執筆者 Modern English | 2016年09月07日 | Idioms
“Things looked grim, but the doctors were able to snatch the patient from the jaws of death.” “We were way behind, but somehow we snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.” If someone who is about to die is saved, we say they were “snatched from the jaws of...
執筆者 Modern English | 2016年08月31日 | Idioms
“When the cousins first met they were shy but soon they were getting on like a house on fire.” To get on like a house on fire is to like each other a lot and become good friends quickly. This is one of the few times when “a house on fire” is not a bad thing!...
執筆者 Modern English | 2016年08月24日 | Idioms
“Be quiet or I’ll make you be quiet!” “Oh yeah? You and what army?” In an argument or fight, this phrase is used to tell someone they can’t make you do something, or that you won’t let them do something. They would need an army helping them, and they don’t have one....
執筆者 Modern English | 2016年08月03日 | Idioms
“What’s the matter, cat got your tongue?” If someone can’t speak (perhaps because they are nervous or afraid) we say the cat has got their tongue. This idiom probably appears most often as a question. If someone is not speaking, you can ask this to jokingly ask...
執筆者 Modern English | 2016年07月27日 | Idioms
“The other kids were teasing me today.” “Oh, don’t let them get to you.” If something or someone “gets to you” it means it bothers you or makes you feel bad. This phrase often appears in advice such as, “You can’t let it get to you.” But you might also hear it...
執筆者 Modern English | 2016年07月20日 | Idioms
“I opened the door, and in a flash the dog ran into the yard.” A “flash” is a short, bright light, like a camera flash. “In a flash” means “very quickly”. Think of it as happening in the same amount of time as a camera flash. 「扉を開けたとたん犬が庭に走り出した。」...
