Phrase of the Week: If You Ask Me

“If you ask me, he should just apologize.” You will occasionally hear someone say “if you ask me” while giving their opinion. It can be rude to give your opinion on things that aren’t related to you, but it’s usually okay to give...

Phrase of the Week: Head for the Hills

“It’s an attack! Head for the hills!” “No, Dad, it’s just fireworks. It’s the Fourth of July!” “Head for the hills” or “run for the hills” means “run away”. The phrase might originally refer...

Phrase of the Week: Give Up

“This is impossible. I give up.” “Don’t give up. You’ll never achieve anything like that!” “I just can’t get this program to work on my computer. I’m going to ask my sister to do it. She’s good with...

Phrase of the Week: Knock Out

“The explosion knocked him out, but he was not seriously injured.” When someone loses consciousness, usually due to being hit by something, such as a punch, we say they are “knocked out”. In an organized fight, such as a boxing match, it can be...

Phrase of the Week: Pass Out

“He passed out from lack of oxygen, but he’s okay now.” If you lose consciousness for a reason such as illness or overexertion, we say you pass out. Normally this phrase isn’t used for sleep, but occasionally you might hear something like,...