Idiom of the Week: Get On Like a House On Fire

“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!...

Idiom of the Week: You and What Army?

“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....

Idiom of the Week: Cat Got Your Tongue

“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...

Idiom of the Week: Don’t Let It Get to You

“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...

Idiom of the Week: In a Flash

“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。」...