Idioms: Do You Understand These Expressions?

English has many idioms.

What are they? They are "fixed distinctive expressions whose meaning cannot be deduced from the combined meanings of the actual words".

The best way to study idioms is to listen again and again (think about the meaning), and then try to use them yourself.

This site does not have slang in the stories. Slang is a different kind of expression and is often used everyday.

The best way to really learn an idiom is to listen to a story a few times a dayfor a few days. Then don't listen to the same story for about a week.

After a week, listen to that story again.

Finally listen to it again after another two or three weeks.

After each listening session, try to use the idiom. Make your own sentence. The more you do this, the easier it will be to hear the expression when others use it.

The first story, Inspection Time, has the following expressions:  Be a bundle of nerves, At the crack of dawn, Foot the bill, Put (something) on the backburner, and Hit the nail on the head. Click here to listen to the story Inspection Time.

The second story, Riding to Work, has the following expression: Turn a deaf ear to, At sixes and sevens, All in, Lie low, and Be in someone's bad books. Click here to listen to the story Riding to Work.

The third story, The King Fisher, has the following expressions: Set one's heart on, Screw up one's courage, A piece of cake, With flying colors, and Grin from ear to ear. Click here to listen to the story The King Fisher.

The fourth story, Late Homework, has the following expressions: Turn (someplace) upside down, Make oneself scarce, In hot water, Like a cat on a hot tin roof, and The coast is clear. Click here to listen to the story Late Homework.

The fifth story, New Business , has the following expressions: Down in the mouth, In the red, Teething troubles, Get (something) off the ground, and Go to the wall.  Click here to listen to the story New Business. 

The seventh story, Nine Years Later, has the following expressions: Be of two minds about, Be dressed to the nines, Be living on a shoestring, Not to have a penny to one's name, and There is nothing else for it.  Click here to listen to the story Nine Years Later. 

The ninth story, In the Know, has the following expresions: Come clean, Let the cat out of the bag, In the know, In the cards, and Tie the knot. Click here to listen to the story In the Know.

The eleventh story, Make Waves, has the following espressions: Let one's hair down, Have a fit, Go out with(someone), Cross swords with, and Make waves.  Click here to listen to the story Make Waves.

The thirteenth story, Taking Sides, has the following idioms: That's flat, Take sides, Like the wind, Different kettle of fish, and Worried sick.  Click here to listen to Taking Sides. 

The fourteenth story, Wrapped Around Her Finger, has the following idioms: Have (someone) wrapped around one's little finger, Rush one's fences, Have (something) taped, Bite off more than one can chew, and Paint the town red.  Click here to listen to Wrapped Around Her Finger.

The fifteenth story, Bite the Bullet, has the following idioms: Shake in one's boots, Scare (someone) out of (his/her) wits, Have the bottle to, Put a brave face on it, and Bite the bullet.  Click here to listen to Bite the Bullet. 

The sixteenth story, As Poor As A Churchmouse, has the following idioms: Fit the bill, Like a shot, As poor as a churchmouse, Like golddust, and Get a move on (informal).  Click here to listen to As Poor As A Churchmouse.

The seventeenth story, Parting of the Ways, has the following idioms: Reach the parting of the ways, Pick a fight with, Bury the hatchet, Strike a bad patch, and Paper over the cracks.  Click here to listen to Parting of the Ways.

The nineteenth story, Sitting Pretty, has the following idioms: Be sitting pretty, Be in a cold sweat, In the nick of time, Laugh one's head off and Take the mickey out of.  Click here to listen to the story Sitting Pretty. 

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