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Thumbs Up

Thumbs Up






Meaning: a sign that
means “good” in the U.S.

Example 1:

Ted: I was so nervous during my presentation in class this morning! I
really wanted to do well in front of all those people.

Sheila: Really? You didn’t look nervous at all. I thought you did a
great job.

Tom: Well, I started out kind of shaky, but when the teacher gave me
the thumbs up from the back of the
class, I became more confident and relaxed.

Sheila: That’s good. You deserve a big thumbs up for such a great presentation!

Tom: Thank you! Are you ready for your presentation tomorrow?

Sheila: I don’t know. After I start, could you give me the thumbs up to make me more confident!

Ted: Sure! I know you’ll give a great presentation.

Example 2:

Kim: Wow! That movie was great! I’m giving it a
big thumbs up!

Gina: Really? What was it about?

Kim:
It was an action movie
and the excitement never stopped. There wasn’t one slow scene in the whole
movie.

Gina: Well, if you give the movie a thumbs up, then I’ll have to see it. We
like the same kind of movies.

Kim: You should definitely see it. You won’t be
disappointed!

Meaning:
Thumbs
up
shows that someone or something is good, especially when it comes to
a performance or action with good results. In example 1, Ted was giving a
presentation and was doing well, so his teacher gave him a “thumbs up” from the back of the class.
We usually use thumbs up with the verb “give.” In example 2, Kim loved the
movie she saw, so she gave it a “thumbs
up”
meaning it was really good.


This
idiom can be found in the LSI textbook Speaking Transitions. This book is used in
the level 4 Listening/Speaking classes. For more information, please visit: www.languagesystems.com

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