Category: Learning English

zero in on ‘Zero in on ’ can mean any of the following:- converge on aim at precisely focus one’s attention on narrow down a search for successfully zero tolerance The phrase ‘zero tolerance’ is used in reference to ‘a form of policing that does not allow any anti-social behaviour or crime to be overlooked‘. zonk ...

You are what you eat The phrase ‘You are what you eat’ basically means ‘In order to be fit and healthy, you need to eat good food‘. You got me there The phrase ‘You got me there’ means ‘I do not know the answer to your question‘.

X factor An ‘X factor’ is a ‘hard-to-define or unknown special property that is important‘. X marks the spot The phrase ‘X marks the spot’ means ‘You will find what you are looking for under an obvious sign for it‘.

wait a minute The phrases ‘wait a minute’ and ‘wait for a minute’ do not mean the same thing. The former refers to a short time whereas the latter refers to exactly 1 minute. ‘Wait a minute’, ‘wait a second’ and ‘wait a moment’ are all synonymous. walk in on The phrase ‘walk in on (someone or something e.g. ...

vicious circle A ‘vicious circle’ is a ‘self-perpetuating process which returns to its starting point with no improvement from when it was begun‘. visit the ladies’ room The phrase “visit the ladies’ room” means “go to the ladies’ toilet“. voicemail greeting Below are some example sentences that you can use for your voicemail greeting:- ‘Hello. / Hi. [You have reached ...

understand someone It is not wrong to use the word ‘understand’ in the following manner: ‘I want to make sure that I understand you correctly.‘ Until next time You can end a letter with the following: ‘Until next time, James Robinson‘. up and about The phrase ‘up and about’ means ‘well enough to get out of bed and move ...

take a crack at The phrase ‘take a crack at (doing) something’ means ‘attempt (to do) something, or take a turn trying (to do) something ‘. Take it away! The phrase ‘Take it away!’ means ‘ Let the show begin!‘. take it from there The phrase ‘take it from there’ means ‘continue from that point onwards‘. take note of The phrase ...

age Note that in the phrase ‘boys my age‘, the word ‘of’ is not used. see how things go This phrase is used for saying that a decision about a situation will be made after allowing it to develop for a period of time. Seeing that The phrase ‘Seeing that’ means ‘Considering (whatever is stated after “that”)‘. sell off The ...

raise a case The phrase ‘raise a case with about something relating to the company that you are unhappy with‘. rat out The phrase ‘rat out’ means ‘quit, or decide not to cooperate with someone or something (after all)‘. rather than Note that in the sentence ‘I would rather run than walk.‘, ...

quality time The phrase ‘quality time’ means ‘time in which individual attention is given to an otherwise neglected family member‘. queer the pitch The phrase ‘queer the pitch’ means ‘spoil the business at hand‘.

pass off The phrase ‘pass off’ has several meanings. One of its meanings is ‘be accepted as somebody or something in a false identity or character‘, as illustrated by the sentence ‘He passed off as a policeman.‘. Another meaning of ‘pass off’ is ‘disregard‘, as in the sentence ‘I passed off the offensive remark.‘. You can learn about all the other meanings from a good dictionary. pass over The phrase ...

of note The phrase ‘of note’ means ‘important, famous, or of distinction‘, as illustrated by the following sentences: ‘I have nothing of note to say.‘; ‘His dad is a man of note.‘ On a side note This is a phrase that people often use. Feel free to share with us your thought about this phrase. on another phone ...

no problems ‘No problems’ and ‘No problem’ are both acceptable phrases. not an exact science If you undertake an activity that is not an exact science, it will involve opinions, guessing, working with limited information, etc. not having much luck This phrase can be used in sentences such as ‘I have not been having much luck searching for my lost ...

make a case for The phrase ‘make a case for’ means ‘explain why something should be done‘. make a note of The phrase ‘make a note of down as a reminder‘. make a run for it The phrase ...

land a job The phrase ‘land a job’ means ‘find a job and be hired‘. last laugh The phrase ‘last laugh’ means ‘ultimate success achieved after a near failure‘. late bloomer A ‘late bloomer’ is a ‘person whose capabilities or talents are not visible to others until later than usual‘. loaf around ‘Loaf around’ means ‘waste time, or idle ...

keep toes The phrase ‘keep to stay alert, active, and focused‘. keep an eye on The phrase ‘keep an eye on’ means ‘watch closely‘. keep the ball rolling The phrase ‘keep the ball rolling’ means ‘ cause something that is in progress to continue‘.

jump the gun The phrase ‘jump the gun’ means ‘act too soon or without due caution‘. just right The phrase ‘just right’ can be used in the following context: ‘This is not too soft, and not too hard. It is just right.‘ Just so I can Sentences that contain the phrase ‘Just so I can’ or ...

I am having the time of my life The phrase ‘I am having the time of my life’ means ‘I am having the best time ever‘. I can say / confirm This is a phrase that people often use. Feel free to share with us your thought about this phrase. I can’t get over The phrase ‘I can’t ...

hang around The phrase ‘hang around’ means ‘be about‘, as illustrated by the sentence ‘She is hanging around the corridor.‘. happy as can be The phrase ‘happy as can be’ means ‘extremely happy and contended‘, as illustrated by the sentence ‘When Jane heard that she had been successful in her job application, she was happy as could ...

geared towards The phrase ‘geared towards’ means ‘organized or designed so that it is suitable for a particular situation, purpose, or group of people‘. get back at The phrase ‘get back at ‘. get caught out The phrase ‘get caught out’ has two meanings. The first meaning is ‘get trapped in an ...

farm out The phrase ‘farm out’ means ‘send work to someone to be done away from one’s normal place of business‘. In short, it means ‘subcontract work’. features of interest The phrase ‘features of interest’ can be used to mean ‘interesting features of a place‘. finished for the day Here is an example sentence that illustrates the usage of the ...

eat out The phrase ‘eat out’ means ‘eat a meal at a restaurant or any other eateries‘. egg on The phrase ‘egg someone on to (do something)’ means ‘urge someone to (do something)‘. en suite This phrase is pronounced as ‘on sweet’. even more so The phrase ‘even more so’ means ‘especially‘, as in the sentence ‘Alcoholism was common and ...

dead on The phrase ‘dead on’ means ‘exactly right, or on target‘, as illustrated by the following sentences: ‘You’re dead on!‘; ‘Your criticism is dead on!‘; ‘Your insights into the matter are dead on!‘; ‘Your impression of my dad is dead on!‘ double up The phrase ‘double up’ has several meanings. One of its meanings is ‘do something twice ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: cordon, about’ means the ‘o‘ (i.e. the second ‘o’) in the word ‘cordon’ sounds just like the ‘a’ in the word ‘about’. call bluff The phrase ...

back out of The phrase ‘back out of’ means ‘make a retreat from (an earlier commitment or activity)‘. be in for a treat The phrase ‘be in for a treat’ means ‘be guaranteed to experience or receive something unexpectedly beneficial or pleasant‘. beat to a pulp The phrase ‘beat hard ...

a dead giveaway The phrase ‘a dead giveaway’ means ‘something that is an obvious clue about something else‘. a guide to Here is an example sentence that uses the phrase ‘a guide to’: ‘You can use this book as a guide to learning English.‘ a slap on the wrist The phrase ‘a slap on the wrist’ means ‘a mild punishment ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: zilch, chat’ means the ‘ch‘ in the word ‘zilch’ sounds just like the ‘ch’ in the word ‘chat’. zilch ‘Zilch’ means ‘no amount at all‘ as in ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: yabber, sad’ means the ‘a‘ in the word ‘yabber’ sounds just like the ‘a’ in the word ‘sad’. yabber ‘Yabber’ means ‘speak incessantly and rapidly about unimportant ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: xiphoid, ice’ means the ‘i‘ (i.e. the first ‘i’) in the word ‘xiphoid’ sounds just like the ‘i’ in the word ‘ice’. xiphoid ‘Xiphoid’ means ‘shaped like ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: whine, ice’ means the ‘i‘ in the word ‘whine’ sounds just like the ‘i’ in the word ‘ice’. wedgie A ‘wedgie’ can mean one of the following. It ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: vacant, grey‘ means the ‘a‘ (i.e. the first ‘a’) in the word ‘vacant’ sounds just like the ‘ey’ in the word ‘grey’. vacant Pronunciation tip: vacant, grey. Vasse The ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: uncouth, mood’ means the ‘ou‘ in the word ‘uncouth’ sounds just like the ‘oo’ in the word ‘mood’. uncouth ‘Uncouth’ means ‘lacking taste, refinement or cultivation‘. Pronunciation ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: tempest, kid’ means the ‘e‘ (i.e. the second ‘e’) in the word ‘tempest’ sounds just like the ‘i’ in the word ‘kid’. tab Let’s say you have ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: scant, sad’ means the ‘a‘ in the word ‘scant’ sounds just like the ‘a’ in the word ‘sad’. salon Pronunciation tip: salon, sad, rot. scant When used as an ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: record, nor’ means the ‘o‘ in the word ‘record’ sounds just like the ‘o’ in the word ‘nor’. rampant One of the meanings of ‘rampant’ is ‘violent ...

quaint The word ‘quaint’ has several meanings. One of its meanings is ‘strange in a pleasing or interesting way‘. Another meaning of ‘quaint’ is ‘attractively old-fashioned‘. This word can be used irrespective of whether the old-fashionedness is authentic or not. qualm The word ‘qualm’ has two meanings. One of its meanings is ‘uneasiness about the fitness of an action‘. The other ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: pocket, kid’ means the ‘e‘ in the word ‘pocket’ sounds just like the ‘i’ in the word ‘kid’. paedophile Pronunciation tip: paedophile, fee, about. parenthesis Pronunciation tip: parenthesis, about, ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: okey-dokey, fee‘ means the ‘e‘ in the word ‘okey-dokey’ sounds just like the ‘ee’ in the word ‘fee’. obnoxious ‘Obnoxious’ means ‘causing protest or disapproval‘. okey-dokey ‘Okey-dokey’ means ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: nuzzle, cup’ means the ‘u‘ in the word ‘nuzzle’ sounds just like the ‘u’ in the word ‘cup’. nark One of the meanings of ‘nark’ is ‘cause ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: mint, kid’ means the ‘i‘ in the word ‘mint’ sounds just like the ‘i’ in the word ‘kid’. magnanimous ‘Magnanimous’ means ‘generous and noble in spirit‘. Pronunciation ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: lemon, about’ means the ‘o‘ in the word ‘lemon’ sounds just like the ‘a’ in the word ‘about’. lame The word ‘lame’ has several meanings. One of its ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: kaput, about’ means the ‘a‘ in the word ‘kaput’ sounds just like the ‘a’ in the word ‘about’. kaput ‘Kaput’ means ‘ruined, broken, or not functioning‘ as ...

jaded The word ‘jaded’ has two meanings. One of its meanings is ‘exhausted, wearied or worn out, as by overwork or overuse‘. It can be used in sentences such as “Her parents’ words have left her depressed and jaded” or “She is so jaded of her mother-in-law’s complaints about her cooking“. The other meaning is ‘dulled by ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: impudent, yearn’ means the ‘u‘ in the word ‘impudent’ sounds just like the ‘ye’ in the word ‘yearn’. impudent ‘Impudent’ means ‘offensively disrespectful‘. Pronunciation tip: impudent, yearn. incite ‘Incite’ means ...

haircut To make an appointment for a haircut, you can say any of the following to the hairdresser:- ‘Can I make an appointment for a haircut today?‘ ‘What times do you have open for appointments today?‘ ‘Do you have any openings today?‘ ‘When is your next opening?‘ ‘Is there anyone who is free to cut my hair in the next hour?‘ The ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: gesture, jet’ means the ‘g‘ in the word ‘gesture’ sounds just like the ‘j’ in the word ‘jet’. game-changing If a decision, undertaking or action is ‘game-changing’, ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: formulae, fee‘ means the ‘ae‘ in the word ‘formulae’ sounds just like the ‘ee’ in the word ‘fee’. favour Examples of phrases containing the word ‘favour’:- find favour ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: enterprise, bet’ means the ‘e‘ (i.e. the first ‘e’) in the word ‘enterprise’ sounds just like the ‘e’ in the word ‘bet’. eh? ‘Eh?’ is a word ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: delirium, kid’ means the ‘e‘ in the word ‘delirium’ sounds just like the ‘i’ in the word ‘kid’. deal-breaker ‘Deal-Breaker’ means ‘an issue which, if unresolved during ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: carton , about’ means the ‘o‘ in the word ‘carton’ sounds just like the ‘a’ in the word ‘about’. cache The word ‘cache‘ is pronounced in the ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: budge, cup’ means the ‘u‘ in the word ‘budge’ sounds just like the ‘u’ in the word ‘cup’. baloney ‘Baloney’ means ‘silly or pretentious talk or writing‘. Pronunciation ...

Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: accent, bet’ means the ‘e‘ in the word ‘accent’ sounds just like the ‘e’ in the word ‘bet’. accent Pronunciation tip: accent, bet. acquisition Pronunciation tip: acquisition, quick. afoot ‘Afoot’ means ...