What does “cheesed off” mean?
“Cheesed off” is an idiom and phrasal verb. If I say that I’m cheesed off, I mean that I’m annoyed, disappointed or bored – or maybe all three! Some examples: I’m cheesed off with...
Author: Graham
Order of adjectives
When there are two or more adjectives in front of a noun they are placed in a particular order. Most native English speakers wouldn’t be able to tell you this order but they would...
“To care for” or “to care about”?
“To care for” and “to care about” are both prepositional verbs. The meanings are similar but slightly different. If I say I care for someone, I might mean that: I have feelings towards them....
Full English Breakfast
A “full English breakfast” is usually: Fried or grilled sausages Fried or scrambled eggs Fried bacon Baked Beans Fried tomatoes Fried mushrooms Fried bread Toast It might also include such things as: Hash brown...
Stiff upper lip
When we say that someone has a “stiff upper lip” we mean that they don’t show emotion when things are difficult. The idiom is frequently used in the form “to keep a stiff upper...
Sanction
Sanction is a strange and confusing word because it has two, almost opposite, meanings. ‘To sanction’, as a verb, can mean either to approve or to punish. ‘Sanction’, as a noun, can mean either...
“Cross that bridge when you come to it”
When you tell someone to “cross that bridge when you come to it”, you’re using an idiom to advise them not to worry at the moment about a possible problem in the future. Examples:...
Buck your ideas up!
When you tell someone to buck their ideas up, you’re telling them to do something better, to try harder, to be more energetic, or to hurry. “To buck your ideas up” is a phrasal...
Parts of Speech
In English, words are classified according to nine types. These types are called “parts of speech”. The nine parts of speech are: Nouns naming words Examples: Ivan; bird; London; president, car, computer, wind Verbs...
Comparative and superlative adjectives
Comparative and superlative adjectives. The comparative form of an adjective is used to compare two items, The superlative form is used to compare three or more items. There are three degrees of comparatives and...