Learn the idioms from Movies or TV shows!!

Are you interested in learning idiomatic expressions? Many of the phrases we use today actually originated from or often used in the movies and TV shows. Now, I’d like you to complete the following sentences by filling in the blanks with the correct words so they make sense.

 

    1.   (Robert Redford’s line in the film Our Souls at Night: “He is a real p_________ of w______.” (meaning “(a negative connotation) referring to his son’s controlling, selfish, and sometimes cruel behavior, especially his opposition to Addie and Louis's relationship and his tendency to demand financial help while acting entitled)

 

    2.   The 1944 movie (starring Ingrid Bergman & Charles Boyer) with the same title is responsible for giving this term its modern meaning, which describes a form of psychological manipulation that causes someone to doubt their own sanity.

As reported by the Chronicle of Higher Education, the expression “giving someone the g______________ treatment” first appeared in print during the 1950s. By the early 1960s, it had developed into the verb “___________ing.”

 

    3.   Not many people knew that Bill Murray was making linguistic history when he said, “All right, this chick is t________t!” in the 1984 movie Ghostbusters. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the film is specifically credited as the origin of the term. In this usage, it describes a person or thing that is finished, ruined, or in serious trouble.

 

    4.   Before this documentary about a man who was misled about the identity of the person he was communicating with online gave the term its modern meaning, “to __________sh” simply referred to trying to catch whiskered bottom-dwelling fish. Later, a TV show with the same name premiered, further popularizing the term to describe individuals who create fake online identities. Yes, we all need to be extra cautious not to be deceived by numerous _________sh out there in the sea of social media!!!

 

    5.   Many people link this phrase to John McClane (played by Bruce Willis)  from Die Hard, who famously delivers the line, “Y__________-ki-yay, motherf**ker, (pardon!)” not knowing it would become his signature catchphrase. Originally derived from an old cowboy exclamation of joy and excitement, Bruce Willis has said the line as an ad lib, and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

    6.   In this 2007 film, two terminally ill strangers (played by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman) try to complete items on their list before they “kick the b_______,” but they were actually the first to use the term in this way. The phrase was coined by the film’s writer, Justin Zackham, in 1999 when he made his own list. After the movie popularized it, many people assumed it had existed for much longer. The meaning of the expression later broadened, coming to refer to any list of goals or experiences someone wants to accomplish before a specific deadline—such as finishing school or reaching a certain age.

7.   In contrast to today, when the phrase “my b________!” is commonly used as an apology, it was much less widespread in the early 1990s. The term is believed to have first appeared in 1985 and was primarily used in basketball slang; newspapers even had to explain its meaning when referencing it.

 

8.   Across the Pirates of the Caribbean films, Captain Jack Sparrow (played by Johnny Depp) often uses “s________y” as a verb, typically as a one-word question after explaining pirate lore, “the Code,” or going off on a rant. In this context, it essentially means “Do you understand?” As a noun, however, it refers to practical knowledge or useful insight—got it, s________y?

 

    9.   Do you love Lady Gaga’s catchy song Pa__________i? This word was first introduced and popularized in Federico Fellini’s 1960 film La Dolce Vita, featuring Walter Santesso as a persistent, celebrity-chasing photographer. The Italian term suggests an irritating buzzing noise, similar to an insect that won’t go away.

 

    10. “D_________ D_________ is a term commonly used to describe someone who is negative or pessimistic, focusing only on the gloomy aspects of a situation and bringing down others’ mood or enthusiasm. Its synonyms include a wet blanket or a party pooper. The phrase was popularized—if not originally coined—by the Debbie Downer character in a sketch on the American variety show Saturday Night Live, which aired in May, 2004.

Answer Keys

    1.  piece of work

    2.  gaslight

    3.  toast

    4.  catfish

    5.  yippie

    6.  bucket

    7.  bad

    8.  savvy 

    9.  paparazzi

    10. Debbie Downer