picture of an old, worn teddy bear against a dark red background

On its last legs (Describing the condition of objects, Part 1)

On May 31, 2023May 26, 2023 By Kate WoodfordIn Idioms, Synonyms, the English language, Vocabulary5 Comments

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A friend recently told me that she needed a new sofa. Her current one, she said, ‘had seen better days’, meaning that it was clearly old and damaged. This nice idiom (‘have seen better days’) got me thinking about the many ways we describe the condition of objects, both good and bad. This post, in two parts and covering both single words and phrases, is the result of this. Continue reading “On its last legs (Describing the condition of objects, Part 1)” →

a man with his mouth open and eyebrows raised in a shocked expression, halfway through removing his glasses as he stares at something off-camera

Stunned and thunderstruck (Words for being surprised or shocked)

On May 24, 2023May 16, 2023 By Kate WoodfordIn Synonyms, the English language, Vocabulary25 Comments

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by Kate Woodford

This post is for anyone who feels they use the words ‘surprised’ and ‘shocked’ too much and is looking for more interesting alternatives. It will include both single words and phrases. Continue reading “Stunned and thunderstruck (Words for being surprised or shocked)” →

a woman looking brave and determined as she prepares to do a difficult trick in a skate park

Plucking up courage: talking about being brave

On May 17, 2023May 9, 2023 By Liz WalterIn Synonyms, the English language, Vocabulary17 Comments

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by Liz Walter

Everyone has times when they have to do things that scare them, and there are lots of different ways to talk about this. Continue reading “Plucking up courage: talking about being brave” →

a father and his young daughter sitting next to each other on a sofa and reading a news magazine together

Calling it quits and pitting your wits! (Idioms and phrases in newspapers)

On May 10, 2023May 9, 2023 By Kate WoodfordIn Idioms, Idioms and phrases in newspapers, the English language7 Comments

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by Kate Woodford

Today’s post is the latest in my ‘Idioms and phrases in newspapers’ series, which I write in order to provide you with a regular supply of contemporary, frequently used English idioms and phrases. The expressions all come from a range of national newspapers that were published on the same day. Continue reading “Calling it quits and pitting your wits! (Idioms and phrases in newspapers)” →

four seated men seen from the chest downwards - three are sitting formally and wearing plain black suits, and one is sitting casually with crossed legs and wearing a bright red suit

Out of the ordinary: ways of saying that something is unusual (2)

On April 26, 2023April 19, 2023 By Kate WoodfordIn Idioms, the English language, Vocabulary24 Comments

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by Kate Woodford

My last blog post looked at adjectives used to describe things that are unusual or in some way different. In today’s post, I focus on idioms and phrases in this area. Continue reading “Out of the ordinary: ways of saying that something is unusual (2)” →

three whole fish cooking in a frying pan set over a campfire

There’s bigger fish to fry: talking about things that are not important

On April 19, 2023April 18, 2023 By Liz WalterIn the English language, Vocabulary17 Comments

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by Liz Walter

I have recently written two posts on the topic of importance, so this one looks at the opposite: how to say that something isn’t important. Continue reading “There’s bigger fish to fry: talking about things that are not important” →

Flaring up or bubbling over? Phrasal verbs to express emotions, part 2.

On October 16, 2019October 22, 2019 By Liz WalterIn Idioms, Phrasal verbs, the English language, Vocabulary28 Comments

by Liz Walter

My last post was about phrasal verbs and prepositional verbs connected to sadness and happiness. This post will look at some other emotions.

Let’s start with anger. If someone suddenly becomes angry, we can say that they flare up. Blow up is similar and often describes an even angrier outburst. We use the preposition at if that anger is directed at a particular person: Continue reading “Flaring up or bubbling over? Phrasal verbs to express emotions, part 2.” →

Weighed down or perking up? Phrasal verbs to express emotions, part 1

On September 18, 2019August 31, 2019 By Liz WalterIn Idioms, the English language, Vocabulary27 Comments

by Liz Walter

Phrasal verbs are a very important part of English (even if students hate them!) and I have written several posts explaining useful ones. I realised recently that there is a surprisingly large number of phrasal verbs and prepositional verbs relating to emotions. Today I am going to concentrate on happiness and sadness. My next post will cover some other emotions, and a final post will present a selection of phrasal verbs for talking more generally about emotions. Continue reading “Weighed down or perking up? Phrasal verbs to express emotions, part 1” →

Couch potatoes and peas in a pod: more food idioms

On September 11, 2019August 31, 2019 By Kate WoodfordIn Idioms, the English language, Vocabulary11 Comments

by Kate Woodford

Last month, we looked at idioms featuring words for sweet items of food. Changing the order in which we usually eat food, (savoury, then sweet), we’re now focusing on idioms that feature words for savoury (UK)/savory (US) food. Continue reading “Couch potatoes and peas in a pod: more food idioms” →

Eggs are in aisle 3: the language of supermarket shopping

On September 4, 2019August 31, 2019 By Liz WalterIn Idioms, the English language, Vocabulary33 Comments

by Liz Walter

Food shopping is something that nearly all of us do, and it is the kind of basic topic that is often quite difficult in another language. This post looks at some words and phrases you might need if you go to a supermarket in an English-speaking country. Note that — as so often with everyday language — there are lots of differences between UK and US vocabulary. Continue reading “Eggs are in aisle 3: the language of supermarket shopping” →