to cheer up / cheer someone up

Example 1:

Emily: I just failed my driving test. I'll never get my license!
Matt: Oh no! That's ok. Don't be so sad. I can help you practice for your next test appointment.
Emily: I never want to drive again! I'm so discouraged!
Matt: Come on, Emily! Cheer up! Everything will be fine! You just need a little more practice.

Example 2:

Rita: Good morning, Betty! How are you?
Betty: Oh, hi, Rita... I didn't see you come in...
Rita: Are you ok? You look sad.
Betty: I am very sad today. My goldfish died yesterday. I only had him for two weeks!
Rita: I'm so sorry to hear that! Is there anything I can do to cheer you up?
Betty: No, that's ok. Thank you for your concern.

Meaning:

to cheer up is most often used in an imperative sentence (giving instructions, commands, or advice). When you say this to another person, you are instructing/advising/commanding them to feel better and stop feeling so sad or down.
In the first example, Emily is upset because she failed her driving test. Her friend Matt says, "cheer up" because it's not necessary to be so sad since she has another chance to take the test.

to cheer someone up is used when one person tries to make another person feel better. Remember to use object pronouns or names in place of someone.
In the second example, Betty is upset because her goldfish died. Rita asks, "is there anything i can do to cheer you up (make you feel better)?

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

out of the blue

Read the following examples to guess the meaning for out of the blue

Example 1:
I was washing dishes after dinner last night when out of the blue, my roommate from college called me on the phone! I hadn't spoken to her in over 5 years so I was really surprised that she called.

Example 2:
Julia and Oscar were dating for more than 8 months. They went out for a nice dinner last Saturday night. Right before dessert, Julia suddenly broke up with him. There was no explanation and no warning. It was totally out of the blue. Oscar was so sad and shocked.

Meaning:
out of the blue is a common expression that signals when something unexpected happens without warning.

In the first example, the speaker and her college roommate have not had contact for a long time, so the phone call was really surprising and unexpected. She called out of the blue.

In the second example, Oscar had no idea that Julia was going to end the relationship. He thought he was just going to have a nice date with his girlfriend! When she broke up with him before dessert, of course Oscar was shocked! It was totally out of the blue!


This idiom is from LSI's book "Speaking Savvy," which is used in the level 5 Listening/Speaking class. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com

to take off

Idiom: to take off

Context #1:

Joe: What time is it?

Sam: It's 3 o'clock.

Joe: Oh man! I have to take off. I have a doctor's appointment at 3:15.

Sam: Alright. See you later!

Context #2:

Debbie: You were at the party last night, right?

Julie: Yeah, I went with my boyfriend.

Debbie: What time did you guys leave?

Julie: We took off about midnight.

Meaning: to take off is a very common American idiom. Native speakers will use this idiom to mean "leave."

This idiom was taken from LSI's textbook Speaking Savvy. This book is used at LSI schools to teach Level 5 Speaking. For more information please visit: http://www.languagesystems.com/

to be bummed

to be bummed (out)


Context #1:

Steve: What's wrong? You look like you are really bummed.
Alex: Yeah...my girlfiend told me that she wants to break up.
Steve: Oh man! Sorry to hear that.
Alex: That's alright. There's nothing I can do about it.


Context #2:

Lisa: Did you get the tickets for the Lady Gaga concert?
Jennifer: No! The tickets were all sold out!
Lisa: No way! Sara is going to be bummed when she finds out. She loves Lady Gaga and she has been looking forward to this concert for so long.


Meaning: be bummed (adjective) means to feel sad, disappointed, or depressed. You can also use this adjective as the phrasal verb "bummed out." If you add "out" it does not change the meaning. Like other adjectives in English, the common verbs to use with "bummed" are "be" "get" and "feel."


This idiom comes from the LSI Textbook Speaking Transitions, which is used to teach Level 4 Speaking at LSI schools. For more information please visit www.languagesystems.com

To Cut Down on Something

To Cut Down on Something

Please try to guess the meaning of the idiom in bold:

Sheryl has gained 45 lbs (pounds) in the last couple of months. Her doctor told her if she does not cut down on sugar and fat, she might have a heart attack soon!

What do you think “to cut down” means?

A. To increase the amount of something
B. To eat something
C. To decrease the amount of something
D. All of the Above
E. None of the Above

The answer is: C

Meaning: To cut down on something means to decrease the amount of something.
In the example above, if Sheryl does not decrease the amount of sugar and fat , she might have a heart attack!

This idiom was taken from the LSI book Reading Horizons!

To Step on Someone's Toes

To Step on Someone’s Toes

Read the following e-mail and try to guess the meaning of the idiom “to step on someone’s toes”:

Hi Karen,

You won’t believe what just happened!
Marilyn has a problem with a new company policy. She did not like the fact that employees have to wear name tags to work now. She should have talked to her direct supervisor, Paul about it first, but she didn’t! She sent a nasty e-mail to the company’s CEO. Paul was really upset and told her she should not have stepped on his toes like that! The CEO also told her she should have talked to her direct supervisor first.
She totally stepped on Paul’s toes by talking to the CEO about it! Paul should have been the one dealing with the situation.
Anyway, I’ll keep you posted on what happens next! Any gossip from your department today?

Susan

Meaning: To Step on Someone’s Toes means to disrespect someone’s position and go above them.
In the e-mail above, Marylin stepped on Paul’s toes because instead of talking about the problem with him, she sent a letter to the CEO of the company

This idiom was taken from LSI's book Reading Savvy!

mom and pop

Idiom: Mom and pop; used as an adjective


First example: My parents have never been rich, but they were always able to provide for us. I spent many happy days at their mom and pop restaurant watching them work and learning how to run a business. It was the only Greek restaurant in the small town I lived in. My parents were always there, and they knew personally many of the customers who ate there. When they retired and closed the restaurant, many of their customers cried.


Meaning: "Mom and pop" literally means "mother and father." It is a term used to describe a small business that is owned by a single owner or family. The business generally has only one or two locations. The owners are personally involved in taking care of the business. In the situation above, the writer's parents were always at the restaurant and the restaurant depended on their involvement to stay open.


Here is another example:


Second example: In my neighborhood when I was young, there were a lot of Middle Eastern immigrants. Most of these families opened small convenience stores to survive. These mom and pop stores were on almost every corner. Each was owned by a different family. When one family felt it had enough money or education to pursue other opportunities, it would pass the store on to a new family. This is how the Middle Eastern immigrant community took care of one another.


Meaning: In this situation, the stores are not always owned by mothers and fathers, but they are still individually owned. One family would start a store, and pass it to a new family when the first family no longer needed it. The store owners never combined their stores into a chain group. Each store was controlled by a different person/family.


This idiom is from LSI's book "Reading Horizons," which is used in the level 6 Reading classes. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com