To be scared stiff

Idiom: "To be scared stiff"

Meaning: To be really frightened of something; when something frightens you so much, you cannot even move any part of your body.

Example #1:

Jill: Trevor, you look a little pale. What's wrong?

Trevor: I just went to Knott's Scary Farm last night and I still haven't recovered.

Jill: What do you mean? Isn't that supposed to be fun?

Trevor: Well, it wasn't fun for me. All these crazy looking people and monsters kept jumping out to grab me when I was walking or going on the rides. At one point, I was scared stiff and I couldn't even move a muscle.

Jill: You know that those monsters are just people dressed up in costumes to look scary, right?

Trevor: Yes, I do. But once I arrived there in the dark, they seemed real! Then, when I got home I had the worst nightmare I've ever had and I woke up scared stiff. I couldn't even get up to turn on the light!

Jill: Wow! Maybe you shouldn't go out on Halloween anymore!

   

Example #2:

Sarah: You are not going to believe what happened to me last night!

Jackie: What?

Sarah: Well, I was spending the night at Jennifer's house and I was sleeping on her sofa. For some reason, I woke up in the middle of the night, sensing that I wasn't alone. I heard heavy breathing and saw the shadow of something coming toward me. I was scared stiff! I actually thought it was a monster or something!

Jackie: Really? What happened after that?

Sarah: It came closer and closer. I was still scared stiff and could not move at all. Then, all of a sudden, a cute little puppy jumped up on the sofa and started licking my face! It was Jennifer's new dog, Cuddles. He is so cute and playful!

Jackie: At least you had a happy ending!

Meaning: To be scared stiff means to be so afraid or frightened of something that a person cannot move any part of the body. In the first example, Trevor went to Knott's Scary Farm on Halloween and became frightened when he was there, even though he knew it was all fake.  In the second example, Sarah thought a strange creature was going to attack her in the middle of the night, but it ended up being a cute, little puppy. This idiom is especially useful around Halloween! For more information, please visit:www.languagesystems.com. 

Weird Out

Idiom: "Weird Out"

Meaning: To make someone feel very uncomfortable or uneasy.

Example #1:

Jan: Oh, no! It's October and that means it's almost time for Halloween!

Steve: That's a good thing, right? I mean, all the parties and candy make Halloween the best holiday of the year!

Jan: No way! All those scary costumes weird me out. 

Steve: That's one of the best things about Halloween, dressing up in scary costumes to weird out your family and friends.

Jan: Why would you want to weird anyone out? That's just strange.

Steve: Don't worry! It's all just for fun.

Jan: Well, I guess so.

   

Example #2:

Selena: Jackie, don't talk like that! It really weirds me out!

Jackie: I can't help it! I'm just recovering from the flu.

Selena: Well, then don't talk. You sound like a demon.

Jackie: O come on! It's not that bad.

Selena: Yes it is. How does Bobby feel about it? It must weird him out. Poor guy!

Jackie: Hey! You could be a little more supportive!

Selena: OK, sorry. Do you know sign language?

Meaning: To weird someone out means to make someone feel really uncomfortable. In the first example, Jan doesn't like Halloween because the scary costumes really weird her out. In the second example, Jackie's voice sounds strange because she just recovered from the flu, so her voice really weirds out Selena.  This idiom is especially useful around Halloween! For more information, please visit:www.languagesystems.com.