American Popular Expressions "T"

                                                       

take it out on someone: to hurt someone or something; to exercise one's frustration on another person who is innocent of wrongdoing. No matter how angry you might get, you should never take your angerout on an animal or on a child.
(not) take no for an answer: (this expression is always used in the negative) to insist that something be done; to pressure a person to do something. Martha gave Kim the key to her house when she found out that Kim's apartment was destroyed by fire. At first Kim declined the generous offer, but Martha wouldn't take no for an answer.
take ones' breath away: to be surprised; to be impressed by beauty. Hinh is so beautiful she takes my breath away.
take one's time: to go slowly; to avoid hurry. Turtles take their time when crossing the street--which is very dangerous for turtles to do.
take someone at his or her word: to believe what another person says, even if it seems as if the person is lying. Delores claims that fairies entered her bedroom through the window last night, and although it sounds unbelievable, we should take her at her word.
take the bull by the horns: take up an issue or a problem directly; to do something that is going to be difficult. Sometimes you have to take the bull by the horns in order to get good results from your employees.
take the cake: an expression of frustration or anger. Well, this takes the cake! Every time I use this food processor, food shoots up from the top of it.
take the plunge: to do something that is risky; to take an action that is difficult to reverse or change. Jeff is about ready to take the plungeand ask Julia to marry him.
take the words right out of my mouth: to say something that someone else was thinking; to express another person's thoughts. A: That looks a little dangerous! B: You took the words right out of my mouth.
take this (or it) the wrong way: to take offense in a comment; to get angry about someone saying something unintentionally harmful or insulting. Please don't take this the wrong way, but at first I thought you were all from Mexico. Now I know that Luis is from Venezuela and Jorge is from El Salvador.
take up a collection: to collect money for someone who needs it, usually money needed for an emergency. Horace took up a collection from everyone in the office for a coworker who was going to have a baby.
take it with a grain of salt: be careful in accepting what someone tells you; consider the source for the information before believing it is true. I would take whatever Yolanda says with a grain of salt. Sometimes she lies.
teach an old dog new tricks: help an older person learn something new (This expression is usually used with "you can't"). My grandfather says he wont learn how to use the internet because you can't teach an old dog new tricks.
thank one's lucky stars: to appreciate one's good fortune; to think about how lucky someone is. You can thank your lucky stars that you have clothes to wear and food to eat. There are many people around the world who have neither.
that's the way the cookie crumbles:something bad happens but it's necessary to accept the way things are; that's the way things go. Tanya and Roger didn't get their child into the school that they wanted him to enter. Well, that's the way the cookie crumbles.
the bigger they come, the harder they fall: when a successful person fails, his or her failure is equivalent to the previous success; it's difficult to bring a big person or thing down. Hans was uncertain if he could chop down such a large tree; nevertheless, he began his work with this thought: "The bigger they come, the harder they fall."
there but for the grace of God go I: it's God's will that some people suffer and others don't suffer; God picks winners and losers in this life--a person is lucky not to be poor, be in prison, or suffer from some terrible problem. When I learned that my old friend from elementary school was sent to prison for a crime he probably didn't commit, I thought, "There but for the grace of God go I."
there's no time like the present: now is a good time to do something; the best time to do something is now. A: Do you want to visit Paris next year? B: Why wait until then? There's no time like the present.
things are looking up: a person's present situation is very good or it's improving. Things are looking up for her. She has a new job that pays well, she found a great apartment in a nice neighborhood, and best of all, she found a new boyfriend.
this and that: miscellaneous items; a variety of different things. A: This salad is really good. What did you put in it? B: Oh, just this and that--stuff we have growing in our garden right now: tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, some onions.
three sheets to the wind: very drunk Wow, Mike's three sheets to the wind. He started drinking at ten this morning, and he's still going at it.
through thick and thin: supporting someone during difficult times and good times. They've stayed together through thick and thin over the last 35 years.
throw one's weight around: to influence other people through one's power or authority; to pressure other people into doing something. Everyone is getting tired of the way our boss is constantly throwing his weight around the office and telling everyone what to do in order to improve sales.
throw the baby out with the bath water: to throw away something that is good along with something that is bad or no longer needed. Despite some problems with the new testing program, the school decided to keep it because it was beginning to show some good results. They didn't want to throw the baby out with the bath water. (Note: This a very popular expression when talking about programs and projects in business and government. To "throw the baby out with the bath water" is to eliminate work or spending in an area that has produced something of value.)
tighten one's belt: spend less money; be careful with spending. After Ed lost his job, he told his family that they'd all have to start tightening their belts until he found something else.
time after time: again and again Time after time, her mother tells her that someday she's going to regret getting all these tattoos.
time is money: time has a value when it's applied to work. Come on, people. You have to work faster. Time is money!
to each his own: each person does his or her own thing; each person has unique preferences. A: She's wearing a contact lens that makes one eye orange. That seems kind of strange. B: Yeah, well, to each his own.
too close for comfort: almost a disaster; this expression is used when a person is saved from harm or injury. Just seconds before he was swallowed by the quicksand, Nester was saved by someone who happened to be walking by. "Thanks," said Nester. That was too close for comfort."
too good to be true: a situation is so good, it's hard to believe that it's even possible; a person is extremely lucky to have something. When Angelica left Jim and moved back to Argentina, he was upset but not surprised because the relationship seemed too good to be true.
too many cooks spoil the soup: it's not good to have too many people involved in making something; too many leaders and not enough followers can cause problems. A: Three different architects designed that house. B: Wow! What a mess. It looks liketoo many cooks spoiled the soup.
too much of a good thing: to have too much of something that is good; the perils of excessive consumption. To eat pizza every night of the week would be too much of a good thing. You would get sick of it after awhile.
to the victor belong the spoils: the person or group who win a competition deserve whatever prizes might be awarded for victory. When the battle was finished, the soldiers on the winning side began to collect weapons and money from their dead enemies. The general in charge permitted this behavior and proclaimed, "It is true in any war. To the victor belong the spoils."
truth is stranger than fiction: some things that are true are so strange, it's hard to believe that they are true. You wouldn't believe some of the crazy things she has done, but then, truth is stranger than fiction.
turn a blind eye to something: to refuse to look or notice; to allow some illegal activity or misbehavior to occur. The police turned a blind eye to some of the drug dealing in the neighborhood until there was a murder.
turn one's back on someone: to abandon's one's responsibilities; to leave someone without help. You should never turn your back onyour friends.
turn the other cheek: to ignore an attack; to respond peacefully to an attack rather than with aggression. A person who promotes peace will tell you it's better to turn the other cheekthan to harm someone who hurts you.
turn up the heat on: to cause someone to feel pressure or nervousness. Bill's boss is turn up the heat on all of his employees. Now they have to work faster and they have to work longer hours.
two's company, three's a crowd: in some situations when two people want to be together, it's not a good idea for a third person to be there. Mark wanted to go to the beach with Tony and Jessica, but Tony told him that wasn't a good idea. "No way, man. Two's company, three's a crowd."
two heads are better than one: it's better to have two people think of a solution to a problem than just one; two people working together will get a job done faster. Perhaps Steven should help you find out what's wrong with your car. After all, two heads are better than one.
two wrongs don't make a right: revenge for injustice or injury is as bad as the original offense; correcting a problem with another problem is not a good idea. A mob seeking justice for a wrongful death will probably ignore the warning that "two wrongs don't make a right."

American Popular Expressions "S"

                                            

safety in numbers: it's easier to stay safe when in a large group. Small fish like to swim together because they find there is safety in numbers.
(the) salt of the earth: good people; regular people; normal or average. The people who live next door to us are the salt of the earth.
saved by the bell: the intervention of time or a machine that allows a person to avoid some sort of responsibility. Just as the teacher was about to call on Allen to answer a question in class, he was saved by the bell.
save your breath: don't spend any time trying to persuade another person to do something. You might as well save your breathwhen telling a cat "no." Cats don't really listen to people.
see eye to eye: to agree; to have the same ideas. They're unable to see eye to eye on a lot of things, which is why they might break up.
seen one, seen them all: something is not interesting to a person who has already seen that thing. A: Do you want to take a look at some cows? B: Nah. Seen one, seen 'em all.
see someone off: to bring someone to a place and say goodbye. Bill saw his wife off at the airport this morning. She's traveling to Portland for a meeting.
see through someone: to know exactly what a person is thinking or trying to do. Theodore doesn't think anyone knows what he's planning; however, everyone can see right through him.
sell one's soul to the devil: to do something evil in order to receive a reward. There are many people who would sell their soul to the devil in order to be rich and famous.
separate the men from the boys: a situation shows who is a strong man and who isn't. The actions that take place during a battle separate the men from the boys.
separate the wheat from the chaff: to sort what is useful and good from what isn't; to separate what's useful from what's useless. As someone who has been in the same business for the last 20 years, he's very capable of separating the wheat from the chaff when interpreting a chart.
set one's heart on (something): to want to do something or receive something; to have a desire. Tim set his heart on going to the track this weekend to race go-karts.
set one's mind at rest: to relax in the midst of some problem or challenge. You can set your mind at rest if you prepare for class by doing all of your homework and listening to your teacher.
(the) shoe is on the other foot: to be someone else's position, usually a bad situation. Now that the shoe is on the other foot you can understand why the job of supervisor is so difficult.
shoot the breeze: to sit around and talk with friends. In the afternoons, they sit in the park and shoot the breeze.
(a) shot in the dark: a guess; to do something without thinking. The decision to ask out Rachel was a shot in the dark--but she said "yes!"
(the) show must go on: it's necessary for someone to perform despite any personal problems or obstacles. Rachel's throat hurts and she has a headache, but the show must go on.
show someone a good time: to take someone out somewhere; to bring a friend to different places for fun and entertainment. He showed his friend, Gretchen, a good time when she came to visit him in Minneapolis. They went skating and they went to a few nightclubs.
show someone the door: to tell someone to leave; to make someone leave because of bad behavior or some other reason. Matt tried to come to work wearing some crappy old clothes, but when his boss saw what he was wearing, he showed him the door. (Click here to read Matt's phone conversation with his friend, Wellington.)
signed, sealed, and delivered: something is finished, usually an agreement. The agreement was signed, sealed, and delivered in less than three days.
sink one's teeth into something: to eat something that has a lot of flavor, like meat; to participate in an interesting activity. I can't wait to sink my teeth into this hamburger.
sit back and relax: relax. Just sit back and relax. We'll be at our destination in ten minutes.
sleep on it: make a decision the next day after a good night's sleep. He's not sure what to do about the sale of his company. He'll need to sleep on it and make a decision tomorrow.
(a) snowball's chance in hell: no chance; no opportunity. There's not a snowball's chance in hell that Ron is going to work this weekend--even if his boss asks him to.
soaked to the bone: very wet. He got soaked to the bone waiting outside his car for someone to pick him up.
somewhere along the line: sometime during the process of something. Somewhere along the line, the oil company lost control of its rig. This resulted in a big explosion followed by a massive spill.
speak one's mind: a person says what he really thinks. Sheila speaks her mind at times when it isn't appropriate. That's why a lot of people don't like her.
spill the beans: to reveal a secret We're having a surprise party this weekend for Julia. Try not to spill the beans.
(the) squeaky wheel gets the grease: the person who complains loudly will get the most attention.
stand on one's own two feet: to support oneself; to take care of your needs. Now that he has a good job and a good salary, he's able to stand on his own two feet. He doesn't need financial help from his parents any more.
(the) story of my life: the way things usually happen to me, usually used for something bad.
(the) straw that broke the camel's back: another in a series of mistakes make by someone. Usually, this results in the termination of a business or personal relationship. This is the third mistake that they have made with our bill! This is the straw that broke the camel's back.
stubborn as a mule: very stubborn; unwilling to do anything or change one's mind. My grandmother is as stubborn as a mule. She'll never go into assisted living.

American Popular Expressions

                              

raining cats and dogs: heavy rain; a large rainfall. It's raining cats and dogs outside!
rain or shine: an event will go as planned, regardless of the weather. Don't worry about the concert getting cancelled. It's going to happen--rain or shine.
rake over the coals: to be very angry at someone and express that anger verbally. She raked him over the coals for smoking inside the house.
read between the lines: to have the ability to read for detail or compehend information beyond what is written. It's important to learn how to read between the lines so that you can avoid being tricked into believing someting that isn't true.
ready or not, here I come: I'm going to do something right now. It doesn't matter if you or anyone else is prepared. Ready or not, here I come!
ready, willing, and able: prepared and eager to do something. He's ready, willing, and able to defend himself if anyone ever attacks him.
reinvent the wheel: to create something that has already been created; to do work that has already been done. You can easily find lessons online for your students. You don't have to reinvent the wheel.
right up one's alley: an area of a person's expertise; something that a person knows well how to do. Astronomy is right up Jacob's alley. That's why he wants to become an astronomer someday.
rise to the occassion: to quickly learn how to do something; to adapt. His wife is out of town for the next week, so he has to rise to the occassion and take care of their baby.
rob the cradle: an older person marries or has a romantic relationship with someone much younger. Joanne robbed the cradle when she married a man 15 years younger than she is.
roll up one's sleeves: prepare to work. It's time to roll up our sleeves and get back to work.
rub someone the wrong way: to bother another person; to cause dislike but without a clear reason. Henry doesn't like to answer her questions because she rubs him the wrong way.