LANGUAGE AND USE
Manage English Idioms
Whenever a person decides to study and learn English, their desire is to sound as a native speaker. One way to achieve this goal is to use a variety of idiomatic expressions in your speech. English is especially rich in these combinations and it is natural to use them to speak or write in different situations.
This is our second presentation of the most common and modern idioms to include in your vocabulary and that of your students.
CALL
Call on is used in three different ways and it may mean:
– e.g. Mrs. Peterson’s case calls for understanding rather than judgement.
If you want to complain about a person’s unjustified action you can turn this expression into an adjective.
- e.g. His interference was rather uncalled-for. He should have minded his own business.
Call off can be used instead of cancel.
- e.g. They called off the open air concert due to the bad weather conditions.
Call in is used meaning to ask for professional help.
- e.g. My computer won’t save files; I’ll have to call in a technician.
Let’s call it a day! is a colloquial expression very much used when you want to say that the day has ended or that you consider it to have finished.
- e.g. Let’s call it a day! This has been too much for a day’s work. I’m going home.
Call forth means provoke, cause.
- e.g. The football coach’s insults to the press called forth a wave of protests among journalists.
If you call something out, you shout it.
- e.g. He called out Bingo five minutes after the game had started.
In case of a national emergency retired military officers may be called up, i.e. they may be ordered to join the armed forces.
- e.g. After the full-scale invasion all retired officers were called up.
COME
Come round can be used in three different ways meaning:
- e.g. She won’t be coming to work for a few days, she has come down with swine flu.
And if you come down with an infectious disease you may come out in spots; that means that you are covered by them, that you have got a rash.
- e.g. He stayed out in the sun too long and came out in a rash.
To come by is used with the sense of obtaining or finding something.
- e.g. 0(-) blood type donors are hard to come by.
Come across means to meet or find by accident - e.g. We came across this expression while reading “Pride and Prejudice”.
E.g. I was walking along Main Street yesterday when I came across an old friend of mine. I hadn’t seen him for over twenty years.
If your parents are rich and they die you inherit or come into a lot of money.
- e.g. My grandfather, who had chosen me as his heir, died last week. I’ll be soon coming into a huge amount of money and a lot of properties.
When you carry out an experiment and you say that it has come off you mean that it was successful.
- e.g. The last N.A.S.A. experiment has luckily come off and now all astronauts are waiting to be summoned to be part of the project.
On the other hand if a theatre play comes off, it is no longer put on stage as a result of its failure.
- e.g. The new theatre version of “Romeo and Juliet” was not approved by the audience and thus it came off after three performances.
Come into your own means get recognition, find your right place.
- e.g. He had done several courses on First Aid and had never been able to show what he had learned but when the accident happened he came into his own.
Come about refers to the way something happens.
- e.g. The discovery of radioactivity came about by accident.
Come off it! is a common expression which shows that the speaker does not believe what you are saying and that he does not want to be considered stupid.
- e.g. Honey, you want me to believe you only paid $45 for this designer dress. Come off it!
If you come up against a difficult situation or problem, you deal with it.
- e.g. When her mother and father died, she had to come up against the problem of having to raise her sister on her own.
Come to means:
- e.g. Nobody knew what to do until Peter came up with an ingenious solution to the problem.
CHECK
You check in or check into when you arrive in a hotel and fill in all the necessary forms to spend some time there.
- e.g. As the hotels in town were much too expensive, he decided to check in a small boarding house.
Before getting on a plane you should always check in at the airport, you approach the check-in desk and show your ticket to the person at the counter.
- e.g. I have already checked in, where can I wait for my flight?
Check out has three possible meanings:
- e.g. I wonder if this information is reliable, we should check up on it before deciding on any course of action.
CLEAN
When a person comes clean about a secret, they admit it. This is an informal expression.
- e.g. Leonard decided he had to come clean about his past before declaring his love to Tessa.
Clean out can be used in two different situations
When a person or an organization cuts back an amount of money or resources, the meaning is that they reduce them.
- e.g. The manager has decided to cut back on advertising expenses.
If you cut down on an activity, you start doing it less often.
- e.g. She has to cut down on fatty food and sweets if she wants to lose weight.
Cut off has several uses:
- e.g. Tom started to answer my question, but before he could say a word Pam cut in and gave me an answer.
A person is cut out for a particular job, when they have the necessary qualities to do it.
- e.g. Look at him! He has really been cut out for this job.
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Whenever a person decides to study and learn English, their desire is to sound as a native speaker. One way to achieve this goal is to use a variety of idiomatic expressions in your speech. English is especially rich in these combinations and it is natural to use them to speak or write in different situations.
This is our second presentation of the most common and modern idioms to include in your vocabulary and that of your students.
CALL
Call on is used in three different ways and it may mean:
- A short visit.
- e.g. When visiting New York we called on my wife’s parents. - To request a person’s services or help.
- e.g. If we need a plumber, we’ll call on your brother-in-law. Can I have his telephone number, please? - To go and fetch somebody.
- e.g. Please, tell Fiona I’ll call on her at about nine. We are going out tonight.
– e.g. Mrs. Peterson’s case calls for understanding rather than judgement.
If you want to complain about a person’s unjustified action you can turn this expression into an adjective.
- e.g. His interference was rather uncalled-for. He should have minded his own business.
Call off can be used instead of cancel.
- e.g. They called off the open air concert due to the bad weather conditions.
Call in is used meaning to ask for professional help.
- e.g. My computer won’t save files; I’ll have to call in a technician.
Let’s call it a day! is a colloquial expression very much used when you want to say that the day has ended or that you consider it to have finished.
- e.g. Let’s call it a day! This has been too much for a day’s work. I’m going home.
Call forth means provoke, cause.
- e.g. The football coach’s insults to the press called forth a wave of protests among journalists.
If you call something out, you shout it.
- e.g. He called out Bingo five minutes after the game had started.
In case of a national emergency retired military officers may be called up, i.e. they may be ordered to join the armed forces.
- e.g. After the full-scale invasion all retired officers were called up.
COME
Come round can be used in three different ways meaning:
- That you are convinced of someone’s point of view.
- e.g. I’m getting married next month! We had an argument about it at first but finally Bob came round to the idea.
- That somebody recovers after they have lost consciousness or after an illness.
- e.g. Is he still unconscious or has he come round already?
- An invitation to somebody’s place.
- e.g. Why don’t you both come round for dinner on Friday?
- e.g. She won’t be coming to work for a few days, she has come down with swine flu.
And if you come down with an infectious disease you may come out in spots; that means that you are covered by them, that you have got a rash.
- e.g. He stayed out in the sun too long and came out in a rash.
To come by is used with the sense of obtaining or finding something.
- e.g. 0(-) blood type donors are hard to come by.
Come across means to meet or find by accident - e.g. We came across this expression while reading “Pride and Prejudice”.
E.g. I was walking along Main Street yesterday when I came across an old friend of mine. I hadn’t seen him for over twenty years.
If your parents are rich and they die you inherit or come into a lot of money.
- e.g. My grandfather, who had chosen me as his heir, died last week. I’ll be soon coming into a huge amount of money and a lot of properties.
When you carry out an experiment and you say that it has come off you mean that it was successful.
- e.g. The last N.A.S.A. experiment has luckily come off and now all astronauts are waiting to be summoned to be part of the project.
On the other hand if a theatre play comes off, it is no longer put on stage as a result of its failure.
- e.g. The new theatre version of “Romeo and Juliet” was not approved by the audience and thus it came off after three performances.
Come into your own means get recognition, find your right place.
- e.g. He had done several courses on First Aid and had never been able to show what he had learned but when the accident happened he came into his own.
Come about refers to the way something happens.
- e.g. The discovery of radioactivity came about by accident.
Come off it! is a common expression which shows that the speaker does not believe what you are saying and that he does not want to be considered stupid.
- e.g. Honey, you want me to believe you only paid $45 for this designer dress. Come off it!
If you come up against a difficult situation or problem, you deal with it.
- e.g. When her mother and father died, she had to come up against the problem of having to raise her sister on her own.
Come to means:
- If an amount comes to a particular number, it adds up to it.
- e.g. The total amount to pay came to $567.
- Come round.
- e.g. Pat came to immediately when she smelled the alcohol.
- e.g. Nobody knew what to do until Peter came up with an ingenious solution to the problem.
CHECK
You check in or check into when you arrive in a hotel and fill in all the necessary forms to spend some time there.
- e.g. As the hotels in town were much too expensive, he decided to check in a small boarding house.
Before getting on a plane you should always check in at the airport, you approach the check-in desk and show your ticket to the person at the counter.
- e.g. I have already checked in, where can I wait for my flight?
Check out has three possible meanings:
- To pay the bill and leave a hotel where you have been staying.
- e.g. I’m sorry madam, but Mr. Brown has already checked out and is on his way to the airport.
- To find out about something.
- e.g. I really do not know if this is the type of medicine you need, please check it out with your doctor.
- If you want to know if a person is the right one to do a job or join a group, you check them out. This is an informal use of the expression.
- e.g. Officer, he might not be guilty but please check him out before you release him.
- e.g. I wonder if this information is reliable, we should check up on it before deciding on any course of action.
CLEAN
When a person comes clean about a secret, they admit it. This is an informal expression.
- e.g. Leonard decided he had to come clean about his past before declaring his love to Tessa.
Clean out can be used in two different situations
- To clean and tidy thoroughly.
- e.g. I can’t work in this mess; I’ll clean it out right now!
- In an informal use, to take a person’s money and leave them with nothing.
- e.g. Little by little he cleaned his wife out and once he had all her money, he asked her for a divorce.
When a person or an organization cuts back an amount of money or resources, the meaning is that they reduce them.
- e.g. The manager has decided to cut back on advertising expenses.
If you cut down on an activity, you start doing it less often.
- e.g. She has to cut down on fatty food and sweets if she wants to lose weight.
Cut off has several uses:
- When you refer to a person or place, it means that you separate them from things they are normally connected with.
- e.g. After the storm the town was completely cut off …
- To refer to the interruption of a certain supply.
- e.g. The town electricity supply has been momentarily cut off to carry out work to improve the service.
- To say that a telephone conversation has been interrupted or that the people talking have been disconnected.
E.g. He was about to tell me the truth when we were suddenly cut off! Can you believe it?
- e.g. Tom started to answer my question, but before he could say a word Pam cut in and gave me an answer.
A person is cut out for a particular job, when they have the necessary qualities to do it.
- e.g. Look at him! He has really been cut out for this job.
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