To Slip Out

Idiom: to slip out; used as a verb

First Example:

Randy: Why did you leave class early?

Henry: I felt my phone vibrate.

Randy: Why wasn't it off?

Henry: My sister went into labor this morning, so I left it on vibrate in case she had the baby while I was in class. 

Randy: Did she?

Henry: Yeah.  My mom called to tell me the good news.  I tried to slip out quietly.

Randy: Oh, the teacher noticed.  As soon as you left, he gave us a pop quiz, saying that you'd miss points for answering your phone during class.

Henry: Oh no!

Meaning: The phrase “slip out” means to leave a place quietly without being noticed.  It has a similar meaning to "sneak out," although "sneak out" implies you are doing something wrong ("slip out" is neutral). In the example, Randy tried to slip out of the classroom to answer his phone; however, he wasn't successful at being unnoticed.   Look at another example:

Maria: Where do you want to sit?

Anthony: I like to sit on the aisle at movies.

Maria: Really?  I normally try to sit in the middle so I can see the center or the screen.

Anthony: Yeah, I think most people do, but I prefer the aisle so I can slip out if I need to go to the restroom.                                                       

Maria: That's a good idea.  I hate having to walk past people during the movie.

In this case, Anthony sits on the aisle during movies so he can quietly leave, or "slip out", of the theater to use the restroom.   Notice that in this example, Anthony isn't doing anything wrong, so you probably wouldn't "sneak out" in this situation.

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/

Run-of-the-mill

Idiom: run-of-the-mill; used as an adjective

First Example:

Lance: Did you do anything special this weekend

Nancy: Not really. Just relaxed at home.  Oh, I went and saw that big blockbuster this weekend.

Lance: How was it?

Nancy: Not great.  It's your typical, run-of-the-mill action movie. 

Lance: Oh that's too bad. I really like the lead actor.

Nancy: He was OK, but the movie itself is nothing special.  I'd say wait for the DVD to watch it; it's not worth a trip to the movie theater.

Meaning: The expression “run-of-the-mill” means that something is ordinary, with no special features or characteristics.  It has a similar meaning to the word "mediocre," which means that something is not special (this usually has a negative connotation, as it is usually used to describe things that are supposed to be special). In the example, Nancy describes the new blockbuster as being "run-of-the-mill,” suggesting that Lance wait for the movie to come out on DVD to watch it.  Also, notice that “run-of-the-mill” uses hyphens; they should always be used with this expression.  Look at another example:

Mark: Did you see Tania's engagement ring?

Brianna: No.  Did you.

Mark: It's huge!

Brianna: Really?                          

Mark: We're not talking about some run-of-the-mill 1 carat diamond engagement ring.  The center diamond is over 2 carats, and there are smaller diamonds along the band.  I asked Jim how much he spent on it, and he said it cost almost $10,000!

Brianna: Wow!  His business must be doing well!   

In this case, Mark uses the expression "run-of-the-mill" with a negative to emphasize that Tania's engagement ring is not ordinary; due to the size of the diamond and cost of the ring, it an extraordinary ring that is not “run-of-the-mill." Using the expression in this way (with a negative to emphasize that something isn't ordinary) is fairly common.

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/

Down-To-Earth

Idiom:  Down-To-Earth; used as an adjective.

First Example:  

“All the boys in Judy’s class love the new girl, Sabrina.  Unlike the other girls who only think about celebrity news and gossip, Sabrina is a very friendly and down-to-earth girl who often values true friendship with others.”

Meaning:  Down-To-Earth refers to people who have a sensible and practical character and/or personality.  In the example above, Sabrina is very popular amongst the boys in her class because she has a very sensible personality and values friendship above celebrity gossip.  This idiom can apply to any person who has a very practical and sensible personality.  This idiom is most often used as an adjective when describing sensible people.

Here is another example:

Second Example:

“Everybody in the company admires the new General Manager, Henry.  Thanks to his leadership and down-to-earth approach to solving problems, every employee was able to get a bonus this year.”

Meaning: In this case, the idiom, Down-To-Earth, serves to describe Henry’s practical and sensible decision-making ability.  Because Henry has a very practical approach to solving problems, the company was able to provide their employees with a bonus for the year.  In this example, the idiom is being used as an adjective.

This idiom is from the book "The Idiom Adventure – Fluency in Speaking and Listening," which is used as supplementary material in LSI’s Intermediate Conversation classes.

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

Word of Mouth

Idiom:  Word of Mouth; used as a noun, usually as the object of a prepositional phrase.

First Example:  

“Before newspapers were invented, news was spread by word of mouth.”

Meaning:  Word of Mouth refers to information that was obtained via gossip spread by spoken communication.  In this example, the primary method in which information was disseminated was primarily through verbal communication.  In other words, before newspapers were invented, people would find out about current events through gossip, rumors, or other verbal forms.  This idiom can apply to any situation where information can be obtained through verbal means.  This idiom is most often used as an object for the prepositions, “by” or “through”.

Here is another example:

Second Example:

“The rumor that Cynthia had been cheating on her boyfriend was spread through word of mouth.”

Meaning: In this case, the idiom, Word of Mouth, serves to express the idea that the rumor behind Cynthia cheating on her boyfriend had been mainly transmitted via verbal communication.  Whether or not there is any truth to the rumor is irrelevant.  In this example, the emphasis is that the rumor had been communicated orally between different people.  In this example, the idiom is being used as a noun.

This idiom is from the book "The Idiom Adventure – Fluency in Speaking and Listening," which is used as supplementary material in LSI’s Intermediate Conversation classes.

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

To Pass Time

Example 1: I usually read a magazine to pass time in the waiting room when I visit the doctor's office.

Example 2: It's 6:00 pm now and the movie starts at 8:00 pm. I think I will walk my dog and finish my homework to pass the time until we go to the theater.

Explanation: to pass time means to do something while you're waiting. In the first example, the speaker is waiting to see the doctor, so he is reading a magazine while waiting. In the second example, the speaker is going to walk her dog and then finish her homework while waiting for the movie.

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

To Wolf Down

Example 1: We found a lost puppy on our street. I don't know how long it was out there, but he was really hungry! He wolfed down a plate of food in a few minutes!

Example 2: I didn't have breakfast this morning and now I'm running late for lunch! I'm sure I'll just wolf it down when I finally have time..

Explanation: to wolf down means to eat extremely quickly. 

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 visithttp://www.languagesystems.com/

To Let Something Go

Idiom: To let (something) go

 

Context #1:

 

Chris: Last night we lost the Championship basketball game. I can't believe it!

Joe: Yeah it was a tough loss, but you have to let it go and think about next season.

Chris: You're right. I shouldn't keep thinking about it.

 

Context #2:

 

Sally: Did I tell you that my boyfriend cheated on me last weekend? I have been trying to forgive him but I can't!

Carissa: It must be hard. If you can't let this go you might have to just end the relationship.

Sally: Yeah, if I can't forgive him it is going to be really hard to continue in this relationship. 

 

Meaning: To let something go means to stop thinking about something negative. When you learn to stop letting something bother you or make you sad, angry, or feel negatively, then you learn to let that thing go.  Idioms like this are learned and practiced by students at Language Systems International in the Speaking and Conversation classes. For more information please go to: www.languagesystems.com