Learning the grammar and vocabulary of English can be hard enough, but trying to understand English sayings can be impossible. Some are just hard to figure out and others don’t make any sense at all. Here are five funny English sayings that you can use every day. Just be careful to use them right!
“I’m happy as a clam.” Think of a clam. It doesn’t have to do anything. It just sits on a beach or on the bottom of the ocean all day every day doing nothing. It never has to work. That sure sounds like happiness, doesn’t it? If someone asks, “How are you today?” you can tell them this to let them know what a great mood you’re in.
“I wouldn’t touch that (or him/her) with a ten-foot pole.” Don’t like something? Maybe it’s something gross like garbage or rotting food. Or maybe there’s a person who you don’t want to be friends with or even talk to? Well, this saying means that you dislike them so much that you don’t want to touch them or go near them – even within ten feet!
“I think I went overboard.” If you ever to do something that is excessive or irresponsible, this is a handy expression to use. “Going overboard” literally means falling off a ship, but, as an English saying, it’s a way of admitting that you’ve done something you shouldn’t have. There are many synonyms for this such as “I’ve stepped over a line” and “I’ve gone too far.” You can also use it to say that someone else has made a mistake.
“You don’t have a leg to stand on.” No, this doesn’t mean that the person you’re talking to has no legs. It means that their argument is incorrect. They don’t have a leg to stand on because they have no facts to support what they’re saying. This saying is a good way to tell a person that you think they’re wrong.
“Break a leg!” This actually means the opposite of what it sounds like. If you tell this to a person, you’re wishing them good luck! The saying comes from a superstition that whatever you say aloud, the opposite will come true. Because it originated in the theater, this saying is usually used only for wishing someone good luck in some type of performance. So it’s nice thing to tell someone who is preparing to make a business presentation or attend an interview where they need to make a good impression.
“I’m happy as a clam.” Think of a clam. It doesn’t have to do anything. It just sits on a beach or on the bottom of the ocean all day every day doing nothing. It never has to work. That sure sounds like happiness, doesn’t it? If someone asks, “How are you today?” you can tell them this to let them know what a great mood you’re in.
“I wouldn’t touch that (or him/her) with a ten-foot pole.” Don’t like something? Maybe it’s something gross like garbage or rotting food. Or maybe there’s a person who you don’t want to be friends with or even talk to? Well, this saying means that you dislike them so much that you don’t want to touch them or go near them – even within ten feet!
“I think I went overboard.” If you ever to do something that is excessive or irresponsible, this is a handy expression to use. “Going overboard” literally means falling off a ship, but, as an English saying, it’s a way of admitting that you’ve done something you shouldn’t have. There are many synonyms for this such as “I’ve stepped over a line” and “I’ve gone too far.” You can also use it to say that someone else has made a mistake.
“You don’t have a leg to stand on.” No, this doesn’t mean that the person you’re talking to has no legs. It means that their argument is incorrect. They don’t have a leg to stand on because they have no facts to support what they’re saying. This saying is a good way to tell a person that you think they’re wrong.
“Break a leg!” This actually means the opposite of what it sounds like. If you tell this to a person, you’re wishing them good luck! The saying comes from a superstition that whatever you say aloud, the opposite will come true. Because it originated in the theater, this saying is usually used only for wishing someone good luck in some type of performance. So it’s nice thing to tell someone who is preparing to make a business presentation or attend an interview where they need to make a good impression.
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