American Popular Expression "J"

                                    

join the club: now you know how I feel. (This expression is used when someone describes a new experience to someone who has already had the same experience.) A: I lost my job last week and now I have to find a new job fast. B: Really? Well, join the club. I've been unemployed for the last four months.
jump all over someone: to express anger at someone; to quickly become angry and yell or shout. Lisa jumped all over me because I said something about her hair.
jump at the chance: to see an opportunity and act on it; to take advantage of a good situation. Tanya jumped at the chance to move to the United States from Ukraine.
jump in with both feet: to do something eagerly; to feel a sense of excitement in doing something. Ron jumped in with both feet when he started his new job even though he didn't always understand what he was doing.
jump the gun: to start something too early; to begin at an unfair advantage. Terri and Jim want to get married, but they're only 18 years old and just out of high school. It seems like they're jumping the gun.
jump to a conclusion: to believe something is true without considering all the facts. Everyone thought Troy killed his wife, but it turns out they jumped to a conclusion too quickly. His neighbor was the murderer.
(the) jury is still out: no decision has been made; an opinion or conclusion is still being formed on a matter. The jury is still out as to whether or not human beings have what it takes to live peacefully with each other without resorting to military conflict.
just a minute: wait; hold on. (This expression is also used when someone sees something that is surprising) Just a minute! This girl looks really familiar to me. Where have I seen her before?
just for the record: a statement of fact that reveals an important truth; truth for the sake of truth--but not necessarily publicly stated. Can you tell me the real reason you want to leave this company? I need to know--just for the record.
just one of those things: something that is difficult to explain. No one knew how Martha could so easily drown in just a few feet of water. It was just one of those things.
just what the doctor ordered: something that makes you feel good (in most cases, this does not really involve a doctor.) A ten-day vacation to Hawaii is just what the doctor ordered. I need to relax.

American Popular Expressions "I"

                               

I beg your pardon: excuse me. A: Would you two stop making so much noise please? We can't hear the movie. B: I beg your pardon. We didn't realize we were so loud.
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again: if you fail or don't do a good job at something, you can't quit.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it: if something is working, don't try to improve it, no matter how old it might be. (the English grammar in this expression is not correct: ain't broke) A: Wow, this machine needs some new parts. B: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
If worst comes to worst: if a situation gets really bad, there's a solution or something else that can be done. Brandon is a terrible cook, but he wants to make breakfast. If worst comes to worst, they can always go out for breakfast at a restaurant.
If you can't beat them, join them: if you can't prevent people from doing something you don't like, be a part of the group. George was angry that everyone was partying on company time, but then he said to himself, "If you can't beat them, join them."
If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen: if you don't like the situation you're in, then get out of it. A: I'm tired of being a supervisor. There's too much stress involve. B: If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
Ignorance is bliss: not knowing something is true can sometimes be a good thing. If you don't know the truth or the facts, you won't get in trouble.
in a pinch: in an emergency; at a time when necessary action must be taken. Bob can't always rely on his car to get to work because it breaks down a lot, so in a pinch sometimes he rides his bike.
in good condition / in good shape: This old car is in very good condition.
in good spirits: happy; cheerful. She's in very good spirits today because it's Friday and she doesn't work on the weekend.
in no time at all: very fast; quick. Just wait. The train will be here in no time at all.
in one's own best interest: something is good for you even if you don't like it. Eating all of her broccoli is in her own best interest, but she hates it.
in one's own world: alone in one's thoughts; separate from other people. He's such a deep thinker that he gets lost in his own world.
in one's pocket: to control another person, usually through love, power, or money. He's so in love with her, she has him in her pocket.
in one's shoes: to see the world from another person's position. It's not fair to criticize her unless you're able to stand in her shoes.
in over one's head: to do something that beyond a person's experience or abilities. He's training for a fight with another martial arts expert, but everyone thinks he's in way over his head.
in the ballpark: a good guess; an close estimate. We didn't pay full price for the house but your guess of just under $300,000 is in the ballpark.
in the blink of an eye: very fast. The shot given by the nurse will hurt a little, but it will be over in the blink of an eye.
in the driver's seat: in control of a situation. He's never comfortable unless he's in the driver's seat.
in the lap of luxury: very rich; to be surrounded by wealth. After making millions of dollars in real estate, he's living in the lap of luxury.
in the long run: over a long period of time. They have had many disagreements during their 40-year marriage, but in the long run they've been able to get along very well together.
in the running: in competition with others; a candidate for a position. She's in the running for a top managerial position within the company.
in the same league: in the same position; to be as skilled as others. He's not in the same league as ordinary supervisors. He's very, very good at managing his workers.
in this day and age: now; in modern times. In this day and age, many downtown plazas display art and sculpture.
I guess so: to say "yes," however not willingly; to agree to something after some consideration. A: Can I borrow your car? B: Well..... I guess so.
It ain't over 'till the fat lady sings: something isn't finished although the event is coming to a conclusion. A: It looks like Brazil is going to lose the soccer match. B: It ain't over 'till the fat lady sings.
it stands to reason: that makes sense; that's reasonable. It stands to reason that walking around outside in the cold rain without a coat, a hat, or an umbrella might make you sick.
it takes some getting used to: you have to do something again and again before you like it or understand it. Fly fishing isn't as easy as fishing with worms. It takes some getting used to.
It takes one to know one: if you say something negative about a person, you yourself might have that same negative quality; it's easier to recognize faults in other people if you have those same faults. A: You're a thoughtless, selfish person. B: Oh yeah? Well, it takes one to know one.
it's no use: There's no way to fix this problem. I can't do anything about this. This is impossible. "It's no use! I can't get this remote control to work."

American Popular Expressions "H"

                           

half a loaf is better than none: it's better to have something--or half of something--than nothing.
handle with kid gloves: be very careful, especially when talking with an emotionally sensitive person. You have to handle her with kid gloves. She's very sensitive.
hand over fist: to make something (used usually with money) very quickly. He's making money hand over fist as a lawyer.
(the) handwriting is on the wall: It's easy to see that something is true or something is very possible in the future. The handwriting is on the wall for newspapers. The rise of the internet will continue to cause many of them to go out of business.
hang in there: don't quit; keep working on something despite the difficulty. Helen doesn't like her new boss very much, but she's going to hang in there anyway because she's been with the company for such a long time.
hang in the balance: to be between success and failure. Aquatic and plant life hang in the balance along the Gulf Coast after the giant oil spill.
hanging by a thread: something has very little support; weakness. After the hurricane, the family was left hanging by a thread with only the clothes on their backs and a small amount of food.
a hard act to follow: a very impressive person, act, performance, etc. comes before someone else who might not be as impressive. No one wants to give their speech after John. He's a very hard act to follow.
have a big mouth: to talk loudly; to talk without considering the consequences of what is said. If you tell Joe what I said about Linda's pregnancy, he'll tell everyone. He has a big mouth.
have a good command of (something): to understand something well; to be good at a particular skill. She has a good command of the English language.
have a good thing going: to have a good relationship or situation (job, business, living arrangement) Luis and Maranda have a good thing going. They're probably going to get married.
have got another thing coming: to experience the opposite reaction of what a person expects will happen. Bill thinks he did the right thing by selling his car to save money on gas and other expenses, but when his wife finds out what he did, he's got another thing coming.
have one's head in the clouds: to daydream; to think about things that are not true in reality. She thinks she's going to be rich someday. Considering her grades in school, she has her head in the clouds.
have one's heart in the right place: to have good intentions. (This is often used when someone makes a bad decision but means to do well.) He's not very helpful, but he has his heart in the right place.
hide one's head in the sand: to pretend that something is not true. It's better to face reality than to hide your head in the sand.
high as a kite: drunk or on drugs. He came to the party high as a kite.
hit the nail on the head: to be very accurate; to be correct. A: The problem with your car could be with the alternator. B: Really? Oh, yeah. I think you've hit the nail on the head.
hit the ground running: to be prepared and ready to work. Their business hit the ground running and was profitable within a year.
hit the jackpot: to make a lot of money; to make a lucky decision. She hit the jackpot when she married Richard.
hold a gun to one's head: to force someone to do something (often used with the negative) She wants her boyfriend to go to her sister's wedding with her, but she's not going to hold a gun to his head.
hope springs eternal: there's always hope; human beings have always prayed or hoped for things to be okay in the future. He wants to win the lottery. Hope springs eternal.
hot dog: wow! We're going to the state fair?! Hot dog!
How's that?: What did you say? I didn't understand what you said. How's that? I'm sorry, I didn't hear you.
hurry up and wait: hurry or rush to do something but then wait. Yeah, you can run to the elevator and push the buttons, but all you're going to do is hurry up and wait for the elevator to come.