To hit the nail on the head
Idiom: To hit the nail on the head – get it right, get it, guess correctly, speak (the) truth Context #1 – Students are in English class Teacher: OK. Can anyone tell me what the word “affluent” means? Student 1: To be sick? Teacher: No, that’s not what it means. Good try, though. Anyone else? Student 2: To have […]
Cream of the crop
Context #1: Joe: Have you decided who you’re going to hire for the open position in the accounting department? Sam: Well, I interviewed about 8 people and now I’m down to the cream of the crop. There are 2 people I am still considering, and need to make my final decision by Friday. Context #2: Christa: […]
Actions speak louder than words
Context #1 Amy: Hey Brian, what time will you pick me for tomorrow’s carpool to school? Brian: I’ll be there at 9 am sharp. Amy: Are you sure? Because the last 3 times you were late and we almost missed our first class. I would almost prefer to walk than wait for you again if […]
A penny for your thoughts
Context #1 Friends making a decision about where to take a trip Natalie: I was thinking about the restaurants we should visit while in San Francisco. I have so many I want to go to. What about you? Robert: I don’t know what to say. Whatever is fine. Natalie: Hey, we’re doing this together right? A penny for […]
Bootleg
Bootleg; used as an adjective, noun or verb Context #1: Maria: Do you want to watch the new Star Wars movie? Henry: Yeah, but it’s not out yet. Christmas seems so far away Maria: I have a bootleg copy. Henry: How did you get that? Maria: I downloaded it. Come over tonight and we’ll watch. […]
Technicolor Yawn
Context: Jackson and I were having a wonderful time at the LA County fair a couple of weeks ago. It’s such a fun place to experience many different things about American culture. One of the most famous parts of the fair is the food. They have deep-fried everything! Deep-fried Oreo cookies, deep-fried butter, deep-fried nachos, […]
Street Smart
Idiom: street smart(s); used as an adjective or noun Context #1: Lenny: So Mayra got a new place. Bruce: Really? Where is it? Lenny: Over on 4th, kind of near the freeway. Bruce: Isn’t that kind of a bad neighborhood? Lenny: Yeah, but she’s street smart. She grew up in an area like that, so she […]
Shoot the Breeze!!
Context #1: Mark: Hey Rob! How was your date last night with Mary? Rob: Hi Mark. It was OK. I’m not sure we’re a good match. Mark: Why not? Rob: Well, we met for coffee and only spent about 30 minutes together before she left. We were pretty uncomfortable, just shooting the breeze. She didn’t really […]
