If somebody calls you a 'chicken', what do they mean?

If somebody calls you a 'chicken', what do they mean? A. a coward B. a leader C. a teacher http://t.co/ZrufMgBojG
— ESLhiphop (@ESLhiphop) June 13, 2013

Tick Tock Rock

Learn the hours as the hands go round the clock.

Idioms

Source:  http://thelanguagepoint.com/english_collections/show/Idioms

To be the bee's knees

If you think something is the bee's knees then you think it is the best, or really good quality.  You could also say "She thinks she's the bee's knees" which means that you think someone is arrogant or self-centred.

The pot calling the kettle black

"That's the pot calling the kettle black" is a phrase you can use if you hear someone criticising someone else when they are not perfect themselves. It could be a gentle warning that we are not all perfect!

To keep your eyes peeled

Sounds painful! But if you ask someone to keep their eyes peeled, you are asking them to look carefully for something.

To pull someone's leg

If you tease someone, or try to trick them by telling a little lie, then you are  pulling someone's leg. It's always meant in friendly way. If you don't believe what someone has told you, you can also ask: "Are you  pulling my leg?" to show that you don't believe them.

To have kittens

To have kittens is an expression used when you have a sudden surprise which makes you feel worried, anxious or slightly fearful. "I nearly had kittens when I realised I'd left my passport at home"

To give someone the hairdryer treatment

Made famous by Sir Alex Ferguson when he was manager of Manchester United. If he was angry with his players, he would give them the hairdryer treatment at half-time - that is to say, he would shout at them very loudly, very close to their faces, to express his anger.

To have your finger in too many pies

If you have your finger in too many pies, you are involved in too many projects at the same time, and as a result you are not doing any of them very well. 

To be caught red-handed

If you are caught red-handed, you have been found in the act of committing a crime! It probably comes from the idea of criminals being found with blood on their hands, before they had time to clean it off.

To chicken out

Poor little chicken! To chicken out of something means to decide not to do something because you are afraid.

To catch (or have) forty winks

Nothing to do with a twitching eye! If you catch forty winks it means you are having a nap, a snooze, or a very short sleep, often during the day.

The green-eyed monster

This is a way of describing jealousy or envy.  You can also say you are 'green with envy'.

I'm all ears

Don't think that you have suddenly turned into an alien creature with ears all over your body! If you say "I'm all ears", it means you are giving someone your complete attention, and will not be distracted by anything else
.

It's an animal but also something you shout. Find out when you use it:

BBC Learning English

Duck!

 

Thousands of plastic ducks float down the River Thames in the Great British Duck Race. Photo: Anthony Devlin/ PA Wire

Today's Phrase

If you tell someone to duck it means that they should lower their head because something is about to hit them.

Examples:
As I walked in the door someone shouted "Duck!" But it was too late and I hit my head.

The batsman shouted "Duck!" as he hit the ball right at where the spectators were standing.

Take note

To duck out means to try and escape or get out of doing something.

Example:

Sorry, I've got to duck out of this meeting, I've got too many other things to do.

Interesting fact

The yellow duck in the photograph was among around 250,000 other blue plastic ducks floating along a one kilometre stretch of the River Thames near Hampton Court Palace in London. This Great British Duck Race raises money for charity.

Source:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/2013/06/130611_todays_phrase_duck.shtml

‘To get’ is a verb we use a lot in English. Do you know how to use it?

‘To get’ is a verb we use a lot in English. Do you know how to use it? Here’s a quiz for you. bbc.in/189WHgc #ELT #Quiz
— BBC Learning English (@bbcle) 7 de junio de 2013

An expression that will come in handy when life is hard: keep your chin up!

BBC Learning English
The English we speak

Rob tells Vera to 'keep her chin up' when she hurts herself. Will this help her to feel better? Listen to the programme to find out what this phrase means.

 www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/theenglishwespeak/2012/10/121030_tews_95_keep_your_chin_up.shtml

Clothing vocabulary: accessories - word bank

Clothing vocabulary: accessories - word bank ow.ly/cUJnO & picture quiz ow.ly/cUJnP #esol #kids #twinglish
— english247 (@english247) 7 de junio de 2013