What are idioms?
Idioms are phrases and sentences that do not mean exactly what they say. Even if you know the meaning of every word in the see or hear, you may not understand the idiom because you don't understand the culture behind it. Thus, I have selected some of the most common ones and hope that these will help. Thank you all.
Have Fun !
**********************************************************
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.
______________________________________
Be a piece of cake
Meaning:
To be very easy
If something is a piece of cake, it is very easy to do.
Example:
A: How was the driving test yesterday? Did you pass?
B: Of course! It was a piece of cake.
***
Be all ears
Meaning:
Be very intersted in what someone is about to say.
If you are all ears, you are eager and ready to listen to what someone is going to say.
Example:
Now tell us all about your adventures in Afraica last summer. I'm all ears.
When the president started his speech, he found everyone listening, all ears.
***
Be the apple of someone's eye
Meaning:
Be loved very much by someone.
If someone is the apple of your eye, you think he/she is very important to you, and you love him/her very much.
This idiom is used especially when someone is loved by an older member of his/her family.
Example:
Erika is Mark's only granddaughter, and she's the apple of his eye.
Sarah's only son was the apple of her eye.
***
Be as American as apple pie
Meaning:
Be typically American
If something or someone is as American as apple pie, it/he/she is typically or completely American.
Example:
Jose and Maria came to the U.S. 10 years ago and still keep the traditions of their home country. However, their children are as American as apple pie.
***
Be as blind as a bat
Meaning:
Be unable to see well or unable to see at all.
If someone is as blind as a bat, he/she cannot see well or cannot see at all because of his/her very bad eyesight.
Example:
A: Can you read the first paragraph on page 115 for me?
B: Sorry, I forgot to bring my glasses. I'm as blind as a bat without them.
***
Backfire
Meaning:
to produce an unexpected / undesired / opposite result.
If your plan or action backfires, you get the opposite result to the one you wanted.
Example:
The new stricter school policy may backfire and do more harm to the students than good.
Her plan to lose weight backfired. After losing 10 pounds, she started to eat a lot again and gained 20 pounds quickly.
***
Bark up the wrong tree
Meaning:
To misunderstand a situation and complain to a wrong person or blame a wrong thing.
If someone is barking up the wrong tree, he/she has an incorrect idea about a situation, and his/her course of action is wrong.
Example:
Don't blame me. I have nothing to do with it. You are barking up the wrong tree.
The committee spent more than 5 month to try to solve the problem. They were just barking up the wrong tree.
***
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."
***
Beat around the bush
Meaning:
Avoid or delay talking about something unpleasant or embarrassing
If you beat around the bush, you don't say something directly to someone because you are worried about his/her reaction and don't want to upset him/her.
Some people also say " beat about the bush. "
Example:
Don't beat around the bush! Tell me what exactly you want.
Let's not beat around the bush anymore. You'd better do this project over. It's not acceptable to us.
***
Beat it
Meaning:
Go away immediately.
If you say "Beat it" to someone, you tell him/her to leave quickly because he/she is annoying. This is an impolite command.
Example:
I guess we should beat it before she comes back.
"This is not your place. Beat it!" (This is not a polite way to ask someone to leave.)
***
Bend over backwards (backward)
Meaning:
Do as much as you can to help or please someone.
If you bend over backwards, you do your best or try harder than you need in order to please someone or do something he/she wants.
Example:
The manager bent over backwards to help new employees.
I bent over backward, trying to defend her. I don't know what else I can do for her.
***
Bug someone
Meaning:
Bother someone.
If someone/something bugs you, he/she/it annoys you.
Example:
That's enough! Stop bugging me. Don't ask me anymore.
He's always talking too loud in the office. It really bugs us.
***
(Have / Get) Butterflies in someone's stomach
Meaning:
Very nervous or excited before doing something important such as giving a speech and taking a test.
If you have butterflies in your stomach, you are very nervous and/or excited about something you are going to do soon.
Example:
He always gets butterflies in his stomach before taking a test.
Idioms are phrases and sentences that do not mean exactly what they say. Even if you know the meaning of every word in the see or hear, you may not understand the idiom because you don't understand the culture behind it. Thus, I have selected some of the most common ones and hope that these will help. Thank you all.
Have Fun !
**********************************************************
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.
______________________________________
Be a piece of cake
Meaning:
To be very easy
If something is a piece of cake, it is very easy to do.
Example:
A: How was the driving test yesterday? Did you pass?
B: Of course! It was a piece of cake.
***
Be all ears
Meaning:
Be very intersted in what someone is about to say.
If you are all ears, you are eager and ready to listen to what someone is going to say.
Example:
Now tell us all about your adventures in Afraica last summer. I'm all ears.
When the president started his speech, he found everyone listening, all ears.
***
Be the apple of someone's eye
Meaning:
Be loved very much by someone.
If someone is the apple of your eye, you think he/she is very important to you, and you love him/her very much.
This idiom is used especially when someone is loved by an older member of his/her family.
Example:
Erika is Mark's only granddaughter, and she's the apple of his eye.
Sarah's only son was the apple of her eye.
***
Be as American as apple pie
Meaning:
Be typically American
If something or someone is as American as apple pie, it/he/she is typically or completely American.
Example:
Jose and Maria came to the U.S. 10 years ago and still keep the traditions of their home country. However, their children are as American as apple pie.
***
Be as blind as a bat
Meaning:
Be unable to see well or unable to see at all.
If someone is as blind as a bat, he/she cannot see well or cannot see at all because of his/her very bad eyesight.
Example:
A: Can you read the first paragraph on page 115 for me?
B: Sorry, I forgot to bring my glasses. I'm as blind as a bat without them.
***
Backfire
Meaning:
to produce an unexpected / undesired / opposite result.
If your plan or action backfires, you get the opposite result to the one you wanted.
Example:
The new stricter school policy may backfire and do more harm to the students than good.
Her plan to lose weight backfired. After losing 10 pounds, she started to eat a lot again and gained 20 pounds quickly.
***
Bark up the wrong tree
Meaning:
To misunderstand a situation and complain to a wrong person or blame a wrong thing.
If someone is barking up the wrong tree, he/she has an incorrect idea about a situation, and his/her course of action is wrong.
Example:
Don't blame me. I have nothing to do with it. You are barking up the wrong tree.
The committee spent more than 5 month to try to solve the problem. They were just barking up the wrong tree.
***
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."
***
Beat around the bush
Meaning:
Avoid or delay talking about something unpleasant or embarrassing
If you beat around the bush, you don't say something directly to someone because you are worried about his/her reaction and don't want to upset him/her.
Some people also say " beat about the bush. "
Example:
Don't beat around the bush! Tell me what exactly you want.
Let's not beat around the bush anymore. You'd better do this project over. It's not acceptable to us.
***
Beat it
Meaning:
Go away immediately.
If you say "Beat it" to someone, you tell him/her to leave quickly because he/she is annoying. This is an impolite command.
Example:
I guess we should beat it before she comes back.
"This is not your place. Beat it!" (This is not a polite way to ask someone to leave.)
***
Bend over backwards (backward)
Meaning:
Do as much as you can to help or please someone.
If you bend over backwards, you do your best or try harder than you need in order to please someone or do something he/she wants.
Example:
The manager bent over backwards to help new employees.
I bent over backward, trying to defend her. I don't know what else I can do for her.
***
Bug someone
Meaning:
Bother someone.
If someone/something bugs you, he/she/it annoys you.
Example:
That's enough! Stop bugging me. Don't ask me anymore.
He's always talking too loud in the office. It really bugs us.
***
(Have / Get) Butterflies in someone's stomach
Meaning:
Very nervous or excited before doing something important such as giving a speech and taking a test.
If you have butterflies in your stomach, you are very nervous and/or excited about something you are going to do soon.
Example:
He always gets butterflies in his stomach before taking a test.
