Suck It Up

Idiom: Suck it up

Meaning: Stop complaining.

 

Example: Abby is talking to her teacher Mr. N, as he assigns the class some homework.

 

Abby: But Mr. N, we've already been assigned a lot of homework for tomorrow in the other classes!!

Mr. N: Well, now you have some homework for my class too!

Abby: But, tomorrow is Friday and we have to study for tests.

Mr. N: Abby, suck it up!

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Lump Sum

Idiom: lump sum; used as a noun

First Example:

Abel: Hey Sandra, I heard about you winning the lottery?

Sandra: Yep!  I won $10 million!

Abel: Wow, that's amazing!

Sandra: Yeah, I still have to decide if I'm going to take the annuity or lump sum. 

Abel: What's that?

Sandra: Well, taking an annuity means I get the whole $10 million, but it will come in payments over 20 years.  If I want everything at once, I can take a lump sum payment, but it will be a bit less than $7 million.

Abel: Oh, that is a tough decision.

Meaning: The term "lump sum" is used for large payments, usually made when some kind of payment plan is also an option.  These options are common with lottery winnings (like the example above) and retirement payments).  In the example above, Sandra is unsure if she should take a lump sum or annuity payment on her lottery winning.  The phrase can also be used when making payments, such as in the following example:

            Timothy owes $1500 in taxes.  He has the option of paying it all off in a lump sum, or he can make payments to the IRS, but if he decides to make payments, he'll have to pay an additional fee and interest.  It will end up costing him closer to $2000 in the long run.

Meaning: In this case, Timothy owes taxes, so the lump sum would be a payment he makes instead of receives.

This idiom is from LSI's new edition of "Reading Horizons," which will be used in the Level 6 Reading classes. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com/

Rule of Thumb

Idiom: rule of thumb; used as a noun

First Example:

Karla: How many pizzas do you think I should order for the party?

Dan: How many people are coming? And are you going to have anything else?

Karla: I'm expecting about 20 people. And no, just the pizza.  I want to keep it simple.

Dan: Well, I think a good rule of thumb is to get one large pizza for every three people, so I'd go with 7 pizzas. 

Karla: One pizza per three people; isn't that a bit too much?

Dan: Most people only take a couple slices, so you might end up with a bit left over, but it's better to have too much than not enough. And make sure you get a good variety, including a couple vegetarian pizzas.

Karla: Yeah, everyone always eats the veggie pizzas, even when they're not vegetarian!

Meaning: A rule of thumb is a general rule established by a person based on personal experience.  It's not an exact rule, but it's considered a good estimate.  In the example above, Karla is unsure of the number of pizzas to get, so Dan suggests a number based on his personal rule of thumb: one pizza per person.  It might be too many pizzas, but it's an estimate based on his own experience.  Here is another example:

       In general, gardens need about an inch of water per week.  Of course, this is only a rule of thumb, and some plants need less water while others need more.  Watch the leaves.  If they turn yellow (a sign of too much water), water less; if they start to wilt, water more.

Meaning: In this case, the rule of thumb is about how much water plants in gardens need.

Note: There are a couple theories about the origin of the phrase "rule of thumb," but most people think it comes from builders using the width of their thumbs to estimate an inch.  Try it.  Put your thumb against a ruler. Is it about an inch?

This idiom is from LSI's new edition of "Reading Horizons," which will be used in the Level 6 Reading classes. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com/

To Shop Around

Idiom:  To Shop Around; used as a verb.

First Example:  Tom had shopped around at several stores before finding the refrigerator he wanted.  After comparing prices at a few places, he found that the appliance store by his house had the cheapest price.

Meaning:  To Shop Around means to shop at different stores to find what you want at the best price.  In this example, this person had gone to several stores to compare the price for the refrigerator he wanted.  This idiom can apply to any situation when a person is looking for the best price for a particular item.  The idiom is used as verb in this example.

Here is another example:

Second Example:  Before you decide to buy a new car, you should always shop around at several car dealerships first.  Most first time car buyers tend to experience “buyer’s remorse” when they find out that they could have bought the same car at a lower price.

Meaning:  In this case, the idiom, Shop Around, is used to express the advice that one should research the cost of buying a big priced item before buying it right away.  Most people tend to regret buying an item if they find out that they could have bought it at a lower price.  In this example, the idiom is being used as a verb when giving recommendations/suggestions.

This idiom is from the book "Everyday Idioms – Book One" which is used in the LSI Intermediate Conversation Class.

For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com/ 

To Get off to a Good Start

Idiom:  To Get Off to a Good Start; used as a verb.

First Example:  Mary’s first day of class got off to a good start because all of her students arrived on time and were excited for the first lesson of the day.

Meaning:  To Get off to a Good Start means to start a particular activity correctly or to have a successful beginning.  In this example, Mary’s first day of class had started out correctly because all of her students had arrived on time and were ready for class.  Further, her students were very excited for her first lesson and the idiom implied that she would have a successful day.  This idiom can apply to any situation where any particular project or activity starts off in a good way.  This usually applies to an activity that required a lot of planning.  It’s used as a verb in this example.

Here is another example:

Second Example:  John’s blind date with Cindy was off to a good start!  After meeting her at the restaurant, they both discovered that they had similar interests and were both very passionate about their pets.

Meaning:  In this case, the idiom, off to a good start, serves to express the idea that John and Cindy’s blind date had a successful start.  Typically, an awkward situation, such as a blind date, can be a potentially frustrating event.  However, since John and Cindy shared many common interests, the blind date could potentially lead to a very fruitful relationship in the future.  In this example, the idiom is being used as an idiomatic phrase.

This idiom is from the book "What’s up – American Idioms," which is used as supplemental material in the LSI Levels 5-7 Listening/Speaking classes.

For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com/ 

To follow someone's lead

Example 1
Kate is such a wonderful person! She does a lot of volunteer work in her community helping the homeless and under-privileged children. I think more people should follow Kate's lead and help people who need it most.

Example 2
If you are trying to get into shape and be healthy, you should follow John's lead. He exercises often and eats lots of fruits and vegetables.

To follow someone's lead means to do as someone else does, to use someone as an example.

"To follow someone's lead" is a common idiom used by native speakers. Practical idioms like this can be learned from LSI Speaking books like "Reading Connections," which is used to teach the Level 3 Reading/Vocabulary classes at Language Systems.   For more information please visit: www.languagesystems.com 

To put someone behind bars

Example 1

Joe was arrested for fraud. He was filing fake insurance claims and collecting money he did not deserve. The judge decided to put Joe behind bars for at least 2 years.

Example 2

When the police realized that Frank had been driving while drunk, they put him behind bars for the weekend.

To put someone behind bars means to put someone in jail. Usually  only the police or authorities are used as the subject because they have the authority to send someone to jail.

"To put someone behind bars" is a common idiom used by native speakers. Practical idioms like this can be learned from LSI Speaking books like "Speaking Transitions," which is used to teach the Level 4 Speaking/Listening classes at Language Systems schools.  For more information please visit: www.languagesystems.com