ENGLISH FOR EVERYONE
Iran, Islamic Republic Of
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August 12, 2008
slang(hand) | mean | example |
hand over | pass on something | Before I leave, I have to hand over all my work |
get out of hand | become impossible to manage | You'll have to deal with this problem before it gets out of hand |
have your hands full | be very busy | I can't do anything about it now - my hands are full. |
in hand | under control | The company report is in hand - you'll have it next week |
live hand to mouth | only earn enough money for food | After he lost his job, he had to live hand to mouth for a couple of months |
have someone in the palm of your hand | have influence over someone | He's got her in the palm of his hand |
be caught red-handed | The children were caught red-handed picking the flowers | |
slang(finger) | mean | example |
butter fingers | be clumsy and drop things | You've dropped my vase! Butter fingers! |
keep your fingers crossed | wish something for someone | Keep your fingers crossed for me tomorrow - it's my job interview |
look through ones fingers | I looked through him finger when I saw him | |
under your thumb | control someone | She's got him under her thumb - he won't do anything without asking her first |
slang(feet&legs) | mean | example |
put your foot in it | say or do something you shouldn't | I think I've put my foot in it - I told her about the party |
have itchy feet | not able to settle down in one place | She's going off travelling again - she's got really itchy feet |
keep someone on their toes | keep someone alert | Our teacher keeps us on our toes - we have to pay attention in class |
stand on your own two feet | be independent | I don't need your help - I can stand on my own two feet |
have two left feet | be awkward or clumsy | He's a terrible dancer - he's got two left feet |
walk on eggshells | be careful about what you say or do | She's in a terrible mood - you'll have to walk on eggshells around her |
foot the bill | pay the bill | He had to foot the bill for the party |
slang(back) | mean | example |
go behind someone's back | do something secretly | She went behind my back and told my boss I wanted a new job |
back off | stop trying to force someone to do something | Will you just back off and let me decide what I should do!" |
back down | accept defeat | He finally backed down and let me buy a pet rabbit." |
back someone up | support someone | Thank you for backing me up in the meeting |
put your back into something | work very hard at something | She put her back into it and got good results |
stab someone in the back | betray someone | Be careful of him - he'll stab you in the back if it gets him what he wants |
August 11, 2008
To be hot = very popular / fashionable:
"Iceland is a really hot weekend destination at the moment."
A hot favourite = someone / something most likely to win:
"Red Rum was always the hot favourite to win the Grand National."
A hot tip = important or useful suggestion:
"He gave me a hot tip for my interview."
A hot topic = an issue which is important:
"Climate change is a hot topic at the moment."
Hot off the press = very new story:
"This gossip is hot off the press."
To get too hot = become too dangerous:
"Things are getting too hot and the relief agencies are pulling out of the area."
A hot date = a date with someone you find very attractive: "She's got a hot date tonight!"
Hot stuff = attractive:
"Her new boyfriend is hot stuff."
In the hot seat = in a position of responsibility:
"You make the decisions - you're in the hot seat now!"
In hot water = in trouble because you have done something wrong:
"If you send that email now, you'll find yourself in hot water with the boss."
Have a hot temper = to get angry easily:
"He has a hot temper, so don't provoke him into an argument."
Get hot under the collar = get angry about something which isn't very important:
"You always seem to get hot under the collar about people's driving habits. Don't let it worry you!"
Hot and bothered = feeling uncomfortable, either because it's too hot, or because you have too much to do in too little time:
"She's all hot and bothered now that she's been invited to the theatre this evening."
Be like a cat on a hot tin roof = restless or jumpy:
"He's like a cat on a hot tin roof with all this talk about redundancies."
In hot pursuit = to follow closely:
"The pickpocket ran off, with members of the public in hot pursuit."
Hot on the trail = close to finding something:
"The police are hot on the trail of the mastermind behind the bank robbery."
Hot air = something which is not as important or true as it sounds:
"What he says is just a lot of hot air - don't take it too seriously."
More (something) than you've had hot dinners = an expression to mean that you've had a lot of something:
"I've had more jobs than you've had hot dinners!"
Blow hot and cold = keep changing your mind about something:
"I'm blowing hot and cold about moving to the countryside."
August 6, 2008
slang(common) | mean | example | mean |
as easy as pie | مثل آب خوردن | ||
bend over backwards | try very hard | He bent over backwards to please his new wife, but she never seemed satisfied. | |
be sick and tired of= I hate=I can't stand | از کسی تنفر داشتن | I'm sick and tired of her | |
bite off more than one can chew | take responsibility for more than one can manage | It seems he has bitten off more than he can chew | |
broke | ورشکسته - بی پول | I 'm broke | هیچ پولی ندارم |
change one's mind | تغییر عقیده | I was planning to work late tonight, but I changed my mind. I'll do extra work on the weekend | |
drop someone a line | نامه یا ایمیل دادن | Drop me a line when you have time | هر وقت فرصت کردی برام نامه بده |
fill in for someone | جای کسی کار کردن | While I was away from the store, my brother filled in for me | |
in ages | زمان خیلی زیاد | Have you seen Joe recently? I haven't seen him in ages. | |
give someone a hand | کمک کردن | I want to move this desk to the next room. Can you give me a hand? | |
hit the hay | به رختخواب رفتن | It's after 12 o'clock. I think it's time to hit the hay | |
in the black | تجارت پر رونق | Our business is really improving. We've been in the black all year | |
in the red | تجارت کساد | Business is really going poorly these days. We've been in the red for the past three months | |
in the nick of time | سر بزنگاه-درست به موقع | I got to the drugstore just in the nick of time. I really need this medicine! | |
keep one's chin up | با تلاش سخت ادامه دادن | I know things have been difficult for you recently, but keep your chin up. It will get better soon | |
know something like the back of your hand | مثل کف دست شناختن | I know this part of town like the back of my hand | |
once in a while | بعضی وقت ها نه همیشه |