Winning English - Mastering Idioms, Slang, and References
Clear as mud • Jibe with • Get in touch • Beat around the bush • Nip in the bud • End of the day •Hankering • Under the weather • Couch potato • Sweet tooth • Hunker down
Today, I’m going to tell two short stories, and I’m going to use several idioms or unusual words in each example. Some English conversations will sound like this. Native speakers often don’t even realize their speech is very confusing to non-native speakers. Let’s begin.
You and a colleague are at work. You are trying to reach a new agreement with a partner company.
You say, “Hey, did you see this email from our partner? It’s as clear as mud.”
“Yeah,” your colleague says, “And even the parts I understand don’t jibe with what we discussed the other day.”
You say, “I’m going to get in touch with them this afternoon.”
“Okay,” your colleague says, “But don’t beat around the bush. They need to understand what we want. We have to nip this problem in the bud.”
“I know,” you say, “Because at the end of the day, this could determine if our company is profitable or not.”
While it might seem like there are many idioms and unusual words in that conversation, this kind of speech is very common.
To be “clear as mud” is likely easy to understand. Mud is not clear at all. You can’t see through it. So, when an idea or an email is “as clear as mud”, it doesn’t make any sense.
“To jibe with” means to be in agreement with. In this case, the email from the partner company contained information that did not agree with what our speakers think.
“To get in touch with” is to contact someone, usually by phone, but it can be by any means, like text or email.
When a person “beats around the bush”, it means that she or he is avoiding the main topic of a conversation, usually because there is a disagreement or because the topic is controversial. (In other words, the person won’t “cut to the chase”). This idiom likely comes from hunting. Sometimes people beat sticks on the ground to make animals come out of hiding. However, if it’s a big, dangerous animal in a bush, you likely don’t want to get too close. So, you’ll “beat around the bush” at a safe distance and avoid the danger.
“To nip a problem in the bud” means to stop a problem right away before it grows into bigger problem. The word “bud” has two meanings. In one case, it’s the part of a plant that grows into a flower. In another, it’s the early growth of horns on animals, like goats. So, whether it’s flowers or horns you don’t want, when you “nip them in the bud”, you prevent them from growing.
“At the end of the day” is a very common saying that people use when they are about to express their final, main point. The preceding conversation might have addressed many topics. But the speaker wants to highlight what she or he thinks was most important one, so he or she will say “at the end of the day” first.
It’s time for our second story. This is a casual setting, but it still has plenty of idioms and unusual words.
A friend sends you a text. Your friend asks, “Do you want to go get some dinner? There’s a new restaurant that has food I’ve been hankering for.”
“Sorry,” you reply. “I’m feeling a bit under the weather. I think I’m just going to be a couch potato tonight and watch some Netflix.”
“Sorry to hear you aren’t feeling well!” your friend responds. “Do you want me to bring a treat over to you? Maybe some ice cream? I know you have a sweet tooth. It might make you feel better.”
“Thanks for the offer!” you say. “But that’s okay. I’m just going to hunker down for the evening. I’m sure I’ll feel better tomorrow. Then we can get ice cream!”
To have “a hankering for” means that you desire something. Most often this word is used when talking about food.
When you are “under the weather”, it means you feel sick. Often it means that you have a physical illness, but it can also mean you are feeling sad or depressed. This saying seems to come from boats and sailing, and it originally meant that the person was seasick.
When you are “a couch potato”, you are just lying around on the couch, being lazy, and have no motivation to do anything productive. Literally think of a potato, just sitting there. Not very interesting, is it? You can use this funny phrase to describe yourself, but sometimes people will use it to criticize others, by accusing them of being a lazy “couch potato”.
“To have a sweet tooth” means that you tend to like sweet, sugary treats.
Finally, to “hunker down” means to seek shelter and stay in that one place for a while. According to this article from the Wall Street Journal, it originally meant to squat down and balance on the balls of the feet. Later US President Lyndon Johnson made it popular in American speech.
Thanks for reading Winning English! Remember to listen to the podcast, as well, to reinforce your learning. As always, like and comment, and if you enjoy Winning English, please tell a friend. Talk soon!