To get ( something ) out of the way

Idiom of the day:

To get ( something ) out of the way.

Meaning: This idiom is used when a person needs to finish an unpleasant or slightly boring task first. It gives the sense of doing one thing first in order to be able to do what one truly desires.

First Example: I would love to go see a movie with you, but I need to get my homework out of the way first.

Meaning: In this sentence, the speaker wants to finish his homework first in order to be able to go see a movie with his friend.

Here is another example:

Second Example: I want to change my major to biology but before I can do that I need to get some prerequisites out of the way.

Meaning: The speaker can’t (isn’t allowed to) change his major until he completes all the required courses.

Third Example: Alan, get your toys out of my way! I can’t clean the house like this!

Meaning: “Get the toys out of my way” means “put your toys away”. In this sentence, it means to remove the toys physically, because they create an obstacle for mom to clean the house.

This idiom is found in LSI 's Reading Connections book which is used for Level 3 reading.

No problem.

No Problem

Idiom: No problem.

First Example:

Megumi: I’m sorry I can’t give you a ride home from the airport.

Shi-Young: No problem. April said she would pick me up.

Meaning: “No problem” means, “That’s okay; don’t worry about it.” It’s common to say, “No problem,” after someone apologizes.

Here is another example:

Second Example:

Shi-Young: Thanks so much for picking me up from the airport.

April: No problem. It was on my way.

Meaning: In this case, April means that giving Shi-Young a ride wasn’t a big deal. You can use “No problem,” instead of, “You’re welcome,” but it’s a little less formal.

This idiom is from LSI's book "Speaking Transitions," which is used in the Level 4 listening and speaking classes. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com/

to take advantage of

Idiom: to take advantage of; used as a verb. This idiom can have a positive and negative meaning.

First example: It has been raining for the past two weeks, but today is sunny. Tom has decided to take advantage of the good weather to get some exercise outside.

Meaning: In this example, “to take advantage of” means “to have a good opportunity and use it to get something good for oneself.” This is the positive meaning of the idiom. The weather has been bad for the previous two weeks, but today is a nice day. Tom is able to enjoy the nice weather and has the opportunity to exercise outside.

Here is another example:

Second example: Jennifer, Joe, and Dan are working on a project together. Dan wants to date Jennifer, but Jennifer wants to date Joe. She knows Dan will do anything to impress her. Jennifer takes advantage of Dan and asks him to finish the project by himself. While he is working on the project, Jennifer and Joe go to dinner and a movie.

Meaning: This example shows the negative meaning of “to take advantage of:” “to get something for oneself by hurting someone else.” Jennifer knows that Dan likes her. She uses his feelings to convince him to do the project alone. Then she goes on a date with Joe while Dan finishes the project. When Dan finds out, he will definitely be hurt.

This idiom is from LSI's book "Reading Transitions," which is used in the Level 4 Listening/Speaking classes. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com/

to pan out

Idiom: to pan out; used as a verb

First example: Stacy was extremely nervous before Tim’s surprise party. She planned on getting him to the party at exactly 8:00, but there was a huge traffic accident on the freeway. Stacy exited the freeway and remembered a shortcut to the restaurant, so she got Tim there just in time. Stacy was happy that everything panned out, and the surprise party was a success.

Meaning: “to pan out” means “to have a successful result.” We generally use this idiom to talk about a difficult or challenging situation. In this example, Stacy was having a problem getting Tim to the restaurant by 8:00 because of the freeway accident. After she remembered the shortcut, she was able to successfully get Tim to the party on time.

Here is another example:

Second example: Jason wanted to start a computer business. He worked for several years and invested a lot of his time and money into the business. Unfortunately, it didn’t pan out, and Jason lost a lot of money. Even though the business failed, Jason learned a lot from his efforts.

Meaning: In this example, Jason failed in his attempt to start a business. Starting a business is very challenging and Jason put a lot of time and money into creating the business. Sadly, it wasn’t successful; the negative form (“didn’t pan out”) is used. This idiom is commonly used in this type of situation.

This idiom is from LSI's book "Speaking Transitions," which is used in the Level 4 Listening/Speaking classes. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com/

bossy

Example 1:

Oh my goodness! The office manager is so bossy! She is always telling everyone what to do, but I never see her doing anything herself. She doesn't even ask politely, she demands it! I think I need to look for a new job.

Example 2:

I have a group project to do in my economics class. Everything is going pretty well except for one thing: Jane thinks she is the leader and is telling everyone what to do. At the beginning, we all agreed that we would be equal members, but as soon as we got together, she became so bossy! She doesn't ask for our opinions and she makes decisions by herself and demands that we follow her plans. This project is a big part of our individual grades and we're running out of time...


Meaning:

bossy adjective
this adjective can be used to describe a person who may or may not be "the boss," but acts like one to an excessive degree. In the first example, the bossy person is actually in charge, but does not delegate tasks politely. In the second example, the bossy person is an equal member of the group, but takes charge aggressively.
to boss (someone) around verb phrase
ex. Heather likes to boss people around

This idiom was taken from LSI's text book titled Speaking Savvy. This book is used to teach Speaking and Listening in our Level 5 class. For more information please visit: http://www.languagesystems.com/

to mingle

Example 1:

Jason: I really want to make many friends while I'm here in the USA. Do you have any advice for me, Shelby?

Shelby: Well, I think you should try to mingle with your classmates as much as possible. Don't be shy. Introduce yourself to as many people as you can. You can meet many people this way!

Jason: Thanks! I'm going to a party tomorrow night. I will try it!


Example 2:

I took my girlfriend to my company's holiday party last weekend. As soon as we arrived, she started introducing herself to all of my co-workers. She mingled with everyone all night! I didn't see her again until we were ready to go home.

Meaning:

to mingle verb
it means to mix socially with other people when at a party or other social occasion. This verb implies that the person who is mingling is moving from one person to another to meet and/or chat for a brief period. A person who mingles does not stay in one place with one specific person/group for very long.


This idiom was taken from LSI's text book titled Speaking Savvy. This book is used to teach Speaking and Listening in our Level 5 class. For more information please visit: http://www.languagesystems.com/

to put up with

Example #1:

Joe: I love living in Southern California!
Gina: Yeah, me too! But sometimes it's hard to put up with the traffic.
Joe: I know what you mean. When I'm stuck in traffic I listen to my favorite music. That helps me a lot.

Idiom: to put up with (something). This idiom is used as a verb phrase and it means to endure or to bear something unpleasant, uncomfortable, or inconvenient.

Example #2:

Kathy: So, how do you like your new apartment?
Debbie: The apartment is nice, but my new neighbors are crazy! Last night they had a party until 3am. The music was so loud I couldn't get to sleep. I'm not sure if I'll be able to put up with them if they do that every weekend!

Idiom: to put up with (someone). Here the object is a person. This idiom means to endure or to bear with someone who is really bothering you or making you feel annoyed.

This idiom is from LSI's textbook "Speaking Transitions." We use this book to teach Level 4 Speaking and Listening. For more information please visit
http:/www.languagesystems.com