Commonly Used Idioms& Expressions and Phrasal verbs:PART 1

Here you find the first part of some commonly used every day expressions, idioms and some phrasal verbs  most of which are the ones that I learnt while living abroad, some of them I learnt while teaching English and some I heard from the movies and later looked them up also there are actually a few I learnt from my  brilliant students:)


1.by the book: She always does everything by the book = according to the rules


2. think outside the box: think creatively/imaginatively = You should have thought outside the box.


3. a fish out of water : I grew up in a small town so when I went to the big city, I completely felt like a fish out of water = seen/experienced unfamiliar things. 


4. For everything there is a season= There is a time/place for everything


5. get over it! = (It  has different meanings, only one of them is exemplified here)= Say, I have broken up with my boyfriend and I keep talking  about him like 24/7 for days and say again you cannot take it anymore and you say Gizem come on, plz get over it

                       
6.Let's get it over with= Say there is an unpleasant situation and that needs to be taken care of so you could say okay let's get it over with meaning doing something you do not really want to do.


7. goosebumps = Give me the goosebumps/I have goosebumps=

I guess the pic is self-explanatory:) When you are scared, excited or even cold you might have goosebumps


8. get under your skin= irritate/annoy you or provoke an emotions. For example, you should not let him get under your skin.


9. a leopard can't change its spots= or you cannot teach an old dog new tricks=
You cannot really change people.  People do not change.


10. get used to it! = accept the reality./ That's how things are.

11.cheers!= Thank you ( I do not know if it is used in American English, but it is pretty common in British English esp among young people, if Americans are also using it write a comment and let me know)


12. fair enough= You say it when you want to show you understand the person you are talking to. For example:
Student: Hocam,I can not answer the question because I have a terrible headache so I have not been listening to you and I am sorry etc
Teacher: Ok, fair enough.


13. At the end of the day=  When everything is taken into account.
Ex: you can do this or you can do that but at the end of the day, you have to pass this exam.


14. At this moment in time=  It simply means 'now'


15. hold your horses= be patient


16. hit the road (slang) = leave/ set off / set out


17.I have not slept one wink=  I have not slept at all.


18. I haven't got a clue = I have no idea


19.It never rains but it pours= When troubles come, they come together.
Like for instance your alarm clock does not ring so you go to work late, then you argue with your best friend on the phone, then you lose your purse. After that you miss the bus etc.


20. I told you so= In Turkish it means= Ben sana demistim.


21.keep your chin up= remain cheerful in a difficult situation.
'When someone is sad or depressed, the person might drop his or her head, bringing the chin down toward the chest. A chin held high shows confidence and optimism. So the next time you get a lower grade than you expected, keep your chin up and try to do better next time! ' (www.kidshealth.org)



22.keep your head up = It is again similar to keep your chin up. Used to encourage people.


23.I can't put a finger on it=  When there is something that is not right and you when you cannot know what exactly happened, you use this expression.
Ex: There was something wrong, but I can't put a finger on it.


24. monkey business (slang)=  doing monkey business/planning monkey business
something silly or stupid / something illegal.
Kids are doing some monkey business. They are writing their names on the walls.
He is planning monkey business. He is going to rob the bank. 



25. Elephant in the room=  There are things that make people perhaps uncomfortable and  needs to be spoken./Elephant is the problem that everyone knows but nobody talks about. Ex: There is an elephant in the room.

26. out of the blue/ out of nowhere= In a way that is not expected

Ex: A huge bear appeared out of nowhere.

Ex: She came out of the blue

27.spit it out = telling someone to say something that he/she does not want to say.

28.drink like a fish= drink heavily

29. keep a stiff upper lip=  not showing emotions

'Keeping a stiff upper lip can be hard to do and that's why it became an expression. When someone gets upset, his or her lips might tremble. If you keep a stiff upper lip, you're trying not to show you are upset. This expression dates back to the 1800s, but it is still used today. ' (www.kidshealth.org)

30. Keep the ball rolling= maintain the activity / something in progress and you say it when you want it to continue.
Ex: He left so he cannot continue anymore so we have to keep the ball rolling.