When I was teaching English in Seoul long ago, one of the
American instructors working with me at the language institute said his English
vocab and expressions had been too outdated to teach young people “today’s
English” that were being used as he spoke in the States. It is because he had
lived in Korea too long to be “idiom or slang- savvy” in English. Yes, looking
back on what he said, I guess I would be totally lost in front of a Korean
young ones who spit out fast a series of Korean slang or internet-based idioms
or clipped words of which I would never get the meaning.
This week, let us take a gander of some frequently used idiomatic
expressions in English that are often used in the States today.
(*Source fromhttps://www.sheknows.com/living/articles/1026523/100-words-from-urban-dictionary-that-changed-the-world/2)
1.
to play
hard ball: (phrase) you are going to get really
serious and make every possible effort to get what you want
2.
a
dime a dozen: (phrase) cheap and common
3.
to
get one’s ducks in a row: (phrase) to complete one's
preparations, become efficient and well
4.
It’s
all good.: (sentence) It’s alright/ No problem/ It’s okay.
5.
I’m
good:(e.g.,
When asked if you want a refill for your drink, and you don’t want the offer) No
thanks, I don’t want what you are offering.
6.
cyberslacking: Using
a companies’ computer and Internet for personal activities when one should be
doing work.
7.
cray-cray:
(adjective) short for “crazy”. By making
it double as “cray- cray”, you would mean to say “that is super crazy!”
8.
designated
drunk: (noun) the individual who drinks all offers of free
drinks sent to the designated driver
9.
duck
face:
(noun) a face made by pursing and pouting one's lips in an attempt to make them
appear fuller or to make the cheekbones appear more prominent (frequently
utilized by young women in selfies or other photos in an attempt to look flirty
or more model-esque)
10.
extra: (noun=adjective)
over-the-top, excessive behavior
11. P.H.A.T.: (adjective) (adjective) abbreviation for “Pretty Hot And
Tempting or Thick” to describe a very beautiful girl
Why
don’t we put the above expressions into practice? Fill in the blanks with
proper phrases.
1.
Why does Melissa always make that
____________ face in each of her selfie? I think she is so _____________ to look fab.
2.
The team director hit the roof this afternoon
when he found out that Tom had been _____________________ most of the time at
work.
Tom was always on the social network on
his work PC.
3.
A: Sorry, I’m late. I snoozed the alarm twice
this morning.
B: No, it’s ______________________. You’re
only 10 minutes behind the meeting.
4.
Rich should not be so arrogant and obnoxiously
proud of himself. He’s just a ________________ a dozen in fashion industry.
5.
Make sure to get all your ______________ in a
row before the race. Check your bib, running gear, hydration and nutrition
level, and you name it.
6.
A: Did you hear that Josh was caught while
DWI last weekend? He was _________________!!! How dare he even thought about
drinking 3 bottles of wine and driving?!!
B: OMG! Wasn’t there a ____________________drunk
in his company?
7.
Waiter: Care for refills?
Diner: No, I’m _________________.
8.
You’d better not mess with Peter. If you get him
mad, I bet he will play _______________ to get even with you.
9. A: Would this tankini make me look fat?
B: No way! That would make you look _______________!
Where did you get that? Looking so dope!
Answer
Keys
1.
duck, extra
2.
cyberslacking
3.
all good
4.
dime
5.
ducks
6.
cray cray, designated
7.
good
8.
hardball
9. P.H.A.T.
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