Category: idioms

“Out of the blue” – English idiom

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Out_of_the_blue

Example sentences from the web:

  • My cousin turned up out of the blue on Christmas Day.
  • My sister Mary appeared on my doorstep out of the blue, after years with no word from her.
  • You turn up out of the blue, begging for my help in something completely illegal!
  • Stephanie called me out of the blue yesterday morning.
  • He just broke up with me out of the blue, and I have no idea why. 

Words you may not know:

TO TURN UP (past simple: “turned up”)=> to appear or come to light unexpectedly or after being lost.
TO BEG (gerund: begging) => to ask someone to give or do something; to implore.

“It’s a piece of cake” – English Idiom

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It's_a_piece_of_cake_001

Example sentences from the web:

  • I thought it was gonna be a piece of cake coming back here, but this is hard.
  • It should not be too painful for the Member States to meet each other half way under these circumstances; on the contrary it should be a piece of cake.
  • Climbing that mountain was a piece of cake.
  • With your experience, it should be a piece of cake.

“Can’t carry a tune” – English idiom

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Can't_carry_a_tune

can't_carry_a_tune_-_Fun_with_idioms

Image source

Variations of this idiom with the same meaning:

can’t carry a tune in a bucket;

can’t carry a tune in a bushel basket;

can’t carry a tune in a paper sack.

Examples from the web:

  • Mark: “Sing with us!”
    John: “Sorry. You wouldn’t want me to. I can’t carry a tune.”
  • I invited Sarah to join the choir but she refused, she told me she can’t carry a tune in a bucket.

A short article I found while surfing the web: “Can’t Carry a Tune? Work Out Your Vocal Muscles”. by Lena Groeger
This is the link (I opened it with Lingro, in this way if you click on a term that you don’t know, you can read the definition in English): http://lingro.com/translate/http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/physically-out-of-tune/
In short, the article is about physical reasons of bad singing.

“Slippery customer” – English idiom

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Slippery_customer_-_website
A_slippery_customer_-_bookImage source

Other examples from the web:

  • Watch out for that girl with the red hat and don’t believe what she says. She’s a slippery customer.
  • He’s a slippery customer, that Tim, I’ve never felt comfortable with him.

Watch out = to be careful; to remain vigilant.
To snatch = to take something or someone quickly and suddenly; to grab.
Untrustworthy = not able to be trusted.
Cunning = getting what is wanted in a clever and often deceptive way.

“Dig in your heels” – English idiom

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Dig_in_your_heels

Conjugation of  the verb “to dig“.

Examples from the web:

– Even though the developer offered them more than their houses were worth, the owners dug their heels in and refused to sell up and make way for the office block.

 

–  I’m digging in my heels. I’m not going back.