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...
Category: Usage
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...
The difference between “politics” and “policy”
Politics is mainly used about activities relating to government (local, national or international) and to people and organisations that want to influence government. Some examples: He entered politics with the intention of improving people’s...
“Vision” or “eyesight”?
“Vision” and “eyesight” are both used to mean the ability to see. When I go to have my eyes tested, I can say that the optician is checking my eyesight or is checking my...
Phrasal verbs
A phrasal verb consists of a verb and a preposition and/or adverb. They are used together to create a new meaning which is often very different from that of the original verb. Some phrasal...
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...
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...