" LangLing "

English Language, Jokes, Facts, Etymology, Translation, etc

" LangLing "

English Language, Jokes, Facts, Etymology, Translation, etc

English Slangs & Idioms

 

ENGLISH SLANGS

 

 

 

wicked

Meaning: very good, excellent, outstanding

 

virus

Meaning: a harmful computer program that can spread from one machine to another

 

posh

Meaning: high-class, stylish

 

crush

Meaning: a strong feeling of love or infatuation for someone

 

dork

Meaning: a socially awkward person

 

janky

Meaning: poorly made, of low quality

 

busted

Meaning: to be charged with a criminal offence

 

hip

Meaning: trendy, stylish, fashionable among young people

 

ENGLISH IDIOMS

 

warts and all

Meaning: If you show something warts and all, you show it exactly as it is without trying to hide any of its faults or weaknesses.

 

up a gum tree

Meaning: If you're up a gum tree, you're in trouble or have a serious problem. 

 

Mind your own business!

Meaning: If you say "Mind your own business!" to someone, you're telling them to stop interfering in things that don't concern them, or to stop asking personal 

 

a red-letter day

Meaning: A red-letter day is a day that is very important for some reason.

 

get away from it all

Meaning: If you get away from it all, you go somewhere to escape from your usual daily routine.

 

tighten your belt

Meaning: If you tighten your belt, you try to spend less money.

 

a pat on the back

Meaning: You've given someone a pat on the back if you've told them they've done something well, or done a good job.

 

chickens come home to roost

Meaning: If chickens are coming home to roost, someone is suffering the unpleasant consequences of their bad actions in the past.

 

music to your ears

Meaning: If something is music to your ears, it's just what you want to hear. 

 

carte blanche

Meaning: If you give someone carte blanche, you give them freedom to do whatever they want in a situation.

 

made of money

Meaning: If you are made of money, you have lots of money.

 

the jury is still out

Meaning: We can say the jury is still out when a decision still hasn't been made about something.

 

enough is enough

Meaning: You can say "enough is enough" if you think someone shouldn't do something because they've done it too many times already, or because they've been doing it for too long.

 

rock the boat

Meaning: If you rock the boat, you do or say something that will upset people by changing a situation that they don't want changed.

 

above board

Meaning: If something is above board, it's been done in a legal and honest way.

 

I owe you one!

Meaning: You can say "I owe you one!" when someone has done something for you and you'd be happy to return the favour one day.

 

draw a blank

Meaning: If you draw a blank, you get no response when you ask for something, or get no results when you search for something.

 

 

Phrasal Verbs

long for

Meaning: to want something you miss very much

 

pass up

Meaning: If you pass up an opportunity or an invitation, you choose not to take the opportunity or accept the invitation.

 

wean off

Meaning: to gradually break a bad habit by doing it less and less

 

open up

Meaning: If you open up a new business, you set it up and start trading.

 

come off

Meaning: If something comes off, it becomes separated from the thing it's usually attached to.

 

bring up

Meaning: to raise a new topic for discussion, or to mention a particular subject or issue in a conversation

 

put on

Meaning: to start wearing an item of clothing, a pair of shoes, a piece of jewellery, a pair of glasses, etc.

 

lay off

Meaning: If you lay someone off, you stop employing them and tell them they no longer have a job

 

tell off

Meaning: to strongly criticize someone for doing something wrong

 

pick out

Meaning: If you pick out something, you choose or select it.

 

associate with

Meaning: If you associate with someone, you regularly spend time with them.

 

head off

Meaning: to stop something bad from happening

 

settle down

Meaning: to start living a conventional life with a steady job and a stable partner, especially after getting married 

 

kick against

Meaning: to show anger or opposition to something, especially if you're powerless to change it 

 

hear of

Meaning: If you've heard of someone, you know who they are and what they do.

 

talk over

Meaning: to discuss a situation with someone, usually before making a decision

 

look up

Meaning: If a situation is looking up, it seems to be getting better.

 

go for

Meaning: to try to get something or achieve something 

 

English Idioms

tighten your belt

Meaning: If you tighten your belt, you try to spend less money.

 

face to face

Meaning: If people meet face to face, they meet in person in the real world.

 

jump on the bandwagon

Meaning: If someone jumps on the bandwagon, they join a movement or follow a fashion that has recently become popular.

 

go over your head

Meaning: If someone goes over your head, they go to someone with more authority than you in order to get something that you would normally grant, possibly because they think you won't give it to them.

 

upset the applecart

Meaning: If you upset the applecart, you do something that causes trouble or upsets someone's plans.

 

just the ticket

Meaning: You can say something is just the ticket if it's the perfect thing or if it's exactly what's needed.

 

another string to your bow

Meaning: If you have another string to your bow, you have another way of making a living.

 

the tip of the iceberg

Meaning: You can say something is the tip of the iceberg when it's just a small part of something much bigger.

 

cover your tracks

Meaning: If you cover your tracks, you make sure no-one can find evidence of what you've done.

 

have a heart-to-heart

Meaning: If you have a heart-to-heart with someone, you have an honest talk and share your feelings with each other.

 

vote with your feet

Meaning: If you vote with your feet, you show your opinion of something by acting in a certain way, such as by buying something if you like it, or by not buying it if you don't like it.

 

vim and vigor

Meaning: If you have vim and vigor, you have lots of energy and enthusiasm for life.

 

You are what you eat.

Meaning: You can say "you are what you eat" when you want to point out the connection between food and health.

 

make a killing

Meaning: If you make a killing, you make a lot of money from a sale or a deal of some sort. 

 

up to your neck | up to your eyeballs

Meaning: If you're up to your neck in something, or up to your eyeballs in something, you've got too much of it and it's become a problem.

 

dirt cheap

Meaning: You can say something is dirt cheap if it costs very little money.

 

rub it in

Meaning: If you rub it in, you keep talking about something that embarrasses or upsets someone.

 

a fair-weather friend

Meaning: A fair-weather friend is a person who will only be your friend when things are going well for you.

 

esprit de corps

Meaning: A feeling of pride and comradeship shared by members of a group such as a military unit or a sports team

 

make hay while the sun shines

Meaning: If you make hay while the sun shines, you make good use of the chance to do something while it lasts.

 

a night owl

Meaning: You're a night owl if you like to stay up and do things late at night.

 

feather your own nest

Meaning: If you feather your own nest, you use your position or your job illegally for personal gain.

 

lose face

Meaning: If you lose face, your status falls and you aren't respected as much as you were.

 

the upper crust

Meaning: If you are one of the upper crust, you are a member of society's highest class.

 

vanish into thin air

Meaning: If something vanishes into thin air, it disappears completely.

 

Slangs

poof | poofter

Meaning: an offensive, derogatory word meaning a gay man

 

hooky | hookey

Meaning: (in phrase play hooky) to stay away from school or work without permission

 

zonk

Meaning: to hit or punch someone

 

Yo!

Meaning: a greeting, like "Hey!"

 

janky

Meaning: poorly made, of low quality

 

Mickey Finn | Mickey | mickey

Meaning: a drink to which a drug has been added to make the drinker sleepy or unconscious

 

scarper

Meaning: to run away

 

knockoff | knock-off

Meaning: a cheap copy of a brand-name product

 

dis | diss

Meaning: to show disrespect to someone by saying or doing something insulting

 

axe | ax

Meaning 1: a musical instrument, esp. a jazz musician's guitar, trumpet or saxophone

Meaning 2: to dismiss someone from a job (v.) | dismissal from a job (n.)


twit

Meaning: a silly, stupid person

 

knackered

Meaning 1: very tired, exhausted

Meaning 2: severely damaged

 

bimbo

Meaning: a pretty, but empty-headed, young lady

 

deadbeat

Meaning: a dull, lazy, unreliable person

 

jerk

Meaning: a stupid person

 

glitch

Meaning: a fault or defect, esp. in computer software

 

suck | it sucks

Meaning: be very bad

 

nerd

Meaning: a studious person with few social skills