Thursday, May 29, 2014

To get busted

Idiom: "to get busted"


Context #1:

Fred: Hey, did you hear what happened to Joe?
Chris: No, what happened?
Fred: He got busted for drinking and driving. He is in serious trouble.
Chris: Oh man! That's too bad! He's probably going to lose his license.

Context #2:

Stephanie: Yesterday in Math class I was cheating on my test and I got busted by the teacher.
Veronica:  You did? That was stupid.
Stephanie: I know. She took my test away and said I would get a zero.

Meaning: "to get busted" is an American idiom that means to get in trouble for doing something wrong. People get busted when they are caught breaking the law or a rule. Getting busted is embarrassing and usually leads to serious consequences. 

For more information, please visit www.languagesystems.edu

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

To be hot

Idiom: "to be hot"

Context #1:

James:  Did you watch the basketball game last night? The Miami Heat won again.
Tom:  I know. They are hot right now.
James: I don't think anyone can beat them. 
Tom:  I think you're right! They're going to win the NBA Championship.

Context #2:

Sally: Who's the hottest golfer in the world right now?
Jane: Well, it's not Tiger Woods.
Sally: Yeah, what happened to him. He used to be really good.

Meaning: "to be hot" is an idiom related to sports and it is used to talk about teams or individual players that are doing really well during a specific period of time. You can use this idiom for any team or player when they are performing at an excellent or outstanding level. The hot players or teams tend to shine more than all other players or teams. Practical idioms like this are taught in the Speaking and Conversation classes at LSI.  

For more information, please visit www.languagesystems.edu