Transcription
Hey, what's up, buddy? I finished my project on time. I'm on cloud n uh, Cloud n? Yes, I mean, I'm on top of the world. Top of the world? I mean, I'm full of the joys of spring. But it's fall, not spring. Oh my God, I'm happy! Oh, then why didn't you say, "I'm happy"?
I mean, it's easier to just. Hello and welcome to another lesson. My name is Maddie from Po English, and in this lesson, we're going to learn 30 idioms that can really help you understand English movies and TV series, and even native speakers. Now, to make it fun, after each 10 idioms, I will either show you a dialogue or ask you a few questions. So, pay close attention to this lesson. Now, let's begin with the first part.
Part one. The first idiom we want to learn is "to beat around the bush." Beat around the bush. What does it mean? It's like when someone asks you a simple question, but you don't give a straight answer. You talk about other stuff which are not really important. You are beating around the bush. That means you are not giving a straight answer to a simple question. When my mom asked if I did my homework, I kept talking about my day at school. I was beating around the bush.
Idiom number two is "to bite off more than you can chew." Bite is this, and chew is this. Now, if you bite off more than you can chew, that means your mouth is so full that you cannot chew. That means you are trying to do many things, things at the same time, or that you are trying to do something which is too difficult for you. Now, what is the past of bite? Bit. And what's the past participle? Bitten. So, if you are trying to do something that you really can't and is too difficult for you, you have bitten off more than you can chew. Sarah took on three school projects this week and couldn't finish any of them. She bit off more than she could chew.
Have you ever heard of the phrase "a blessing in disguise"? A blessing in disguise. What does it mean? First, what is the meaning of disguise? Disguise is basically trying to look different than what you really are. For example, if Cristiano Ronaldo wants to go to McDonald's, do you think he can simply do it? No. He has to change his appearance because otherwise, people would come and ask for autographs or pictures and selfies, and he won't be able to enjoy his meal. So, he has to disguise as a normal person. That is the meaning of disguise. But what is the meaning of a blessing in disguise? It is used to talk about something that seems bad at first, but then turns out to be really good. That's a blessing in disguise. It means it's a blessing, it's a good thing, but you cannot understand if it's a good thing. For example, I was sad that we couldn't go to the park because of the rain, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. We had fun watching a movie at home. It means at first, I thought it's a bad thing that it's raining and we cannot go to the park, but then we stayed home, we watched the film, and it was really fun. So, it was a blessing in disguise.
A very common idiom that I personally have heard a lot in movies, TV series, and even here in London: "to give the benefit of the doubt." To give someone the benefit of the doubt. What does it mean? It means to believe somebody's explanations or excuses, even if you are not sure. So, somebody comes up with an excuse, and you say, "Hmm, I'm not sure if you were honest, but I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt." That means I'm going to trust you, even though I'm not sure. I'm going to trust you. I'm going to believe you. Tom said he didn't eat the last cookie. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and didn't get upset. It means I tried to believe him, even though I was not sure. Maybe he was lying.
I am sure that you have heard this one: "to kill two birds with one stone." What does it mean? Well, imagine you have a stone, and there is a bird, and you want to hit the bird. You hit the bird, but then two birds fall down from the sky. Well, you have killed two birds with one stone. Well, that's just a phrase, guys. Please don't kill any birds. It basically means with one action, you solve two problems, or you achieve two great things by doing one thing. By studying with my friends, I can kill two birds with one stone: prepare for my exam and have fun. It means I'm doing one thing, studying with my friends, but then I'm getting two things out of it: having fun and preparing for the exam.
Here's another fun idiom: "to let the cat out of the bag." Is there a cat trapped in a bag? Let's save it. To let the cat out of the bag. What does it mean? To let the cat out of the bag means to reveal a secret, something that you were not supposed to say, but then you accidentally say it. I wasn't supposed to tell Jack about his surprise birthday party, but I let the cat out of the bag by showing him the cake. I let the cat out of the bag. That means I revealed the secret by accident.
Have you ever missed a boat? Boat. Well, here's an interesting phrase: "to miss the boat." Miss the boat. What does it mean? You were late. The boat in this phrase refers to a chance or an opportunity. Now, if you missed the boat, that means you've missed a chance or missed an opportunity, mainly because you were late or you weren't quick enough. I wanted to buy those cool sneakers, but they sold out quickly. I missed the boat. It means I wasn't quick enough. I wasn't fast enough. Everybody bought all the sneakers, and now I missed a chance. I missed the boat.
This is salt. Now, salt is not countable, but we know that salt has a lot of small particles. Each small particle of salt is called a grain of salt. A grain of salt. Now, look at this phrase: "take something with a grain of salt." What does it mean? Take it with a grain of salt. If you take something with a grain of salt, that means you are not believing it completely. You see the point, but you say, "Hmm, maybe it's not true. Maybe that's not correct." You're kind of skeptical. You're not sure. You don't believe it completely. The US government has recently said that they have contacted UFOs or aliens. I'm not really sure about that. I took it with a grain of salt.
Now, to take something with a grain of salt is the American version of this idiom. There's a British version: "take something with a pinch of salt." Now, a grain of salt is a particle, but a pinch of salt is just some salt. So, both idioms are correct: to take something with a grain of salt or to take something with a pinch of salt. That means to not believe it completely, to be skeptical.
What does it mean if you say something is "up in the air"? Is it up in the air? No. If something is up in the air, it means it's not certain. You are not sure of it. Our plans for the weekend are still up in the air. We are not sure what we're going to do. That means we're not sure what we're going to do. We're uncertain of it.
And the last idiom of part one of this video: "to stab somebody in the back." Oh, what does it mean? To stab someone in the back? It means to kill someone from behind? No. If you stab somebody in the back, you betray them. You hurt someone who trusted you. Your best friend trusts you, but then you do something to hurt them. You stabbed them in the back. Sarah thought Amy was her friend, but Amy told her secrets to everyone. Amy stabbed Sarah in the back. Amy betrayed Sarah, even though Sarah had trusted her.
Good job, guys. So far, we have learned 10 idioms. Now it is time for a dialogue to see how we can use these idioms while speaking.
"Hey Tom, do you want to come to Jack's party on Saturday?"
"Well, you know, I'm juggling a lot of things right now with working all..."
"Don't beat around the bush. Just tell me if you can make it or not."
"Okay, okay. I'll be honest. I would love to come, but I've bitten off more than I can chew for this weekend."
"Oh, I understand. Thanks. I hope you'll give me the benefit of the doubt."
"Oh, of course, I will. We can always catch up later. And if you change your mind, it's a good chance to kill two birds with one stone: have fun and socialize."
"That's true. By the way, don't let the cat out of the bag about my surprise gift for Jack."
"Your secret's safe with me, Tom."
Part two. Good job, guys. So far, we have learned 10 idioms. Now it is time to continue this lesson and learn another 10 idioms.
"To lose your touch." What does it mean? If you lose your touch, that means you lose your sense of touch? No. To lose your touch basically means to lose your skills. You were good at doing something, but now you are not as good as you used to be. You've lost your touch. He used to play the piano, but he hasn't practiced for a long while. He has lost his touch. It means he is not as good as he used to be. He has forgotten his skills.
This is very similar, but it has a totally different meaning. If you "lose touch with somebody," it means you are no longer connected with that person. You are not communicating anymore. But if you "lose your touch," that means you have forgotten your skills.
You know what "sit" means? To sit. It's what I'm doing right now. I'm sitting on a chair. What does it mean to "sit tight"? Sit tight. Like this. To sit tight basically means to wait patiently without doing anything else. Just sit tight. Wait patiently. Mom told us to sit tight in the car while she runs to the store for a minute. Sit tight in the car. That means wait patiently.
Do you like music? I love it. But here's a phrase: "to face the music." Face music. What does it mean? To face the music. To face the music means to accept the consequences of your actions. If you do something bad, you have to face the music. After breaking the vase, Tim knew he had to face the music and tell his mom. That means he had to face the consequences of his actions.
The next idiom is "to get over something" or "to get over somebody." Get over somebody or something. What does it mean? It basically means you are sad about something or somebody, but as time passes, you start feeling better. You are getting over somebody, or you are getting getting over something. Emma was sad when her pet died, but she eventually got over it, and now she's feeling better. Or maybe you were in a relationship and then you decided to split up. You're feeling really sad now, but as time passes, you will get over that person. You will get over him, or you will get over her.
All right, guys. It's "crunch time." Crunch time. What is crunch time? Crunch time is basically when you are in a situation that you have to make quick decisions and work really hard. That period of time is called crunch time. During the last-minute study session, it was crunch time to prepare for the test. It was crunch time. That means we had to make a lot of quick decisions, and we had to work really hard. It was crunch time. Or maybe you want to start a business, and you tell your business partners, "All right, it's crunch time, guys." It means it is time to work really hard and make quick decisions.
The next idiom is "to get out of hand." And get out of hand. What does it mean? If something gets out of hand, it means you lose control over it. You can no longer control it. It gets out of hand. What's the past form? It got out of hand. The game got out of hand when everyone started running in different directions. It got out of hand. You were no longer in charge. You lost control.
Now, here's another idiom: "to get something out of your system." Out of your system. That means out of your computer? No. To get something out of your system means to get rid of a strong feeling, a strong emotion, or an urge. I really wanted to do something crazy, so I went to a club and I partied all night. I got it out of my system. It means I got rid of that feeling, that urge that I want to do something crazy.
And here's another idiom: "to hang in there." What does it mean? If somebody tells you to hang in there, hang where? If you tell someone to hang in there, you're telling them to stay strong, to not give up. To hang in there. When Tim struggled with his math homework, his teacher said, "Hang in there. You can do it." Hang in there. Stay strong. Don't give up.
Here's another lovely idiom: "to throw caution to the wind." Throw caution to the wind. W. What does it mean? To throw caution to the wind means to stop being careful, stop being cautious, and do something risky without worrying about consequences. Throw caution to the wind. It basically means you decide to risk it. Jack decided to throw caution to the wind and ask out Jessica. It means Jack wanted to ask out Jessica, but he was like, "What if she rejects me?" But then he decided to take a risk, do it, ask out Jessica without worrying about the consequences. He threw caution to the wind.
And now, guys, let's "call it a day." Call it a day. To call it a day means to finish what you were doing. Call it a day. It's over. Enough. That's it. After playing at the park all afternoon, it was time to call it a day and go home. To call it a day means to finish an activity.
All right, we have learned another 10 idioms. Now let's have a quiz. I have five questions for you guys. Here's question one: What does "to face the music" mean? To listen to your favorite song? To accept the consequences of your actions? Or to avoid making music? Hmm. To face the consequences of your decision. That is to face the music.
Question two: When someone says "hang in there," what are they telling you? To give up and quit? To stay strong and not give up? To take a nap? H. That's right. To stay strong. To hang in there. Stay strong.
Question three: What does "crunch time" mean? It's time to eat a snack? It's time to work hard and make quick decisions? It is time to relax? Obviously, it's time to work really hard. It's crunch time.
Question four: What does "to sit tight" mean? To wait patiently without doing anything? To stand up and run? To dance around? This is kind of obvious. To wait patiently.
And the last question: Which idiom means to take a big risk without worrying about the consequences? Let's see if you can remember. "To get over something or someone"? "To throw caution to the wind"? Or "to get something out of your system"? That's right. To throw caution to the wind.
So far, we have learned 20 idioms. It is time to learn another 10 idioms. But before doing that, let me tell you something. Do you want to have the list of all the 30 idioms of this lesson in a PDF file with the meanings, example sentences, some beautiful pictures, and not just of this lesson? Do you want to have the summary of all of my YouTube video lessons in one PDF file? You can download my ultimate English book. This book has more than 400 pages of lesson summaries of all of my YouTube Channel videos. And the good news for my YouTube subscribers: this book is for free. But how can you get it? Simply click on the link on top of this video. Go to my website. Type in your name, your email address, and click download. You will receive the book in your inbox.
And now, let's get back to our lesson and let's learn the last 10 idioms of this lesson.
Part three. Here is an interesting idiom: "to be on cloud nine." What does it mean? Well, let me give you a hint. It has something to do with your feelings. If you are on cloud nine, that means you are on cloud one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. That means you're really happy. After winning the game, Sarah was on cloud nine. Sarah was really happy. She was on cloud nine.
Now, what does it mean if you say "I am under the weather"? If you are under the weather, it means you are under the weather. That means you are feeling a little bit sick. You are slightly unwell. You are under the weather. Tim didn't go to school because he was under the weather. He was slightly sick. He was under the weather.
Let's speak of the devil. Speak of the devil. Why? What does it mean? Speak of the devil. When do we use this phrase? It is used when someone you were talking about suddenly appears. It's like me telling you about Jack, and his new, and Jack appears. Oh, speak of the devil. Lisa was telling a story about Sarah, and oh, speak of the devil, Sarah appeared out of nowhere.
Have you ever heard "ignorance is bliss"? What does it mean? Ignorance basically means not to pay attention to things, generally just not to care about things. That is ignorance. You ignore everything. Now, ignorance is bliss. Bliss is something good. So, is ignorance something good? Ignorance is bliss basically means those who do not know everything live a happier life. Sometimes it's better not to know about something because knowing it would make you worried or sad. So, ignorance is bliss. I don't want to hear about them. Ignorance is bliss. I don't want to hear about them. Ignorance is bliss. In this case.
Now, another word for boat is ship. Now, here's another idiom: "that ship has sailed." Now, to sail means to start moving on water. That ship has sailed. It means the ship is no longer here. It has sailed. What does it mean? It means it is too late to do something now. You have lost the opportunity because you were too late. So, that ship has sailed, and you have missed the boat. I wanted to buy concert tickets, but they sold out. That ship has sailed. It means I lost the opportunity.
What do dogs do when they make a sound? They bark. Now, sometimes they may bark up a tree. But if the tree is wrong, they may bark up the wrong tree. Here's an idiom: "to bark up the wrong tree." What does it mean? To bark up the wrong tree. Are we talking about a dog? No. It means you are looking in the wrong place, or you are accusing the wrong person. You are barking up the wrong tree. If you think I took your candy, you are barking up the wrong tree. I didn't even know you have a candy. It means you are accusing the wrong person. I didn't do it. You were barking up the wrong tree.
What was the idiom which meant to be really happy? To be on cloud nine. Very good. Now, here's another idiom with the same meaning: "to be on top of the world." If you are on top of the world, you are extremely happy. After getting a band score nine in my IELTS test, I was on cloud nine. I was on top of the world. I was extremely happy.
Another idiom with a similar meaning: "full of the joys of spring." Full of the joys of spring. Joys are basically the things that make you happy, the feelings of happiness. Spring is the first season of the year. It's a beautiful season. Now, joys of the spring, and you are full of the joys of spring. What does it mean? It means you are really happy and full, full of energy. When Sam found out he was becoming a father, he was full of the joys of spring and couldn't stop smiling. It means he was really happy.
Now, let's talk about something sad: "to kick the bucket." Well, if you kick the bucket, is that something sad? Not really. But this idiom means to die. It is a funny way of saying somebody has died. Kick the bucket. Well, our teacher was really old, nobody liked him, and he eventually kicked the bucket at the age of 90. It means he died at the age of 90. But remember, "to kick the bucket" is a funny way of saying somebody has died.
And the last idiom we're going to learn together: "like death warmed up." Like death warmed up. What does it mean? It means to be extremely ill. You're so sick that you are about to die. I feel like death warmed up. It means I feel really sick.
And that was it, guys. I hope you've enjoyed it. But before we we finish this lesson, let's have a look at the dialogue.
"Alex, hey, I haven't seen you in a while. How have you been?"
"Not great. I've been feeling under the weather for the past few days."
"Oh, sorry to hear that. Anything I can do to help?"
"Thanks. Just having you here makes me feel better."
"Well, I'm glad I could brighten your day. By the way, I heard you won the Arts competition last week."
"Yes, I did, and that was a wonderful surprise. I felt like I was on top of the world."
"That's amazing, Alex. You're so talented. It's a real blessing in disguise."
"Thank you so much. You're so kind."
And that was it, guys. I hope you've enjoyed this lesson. It was a long lesson, but I'm sure you have learned a lot of idioms. Don't forget to practice and see you soon. [Music] Bye.