Search This Blog

Translate

Showing posts with label international students. Show all posts
Showing posts with label international students. Show all posts

Thursday, March 3, 2016

To Be/Have a Big Mouth

Context 1:


Bill: Sara, do you think anyone knows about what happened on Sunday? It was so embarrassing. 
Sara: Don't tell Johnny anything if you want to keep this secret. He HAS a big mouth! Everyone will know what happened in a few hours!



Context 2: 

I learned that it's not good to BE a big mouth. I learned my lesson after I got my friend in trouble. I used to gossip and tell everyone everything, whether it was true or not. One day, I heard some negative gossip about my friend. I didn't think it was true, but I told my classmates about it because I loved to gossip. Later, our classmates wouldn't talk to her because they thought the gossip was true I felt terrible because it was my fault. I apologized to my friend and I promised myself that I would never gossip again!




Explanation:
You can BE a big mouth OR you could HAVE a big mouth. The meaning doesn't change. 
This expression describes someone who talks too much, often revealing secrets.  



Thursday, February 11, 2016

Puppy love (used as a noun)

First Example:
            Tom: Chris said your son is dating?
            Carol: That's what he's telling everyone.
            Tom: I thought he was only 13!
            Carol: He is. It's only puppy love. But he and his girlfriend are so cute together.
            Tom: I remember my first girlfriend. We were both 12, and her name was... actually, I don't remember her name.
            Carol: Don't tell my son that. He told me he's going to marry this girl one day.

Meaning: The expression "puppy love" refers to the strong feelings at the beginning of a relationship, often used for young people and implying that the relationship won't last. Here, Carol says that her 13-year-old son's relationship is only "puppy love," which Tom seems to agree with when he can't remember the name of his girlfriend when he was 12.



Second Example:
            Sheila met her husband in high school; they were both only 17. Their parents and friends said it was just puppy love, and that they'd never last. But they got married 3 years later, and they have been happily married for 20 years now.

Meaning: The expression "puppy love" is also often used in this context, referring to relationships that started at a young age but developed into something long term.


Tuesday, February 9, 2016

To have the hots for someone (used as a verb)

First Example:
            Sandra: Have you seen the new Calculus professor, Mr. Crow? He's really handsome.
            Patty: Oh my gosh! You have the hots for teacher!
            Sandra: I do not! I was just surprised that he's so young, and kinda cute.
            Patty: (sarcastically) Sure, I believe you. Did you check if he has a wedding ring?
            Sandra: No! I would never date my teacher.
            Patty: Whatever you say...




Meaning: The expression "to have the hots for" someone means to be strongly attracted to someone. The idiom is most often used by another person, often in a teasing manner as in the example here. Here, Patty jokes that Sandra "has the hots for" the new professor after Sandra comments on the teacher being handsome. (usage note: when using this idiom to discuss a teacher, no article is used, presumably due to the 1980s Van Halen song "Hot For Teacher")

Second Example:
            Kevin: Are you going to Tina's party this weekend?
            Jeff: Maybe. Why do you ask?
            Kevin: Well, we all know you've had the hots for her since High school.
            Jeff: What makes you say that?
            Kevin: I just always thought you had a crush on her but didn't do anything because she was dating Michael. Now that they've broken up...


            Jeff: No, I do not have the hots for Tina. She's just a friend.







Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Grub/Grub on

Context #1

I'm so hungry! Let's get out of here and get some grub!




Context #2:

I'm so hungry! I could grub on just about anything right now!

Explanation:
the word grub can be used as a noun or a verb. 
In noun form, it means food. In verb form, it means eat. 
In example 1, grub is used as a noun. "Let's get out of here and get some food"

In example 2, grub on is used as a verb. "I could eat just about anything..!"


Thursday, January 21, 2016

Boo-boo/Booboo

Context #1

Chrissy (mother): What's wrong Billy?
Billy (Chrissy's 3-year old son): I fell down.
Chrissy: Awww! I see you've got a little boo-boo.



Context #2

Joe: Ouch! I just pinched my finger in my car door!
Sam: Oh no!  Did you get a little boo-boo? You want me to kiss it? (totally joking with his friend

Meaning: "a boo-boo" is a child's word for an injury.  It could be a cut, a scrape, a bruise, etc.  This word is only used with speaking with small children.  It is not used when speaking to adults.  For this reason, context #2 is two guys joking with each other.  Same is teasing Joe, as if he were a little boy, or weak.


Context #3

'The server made a boo-boo! We couldn't use our computer for hours '
or
'Josh gave you the wrong file, he made a boo-boo'

Meaning: A mistake



Context #4

'I love you BooBoo, miss you already'

Meaning: Someone dear to your heart: your babe/baby, your Boyfriend/Girlfriend. It is used for someone/something who needs to be kissed and cuddled every second of the day.



Thursday, January 14, 2016

To go bananas

Idiom: To go bananas
Meaning: (1) to go or act a little crazy; (2) to become very angry or lose control of your temper.




Context #1 – A man is complaining that his best friend painted a mural on his backyard wall without asking him.

 George: Hey Ted, you didn’t have to go bananas on me just because I drew a mural on your backyard wall.
Ted: George, your little art work cost me two thousand dollars.  I think I can go a little bananas.
 George: But it was a picture of you and me together.  You’re my best friend. 
Ted: The only one that went bananas here is you.  It’s easier to print a picture or poster out.  You went to buy paint and spent hours working on that.





Context #2 –

Dominic: I may have gone bananas this past weekend.
Brian: Why do you say that?  It’s not unusual for you to do crazy things.
Dominic: I spend forty thousand dollars on getting parts for my car.
Brian: Wow!  I may go bananas just from hearing what you did.


Meaning: To go bananas means to go a little crazy/wild or to lose one’s temper.  It’s not always a negative meaning.  It could be used as an expression of exaggeration.  For example, in context 2 Dominic and Brian aren’t having a negative conversation, they’re just both surprised at the actions taken by Dominic.  In context #1, George expresses to Ted that he didn’t have to become too upset about his gift, while Ted explains to George that his actions were, in his opinion, crazy.



Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Doubleheader


Example 1:

Johnny: Hey Daniel, are you really going to compete in a doubleheader? Isn’t your leg hurt?

Daniel: Don’t worry Johnny, I know one competition right after the other might sound crazy, but I can handle it.

Johnny: What if someone sweeps your leg or something?

Daniel: It wouldn’t be the first time.  Besides, if I can win both competitions in one day, I’ll get even more famous.

Example 2:

Bill: We should totally give a presentation on History.

Ted: No way dude! How about a presentation on time travel?

Bill:  Dude, you thinking what I’m thinking?

Bill & Ted:  Presentation Doubleheader!  Excellent!

Ted:  But Bill, wouldn’t that take a lot of work.  I mean one presentation after the other sounds 

difficult.  A doubleheader will need lots of presenters.  Maybe we can dress people up in costumes.

Bill:  That’s awesome.  And I can have my stepmom and little brother can help us prepare.  

Meaning: Two events, presentations, movies, etc. happening one after the other.  Usually there’s a short time between both events, but they are both happening the same day.

For more information visit www.languagesystems.edu