apartment costs two grand a month. Pedro earns fifty grand a year, after tax.
🇬🇧 A good payer is master of another's purse
🇬🇧 come up trumps
If you come up trumps, you succeed in something that you may not have been expected to succeed in. Examples: Nicole came up trumps, winning her match despite her injured knee. John's dad was sure his son would came up trumps, and he did.
🇬🇧 go beyond
to be more than, better than, more advanced than, etc. Examples: go beyond sth The actual cost of making his movies nearly always goes beyond the original budget. go (far/way) beyond sth Her dreams of fame and success always went far beyond what a girl from New Jersey would normally expect from life.
🇬🇧 tipsy
slightly drunk Examples: The ladies at the golf club sometimes get a little tipsy if they have a couple of drinks in the clubhouse after a game. My grandfather drank alcohol, but I don't remember ever seeing him tipsy, let alone drunk.
🇬🇧 Keep your friends close and your enemies closer
🇬🇧 have second thoughts
If you're having second thoughts about something, you're having doubts about a decision you've made. Examples: You're not having second thoughts about moving to Australia to live, are you? I've been having second thoughts about quitting my job. Maybe I should keep it for a while longer.
🇬🇧 dwell on
If you dwell on something bad or unpleasant, you think about it too much or you talk about it too much. Examples: dwell on sth If I'm lying awake at night dwelling on a problem or a conflict at work, I take my mind off it by reading a book. dwell on sth Wayne was dwelling on the fact that he'd just lost his job, so I changed the topic and we talked about something else instead.
🇬🇧 up against it
facing a personal or financial crisis Examples: Kevin is really up against it now that he's lost his job. He can't afford his house or car payments, and he's maxed out his credit cards. The company is up against it now. Their sales have been falling, their costs have been rising, and now their workers are going on strike for higher pay.
🇬🇧 You can't take it with you when you die
🇬🇧 out of the question
If something is out of the question, it cannot be considered because it's impossible or it's not allowed. Examples: Jose wants to study in the U.S.A., but it's out of the question. It's very expensive and we just can't afford it. The government says that cutting the military budget is out of the question. But Gracie says that if invading foreign countries were out of the question instead, it'd be easy to cut the budget.
🇬🇧 opt in
If you opt in, you choose to accept something, or do something, that is offered to you as an option. Examples: opt in When they're purchasing a product online, we give our customers the chance to subscribe to our newsletter, but we only send it to those who've opted in. opt in We have English classes for our workers. They don't have to attend, but if they opt in they're expected to complete the course.
🇬🇧 arse-licking
saying nice things to someone in order to get something from them Examples: Does he really think all his arse-licking will mean the CEO will give him the promotion? Bosses say they don't like arse-licking, but I'm sure some of them quite enjoy being told how clever and wonderful they are.
🇬🇧 A nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse
🇬🇧 Achilles' heel
An Achilles' heel is a weakness that could result in failure. Examples: He's a good golfer, but his Achilles' heel is his putting and it's often made him lose matches. The country's dependence on imported oil could prove to be its Achilles' heel if prices keep on rising.
🇬🇧 keep on
If you keep on doing something, you continue doing it. Examples: keep on doing Don't stop here. Keep on going. keep on doing sth Mark needs to concentrate more when he works. He keeps on making basic mistakes.
🇬🇧 queeny
effeminate Examples: Have you noticed how queeny Frank can get when he's had a few drinks? Seems he only lets the girl out when he's had a few. Someone once said Gary looks queeny when he dances, so he never dances in public now.
🇬🇧 He who hesitates is lost
🇬🇧 weather a storm
If you weather a storm, you survive a dangerous event or deal with a difficult situation. Examples: Everyone waited to see if the president could weather the storm caused by his son's arrest for using illegal drugs. Poor Mandy had to stand there and weather the storm as her boss shouted insults at her for letting him forget something.
🇬🇧 come on
If a TV or radio show comes on, it starts. Examples: come on What time does the football come on? come on The news comes on at 7 o'clock.
🇬🇧 racket
loud noise that lasts a long time Examples: The people next door were having a party and they were making such a racket that I couldn't get to sleep. Lance was playing one of his favourite heavy metal CDs when his dad came in and said "Could you turn that racket down?"
🇬🇧 God helps them that help themselves
🇬🇧 reach for the moon | reach for the stars
If you reach for the moon, or reach for the stars, you are aiming to achieve something great, or do something very challenging. Examples: Ever since he was a little boy, Gustav had reached for the moon. It was as if he'd somehow known that he would do great things in his life. Her father always wanted Sylvia to reach for the stars, but Sylvia just wanted to play with her pets and run around in the woods.
🇬🇧 egg on
If you egg someone on, you encourage them to do something foolish or risky. Examples: egg sb on Janice had already had too much to drink, but her friends egged her on, trying to make her drink even more. be egged on by sb If he hadn't been egged on by the other kids, Kenny would never have smoked that first cigarette. He hated the smell.
🇬🇧 lardass
an overweight person, esp. one with large buttocks Examples: Madge has become such a lardass since she stopped exercising and started eating too much. Bill and Jill get on really well. They're both lardasses who love watching TV all day and eating snacks non-stop.
🇬🇧 He who laughs last laughs longest
🇬🇧 a vicious circle
If you're in a vicious circle you're in a situation in which the solution to one problem becomes the cause of another one, and the solution to that one causes the first problem to occur again. Examples: If I quit cigarettes I put on weight, and if I put on weight I get depressed, and if I get depressed I start smoking again. It's a vicious circle. I'm in this vicious circle where the more I work, the more I spend on rewarding myself for all the hard work, so no matter how hard I work, I never save any money.
🇬🇧 butt in
to start talking when somebody else is already talking Examples: butt in David doesn't know how to join in a conversation without butting in. butt in Sorry for butting in, but does anyone know where Bill is? I have an urgent message for him.
🇬🇧 trash
to damage, to destroy Examples: The band behaved like traditional rock stars and totally trashed one of their hotel rooms. They were charged about twenty thousand dollars for the repairs. Gary got drunk again, and this time he trashed his car. Luckily no-one was hurt, but he'll be in jail for about six months. What an idiot!
🇬🇧 A good husband makes a good wife
🇬🇧 put your foot in your mouth
If you put your foot in your mouth you say or do the wrong thing and usually make matters worse. Examples: I really put my foot in my mouth when I asked her how her husband was. I forgot that he died last year. Every time he speaks he puts his foot in his mouth.
🇬🇧 sober up
to become sober again after drinking too much alcohol Examples: sober up It took her a few hours to sober up. She was very drunk. sober sb up Do you think a cold shower might help to sober him up?
🇬🇧 itty-bitty | itsy-bitsy
very small Examples: How does Sarah get into that itty-bitty little bikini? I wish I could! He put an itsy-bitsy pinch of chilli powder into the soup to give it a little zip.
🇬🇧 Comparisons are odious
🇬🇧 draw a blank
If you draw a blank, you get no response when you ask for something, or get no results when you search for something. Examples: I did a search on the web for information about the company, but I drew a blank. He said he tried to remember the date of the meeting, but he drew a blank and couldn't tell us.
🇬🇧 roll over
to change position when you're lying down so that you're on your back if you were face down, or face down if you were on your back Examples: roll over After he'd massaged my back, the masseur told me to roll over so he could massage my chest. roll sb over The ambulance officer rolled the accident victim over and tried to resuscitate him.
🇬🇧 later
good-bye Examples: As he was leaving, Jerry turned and said, "Later, my man." It was getting late, so I said, "Later, babe" and hung up the phone.
🇬🇧 Still waters run deep
🇬🇧 call a spade a spade
If you call a spade a spade, you tell the truth in a straightforward and direct way, even if the truth is not pleasant. Examples: I should warn you that Sandra calls a spade a spade, so if she thinks you say something wrong or make a mistake, she'll say so. Sometimes it's good to call a spade a spade, but sometimes it's better to be more diplomatic in what you say.
🇬🇧 make over
to make someone or something look better Examples: make sb/sth over Reality TV shows make women over with plastic surgery and weight loss and new clothes and other stuff. be made over into sth Our old warehouse will be made over into a fabulous new showroom.
🇬🇧 tight-ass
1) sby who spends as little money as possible, a miser 2) sby who's repressed and very strict about following society's rules Examples: Our boss is a real tight-ass; we never get a Christmas bonus. Don't be such a tight-ass, Rob. Let yourself have some fun for a change.
🇬🇧 Hope springs eternal in the human breast
🇬🇧 quite a bit of | quite a lot of
If you've got quite a bit of something, or quite a lot of something, you have a fairly large amount of it. Examples: George made quite a bit of money in his first business, but instead of retiring young, he went on to make quite a lot more. If you want to learn to play the piano, you'll need to spend quite a lot of money on lessons, and spend quite a bit of time practising.
🇬🇧 clear out
to tidy a place by removing things that shouldn't be there Examples: clear out sth If we clear out dad's old toolshed, the kids can use it as a playhouse. clear sth out Before the new accountant moves into the office, Stan will have to clear his stuff out.
🇬🇧 cranky
irritable, easily annoyed Examples: Some days I wake up cranky and I get annoyed by little things like red lights and slow elevators. Our little boy is always cranky when he wakes up after a nap.
🇬🇧 Give credit where credit is due
🇬🇧 up a gum tree
If you're up a gum tree, you're in trouble or have a serious problem. Examples: The company is up a gum tree because they broke some laws about polluting the environment, and they'll probably get closed down. My mate Bruce is up a gum tree. He got a sheila up the duff and now she's twisting his arm to get hitched. (see Note 2 below)
🇬🇧 slip up
to make a small mistake, usually because of carelessness Examples: slip up I'm usually pretty reliable, but sometimes I slip up, like everybody. slip up If our goalkeeper hadn't slipped up, we would have won the match.
🇬🇧 yokel
a simple, poorly-educated person from the countryside Examples: We used to see whole families of yokels come into town sometimes. They'd be wearing really old clothes, have terrible haircuts, and they'd speak in this weird accent that was hard to understand. Fran's mother used to say she'd give Fran to the yokels who lived up in the mountains if she was a bad girl.
🇬🇧 Money makes money
🇬🇧 reach for the moon | reach for the stars
If you reach for the moon, or reach for the stars, you are aiming to achieve something great, or do something very challenging. Examples: Ever since he was a little boy, Gustav had reached for the moon. It was as if he'd somehow known that he would do great things in his life. Her father always wanted Sylvia to reach for the stars, but Sylvia just wanted to play with her pets and run around in the woods.
🇬🇧 lose out
If you lose out, you fail to benefit from something that others are benefitting from. Examples: lose out Thanks to my stockbroker, I've lost out big time. He told me to sell all my telecom shares - and now they're worth a fortune! lose out The Education Ministry has lost out again in this year's budget because the government needs the money to pay for the war.
🇬🇧 nick
to arrest somebody Examples: Billy was caught speeding on his motorbike. It's his second offence, so if he gets nicked again he'll lose his licence. Our neighbours were nicked last night for selling illegal drugs. We used to see lots of people going in and out, but we had no idea they were dealing in drugs.
🇬🇧 Easy come, easy go
🇬🇧 set your sights on
If you set your sights on something, or set your sights on doing something, it becomes the target of your ambition or the object of your attention. Examples: Stanley has set his sights on coaching Liverpool, so he'll start getting to know people who have influence in the club. Microsoft has set its sights on one of the biggest search engine companies, so I wouldn't be surprised if the company's shares go up.
🇬🇧 auction off
to sell something to the highest bidder at an auction Examples: auction off sth In order to pay his debts, Uncle George had to auction off his collection of paintings. auction sth off Do you think we should auction the contents of the house off piece by piece, or sell the whole lot to a dealer?
🇬🇧 lab
laboratory Examples: I'll see you in the science lab after lunch. Have you got the results of those lab tests yet?
🇬🇧 If a job's worth doing it's worth doing well
🇬🇧 blow your own horn | blow your own trumpet
If you blow your own horn, or blow your own trumpet, you proudly boast about your own talents and successes. Examples: I hate the way Barry always blows his own horn, and I get sick of hearing about all the amazing things he's done. Lorraine says that if you want to be successful in the fashion business, you really have to blow your own trumpet.
🇬🇧 end with
to have something act as the final part of something Examples: end with sth The celebration ended with a spectacular fireworks display. end with sth After the main part of the seminar is over, it ends with each speaker giving a summary of their ideas.
🇬🇧 Uncle Sam
the U.S.A., the U.S. government Examples: Most of my students think Uncle Sam made a big mistake by invading Iraq. Many people blamed Uncle Sam for the world economic recession.
🇬🇧 Truth will out
🇬🇧 a quick study
If you're a quick study, you can learn new things quickly. Examples: Albert was always a quick study, except when it came to learning languages. I only need to show Sue how to do something once, and she gets it. She's a quick study, that girl.
🇬🇧 take after
If you take after an older member of your family, you look like them or you have a similar personality to them. Examples: take after sb Alan takes after his mum in personality, but he looks more like his dad. take after sb Do you think Sandy takes after her father or her mother?
🇬🇧 fuck-up
a serious mistake Examples: There's been a major fuck-up in delivering the shipment. Some idiot sent it to Austria instead of Australia. How could a fuck-up like this happen? You told me you always double-check everything yourself.
🇬🇧 The wages of sin is death
🇬🇧 across the board
If something is across the board, it relates to all without exception. Examples: The company has promised to increase salaries across the board, so everyone will get a pay rise. The tax cuts will only apply to low and middle-income families, so they won't be across the board.
🇬🇧 run out (of)
If you run out of something, you don't have any left and you need some more. Examples: run out Could you get some milk when you go to the shop? We've nearly run out. run out of sth I can't print the report tonight because I've run out of paper.
🇬🇧 hairy
dangerous, risky, scary Examples: We went on this really hairy bus ride in the foothills of the Himalayas. The road was really narrow and there were steep cliffs down the side. Investing in films has always been a pretty hairy business, given the fact that many more movies lose money than make money.
🇬🇧 The Devil sometimes speaks the truth
🇬🇧 kill time
You kill time when you do something to amuse yourself while waiting for something. Examples: I had to kill time at the airport because of the delay so I bought a book of crossword puzzles. We kill time on long trips by playing this game in which someone thinks of a country, and the next person has to think of another country that starts with the last letter of the first one, like Thailand, Denmark, Kenya, Afghanistan, Nepal, and so on.
🇬🇧 order around
If you order people around, you tell them what to do in a bossy way. Examples: order sb around The workers hate the way their supervisor orders them around. They say she's rude and bossy. be ordered around Army recruits soon get used to being ordered around.
🇬🇧 jiffy | jiff
a moment, a very short time Examples: Just a moment. I've got to see John for a sec but I'll be back in a jiffy. I'll be with you in a jiff. I just need to take this call first.
🇬🇧 The rich knows not who is his friend
🇬🇧 on your last legs | on its last legs
If you say you're on your last legs, it can mean you're close to exhaustion, or it can mean you're close to death. If a thing is on its last legs, it's close to breaking or wearing out. Examples: Bobby looks like he's on his last legs. Do you think he can make it to the top of the mountain? My old printer is on its last legs. It's time I got a new one.
🇬🇧 join up
If you join up two things, you connect them. Examples: join up If these two sections of the bridge don't join up perfectly, the whole thing could collapse. join sth up You have to find the red wire and the white wire, and then join them up.
🇬🇧 axe | ax
a musical instrument, esp. a jazz musician's guitar, trumpet or saxophone Examples: Louis grabbed his axe, stood in front of his band, and started to play. Eddie could play that ax all night long.
🇬🇧 Out of sight, out of mind
🇬🇧 love at first sight
If you experience love at first sight, you love someone from the first moment you see them. Examples: When I saw Kerry, it was love at first sight. I knew straight away that she was the one for me. Mark says he doesn't believe in love at first sight, but that's just because he's never experienced it.
🇬🇧 write off
to damage a vehicle so badly that it cannot be repaired Examples: write off sth After writing off three cars in two years, you'd think that Gerry would start driving a bit more carefully. write sth off Tommy borrowed his parents car, and then wrote it off in an accident. His parents were not happy with him.
🇬🇧 mug
to rob someone in a public place Examples: While he was walking home from the station, Bob was mugged by some guy with a gun. He lost his wallet and his watch. If you ever get mugged, don't resist. Just give them what they want and then report it to the police.
🇬🇧 Man proposes, God disposes