Under the weather

Idiom: to be/feel under the weather

First Example:

Alan: Oh man! It’s midnight and I have to drive 100 miles to my house! I shouldn’t have drunk so much! I am not feeling good!!!

Jeremy: Alan, you shouldn’t drive. You can spend a night at my house. Many fatal accidents are caused by drivers who are under the weather.

Meaning: This idiom is use to explain a feeling of sickness, sadness, lack of energy or hangover. From the example, we see that Alan is not feeling good. He might have headache, feel nauseous or have hammering sound in his ears. It’s all caused by drinking too much.

Second Example:

Teacher: Ayaka, why are you so late today and why didn’t you do your homework?

Ayaka: Tim, I am feeling a bit under the weather today. I could not concentrate on my homework and I overslept this morning.

Teacher: Yeah, you don’t look good. You should go home and take care of yourself.  

Ayaka, the student, could not do her homework and had a hard time waking up in the morning because she was not feeling good. When the teacher said “ you don’t look good”, he meant that she looked sick, not that she didn't look pretty.

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

to get in(to) shape

Idiom: to get in(to) shape; used as a verb

First Example:

Commercial: Are you ready to wear your bathing suit this Summer? Or did you gain too much weight over the holidays? Come on down to Fitness Center and get into shape. If you sign up now, you'll get two free training sessions to help you get in shape!

Meaning: "Get in(to) shape" means to improve one's health, usually by exercising (but could also include dieting). The example above is what you might hear from a radio/television commercial for a gym membership. Normally, this idiom uses the preposition "into." However, due to the related idiom "in shape," which is used to describe a person who is in excellent physical condition, some people use "get in shape" instead. This idiom is sometimes separated after "into," usually to add an adjective for emphasis. Look at the following example.

Second Example:

Jerry: Thanks for coming to the gym with me Jean.

Jean: No problem. It'll be fun. Wow, that guy is really in shape!

Jerry: I know! I wonder what he did to get into such great shape.

Jean: Let's ask! Excuse me, sir. What's your secret?

Robby: What do you mean?

Jean: How did you get in such amazing shape?

Robby: Hard work and diet. I can show you if you like. I'm a trainer here at the gym, so you'd have to pay for the lessons.

Here, Jerry and Jean admire Robby, who is in good shape. Notice that both "get into" and "get in" are used interchangeably with "shape" and that both examples use adjectives to explain just how good of shape Robby is in.

This idiom is from LSI's book "Reading Connections," which is used in the Level 3 Reading classes. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com/

Significant other

Idiom: significant other; used as a noun.

First Example:

Christina: Bryan, I just got a wedding invitation from my friend, Ryan. Would you like to go with me?

Bryan: Sure, but can you bring a guest?

Christina: Hmm. Well, it says the only guests allowed are children and significant others.

Bryan: Then I don't think I should go. Roommates don't count as "significant others."

Meaning: "Significant other" is used as a vague term for another person's partner in a romantic relationship. It is often used formally in things like invitations, when it's possible the person could have a husband/wife or boyfriend/girlfriend. In the above example, Bryan says he can't go because "significant other" means more than a friend or roommate. However, "significant other" can also be used informally, either because a person wants to keep his/her private life secret, or in a question to find out a person's relationship status and/or sexual orientation.

Second Example:

Laurie's Boss: Who was that on the phone?

Laurie: My significant other - I need to pick up some eggs on the way home.

Here, Laurie is avoiding telling her boss what her relationship is exactly to the person who called her, so she just said it was her "significant other."

Third Example:

Laurie's Boss: Why do you always use "significant other?" Why don't you just say "boyfriend" or "husband"?

Laurie: Because "Susan" is actually my girlfriend, but I didn't want my sexuality to make you uncomfortable.

Laurie's Boss: Oh, of course it doesn't make me uncomfortable! Actually I should have guessed. My little brother used to use "significant other" all the time for his boyfriend, Christopher.

Here, Laurie used "significant other" to hide the fact that she is a lesbian.

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/

To Drag One's Feet

To Drag One’s Feet

Example 1:
Tim: My first class is at 7:00 AM in the morning and it is so hard to get up.

Selene: I know what you mean. I had a really early class last semester. My roommate and I would just drag our feet to class every Monday and Wednesday. It was so hard to be on time!


Example 2:
Kitty: You really have to go to this new Yoga class I’ve been taking for the past two weeks. I feel amazing!
Jolene: Really? I’ve been wanting to take a Yoga class, but I just never seem to find the time to get started.
Kitty: Don’t drag your feet! If you take this class, your life is going to change. You’ll feel so much better!

Meaning:
To drag one’s feet means to do something slowly or to delay something. Usually, a person would drag his feet when it comes to doing something he doesn’t want to do like going to work early or taking an exercise class.

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

To Pick Out

To Pick Out

Example 1:

Terry: I finally saved up enough money to buy a new car! I just don’t know which car to pick out.

Sandy: Oh, I know which one you should pick. That little red Fiat over there is adorable!

Terry: Great idea! Thanks for the advice.


Example 2:

Kitty: Have you seen the new uniforms they picked out for school this year!

Jolene: Yes! They are horrible. Those strips look ridiculous with plaid.

Kitty: I don’t know what they were thinking. They must have been drunk when they picked out those colors!

Meaning:

Pick out means to choose or select something. However, people will commonly use just “pick” without “out” as in the first example when Sandy says “I know which one you should pick.” In this case, she could also say “I know which one you should pick out.”

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 Be Blown Away

Example 1:
Terry: I just got back from vacation and I had a wonderful time!

Sandy: Oh, really? Where did you go?

Terry: I went to Montego Bay in Jamaica. It was absolutely amazing! There was so much to do and the beautiful sunsets on the beach just blew me away! I really didn’t want to come back to work!

Sandy: Wow! That sounds great. I bet it was hard to come back home!

Example 2:
Ken: I just watched a news report last night on how poverty is so widespread in countries around the world. What is even worse is that people in those countries have a difficult time doing anything about their lives. Also, it is very hard to get clean food, water, and medical supplies to the ones who need them.

Joe: It blows me away how difficult life can be for so many people around the world. We should feel lucky to live in a place where we don’t have to worry about getting clean food and water every day.

Meaning:
The expression to be blown away is used to express surprise or shock at something that has happened. It can be used in both negative and positive situations.

In the first example, Terry just came back from an amazing vacation. The beauty of the place he visited surprised him in a very positive way.

In the second example, Ken and Joe are talking about poverty in the world and how hard it is for some people to survive. Joe is shocked in a negative way about this fact.

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

It Beats Me!

Example 1:
Tina: Where is Tom? He said he would be here an hour ago!

Kerri: Yes, we made these plans last week and confirmed everything last night!

Tina: He only lives 5 minutes from here. Where could he be?

Kerri: It beats me! He really has no excuse for being late!

Example 2:
Ken: I just heard about a guy who survived five weeks in the middle of the ocean in a small lifeboat. He only had a small amount of food and water. Also, there was a big storm while he was on the lifeboat. How could he still be alive?

Joe: It beats me how he survived in such a dangerous environment! What an amazing story!

Meaning:
The expression it beats me is used when a person does not know the answer to a question. It is also something a person says when he cannot understand something.

In the first example, two women are waiting for Tom. They arranged this meeting far ahead of time and even confirmed it with Tom the night before. Also, Tom lives very close to the meeting place, so he really has no excuse for being late. Kerri does not know why he is late and cannot even imagine an excuse.

In the second example, a man survived at sea for five days in a lifeboat without a lot of food and water. It’s an unbelievable story and Joe cannot understand or figure out how the man could survive when many people would die in the same situation.

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