black and blue

Example 1:

James: Oh my goodness, Lacy! What happened to your face? Your eye is black and blue! are you ok?
Lacy: Hi, James. Yes, I'm fine. I hurt myself yesterday at the park. I was roller skating and I fell over a stick. Can you believe it!?
James: Wow, you're a really good skater, too. I hope it gets better soon. It looks bad!

Example 2:

Joe: I have a date tomorrow night after my big fight. I hope I win because I don't want my face to be all black and blue for my date!
Pam: Well, Joe. You are a boxer. Being bruised is a normal part of your life! Besides, if she really cares about you, your face won't matter!

Meaning:

to be black and blue means to be bruised.
A bruise is a dark mark that appears under your skin when you get hit or have an injury.

In the first example, Lacy's eye is black and blue because she had an accident while roller skating and hit her face. So now, her eye is bruised. She has a bruise around her eye.

In the second example, Joe is a boxer. Many fighters experience injuries and their faces or bodies are often black and blue. Joe has a date and hopes his face won't be bruised for his date.

This idiom is usually used as an adjective, so don't forget the be verb!

This idiom comes from the LSI textbook "Speaking Savvy." This book is used by LSI teachers in our Level 5 Speaking classes. For more information, please visit www.languagesystems.com

to blow off

Example 1:

Last week, I was buying a birthday gift for my roommate when I saw my grammar teacher Nancy at Del Amo Mall. I waved to Nancy to say hello. She just looked right at me and walked away! I was so shocked by her rude behavior!
On Monday, I asked her why she blew me off at the mall. I was relieved when she told me that she was going to pick up her new glasses and couldn't see anything until she got them. She just didn't recognize me! I'm happy to know that she didn't blow me off on purpose.

Example 2:

Jake: Hey, Tim! Are you going to Mark's party on Thursday?
Tim: I really want to, but we have tests on Friday morning. I need to study!
Jake: Oh! Don't worry about the tests! You'll be fine.
Tim: Besides, I have plans to study with Sheila.
Jake: You guys should blow off the study session and come to the party!

Meaning:
The idiom to blow off means to ignore something or someone in an obvious way.

In the first example, the student is shocked because her grammar teacher blew her off at the mall- she saw her and ignored her very obviously. Actually, her teacher did not blow her off / ignore her, she just couldn't see anything without her new glasses.

In the second example, Jake wants Tim to blow off his study session to attend a party. If he blows off studying, then he is ignoring his plan to study to go to the party.

This idiom comes from the LSI textbook "Spekaing Savvy." This book is used by LSI teachers in our Level 5 Speaking classes. For more information, please visit www.languagesystems.com

to total (one's car)

Idiom: to total (one's car)

Context #1:

Jay: Hey Sarah, I heard that you got into an accident on the freeway yesterday. Are you ok?

Sarah: Yeah... I'm OK, but my car isn't!

Jay: How bad is the damage? Can it be fixed?

Sarah: No way! I completely totalled my car. I'm going to have to buy a new one.

Jay: Wow! I'm really sorry to hear that. You're lucky you didn't get hurt.

Context #2:

Tom: The traffic on the 5 freeway was really bad this morning.

Joe: I know. I saw on the news that there was a bad accident. Some guy on a motorcyle lost control and hit the center divider. He was rushed to the hospital and his bike was totalled.

Meaning: the idiom "to total" is used for cars, motorcyles, and bicycles. It can be used in both the active (context #1) and passive forms (context #2). You can use this idiom in a situation where a car or bike is totally damaged. The vehicle can no longer be used. It is so damaged that it cannot be fixed. Basically, you have to get a new one.

This idiom comes from the LSI textbook "Spekaing Savvy." This book is used by LSI teachers in our Level 5 Speaking classes. For more information, please visit www.languagesystems.com

By Ty Mussack

To Make Someone’s Skin Crawl

To Make Someone’s Skin Crawl

Read the following e-mail and try to guess the meaning of the idiom in bold:

Dear Michelle,

Are you going to the Halloween party tomorrow?
I am so excited about it! I don’t know what I will be, though! I have not found a costume yet! I want to wear something that will make people really, really scared!
I want to make their skin crawl! Could you give me any suggestions?

Thank you so much! I hope to see you there!!

Ligia


What do you think "To Make Someone’s Skin Crawl" means?

Meaning: This idiom means to disturb or bother; to frighten or disgust.

This idiom was found in the LSI book Speaking Savvy.

What are you going to be for Halloween?

To Give Someone the Green Light

To Give Someone the Green Light

Read the following dialogue and try to guess the meaning of the idiom “to give someone the green light”

“Hey, Maria! How have you been?”
“Great! I haven’t seen you in a while! Have you bought that house yet?”
“Unfortunately, even after having saved all these years, I still don’t have enough money for it”
“Why don’t you try and get a loan?”
“ I’ve tried that, but the bank has not given me the green light! The manager said my credit is not good…”
“I am sorry to hear that.”

What do you think To Give Someone the Green Light means?

a. To take something from someone
b. To give someone permission to do something
c. To expect someone to do something
d. To drive by the green light

Meaning: To Give Someone the Green Light means to give someone permission to do something. In the dialogue above, the bank has not given Maria permission to loan money from them because her credit is bad.

You can find this idiom in the LSI book Speaking Savvy!

to fit in with

to fit in with

"to fit in with" means to be accepted by a group of people because you are similar to them. 

Example 1: 

      - Joanne: Hey Alex! How are you? I heard you are now working at a different company. How is it going?
 

      -  Alex: Hey Joanne. It's going great! I love my new position. It's just what I wanted! 

      -  Joanne: Great! But you know, to really enjoy your job it's important to have good relationship with people who work with you! And now you are in this new office with a bunch of people you have never met before. Is it difficult for you? 

       - Alex: No, not at all! I fitted in with my new colleagues right away! They treat like a friend, with respect!

Example 2:

- Christine didn't fit in with the people at my party at all!I shouldn't have invited her. My guests were all business professionals and she showed up in a mini skirt talking about her crazy trip to Amsterdam!

Meaning 1: 

     Alex feels good at his new job because he and his coworkers are probably similar in some ways: their passion to the job, life styles etc... He feels like he is one of them! 

Meaning for Example 2: 

Christine is very different from the people she met at the party. She looks different and they probably have different  interests, that's why she doesn't "fit in" with the business people she met there.
This idiom is from LSI's book "Reading Savvy," which is used in the Level 6 Reading classes. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com/

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/