Episode 63: Why Idioms in English Are So Hard to Understand

[00:00:00] Welcome to English, please, the podcast where we explore interesting topics in under 10 minutes in clear, intermediate English. I’m your host, Christopher. I live in New York City, and I’ve always been passionate about languages and how we learn them. Whether you’re listening on your way to work, or while cooking dinner at home, this show is designed to help you with your English listening and comprehension skills.

Thanks so much for being here! A few years ago, I made an episode about idioms in English, and it’s still one of the most listened-to episodes from the show. So when I decided to come back to this topic, I also put together a free guide with 25 idioms that native [00:01:00] English speakers use every day. It’s yours free when you subscribe to the newsletter at comullen.com/newsletter. That’s C-O-M-U-L-L-E-N.com/newsletter. The link is also in the episode description. I’ll tell you more about the guide at the end of this episode.

Here’s why idioms are frustrating. When you learn a new word, you can usually guess something about the meaning from the context. But idioms don’t work that way. The words are familiar, but the meaning is not. And if you try to understand an idiom by thinking about the individual words, you will almost always get it wrong.

Let me show you what I mean.

Imagine you’re in a meeting at work. Your colleague is presenting a project, and things are not going well. Someone in the room says, [00:02:00] “It sounds like John is going to throw Maria under the bus.” You know every word in that sentence: throw, Maria, bus. But what does it mean? Nobody is physically throwing anyone anywhere! To throw someone under the bus means to blame another person in order to protect yourself. It’s something that happens in offices, in politics, and even in friendships. And the image, a person being thrown under a moving bus, captures exactly how it feels when it happens to you.

Here’s another one. Your manager sends an email to you on Monday morning. She says, “I need you to hit the ground running on this project.” Hit the ground. [00:03:00] Running. Again, the words are clear, but the meaning isn’t obvious. “To hit the ground running” means to start something quickly and with a lot of energy, without needing time to prepare. Your manager is not asking you to run. She’s telling you to start immediately and work fast.

Here’s a third one that causes a lot of confusion. Someone asks you about your vacation plans, and you say, “We want to go to Greece, but everything is still up in the air.” Up in the air. Floating somewhere above you? What does that mean? It means nothing is decided yet. The plans exist, but they are uncertain. “Up in the air” is one of those idioms that actually is somewhat understandable when you hear it explained. But in the moment, without [00:04:00] context, it stops you completely.

Let’s try one more. You’re talking with a friend about a restaurant that you both want to try. You look at the menu online, and your friend says, “This place looks amazing, but it costs an arm and a leg.” You know immediately from the tone of voice that this is not good news. But “costs an arm and a leg” simply means very expensive. Nobody is paying with body parts, of course. It’s a dramatic way to say that the price is too high, and it works because losing an arm and a leg would obviously be a very high price to pay for anything.

One last idiom. This one is about a mistake that’s very easy to make. You hear that a colleague didn’t come to work today, and someone tells you that he called in sick. You immediately [00:05:00] think, “He was at the party last night. He’s not sick.” You’ve jumped to conclusions. “To jump to conclusions” means to decide something is true before you have enough information. You assumed. You didn’t wait for the facts. Native speakers use this phrase as a gentle way to tell someone they are moving too fast. “Don’t jump to conclusions” is something you will hear often in conversations, in films, and in meetings.

Here’s why idioms are frustrating. Every language has them, including your native language. But when you encounter them in a language you’re still learning, they stop you completely. When you learn a new word, you can usually guess something about the meaning from the context. But idioms really don’t work that way. The words are familiar, but the meaning [00:06:00] is not. And if you try to understand an idiom by thinking about the individual words, you’ll almost always get it wrong.

That’s why I made the Idioms Guide for newsletter subscribers. It’s a simple two-page reference with 25 idioms organized by situation, with a note next to each one explaining how and when to use it. You can get it free when you subscribe to the English, please newsletter at comullen.com/newsletter. The link is also in the episode description if you want to find it easily. If you already subscribe, check your latest newsletter. I included it there for you.

And if you want to go further, the English Listening Accelerator gives you 10 lessons of real, natural English audio with a workbook to help you build your comprehension over time. There’s a free sample at comullen.com/listen. [00:07:00] The full workbook is just $7. And to the listeners who have purchased, thank you so much.

Again, I’m Christopher, and I want to invite you to join me in future episodes of English, please to hear about a variety of topics, all focused on helping you with your English. Subscribe now wherever you listen, and let’s continue this adventure together in clear, understandable English.

Sincere thanks, as always, for your support.

See you soon!