to take off

Idiom: to take off

Context #1:

Joe: What time is it?

Sam: It's 3 o'clock.

Joe: Oh man! I have to take off. I have a doctor's appointment at 3:15.

Sam: Alright. See you later!

Context #2:

Debbie: You were at the party last night, right?

Julie: Yeah, I went with my boyfriend.

Debbie: What time did you guys leave?

Julie: We took off about midnight.

Meaning: to take off is a very common American idiom. Native speakers will use this idiom to mean "leave."

This idiom was taken from LSI's textbook Speaking Savvy. This book is used at LSI schools to teach Level 5 Speaking. For more information please visit: http://www.languagesystems.com/

to be bummed

to be bummed (out)


Context #1:

Steve: What's wrong? You look like you are really bummed.
Alex: Yeah...my girlfiend told me that she wants to break up.
Steve: Oh man! Sorry to hear that.
Alex: That's alright. There's nothing I can do about it.


Context #2:

Lisa: Did you get the tickets for the Lady Gaga concert?
Jennifer: No! The tickets were all sold out!
Lisa: No way! Sara is going to be bummed when she finds out. She loves Lady Gaga and she has been looking forward to this concert for so long.


Meaning: be bummed (adjective) means to feel sad, disappointed, or depressed. You can also use this adjective as the phrasal verb "bummed out." If you add "out" it does not change the meaning. Like other adjectives in English, the common verbs to use with "bummed" are "be" "get" and "feel."


This idiom comes from the LSI Textbook Speaking Transitions, which is used to teach Level 4 Speaking at LSI schools. For more information please visit www.languagesystems.com

To Cut Down on Something

To Cut Down on Something

Please try to guess the meaning of the idiom in bold:

Sheryl has gained 45 lbs (pounds) in the last couple of months. Her doctor told her if she does not cut down on sugar and fat, she might have a heart attack soon!

What do you think “to cut down” means?

A. To increase the amount of something
B. To eat something
C. To decrease the amount of something
D. All of the Above
E. None of the Above

The answer is: C

Meaning: To cut down on something means to decrease the amount of something.
In the example above, if Sheryl does not decrease the amount of sugar and fat , she might have a heart attack!

This idiom was taken from the LSI book Reading Horizons!

To Step on Someone's Toes

To Step on Someone’s Toes

Read the following e-mail and try to guess the meaning of the idiom “to step on someone’s toes”:

Hi Karen,

You won’t believe what just happened!
Marilyn has a problem with a new company policy. She did not like the fact that employees have to wear name tags to work now. She should have talked to her direct supervisor, Paul about it first, but she didn’t! She sent a nasty e-mail to the company’s CEO. Paul was really upset and told her she should not have stepped on his toes like that! The CEO also told her she should have talked to her direct supervisor first.
She totally stepped on Paul’s toes by talking to the CEO about it! Paul should have been the one dealing with the situation.
Anyway, I’ll keep you posted on what happens next! Any gossip from your department today?

Susan

Meaning: To Step on Someone’s Toes means to disrespect someone’s position and go above them.
In the e-mail above, Marylin stepped on Paul’s toes because instead of talking about the problem with him, she sent a letter to the CEO of the company

This idiom was taken from LSI's book Reading Savvy!

mom and pop

Idiom: Mom and pop; used as an adjective


First example: My parents have never been rich, but they were always able to provide for us. I spent many happy days at their mom and pop restaurant watching them work and learning how to run a business. It was the only Greek restaurant in the small town I lived in. My parents were always there, and they knew personally many of the customers who ate there. When they retired and closed the restaurant, many of their customers cried.


Meaning: "Mom and pop" literally means "mother and father." It is a term used to describe a small business that is owned by a single owner or family. The business generally has only one or two locations. The owners are personally involved in taking care of the business. In the situation above, the writer's parents were always at the restaurant and the restaurant depended on their involvement to stay open.


Here is another example:


Second example: In my neighborhood when I was young, there were a lot of Middle Eastern immigrants. Most of these families opened small convenience stores to survive. These mom and pop stores were on almost every corner. Each was owned by a different family. When one family felt it had enough money or education to pursue other opportunities, it would pass the store on to a new family. This is how the Middle Eastern immigrant community took care of one another.


Meaning: In this situation, the stores are not always owned by mothers and fathers, but they are still individually owned. One family would start a store, and pass it to a new family when the first family no longer needed it. The store owners never combined their stores into a chain group. Each store was controlled by a different person/family.


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 give/get the runaround

Idiom: to give/get the runaround; used as a verb

First example: Terry was in a car accident, but it wasn't his fault. He called the other guy's insurance company to get money for his medical bills. Unfortunately, the insurance company wasn't helpful at all. They gave Terry the runaround and never told him what papers he needed to submit to get his money. He finally had to hire a lawyer to talk to the insurance company.

Meaning: To give the runaround means to give unclear information or answers about something. In this situation, the insurance company wanted to avoid paying Terry for his medical bills. Therefore, they wouldn't answer his questions clearly about the forms he needed to turn in. This idiom is often used in situations where companies or official organizations are unclear or unhelpful.

Here is another example:

Second example: Maria knew she was the most qualified for the promotion that was available at her company. She was extremely disappointed when she found out Sam got the promotion instead of her. Maria tried to ask several managers why she didn't get promoted. None of them would answer her directly. She kept getting the runaround and never found out why she didn't receive the higher position.

Meaning: To get the runaround means to receive unhelpful, unclear information or excuses about something. In this case, Maria wanted to know why she didn't get a particular position in her company. The managers, who knew the reason, didn't want to tell her, so they gave a lot of excuses or avoided talking to her. The managers probably didn't want to hurt Maria's feelings; this is often the reason people get the runaround in situations like this.

This idiom is from LSI's book "Speaking Transitions," which is used in the level 4 Listening/Speaking classes. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com

to lend/give (someone) a hand

Idiom: to lend/give (someone) a hand; used as a verb.

First Example:

Cristal: Hey Zac, I want to rearrange the furniture, but it's too heavy. Could you lend me a hand?

Zack: Of course. What do you want to move first?

Meaning: "to lend/give (someone) a hand" means to help someone; while not always, this idiom is often used when the help is physical in nature, such as Cristal asking Zack to help her move furniture. Usually, the request is made because an action is too difficult for one person alone, or because the action requires one additional hand, as in the example below.

Second Example:

James: My hands are full with groceries, and I can't open the door.

Molly: Here, let me give you a hand. Should I take some bags or get the keys out of your pocket?

Here, James only has two hands, which are filled with groceries, so he needs one more hand to get the keys out of his pocket and open the door. However, as in the first example, the idiom usually doesn't literally mean "I need your hand," and occasionally, the help isn't even physical, as in this example:

Third Example:

Al: My son Marty asked me about a Geometry problem, and I cannot figure it out. Henrietta, you're good at math. Could you give him a hand?

Henrietta: Sure, let me look. Hmm. Oh, I see the problem...

Meaning: In this case, Al's son Marty needs help with a math problem, which isn't physical. Notice that whether you use "lend" or "give" (either one is correct), the person being helped should be come between the verb and "a hand" (which is always singular).

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/