Pit stop

Idiom: Pit stop

Example 1: 

Our road trip to Las Vegas was great except for 1 thing. John kept drinking a ton of water and we had to make so many pit stops for him to use the restroom! 

Example 2:

Jason: Are you ready to go?

Maria: Yes, but we'll need to make a quick pit stop for gas and snacks. It's going to be a long drive.

Jason: OK! There's a gas station near the freeway. We can get everything there.

Explanation: A pit stop is a short break in a driving trip to do something such as fill the gas tank, use the restroom, buy snacks, etc. 

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Road rage

Idiom: Road rage

Example 1 (On the road)

Robbie: Watch out, Sarah! You almost hit that car in front of us!

Sarah: Oh my gosh! I didn't see it! Oh no, it looks like he's slowing down but why?

(Other driver gives Robbie and Sarah the middle finger and is shouting something at them from his car)

Robbie: Wow! That guy needs to calm down! He has a serious case of road rage! And Sarah, you need to drive more carefully.

Example 2 (News Report)

There was a terrible incident of road rage late last night on the 110 freeway in Los Angeles. A local man lost his life when an enraged motorist stuck him with his vehicle after a minor traffic accident. Police are still investigating. 

Meaning: Road rage is extremely aggressive behavior by a person driving a car or other road vehicle. Road rage includes rude hand gestures, shouting, unsafe driving, purposely blocking or hitting another vehicle, throwing things at other drivers, getting out of the car to fight, and has even resulted in death.

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A class clown

Idiom: A class clown

Context #1:

Jill: Have you met John, the new student from Texas?

Cathy: Yeah, he is so funny.  His first day in class he was doing an impression of President Obama and everyone was laughing so hard.

Jill: I heard about that.  I guess he has become the official class clown.

Context #2:

Tom: Man! That accounting class is so boring.

Chris: Yeah, I know.  Everyone is so serious.

Tom: We need to get a new student who can be the class clown.

Chris: Definitely!

Meaning: "class clown" is a term used to describe the student in a class who is really funny and makes people laugh.  The class clown is usually joking around and doing silly things just because that is his/her personality.

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(To be) a geek

Idiom: (To be) a geek

Context #1:

Jim: What are you doing this weekend?  

Carl: Well, I think I'm going to study and work on my remote control airplane.

Jim: Really? You are such a geek!

Carl: Yeah, I know. Everybody says that.

Context #2:

Sally: Did you know that Peter has a huge collection of Star Wars and Batman toys? The guy is like 40 years old.

Grace: I know. Peter is a real geek! His whole bedroom is filled with Star Wars stuff.

Meaning: "A geek" is used to describe someone whose life interests and hobbies are strangely centered around things like science fiction movies, computer games, math, the sciences, engineering, etc. 

This term is derogatory and is used to tease people or to make fun of them.

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To be wild about (something)

Idiom: To be wild about

  

Meaning: To have a strong, almost uncontrollable, liking to someone or something. 

Context #1 – Someone has fallen in love.

Matt: Leslie, I have something to confess. 

Leslie: Okay, what is it?

Matt: Well, we’ve been spending a lot of time together these days, and well, what I’m trying to say is I’m kind of wild about you.

Leslie: Oh Matt, I feel exactly the same way.  I can’t stop thinking about you all the time.

Matt:  Really?  I’m so happy to hear that because I feel that way too.  I really like you and just want to spend all my time with you.

Context #2 – Talking about baseball between friends.

Don: I love baseball season.  There’s nothing better than a good ballgame.

Summer: I know.  Every year you say the same thing.  Why are you so wild about baseball?

Don: Everyone I know likes baseball.  I’ve been watching and playing baseball since I can remember.  The games, the players, the food, the atmosphere can make your entire day fantastic.  I’m more than wild about it, baseball is life.

Summer: I guess I can’t argue with that.  Besides, baseball has become popular in many countries now. 

Meaning: The idiom “wild about” means to like something very much.  Being wild about something means you can like something to an extreme, for a brief or extended time. 

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Like wildfire

Idiom: Like wildfire

Meaning: Spreading, growing or gaining popularity in an accelerated way; Quickly gaining attention. 

Context #1 – A new song was released by a very popular music artist.

Joc: Hey Clay, did you hear the new McPac-Man song? 

Clayton: No, why?

Joc: Dude, seriously?  It’s been spreading like wildfire.  It’s become so popular across the world, so quickly, that the president wants to meet him.

Clayton: No way!  That popular?

Larry:  Yeah!  They say it will be the track of the century.

Context #2 – The most popular kids in school started dating.

Jay: Manny started dating Jinkee.

Alice: I heard! OMG

Jay: Wow, I guess everybody knows.

Alice: I guess so.  Seems the news has been spreading like wildfire.

Jay:  Yeah, even our other campuses know about this romance.

Alice: Wow, it really is like wildfire. 

Jay: With social media, you can’t keep anything a secret for long.

Meaning: The idiom “like wildfire” means that information about something positive/negative has spread so quickly that it’s almost impossible to stop.  Spreading like wildfire means gaining popularity at a pace most people didn’t imagine possible.  The news become almost impossible to control.

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Well-oiled machine

Idiom: Well-oiled machine

Meaning: Working in a proper and successful way; a well-oiled system or company that operates without problems.

Context #1 – Caris is just starting a new job at Minefield Company.

Larry: Welcome to Minefield Company! Is this your first day working here?

Caris: Yes, it is.

Larry: Great! Let me show you around. Here is our Marketing Department and here is the Human Resource Department. There is also an employee lounge right around the corner, where you can get snacks and coffee while taking a break.

Caris: Wow, everything is so organized here.

Larry: Yes, our company is like a well-oiled machine. And we like it that way.

Caris: It certainly makes me happy to be working here!

Context #2 – Two people are talking about working on political campaigns.

Jenna: Wow! I am so impressed with Hillary Clinton’s vision for America. I think that I will work on her campaign for president once she announces her intention to run.

Ignatius: Oh, I don’t like her at all. She is just a typical politician who is tied to Washington. I would much rather support Kent Thorpe. He is the one with a vision!

Jenna: Kent who? I’ve never heard of him. I don’t even think he has any supporters or even a structure in place to start a presidential campaign.

Ignatius: He doesn’t need a “structure” in place. He only needs to speak and his charisma and vision will change this country.

Jenna: I don’t think so. A presidential campaign must be like a well-oiled machine, with every part working together perfectly in order to succeed.

Ignatius: If that is the case, then Hillary’s well-oiled machine didn’t help her win last time, did it?

Jenna: Well, it’s because Obama’s political campaign was just a little better.

Ignatius: We shall see. Just wait for President Thorpe!

Meaning: The idiom “well-oiled machine” means that a system or company works in a proper and successful way. In the first context, Caris is impressed by how well the company operates. In the second context, Jenna believes that only a candidate with a campaign like a "well-oiled machine" can be successful.

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