Owner: Common American Idioms URL:http://americanidioms.wordpress.com Join Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2007 15:03:24 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: a reference fo intermediate and advanced students of english as a second language Site statistics:Click here
get out of 2007-10-15 12:02:34 BASIC:
1. to exit a car. This idiom requires the object. It is not separable. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugate.
examples: Please get out of the car on the right side.
ADVANCED:
1. to exit an obligation, usually with some sort of excuse.
examples: I don’t know how to get out of having dinner with my parents. I dont want to hurt their feelings.
make something up 2007-10-13 07:08:00 BASIC:
1. to create using your imagination. When this is used for children- it is usually for fun and playing, for adults it is for lying. It is separable. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated.
examples: My son just made up a new game today, but I didn’t understand the rules.
Don’t tell the boss why we are late! Just make something
up.
2. to be permitted to take a test or some sort of work after the date it was supposed to be done. This is usually for children who are in school, but can be for other classes, and possibly for work. It is usually if the person missed the class for a very good reason like being ill.
examples: When I had the flu, Mrs. Brown gave me a whole week to make up my Algebra.
ADVANCED:
1. when the preposition to is added to the end, it is used when you try to repair and injury, insult or disappointment. The object of the preposition to is the person who was injured.
examples: I was very angry that my friend forgot my birthday. Then she said she
get rid of 2007-10-09 17:30:00 BASIC:
1. to discard or give away. In this case it is not necessarily placed in the garbage. It is not separable. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated.
examples:Now that the weather is cold I have to get rid of my son’s summer clothes because they won’t fit him next year.
ADVANCED:
1. Well it is probably more for the movies- but it can be used in regard to a person as well. In this case it would mean they had the person killed.
examples:The drug dealers got rid of their competition.
sit down 2007-10-08 09:22:00 BASIC:
1. The action of lowering from a standing position to a sitting one. It sit is used without a preposition there is no movement. It is not separable. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated.
examples: Please sit down on the couch and be comfortable.
I’m very tired. I have to sit down.
ADVANCED:
note: It is thought that a person can handle bad news better sitting. So asking someone to sit down may be a warning that what you are going to tell them is either very serious or unpleasant.
1. asking someone to sit down for the purpose of discussing something serious or some bad news. This is often used when an authority will be disciplining someone.
examples: I will sit my son down tonight and discuss his poor grades in school.
turn around 2007-10-07 07:34:00 BASIC:
1. to either move art or the whole body toward the direction behind the person. It is not separable. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated.
examples: It is impolite to turn around when you are watching a play.
2. for movement- to go in the opposite direction. This can also be used when the person is operating a vehicle. It is not usually separated.
examples: You missed the road. Please turn around and then go right at the next street.
When I go for a walk I usually go to the end of the street and then turn around.
ADVANCED:
1. to change the direction of something moving in an undesirable direction. This can be used for business when a company is doing poorly. It is separable.
examples: The new CEO turned the company around in only two years. Now it is very profitable.
2. this can also be used when a person is moving in an undesirable direction by doing things which are harmful. This is more of an expression and if an object is used here it is usually his life.
examples:
stand by 2007-11-26 10:44:25 BASIC:
1. to wait, in a state prepared for action. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It is not separable.
examples: Often at public events, emergency staff is standing by to assist with any injuries.
get on 2007-11-25 10:45:06 BASIC:
1. to board a public vehicle. This idiom is not used for cars. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It is not separable.
examples: I will get on the bus at 45th Street.
find out 2007-11-21 10:48:40 BASIC:
1. to discover or learn somthing. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It is not separable. It usually is followed by an object phrase which explains the discovery.
examples: I found out from Joe that the party is on Saturday.
clean out 2007-11-16 10:59:13 BASIC:
1. to review, organizing things and discarding old or unecessary items. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It is separable.
examples: I should clean out my e-mail today. I have a lot of messages I don’t need anymore.
We foudn many old broken toys when we cleaned the closet out.
go through 2007-11-10 11:17:05 ADVANCED:
1. to endure a negative situation. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It is not separable. It should be followed by an object explaining the situation.
examples: We’re going through a difficult time right now financially.
get to 2007-11-30 07:03:20 BASIC:1. to be permitted to do something special. It is a positive idiom. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It is usually followed by a verb describing the action. That verb should be in simple present tense.
examples: I love to shop. At this time of year I get to shop a lot for gifts.
pull over 2007-11-29 07:14:17 BASIC: 1. to stop and automobile off the road. This idiom is only used for cars. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It is separable.
examples: Please pull the car over. I don’t think the passenger door is completely shut.
2. to make someone stop their car. This idiom is only used for police officers.
examples: The policeman asked me if I knew why he pulled me over.
be up to 2007-11-27 19:23:59 ADVANCED: 1. to be well, fit, or rested enough to do something. This idiom expresses the health condition relative to the task. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It is not separable. It should be followed by the object. Use a gerund if the object is a verb.
examples: I know you were sick yesterday. Are you sure you are up to working today?
He has trained for months so I am sure he is up to the race.
2. to be scheming or planning something in secret- possibly deceptive. This idiom is usually used to express suspicion.
examples: When my three year old is quiet I worry that he is up to something.
At Christmastime, it seems like everyone is up to something.
3. this idiom can also be used in question form to inquire about someones plans or what they are currently doing. In this case it does not suggest suspicion.
examples: What are you up to today?
*note: it is very possible that use #3. is the origin of the slang greeting, “What’s up?”
try on 2007-11-27 08:33:29 BASIC:
1. to dress in clothes before buying them, especially to check the fit. This can also be used for shoes or jewelry. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It is not separable.
examples: I wanted to try the blue boots on, but they didn’t have my size.
drop out 2007-11-27 07:34:35 BASIC:1. to exit a class or program, or institution without completing it. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It is not separable.
examples: She dropped out of college after two years because she found it too difficult.
2. this idiom can be made into a compound noun.
examples: His reading skills are poor since he is a high school dropout.
grow up 2007-11-24 08:49:50 BASIC: 1. the process of aging from childhood to adulthood. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It is not separable.
examples: I grew up in a very small town.
Many little boys want to be firemen or policemen when they grow up.
2. this idiom is used as a noun “grown-up”, meaning adult. It is only used either by children or when speaking to children.
examples: I tell my son not to cross the street without a grown-up.
ADVANCED:1. this idiom can also refer to emotional development.
examples: The first experience with financial responsibilites often force youngsters to grow up.
take for 2007-11-23 09:08:18 BASIC:1. to mistake something or someone as something or someone else. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It is not usually separated, but can be.
examples: I took that well dressed shopper for a sales clerk.
That painting is so good, I took the artist for a professional.
leave out 2007-11-22 08:51:02 BASIC: to omit something. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It requires an object describing what was omitted. It is not separable.
examples: When he told me we were going to the club, he left out the fact that we would need to pay to go inside.
I really like your speech, but I think you should leave out the part about your friend. It’s a little confusing.
pass down 2007-12-20 09:25:22 BASIC: to give something to the next generation. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It is separable.
examples: When a family has many children, the clothes are often passed down from one to the next.
What type of stories have been passed down through the centuries in your culture?
set off 2007-12-19 09:28:57 BASIC: to activate something like an alarm. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It is separable.
examples: I don’t see any smoke. Do you know what set the fire alarm off?
ADVANCED: to activate a person’s anger, or frustration. In this case the reaction is rather serious. The person should be mentioned.
examples: We do not know what sets off school shooters. Every situation is different.
put down 2007-12-18 08:52:44 BASIC: 1. to insult or say negative things about someone or something. IT is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It is separable.
examples: She’s a cranky woman. She’s always putting people down.
go in on 2007-12-16 21:01:31 BASIC: 1. to share the responsibility of payment for something. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It is not separable.
examples: The present for my father was too expensive. However, my sister said she would go in on it.
come with 2007-12-16 11:36:12 BASIC: 1. include when purchased. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It is not separable.
examples: Did any of the toys I bought for christmas come with batteries?
pull off 2007-12-15 12:32:51 ADVANCED:1. to manage to do something well when either unprepared or under poor circumstances. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It is not separable.
examples: 1. My husband likes to pull off all his Christmas shopping a few days before the holiday.
How did you pull off a good grade on that paper? Didn’t you start it the night before it was due?
check out 2007-12-14 14:29:57 BASIC: to pay or complete a sale or service. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It is not separable.
examples: What time do we have to check out of the hotel?
BASIC: to investigate. This can be used loosely to mean just look at something, hear, do, or try it. It can be separated by the object.
examples: So you think I will like that new band? I will have to check them out.
lock down 2007-12-13 18:25:02 BASIC: the action or situation where entry or exit is not permitted for safety. This is usually used in an extreme situation. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It is separable.
examples: When there was news that a local criminal had escaped, the school was put on lock down.
read into 2007-12-13 12:44:52 ADVANCED: 1. to find a deeper meaning within something said, done, or written. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It is not separable.
examples: Great literature can not be fully understood without reading into the symbols.
The old woman doesn’t speak very directly. You have to read into what she is saying.
run down 2007-12-12 08:39:23 BASIC:1. to be very low on energy, exhausted or have a low immune system. This is a temporary condition from not getting enough rest. It is only used for people. It is used as a description and is not conjugated.
examples: If you let yourself get run down, you are more likely to get sick.
2. in a state of neglect, or poor condition. This is used for things, usually buildings.
examples: The price on that house is low because it is so run down. It probably needs a lot of remodeling besides new paint.
run out of 2007-12-24 07:37:05 BASIC: 1. to be without stock of something. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It is not separable.
examples: If you wait until the last minute to shop for the holiday, stores often run out of the most popular products.
I have to go to the store today. We ran out of coffee.
turn down 2007-12-23 08:02:16 BASIC: 1. to reject someone or something. It is a phrasal verb and should be conjugated. It is separable.
examples: I can’t imagine why you would turn down that job offer.
2. to lower the volume of an electronic device emitting sound.
examples: Could you please turn the TV down. I’m trying to sleep.
Recommend Site To A Friend
