Idioms

Imagine meeting someone who always acts nice and agreeable, but then faces a difficult situation and suddenly becomes selfish or mean. When a person reveals their real, often hidden, nature or intentions, we say they show their true colors. This idiom is very useful for discussing personality, character, and honesty in people. What Does “Show…

Imagine a young student who quickly learns new concepts, or a new business idea that starts making small profits right away. When something or someone demonstrates qualities that suggest they will be successful or perform well in the future, we say they show promise. This phrase is often used when discussing potential, talent, or early…

Imagine a person who just bought a new phone or won a prize, and now they keep talking about it just to get attention. When someone tries too hard to impress others by displaying their abilities or possessions, we say they show off. This common phrasal verb is useful for describing people who boast or…

Imagine a family where one person takes responsibility for all the difficult tasks and problems. When someone accepts a heavy responsibility or difficult duty, we say they shoulder the burden. This strong idiom is very useful when discussing responsibility, stress, or leadership roles in daily life. What Does “Shoulder the Burden” Mean? The idiom “shoulder…

Think about a time when you made a big decision, like choosing a career or buying a house. These decisions have results that last for years, not just days. When we talk about something that will happen or matter over a long, indefinite future period, we call it the long run. This phrase is useful…

Have you ever started a new habit, knowing you would only do it for a few weeks? Or perhaps you made a temporary plan for a busy time? When we talk about something that will last for a limited or brief period, we call it the short run. This phrase is useful for making temporary…

Have you ever looked for money in your wallet only to find you don’t have enough? Maybe you need to finish a project but don’t have enough time? When you don’t have enough of something, we say you are short on it. This phrasal verb is extremely useful for talking about lacking time, money, supplies,…

Imagine a wall or a building that is starting to fall down. Before it collapses, workers must put wooden supports against it. This action is called shoring up the structure. In English, when we say we shore up something, it means we are providing support or strength to prevent failure, collapse, or damage. This is…

Have you ever seen a play or concert where a bright light is focused on one person or object? That light makes that thing the most important thing to see. In English, when we say we shine a spotlight on something, it means we are drawing special attention to it. This idiom is helpful when…

Have you ever needed to buy something very expensive, like a new computer or a car repair? When you have to pay a large amount of money, often unwillingly, you can use the phrasal verb shell out. This idiom is very useful in daily conversations, especially when you are talking about big or unexpected costs….

Imagine a student who is failing a class or a team that is losing every game. If they want to succeed, they need to improve their behavior or performance. When someone needs to make a serious effort to improve, we say they need to shape up. This is a practical and common phrasal verb to…

Imagine a company or a team that is doing the same things every day, but not getting good results. They need to change things! When you want to talk about making major or sudden changes to improve something, you can use the phrasal verb shake up. It is a very common and useful expression for…