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