to mouth off

Example 1:

Billy was having dinner with his family last night. Billy's mother asked him if he could clear the table and wash the dishes because she needed to help his younger sister with her homework.

Billy replied, "Why don't you do it yourself?" with an angry tone. Billy's mother was furious because Billy had been mouthing off to her like this a lot recently.

Billy's best friend has a birthday party planned for Saturday. Billy is not allowed to go to the party because he mouthed off to his mother after dinner last night.

Example 2:

Sarah is very passionate about politics and likes to talk about it at her office. Politics can be a sensitive subject, but Sarah doesn't care if her opinions offend or hurt anyone. She mouths off about whatever she wants without respect for others. It is not surprising that Sarah is not very popular in the office.

Meaning:

to mouth off means to speak rudely and angrily to someone in authority. It can also mean to speak angrily or complain about something without thinking about your words and if they are offensive to those around you.

mouth off to someone - Billy mouthed off to his mother
mouth off about something - Sarah mouths off about politics

In example 1, Billy mouths off to his mother and she punishes him for it. In this context, to mouth off is used to show that Billy is speaking rudely and angrily to someone in authority who deserves respect.

In example 2, Sarah is described as a person who complains and talks angrily or negatively about things without thinking about the people around her.

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

to keep one's fingers crossed

Context #1:

Jane: Tomorrow I'm going to go to the DMV to take my driving test... again! I've already failed twice!

Cindy: Good luck! I hope you pass. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

 

Context #2:

Paul: Hey John, you had a job interview last week, right? Have you heard back from them yet?

John: No, I haven't heard back from them yet. The interview went really well though. I really want that job. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

 

Meaning: to keep your fingers crossed is used in different situations where you are wishing someone luck. This can be used when you are wishing good luck for yourself or for someone else. Don't forget that this idiom uses the plural "fingers," not the singluar "finger."

 

This idiom can be found in the LSI textbook Speaking Savvy. This book is used at LSI schools to teach Level 5 Speaking. For more information, please visit: www.languagesystems.com

to have something in common

Idiom: to have something in common

 

Context #1:

Joe: Guess what! I found out that Cindy and I both love Jazz music. Plus, she loves to play soccer just like I do.

Fred: Wow! You guys have a lot in common.

Joe: Yeah. I wonder if we like any other of the same things.

 

Context #2:

Mario: So how come you broke up with your girlfriend?

Tim: Well, she was really nice, and pretty too. But I found out that we had almost nothing in common. We like different kinds of music, different kinds of movies, different kinds of food. We had nothing to really talk about. I love sports but she hates them.

Mario: Yeah.. it would be really hard to date someone who had so many differences.

 

Meaning: to have something in common means that two people share the same background, hobbies, likes, or experiences.

 

This idiom was taken 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 work on

TO WORK ON

Read the following dialogue and guess the meaning of the idiom in bold:

Susan: "Hi,Sofia! How was your trip to Italy?"
Sofia: "It was really nice! I was there for 20 days!"
Susan: "Did Alfonso go with you?"
Sofia: "Yes, he did! If he weren't there, I don't know what I would have done..."
Susan: "Why?"
Sofia: "He is fluent in Italian."
Susan: "Didn't you study Italian for a long time?"
Sofia: "Yes, I did. Unfortunately, I don't practice it as much and it is really hard for me to communicate now. I really have to work on my Italian..."
Susan: "You should! Alfonso seems to really like you and if things work out well, you might be marrying and Italian!"
Sofia: " No!! We are just friends!"
Susan: "that's not what he told me..."


What do you think TO WORK ON means?

a. To stop doing something
b. To improve on something
c. To teach something
d. All of the above

The answer is B.

MEANING: To work on something means to improve, to become better at something!

This idiom was taken from our book SPEAKING TRANSITIONS!

Behind Someone’s Back

Behind Someone’s Back

Read the following sentences and guess the meaning of the idiom in bold:

Mary got mad at Tom because he was talking about her behind her back.

Jose asked his Dad if he could borrow the car but he said “no”. After that, Jose went behind his Dad’s back and asked his Mom if he could borrow the car. That was not appropriated!

What do you think “behind someone’s back” means?

a. in front of someone
b. without someone knowing
c. behind a car
d. all of the above

The answer is “b”.

Meaning: behind someone’s back means to do something secretly, without other people knowing.

This idiom was taken from our LSI book Speaking Savvy!

For more information about Language Systems International (LSI) please go to www.languagesystems.com

TO CUT CORNERS

Example 1

 

Sarah: Hey Bella, do you want to go to Starbucks after school?

 

Bella: I'd really like to  but I want to save money for a new dress for the school dance so I need to cut

corners. Lets get something to drink at my house instead.

 

Sarah: Okay. Sounds good.

 

Example 2

 

Susan: ( To co-worker ) Christine is a great friend but she's difficult to work with, because she always tries to cut corners to get things done quickly. Sometimes I have to go back and redo her work to make sure its acceptable to the boss.

 

Maria: That's terrible! You should tell her not to do that again.

 

Meaning: "To cut corners" can be used in a couple of different situations. In the first example, a person can cut corners in order to save money or to economize. In the second example,

"cutting corners" involves completing a task quickly while eliminating a few of the steps in the process. Cutting corners can be a positive or negative action depending on the situation.

cut corners: this idiom can be found in LSI 's Level 4 Reading Horizons book

To see ( someone's ) point

First example

Judy:  Hey Megan, I heard that you are selling your car, I have a friend who might be    interested.

Megan: That's great. Tell her to give me a call.

Judy: How much are you selling it for? I think she can pay about $ 3000

Megan: I'm selling it for $3500 and I really can't accept any less. It's a fairly new car and in great condition and I paid three times the price for it.

Judy: Ok. I see your point. I'll tell her to give you a call.

Second example

Sarah: Mom, I really don't want to play soccer this season.

Sarah's Mom : But honey, you're such a great player and your team won first place last season.

Sarah: I know, but I've been thinking of taking a yoga class and getting more involved in a club at school. I wish you'd see my point ( of view )

Sarah's Mom: Why don't you think about it for a few more days and we can talk about it later?

Meaning: To "see someone's point" means that you understand their reason for having a certain opinion, or for feeling a certain way. When you say " I see your point ," you are telling

them their idea is reasonable and understandable. This can be a useful phrase when you have a small difference of opinion and you want the other person to feel understood.
This idiom can be found in LSI 's Level 4 Speaking Transitions book.