A while ago I heard a nonnative speaker complaining that he had totally misunderstood his boss because of a phrase the latter had used. The situation was the following: the nonnative speaker presented something at work and after the presentation he asked his boss for feedback. “You killed it,” his boss said. The presenter was devastated because he thought he had just received very negative feedback. He knew that to kill meant to cause death and he thought that the project was over due to his bad presentation.
What he didn’t know was that this phrase in English has two meanings. Depending on the situation, tone of voice and body language, it can be a praise for a job well done or it can mean that something, like a joke for example, was just ruined. In this particular case, the presenter later found out that his boss wanted to compliment him for the excellent work he had done.
Many nonnative speakers complain that Americans use so many idioms that sometimes it is hard to understand what they want to say. Idioms are a type of figurative language where the words put together lose their literal meaning. The problem is that when we study English at school, we learn the literal meaning of words. And when we know all the words used in a phrase, but we still can’t grasp the meaning, we feel frustrated and confused.
The truth is that Americans use idioms, phrasal verbs, and slang all the time. While it may be impossible to remember the endless number of idioms in English, below are several of them that you might run into in the office and in your everyday life.
Idioms that praise for a job well done
I bet you like to be praised for a job that you did well. Below are expressions that you may hear from your boss, coworkers, friends, family, etc.
You (or someone) nailed it
This is used to express a successful completion of something. It can be a performance, a presentation, an exam, a speech, etc. If someone tells you that you nailed something, this means that you’ve done an excellent job. Apparently this idiom was born out of the fact that in order to put a nail into a surface successfully, you need to hit it in such a way that the nail goes straight into that surface.
Examples:
You nailed that job interview.
Her presentation was amazing. She totally nailed it.
A: How was your performance yesterday? B: Nailed it.
You (or someone) killed it
This one is the same as the previous one if it is said with the right intonation. However, note that it all depends on the context and the body language that the person has while saying it. This idiom can have a positive or negative meaning. For example, if someone is telling a joke and you give away the end of the joke before the person telling it has the chance to do it, they can turn to you with disappointment and tell you that you just killed it. On the positive side, it means something that is done extremely well.
Examples:
Congratulations on the project. You absolutely killed it.
A: I think I’m gonna quit boxing. B: Why? Keep going. You’re killing it.
My sister is presenting right now and she’s just killing it up there.
You (or someone) knocked it out of the park
This is another way to praise someone for excellent work. This phrase is associated with baseball when someone hits the ball so hard that it goes out of the stadium. Americans have many idioms associated with sports, particularly with baseball. For someone unfamiliar with the game, these phrases may be quite startling.
Examples:
Whatever assignment you give to this guy, he always knocks it out of the park.
Awesome job on that report, Jane. You really knocked it out of the park.
I’m sure that you’ll knock it out of the park on Sunday.
You (or someone) hit a home run
This idiom comes from baseball as well. A home run is when the ball is hit in a way that the batter (the player who hits the ball) can circle all four bases and score. Of course, there are more details to it, but in a nutshell, it means success, an excellently executed task.
Examples:
She’s such an expert. If anyone could hit a home run, she could do it.
I didn’t expect this question on the exam, but I think I hit a home run with my answer.
This company has hit a home run with its latest product.
Way to go
Saying “way to go” to someone is a great encouragement, confidence booster, and praise for a job well done. However, this phrase needs to stand alone. For example, “We have a long way to go” has a different meaning(there is still a lot of things to do) even though “way to go” is part of it.
Examples:
Great job, guys. Way to go!
That speech was incredible, John. Way to go.
You finally found a good job. Way to go!
Idioms to express anger and irritation
There is nothing more frustrating than being angry or irritated and not being able to express it to the fullest. Here are some different ways to express such feelings.
Drive someone up the wall
If you say that someone or something drives you up the wall, you are emphasizing how much this person annoys you. According to a dictionary, it might have come from the behavior of a drunk or deprived person who literally tries to climb a wall in order to get into a room.
Examples:
It’s been raining too much lately and all this rain is driving me up the wall.
Stop chewing so loudly. It drives me up the wall.
This guy is so annoying. Don’t his questions drive you up the wall?
Drive someone nuts
Apparently in the mid to late 19th century, the word “nut” was used as slang for a person’s head. A little later people started using the word “nuts” to describe someone who was acting crazy or strange. Today to drive someone nuts means to annoy or anger someone.
Examples:
Aren’t you gonna pick up the phone? It keeps ringing and it drives me nuts.
My professor is driving me nuts. She keeps coming up with different quizzes all the time.
A week of vacation with my relatives is enough to drive me nuts.
Get under someone’s skin
This phrase came from the fact that if someone puts something under the first layer of skin, this will cause a lot of irritation. Used as an idiom, it means to irritate, annoy, or make someone angry.
Examples:
My manager’s wife is getting under my skin. She always comes to the office and asks different questions.
I love my new roommate. The last one was getting under my skin. She was so nosy.
I’m letting you stay for a while, but don’t get under my skin.
Get in someone’s hair
The meaning behind this phrase may refer to head lice (tiny insects that feed on blood from the human scalp that cause a lot of itching). It means to consistently annoy someone.
Examples:
My sister tried to ignore her constantly nagging boyfriend, but he was really getting in her hair.
Constant questions and comments about my accent are getting in my hair.
I’ll come visit you, but tell your mom not to get in my hair.
Make someone’s blood boil
This is another way to express anger. Apparently, years ago scientists believed that people’s blood boils in their bodies when they are angry. But some think that this phrase started being used because many people become red when they are angry.
Examples:
Cruelty to animals makes my blood boil.
He always talks to her in a derogatory way and this makes my blood boil.
Your constant being late makes my blood boil.
Idioms for telling or keeping a secret
Below are several different idioms to express giving away a surprise, telling a secret, or revealing private information.
To spill the beans
This phrase probably originated in ancient Greece where people voted anonymously by putting beans of different colors into a vase (white for yes and dark for no). If someone was to spill the beans, the election results would be literally revealed. This idiom means to tell information that was supposed to be kept a secret or to disclose private information.
Examples:
You can always count on my little brother to spill the beans about my birthday gift.
Come on, I can’t wait anymore. Spill the beans about the new guy you’ve been dating.
I’ll tell you, but don’t spill the beans. It’s supposed to be a surprise.
My lips are sealed
When you tell someone that your lips are sealed, you promise to keep certain information a secret.
Examples:
Your secret is safe with me. My lips are sealed.
A: Please don’t tell my mom that you saw me smoking. B: My lips are sealed.
I don’t tell my grandma anything anymore because she can’t keep her lips sealed.
To keep something under the hat
Apparently this phrase was used in Britain in the mid 19th century when it was given as a warning to someone to keep something as an imagination and not to make it a reality. When the idiom reached America, its meaning slightly shifted and is used now to mean to keep something a secret. Some people even believe that this phrase can be linked to Abraham Lincoln’s practice to hide documents with important information inside the lining of his hat.
Examples:
Keep it under your hat but I might be getting a new job.
You need to learn to keep it under your head sometimes. You always give away surprises.
If I tell you what happened, will you keep it under the hat?
To sweep something under the rug / carpet
This idiom came into use in the early 20th century. It refers to a lazy maid who, instead of cleaning the dirt, would sweep it under the rug. Nowadays it means to keep some kind of embarrassing problem a secret, hide it, and not deal with it.
Examples:
She’s looking for a new job and is trying to sweep her past mistakes under the rug.
This guy is running for office and his team is attempting to sweep the scandal around him under the rug.
Listen, I know you forged my signature because you wanted to sweep your bad grades in school under the rug.
To take the lid off
This phrase means to expose a deceptive or scandalous secret to the public.
Examples:
This lawyer is known for taking the lid off the governor’s corruption.
After taking the lid off the CEO’s shady illegal side business, the company’s stock price plummeted.
The media outlets know everything about this scandal, but are afraid to take the lid off because of the consequences they might face.
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Have you ever been confused because of an idiom you didn’t know? Tell me in the comment section what you think of idioms in English.
You can learn more idioms from my other posts:
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