Idioms and slangs

 

 

1. Hit the books

Meaning:

Study very hard.

If you hit the books, you start to study hard seriously with determination.

Example:

• I'm going to hit the books this weekend to prepare for the final exam.

• If you want to get an A in this class, you should start hitting the books right now.

 

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2. A hand-me-downa

Meaning:

A shirt, dress, pants, etc. that an older person (especially your older brother or sister) in your family has given to you because it is too small or he/she doesn't want to wear it anymore.

A hand-me-down is a piece of clothing that has been worn by someone (especially your older brother/sister) and given to you.

Example:

• When I was a child, I always had to wear my sister's hand-me-downs.

 

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3. Give someone a hand

Meaning:

Help someone when he/she is doing something difficult.

If you give a person a hand, you give him/her assistance because he/she is trying to do something difficult.

Example:

• Let me give you a hand with your baggage.

• Don't worry about your garden. Ten young people will come over today and give you a hand.

 

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4. Be fishy

Meaning:

Seem not to be true / honest; be suspicioius

If a situation or something/someone is fishy, you mean it seems someone is not completely honest or someething is not true.

Example:

• I was offered an unbelievably good business opportunity, but there was something fishy about it.

• A lot of strange people are coming in and out of the house recently. There's something fishy going on.

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5. Be (as) cool as a cucumber

Meaning:

very calm and relaxed even in a difficult situation

If someone is (as) cool as a cucumber, he/she is very relaxed and/or calm when you expect him/her to be nervous or upset.

Example:

He had very bad news last night, but he came to the office as cool as a cucumber this morning as if nothing had happened.

• She was cool as a cucumber even right after she was fired.

 

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6. Be broke

Meaning:

Without money

If you are broke, you don't have money.

Example:

• "Do you want to go to the movies tonight?" "I can't go. I'm broke. Tomorrow is payday."

 

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7. Stay up

Meaning:

Not go to bed at a time when most people are in bed or when you would be normally in bed.

If you stay up, you go to bed later than usual.

Example:

The students stayed up late last night to prepare for the final exam.

We stayed up all night telling our stories.

 

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8. A bad apple

Meaning:

A (morally) bad person who makes a whole group bad.

A bad apple is someone who has a bad effect on a whole group or system.

People also say, "One bad/rotten apple spoils the (whole) bushel/barrel."

Example:

• The corruption in the government started with a bad apple, a high official two years ago. Now the whole system is corrupt.

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9. Hit the ceiling / Hit the roof

Meaning:

Become extremely angry.

If you hit the ceiling / roof, you get very angry.

Example:

• Dad'll hit the ceiling when I tell him I broke his camera.

• Nancy hit the roof when she found out someone drove her car without her permission and wrecked it.

 

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10. Be tongue-tied

Meaning:

Unable to speak.

If you are tongue-tied, you cannot speak and express yourself easily because you are shy, nervous, or embarrassed.

Example:

• James talks a lot with friends, but often gets tongue-tied in important interviews.

• He met a very beautiful woman at the party and was tongue-tied.

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