Blow the whistle on (somebody)

Idiom: "blow the whistle on (somebody)"; used as a verb

First Example:

Maria: How was the soccer game? 

Neil: It was awful! The other team kept cheating, but the ref never blew the whistle on them!

Maria: What were they doing?                                                       

Neil: This one guy kept hitting the ball with his hands, and another guy kept tackling people in way that are supposed to be illegal.

Maria: And the referee never said anything?

Neil: Nope. I don't think he was even watching. 

     

Meaning: The idiom "blow the whistle on (someone)" is usually used when someone reports someone else's wrongdoing. In the example above, Neil says that the referee never blew the whistle on players who were acting inappropriately. However, while the idiom may seem obvious in terms of sports (as a referee has a whistle to blow), this idiom can be used in other ways, as seen in the example below.    

Second Example:

Victor: What happened to Russell?  I haven't seen him at work lately.

Nancy: You didn't hear? He found out that the company was lying about their taxes, so he blew the whistle on the company!

Victor: Really?                                                                                

Neil: Yeah. He called the IRS and told them; they apparently give money to whistleblowers.

Victor: What did the company do?

Neil: Well, there's going to be an investigation, but of course, once they found out, they asked him to leave.                                                                       

Meaning: In this usage, "blow the whistle on" is used to report a company or other person for some kind of illegal activity. In the example above, Russell "blew the whistle" on his company for lying on their tax forms, an illegal activity. People like Russell are also referred to as "whistleblowers." 

For more information, please visit www.languagesystems.edu

Starstruck

Idiom: "Starstruck”

Example #1:

Jan: I’m so excited to be at the World Cup this year. I still can’t believe it. It’s like a dream.

Steve: I know! I’m so excited for the game today. I can’t wait to see Neymar and Dos Santos in person!!

Jan: With all these famous players around, you are acting so starstruck!! Hopefully you can get one autograph from someone famous.

Steve: Just seeing the players in person is enough for me!

Example #2:

Selena: You are not going to believe who I just saw at the restaurant in Santa Monica!!

Jackie: I can’t even guess.

Selena: Johnny Depp.

Jackie: No way!

Selena: Yes, I just sat there and stared at him in starstruck awe watching him the whole time I was there.

Jackie: Actually, that sounds a little creepy, but I’m sure he gets that a lot!

Meaning: feeling or showing great interest in and admiration for famous people. “Starstruck” means to be really interested in famous people and to sometimes feel overwhelmed in a famous person’s presence.  In the first example, Steve is acting starstruck around all the famous soccer players he is seeing at the World Cup. In the second example, Selena just sat and stared at Johnny Depp in starstruck awe; she couldn’t do anything.

For more information, please visit: www.languagesystems.edu

Get a kick out of something

Idiom: "Get a kick out of something"

Example #1:

Chris: Hey Leo, are you watching the World Cup game today?

Leo: I love watching the World Cup. I get a kick out of major tournaments. They’re always exciting.

Chris: Yeah, me too. It’s nice to see the world come together for such a big event.

Leo: Besides, it’s every four years. You don’t get to watch it all the time.

Example #2:

Diego: The first game of the tournament is going to be really good. 

Edson: I heard it would be a tough game.

Diego: I get a kick out of watching a weak team win against a strong team.

Edson: It’s definitely good for the sport and makes things more exciting.

Meaning: “Get a kick out of something” means to enjoy watching or doing something. 

In example 1, Leo really enjoys watching big tournaments.  In example 2, Diego enjoys watching underdog teams beat favored teams.

For more information, please visit www.languagesystems.edu

Jump on the bandwagon

Idiom: "jump on the bandwagon"

Example #1:

Carlos: Did you watch the Kings game last night?

Tommy: I thought you didn't watch hockey.

Carlos: Well, I didn't before. But now that they're winning, so it's fun to watch.

Tommy: Oh, so you just jumped on the bandwagon. You're not really a fan.

Carlos: What do you mean?

Tommy: You didn't follow them all season. You just watch them now because they're winning. You just jumped on the bandwagon.

Carlos: Wow! You're so critical.

Example #2:

Kyle: I hate this football season.

Crystal: Why?

Kyle: The stadium was much more comfortable and empty before everyone jumped on the bandwagon.

Crystal: But it's good for the team. Also, the stadium can make some money. They need to fix it anyway.

Kyle: It doesn't matter. I don't like people who do something just because it's popular and not because they actually care.

Meaning: join a popular trend or activity.

For more information, please visit www.languagesystems.edu

Horsing around

Idiom: "horsing around"

Example:

Mariela:  Minami, you really should pay more attention in your Idioms class. I don’t think you pay attention in class, you are always horsing around.

Minami: Horsing around? I don’t have a horse! I don’t even know how to ride a horse.  I take the bus everywhere I go!

Mariela: No, silly. Horsing around means goofing around and not paying attention.

Minami: Okay, you are right. I really need to stop chatting with Bruno and Sylvia in Idioms class and need to start paying attention to what the teacher says.  

Meaning: "horsing around" means to be goofing around, playing around. Not paying attention.

For more information, please visit www.languagesystems.edu

Beating a dead horse

Idiom: “Beating a dead horse”

Example:

Minami:  Hey there Mariela.  I heard you were talking to Joyce about politics yesterday, and you told her to “stop beating a dead horse”.  I mean I don’t know much about politics, but I can’t imagine anyone wanting to do something as cruel as that!  Why would she beat a dead horse?  That’s horrible!

Mariela:  Minami, you silly goose!  “Beating a dead horse” is an English idiom.

Minami:  Really?  That’s pretty strange.  What the heck does it mean?

Mariela:  It means repeating something over and over again, trying to make your point in so many different ways that it becomes totally obvious.

Minami:  Oh, I think I get it.  I just don’t understand why English idioms use so many references to animals.  They are very confusing to me! 

Meaning: "Beating a dead horse" is a common idiom has nothing to do with cruelty to animals, dead or alive, but simply means to make your point over and over again ad nauseam!  (Basically, this means to keep explaining and giving examples about something to the point of making your audience sick to their stomachs!).

For more information, please visit www.languagesystems.edu

To get busted

Idiom: "to get busted"

Context #1:

Fred: Hey, did you hear what happened to Joe?

Chris: No, what happened?

Fred: He got busted for drinking and driving. He is in serious trouble.

Chris: Oh man! That's too bad! He's probably going to lose his license.

Context #2:

Stephanie: Yesterday in Math class I was cheating on my test and I got busted by the teacher.

Veronica:  You did? That was stupid.

Stephanie: I know. She took my test away and said I would get a zero.

Meaning: "to get busted" is an American idiom that means to get in trouble for doing something wrong. People get busted when they are caught breaking the law or a rule. Getting busted is embarrassing and usually leads to serious consequences. 

For more information, please visit www.languagesystems.edu