If you're trying to find your feet with English and you are not able to find your feet, then
keep your chin up coz in this lesson you're going to find out, what do all these idioms
mean that you will often hear native speakers use. Stay tuned in this lesson with me Michelle
coz I'm gonna take you to another level of learning how to speak like native speakers.
Let’s look at the first idiom on the board, to twist someone's arm. Well if you talk about
the idiom literally, you can twist someone's arm like this and it can be really painful.
But that's not something nice, right? And it's not what it means obviously. To twist
someone's arm means to be very careful while talking to them and tactfully convincing them
to do something that you want them to do. So I was wanting to go this party yesterday
that my friend is hosting but I was the only one going and I thought that I should have
company. so I asked my friend why don't you come along with me and he's a guy, his name
is Mike and I said why don't you come along with me Mike? And Mike was like sorry I have
to hit the books I just can't join you and I really wanted him to come along with me.
so I told him Mike please join me, please join me and then he said, no I just can't.
So I told him you know what, there are gonna be some pretty girls there and he was like
oh you just twisted my arm, I'm coming with you. That means I just convinced him to join
me for that party.
Let’s look at the second one, to be up in the air. What do we mean by being up in the
air? Are they flying in the air or are we talking about an airplane. Ya the planes are
up in the air but we are not talking about that. What we are talking about here is, a
situation that is uncertain. So my friend Kate, she's supposed to get married next month
and I called her one of these days coz you know I'm so excited for her wedding and I
have almost everything prepared. I have even decided my dress. So I called her, hi Kate,
have you fixed your date for your wedding next month? And she said you know what Michelle
things are up in the air, we have decided a date but I'm not sure if my parents will
be able to make it on that day and both the families are not available on the same day.
So the things are still up in the air. That means that still the things are not very sure
and they are still deciding upon it. So up in the air means uncertain. And as I told
you to twist someone's arm means to convince them to do something that you want them to
do.
Great with that we look at the third phrase for the day and that is , to sit tight. It’s
so awkward to sit tight, you'll feel so uncomfortable and no wonder I shouldn't say, you'll look
very strange as well if you sit tight. No one can sit tight but what do we mean by sitting
tight in a situation? It means to be patient. Yes, to be patient. If you have appeared for
an exam and you're getting very impatient and you ask your teacher, hey there ma'am
or sir are the results out? And your teacher might reply, hey Johnny don't worry sometimes
the results are out quickly but other times you've to just sit tight and wait for the
results. That means you have to be patient. To be patient. So sit tight in this lesson
with me coz we are going to look at many more interesting idioms.
Let’s look at the fourth one, to pitch in. well literally this idiom means practically
nothing. You can't pitch in to something. But pitch in here means to contribute, yes.
So I have this friend, his name is Sean and we were talking about, it's my friend's birthday,
sally. So I was asking Sean you know what are you gifting her for her birthday? He said
I don't have enough money to buy a gift on my own. Then I suggested, why don't we pitch
in? And get her a gift coz practically even I don't have enough money. So I thought it
would best to contribute and to pitch in. so that means to contribute.
Let’s look at the next idiom, to go cold turkey. Well yes turkey is a bird and you
got it absolutely right. How can we suddenly turn into a bird that we eat for Christmas
or thanksgiving? Well we can turn into a cold turkey, that's why it's an idiom and it means
to quit something suddenly. So this aunt of mine, she loves drinking and the other day
we were in a party and I offered her a glass of wine and I told her, why don't you have
it? She said, sorry I've just quit drinking. And I said did you just quit cold turkey?
Which means did you quit suddenly and she said yes, just like that. So to quit suddenly,
it could be smoking, drinking or any activity that you wanna quit. I hope you are able to
use that idiom for your everyday conversation.
Let’s look at the next one, to be under the weather. So to be under the weather, does
not mean that you stand in the rain and you enjoy the rain and get all drenched. To be
under the weather means to be not so well. Maybe you're having a flu, it's not too harsh
on you may be you're having a mild flu. But you're under the weather. So if you're not
well, you could you know possibly if you're applying for a leave or maybe you're telling
your friend, why you didn't come to work and your friend is asking you, why didn't you
turn up today? You could just reply, hey I'm sorry I was under the weather which means
I was not too well. To be sick.
Alright, to cut the chase. So this idiom means to cut a long conversation short. you’ll
often hear the presenters in a meeting or for a presentation, they might just say I
have a lot to say but to cut the chase, all I'd say is that, our company is going through
a hard time and we need to do this, this and this, which means he's avoiding talking about
long and useless points and he's just coming to the most important thing in the conversation.
So this means to avoid long conversations.
Let’s look at the next one, to find your feet, that's exactly how I started the lesson
and I told you finding your feet, are you trying to find your feet with the English
language? This means that are you trying to get comfortable with English language? Yes,
you know English but maybe you're not comfortable speaking it and you're not very fluent with
it. That means you're finding your feet with English language, you're getting more comfortable
with it. To get more comfortable to an environment.
Now we look at the last two idioms that we have for the day. To keep your chin up, I
used this idiom in the beginning of the video. I told you if you are trying to find your
feet with English, then keep your chin up means do not lose hope. It’s okay very soon
you're going to be a fluent speaker if you keep watching my videos. Yes that's the cost.
So do not lose hope.
And the rule of thumb for being able to be fluent speaker of English is that you continue
to try talking in English. If you do not talk in English you will never be able to learn
it. So the rule of thumb is an unwritten rule. It’s not like it's written in a book that
you should speak English to learn it but you also know it, that it's not possible to learn
a language without speaking it. So the rule of thumb is an unwritten rule that everyone
knows.
So here I have successfully taught you some useful idioms to help you talk like a native
speaker. So don't worry and don't get confused when you hear all of them. Watch the video
once, watch it twice, so that you can memorize the meaning and understand them to be able
to use them in your every day conversations.I hope to see you soon in my next lesson, till
then you have a great time, bye