English Idiom: For the birds. If something is “for the birds, then it is uninteresting, dull, or stupid. The structure is [something] is for the birds. – That movie was for the birds, don’t bother seeing it. – Yeah, I read that book. It was for the birds. – The carnival had an attraction called “The Snake-man,” but it was for the birds. Be careful! I sometimes hear students use this idiom incorrectly like this: “That movie was for the birds for me” or “That movie was for the birds to me.” We do not need to mention ourself like that. It sounds funny. If you say something is for the birds, we know how you feel! Have you see a movie read a book, or gone to an attraction recently that was for the birds?
Idiom Lesson “Pooped” From Happy English New York!
If you are really tired, as in exhausted, you can say that you are “pooped” or “pooped out.” “Pooped” or “pooped out” means you are very worn out and exhausted. – I’m pooped! Can we rest for a while? – Sam was so pooped out after the training session at the gym. – Are you ok? You look pooped? Be careful! You can say to someone, “you look pooped.” but not “you look like pooped.” What makes you pooped out?
/I/ Vs. /iy/ Kiss Vs Keys: American English Pronunciation Lesson
Here’s another classic YouTube English Lesson. The vowel sounds in the words kiss /I/ and keys /iy/ are often difficult to distinguish. Learn how to distinguish and produce these common American English vowel sounds. If you know anyone who might be interested in this English language point, why not help them out! Just share this lesson with them. Thanks for studying today!
Idiom Lesson “Cold Turkey” From Happy English New York!
Today’s idiom is about quitting a bad habit. If you stop that habit without medical help, or some other assistance, we say you have quit or stopped cold turkey. – John quit smoking cold turkey – Ever since Jane stopped drinking cold turkey, she’s been feeling great. Please be careful of the structure with this idiom. We usually say: Quit [something] cold turkey: John quit smoking cold turkey Or Stop [something] cold turkey: Jane stopped drinking cold turkey We can also say go cold turkey: A: I heard John quit smoking B: Yes, he went cold turkey Going cold turkey is often an effective way to stop a bad habit. Do you know someone who has quit something cold turkey? Leave a comment and let us know
Idiom Lesson “Give it a shot” From Happy English New York!
When you are ready to try something new, you can say you will give it a shot. The thing you are trying always goes in the middle, so the structure is give + [something] + a shot: – I’ve never gone snowboarding, but I think I want to give it a shot – If you don’t want to wear glasses, why not give Lasik a shot? You can also use this idiom to talk about people when it comes to a person joining a company or a team. -I just interviewed 3 people for the job, and I think I will give Brad a shot. (This means that among the three, Brad is the person you will give the job to.) -Hey coach, why don’t you give me a shot? (When you want to join a sports team, you can ask the coach to let you play using this idiom) Be careful! The structure is always give + someone/something + a shot. I have heard some students say things like, “I gave a shot to snowboarding.” This is not the correct structure. We don’t give a shot to something, we give something a shot! So, it has to be, “I …
SH /ʃ/ vs S /s/ Pronunciation – Dangerous English
Do you have dangerous English? Check out one of my classic YouTube English lessons about pronunciation! I hope you like it…if you do, please take a minute and subscribe to my YouTube Channel! If you know anyone who might be interested in this English language point, why not help them out! Just share this lesson with them. Thanks for studying today!
Idiom Lesson “Couch Potato” From Happy English New York!
Are you a couch* potato? Many people these days are. Can you guess the meaning from the image? If you put a potato on a couch what does it do? Nothing! So, if you are a couch potato, it means you spend a lot of time sitting on the sofa doing nothing but watching TV or playing video games. -Lee has been a couch potato ever since he got that XBOX 360 -I was a couch potato on Sunday. It was very relaxing. Are you a couch potato? Leave a comment and let us know *Couch is another word for sofa
One-Point English Idiom Lesson – On a Roll
Are you on a roll? When you are on a roll you are experiencing success after success. You have a series of successes. When you use this idiom, the grammar pattern is always on a roll. We can’t say “on the roll,” or any other variation. Plus, we almost always use to be on a roll. The team is on a roll. They won 6 games in a row. Everything is going great for Jane, she’s on a roll. The comedian told one funny joke after another. He was really on a roll. I hope you all will be on a roll this week. Keep studying!
One-Point English Idiom Lesson – Sleep On It
Do you need to sleep on it? When you need some time to make a decision, you can say, “…sleep on it.” A trip to the Bahamas sounds interesting, but let me sleep on it. When you talk to someone who needs time to make a decision, you can also use “…sleep on it.” You don’t need to tell me now. Why do you sleep on it and then let me know. Before buying that expensive car you should sleep on it. When you are the person who is directly saying you need more time, you can also use, I need to sleep on “that.” Bob: Jane, have you decided about the skiing trip? Jane: Not yet, let me sleep on that. But be careful! If you are not the person making the decision, you cannot say “sleep on that.” You need to use “sleep on it” Before buying that expensive car you should sleep on it. (not, “you should sleep on that”) I need more coffee this morning, and I don’t need to sleep on it!
One-Point English Idiom Lesson – Get Trashed
Today’s One-Point English lesson is all about the booze. Are you going to get trashed tonight? Since it’s Friday, I thought I would share this slang/idiom with you. If you get trashed, it means you get get very drunk, something that often happens on the weekends. For the structure, you can use either [be]+trashed or [get]+trashed: Danny was so trashed at the party last night. How many beers did he have? The last time I drank tequila I go so trashed I feel asleep at the bar. Of course if you are planning on getting trashed, please don’t drive. Happy Friday! Happy English! If you know anyone who might be interested in this English language point, why not help them out! Just share this lesson with them. Thanks for studying today!