A face only a mother could love

Idiom: A face only a mother could love

Read the text messages between these two friends and try to guess the meaning of the idiom: A FACE ONLY A MOTHER COULD LOVE.

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Hi Jenn,

Have you met the new neighbor yet?

He is so funny. He is also very smart and has traveled all over the world.

He has a great job, and I think he is SINGLE! I think he is so handsome!

Susy, I haven't met him yet.

I saw him by the pool. Do you seriously think he is handsome?

I think you need to wear eye glasses. He has a face only a mother could love...

You are so mean!

Whatever! Gotta go. Bye.

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Meaning: A face only a mother could love means an unattractive face.

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To line (someone or something) up

Idiom: To line (someone or something) up

Example:

Context #1 – Students are trying to plan a surprise party for their teacher

Jeff: Next Friday is our teacher’s last day of class before she moves to China. I think we should line something up for her surprise farewell party. Something really big!!

 Mimi: Hmmmm...let me think about that. How many people are in the class?

Jeff: About 15 people and they are all adults.

 Mimi: Oh, I know! Let’s line up a magician for the party. I recently saw a magician named “Alvin the Great” who hypnotizes people and makes them do crazy things. When they wake up, they forget ever doing those things!

Jeff: Really? That sounds a little strange. What if they do something embarrassing?

Mimi: Well, he only hypnotized people who were willing and they didn’t do anything too crazy. Just funny things.

Jeff: OK. Do you think we have enough time to line “Alvin the Great” up for the party?

Mimi: Let me call him now.

Context #2 – Students are rushing to see a magician’s show

Jack: OK, everyone. Line up over here by the stage if you want to get a closer look at “Alvin the Great.”

Terri: Oh, this is so exciting! I want to volunteer during the show.

Jack: Well, if you line up first, you will have a better chance.

Meaning: To schedule someone or something for something (figurative); to put people or things in a line (literal)

“In context 1, the figurative meaning is to arrange or schedule someone or something for an event. Jeff and Mimi are scheduling a magician to come and perform during their teacher’s farewell party. In context 2, the literal meaning is to put people or things in a line. In this case, the students are lining up to see the magician and Terri wants to be the first in line so that she can volunteer during the show. 

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(To have money) burn a hole in someone's pocket

Idiom: (To have money) burn a hole in someone's pocket; used as a verb 

Example:

When his mother gave the little boy his allowance, she told him not to "spend it all in one place." But the money was burning a hole in his pocket, so he spent it all at the candy store. He didn't save any of it.

Meaning: To have money "burn a hole in (one's) pocket" means that the person has money that they want to spend immediately. Usually, this expression is used humorously, often in a question such as "Is it burning a hole in your pocket?" when someone seems to be spending recently acquired money too quickly.

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To Be Stuffed

Idiom: To be stuffed

Context #1:

John: Man, that buffet was amazing!  I think I had like 5 plates full of food.

Steve: Me too. I am stuffed!

Context #2:

Susie: I don't think I can finish this hamburger.  It's huge!

Jill: Yeah, I actually finished one before. I was so stuffed!

Meaning: "To be stuffed" is a very common idiom in American English. It means "to be really full," and it usually means that you are so full you feel uncomfortable. When people say they are "stuffed" it usually means that they ate too much.

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Eat responsively!

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