Language and Expressions Guide
Common Expressions and Meanings
- Sounds like fun: A positive reaction to someone’s plans or activities.
- Pep rally: An event to boost enthusiasm and support for a sports team before a game.
- Take place: Means "happens" when telling a story.
- Moors: A type of landscape found in England.
- Creepy: Something that feels strange and frightening.
- Wild: Describes strong and uncontrolled emotions, such as anger, excitement, or happiness.
- Symbolize: Objects or ideas that represent something concrete in literature.
- A given: A basic fact that is accepted as true.
- Mirrored: Something that is very similar to or seems to copy something else.
- Shrewd: Having sharp judgment or being astute.
- Care to venture: A polite way to ask someone if they want to do something.
- Goody-goody: Someone who behaves extremely well to please authority figures.
- Ahead of its time: Too advanced or modern to be understood or appreciated in its era.
- Light year: The distance light travels in one year; used in astronomy.
- Light years ago: Means a long time ago.
- Insight: A sudden and clear understanding of something complex.
- Strikes: Realizing something is important or interesting; e.g., "what struck me most."
- Knuckle down: To stop being distracted and focus on work.
- Throw in: To put things into a container.
- Pronunciation of 'receipt': The 'P' is silent.
- Charred: Something that is burned and black.
- Get off: Leaving work with permission (informal).
- Pick someone up: Meet someone somewhere and take them to another place.
- Cleansing: Something used for cleaning or that cleanses.
- You’re kidding: Used to express surprise or shock.
- Levitation: Rising and floating in the air without physical support.
- Rudimentary: A basic skill; not advanced.
- Wrist: The part of the body between the hand and the arm.
- Flick: To move and hit something with a short, sudden movement.
- Off you go: A British idiom meaning to start doing something or to leave.
- Besides: Means "also" or "in addition," used in arguments to add information.
- Clever: The ability to understand quickly and apply ideas.
- Go on: An informal expression to encourage someone to continue speaking or acting.
- Tape someone: To record someone with a video camera.
- Platform: A raised flat surface for speeches or performances.
- Have someone taped: To understand someone very well (informal).
- Cool: Can mean agreeable, slightly cold, calm, or fashionable, depending on the context.
- This sucks: Slang for expressing disappointment.
- Pick up on: To notice something not very obvious.
- Signal to someone: To make a gesture or sound to convey a message.
- Interpret: To understand the meaning of something.
- Leaving the toilet seat up: Seen as disrespectful to women.
- Treachery: Deceiving or betraying someone who trusts you.
- Bloodlust: A desire or enjoyment of violence.
- Urge: A strong desire or need to do something.
- Vicious: Cruel and violent.
- Meek: Submissive and non-violent; opposite of vicious.
- Savage: Aggressive, cruel, and brutal.
- Complacency: Positive: calm satisfaction; Negative: stagnation or unwillingness to change.
- Deter: To prevent something from happening.
- Cower: To lower your head and body and possibly move backward.
- Insipid: Lacking interest or taste.
- Roam: To move or travel without a clear direction.
- Open up: To unlock a door; or to share thoughts and feelings with someone.
- Auxiliary verbs: Used before a subject for emphasis, not for questions.
- Through the night vs. during the night: "Through" means from start to end; "during" means at some point within the night.
- Elated: Extremely happy.
- Gassy: Having a stomach full of gas; can also mean nervous.
- Glow: To emit light or heat; or to appear healthy and happy.
- Looks like: To visually perceive something.
- Sounds like: To audibly perceive something.
- Feels like: To physically touch and perceive something.
- Seems like: A general perception, can replace "looks," "sounds," or "feels" like.
- Heaven knows: Emphasizes a strong belief or truth.
- Rage on: To happen uncontrollably; (noun) violent anger.
- You rock: You're great or amazing.
- Bitter: Seemingly hurt and somewhat angry.
- Reluctant: Unwilling or hesitant.
- Taken aback: Surprised and wanting to distance oneself.
- Cynical: Viewing life with skepticism and bitterness.
- On your own: Alone.
- Get through a crappy day: Endure a bad day.
- Real estate: The business of selling and renting properties.
- Buddy: A male friend; "bud" as a verb signifies a close friendship.
- Leftovers: Food remaining after a meal; usually plural.
- Knock-knock: A type of joke with a fixed pattern.
- Mental: Slang for crazy or insane.
- Clipping: An excerpt or cut-out from a newspaper.
- Flattering: A compliment or praise.
- Unpick mystery: To break down a mystery to solve it.
- How on earth: Expresses surprise or shock.
- Drag something around: To move something across a surface, often used for people.
- Can't bear something: Unable to tolerate it.
- Bear responsibility: To assume responsibility.
- Reform in politics: Changing structures to improve them.
- Bill: In politics, a formal statement of proposed law.
- Bounced along: To move happily or with cheer; "bounce" means moving upwards from a surface.
- Take someone into your heart: To accept and cherish them.
- Raise: To lift or increase salary.
- Pick on someone your own size: Don't fight someone smaller than yourself.
- Blow your top: To become very angry.
- Blow your horn: To boast about one's abilities or achievements.
- Stood up for me: To support or defend someone.
- Have someone’s back: To be ready to offer support or assistance.
- Tender: Showing gentleness and affection.
- Tender moment: Displaying tenderness.
- Dare someone: A challenge to show courage.
- Have a piece: Slang for possessing a weapon.
- Miss: To fail to hit or reach a target.
- Ye: You or your, addressing multiple people.
- Coming of age: When a person becomes an adult officially.
- Stunning: Beautiful or visually appealing.
- Keep you on the edge of your seat: Keeps you invested and excited.
- Good/bad: Use "some" or "any" instead of "a" or "the."
- Broken out: Escaped from prison; "broke out" means escaping a situation.
- The coast is clear: Safe to do something without being seen; "clear" has the same effect.
- Like it here: To enjoy being in a place.
- To turn: Means to change or look different.
- Gotcha: An exclamation of surprise or when catching someone.
- Lift and tuck: Refers to facelift surgery or plastic surgery on the neck and face.
- Do me a favor: Correct phrase; not "make me a favor."
- Scare floor: Area where employees work.
- Floors: Can refer to a large room, like a factory or stock exchange floor.
- Paperwork: Tasks involving many pieces of paper.
- Turn in: To give or submit something.
- Any second now/any minute now: Indicates something will happen imminently.
- Carry on: To continue an activity or task; also used as a request or command.
- Let you go: Means to free you, fire someone, or get over someone romantically.
- Calm down: For emotionally tense situations.
- Settle down: To prepare for a stable life; also means "calm down."
- Your heart’s content: To do something as much as you like.
- So you know: To keep someone updated.
- At first glance: A superficial look without deep analysis.
- Acknowledge: To recognize or admit something.
- Justified: Having a good reason for something; deemed fair.
- Stand down: To back off or let something go.
- Dwell: To live somewhere.
- Vacant expression: Looking as if not paying attention or understanding.
- Lights are not all on: No thinking process happening; not engaged mentally.
