Listen and Learn 101 American English Idioms
101 American English Idioms:
Understanding and Speaking English Like an American
Section One: It’s a Zoo Out There
1 - Smell a Rat (feel that something is wrong)
* How come the front door is open? Didn’t you close it before we went shopping?
* I’m sure I did. I can’t understand it.
* Frankly, I smell a rat.
* Me, too. I’m convinced that something is definitely wrong here.
* We’d better call the police.
2 - Go to the Dogs (become run down)
* Have you seen their house lately? It’s really gone to the dogs.
* It’s true that it has become run - down and in serious need of repair, but I’m sure that it can be fixed up to look like new.
* I guess with a little carpentry work and some paint it could look pretty decent.
3 - Fishy (strange and suspicious)
When the security guard saw a light in the store after closing hours, it seemed to him that there were something fishy going on. He called the central office and explained to his superior that he thought something strange and suspicious was occurring.
4 - Take the Bull by the Horns (take decisive action in a difficult situation)
Julie had always felt that she was missing out on a lot of fun because of her clumsiness on the dance floor. She had been putting of taking lessons, but she finally took the bull by the horns and went to a professional dance studio for help. She was tired of feeling left out and acted decisively to correct the situation.
5 - Horse of a Different Color (quite a different matter)
Eric likes to play jokes on his friends, but he makes sure that nobody is hurt by any of his pranks. A prank that hurts someone is a horse of different color! Being playful is one thing, but hurting someone by one’s prank is quite a different matter.
6 - Let the Cat Out of the Bag (inform beforehand)
Bob was going to retire from teaching in June, and the foreign language department was planning on presenting him with some luggage at his retirement dinner. He wasn’t supposed to know about it, but someone let the cat out of the
Understanding and Speaking English Like an American
Section One: It’s a Zoo Out There
1 - Smell a Rat (feel that something is wrong)
* How come the front door is open? Didn’t you close it before we went shopping?
* I’m sure I did. I can’t understand it.
* Frankly, I smell a rat.
* Me, too. I’m convinced that something is definitely wrong here.
* We’d better call the police.
2 - Go to the Dogs (become run down)
* Have you seen their house lately? It’s really gone to the dogs.
* It’s true that it has become run - down and in serious need of repair, but I’m sure that it can be fixed up to look like new.
* I guess with a little carpentry work and some paint it could look pretty decent.
3 - Fishy (strange and suspicious)
When the security guard saw a light in the store after closing hours, it seemed to him that there were something fishy going on. He called the central office and explained to his superior that he thought something strange and suspicious was occurring.
4 - Take the Bull by the Horns (take decisive action in a difficult situation)
Julie had always felt that she was missing out on a lot of fun because of her clumsiness on the dance floor. She had been putting of taking lessons, but she finally took the bull by the horns and went to a professional dance studio for help. She was tired of feeling left out and acted decisively to correct the situation.
5 - Horse of a Different Color (quite a different matter)
Eric likes to play jokes on his friends, but he makes sure that nobody is hurt by any of his pranks. A prank that hurts someone is a horse of different color! Being playful is one thing, but hurting someone by one’s prank is quite a different matter.
6 - Let the Cat Out of the Bag (inform beforehand)
Bob was going to retire from teaching in June, and the foreign language department was planning on presenting him with some luggage at his retirement dinner. He wasn’t supposed to know about it, but someone let the cat out of the