to put someone on

Example 1:

Jack: I feel so stupid!

Travis: Why?

Jack: Bill and Mark kept telling me that Jennifer, a girl in my English class, really liked me and wanted to go out with me.

Travis: OK. So what's wrong with that?

Jack: Wait...let me finish. So I decided to ask her out to a concert this coming Saturday.

Travis: Yeah, so what happened?

Jack: She started laughing! Then she asked me how I ever got the idea that she would actually date me. It was so embarrassing! I finally realized that Bill and Mark were just putting me on. They thought it would be funny to see me ask Jennifer out when they knew she would never date me.

Travis: Dude, that's bad. You shouldn't believe anything they say from now on!

Example 2:

Trisha: You are never going to believe this, but I just won a trip for two to Hawaii!

Jeff: You are putting me on.

Trisha: No, I'm not putting you on. It's true. And I would like you to come with me.

Jeff: Wow! I'd love to go! We are going to have so much fun!

Meaning:
To put someone on means to joke about something or to tell someone something untrue as a joke. In the first example, Bill and Mark told Jack that a girl liked him when she really did not like him. They were putting him on. In the second example, Trisha was so lucky to win a trip to Hawaii that Jeff thought she was joking or putting him on.

This idiom can be found in the LSI textbook Speaking Savvy. This book is used at LSI schools in the level 5 Listening/Speaking classes. For more information, please visit www.languagesystems.com

Don't Go There

Example 1:

Tammy is asking her roommate, who is very messy, to clean up after herself.

Tammy: Could you please clean up after yourself in the bathroom? Your clothes are all over the floor! Every morning when I go in to take a shower, I have to step around your clothes. It's so annoying!

Cheryl: Oh really? I don't remember leaving my clothes on the floor every day, only a few times a week. Besides, didn't you leave your dirty dishes in the sink one time last month?

Tammy: Don't go there, Cheryl! You know that you are so much messier than me. How could you compare a ONE time mess to an everyday mess?

Cheryl: Fine. You don't have to get so upset about it. I'll try to be better from now on.

Example 2:

Terri is advising Bob to be healthier in his life.

Terri: You know, Bob, I think you really should start exercising every day. It's so good for you and it will make you feel a lot better.

Bob: What are you trying to say, Terri? I never said that I need to feel better. In fact, I feel just fine most of the time.

Terri: Well, Bob, you have put on a few pounds and I really don't think you should be eating donuts for breakfast every day. They aren't good for you.

Bob: What? Don't even go there, Terri! I see you eating cake every single day for breakfast and you are not exactly the perfect weight yourself.

Terri: Well, I was just trying to be helpful. Excuse me for caring!


Meaning: Don't go there means to not want to discuss or even think about something. In the first example, Tammy doesn't want to discuss the fact that she was messy one time compared to Cheryl, who is messy every day. In the second example, Bob, who may be a little overweight, does not want to even think about the topic of weight because he feels fine and the advice is coming from Terri, who is really not that healthy. The use of "even" makes his statement much stronger and puts an end to that line of discussion.

This idiom can be found in the LSI textbook Speaking Transitions. This book is used in the level 4 Listening/Speaking classes. For more information, please visit www.languagesystems.com

"to blow off steam"

Example 1:

Diana: This week was so stressful! I need to blow off some steam this weekend...!

Anna: I hear you~! How 'bout we get together with some friends tonight?

Diana: Yes!! I'm ready to go dancing!!

Anna: Okay, let's all meet at that new club downtown.


Example 2:

Mom on phone to friend: When is the rain going to stop? My kids are driving me crazy!!

Friend: Sounds like they need to blow off some steam! Don't worry, it's supposed to be sunny tomorrow.

Mom: Thank goodness. They've been inside for 3 days straight. They're pent-up with energy and need to get out and run around.


Meaning: to release one's extra energy or emotions.

This idiom probably comes from the fact that boiling water produces steam which creates high pressure that will cause an explosion if it isn't released somehow.

Note: "to blow off steam" and "to let off steam" have the same meaning.

In Example 1, Diana wants to go dancing to let go of her stress.
In Example 2, the children have too much energy because they haven't been able to go outside and play. They need to go outside and release their energy.

The idiom "to blow off steam" was taken from Unit 2 (It's Janet's Birthday!) in LSI's textbook Speaking Transitions for Level 4 Speaking/Listening classes.

to slip something into something else

Example 1:

Johnny and I went for coffee last night after class. He tried to pay for my drink, but I insisted on treating him. When I got home, I found $10 in my jacket pocket! Johnny had slipped money into my pocket! He paid for the coffee after all!

Example 2:

There was a special news report on TV. The reported was talking about something dangerous that could happen in bars and nightclubs. When you go to a bar or a nightclub and a stranger wants to buy you a drink, be careful! They could slip a drug into your drink without you knowing! You could get sick or worse! The report advised to use your best judgement before accepting drinks from people you don't know.

Meaning:

slip something into something else means to secretly put something into something else. They are usually trying to hide the action in order to surprise someone or to be sneaky.

For example :
He slipped the money into my pocket.
He secretly put the money into my pocket. I didn't know he did it.

This idiom was taken from the LSI textbook "Reading Transitions" which is used at LSI schools to teach Level 4 Reading/Vocabulary. For more information, please visit www.languagesystems.com

to be coming up

Example 1:

Ron: My birthday is coming up! Are you free this weekend? I'm having a party.

Scott: Really? When is your birthday?

Ron: It's tomorrow!

Example 2:

I'm really nervous! The BIG test is coming up and I don't think I'm ready. It's about 1 week away, so I have some time to study. Hopefully it's enough time to learn everything!

Meaning:

to be coming up is an expression used when an event will happen in the near future.

In example 1, Ron's birthday is coming up. Ron's birthday is tomorrow. Tomorrow is in the near future.

In example 2, the big test is coming up. The big test is next week. Next week is in the near future.

This idiom was taken from the LSI textbook "Reading Connections" which is used at LSI schools to teach Level 3 Reading/Vocabulary. For more information, please visit www.languagesystems.com

to be out of

to be out of


Context #1:
Sam: Oh man!  I wanted to cook dinner tonight, but I'm out of rice.
Jim:  No problem. I can take you to the store to get some more.
Sam: Ok, thanks!  Let's go.


Context #2:
Waitress:  Can I take your order?
Julie:  Sure.  I'll have the mahi mahi.
Waitress: I'm sorry! We're out of the mahi mahi.
Julie:  Really!  Well then, I'll have the salmon.


Meaning: to be out of something means that something is all gone, no longer available, or sold out.  This is a very common idiom in American English.  


This idiom was taken from the LSI textbook "Speaking Transitions" which is used at LSI schools to teach Level 4 Speaking and Listening.  For more information, please visit www.languagesystems.com


Thank you Ty!

“to take advantage of someone”

“to take advantage of someone”


Buddy: Sometimes I think I’m too nice. I think people are starting to take advantage of me!
Lauren: You are a really nice guy, but what do you mean exactly?
Buddy: Well, the other day I told me friend he could borrow my car for an afternoon, so I let him. Two days later, he asked if I could lend my car to him again for the weekend. I let him borrow it then, too.
Lauren: That was kind of you!
Buddy: I know, but he just asked to borrow it again, and this time he wants it for a whole month!
Lauren: A month! That’s a really long time! Don’t you need your car?
Buddy: Actually, I do. I use it every day.
Lauren: Well, what are you going to tell him?
Buddy: I already told him that he could borrow it. I don’t know what I’m going to do without my car.
Lauren: Oh, Buddy! You are too nice! If you don’t stand up for yourself, people are going to take advantage of you! Don’t be a pushover!
Buddy: OK, I’ll try. Can I borrow your car?
Lauren: No! See? It’s easy, right?

“to take advantage of someone” happens when someone finds a weakness in another person, and then uses (exploits) that weakness for their own benefit

This idiom is in our LSI book, Speaking Transitions!