American Idioms

Idiom of the day :- Culture shock

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

Feeling uncomfortable in a strange country or place because of the different habits and way of life A : Bobby is nine years old and has lived in London all his life. When his parents took him to the countryside for the first time it was a complete culture shock. B : What was he most surprised by ? A : The cows. He’d thought that milk came from bottles ! This expression refers to any environment which is new and very different from one’s own, and is therefore a shock.

Idiom of the day :- Part of the furniture

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

Colin has been waiting in the doctor’s waiting room so long that he’s beginning to feel that he’s now part of the furniture. For a person to feel that he’s part of the furniture, he has been at one job or in one place so long that he actually feels he has become part of the environment.

Idiom of the day :- Dirt cheap

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

Very cheap (inexpensive). ex. “The hotel we stayed in was dirt cheap, but our room was very nice.” 

Idiom of the day :- zero in on something / (To) zero in on something

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

To aim or focus directly on something. ex. “I would like to zero in on another important issue.” 

Idiom of the day :- make light of something / (To) make light of something

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

To treat something as if it were trivial or unimportant. ex. “Don’t make light of the situation. It’s more serious than you think.” 

Idiom of the day :- That’s the story of my life

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

This remark doesn’t refer to a historical account of a person’s life : it’s usually spoken when something goes wrong. And the more that things go wrong, the more often a person is likely to say this. ‘I spent six years writing a book but no publisher wanted it. That’s the story of my life,’ Victor frowned.

Idiom of the day :- Gift of gab

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

Some seem born with a gift of gab. Others might study to acquire it. Many more never have it at all. That’s because a gift of gab ( or the gift of the gab ) refers tohaving the ability to speak freely and easily. ‘Mona’s such a quiet girl. No one could describe her as having a gift of gab,’ Linux said.

Idiom of the day :- All kidding aside; all joking aside

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

You say this when you want to tell someone that you’re now speaking seriously. ex: “All joking aside, I really do think he’s the best man for the job.” 

Idiom of the day :- Starry-eyed

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

‘I notice that today’s tourist boat had some pretty big Hollywood celebrities on it,’ Petrock said. ‘How can you tell ?’ Bighead asked. ‘Look over there at Eggmont. The boat may be gone, but he’s looking all starry-eyed just thinking about it,’ Bighead said. When a person is described as being starry-eyed, he or she is dreaming fanciful dreams. ‘And they are usually impossible ones that are never likely to come true,’ Petrock added.

Idiom of the day :- Rob Peter to pay Paul

Usage, examples and definition of the Idiom :-

There are a number of stories concerning the origins of this expression, but no one is sure where it comes from. What is known is that it has been in use since 1380, which may explain why we don’t know much about its beginnings. It describes taking or borrowing something from one person ( Peter ) to repay a debt owed to someone else ( Paul ). ‘Gregory wants to borrow some money from me so he can repay a loan. I declined, saying that would be like robbing Peter to pay Paul.’