44 Idioms Native English Speakers

Commonly Use (2019)

Stand tall

To be proud of yourself and confident in your abilities

e.g. don't give up because of one loss remember to
stand tall and try your best

Make your hair stand on end

The next time if something makes your hair stand on end
it means it makes you feel very afraid or frightened

e.g. That horror movie with the evil ghost made my hair
stand on end!

if you can't stand the sight of

00:46
someone or something it means you
00:48
strongly dislike them so that you don't
00:51
even want to look at them for example
00:54
she wanted to be a nurse but she can't
00:57
stand the sight of blood so she became a
00:59
teacher instead number four standoffish
01:05
if you are standoffish it means you
01:08
avoid interacting with other people or
01:10
you interact in a slightly rude way that
01:13
implies you don't like them or you feel
01:15
superior to them for example Barbara is
01:19
very friendly but her sister Pam is
01:21
quite standoffish she's not the least
01:24
bit interested in anybody else
01:28
number five stand on your own two feet
01:32
this expression means to be independent
01:35
and support yourself financially for
01:38
example you are 24 years old with a
01:41
college degree it's time for you to
01:44
stand on your own two feet
01:47
number six stand down this is when
01:52
soldiers relax and don't participate in
01:54
a conflict or fight for example after
01:57
the peace treaty was signed the
01:59
commander gave the order for the troops
02:01
to stand down troops are groups of
02:04
soldiers number seven not have a leg to
02:09
stand on
02:10
this expression means you don't have
02:13
evidence or logical points in a debate
02:15
or argument against someone else
02:17
for example Jess you don't have a leg to
02:21
stand on in this argument you haven't
02:23
learned the facts
02:27
number eight stand still or sit still
02:31
these expressions both mean to stay
02:33
without moving for example the antelope
02:37
stood perfectly still as it listened for
02:39
sounds of possible predators
02:44
parents usually use the phrase sit still
02:47
to tell children to stop moving around
02:49
while sitting for example my
02:52
five-year-old can't sit still when we go
02:55
out to eat he's always playing with his
02:57
food or kicking the table
03:00
number nine sit tight this is an
03:04
informal way to tell people to stay in a
03:07
place and wait patiently for example
03:10
when the bus broke down on the highway
03:12
the driver told the passengers to sit
03:14
tight until another bus could come pick
03:16
them up
03:19
number ten to sit by or sit idly by
03:24
means to see something happen and choose
03:26
to do nothing about it to remain passive
03:29
and not take action for example we can't
03:33
just sit by and watch innocent people
03:35
suffer we have to do something
03:37
[Music]
03:39
number eleven won't stand for it if you
03:44
won't stand for something it means you
03:46
refuse to allow it to happen for example
03:49
I won't stand for other people taking
03:52
the credit for my work
03:56
number twelve not stand a chance this
04:00
expression means to have extremely
04:02
little probability of succeeding or
04:05
winning for example the boxer was far
04:08
more experienced than his opponent the
04:11
other guy didn't stand a chance
04:15
number thirteen take a stand to take a
04:19
stand means to publicly express your
04:22
opinion on something especially a
04:24
controversy saying you support or are
04:27
against it for example in the interview
04:31
the politician kept giving vague answers
04:33
and avoided taking a stand on health
04:35
care reform
04:38
number fourteen not sit well with
04:41
someone this expression is used when a
04:45
situation makes you feel uncomfortable
04:46
or slightly offended for example that
04:51
comment she made didn't sit well with me
04:53
it felt like she was indirectly trying
04:55
to make me look bad in front of my boss
04:59
number fifteen sit out sit out means not
05:04
to participate in an activity for
05:07
example my coworkers are going to a
05:09
karaoke bar but I don't like that kind
05:12
of thing so I'm gonna sit this one out
05:16
number sixteen sit up and take notice if
05:20
you sit up and take notice this means
05:23
you suddenly become alert and start
05:25
paying attention to something for
05:27
example when the teacher mentioned that
05:30
the class would go to Disney World all
05:32
the students sat up and took notice
05:36
ten English idioms from sports
05:42
we love sports in the US and we have
05:46
many idiomatic expressions in English
05:48
that come from sports
05:50
you'll learn ten of these expressions
05:52
today number one drop the ball drop the
05:59
ball means to make a mistake especially
06:02
when you fail to do one of your
06:04
responsibilities this expression comes
06:07
from baseball we're dropping the ball is
06:09
an error for example I was counting on
06:14
Pete to finish his part of the project
06:16
but he completely dropped the ball this
06:19
means he didn't finish his part of the
06:21
project he failed to complete his
06:23
responsibilities number two run
06:29
interference run interference means to
06:32
help someone by resolving problems for
06:35
them or in their place this expression
06:38
comes from American football where other
06:40
players on the same team run
06:43
interference by helping to protect the
06:46
player with the ball here's an example
06:49
it's hard to rent an apartment in
06:52
Stockholm unless you have a real estate
06:54
agent run interference for you in other
06:57
words it's hard to do this alone so you
07:00
need a real estate agent to help solve
07:03
the problems for you the agent will run
07:06
interference for you number three take a
07:11
shot at or give it your best shot
07:15
the expression take a shot means to try
07:18
something and give it your best shot
07:21
means to try your best in basketball as
07:24
well as soccer hockey and several other
07:27
sports a shot is an attempt to put the
07:30
ball into the basket or goal so take a
07:34
shot more generally means to try to make
07:37
an attempt for example I can't solve
07:41
this math problem do you want to take a
07:43
shot at it I'm not sure if I passed the
07:47
test but at least I gave it my best shot
07:53
number four shows someone the ropes this
07:57
idiom means to teach someone how to do
08:00
tasks or processes this expression comes
08:03
from sailing where you need to know how
08:06
to manage the ropes in order to control
08:09
the boat for example it's my first week
08:13
on the job so the manager is showing me
08:16
the ropes
08:19
number five jump the gun the idiom jump
08:24
the gun means to do something too early
08:27
or too soon before the correct time this
08:31
idiomatic expression comes from the fact
08:34
that a gun is used to give the starting
08:37
signal for races so a person who starts
08:40
before the signal is given is said to
08:43
jump the gun here's an example they
08:47
jumped the gun and started selling
08:49
products before receiving their business
08:52
license
08:53
it means they started selling too early
08:57
before the right time number six
09:01
hit your stride to hit your stride means
09:05
to achieve a good continuous level of
09:09
performance stride is a word that refers
09:12
to the steps taken while walking or
09:14
running and when a horse hits its stride
09:17
in the race it means the horse maintains
09:21
a good speed in a comfortable way here's
09:25
an example our company's sales were weak
09:28
in the beginning but we really hit our
09:30
stride after we launched our second
09:32
product number seven a can of worms this
09:39
idiom comes from fishing where worms are
09:42
used as bait to help catch the fish the
09:46
idiom a can of worms means a difficult
09:49
complex or unpredictable problem or
09:52
multiple problems for example the
09:55
political situation in that country is a
09:57
real can of worms saying something is a
10:01
can of worms means it's complex and very
10:03
difficult to resolve
10:07
number eight one-two punch the idiom
10:12
one-two punch means a combination of two
10:15
things that are especially powerful or
10:17
effective this expression comes from
10:20
boxing we're hitting the opponent twice
10:23
with one punch and then another punch is
10:26
very powerful one-two punch can be used
10:30
for both positive and negative
10:31
situations for example the one-two punch
10:35
of excellent food and delicious drinks
10:38
makes this the best restaurant in town
10:40
that's a positive example of a one-two
10:43
punch
10:46
here's a negative one losing his job and
10:49
his house in the same month was the
10:52
one-two punch that sent him into
10:54
depression so those are two powerful
10:57
negative things number nine the balls in
11:03
your court this expression means you
11:06
have the responsibility for the next
11:08
action in tennis the area where the game
11:12
is played is called a court and if the
11:15
ball is in your side of the court it
11:17
means you need to hit it to continue the
11:19
game
11:20
for example I've offered her $15,000 for
11:25
her car the balls in her court now that
11:29
means it's her responsibility to make
11:31
the decision about whether or not she
11:34
will sell the car number 10 par for the
11:38
course par for the course means
11:41
something normal and expected the area
11:45
where golf is played is called a course
11:47
and the word par refers to the average
11:50
number of tries necessary to put the
11:53
ball in the hole so that's why par for
11:56
the course means something average
11:58
normal and expected in a certain
12:00
situation for example of course the
12:05
classes for your master's degree are
12:07
difficult that's par for the course it
12:09
is expected that doing a master's degree
12:12
would involve taking difficult classes
12:17
18 idiomatic expressions with hand
12:22
number one get out of hand this means to
12:27
get out of control for example we had to
12:30
call the police after the party got a
12:32
little out of hand
12:34
number two experienced firsthand this
12:39
means to experience it yourself for
12:42
example I didn't understand how hard
12:44
parenting is until I experienced it
12:46
firsthand
12:49
number three change hands this means to
12:53
pass or sell something to another person
12:56
for example this house has changed hands
12:59
several times in the past ten years
13:03
number four have your hands full or have
13:07
got your hands full this means to be
13:10
completely busy or occupied for example
13:14
they have six kids and four dogs they've
13:17
definitely got their hands full
13:20
number five try your hand at this means
13:24
to try an activity for the first time
13:27
for example I've never taken guitar
13:30
lessons but I'd like to try my hand at
13:32
it
13:34
number six give a hand or lend a hand
13:38
this means to help somebody for example
13:42
I can't carry all these books by myself
13:45
could you give me a hand number seven on
13:49
hand this means available it's used for
13:53
objects not people for example I like to
13:57
have a dictionary on hand when I'm
13:59
reading a book in English number eight
14:03
wash your hands of this means to stop
14:07
being responsible for a situation or
14:09
problem for example the manager washed
14:13
his hands of the situation and told us
14:15
to resolve it ourselves
14:18
number nine hands are tied this means
14:23
not to have the ability to help or take
14:25
action for example sorry but my hands
14:29
are tied I can't buy the equipment
14:31
without my boss's approval
14:35
number ten no like the back of your hand
14:38
this means to know a place extremely
14:41
well for example she lived in Miami for
14:45
20 years
14:46
she knows the city like the back of her
14:48
hand
14:50
number eleven hands down this means
14:54
obviously or without a doubt
14:57
for example Sarah was hands-down the
15:00
best skater at the competition
15:03
number twelve a hand-me-down this is a
15:08
piece of clothing that belonged to an
15:10
older brother or sister and is passed to
15:13
a younger brother or sister for example
15:16
my mother never bought me new clothes
15:18
she just gave me hand-me-downs for my
15:21
sister
15:23
number thirteen second hand this means
15:28
previously used not new for example I
15:32
bought my microwave secondhand at a
15:35
garage sale number fourteen in good
15:39
hands
15:40
this means in the care of someone good
15:43
or knowledgeable
15:44
for example Williams an excellent
15:47
mechanic your cars in good hands
15:51
number 15 have a hand in this means to
15:55
have a role in for example my cousin had
15:59
a hand in getting me my job
16:01
he knows the company president
16:04
number 16 take matters into your own
16:08
hands this means to take action on a
16:11
problem yourself because other people
16:13
have not done so for example my
16:17
secretary kept forgetting to make my
16:19
hotel reservation so I took matters into
16:21
my own hands and made it myself
16:25
number 17 tip your hand this means to
16:30
reveal a secret about your plans or
16:32
opinions for example the famous director
16:36
tipped his hand on plans for his next
16:38
movie
16:40
number 18 on one hand on the other hand
16:44
this is used to compare two aspects of a
16:48
situation for example on one hand my job
16:52
pays well but on the other hand it's
16:54
very stressful now put it into practice
16:58
can you write a comment on this video
17:01
using two to three of the words from
17:04
this lesson in sentences go ahead and
17:07
try do you want to keep learning and
17:10
practice too if you want to improve your
17:13
speaking and learn a lot of different
17:15
phrases that are useful in everyday life
17:18
check out the everyday English speaking
17:20
course available at espresso English
17:23
dotnet it will teach you a lot of useful
17:26
phrases for real-life situations
17:29
helping you improve your fluency click
17:32
on the link in the video or in the
17:34
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17:36
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17:39
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17:42
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18:08
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