| This time, I
blew it big time. |
blow it big
time (to) exp. to make a terrible
mistake. |
| He kept blowing his lines
tonight. |
blow one’s lines (to)
exp. to make a mistake while speaking
one’s lines from a script. |
| She keeps flubbing her
lines. |
SYNONYM: to flub one’s
lines exp. |
| The show was a real
bomb. |
bomb n. bad
production (theater, television, movies,
etc.). |
| That show was a real
turkey |
SYNONYM: turkey
n.
ANTONYM: SEE - smash. |
The movie really
bombed.
I really bombed on my test. |
ALSO: to bomb v.
to fail. |
She has a bunch of
kids.
Thanks a bunch! |
bunch (a) n. a
lot. |
She has a whole bunch of
kids.
I drank a whole bunch of coffee
last night. |
ALSO: a whole bunch
exp. a large amount. |
| She has a pile of
children. |
SYNONYM: pile
n. |
| By the way, your father is
very nice. |
by the way exp.
incidentally. |
| It’ll be a cold day in hell
before I see her again. |
cold day in hell (a)
exp. never. |
| “Don’t you want to date
him?” “When donkeys fly!” |
SYNONYM: when donkeys fly
exp. |
I was counting on getting
that money.
I’m counting on you. |
count on (to) exp.
to depend on (someone or something). |
| The washing machine just
died. |
die (to) v. to
become inoperable (lit); to expire, to pass
away. |
He just up and died!
My
car just up and died! |
ALSO: to up and die
exp. to become suddenly inoperable
(lit); to expire suddenly. |
1. My car conked out in the
middle of the street.
2. He was so tired when
he came home that he just conked out on the
sofa. |
SYNONYM: to conk out
exp.
1. to be inoperable.
2. to
fall asleep. |
| I’m gonna go to bed. I’m
conked out |
ALSO: to be conked out
exp. to be exhausted. |
At the pastry shop, I had a
field day!
When I saw her in the market, I
finally told her what I think of her. I had a
field day. |
field day exp. a
great time-, complete self-indulgence. |
| Don’t count on him picking
you up at the airport on time. He’s a real
flake. |
flake n. an
unreliable person. |
| You can’t depend on him.
He’s too flakey. |
ALSO: flakey adj.
Unreliable. |
1. He gets around by
bicycle.
2. She really gets around.
3. How
are we gonna get around the problem? |
get around (to)
exp.
1. to
commute.
2. to go from one sexual partner to
the other.
3. to avoid. |
| Do you know that
guy? |
guy n. man (in
general). |
| We just hired that fellow
over there. |
SYNONYM: fellow n.
[commonly pronounced: fella] |
| He handed me his car
keys. |
hand someone something (to)
exp. to give someone something. |
| He handed over his car keys
to me. |
ALSO: to hand over
exp. to give or relinquish. |
What’s keeping him?
She
kept him after school. |
keep someone (to)
exp. to detain someone. |
1. What’s holding her
up?
She held me up for an hour.
2. There’s
the man who held up that old woman! |
SYNONYM: to hold someone up
exp.
1. to detain someone.
2. to
rob someone. |
| He used my car again
without asking me?! That’s the last straw! |
last straw exp.
the final act that one can tolerate. |
| When I found out that she
didn’t invite me to the party, that was the straw
that broke the camel’s back. |
ALSO: the straw that broke
the camel’s back exp. This expression
conjures up an image of pieces of straw, being
placed on a camel’s back until it can support no
more. |
| That did it! I’m
leaving! |
SYNONYM: “That did it!”
exp. |
| |
lie like a rug (to)
exp. to tell enormous lies. |
1. You actually believed
that line?
2. While I was sitting at the bar,
this guy comes up to me and says, ’Hi. Didn’t we
meet somewhere before?’ I can’t believe he used
that old line on me! |
line n.
1. an
excuse.
2. an overused statement used to
allure. |
| I know I shouldn’t have
yelled at her but I just lost my cool. |
lose one’s cool (to)
exp. to lose one’s temper. |
| She blew up when I told her
I lost her book. |
SYNONYM (1): to blow up
exp. |
| I know I shouldn’t have
flown off the handle like that. |
SYNONYM (2): to fly off the
handle exp. |
| I know I shouldn’t have
yelled at her but I just lost it. |
ALSO: to lose it
exp. to lose one’s temper. |
| Don’t gimme that
noise! |
noise n.
nonsense. |
| What he told you was
nothing but baloney. |
SYNONYM: baloney
n. |
| The critics panned the
play. |
pan (to) v. to
criticize brutally an element of the arts (such as
a play, a movie, an actor, etc.). |
| The critics really raked
them over the coals. |
SYNONYM: to rake over the
coals exp. |
| What’s he trying to pull
this time? |
pull something (to)
exp. to succeed at doing something
dishonest. |
| What’s he trying to get
away with this time? |
SYNONYM: to get away with
something exp. |
| I’m not putting up with
this anymore. |
put up with (to)
exp. to tolerate (someone or
something). |
| Our house guest will be
leaving in just two days. Try and stick it out a
little longer. |
SYNONYM (1): to stick it
out exp. |
| I’m not taking this
anymore. |
SYNONYM (2): to take
something exp.
NOTE: I’m mad as
hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!
exp. |
| She really read me the riot
act. |
read someone the riot act
(to) exp. to reprimand someone. |
| I heard your mother really
laid into you! |
SYNONYM: to lay into
someone exp. |
| Can you believe it? I ran
into him in Paris! |
run into someone (to)
exp. to encounter someone
unintentionally. |
| You’ll never guess who I
bumped into today! |
SYNONYM: to bump into
someone exp. |
| He finally showed up at
10:00. |
show up (to) exp.
to arrive. |
| Where’s Tom? It looks like
he’s a no-show. |
NOTE: no-show n.
one who fails to arrive. |
| He finally turned up about
8:00. |
SYNONYM: to turn up
exp. |
The movie was a smash
hit.
The movie was a smash.
The movie was a
hit. |
Smash hit exp. a
tremendous success.
ANTONYM: See -
bomb. |
| We’d better take off now if
we don’t want to be late. |
Take off (to) exp.
to leave. |
| We’d better split if we
don’t want to be late. |
SYNONYM: to split
v. |
| |
“You said it!”
exclam. “I agree!”
SYNONYM: “You
got it!”
exclam. |
