To Cut a Rug (used as a verb)

Idiom: to cut a rug; used as a verb

First Example:

Brie: I saw you dancing with Deb. You guys really cut a rug.

Aj: Yeah, we were having a blast.

Brie: I didn't realize you were such a great dancer.

Aj: Neither did I! I think Deb is the great dancer, and she just made me look good!

Meaning: The expression "cut a rug" means to dance really well, usually in a very energetic way.  The expression was most popular in the 1920s, although it is still sometimes used to this day.

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To Eat It

Context #1

Jim:  Hey, what happened to your elbow?  It's all bandaged up.

Tony:  Well, I was riding my bike to school yesterday and I ate it when I was going down hill.

Jim:  Wow!  You have to be careful.  

Context #2

Susie: I heard your boyfriend is teaching you how to skateboard.

Jenny:  Yeah, that's right.  

Susie:  Is it hard?

Jenny:  Well, the first few days I was trying to figure out how to keep my balance.  I ate it a lot and scrapped up my knees and hands. 

Meaning: "to eat it" is an idiom that means "to fall" while doing some kind of sport or activity (surfing, snowboarding, riding a bike, jogging, etc.)  Usually it is used when a person falls down and gets a little hurt.  

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Don't judge a book by its cover

Idiom: Don't judge a book by its cover: to not judge the quality or character of someone or something just by looking at them

Context #1 – Students talking before the 1^st day of class

Vanessa: Hey, Brad. Did you see the new English teacher? He looks so mean! I'm afraid to go to his class.

Brad: But you haven't even met him yet! Don't judge a book by its cover! Give him a chance before you form an opinion about him.

Vanessa: Hmmm. I guess you are right.

Brad: Besides, I've heard he is really funny! All the students who have taken his class say he is the best teacher they have ever had in English.

Vanessa: Wow, really? OK. I'll try his class and save my opinion for later.

Context #2 – Two friends at a party

Sami:  Hi Petra! Do you want to join us for lunch? We are going to “George's Cafe.”

Petra: Ewww, that place looks awful! It's so tiny and everything is so plain. Why don't we go somewhere else for lunch.

Sami: Don't judge a book by its cover, Petra. “George's Cafe” has the best sandwiches in town. All at a very affordable price.

Petra: Really? Wow, I guess I shouldn't judge it before I even try it.

Meaning: “Dont judge a book by its cover” is said when you cannot know what something or someone is like by looking only at that person or thing's appearance. In the first context, Vanessa has a negative opinion of the teacher based only on his appearance and that he looks “mean.” However, Brad has heard that the teacher is really good, so he encourages Vanessa to try the class and not base her opinion on just the looks of the teacher. In the second context, the place they are going for lunch is small and plain, so Petra has a bad opinion of it. However, it's actually a good place with the best sandwiches in town, so Sami encourages Petra to try it and then form an opinion based on the quality of the food.

To Troll

Idiom: To troll someone or something. Used as a verb (action) or noun (person). To make a  provocative online comment or posting with the goal of upsetting someone or eliciting an angry response from them. A person who posts to an internet discussion group, chat room, or blog with the sole purpose of disrupting it.

Context #1 – Two friends talking about a blog

Sal: Hey Patty, what's wrong? You look upset?

Patty: I'm so mad!! I write this blog about politics and that guy from our class, Reggie, keeps writing all these comments about Trump and how great he is.

Sal: Really?

Patty: Yes. All his comments support everything Trump says. It's crazy! No matter what I say, he just supports Trump more and argues more with me.

Sal: Well, I know Reggie and he is actually a Democrat and super liberal. I doubt he is serious about anything he is saying about Trump.

Patty: What? Do you mean he is just trolling me!

Sal: Yep. You have to admit that it's pretty funny to troll people about controversial politicians. He probably just wants to provoke you.

Patty: I never thought of that! Are you sure he doesn't like Trump? He seems so sincere when he writes comments on my blog.

Sal: Yes, I'm sure. That's what makes him such a good troll!

Context #2 – Two friends talking about Facebook

Tim: Hey, Michelle, what are you laughing about?

Michelle: Oh, hi Tim. I'm writing some comments about Hillary's recent speech on Facebook.

Tim: And why is that funny?

Michelle: Well, I'm turning her words from the speech around to make her look bad. My goodness, I had no idea her supporters would freak out so much!

Tim: You are so mean! You don't even care about the election or the candidates.

Michelle: Hahahaha! I know! But it's fun to see everyone get so upset over a few negative comments! I don't usually troll people like that, but I'm enjoying myself too much to stop.

Tim: Well, be careful. You don't want anyone to “unfriend” you because of a little trolling.

Michelle: You're right. I'll stop trolling....tomorrow!

Meaning: To troll means to purposely and cleverly provoke an angry or emotional response via the internet through comments and dialogue. However, trolling does not only mean making rude comments or statements. The most important part of trolling is to act like one truly believes what one is saying, even if it is completely outrageous. So the person who is being trolled should not know that he or she is being trolled by someone.

Come out swinging

First Example:

Charlie:  Did you watch the political debate last week?

Emilio:  Of course!  It was so shocking; both candidates came out swinging.

Charlie:  That’s an understatement; they were beyond aggressive.

Emilio:  They attacked each other relentlessly.

Meaning: To "come out swinging" comes from the aggressive act of swinging your arms to punch someone or an object to hurt others.  It’s used as an expression to depict someone mounting a verbal attack on someone aggressively.  In this example, Emilio describes the politicians having a debate which probably involved strong accusations, strong/aggressive behavior or language to attack each other.

Second Example:

Sarah:  If Peter doesn’t have a good explanation for leaving me and my family in the middle of dinner, I’m going to come out swinging at him when he arrives.

Michael:  Hey, take it easy.  Don’t be so violent.  I’m sure there’s a rational explanation.  However, that doesn’t give you the right to attack someone physically.

Sarah:  I won’t actually do it, I’m just so angry for his rude behavior.

Michael:  I understand your anger, but saying something like that will confuse people and think you’re violent.

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A No-Brainer

Example 1:

Bill: Do you have plans for vacation, Mike?
Mike: Nope. I can't decide what I want to do. My roommates want to go to Las Vegas, but my parents want to take me on a cruise through Mexico.
Bill: Mike! That's a no-brainer! You can go to Vegas anytime! The cruise to Mexico is something you shouldn't pass up.

Example 2: 

Seth: Have you heard back from the company you interviewed with last week? I know you've been looking for work for a few months.
Ruth: Yes, actually. They called me the other day to offer me a position.
Seth: Wow! That's great! You're going to take the job, right?
Ruth: Of course! It's a no-brainer!

Explanation:
A no -brainer is an extremely easy question or decision to make.
In Example 1, Mike has to decide between a trip to Las Vegas with his friends or a cruise to Mexico with his parents. While both trips sound fun, Bill thinks the choice is obvious and easy to decide- of course he should go to Mexico! Living in southern California, Mike has plenty of opportunities to travel to Las Vegas, but it's unlikely his parents will take this same cruise again.
In Example 2, Ruth says she will take the job. To her, there is no other option. It is the obvious choice.
You can think of something as a no-brainer if someone who has no-brain can still make the decision easily.

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To Wake Up On The Wrong Side Of The Bed

Context #1:

Tom: Man!  Chrissy must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed today!

Steve:  I know.  She is in such a bad mood.  

Tom: I think I'll just stay away from her today.

Context #2:

Sara:  Jenny, can I borrow a pen?  I forgot mine.

Jenny: Really? Again? You always forget your pen.  How many times has it been now? A million...

Sara: Wow!  Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

Jenny: I'm sorry.  Yeah, I'm a little stressed out today.  Here you go.  You can use this pen.

MEANING: to wake up on the wrong side of the bed is an expression used when someone is really grumpy or in a bad mood.  It is almost always used with a past tense form, like in example #2.

To fall into your lap

Example 1:

Tom and Elizabeth are brother and sister. Tom has been looking for a job for about a month.

Elizabeth: How’s your job hunt going, Tom?

Tom: I finally have a job

Elizabeth: Really?

Tom: Yes! I’m going to be working as a Coder for Google.com

Elizabeth: Oh wow!! That’s so exciting! Congratulations

Tom: Thank you sis!

Elizabeth: How did you get that job?

Tom: I’d turned in my resume about two months ago and completely forgot about it. Well, they called me last week and interviewed me over the phone.

Elizabeth: That’s amazing! It seems like it just fell into your lap

Tom: Yes! I’m surprised how easily it fell into my lap. They want me to start tomorrow.

Elizabeth: I’m so happy for you

Tom: Me too.

Example 2:

I’ve been looking for a cheap apartment in West Hollywood. My best friend pays $950 for a one bedroom apartment there. That rate is unheard of for that area. She told me that she is going to be going to Russia to teach English for one year, so I can take over her lease. I’ll be paying the same amount for rent. I can’t believe how effortlessly that apartment fell into my lap.

Meaning: To come to you without you making any effort.

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To Chicken Out

Context #1 - 

Tim: Have you heard about the new ride and Magic Mountain called the Death Drop?

John:  Yeah, I heard it's super scary.  Have you been on it?

Tim:  Well, we went there this weekend and I was going to go on it with my friends, but I chickened out at the last minute.

John:  Really?  That must have been a little embarrassing.

Tim:  Yeah, it was!

Context #2 -

Christine: Did you hear about Steve and Carol's anniversary trip to Yosemite?

Stacy:  No, what happened?

Christine:  They agreed to go bungee jumping off this bridge, but Carol was ready to jump and then chickened out.

Stacy: Oh no!  How did Steve take it?

Christine:  He wasn't upset at all.  He actually thought it was kind of funny.

Meaning:  to chicken out is used when someone gets too scared or too afraid to do something so they back out or don't attempt it. 

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Be/Get all wet

Context #1

Sara:  This weekend we went to Sea World in San Diego.

Tammy: Did you guys have fun?

Sara: Yeah we did!  But during the Shamu show the whale splashed water all over us and we got all wet. 

Context #2

Tim: Guess what!  Last night I left my car window down and it rained all night!

John: Oh man!  

Tim: Yeah, this morning when I got in my car, the inside was all wet! 

Meaning: "all wet" is an adjective phrase, so it is used with the verbs "be/get" just like other adjectives.  It means to become soaked with water, or to become really wet.

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Rain on Someone's Parade

Idiom: Rain on Someone's Parade

Example 1:

John: I'm so excited to see the new Iron Man movie tonight! Let's go to In-n-Out before showtime and get burgers to have dinner in the theater. That sounds like a great idea, right?

Bill: I hate to rain on your parade, but they won't allow outside food in the theater. We can go their early and eat first. 

Example 2: 

Mom: Aren't you excited?! Our camping trip is only 2 days away! Just imagine all the fresh air, hiking, and the sounds of nature! I can't wait!

Teenager: No. I am not excited. There's no WIFI in the woods. I won't be able to text, watch videos, or send Snaps. That doesn't sounds fun at all.

Mom: Well I won't let you rain on my parade! It's going to be great! You'll have fun. I promise!

Meaning: to "rain on someone's parade" is to ruin their good mood or fun plans.

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The Life of the Party

Idiom: the life of the party

Example 1:

Pete:  I’m usually the wallflower of the party.  I’m not very good at socializing.

Chip: Dude, you really have to stop doing that. 

Pete: It’s not so easy man.  You can say that because you’re always the life of the party.  You’re always talking to everyone, introducing others, and making sure everyone is having a good time. 

Chip:  You think I’m the life of the party?  Wow, thanks man.  I never thought about myself that way.

Example 2:

Kazuyuki:  Being the life of the party comes naturally to many people.

Ting:  Are you kidding me?  I think it’s something that you have to work on.  You can be social, but that doesn’t make you the life of the party.  To be the life of the party, one should know most of the people in an event, be aware of everything that’s going on, be a good host, and entertain everyone.  That takes serious communication and organizational skills.

Kazuyuki:  Or you could just be very good looking and charming.

Ting:  You’re so pessimistic.  You’re definitely not the life of my parties.

Meaning: The life of the party is used to describe someone who keeps a positive environment for everyone and is always making people feel good.  People who are the life of the party are: usually social, outgoing, organized, and have a good sense of humor.  Being the life of the party requires good social skills and a positive attitude.

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