Language and Expressions Guide

Common Expressions and Meanings

• Sounds like fun: A positive reaction to someone’s plans or activities.
• Pep rally: An event to boost enthusiasm and support for a sports team before a game.
• Take place: Means "happens" when telling a story.
• Moors: A type of landscape found in England.
• Creepy: Something that feels strange and frightening.
• Wild: Describes strong and uncontrolled emotions, such as anger, excitement, or happiness.
• Symbolize: Objects or ideas that represent something concrete in literature.
• A given: A basic fact that is accepted as true.
• Mirrored: Something that is very similar to or seems to copy something else.
• Shrewd: Having sharp judgment or being astute.
• Care to venture: A polite way to ask someone if they want to do something.
• Goody-goody: Someone who behaves extremely well to please authority figures.
• Ahead of its time: Too advanced or modern to be understood or appreciated in its era.
• Light year: The distance light travels in one year; used in astronomy.
• Light years ago: Means a long time ago.
• Insight: A sudden and clear understanding of something complex.
• Strikes: Realizing something is important or interesting; e.g., "what struck me most."
• Knuckle down: To stop being distracted and focus on work.
• Throw in: To put things into a container.
• Pronunciation of 'receipt': The 'P' is silent.
• Charred: Something that is burned and black.
• Get off: Leaving work with permission (informal).
• Pick someone up: Meet someone somewhere and take them to another place.
• Cleansing: Something used for cleaning or that cleanses.
• You’re kidding: Used to express surprise or shock.
• Levitation: Rising and floating in the air without physical support.
• Rudimentary: A basic skill; not advanced.
• Wrist: The part of the body between the hand and the arm.
• Flick: To move and hit something with a short, sudden movement.
• Off you go: A British idiom meaning to start doing something or to leave.
• Besides: Means "also" or "in addition," used in arguments to add information.
• Clever: The ability to understand quickly and apply ideas.
• Go on: An informal expression to encourage someone to continue speaking or acting.
• Tape someone: To record someone with a video camera.
• Platform: A raised flat surface for speeches or performances.
• Have someone taped: To understand someone very well (informal).
• Cool: Can mean agreeable, slightly cold, calm, or fashionable, depending on the context.
• This sucks: Slang for expressing disappointment.
• Pick up on: To notice something not very obvious.
• Signal to someone: To make a gesture or sound to convey a message.
• Interpret: To understand the meaning of something.
• Leaving the toilet seat up: Seen as disrespectful to women.
• Treachery: Deceiving or betraying someone who trusts you.
• Bloodlust: A desire or enjoyment of violence.
• Urge: A strong desire or need to do something.
• Vicious: Cruel and violent.
• Meek: Submissive and non-violent; opposite of vicious.
• Savage: Aggressive, cruel, and brutal.
• Complacency: Positive: calm satisfaction; Negative: stagnation or unwillingness to change.
• Deter: To prevent something from happening.
• Cower: To lower your head and body and possibly move backward.
• Insipid: Lacking interest or taste.
• Roam: To move or travel without a clear direction.
• Open up: To unlock a door; or to share thoughts and feelings with someone.
• Auxiliary verbs: Used before a subject for emphasis, not for questions.
• Through the night vs. during the night: "Through" means from start to end; "during" means at some point within the night.
• Elated: Extremely happy.
• Gassy: Having a stomach full of gas; can also mean nervous.
• Glow: To emit light or heat; or to appear healthy and happy.
• Looks like: To visually perceive something.
• Sounds like: To audibly perceive something.
• Feels like: To physically touch and perceive something.
• Seems like: A general perception, can replace "looks," "sounds," or "feels" like.
• Heaven knows: Emphasizes a strong belief or truth.
• Rage on: To happen uncontrollably; (noun) violent anger.
• You rock: You're great or amazing.
• Bitter: Seemingly hurt and somewhat angry.
• Reluctant: Unwilling or hesitant.
• Taken aback: Surprised and wanting to distance oneself.
• Cynical: Viewing life with skepticism and bitterness.
• On your own: Alone.
• Get through a crappy day: Endure a bad day.
• Real estate: The business of selling and renting properties.
• Buddy: A male friend; "bud" as a verb signifies a close friendship.
• Leftovers: Food remaining after a meal; usually plural.
• Knock-knock: A type of joke with a fixed pattern.
• Mental: Slang for crazy or insane.
• Clipping: An excerpt or cut-out from a newspaper.
• Flattering: A compliment or praise.
• Unpick mystery: To break down a mystery to solve it.
• How on earth: Expresses surprise or shock.
• Drag something around: To move something across a surface, often used for people.
• Can't bear something: Unable to tolerate it.
• Bear responsibility: To assume responsibility.
• Reform in politics: Changing structures to improve them.
• Bill: In politics, a formal statement of proposed law.
• Bounced along: To move happily or with cheer; "bounce" means moving upwards from a surface.
• Take someone into your heart: To accept and cherish them.
• Raise: To lift or increase salary.
• Pick on someone your own size: Don't fight someone smaller than yourself.
• Blow your top: To become very angry.
• Blow your horn: To boast about one's abilities or achievements.
• Stood up for me: To support or defend someone.
• Have someone’s back: To be ready to offer support or assistance.
• Tender: Showing gentleness and affection.
• Tender moment: Displaying tenderness.
• Dare someone: A challenge to show courage.
• Have a piece: Slang for possessing a weapon.
• Miss: To fail to hit or reach a target.
• Ye: You or your, addressing multiple people.
• Coming of age: When a person becomes an adult officially.
• Stunning: Beautiful or visually appealing.
• Keep you on the edge of your seat: Keeps you invested and excited.
• Good/bad: Use "some" or "any" instead of "a" or "the."
• Broken out: Escaped from prison; "broke out" means escaping a situation.
• The coast is clear: Safe to do something without being seen; "clear" has the same effect.
• Like it here: To enjoy being in a place.
• To turn: Means to change or look different.
• Gotcha: An exclamation of surprise or when catching someone.
• Lift and tuck: Refers to facelift surgery or plastic surgery on the neck and face.
• Do me a favor: Correct phrase; not "make me a favor."
• Scare floor: Area where employees work.
• Floors: Can refer to a large room, like a factory or stock exchange floor.
• Paperwork: Tasks involving many pieces of paper.
• Turn in: To give or submit something.
• Any second now/any minute now: Indicates something will happen imminently.
• Carry on: To continue an activity or task; also used as a request or command.
• Let you go: Means to free you, fire someone, or get over someone romantically.
• Calm down: For emotionally tense situations.
• Settle down: To prepare for a stable life; also means "calm down."
• Your heart’s content: To do something as much as you like.
• So you know: To keep someone updated.
• At first glance: A superficial look without deep analysis.
• Acknowledge: To recognize or admit something.
• Justified: Having a good reason for something; deemed fair.
• Stand down: To back off or let something go.
• Dwell: To live somewhere.
• Vacant expression: Looking as if not paying attention or understanding.
• Lights are not all on: No thinking process happening; not engaged mentally.