執筆者 Modern English | 2016年12月07日 | Idioms
“This story really tugged at my heartstrings.” We say this about sad things that cause an emotional response. Something that evokes sympathy is said to tug, or pull, at your heartstrings. It can also be used with cute things or beloved children that cause feelings of...
執筆者 Modern English | 2016年11月30日 | Idioms
“Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and give someone bad news.” “I wanted to go to the concert but I couldn’t risk failing the test the next day, so I bit the bullet and spend the evening studying.” To “bite the bullet” is to deal with a painful or unpleasant...
執筆者 Modern English | 2016年11月16日 | Idioms
“This table is too heavy to move by myself. Can you lend me a hand?” “Beth is moving house this weekend so I’m going to go lend her a hand.” If a person had four hands instead of two, could they do twice as much work? When someone “lends a hand”, they usually use...
執筆者 Modern English | 2016年11月09日 | Idioms
“We’re getting Sally her own car for her birthday. But keep it under your hat—it’s going to be a surprise!” To keep something under your hat is to keep it a secret and not tell anyone about it. If it’s hidden under your hat, no one can see it—a secret!...
執筆者 Modern English | 2016年11月02日 | Idioms
“You want the whole report done today? That’s a pretty tall order.” A tall order is something that’s difficult, maybe impossible, to do. An “order” is an instruction to do something. Imagine a long list of things to do or items in a big order in a restaurant—if you...
執筆者 Modern English | 2016年10月26日 | Idioms
“I want to quit smoking, so I’m trying to limit it to one cigarette a day.” “The best way is to just go cold turkey. That’s what I did.” When you give up something like smoking, alcohol, gambling or just chocolate, there are many strategies. You can try to reduce it...
