Episode 67: How to Use Idioms Like a Native English Speaker

[00:00:00] Welcome to English, please, the podcast where we explore interesting topics in under ten 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.

Today’s episode is about idioms. Specifically, it’s about five idioms from a free guide I made for subscribers of the English, please newsletter. The guide is called 25 Idioms Native English Speakers Use Every Day, and you can get it free when you sign up at comullen.com/newsletter. [00:01:00] If you’ve already subscribed, check your
welcome email. You’ll find it there. I’ll remind you again at the end, but the address
is comullen.com/newsletter.

Most people who study English focus on learning what idioms mean, and that’s a good start. But there’s a second part of the problem that almost nobody talks about: knowing when to use them. An idiom that’s perfect in a conversation with a close friend can sound very strange in a work meeting. And sometimes the same idiom can be warm in one situation and critical in another.

So in this episode, I want to go a little deeper. For each idiom, I’ll tell you what it means, give you an example, and then explain the context. When do native speakers actually use it, and when do they avoid it? [00:02:00] That’s the part most learners never hear about.

Okay, let’s go.

The first idiom is “speak of the devil.” You use this when someone appears in person, by phone, or by message at exactly the moment you were talking about them. You’re telling a friend about your colleague David, for example, and then David walks through the door. You say, “Speak of the devil. Here’s David.”

The phrase comes from an old belief that saying the devil’s name out loud could make him appear. Today, it’s a warm, light-hearted expression, and it’s almost always said with a smile. It’s casual and friendly. You would say it to a colleague, a friend, a family member, but you wouldn’t use it in a formal presentation or a written report. But in everyday spoken English, you will hear it constantly, and [00:03:00] it feels natural and friendly.

The second idiom is “a blessing in disguise.” This describes something that seemed negative or difficult at first, but turned out to be a good thing. You missed your flight and had to take a later one, and because of the delay, you avoided a stressful situation at the airport. Missing that flight was a blessing in disguise.

Oh, the word “disguise” means something that hides its true nature. The blessing, the good thing, was hidden in something that looked like a problem. This idiom is more flexible than most idioms. You can use it in casual conversation, but it also works in a professional setting and even in writing. If your company lost a client and then found a better one, your manager might say in a meeting, [00:04:00] “Losing that account was a blessing in disguise.” That’s how useful it is in different situations.

The third idiom is “once in a blue moon.” It means very rarely, something that almost never happens. “My brother calls me once in a blue moon” means he almost never calls me. “We go to that restaurant once in a blue moon” means you go there very infrequently.

A blue moon is a real astronomical term for the second full moon in one calendar month, which is genuinely unusual. The phrase has been in English for hundreds of years, and today it simply means “almost never.” This is informal and spoken. You would use it with friends or family or in a relaxed conversation [00:05:00] at work. It’s not something you would write in a formal report or a professional email. But in everyday speech, it’s very natural, and it’s almost impossible to guess the meaning the first time you encounter it.

A fourth idiom is “sit on the fence.” This means to avoid making a decision or choosing a side, especially when two people or groups disagree. Someone who is sitting on the fence hasn’t committed to either side or option. Imagine two colleagues disagree about how to handle a project. You’re in the meeting, and you don’t say which side you agree with. You’re sitting on the fence.

This one is interesting because the tone changes depending on the situation. Between friends, it can be neutral or even sympathetic. [00:06:00] “I know it’s a hard decision. You’re still sitting on the fence.” But in professional contexts, it’s often mild criticism. If your manager says you’re sitting on the fence, he or she is probably telling you to make a decision. The words are the same, but the meaning shifts with tone and the relationship.

The fifth idiom is ‘that’s the last straw.” You use this when a series of problems has finally reached a limit. The most recent problem, even if it’s small, is the one that pushes you past what you can accept. It means “I’ve had enough. This is the moment, and I’m going to do something about it.” The image comes from the idea of a camel carrying straw on its back. Oh, “straw” is dried grass for farms. [00:07:00] Each piece of straw is light, but eventually one final piece is too much, and the camel can no longer carry the load. The idiom is emotional and informal. You would say it in a real conversation when you’re genuinely frustrated or at a breaking point. You wouldn’t write it in a professional email. But you’ll hear it constantly in films, conversations, and in everyday life, and it’s almost always said with emotion.

Those are five idioms from the free guide. What I want you to notice is that knowing the definition is only the first step. The second step is understanding the context, the situation, the relationship, and the tone. That’s what helps you not just understand these phrases when you hear them, but actually use them yourself, without sounding unnatural.[00:08:00] 

The full guide has 25 idioms organized by situation with a note next to each one explaining how and when to use it. If you’ve already subscribed to the newsletter, it’s in your welcome email. If you haven’t subscribed yet, go to comullen.com/newsletter. It’s free, and it arrives right away.

And if you want to take the next step, the English Listening Accelerator is a workbook with audio that helps you hear natural English at real speed. It has 10 lessons, each focused on a different part of spoken English. You can try a free sample lesson at comullen.com/listen. The full workbook is just $7.

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 to podcasts, and [00:09:00] let’s continue this adventure together in clear, understandable English.

Sincere thanks, as always, for listening.

See you soon!