To Wrap Your Head Around Something

Context #1

John: Can you believe that young Japanese pitcher Tanaka signed a $250 million contract with the Yankees?

Tom: I know!  That's a lot of money.  I can't imagine being 23 years old and making that much money.

John: Yeah, it's hard for me to wrap my head around that.

Context #2

Sally:  Did you hear that Justin Bieber got arrested for drunk driving again?

Jill: Man, he is so stupid!  If he doesn't change his behavior he's going to ruin his life with drugs and alcohol.

Sally:  Yeah, I know!  He can't seem to wrap his head around just how serious it is to drink and drive.  He might kill somebody someday.

Meaning: to wrap your head around something is an expression that started to appear in American English relatively recently.  It means to be able to truly understand or grasp something with your mind/thinking.  Practical idioms like this are taught at LSI in our Speaking and Conversation classes.  For more information please visit: www.languagesystems.edu

Have a song stuck in one's head

Context #1

Jim:  Have you heard the new Justin Timberlake song?

Tony:  Are you kidding?  They play it on the radio all the time.

Jim:  I know!  I heard it on my way to work this morning and the song is stuck in my head!

Context #2

Julie: Is that you humming?

Christine: Yeah, you know that song "Halo" by Beyoncé.

Julie: Sure!  I love that song.

Christine:  Me too! It is stuck in my head and I have been humming it all day.

Meaning:  To have a song stuck in your head means that you cannot get the song out of your consciousness.  This happens when a song is really popular and has a catchy tune or catchy lyrics.  Anytime you hear a song and then find yourself signing that song or thinking about that song when you are all by yourself, you can say that song is stuck in your head.  Practical idioms like this are taught at LSI in our Speaking and Listening classes.  For more information please visit: www.languagesystems.edu