quinta-feira, 28 de setembro de 2017

American Popular Expressions "I"


                               Resultado de imagem para i beg your pardon


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.

couple
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.
failure
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.
machine

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.

in the kitchen
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."
celebration
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.
stove
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.
ignorance

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.
man on bike
in good condition / in good shape:
This old car is in very good condition.
car
in good spirits: happy; cheerful.
She's in very good spirits today because it's Friday and she doesn't work on the weekend.
woman smiling

in no time at all: very fast; quick.
Just wait. The train will be here in no time at all.
subway
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.
not eating vegetables
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.
man
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.
man and woman
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.
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.
man with sword
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.
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.
eye

in the driver's seat: in control of a situation.
He's never comfortable unless he's in the driver's seat.
driver

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.
man swimming
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.
older couple
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.
running
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.
corporation man
in this day and age: now; in modern times.
In this day and age, many downtown plazas display art and sculpture.
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.
keys
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.
fat lady
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.
man 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.
man fishing
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.
bad man
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."
man throws remote

quarta-feira, 27 de setembro de 2017

American Popular Expressions "H"

                           Resultado de imagem para half a loaf is better than none

half a loaf is better than none: it's better to have something--or half of something--than nothing.

loaf of bread
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.
gloves
hand over fist: to make something (used usually with money) very quickly.
He's making money hand over fist as a lawyer.
money

(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.


writing on the wall

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 there

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.
nature
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.
THREAD

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.
fire eater
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.
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.
izabel

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.
a couple
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.
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.
person thinking
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.
heart
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.
ostrich
high as a kite: drunk or on drugs.
He came to the party high as a kite.
high
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 nail
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 ground running
hit the jackpot: to make a lot of money; to make a lucky decision.
She hit the jackpot when she married Richard.
las vegas

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.
woman with gun

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.
hope
hot dog: wow!
We're going to the state fair?! Hot dog!
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.
girl
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.
elevator wait