To Get in the Holiday Spirit – to have good feelings about the holidays Example 1: Santa Claus: Merry Christmas, everyone! Noriko: Wow! I can’t believe how beautiful the mall looks with all these Christmas decorations. And look over there! It’s Santa Claus posing
Idiom: Party Pooper; used as a noun. First Example: “All of us wanted to have a summer barbecue at the beach this weekend, but when we mentioned our idea to Cindy, she immediately started to complain about how hot the sun was and how
Idiom: To Pick Up the Tab; used as a verb. First Example: “Sam had invited Alice to an expensive restaurant for dinner. Since this was their first date together, Sam had picked up the tab for the night.” Meaning: To Pick Up the Tab
Example 1: On any given day, you can find me reading a book at Starbucks. I go there almost every day to study. Example 2: There are lots of street performers on the Venice Boardwalk. If you go there on any given day, you’ll certainly
Example 1: Greg asked Jan to marry him and she said yes on the spot. She didn’t need time to think. Example 2: In the United States, it’s customary to open gifts on the spot, as soon as they are received. Explanation: on the spot
Idiom: To be a joke Context #1: Jack: Last night I took my girlfriend to see that new action movie starring Sylvester Stallone. Tony: How was it? Jack: It was a joke! The acting was so bad. And the side effects were kind
Idiom: All bets are off Meaning: An agreement that was decided on before is no longer valid. This is usually said when someone breaks your trust or does something to hurt your feelings. For example, you trusted that person before but because they did
Idiom: to sweeten the pot; used as a verb First Example: Joseph: Jamal turned down the job offer. Olivia: What?! I thought he wanted that position. Joseph: He does, but he said it’s not worth it. He said it’s too much work for not enough
Idiom: to have an ace/something up one’s sleeve; used as a verb First Example: Victor: Are you nervous about your audition tomorrow? Jean: A little, but I think I have a pretty chance at getting the role. Victor: What makes you so confident? It sounds
Idiom: Stay Put; used as a verb. First Example: “Small children usually have so much energy and can never sit still for very long. You should not expect your three year-old to stay put for very long.” Meaning: Stay Put is usually used to
