Idiom | Online English Lessons – Part 2

To keep your chin up is to stay positive and cheerful in difficult circumstances. Keep your chin up is something you say to somone to try and cheer them up, and help them stay positive in difficult circumstances. This expression is often shortened to chin up. Examples of use: 1. Keep your chin up: your exam results might not be as bad as you think. 2. Come on, chin … [Read more…]

If a person has a sweet tooth it means they like eating sweet food very much: they like sugary food such as chocolate, cake, ice-cream and sweet biscuits. Examples of use: 1. My friend Eliza has a sweet tooth and she finds it very difficult to stay slim. 2. I have a sweet tooth and sometimes I crave chocolate! Can you use this expression in a sentence? Do you have a … [Read more…]

The grapevine is an informal and unofficial source of new information, gossip or rumours. I heard it through the grapevine means you have heard information or rumours via a network of other people. This expression is sometimes also I heard it on the grapevine. Examples of use: 1. I heard it through the grapevine that Maria and Pedro are getting married. 2. How do you … [Read more…]

To spring-clean a place is to thoroughly clean it, especially in spring. The four seasons are: spring, summer, autumn and winter. In the northern hemisphere, spring is the months of March, April and May. In many countries (especially those with a cold climate in winter) people spring-clean their homes at the end of the winter. They clean their home and furnishings very … [Read more…]

If a criticism or warning is water off a duck’s back (or like water off a duck’s back) it has very little effect or makes no impression at all. Examples of use: 1. You can’t hurt me with your insults: they’re water off a duck’s back. 2. I’ve warned him about getting into debt, but its like water off a duck’s back. 3. Carol is always getting cross … [Read more…]