Idioms and Phrasal Verbs to talk about Relationships

Hey guys!

Everybody knows the importance of learning some phrasal verbs, idioms and colloquial expressions, especially when you live in a foreign country. We always learn a lot of them by communicating with native speakers or watching movies and series. In this post, you learn some phrasal verbs, idioms and expressions to communicate in a more natural way when speaking English in a foreign country.

* be made for each other – to be perfectly matched.

The two of you were made for each other – I think you should get married!

* tie the knot – to get married.

So when are you two going to tie the knot?

* meet sb halfway – to do some of the things that someone wants you to do, in order to show that you want to reach an agreement or improve your relationship with them.

We agreed to meet each other halfway.

 * clear the air – to remove the bad feelings between people.

I had a massive argument with Sue, but at least it has cleared the air.

* walk away – to stop being involved in a situation because it is difficult to deal with or does not give you any advantages.

You can’t just walk away from a marriage at the first sign of a problem.

* in the heat of the moment – If you say or do something in the heat of the moment, you say or do it without thinking because you are very angry or excited.

He didn’t mean it – he said it in the heat of the moment.

* live in each other’s pockets – to be with each other all the time and depend on each other.

I don’t think it’s healthy the way you two are always in each other’s pockets.

* go through a bad/sticky patch – to experience a lot of problems in a period of your life.

Andy’s going through a rough patch at the moment – his wife wants a divorce.

* do as you please – to do whatever you wish to do.

After the divorce, she may do as she pleases.

* answer to sb (for sth) – to justify actions.

You will have to answer to your girlfriend for cheating on her.

* mess sb around/about – to treat someone badly.

Don’t mess me about/around!

* let sb down – to disappoint someone by failing to do what you agreed to do or were expected to do.

You will be there tomorrow – you won’t let me down, will you?

* finish/break up/split up with sb – to stop having a romantic relationship with someone.

She finished with him when she discovered he was having an affair.

* not bear thinking about – to be too unpleasant or frightening to think about.

“What if he’d been cheating on her?” “It doesn’t bear thinking about.”

* break-up – the end of a business or personal relationship, caused by the separation of those involved.

Long separations had contributed to their marriage break-up.

I hope you learned some new idioms today, see you next time!

Source: Idioms and Phrasal Verbs – Advanced / Ruth Gairns and Stuart Redman – Oxford