Tag: idioms

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A True Brit

Want to sound like a true Brit (British person)? By adding a few of these phrases to your vocabulary, you’ll be there in no time.

When you feel happy

  • Buzzing (adjective) – really excited e.g. I’m going to England next year, I’m buzzing!
  • Over the moon (adjective) – very happy e.g. Anna is over the moon about her new job.
  • Happy as Larry (adjective) – very happy e.g. I’m as happy as Larry today because I don’t have to work!
  • Chuffed (adjective) – pleased/proud e.g. I was so chuffed when my son passed his exams.
  • Mint (adjective) – something nice or cool e.g. Your car is mint!

When you feel annoyed

  • Bloody (adjective) – informal intensifier e.g. My neighbour plays music loudly every night. It’s so bloody annoying!
  • Codswallop (noun) – nonsense or something ridiculous e.g. My girlfriend says I don’t give her enough attention, what a load of codswallop!
  • Take the biscuit (idiom) – especially annoying, surprising, etc e.g. How are you always late? You really take the biscuit.

When you feel upset

  • Gutted (adjective) – upset or disappointed e.g. I was gutted when Liverpool lost the football match.
  • Down in the dumps (idiom) feeling depressed or unhappy e.g. Not being able to go out is really making me feel down in the dumps.

Extras

  • Gaff (noun) – House, flat or person’s home e.g. My new gaff has a lovely view of the park.
  • Chockablock (adjective) – busy, full of people or things e.g. The mall was chockablock on Black Friday, everyone was trying to grab a bargain.
  • Whinge (verb) – to moan, complain in an annoying way e.g. My little brother is always whinging to my mum if I don’t play with him.
  • Bog-standard (adjective) – something is basic or ordinary e.g. My new apartment is nothing special, it’s just a bog-standard 2 bedroom.

Now you’re equipped with a few new British phrases, try using them yourself.

Feel free to share your favourites with us too!

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Five Fun Idioms!

Idioms are a fun way to spice up how we express ourselves. They are used a lot by English speakers and, though they may not make sense, once you learn them, they can help you sound more native.

Here are five food/drink idioms commonly used by English speakers.

ℕ𝕠𝕥 𝕞𝕪 𝕔𝕦𝕡 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕖𝕒. – Something isn’t to your liking or of interest to you. For example: Rock music is absolutely not my cup of tea.

𝔸 𝕡𝕚𝕖𝕔𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕔𝕒𝕜𝕖 – Used to describe something you find easy. For example: The maths homework was a piece of cake.

ℂ𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕝𝕖𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕠𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕤 – Comparing two things that cannot be compared because they’re very different. For example: You’re comparing apple to oranges. Me and my sister have no similarities.

𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕒𝕟’𝕥 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕔𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕖𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕥 𝕥𝕠𝕠 – You can’t have everything. For example: Getting good grades without studying is pretty impossible. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

𝕋𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕚𝕥 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕒 𝕡𝕚𝕟𝕔𝕙 𝕠𝕗 𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕥 – Don’t take something seriously because it may be untrue or when someone has the tendency to exaggerate. For example: I took it with a pinch of salt when Lisa told me she was mad, she always exaggerates things.

I hope you found this useful. Be sure to try and add these to your next English conversation.

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