Understanding American English Phrases

Greetings everyone!  It is my pleasure to return to writing mini lessons on understanding American English phrases.

For those of you who have been following my mini-lessons, I want to apologize to you (especially to those who wrote comments) for my mistake in deleting the posts.  If anyone wants a copy of the last 9 mini-lessons, please send me an email with “Request Mini Lessons” on the subject line and I’ll send you a copy.

We left off on the following phrases:

Hand-over-fist / Between a rock and a hard place / Back in the day

Since I’m starting over, this will be Mini Lesson No. 1, so “on with the show!”

1. Hand-over-fist 

This phrase is used primarily when describing someone/something that is earning money in a fast profitable manner.  Please study the following examples:

1. Henry and his brother Jack had an idea to sell flavored bottle water to people on the island, and they were making money “hand over fist” in their  business endeavor!

2.  Money lenders can make money “hand-over-fist” by charging various transaction fees.

3.  You can make money “hand over fist” if you supply goods to a market with strong demand and no competition.

Background of the phrase:  The origin of this phrase appears to be nautical from sailors who would reel in rope by placing a hand on the rope and pulling and then placing and pulling with the other hand, thereby, using a hand-over-hand motion until the rope was completely in. This phrase is commonly used in everyday American English by someone who wants to quickly convey the message of somebody making money fast, there may be some sarcasm in their tone of voice.  The other person may reply, “yes and they were laughing all the way to the bank!” (phrase for another lesson, try to understand the context)

2.  Between a rock and a hard place

 This phrase indicates that a person is in an unfavorable position of having to make a decision which has choices that are undesirable.  In literal terms, it would express the thought of something caught between a rock and something else hard.  Whatever the hard place is, the result is the same, that is, entrapment.  Consider the examples:

1. Sally says to her mother: “Mom, I have 2 important tests to take for my final examination in school and I only have time to study for 1 of them, I’m really stuck “between a rock and a hard place,” help!”

Mom to Sally: Sally, why did you wait so late to study, you should have allowed yourself enough time!”  Sally to Mom: “Mom, that’s water under the bridge!” (another lesson, understand by the context)

2. The company’s policy was never to eliminate personnel due to financial reasons, however, the economy is so bad that they may have to go out of business unless they can reduce the budget.  Therefore, the company is “between a rock and a hard place” not to eliminate employees.

3. My parents are not in good health and need my help, however, I must work to be able to support them.  I am “between a rock and a hard place” to decide what to do?  

You can understand from the examples above that being “between a rock and a hard place” means having to make a difficult decision with either decision not being desirable.

Background of the phrase:  From Greek mythology of Odyssey.  This phrase is used commonly in everyday English.

3. Back in the day

This is a relatively new phrase that is being used to describe something that happened in the past.

1. “Back in the day” before computers, we relied on writing letters or sending telegrams instead of simply sending an email! 

2. “Back in the day” in high school, chess was a very popular game to play!

3. “Back in the day” during the 1950’s and 1960’s, love song lyrics were very romantic!

You can see from the use of this phrase that it is referring to something that happened during a time in the past that the speaker is causing the listener to refer to.

Background of the phrase:  This is a slang phrase that came from American urban life which has made it’s way into mainstream American English.  It’s used in informal conversation by young and old.

Well, it’s good to be back, thanks for all of the emails and friend requests I’ve received.  Some of you are really serious about learning English and I’ll do my best to help you understand authentic American English. 

Here is my suggestion for you to learn English: Read, Write, Speak and think in English!

Until the next time!

Mini Lesson No. 25: A piece of cake / Comes out in the wash / The proof is in the pudding:

A. A piece of cake: Describing a situation that is an easy task or requires a small amount of effort.

Background/Origin of the phrase:

This phrase dates back to 1936 by American Poet Ogden Nash’s “Primrose Path” where the phrase was used in this quote: “Her picture in the papers now, and life’s a piece of cake.”

It was describing the fact that the person now had a nice easy type of life because of the notoriety of her picture being in the paper.

Here are some examples:

1. My first job was “a piece of cake” compared to my new job.  I should have remained at my first job!

2. Putting a puzzle together is “a piece of cake” the second time around.

3. Hey Tim, following your directions made finding your house “a piece of cake.”

B. Comes out in the wash: Neutralizing the effect of something.

Background/origin of the phrase:

This phrase is used to assure someone that the results of a particular matter will be alright.  It literally means that the dirt in clothes will come out when they are washed.

It dates back to 1876 by novelist Samuel Butler who stated: “As my cousins laundress says, it will all come right in the wash.”  From Dictionary of Cliches by James Rogers (Ballantine Books, New York, 1985.)

Here are some examples:

1. Jane: Shelly, since you’re a great seamstress, how much will it cost me for you to fit and hem my dress?

Shelly: Well, because you provided baby-sitting service for me last weekend, I won’t charge you anything, we’ll just let it “come out in the wash!”

Jane: Thanks Shelly!

2. Worker-to-Boss: Sorry Boss but I’m going to be 15 minutes late due to bad weather.

Boss: Don’t worry, we’ll cover your delay, just work 15 minutes over and it’ll “come out in the wash.”

Worker: Thanks Boss!

3. If the cost of services is equal to the value of the merchandise received, then we do not have to exchange money because “it all comes out in the wash!”

C. The proof is in the pudding: The end result is proof that the method used was good.

Origin/background of the phrase:

The origin of this phrase is debatable.  However, Americans tend to use it to describe a situation where the end result is proof the method, process, technique or activity was good.

In a more practical explanation of this phrase is revealed in this example: A baker bakes a delicious cake without following a recipe.  The baker’s experience will result in a delicious cake.  However the baker did it, “the proof is in the pudding,” the cake is superb!

Here are additional examples:

1. The quality of work performed by skillful people is outstanding and “the proof is in the pudding!”

2. A new study method used by some students is untraditional and controversial.  However, “the proof is in the pudding” because the students have increased their knowledge and are receiving higher test scores.

3. The human brain can process information faster than the fastest computer.  “The proof is in the pudding” by our ability to make decisions “on the fly” (immediately)!

All of these phrases are interwoven in American culture.  Natives will speak them with the assumption their audience will fully understand their comments.

If your goal is to be fluent in speaking and understanding American English, you must make it a priority to learn common idioms, phrases and some slang expressions.

To improve your knowledge of this aspect of English, I recommend that you write down any expression you do not understand.  Let this be the start of your vocabulary list which are expressions you’ve heard from movies, news reports, interviews or native speakers.  Use a search engine or seek the answer from any native speaker.  You can also send me your question by email.

One of the keys to your success is having the proper attitude about learning English.  Progress will be achieved word-by-word, phrase-by-phrase, lesson-by-lesson, conversation-by-conversation over a period of time.

Strive to use every opportunity to advance your English skill level, even if its only 5 minutes per day.  You can do it! 

For your information, I’m currently writing a new lesson for my “Inside the language” series to be posted soon.  The topic is: “Determing the mood of the writer/speaker.”  Here is the link which is also accessed from my profile page:

http://www.englishbaby.com/findfriends/gallery/detail/1207903

Well, I hope this lesson was helpful for you. 

Mini lesson No. 26 phrase expressions are:

All bets are off / Where the rubber meets the road / Worth it’s weight in gold

Mini Lesson No. 27 – All bets are off / Where the rubber meets the road / Worth its weight in gold

These are commonly used phrases in American English, you should add this information to your knowledge of conversational English to help you understand native speakers.

A. All bets are off= All proposals which were offered are withdrawn.

Background/origin of the phrase: This phrase is from sports betting, specifically horseracing where people made a bet on the winning horse but something changed and the bet saleman (bookee) cancelled the bet because the odds have changed.

Examples of how the phrase is used:

1. The company offered a 1% wage increase but the workers rejected the offer, therefore the company said “all bets are off” and withdrew the offer.

2. When you negotiate for an equitable settlement, you must be careful not to anger someone or they may tell you “all bets are off” and “take it or leave it” and you’ll end up with nothing!

3. If the president vetoes the legislative bill, “all bets are off” of reaching a compromised bill.

B. Where the rubber meets the road= Where meaningfull things come together.

Background/origin of the phrase: The phrase comes from racing cars where the rubber meets the road and races are won.

Examples of how the phrase is used:

1. Learning a foreign language can be challenging but “where the rubber meets the road” is being able to speak it.

2. Going to school is a good investment in yourself, however, getting a job afterwards is “where the rubber meets the road!”

3.  If a business doesn’t have enough income to sustain their operation, they may have to raise their prices and reduce their overhead expenses. This is “where the rubber meets the road.”

C. Worth its weight in gold= Ascribing a high value or importance to something.

1. The ink pen I found was “worth its weight in gold” when I needed it to write down an important phone number.

2. Your cellphone was “worth it’s weight in gold” when I really needed it.

3. After receiving a flat tire, the spare tire was “worth its weight in gold” to prevent us from being stranded.

Developing a good listening skill is beneficial to training your ears to hear “exactness.”  This ability will help you to discern the variation between different speakers pronouncing the same word.

Strive to use various methods, different teachers and various angles to learn English.  Continue to move forward, even 5 minutes per day of learning is better that 0 minutes per day.  You can increase from there depending on your time.

I hope these phrase meanings will be helpful to you.

Mini lesson No. 28 phrases are:

By and large / Pull out all the stops / Still and yet

Very interesting lessons from you;

lessons that worth its weight in gold,

Thank you Teacher!

Thanks Saladeen for your feedback.

Well Everyone, here is Mini Lesson No. 28:

By and large / Pull out all the stops / Still and yet

A. By and large= Overall or generally speaking about a topic.

Origin/background of the phrase:

On the surface, this phrase does not appear to make any sense.  ‘By’ can be used as a noun, such as ‘near to’ or as an adverb such as ‘aside,’ ‘away,’ ‘over,’ or ‘past.’ 

‘Large’ indicates above average size, degree, quantity, etc.  Therefore, to understand the phrase ‘by and large’ requires learning the origin.  This is a nautical term and involves the sails of a ship and it’s relationship to the wind.

‘By’ means in the general direction of the ship.

‘Large’ means the wind is blowing from behind the ship and pushing it forward by use of the sails.  Putting the literal meaning of this phrase together would render the meaning to be: Going in the general direction of the destination from the power of the wind.  This is explained in simplified terms.

Therefore, when used as a phrase, ‘By and large’ means the speaker is making a point that the object of discussion is going in a general direction or in other words, generally speaking.  Here are some examples:

1. Maria: Cindy, what do you think about the quality of the curriculum at your school?

Cindy: ‘By and large,’ I think they are good, but we need additional advanced courses.

2. ‘By and large,’ taking a language class can be beneficial in learning a new language.

3. ‘By and large,’ time will tell if you made a good decision!

B. Pull out all the stops= To use every means to be successful in accomplishing something.

Origin/background of the phrase:

This is a commonly used phrase to indicate using all of your available resources to accomplish a task.

The phrase comes from the tubes of a pipe organ, which had ‘stops’ (vents) to open or close, increasing or decreasing the airflow of the pipes. If a stop were opened (pulling out the stop), the airflow was increased and a higher volume was achieved.  Therefore, ‘pulling out the stops’ meant increasing the sound  of the organ.  When used as a phrase it meant achieving your goal though extra effort.  Here are some examples:

1. The candidates were ‘pulling out all the stops’ to persuade Voters to vote for them.

2. Our competitors are very successful in marking their products, therefore, we must ‘pull out all the stops’ to exceed their marketing skills!

3. If you want to win, you have to ‘pull out all the stops’ in preparation.

C. Still and yet= Things are the way they are but have a possibility to change.

Background/origin of the phrase:

This is not an easy phrase to understand or use, especially for non-native speakers.  It can be reversed to: ‘Yet and still’ and retain the same meaning.

Let’s look at the separate meaning of the words.

Still= To be stationary, at the present time, or continuing action.

Yet= At the present time or anticipated action.

The origin of the phrase is unknown to me.  Here are some examples:

1. The company has interview many candidates for the job position; ‘still and yet,’ the position remains vacant.

2. The US election process is long, ‘still and yet’ it is a part of the US political system.

3. “There was rain in the weather forecast, ‘still and yet’ the concert was not cancelled!”

Conclusion:

By adding these phrases to your database of English knowledge, you increase your chances of understanding them.

Thanks for your patience.

Here are the phrases for Mini Lesson No. 29:

Hangs in the balance / Tooth and nail / Kicking the can down the road

Mini lesson No. 29: Hangs in the balance / Tooth and Nail / Kicking the can down the road

A. Hangs in the balance= To depend on something for success or continued existence.  To have the fate of something to be decided

Background/origin of the phrase:

This expression comes from a weighing scale that has weight is added until both pans are balanced.  The period was during the early 1400’s.

Examples:

1. Sometimes, pay raises “hangs in the balance” pending approval.

2. The results of my employment application “hangs in the balance” until I hear from human resources.

3. The proposed budget “hangs in the balance” until the city council meets and votes on it.

B. Tooth and nail= This phrase is used to indicate using every available resource to relentlessly fight to accomplish your objective.  It is in a sense of fighting your opposition in something you strongly believe in.

Background/origin of the phrase:

This phrase comes from the mid-1500’s and possibly can be from the image of an animal fighting with their teeth and claws (nails).

Examples:

1. During the championship basketball game, the leading team was fighting “tooth and nail” to maintain their lead.

2. The US Republican Party was fighting the president “tooth and nail” over the budget.

3. The big fish fought  the angler “tooth and nail” and lasted an hour.

C. Kicking the can down the road=

To procrastinate, to postpone or delay a decision or action and using a short-term solution.

Background/origin of the phrase:

From a game of kids kicking a can as far as they can and taking turns to do so.

Examples:

1. If the US Congress continues, “kicking the can down the road” on the budget, it will be difficult to reach a compromise between the parties.

2. You can only “kick the can down the road” so long before the chickens come home to roost!

3. “Kicking the can down the road” instead of making a decision is not a good operating method.

People use these phrases frequently, currently “kicking the can down the road” is commonly used with politicians concerning the the 2013 US budget where there is disagreement.

The next mini lesson phrases are:

Push-back / Everybody and their uncle / Everything but the kitchen sink 

Mini Lesson No. 30 – Push-back / Everybody and their uncle / Everything but the kitchen sink:

A. Push-back= An opposing response.

Background of the phrase:

This phrase indicates that someone is resisting the proposal of his or her opponent.  The actions between President Obama and the Republicans are examples of “push-back” between both parties in not being able to agree on legislation.

Here are some examples:

1. The US Democratic Party’s position on balancing the budget is through increasing revenue from higher taxes, however, the Republican Party will “push-back” this type of proposal because they believe the budget should be balanced through reducing expenditures.

2. When a product is determined to be defective, the customer will “push-back”by refusing to purchase it.

3. “Push-back” may occur when there is intense disagreement between the parties.

B. Everybody and their uncle= This is a hyperbolic statement (using exaggeration to make a point) to express the idea of including many people to participate in something using humor or light sarcasm.

Background of the phrase: The person using this phrase will use light humor in describing the fact that many people may be present or involved in an event. The use of the term “uncle” adds one more person to “everybody” to exaggerate the meaning.

Examples:

1. I have decided not to go to the free concert because “everybody and their uncle” is going to be there and we’ll be stuck in traffic for hours!

2. You can buy merchandise at a low price during a special sale, but“everybody and their uncle” will be there!

3. “Everybody and their uncle” are traveling on the highways during certain holidays.

C. Everything but the kitchen sink= Almost everything.

Background of the phrase: Used when the speaker wants to use light-humor in describing a scenario where almost everything was included or taken.

Examples:

1. The car salesperson was including “everything but the kitchen sink” to close the deal (sell the car).

2. The construction company was throwing in “everything but the kitchen sink”to sell the houses.

3. Great hosts will provide “everything but the kitchen sink” to make you feel welcomed in their home.

The “push-back” phrase you are likely to hear on a news report, the other two you may hear in Conversational English.

The next phrases for Mini Lesson No. 31 are:

In dire straits / Right off the bat / Left hanging

hi dear teacher

thanks for all these awesome expressions.

I always learn new things when i come to your page…

I really admire you and your respectable  works and i’m a hundred times so much proud of having you as my greatest English teacher i ever had.

i hope i could be a hard working studet.

liliom;D

Hi, dear teacher. I’ve missed so many lessons so I decided to begin from the last one. I like the phrase “everybody and their uncle”, it sounds so… I don’t know, American?  ;) 

Thanks for the wonderful lesson. Have a nice day! 

Gelo, you are correct in your discovery concerning the phrase being “so American,” I hope to take you inside the language with these mini lessons.

Peyman and Liliom, you’re welcome, I owe you one for your accolades!