The English We SpeakI wasn’t born yesterday. The writing is on the wall. It cost an arm and a leg.Take with a pinch of salt- not to believe completely what one says/having doubtsExample: Mr. Tony said that he speaks fluently 20 languages. Most students took it with a pinch of salt. Not rocket science- something that is obvious or not difficult to do or accomplish.Example: You don’t know how to turn the computer on? C’mon, it’s not rocket science!

• To know your onions – to know a lot about something.

• Example: Lukas really knows his onions; he knows so much about Greco-Roman mythology.

• What’s his/her face?- not being able to remember someone’s name.

• I met that beautiful lady last night. Hmm, what’s her face?

• Straight from the

• Example: No school tomorrow! And how do you know? Straight from the horse’s mouth, the director told me herself.

• A white elephant- something that is very expensive to keep/look after and is not very practical.

Example: They bought a large house that is very expensive to maintain; it has turned out to be a white elephant. Keep your chin up. To remain positive despite hard times. Example: His house burnt down, his wife left him and recently he lost his job. Yet, despite all, he keeps his chin up and remains positive about the future.

• Drop dead gorgeous. To be very handsome/beautiful.

• I met that girl last night, what’s her face? Anyway, she is drop dead gorgeous, just stunningly good looking.

• To throw the book at someone- to criticize or punish someone severally by imposing maximum penalty on the offender by someone in position of authority

• Mr. Tony was caught for the fifth time in a row smoking in the bathroom and the principal threw the book at him.

• A finger in every pie- somebody who is involved in many things and has influence over many things, has a finger in every pie (negative or positive term)

• Without him you won’t be able to get anything done in our school. He has…

• Plain sailing- something uncomplicated, and easy to accomplish/carry out

Ex. How was your English test? Plain sailing, so easy!Put your money where your mount is! Why the long face?

• No strings attached- without any conditions• First 10 shoppers will get a free IPod? Are there

any strings attached to that deal? Nope, no strings attached.

• Call it a day. To stop doing something, especially working.

I am really tired today. Lets call it a day.• To paint the town red. To go out and enjoy

oneself. Ex. They went bar hopping last night and had plenty of fun. They surely painted the town red.

• They went bar-hopping, they drank and sang, in short they painted the town red.

• Get your hands dirty- to get involved in work.• He’s a great boss, he doesn’t mind getting his

hands dirty, he helps us with everything. • Down with the kids- to keep up with the younger

generation (in interests, hobbies, fashion etc.)• Mr. Tony can be seen listening to his IPod and

dressing like a teen. He tries to get down with the kids, but he is too old for that.

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• Take a rain check- not to do something soon• Can you come to my house tonight? Hmm, I think I

will take a rain check on that, maybe tomorrow? • Chew the fat- to talk in a friendly, casual way.• I met him yesterday in Ermita. We went to a bar and

just chewed the fat (before we painted the town red.)

• To pull the plug. To stop spending money on something or time.

• Ex. The whole government program to register all firearms became so expensive that the opposition party demanded to pull a plug on it.

• Treading on egg shells. To be very careful what you say or do.

• Anytime I talk to her, it’s like treading on eggshell. Everything I say makes her angry.

• Beat around the bush/ To avoid talking straight to the point.

• Ex. Can you just stop beating around the bush and tell exactly me what’s bothering you?

• Skeleton in the closet/ A big secret that is embarrassing to reveal.

• The presidential candidate lived a double life. In the public he was very nice but his private life was full of skeletons in the closet. He was an alcoholic who used to beat up his wife and kids.

• Take the Mickey Tease or make fun of.• You want me to lend you my BMW? You must be

taking the Mickey!

To jump the gun- to do/say something too early without thinking too much.

I came home late because of the traffic, and not because I had a date. Stop jumping the gun!

To blow your own trumpet/ to be too proud of your achievements

Ex. You’ve told me several times already about your spectacular performance. It’s time for you to stop

blowing your own trumpet.

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• Under your belt- to be experienced or accomplished in something

• He is a great actor, he has several academy awards under his belt. Alfonso has 4 languages under his belt.

• To brush over. To ignore or not to take too seriously. • During the meeting, the boss kept brushing over my

concerns regarding my small salary.• • On the tip of my tongue: you just can’t remember

now, but you know it. • The answer was on the tip of my tongue but I

couldn’t remember it during the test.

• Use your loaf: to think about something before doing something silly

• Poor guy, he jumped into the swimming pool head first and it was empty. He got badly hurt; he should have used his loaf and make sure there was water in the pool.

• Not enough room to swing a cat/ too small• My room is tiny, there is not enough room to swing

a cat. • To have cold feet- lack the courage to do somethingHe decided to ask the girl for a date, but when he went to talk to her, he got cold feet and said nothing.

• Out of picture- something you can no longer count on.

• E.g. His girlfriend is out of the picture, because he broke up with her.

Easy tiger- calm down, don’t get too emotional, take your time etc. Oh no, I am sure I failed my English exams. Easy tiger, don’t jump the gun, first wait for the results before you panic.

• To let the cat out of the bag.- to reveal a secret• Somebody let the cat out of the bag that there were

skeletons in his closet. • Hold your horses- to be patient • Hold your horses and stop jumping the gun, I will

explain to you what really happened. • Fly by the seat of your pants- to do something

without really knowing how to do it. • Our car broke down in the desert and I had to fix it

by the seat of my pants. (I didn’t know how to do it, but I tried anyway).