Commonly Used Idioms& Expressions and Phrasal Verbs:Part 2

Here you find the second part of some commonly used every day expressions, idioms and some phrasal verbs : ( The Turkish translations are not necessarily  'perfect perfect' but hopefully give some sort of  concept to Turkish learners)


1. I am short of money  ( Turkish= Para sıkıntım var) = I have inadequate amount of money. 

2. What does the future hold?/ What does your future hold?
  (Turkish = Gelecek nelere gebe?) = What kind of things will happen in the future?




3. comfort zone= ( Turkish= kendini rahat/guvende hissetigin, ya da bildigin bir sey) =a situation or position in which you feel secure, comfortable, or in control  
Example: This is a new experience for me. I have to step out of my comfort zone.

To me, it might mean life starts when you get out of your cocoon and get rid of, if you like, your 'constricting ' habits.

  4. I can't take it any more (Turkish= Artık bunu/ bu olayı daha fazla kaldıramayacagım. /Daha fazla tahammul edemeyecegim) = I had enough of this / I have no tolerance left.

  5. I'm not buying it ( Turkish= Yemiyorum bu saçmalıklarını/ yemedim dediğini /inanmadım anlamında)= I do not believe the things you are telling me.

  

 6. What goes around comes around (Turkish= etme bulma dünyası/ ne ekersen onu biçersin/ insanlara yaptıgın seyler- iyi ya da kotu- sana doner) = Karma is a bitch / .Good deed brings fortune; bad deed brings misfortune. If you do good things to people, good things find you, but if you do bad stuff to others, eventually bad things happen to you.

  7.nasty bug: There is a nasty bug going around ( Turkish= hastalık -grip,nezle gibi- etrafta dolanıyor anlamında) = There is a nasty virus going around. - spreading from person to person-

    Note: go around can also be used by 'rumour'. A rumour is going around.

  8. Get it ? ( Turkish= anladın mı? ) = Do you understand ?

 9. Smoke your lungs out ( Turkish= sigarayı içmemek ama yemek diyebiliriz sanırım.) A person inhales the smoke such a way that you feel to urge to tell how deep they can inhale:)))

 Example: She is smoking her lungs out.

10. Take it for granted (Turkish= Cantada keklik saymak/ nasıl olsa orda diye garantide gibi dusunmek ve o kisiye gerektigi gibi davranmamak nasıl olsa hep orda benim icin gibi) 'to expect someone or something to be always available to serve in some way without thanks or recognition; to value someone or something too lightly' (http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/take+for+granted)

  Example: She took his husband for granted and neglect him a lot. 

11. spit it out (Turkish= agzındaki baklayı cıkar) 'People say this when someone has something to say but is too embarrassed, shy, etc, to say it.' (http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/spit+it+out.html)

12. Find yourself on a tight corner ( Turkish= koseye sıkısmak) = Find yourself in a difficult situation.

13. Be on the same page / Be on the same wavelength (Turkish = aynı sekilde olaya bakıyoruz/ aynı dusunuyoruz/ birbirimizi anlıyoruz /anlastık-agree- anlamıda olabilir) = Think in a similar way./agreement

Example: I don't think we are on the same page.

14.Tie the knot (Turkish= bir kisi icin basını baglayalım/ evlilik anlamında) = get married.

15. Clear the air ( Turkish =  konuyu netlestirme/  supheleri ortadan kaldırma/ su havayı dagıtalım, konusalım derken)

• 'to get rid of doubts or hard feelings. All right, let's discuss this frankly. It'll be better if we clear the air.'
•  to explain something that someone disagreed with or did not understand To help clear the air, Mills will meet with all employees to discuss the new contract.
•  to remove any doubt about something that happened An investigation may be needed to uncover the facts and clear the air.(http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/clear+the+air

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.