To have a run-in
“To have a run-in” (with someone or something) is to have a disagreement, row, confrontation or argument with them. Examples: She had a run-in with her neighbour about the noise from her television. I’m...
Category: Verbs
What does “splash out” mean?
“To splash out” is a phrasal verb. It means “to spend a lot of money”. Examples: • It’s his birthday tomorrow so I’ve decided to splash out on a nice meal. • She splashed...
To carry the can
“To carry the can” is an idiom meaning to be blamed or held responsible for something even if you might not be at fault. A person might: choose to carry the can, be forced...
To bang on about
“To bang on about” is an idiom meaning to talk about something continuously, repeatedly and at length. Someone who bangs on about something can often become annoying. Examples: She’s always banging on about her...
To fly off the handle
When you say that someone “flies off the handle” you mean that they lose their temper – perhaps suddenly and unexpectedly. Examples: He flew off the handle when I told him I had lost...
Split infinitives
Some people say that it is always wrong to split infinitives with an adverb – that is, to use phrases such as ‘to strictly forbid’ or ‘to fully understand’. Others are more tolerant, and...
What does it mean to “shoehorn something in”?
A shoehorn is a device used to help someone put a shoe (particularly a tight shoe) on to their foot. So ‘to shoehorn something in’ is an idiom about putting something (or someone) into...
‘Recognise’ or ‘recognize’?
‘Recognise’ and ‘recognize’ are both correct spellings. ‘Recognise’ is mainly used in British English. ‘Recognize’ is used in American English. Many people say that ‘recognise’ is the correct spelling in British English, but other...
Regular and irregular verbs
Most English verbs are regular verbs. They follow a standard pattern for the infinitive, third person singular, present participle, and past participle. Examples: Infinitive Third person singular Present participle Past participle Stop Stops Stopping...
Verb tenses
A verb’s tense tells us the time of the action or the state of being. The main tenses are present, past and future. These are divided into simple (or imperfect, or indefinite), continuous, perfect...