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Call It A Day: Rain or Shine, The Protesters Are Out There Every Day

The document defines and provides examples for common English idioms and phrases including: 1) "Call it a day" which means to end the work day; 2) "Couch potato" which refers to someone who watches too much TV; and 3) Several other phrases around feeling tired, helping others, expectations, and general states like being broke or under the weather.

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70 views

Call It A Day: Rain or Shine, The Protesters Are Out There Every Day

The document defines and provides examples for common English idioms and phrases including: 1) "Call it a day" which means to end the work day; 2) "Couch potato" which refers to someone who watches too much TV; and 3) Several other phrases around feeling tired, helping others, expectations, and general states like being broke or under the weather.

Uploaded by

sam
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Call it a day

Meaning/Usage: Used to express that the work day is over.

Explanation: "Call it" is often times used to make a decision.  When you add "day" to this, then a
person is making a decision to say that the day is over.  This is mostly used to end a working day.

"Let's call it a day.  I'm too tired to continue working."


"It's already nine o'clock.  Let's call it a day."

Couch potato

Meaning/Usage: Used when someone watches too much television.

Explanation: This was created for someone watching too much television because in some western
countries, a person usually sits on the "couch" and eats "potato" chips while watching television.

"My husband is a couch potato.  He sits in front of the TV all day long."
"You have a huge belly because you're a couch potato."

Feel blue

Meaning/Usage: Feel sad

Explanation: Long time ago, blue was related to the rain.  Whenever the fictional god Zeus was sad,
he would make it rain (crying).

"What a gloomy day.  It makes me feel blue."

Go Dutch

Meaning/Usage: Each person paying for themselves.  For example, going Dutch on a date is
indicating both guy and girl will pay for themselves instead of one buying for the other.

"You don't have to pay for me.  Let's go dutch today."


"I can't believe John didn't pay for me.  We ended up going dutch on the whole date."

Rain or Shine

Meaning/Usage: Not allowing the weather to prevent you from doing something.
Explanation: For outdoor activities, rain can stop someone from doing something.  This phrase is
used to express determination of doing something no matter what external forces try to stop them.

"We're going camping this weekend rain or shine."


"Rain or shine, the protesters are out there every day."
I'm beat

Meaning/Usage: Very tired

Explanation: "Beat" can mean to lose.  It can also mean to be hit over and over again.  When
someone loses or they are hit over and over again, they are either mentally tired or physically tired.
This phrase is saying you are very tired for whatever reason.

"I had a tough day today.  I'm totally beat."


"I don't want to go out tonight.  I'm beat."

Keep an eye on

Meaning/Usage: To watch after; to supervise; to take care of

Explanation: When you have your eye on something or you are watching something, then you are
paying attention to something or someone.

"Can you keep an eye on my daughter while I go get the car?"


"Don't worry about your luggage.  I'll keep an eye on it."

Give someone a hand

Meaning/Usage: To help someone

Explanation: A physical task is usually done with the hands.  Giving someone a hand is letting them
borrow your hands, or in other words, helping them out.

"Can you give me a hand setting up the dining table?"


"I'm going to need a hand changing the tire on the car."

On the dot

Meaning/Usage: The exact


time
"I don't want to be waiting for you, so you'd better be there at three o'clock on the dot."
"He's supposed to show up at four on the dot.  If he is late even a minute, I'm taking off."

Keeping my fingers crossed

Meaning/Usage: Hoping for good luck


"Their team is not favored to win.  But I hope they do.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed."
"I have a one in ten chance of winning the television.  I better keep my fingers crossed."
Out of this world

Meaning/Usage: Amazing

Explanation: When something is of this world, it is not normal.  This phrase is used to indicate that
it is not normal in a positive way.  It is so different and amazing that it is not a part of this world.

"That's the coolest thing I've ever seen.  It's really out of this world."
"It's totally out of this world.  You're going to be impressed."

Pain in the ass

Meaning/Usage: A source of trouble or annoyance; used to indicate that something bothers you
very much.  "Ass" can be seen as profanity, so another way of saying this would be "Pain in the
butt" or "Pain in the neck."

Explanation: When something gives you trouble and bothers you a lot, it gives you pain.  To look
for more colorful ways to express this, people started saying "pain in the neck."  Another variation
came out when people started to say "Pain in the rear end."  This later became "Pain in the butt" or
"Pain in the ass."
"I had a customer who kept asking easy questions.  It was a total pain in the ass."

Piece of cake

Meaning/Usage: Describes something that is easy to do.


"You won't have any problems with it.  It's a piece of cake."
"It's not that difficult.  Actually, it's a piece of cake.

I can eat a horse

Meaning/Usage: To express the desire to eat a lot of food.


"I'm so hungry that I can eat a horse."
"I feel like I can eat a horse right now."

Grab a bite

Meaning/Usage: To get something to eat

"When do you want to go grab a bite?"


"I don't have much time, so let's grab a quick bite."
Go with the flow

Meaning/Usage: To do things as other people are doing it because it is easier to do; to not go
against the common way of doing things

Explanation: Rowing up the river is very difficult to do.  If you go with the flow, you are following
the path of the least resistance.

"Why do you do everything differently?  You should just go with the flow."
"If you don't know where the shuttle is, just go with the flow.  Everyone is going in that direction."

Twenty-four seven

Meaning/Usage: Constantly; always available; every minute of the day and night

Explanation: There are 24 hours in a day and seven days in a week.

"7-11 is a great store because they are open twenty-four seven."

Under the weather

Meaning/Usage: Feeling sick; not well

"I'm going to stay home because I'm feeling under the weather today."


"I told my boss that I was under the weather.  She told me to stay home for the day."

Broke

Meaning/Usage: To have no money

"I can't afford to buy that television.  I'm totally broke."


"I can't pay my bills.  I'm broke."

No worries!/ Don’t mention it!

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