Retail Therapy

Idiom: Retail Therapy

Example 1:

Cora: Frances just broke up with her boyfriend. We need to plan something to help cheer her up. Do you have any ideas?

Julie: I have the perfect idea! She loves shopping, so I think some retail therapy will definitely help her feel better!

Cora: Great idea! Let's pick her up and go to the mall.

Example 2:

With the stress of the holidays and the cold winter weather, it's easy for people to begin to feel depressed. That's why shopping is so popular this time of year! We love to buy gifts for our loved ones, but a little retail therapy really helps some people feel better! 

Meaning: "Retail therapy" is an expression that's used to describe shopping as a treatment for sadness.  @SBLA @OC @NELA @DTLA

www.languagesystems.edu

To Dig In

Idiom: To dig in

Context #1:

Tony: Hey guys!  The pizza is ready, so dig in!

Joe: Should we wait for John?

Tony: No, he called and said he's not coming.

Context #2:

Bethany: I know your food hasn't come yet, but I am so hungry. Can I go ahead and start eating?

Chrissy: Yeah, don't worry about. Dig in!

Meaning: "To dig in" is a phrased that is used to tell someone to go ahead and start eating. Usually it is used in a situation where someone is politely waiting to eat. This idiom means, "You don't have to wait. Go ahead and start eating."

@SBLA @OC @NELA @DTLA

Eat responsively!

www.languagesystems.edu

To Be Stuffed

Idiom: To be stuffed

Context #1:

John: Man, that buffet was amazing!  I think I had like 5 plates full of food.

Steve: Me too. I am stuffed!

Context #2:

Susie: I don't think I can finish this hamburger.  It's huge!

Jill: Yeah, I actually finished one before. I was so stuffed!

Meaning: "To be stuffed" is a very common idiom in American English. It means "to be really full," and it usually means that you are so full you feel uncomfortable. When people say they are "stuffed" it usually means that they ate too much.

@SBLA @OC @NELA @DTLA

Eat responsively!

www.languagesystems.edu

A Blessing In Disguise

Idiom: A blessing in disguise

Meaning: Something that at first appears to be bad or unlucky but is actually good.

Example:

Mike: I heard you lost your job. Is that true?

Sam: Yeah, it is! But losing my job was a blessing in disguise.

Mike: How so?

Sam: I never would have found my current job if it hadn't happened, I'm making way more money now. @SBLA @OC @NELA @DTLA

www.languagesystems.edu

Food Coma

Read this thank you note and try to guess the meaning of the idiom in bold:

What do you think the idiom food coma means?

A. The state of foods, especially vegetables, that are nearly dead before being completely cooked or ingested.

B. Feeling very tired and sleepy shortly after eating a big meal.

C. A punctuation mark in the shape of food indicating a pause between parts of a sentence.

The answer is.... 

B.  Feeling very tired and sleepy shortly after eating a big meal.

@SBLA @OC @NELA @DTLA

  Eat responsively! 

www.languagesystems.edu

To Squirrel Something Away

Idiom: To squirrel something away; used as a verb 
 

First Example:

Kyle: I bought a car!

Elizabeth: Really?  How much are your monthly payments?           

Kyle: I don't have any.

Elizabeth: What?! How?                   

Kyle: I've been squirreling away a little money from each paycheck for years, and it saved up over time!  When my last car started having problems, I checked my savings and realized I had enough to buy a used car.
Elizabeth: Great! Then you can drive to lunch!        

Meaning: The idiom "to squirrel something away" is used to describe the act of saving or hoarding for a future, similar to how squirrels save nuts for the coming winter. The most common use of the expression is used to describe saving money over a period of time, as in the example above, when Kyle explains that he has been squirreling away money for years. This means he has been saving small amounts of money over the years, intending to use it at a later time. While the idiom is primarily used for money, it can be used in other ways, as in this example:

Carlos: It's November. I guess it's time to start thinking about Christmas shopping.          

Ronda: Oh, I'm already done.

Chris: No way.

Ronda: Yep.  I start shopping for Christmas the day after. I keep an eye out for potential gifts at great prices year round. There are so many great sales early in the year. Then I squirrel them away until December so that I don't have to rush when the holidays approach and everyone else is going nuts.

Chris: Wow. So you're saying the gift you give me this year was probably bought in January?

Ronda: Who said you're getting a gift?  I'm just kidding. But I think I bought your gift in March. 

Meaning: In this example, Ronda explains that she squirrels away Christmas gifts that she buys on sale throughout the year. @SBLA @OC @NELA @DTLA

www.languagesystems.edu

To Serve Your Country

Idiom: To serve a/your country; used as a verb 

First Example:

Announcer: For Veteran's Day, the president honored the men and women who have served our country.  He thanked the military members for their service in a speech given at Arlington National Cemetery. 

Meaning: The idiom "to serve a country" is used to describe someone who is enrolled in the military.  The expression is used to emphasize the sacrifice that being a member of a military can take on those who have served. In the example above, the president is honoring military members who have served their country on Veteran's Day, a special day to commemorate those who have done military service.  Normally, most individuals "serve" their own country, so this idiom is often used with a possessive adjective, as in the example ("our" instead of "a"). Here is another example:

Chris: I heard you're joining the navy after you graduate?  

Tammy: Yep.  I start next month.

Chris: Really?  Are you doing it to help pay for college?

Tammy: Not really. I mean, that's certainly a benefit, but it's not my primary reason. Ever since I was a little girl, I've always wanted to give back, and serving my country seems like the best way to that.

Chris: That's cool. 

Meaning: In this example, Tammy is joining the Navy.  When Chris asks if she is doing it to help pay for college (there are programs that pay for US veterans' higher education), she says the she has wanted to give back to her community since she was a little girl, emphasizing that her service is primarily altruistic (doing something for others) rather than self-serving (receiving benefits in this case). @SBLA @OC @NELA @DTLA

www.languagesystems.edu