English Idiom – Long in the tooth. Meaning – Old or getting old. This idiom suggests that the person or thing has reached an advanced age or is…
If you’re a high school or university student studying computer science, you’ll likely come across many technical terms that may be unfamiliar to you. Understanding the vocabulary is…
Mastering phrasal verbs is an essential step towards fluency in English. These versatile word combinations add depth and nuance to our language, allowing us to express actions, routines,…
Slang – Skedaddle. Meaning – To leave or run away hastily or quickly. This expression is often used to describe someone or something making a swift and hurried…
English Idiom – To Boot. Meaning – In addition or as an extra. This idiom is used to emphasize an added or supplementary factor, often highlighting something positive…
English Idiom – That’s the way the cookie crumbles. Meaning – That’s just the way things happen, and there’s nothing we can do to change it. This phrase…
Common English Phrases: It Is What It Is. Student: “I wish I could get rid of my accent. I sound so different.” Teacher: “It is what it is….
Cat Idioms: A Guide for English Learners Have you ever noticed how cats seem to have a certain mystique about them? They’re graceful, mysterious, and sometimes even a…
English Idiom – Wake up and smell the coffee. Meaning – To become aware of what’s really happening or what needs to be done. To recognize a situation…
English Idiom – Turn the tables. Meaning – To reverse a situation in favour of yourself or another person who was previously at a disadvantage. To change a situation so that…
Dog Idioms: A Guide for English Learners Have you ever wondered why dogs are often called man’s best friend? It’s because they have been loyal companions to humans…
At FunkyEnglish, we’re passionate about both technology and language learning. We believe that learning language through interesting and relevant topics is an effective way to improve language skills….
English Idiom – Bite the bullet. Meaning – To face a difficult or unpleasant situation with courage and determination. This idiom is commonly used to describe a difficult…
Idioms are a crucial part of the English language, and they are often used in academic and professional settings. Being able to understand and use idioms confidently and…
English Idiom – Pull a fast one. Meaning – To engage in a deceitful practice or play an unfair trick. This expression refers to deceiving or tricking someone…
If you’ve ever worked in an office, you’ve probably heard some common phrases that seem a bit strange or confusing. These are often idioms, or expressions that have…
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a buzzword for many years, and it has significantly influenced the way we learn and communicate. AI is the development of computer systems…
In this English lesson we’ll take a look at how we use the future continuous tense when talking about what we will be doing in the future.
English Idiom – Green-eyed monster. Meaning – Jealousy or envy. This phrase is often used to describe the feeling of intense jealousy that one might experience when someone…
English Idiom – Everything but the kitchen sink. Meaning – Including almost everything imaginable or every possible item, without any regard for necessity or relevance. This expression can…
As an English language learner, you may have heard the term “AI” being used a lot lately. AI, or artificial intelligence, is a technology that has become increasingly…
English Idiom – In a pickle. Meaning – To be in a difficult or complicated situation, typically one that is hard to get out of. The phrase can…
English Idiom – Put your money where your mouth is or Put money where your mouth is. Meaning – Back up your words with action. This idiom is used to…
English Idiom – Play with fire. Meaning – To take a risk or do something dangerous, especially when the consequences of doing so could be serious or even catastrophic. The…
English Idiom – Swim with sharks. Meaning – To operate among dangerous or risky people. The idiom swimming with sharks is used to describe a situation where someone…
Thank you is one of the most important phrases in the English language. It is a polite way to show appreciation and gratitude for something someone has done…
English Idiom – Lose (one’s) marbles Meaning – Become crazy or insane. The idiom lose your marbles is used to describe someone who is acting in a confused…
Phrasal Verb – Blow up.
Meaning 1 – To explode. To be destroyed by an explosion.
“The army is threatening to blow the airport up.”
Meaning 2 – To inflate something…
English Idiom – On cloud nine. Meaning – Extremely happy. The English idiom on cloud nine is used to express a state of extreme happiness and elation. It…
English Idiom – Spill the beans or Spill beans Meaning – To reveal a secret. To reveal a secret or piece of information that was previously unknown. The…
English Idiom – (Be) Like a bear with a sore head. Meaning – To be extremely angry, annoyed, or irritable. The idiom like a bear with a sore head is used to describe someone…
English Idiom – Cakewalk. Meaning – The idiom cakewalk is used to describe something that is very easy to do. It is often used to describe a task…
English Idiom – Rule of Thumb. Meaning – A rough guide or general principle, usually based on experience or practical wisdom. A guideline that is used to make…
English Idiom – Long Shot. Meaning – Used to describe something that has a very small chance of success, or that is unlikely to happen. This expression is…
English Idiom – Feel Blue. Meaning – To feel sad or depressed. This expression can be used to describe any unhappy feeling you may have. Colours and Emotions: Different colours…
English Idiom – Ring a bell or Ring any bells. Meaning – To sound or seem familiar. If something rings a bell it awakens a memory or reminds you of something. This…
English Idiom – On Thin Ice or Be Skating/Treading/Walking On Thin Ice. Meaning – To be doing something dangerous or risky. If someone is on thin ice they are doing…
English Idiom – To smell a rat. Meaning – To suspect that something is wrong or that something dishonest is happening. You can use this expression when you recognize that…
English Idiom – Right as rain or As right as rain Meaning – In good order or in good health. To be completely healthy or well again after an illness or…
English Idiom – Kangaroo Court. Meaning – An unofficial or unauthorised “mock” court. This expression can be used to refer to an unofficial court or a court that exists to come…
English Idiom – Catch somebody’s eye. Meaning – To attract someone’s attention or interest. This expression can be used when you make eye contact (two people look directly into each other’s…
English Idiom – (Be) Like talking to a brick wall. Meaning – To be completely ignored by someone. This expression is used when the person you are speaking to does not…
English Idiom – Elephant in the room or Elephant in the living room. Meaning – An obvious and significant issue or problem that is present but deliberately ignored…
English Idiom – Light at the end of the tunnel. Meaning – The end of a difficult situation, or the solution to a problem. If there is light at the…
English Idiom – As one door closes, another door opens or As one door closes, another one opens. Meaning – As one opportunity ends, another opportunity often follows. If one…
English Idiom – Not a dry eye in the house. Meaning – This expression is used to say that everyone (in a place) was emotional about something. Everyone in…
Phrasal Verb – Stand by. Meaning 1 – To be ready to do something, or to be ready for action. If you are standing by you are ready to act –…
Phrasal Verb – Look up. Meaning 1 – Look (something) up – To try to find some information in a book, on a list, or on a computer….
English Idiom – Hold your horses. Meaning – Wait. This expression is a command that tells someone to stop doing something or to wait for a moment. Hold your…
English Idiom – Pull your socks up or Pull up your socks. Meaning – To do better. To make a real effort to improve. If you pull your socks up…
English Idiom – Pipe dream. Meaning – An idea or plan that is very unlikely to happen. An impossibility or an unrealistic dream. A pipe dream is a dream that…
English Idiom – Under the weather. Meaning – To be feeling unwell. If you are under the weather you are feeling poorly or generally run-down (feeling bad because you…
English Idiom – Square the circle. Meaning – To try to do something that is impossible. An attempt to do something that is extremely difficult and is unlikely to be…
English Idiom – Tread water. Meaning – To be active but not make progress towards something. To put time and effort into something, but not get much of a…
Phrasal Verb – Fill up. Meaning – To make something completely full – or to become completely full. To fill. The phrasal verb fill up is frequently used…
Phrasal Verb – Log in. Meaning 1 – To gain access to a computer system. To enter information – such as your username and password – to gain access to a…
English Idiom – Face the music. Meaning – To accept responsibility for something you have done. To accept the consequences or criticism for your actions. If you face…
Phrasal Verb – Pull over. Meaning 1 – To stop a vehicle by the side of the road. To move to the side of the road to stop…
English Idiom – On the same page. Meaning – To be in agreement on something. If everyone is on the same page then multiple people have come to…
Phrasal Verb – Show up. Meaning 1 – To arrive somewhere, especially where someone or some people are waiting for you. Meaning 2 – Show (somebody) up –…
Phrasal Verb – Check in. Meaning – To register and report your arrival, especially at a hotel or an airport. You can also check in at other places, such as hospitals,…
Phrasal Verb – Brush up (on something). Meaning – To refresh your skill, knowledge or memory of a subject. To practice or improve your skill at something. To brush up on…
English Idiom – Avoid (something or someone) like the plague. Meaning – To completely avoid something or someone. To avoid at any cost. If you avoid something or…
English Idiom – Call it a day. Meaning – To stop doing what you are doing (usually work) for the day. You may call it a day because you are…
English Idiom – The apple of somebody’s eye. Meaning – The person that you love the most. A person that you cherish or adore more than anyone else. Related Expressions:…
English Idiom – On the nose. Meaning – To be exactly right about something. If you are on the nose you guess something correctly and accurately. You may be on…
Phrasal Verb – Make out. Meaning 1 – To kiss and touch someone in a sexual way. If you are making out with someone you are kissing and caressing as lovers….
English Idiom – Chase rainbows. Meaning – To pursue unrealistic goals or dreams. To try to get something you can never have. If you are chasing rainbows you are wasting…
English Idiom – Take a rain check or Rain check. Meaning – To politely refuse an offer or invitation, on the implication that you may accept it some time in…
English Idiom – A stone’s throw. Meaning – A short distance away from something. Not very far. This idiom is usually used to emphasize how close two places or objects…
English Idiom – Loan shark. Meaning – Someone who lends people money and charges them an extremely high rate of interest. A loan shark is usually dishonest and sometimes they…
English Idiom – A few sandwiches short of a picnic. Meaning – Unintelligent. The expression is used to describe a person who is stupid or displaying an obvious lack of intelligence….
Phrasal Verb – Drop out. Meaning – To stop being a member or participant of something. You can drop out of a race, a competition or you can drop out of a…
English Idiom – Puppy-dog eyes. Meaning – An innocent or naive facial expression. The expression puppy-dog eyes is used to describe a begging or pleading look – just like a…
English Idiom – Hit the nail on the head. Meaning – To be exactly right about something. Find exactly the right answer. If you hit the nail on the head…
English Idiom – Take something with a pinch of salt or Take something with a grain of salt. Meaning – To listen to a story or explanation of something with…
Slang – Nowt. Meaning – Nothing. This slang is British slang and it is commonly used in the north of England and Scotland. It is Northern English slang. The opposite of…
English Idiom – Rob Peter to pay Paul. Meaning – To solve a problem in a way that makes another problem worse. If you rob Peter to pay Paul you…
Phrasal Verb – Show off. Meaning 1 – To behave in a way that is intended to attract attention. This phrasal verb is usually used about people whose behaviour we find…
Phrasal Verb – Give up. Meaning 1 – To stop trying to do something that is too difficult or troublesome. Meaning 2 – To quit something. If you give something up you stop doing…
English Idiom – Back to square one. Meaning – To start again. If you go back to square one you go back to where you started, having made no progress….
English Idiom – Shoot the breeze. Meaning – To have an informal chat or casual conversation. Shooting the breeze can also be used to describe a situation when you waste…
English Idiom – Make hay while the sun shines. Meaning – To make the most of an opportunity while it is available. To take advantage of a favourable situation for…
English Idiom – Bring home the bacon. Meaning – To earn money for your family. The act of earning money or achieving a goal. If you are bringing home the bacon you are providing financial support for you…
Slang – Cheerio. Meaning – Goodbye. Cheerio is a positive, somewhat lively, farewell. This expression is generally seen as a more casual and lighthearted way of saying goodbye compared to other…
English Idiom – Yellow-belly. Meaning – To be a coward or easily scared. This expression is used to describe a person who is not brave. This expression can also be used in the form yellow-bellied. A…
Idiom – Green fingers. Meaning – This expression is used to describe someone who is a highly skilled gardener. This expression is British English and is common in the…
English Idiom – In someone’s black books. Meaning – To be out of favour with someone. If you are in somebody’s black books you are in trouble with them. You may have…
English Idiom – The lion’s share. Meaning – The majority. This idiom is used to describe the largest part of something. This idiom possibly originates from a story or fable about…
English Idiom – Smell fishy or Fishy. Meaning – Suspicious. This idiom is used when something is making us suspicious or when we believe somebody is being dishonest. The expression smell fishy can…
English Idiom – Gild the Lily. Meaning – To improve something unnecessarily. To further decorate something that already looks perfect. Attempt to improve something beautiful and therefore spoil it. To…
Many people are confused by when to use you’re or your. This is such a common confusion that many native English speakers also get confused. Here are the simple rules to…
When spoken, maybe and may be sound exactly the same, however when written they have 2 different meanings. Let’s take a look at the different meanings. Maybe Maybe is an adverb. It…
English Idiom – Hit the sack or Hit the hay. Meaning – Go to bed. To go to bed in order to sleep. Usage: When could you use this…
English Idiom – Get your feet wet. Meaning – To begin or start doing something for the first time or to gain initial experience in a particular field….
Here at Funky English we love to share our favourite idioms with you. In this article we’ll list our Top 10 English Animal Idioms! Which one do you…
Slang – Fresh. Meaning – Attractive, cool or fashionable. This slang expression can be used to describe something that is new or up–to–date with the latest trends. Fresh…
In this lesson, we will take a look at how to use numbers in English. Most of the time, using numbers is easy, but you should be aware…
English Idiom – To play devil’s advocate. Meaning – To express an opposing or unpopular point of view for the sake of argument. To argue against a certain position…
English Idiom – High horse. Meaning – An attitude of moral superiority. Behaving in a superior way. If you tell someone to ‘get off their high horse‘ you are…
English Idiom – Walking on air. Meaning – Extremely happy or excited. If someone is walking on air they are feeling elated. The idiom walking on air might be…
Phrasal Verb – Figure out. Meaning 1 – To understand something or to solve a problem. This phrasal verb is separable. “I can’t figure out what is happening!” “Can…
Slang – Hullabaloo. Meaning – A commotion, disturbance, uproar or fuss. This expression is used to describe some kind of noisy argument or disagreement. A hullabaloo is a loud…
Phrasal Verb – Chat up. Meaning – To start a conversation with somebody who you are attracted (sexually or romantically) to. You chat somebody up if you wish to get…
English Idiom – Up in the air. Meaning – Uncertain or undecided. This expression can refer to a situation or a plan that has not yet been finalised…
Idiom – Miss the boat or Miss the bus. Meaning – To miss an opportunity. To be too late to act to take advantage of something. If you…
Slang – Daft. Meaning (adjective) – Foolish or stupid. This slang is extremely common British slang (it originated in Scotland and Northern England) but is likely to be understood by all native English…
English Idiom – Man cave. Meaning – A room or small building that is created to be a private area for the men in a household. The area of the…
Slang – Chuffed. Meaning – Very happy, delighted or proud. The word chuffed is an adjective that means to be pleased, delighted, or very happy about something. This slang is…
English Idiom – Full of the joys of spring. Meaning – Very happy. This expression is used to describe someone who is both happy and full of energy. This…
English Idiom – Music to my ears. Meaning – Very pleasing information or news. If something is music to your ears you are very happy to hear it! Other…
English Idiom – Play it by ear. Meaning – To decide what to do as a situation develops. To do something without making detailed plans, to decide on your…
English Idiom – Salt of the earth. Meaning – This expression is used to refer to a person who is simple, honest and worthy. A very good person. Someone who…
English Idiom – Canary in the coal mine or Canary in a coal mine. Meaning – Someone or something that is an early warning for trouble or danger. An early…
English Idiom – Down in the mouth. Meaning – Sad or depressed. A person who is down in the mouth is probably showing visible signs of unhappiness. The idiom…
English Idiom – Neck of the woods. Meaning – A neighborhood or nearby area. This expression usually refers to the area where somebody lives. A wood is an area…
British English Slang – Gormless. Meaning – (adjective) Stupid or foolish. This expression can refer to someone who displays a lack of intelligence. A clumsy person may be called gormless…
English Idiom – Let the cat out of the bag. Meaning – To reveal a secret. This expression is usually used when you reveal a secret by accident. You can…
English Idiom – Tickled pink. Meaning – Extremely pleased. To be delighted about something. Very amused or entertained by something. Colours and Emotions: Different colours can be used to portray…
English Idiom – Dragged through a hedge backwards or Pulled through a hedge backwards. Meaning – to look like you’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards is to look…
English Idiom – A piece of cake. Meaning – Very easy. A task is very easy to do. Other expressions to describe something easy: A breeze A cakewalk…
English Idiom – Rat race. Meaning – The modern daily way of life – a struggle to get a better job and improve our social life. The fierce…
Proverb – When the cat’s away, the mice will play or While the cat’s away, the mice will play. Meaning – If the person in charge of a group…
Proverb – Birds of a feather flock together. Meaning – People with similar likes, characteristics or interests will usually spend time together. People that are similar tend to…
Proverb – Good things come to those who wait. Meaning – Being patient is a good quality to have. An alternative proverb with the same meaning is patience is…
English Idiom – Pain in the neck. Meaning – Something or someone that is annoying or difficult to deal with. Someone or something that causes trouble or irritation. This…
English Idiom – Dark horse. Meaning – Someone who wins something unexpectedly. A person, animal or thing that competes in something and is not expected to win. A contestant…
Phrasal Verb – Eat out. Meaning – To eat in at a restaurant or away from home. To dine at a place that is not your home. This…
Slang – Kerfuffle. Meaning – A noisy argument or commotion. Kerfuffle is a noun that means a commotion or fuss caused by a disagreement or argument. It can also…
English Idiom – As sick as a parrot. Meaning – Very disappointed. This expression means that you are disappointed or unhappy about something that has happened. As sick…
English Idiom – Up to your neck in something. Meaning – To be very busy with something. To be very involved with something or to be very occupied with…
Phrasal Verb – Hand in. Meaning – To give something to someone in authority. You can hand your homework in to a teacher or a purse you’ve just…
Phrasal Verb – Count on. Meaning – To depend on someone or something. To rely or depend on someone or something for support, help, or assistance. It can…
Phrasal Verb – Break down. Meaning 1 – To stop working. If a machine or vehicle breaks down, it stops working because of a fault or problem. This…
English Idiom – Whet your appetite. Meaning – To increase your desire for something. To stimulate your interest in something. You can whet someone’s appetite for anything, but…
Slang – Squad. Meaning – A group of friends. The word squad has a variety of interesting uses, both in formal contexts and slang. In a formal context,…
English Idiom – Chop chop. Meaning – Hurry up! This expression is used to tell someone to hurry, or to do something faster. Do something without delay. This is…
English Idiom – Too many irons in the fire or Several irons in the fire. Meaning – To have too much to do at the same time. To be…
Phrasal Verb – Storm out. Meaning – To leave angrily. To quickly leave a place because you are angry or upset about something. To leave or exit a…
English Idiom – Pick somebody’s brain. Meaning – To obtain information by asking someone questions. To ask advice about something from someone who knows a lot about it. Request…
English Idiom – Wouldn’t say boo to a goose. Meaning – If someone wouldn’t say boo to a goose, they are very timid and nervous. This expression might be used…
English Idiom – Chicken. Meaning – A coward. A chicken is used to refer to a person who is nervous, timid or afraid. If you call someone a chicken you…
English Idiom – Storm in a teacup. Meaning – A small event that has been exaggerated out of proportion. A lot of fuss over a trivial matter. This expression is used when something…
English Idiom – Get a wriggle on or Get a wiggle on. Meaning – Hurry up. This expression is used when you want to tell someone (quite forcefully) to do something faster….
Slang – Zillion. Meaning – An extremely large number. An unknown, vague or fictitious large number – it is not an actual number and does not have an exact…
English Idiom –Stiff upper lip or Keep a stiff upper lip. Meaning – To not show your emotions when you are upset. To keep your emotions hidden or bottled…
English Idiom – Cheap as chips or As cheap as chips. Meaning – Very inexpensive. This expression can be used to refer to something that is reduced in price, something…
In this English lesson we’ll take a look at how we use the present continuous tense when talking about things that we are doing now.
Slang – Cracking. Meaning – Excellent or impressive. The very best or of high quality. This expression is used to describe just about anything that is really good –…
English Idiom – Throw a spanner in the works or Put a spanner in the works. Meaning – To do something that prevents an activity or plan from…
Proverb – Patience is a virtue. Meaning – Being patient or being able to wait for someone without getting angry or annoyed is a good quality to have….
English Idiom – On top of the world. Meaning – Feeling wonderful. This idiom can be used when you are feeling ecstatic, glorious or delighted. When someone uses this…
English Idiom – Speak of the devil or Talk of the devil. Meaning – This expression is used when a person being talked about suddenly appears. This idiom…
English Idiom – Cost an arm and a leg or An arm and a leg. Meaning – Very expensive. This expression is used when something costs a lot of…
English Idiom – No skin off my nose. Meaning – To not care about something because it will not affect you. It doesn’t bother me or it makes no…
Phrasal Verb – Give away. Meaning 1 – To give something to someone for free. Something can be given away as part of a promotion or because something…
English Idiom – By the skin of one’s teeth. Meaning – To only just succeed in doing something. To just barely do something; to succeed by the smallest…
Slang – Cup of joe. Meaning – Cup of coffee. This is common American slang. In the UK people generally prefer a cuppa (cup of tea) to a…
Slang – Binge-watch or Binge watch. Meaning – The act of watching multiple episodes or an entire season of a television show, film series, or any other form…
Slang – Mate. Meaning – Friend. This is an informal expression used to refer to a close friend or companion. This slang is extremely common British and Australian slang….
English Idiom – Get away with (something). Meaning – To not get punished for doing something wrong. To escape punishment, criticism, or negative consequences for one’s actions or…
In this English lesson we’ll take a look at how we use the present simple tense when talking about daily routines, as well as taking a quick look at adverbs of frequency.
English Idiom – Ants in your pants. Meaning – To be unable to sit still because you are excited or nervous about something. This expression conveys a sense…
English Idiom – Caught with your pants down or Caught with your trousers down. Meaning – To be found in a situation that embarrasses you. Caught doing something (usually…
In this English lesson we’ll take a look at how we use the past continuous tense when talking about things that we were doing in the past.
Idiom – Bad hair day. Meaning – A day when your hair is difficult to manage or style, or more broadly, a day when things seem to be going…
English Idiom – Better the devil you know. This idiom is a shortened version of the expression Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know. Meaning…
British English Slang – Dicky bow or Dickie bow or Dickey bow. Meaning – A bow tie. A bow tie is a necktie in the form of a bow with two loops.
Proverb – Practice makes perfect. Meaning – Doing something again and again is the best way to learn it. If you do something frequently you will get better…
English Slang – Kicks. Meaning (noun) – Shoes, usually sneakers or trainers. It is often used as a substitute for the word shoes or sneakers, and can also…
British English Slang – Skive or Skive-off. Meaning – To avoid work or your responsibilities by staying away or leaving without permission. To stay away from work or…
English Idiom – Cold feet. Meaning – A fear of doing something. To suddenly become too frightened to do something that you had planned to do. The idiom…
English Idiom – Butterflies in my stomach. Meaning – To feel nervous or anxious. This feeling is the nervous feeling you sometimes get in the pit of your…
Phrasal Verb – Take off. Meaning 1 – To leave the ground and begin to fly. This phrasal verb is not separable. “Your plane will be taking off…
British English Slang – Twit. Meaning (noun) – A foolish or stupid person. This expression can also be used to describe someone who is annoying or to describe…
Proverb – Actions speak louder than words. Meaning – What you do is more important than what you say. Your actions (the things that you do) tell us more about…
In this article about British culture we take a look at the most popular British drink – tea! We take a look at the history of British tea and we discuss the way that British people enjoy their tea.
Slang – Motormouth or Motor-mouth. Meaning – A very talkative person. Someone who talks a lot. A motormouth is a person who talks excessively, often about meaningless things….
Proverb – If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. Meaning – If you pay a low wage you will get poor workers. If you offer a poor salary you…
English Idiom – See eye to eye. Meaning – To agree with someone about something – or in general. This expression is used when people completely agree with each…
Slang – Scrumptious. Meaning – (adjective) Delicious. Tasty. Mouthwatering. Appetizing. This expression can also be used to describe a very attractive person – or in fact anything at…
English Idiom – Caught red-handed. Meaning – To be caught in the act. To be found doing something wrong or illegal. If you are caught red-handed you are caught with…
English Idiom – Paint the town red. Meaning – To go out and celebrate. To have a wild and exciting night out, usually involving a lot of partying…
British English Slang – Gobsmacked. Meaning – Totally shocked or astonished. To be extremely surprised, shocked or astonished. This expression is often used to describe a state of…
Slang – Shades. Meaning – A pair of sunglasses. Sunglasses are a type of eyewear that are designed to protect the eyes from bright sunlight and harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays….
American English Slang – Humongous. Meaning – Very big. The adjective humongous is used to describe something that is very large in size. This expression is often used in a playful or…
In this article about British culture we take a look at the phrase “touch wood”. We learn why British people might feel the need to “touch wood” or “knock on wood”.
Proverb – Knowledge is power. Meaning – Knowledge, information, and education give people the ability to make informed decisions, solve problems, and ultimately achieve success in life. This…
English Idiom – Eat your words or Swallow your words. Meaning – To admit that you’ve said something wrong. This expression is used to ‘take back’ an earlier…
British English Slang – Dog and bone. Meaning – Telephone. This expression is an example of Cockney (or London) rhyming slang. In this type of slang words are replaced…
English Idiom – Cherry-pick or cherry pick. Meaning – To selectively choose only the best or most suitable from a number of options. To choose things that support…
Slang – Hang out. Meaning – To spend leisure time with someone. To spend time in a certain place or with certain people. To waste time – to do…
British English Slang – Quid. Meaning – A pound sterling. The pound sterling (£) is the official currency of the United Kingdom. The plural of quid can be quid or…
Slang – Fam. Meaning – Family and close friends. Fam is used to describe the people you trust the most. Friends can be considered fam if you are very…
Idiom – No dice. Meaning – No. Not possible. This expression is used to refuse a request, to make it clear that something is not possible. This idiom…
British English Slang – Apples and pears. Meaning – Stairs. The set of steps leading from one floor of a building to another. This expression is an example of Cockney…
English Idiom – Two left feet. Meaning – To be clumsy or awkward with your feet. This idiom often refers to poor dancing and is aimed at people who are…
English Idiom – Too much on my plate or A lot on my plate or Enough on my plate. Meaning – To be too busy. To have too…
Proverb – The pen is mightier than the sword. Meaning – You will be more successful if you take action with words rather than resorting to violence with…
English Idiom – Hit the books or Pound the books. Meaning – Study. To study hard or with a concentrated effort for something. In this expression hit means to…
English Idiom – Once in a blue moon. Meaning – Very rarely or almost never. If something happens once in a blue moon it happens very infrequently. The…
British English Idiom – Like turkeys voting for Christmas or Like turkeys voting for Xmas. Meaning – This expression is used to describe a situation when people accept something that…
Proverb – Too many cooks spoil the broth. Meaning – If too many people try to do the same thing at the same time then the result is…
English Idiom – A little bird told me or A little birdie told me. Meaning – This expression is used when you have some information, but you don’t…
English Idiom – Get your skates on or Put your skates on. Meaning – Hurry up. This expression is used to tell someone to do something faster. This…
English Idiom – Choppy waters. Meaning – This expression refers to troublesome, difficult or uncertain times. This idiom is usually used when someone or something has difficult times…
In English there are many slang expressions we can use to say somebody is pregnant. These expressions are informal and can be used in everyday conversations with friends and…
English Idiom – Put a sock in it. Meaning – Be quiet. This expression is used to tell someone to stop making so much noise. Put a sock…
English Idiom – Raining cats and dogs. Meaning – Raining very hard. This expression is said when it is raining very heavily. There are a number of different…
Slang – La-la land. Meaning – An imaginary place where people are out of touch with reality. It is a hypothetical place that you visit when you are not paying…
British English Slang – Argy-bargy or argie-bargie. Meaning – A noisy or lively argument. This expression is used to describe a bad tempered argument. This phrase can also be used…
Slang – Shopaholic. Meaning – Someone who has a compulsive or excessive desire to shop, often resulting in excessive spending and accumulation of possessions. A shopaholic may feel a strong…
In this lesson we’ll take a look at how we use the past simple tense when talking about things that we have done in the past – as well as looking at adverbial phrases of time.
British English Slang – Tickety-boo or tickety boo. Meaning – OK, satisfactory or fine. Everything is in good order and as it should be. This expression is often used to…
Slang – Banter. Meaning – The playful and friendly exchange of teasing remarks. To speak in a playful or teasing way. This expression can also be used to describe someone making a joke…
British English Slang – Codswallop. Meaning – Nonsense. This expression is usually directed towards someone who is talking – or writing – nonsense. Codswallop is often said to someone who…
British English Slang – Skint. Meaning – (adjective) To have no money. The word skint is a slang term commonly used in British and Australian English to describe a situation where…
British English Slang – Dilly-dally or Dilly dally. Meaning – To wander aimlessly or to dawdle. This expression is used to describe walking or behaving without purpose; to be idle…
Proverb – An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Meaning – Apples are healthy because they are rich in vitamins and other essential nutrients. If you eat more…
If you’ve spent any time with native English speakers, watched American and British TV shows, or read English books you’ll probably have come across the phrase Man’s Best…
Listen: A Faithful Hound The Legend of Gelert is a very famous story that has been told for hundreds of years. Beddgelert is a small village in North…
In this article we take a look at the expression ‘We need to talk’? What does it really mean when someone uses this phrase?
Idiom – (Has the) Cat got your tongue? Meaning – This expression is said to someone who has nothing to say. If you are annoyed with someone because…
British English Slang – Knackered or Cream Crackered. Meaning – Extremely tired. This expression can also be used to describe something that is worn out or damaged because it has…
Slang – Pig out. Meaning – To eat too much or to eat a lot. To make a pig of yourself. To eat to excess. A food binge. This slang…
English Idiom – In one ear and out the other or Go in one ear and out the other. Meaning – This expression is used to describe a situation…
British English Slang – Numpty. Meaning – (noun) An idiot. A stupid or foolish person. Numpty is often used in a mildly derogatory way, but it can also…
English Idiom – Twist Somebody’s Arm. Meaning – To persuade somebody to do something that they do not want to do. To put pressure on someone in order…
British English Slang – Cuppa. Meaning – Cup of tea. Example: “I think it’s time for a break. Does anyone fancy a cuppa?” Related: British Culture – Tea…
British English Slang – Telly. Meaning – Television. Telly is often used as a casual or informal way to refer to a television, especially in the UK, Ireland…
People in Great Britain love to eat! We are lucky to have a great selection of food from all over the world in our restaurants and takeaways. Fish…
English Idiom – Pigs might fly. Meaning – This idiom is said about something that has no chance of happening. This expression is usually used in a humorous or sarcastic…
British English Slang – Moggy. Meaning – An informal name for a cat. A domestic cat that is not a pedigree or purebred. Moggy is similar to the…
Pinch punch! Find out what is said and done on the first day of each month in Great Britain. Learn how to use this interesting English phrase correctly – and how to respond!
British English Slang – Spuds. Meaning – Potatoes. The expression spud is a common British slang term for potato. Different Ways To Eat Spuds: Boiled – Potatoes are…
English Idiom – Let sleeping dogs lie. Meaning – This idiomatic expression means you should leave something alone if it might cause trouble. This idiom advises you to…
English Idiom – Kiss and make up. Meaning – To make friends after a disagreement or argument. This is a phrase used to encourage two people who have…
English Idiom – Tie the knot. Meaning – To get married. This expression can refer to the action of getting married in general, or the actual wedding ceremony….
English Idiom – Whale of a time. Meaning – To have a great time. To enjoy yourself very much and have a positive experience. More featured phrases to…
English Idiom – Copycat. Meaning – A person who copies someone else. Someone or something that closely imitates another. A copycat might copy the words, actions or behaviour…
English Idiom – Hit the road. Meaning – To leave or to begin a journey. To depart, especially in order to go home. The idiom hit the road…