Grossed Out

Idiom: "grossed out"

Context #1:
Sara: Did you know Tom likes to eat cow brains?  He says it's really good.
Jane: Yeah I saw him eating that one time and it really grossed me out.

Context #2:
Jenny: My friend Sam has a pet snake.  He asked me if I wanted to pet it but I was so grossed out when I saw it that I screamed.
Kathy: I don't like snakes either, but I get even more grossed out when I see a spider.

Meaning: "grossed out" is an expression used to describe when someone feels really disgusted.

This idiom can be found in the book LSI Speaking Savvy. This book is used to teach Level 5 Speaking/Listening at LSI schools. For more information visit: www.languagesystems.com

To Give Someone a Dirty Look

"To Give Someone a Dirty Look"

Example: Mary,

How was your weekend? I hope you are feeling better.
I have to tell you what happened at the party last night!
Everyone was there on time. Susan called and said she was running a little late, so we all waited for her to arrive to start having dinner.
She arrived 2 hours later...We were all very mad and of course, starving!
Everyone gave her a dirty look when she walked in... That was so inconsiderate!
She apologized and started eating before everyone else! Unbelievable!
Anyway, we had a good time... Susan will not be invited to any parties anytime soon.

Call me when you have a chance! Feel better!

Gloria.

To Give Someone a Dirty Look means to look at someone in an angry way.

This idiom was taken from our L/S Book, Speaking Transitions. For more information, please visit: www.languagesystems.com

Needless to Say

Needless to say means "obviously, unnecessary to mention".

Example:
Barb: Hey, Rob! How are things with you and Sandy?
Rob: Oh, you haven't heard yet? We broke up....
Barb: What? What do you mean? What happened?
Rob: Well, I went to New York for work last month.
Barb: Yes, I remember that much. You were there for 2 weeks, right?
Rob: Well, I was supposed to be there for 2 weeks, but they needed me back in LA after a week, so I came back a week earlier.
Barb: OK... Then what?
Rob: Well, I got home and Sandy was... She was...
Barb: She was, what???
Rob: Well, she was eating all my expensive chocolate. She knew that no one touches my chocolate!
Barb: That's so lame, Rob! Come on!
Rob: Well, she knew it, Barb! No one eats my chocolate! I got really upset and started to yell at her. Needless to say, she left and said she would never want to see me again...
Barb: I don't blame her, Rob... You are so weird!



This idiom was taken from our LSI book, Reading Horizons! For more information, please visit: www.languagesystems.com

To Go Bad

Idiom: to go bad; used as a verb

First Example:

Christina: What is that awful smell?

Russell: Rotting vegetables - it's in the trash.

Christina: Why do you have rotting vegetables?

Russell: I forgot some vegetables in the back of the fridge and they went bad.  I think they were in there for like 6 months.  Some of them turned black.

Christina: Why don't you take the trash out so the smell doesn't get worse?

Russell: You know, that's a good idea.

Meaning: When something "goes bad," it means that it becomes rotten, evil, or bad in some way.  The most common use of the expression is the one above, when describing food that was good but has "gone bad" and become rotten or stale.  In the example above, Russell says that the apples "went bad" because he left them in the fridge too long. 

In addition, "go bad" used to be commonly used for once-good people who started doing bad things, such as criminals.  A college student who started selling drugs might have been referred to as "a good boy gone bad" in the past, although many people would now laugh at that usage for being old-fashioned.  This meaning is also the basis of the expression "break bad," which is used to describe a person who has chosen a life of crime.  This expression is a regional expression, which means that only people from a certain place commonly use it, but the expression has recently become famous thanks to the popular television show "Breaking Bad," which is about a High School Chemistry teacher who started making illegal drugs.

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/   

off season

Idiom: off season; used as a noun or adjective

First Example:

John thought he could afford to go skiing when he saw cheap rates for hotel rooms - only $59 a night!  He started to make plans with his friends, but then he realized those rates were for the off season.  During the time of year that there was snow, the rooms were over $200 a night!  That's too expensive!

Meaning: "Off season" is a phrase that refers to a period when something is not usually done. This idiom is often used to specify an unpopular time to go to a certain place, such as in the example.  Many areas that are popular destinations for skiing are not popular when there is no snow, so times with no snow (such as during summer) would the "off season."  Things such as hotel rooms are usually cheaper in these types of areas during off seasons.   In the example above, "off season" is used a noun, referring to the time period.  This idiom can also be used as an adjective, and it is also commonly used to describe when a sport is not played, such as in the next example:

David:  Hey Chuck, what are you doing after work tonight?

Chuck:  I'm going to the gym.  I've got to stay in shape for my basketball league.
David:  But basketball season ended a month ago.  Can't you take some time off?

Chuck:  I did last year, and I was really out of shape when the season started.  This year, I've decided to do some off-season training to make sure I'm ready when it starts.
David:  Wow, you're really dedicated.

In this case, Chuck is doing off-season training to make sure he stays in shape even though the basketball season recently ended.  Notice that a hyphen is used when the phrase is used as an adjective that comes before a noun; this is to make sure the reader understands that "season" is not a noun but part of an adjective.

Note: While "off season" would seem to be the antonym of "in season," the two are actually used in different (and possibly confusing) ways.  While "off season" is used for activities and sports, "in season" is used for foods that are available for limited times and times that certain animals can be hunted.  Strawberries and duck hunting can be "in season", but you would not say they are "off season" when not available/legal; instead, you would say they are "out of season."  Conversely, skiing areas and basketball can be "off season," but you would not say that skiing or basketball is "in season."

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

To Be Moved

To be moved: to be affected emotionally

Example 1:

Taka: I just saw that new movie everyone has been talking about!

Sarah: Really? You mean the one with that child actor, Josh Roberts?

Taka: Yes, he really did a wonderful job acting. The movie is about a boy who is blind, but learns how to do amazing things. I was really moved in many of the scenes in the movie. In fact, I even cried a couple of times because his acting was so powerful.

Sarah: Wow! I didn’t think it was possible for a 10 year old child to act so well in a part like that, but I heard that he has been nominated for many awards.

Taka: I know! I saw him accepting an award on TV last night and I was even moved by his speech! He thanked his parents and sister. He seems like such a nice boy.

Sarah: Ahhh. That’s so sweet, especially coming from a 10 year old.

Taka: Yes, it’s hard not to be moved when a child is so talented and speaks so well.

 Example 2:

Ken: What’s a matter, Jackie? You look so sad!

Jackie: Oh, sorry. I’ve been crying a lot.

Ken: Oh, no! Why? What made you so upset?

Jackie: Today was my last day teaching TOEFL at LSI. I’ve decided to go abroad and teach ESL in Korea.

Ken: OK. So shouldn’t you be happy and excited?

Jackie: I am excited, but I’ll miss my students a lot. Today, they gave me a card and a homemade cake at the end of class. I was really moved by their kindness. They were a great class and many of them are my friends.

Ken: I know that can be hard leaving one place and going to another.

Jackie: I was so moved that I started crying and just couldn’t stop!

Ken: It’s OK. Soon you’ll be starting your new job abroad and you’ll be fine.

Jackie: Yes, I know. And I have a lot of really good memories.

Meaning:

To be moved means to be affected emotionally by something or someone. In the first example, the movie and the child actor really moved Taka. In the second example, the going away party the TOEFL class gave Jackie really moved her.

This idiom can be found in the upcoming new edition of Reading Horizons. This book is used at LSI schools in the level 6 Reading/Vocabulary classes. For more information, please visit: www.languagesystems.com

Thumbs Up

Thumbs Up

Meaning: a sign that means “good” in the U.S.

Example 1:

Ted: I was so nervous during my presentation in class this morning! I really wanted to do well in front of all those people.

Sheila: Really? You didn’t look nervous at all. I thought you did a great job.

Tom: Well, I started out kind of shaky, but when the teacher gave me the thumbs up from the back of the class, I became more confident and relaxed.

Sheila: That’s good. You deserve a big thumbs up for such a great presentation!

Tom: Thank you! Are you ready for your presentation tomorrow?

Sheila: I don’t know. After I start, could you give me the thumbs up to make me more confident!

Ted: Sure! I know you’ll give a great presentation.

Example 2:

Kim: Wow! That movie was great! I’m giving it a big thumbs up!

Gina: Really? What was it about?

Kim: It was an action movie and the excitement never stopped. There wasn’t one slow scene in the whole movie.

Gina: Well, if you give the movie a thumbs up, then I’ll have to see it. We like the same kind of movies.

Kim: You should definitely see it. You won’t be disappointed!

Meaning:
Thumbs up shows that someone or something is good, especially when it comes to a performance or action with good results. In example 1, Ted was giving a presentation and was doing well, so his teacher gave him a “thumbs up” from the back of the class. We usually use thumbs up with the verb “give.” In example 2, Kim loved the movie she saw, so she gave it a “thumbs up” meaning it was really good.

This idiom can be found in the LSI textbook Speaking Transitions. This book is used in the level 4 Listening/Speaking classes. For more information, please visit: www.languagesystems.com