Posted by 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.
* streets ahead of / head and shoulders above sth – much better than the rest.
He is streets ahead of us at maths.
* doesn’t do a stroke of work – does not work at all.
My cousin doesn’t do a stroke of work.
* get on like a house on fire – like each other very much, very fast.
They get on like a house on fire.
* lost for words – when sb was so surprised or shocked that he/she didn’t know what to say.
I was lost for words when I heard the bad news.
* all hell broke loose – sth happened which caused people to get angry and start fighting or arguing.
All hell broke loose at the party.
* avoid sb like a plague – be determined to keep away from another person completely.
I avoided him like a plague.
* I couldn’t believe my ears – be extremely surprised.
I couldn’t believe my ears when he said he was going to live abroad.
* up in arms about – extremely angry.
Workers are up in arms about the new regulations.
* pull out all the stops – make the greatest effort possible.
We’ll have to pull out all the stops to get the show ready on time.
* I’d give my right arm to – when sb would do anything.
I’d give my right arm to be in his position.
* come down like a ton of bricks – be extremely angry / punish sb severely.
My dad came down on me like a ton of bricks.
I hope you learned some new phrasal verbs and idioms today, see you next time!
Source: Idioms and Phrasal Verbs – Advanced / Ruth Gairns and Stuart Redman – Oxford
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