English Language

17 Sep 2017 13:36

Slang of the Day

🌀hip

Ⓜ️eaning: trendy, stylish, fashionable among young people

➰For example:

🔺It's hip for young guys to look cute and a bit "fem" these days, so many are taking good care of their skin and spending a lot on clothes and haircuts.

🔺When we were young smoking was hip, but these days it's not so hip to smell of cigarettes and damage your lungs.

🛡Origin: Many etymologists believe that the terms hip, hep and hepcat (e.g., jazz musicians' now cliched "hip cat") derive from the west African Wolof language word hepicat, which means "one who has his eyes open". (from Wikipedia)
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English Language

15 Sep 2017 12:30

Idiom of the Day

💥on the back burner

☑️Meaning: If a plan or a project is on the back burner, it isn't being worked on at present, but it might be completed in the future.

🔺For example:

▪️Plans for the new factory have been put on the back burner until the economy improves.

▪️It's a great idea, but we're too busy to look into it now so we'll put it on the back burner for a while.

🌀Origin: Probably metaphorical, from cooking and the fact that most stoves have front and back burners. Front burners are used for things that need attention now, while back burners are for things that don't need much attention just now.
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English Language

13 Sep 2017 20:35

Idiom of the Day

💥kick the habit

Ⓜ️eaning: If you kick the habit, you manage to stop doing something that has become a bad habit.

🌀For example:

🔺I wish I could stop smoking cigarettes but I just can't kick the habit.

🔺Rashid used to bite his fingernails but his girlfriend made him kick the habit.

✔️Note: "Kick a habit" can be used when talking about habits in general, as in "Kicking a habit isn't easy."
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English Language

11 Sep 2017 12:44

Idiom of the Day

👍🏻yes-man

Ⓜ️eaning: If someone's a yes-man, they'll say they agree with someone, or say "yes" to them, in order to please them.

🌀For example:

▪️Do you think Larry's just a yes-man, or will he tell the president what he really thinks?

▪️I don't want a yes-man. I want someone who'll tell me the truth.
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🔰@Englishoftheday

English Language

07 Sep 2017 12:38

Idiom of the Day

💥have a soft spot for

Ⓜ️aning: If you have a soft spot for someone or something, you feel a warm affection for them.

〽️For example:

🔺I don't know why, but I've always had a soft spot for Uncle George.

🔺Margaret can't see a stray cat without taking it home. She has a real soft spot for them.
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English Language

02 Sep 2017 16:35

Idiom of the Day

💥rags to riches

Ⓜ️eaning: If you go from rags to riches, you start out very poor and you become very rich.

🌀For example:

▪️My grandfather went from rags to riches when his dishwashing liquid became very popular. He started out making it at home, but in less than a year he had his own factory.

▪️Most of these young guys in professional basketball came from poor neighbourhoods and they all have the same rags-to-riches story.

☑️Note: If used as a modifier before a noun or a noun phrase, hyphens must be added, as in "a rags-to-riches story".
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English Language

30 Aug 2017 15:41

Idiom of the Day

💥an ivory tower

Ⓜ️eaning: You can say someone's in an ivory tower if they're in a place that separates them from everyday life, such as a university.

❕For example:

▪️People often complain that academics stuck in their ivory towers don't really understand the problems of the average person.

▪️Peter's dream is to get tenure in a university and spend the rest of his life hidden away in an ivory tower.
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English Language

28 Aug 2017 16:17

Idiom of the Day

💥put the brakes on

☑️Meaning: If you put the brakes on something, you stop it or slow it down.

🔺For example:

▪️Many companies are putting the brakes on new investment until the economy improves.

▪️The government has to put the brakes on the water treatment project until the corruption enquiry is over.

✔️Origin: This metaphorical idiom is based on the fact that if you're driving a car and you "put the brakes on", the car slows down and stops.
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English Language

27 Aug 2017 06:32

‍ Idiom of the Day

📚𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐆𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐒 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐀𝐒 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄.

𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆: You can say "your guess is as good as mine" when you don't know the answer to a question.
𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐄𝐗𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄:
⭕️Tom: "Who's going to win the World Cup?" Jerry: "Your guess is as good as mine."

⭕️I asked Jenny when the new office would be ready and she said, "Your guess is as good as mine."
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🆔 @Englishoftheday

English Language

26 Aug 2017 10:41

Idiom of the Day

💥x-factor

☑️Meaning: If someone has the x-factor, they have a certain charismatic appeal and magnetic quality.

❕For example:

🔺He's not a great singer but people can't take their eyes off him, so he must have the x-factor.

🔺You can't teach anyone the x-factor; they've either got it or they haven't.
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🔰@Englishoftheday

English Language

23 Aug 2017 04:09

Idiom of the Day

💥nip it in the bud

☑️Meaning: If you nip something in the bud, you stop a problem from becoming serious by dealing with it as soon as you notice it.

〽️For example:

🔺Alan has a serious weight problem. Now he wishes he'd nipped it in the bud by eating less and exercising more when he was first starting to put on weight.

🔺I was starting to drink too much alcohol, so I nipped it in the bud and stopped drinking altogether before it became a serious problem.

🎯Origin: This is a metaphorical idiom based on the fact that if you want to stop a plant from growing bigger, you can cut off the new leaf buds or flower buds, or "nip the buds".
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🔰@Englishoftheday

English Language

22 Aug 2017 07:26

Idiom of the Day

💥" A red rag to a bull "

Meaning:
☑️A deliberate provocation.

〽️For example:

▪️Telling Putin that he is macho as a response to being small in stature was like a red rag to a bull.

🔺Where did it originate?:
Britain. An allusion to bullfighting, where the bull is provoked by a waved cloth.

🔺Where is it used?:
Worldwide.
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🔰@Englishoftheday

English Language

21 Aug 2017 03:53

Slang of the Day

💥loot

☑️Meaning: stolen money or goods

〽️For example:

🔺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.
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📌 @Englishoftheday

English Language

20 Aug 2017 18:01

Phrasal Verb of the Day

💥chop up

✔️Meaning: to cut something into pieces with an axe or a knife

〽️For example:

▪️chop up sth
🔹After we killed the lamb, we chopped up its body so we could fit the pieces into the cooking pot.

▫️chop sth up
🔸Let's chop those branches up and use them to make a fire.
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💯 @Englishoftheday

English Language

19 Aug 2017 23:21

Idiom of the Day

📗You could have knocked me over with a feather.

☑️Meaning: You can say "you could have knocked me over with a feather" to show how surprised you were when something happened, or when you heard about something.

🔺For example:

▪️You could have knocked me over with a feather when I heard that Jules and Ken were getting married. I had no idea!

▪️I saw my sister being interviewed on the news. You could have knocked me over with a feather!
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English Language

15 Sep 2017 18:04

‍ Word of the Day

📌stupefy /ˈstuːpəˌfaɪ/ verb
stupefies; stupefied; stupefying

Learner's definition of STUPEFY
[+ object]
☑️: to shock or surprise (someone) very much : to cause (someone) to become confused or unable to think clearly — usually used as (be) stupefied
▪️I was stupefied by their decision.

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The baby was stupefied by the kiss.

English Language

15 Sep 2017 11:13

Slang of the Day

💥sickie
British and Australian English

Ⓜ️eaning: a day taken off work after calling in sick when one is actually well

🌀For example:

🔺Paul throws a sickie at least once a month. I wonder if his boss has noticed that he's always "sick" when the weather is beautiful?

🔺Robbo reckons the surf's awesome today, so I'm chuckin' a sickie and headin' down the coast.

🗨Variety: This slang term is typically used in British and Australian English but may be used in other varieties of English too.
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📌 @Englishoftheday

English Language

13 Sep 2017 09:11

Slang of the Day

💥rubbish
🇬🇧British English

Ⓜ️eaning: to make very negative comments, to strongly criticise

🌀For example:

▪️British newspapers nearly always rubbish local sports teams when they don't do well in international competitions.

▪️Why does that guitarist in Oasis always rubbish other bands? I don't think I've ever heard him say anything nice about another band, except for The Beatles.

🔍Variety: This slang term is typically used in British English but may be used in other varieties of English too.
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📌 @Englishoftheday

English Language

09 Sep 2017 08:24

Slang of the Day

💥jittery

Ⓜ️eaning: very nervous

❕For example:

▪️Sir Elton has been singing his songs on stage for over forty years, but he says he still gets jittery before a concert.

▪️Police at the airport closely observe people entering the country, and if anyone seems jittery they stop them and search them for drugs.

💢Note:
see also "the jitters"
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📌 @Englishoftheday

English Language

05 Sep 2017 08:23

Slang of the Day

🅿️ack heat

Ⓜ️eaning: to carry a gun

✔️For example:

🔺Someone in the crowd who was packing heat has been taken away by the Secret Service guys.

🔺Can you believe that some of these kids come to school packing heat? Where do they get the guns from?
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📌 @Englishoftheday

English Language

02 Sep 2017 16:28

Slang of the Day

®at

Ⓜ️eaning: a horrible, nasty person

❕For example:

🔺That guy's such a rat. He'd sell his own mother if it'd help him get what he wants.

🔺When Debbie married her husband he was a nice guy, but he turned into a rat when he started drinking too much.
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📌 @Englishoftheday

English Language

30 Aug 2017 15:21

Slang of the Day

🔰cuppa
British and Australian English

Ⓜ️eaning: a hot drink, cup of tea, cup of coffee

🌀For example:

🔺As soon as I get home, I'm going to have a nice hot cuppa.

🔺Would you like to come in for a cuppa?

👁‍🗨Variety: This slang term is typically used in British and Australian English but may be used in other varieties of English too.
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📌 @Englishoftheday

English Language

27 Aug 2017 15:44

Slang of the Day

💥toff
🇬🇧British English
☑️Meaning: a wealthy, upper-class person

❕For example:

🔺If you want to see a lot of toffs drinking champagne and eating caviar, go to the Royal Meeting at Ascot Racecourse.

🔺Lisa's new boyfriend is a real toff. His family's incredibly rich, and his dad's the Duke of Errey.

🎯Variety: This is typically used in British English but may be used in other varieties of English too.
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📌 @Englishoftheday

English Language

26 Aug 2017 19:31

Slang of the Day

💥quid
▫️British and Australian English

☑️Meaning: one pound sterling

❕For example:

🔺We paid him five hundred quid to fix the roof.

🔺I lost ten quid on that horse Ted said was gonna win for sure.

✨Variety: This slang term is typically used in British and Australian English but may be used in other varieties of English too.
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📌 @Englishoftheday

English Language

24 Aug 2017 03:42

Slang of the Day

💥rehab

☑️Meaning: place for treating addiction

❕For example:

▪️We really think it's time you went into rehab and dealt with your addiction. The longer you take drugs, the longer it takes to recover.

▪️When asked if she was going to rehab, Amy said, "No, no, no!"

✨Origin: short for "rehabilitation"
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📌 @Englishoftheday

English Language

22 Aug 2017 14:32

‍ Word of the Day

💥the evil eye /ði ˈiːvəl ˈaɪ/ noun
Learner's definition of THE EVIL EYE
☑️: a look that is thought to be able to harm someone
🔺He gave her the evil eye.

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✔️@Englishoftheday

The men are giving each other the evil eye.

English Language

22 Aug 2017 07:22

Slang of the Day

🏋️jock
🇺🇸American English

✅Meaning: an athlete, sportsman

〽️For example:

▪️Betty's new boyfriend is one of the jocks on the football team.

▪️In our high school, most of the guys are either jocks or geeks.

✨Origin: possibly short for "jockstrap" (an athletic support)

🎯Variety: This slang term is typically used in American English but may be used in other varieties of English too.
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📌 @Englishoftheday

English Language

21 Aug 2017 03:52

Idiom of the Day

💥nerves of steel

☑️Meaning: If you have nerves of steel, you are very brave and not many things make you scared or nervous.

〽️For example:

▪️I could never work on one of those high-rise building sites where you walk along beams about twenty stories up. You'd need nerves of steel to do that job.

▪️Those people who sing the national anthem before one of those big sporting events must have nerves of steel.
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🔰@Englishoftheday

English Language

20 Aug 2017 17:25

Slang of the Day

💥hairy

☑️Meaning: dangerous, risky, scary

〽️For example:

🔺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.
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📌 @Englishoftheday

English Language

17 Aug 2017 23:18

Slang of the Day

🔰john
🇺🇸American English

☑️Meaning: the bathroom, toilet

✔️For example:

▪️Where's the john in this place?

▪️I'm going to the john, but I'll be back in a couple of minutes.

🎯Note: usually used with the definite article "the"

✨Variety: This slang term is typically used in American English but may be used in other varieties of English too.
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