20 ENGLISH IDIOMS TO SOUND LIKE A NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKER

hello everyone and welcome back to english with lucy today i'm going to show you 20 idioms that you can use to sound like a native english speaker this video is really going to help you improve your vocabulary but if you want to improve your listening and pronunciation skills even further then i highly recommend the special method of combining reading books with listening to the audiobook version on audible it sounds weird reading and listening at the same time but it's such an effective method let me explain take a book that you have already read in english or a book that you would like to read in english i've got lots of recommendations for books and audio books down below in the description box and as you read that book listen to the audiobook version at the same time reading alone will not help with your pronunciation or your listening for that matter english is not a strictly phonetic language the way a word is spelt or written in english might not give you any indication as to how that word is pronounced that's why pronunciation in english is so hard for my students but if you listen to a word as you read it your brain will start making connections and the next time you see that word you'll know exactly how it's pronounced how it's supposed to sound and the next time you hear that word you'll know how it's spelt how it's written it's such an effective method and the best part is you can get one free audio book that's a 30 day free trial on audible all you have to do is click on the link in the description box and sign up give it a try because it really really works right let's get started with the lesson idiom number one is a drop in the ocean a drop in the ocean i think there's a song called a drop in the ocean i used to really like that when i was at school a drop in the ocean means a very small or insignificant part of something big or whole for example the government's pledge to increase health funding by a hundred million is a drop in the ocean compared to the billions that need to be spent number two is a lovely one i think they're all lovely actually because i chose them myself for you number two is action speak louder than words actions speak louder than words this means that it's better to actually do something rather than just talk about it for example stop apologizing to me and prove to me that i can trust you actions speak louder than words that's a good one to use in your next fight with someone who has lost your trust number three is to add fuel to the fire to add fuel to the fire this simply means to make a problem worse to exacerbate a problem we learned exacerbate in another class didn't we recently comment down below if you remember which it was for example don't tell her about the delays you'll just be adding fuel to the fire number four is the ball is in your court the ball is in your court this means that it's your turn to make the next step or decision for example i've done all i can do the ball is in your court now number five is to bend over backwards to bend over backwards this means to do whatever it takes to help someone for example our company is bending over backwards to satisfy our customers sometimes it can mean that you've helped too much you've put in too much effort oh i've been bending over backwards trying to solve his problems and he hasn't given me the time of day to give someone the time of day is to give someone the proper attention number six to bite off more than you can chew to bite off more than you can chew this means to take on a task that is too big for example i think i've bitten off more than i can chew with this project this is something i said all the way through my university degree i was working i had a youtube channel i was doing projects i had taken on extra work i bit off more than i could chew and i suffered the consequences but it was worth it i'm okay now actually homework here have you ever bitten off more than you could chew let me know about the situation in the comments section down below maybe you were studying and working at the same time maybe you were trying to maintain a long-distance relationship whilst doing an internship i don't know let me know oh number seven is a good one this is one my mom uses a lot it's by the skin of one's teeth by the skin of your teeth this means to only just succeed something by a very narrow margin by the enamel on your teeth but we say skin we don't normally say skin of teeth but for this particular saying we do an example i think i might have passed that exam by the skin of my teeth only just number eight is derived from a fable i think or a childhood story it's to cry wolf to cry wolf this means to call for help when you don't need it and i think the story is i wonder if you have this in your own country and culture um a boy kept pretending that there was a wolf so that people would come and in the end when a wolf did actually come he called for help and no one came because they always thought that he was crying for help when he didn't actually need it an example my new flatmate is always crying wolf number nine is to cut somebody some slack to cut somebody some slack this means to give someone a break to stop judging them so hard for example you need to cut the interns some slack they are still learning number 10 is to cut to the chase to cut to the chase this means to leave out all of the unnecessary details and just get to the point an example to cut to the chase i'm not comfortable working alongside john anymore number 11 to get one's head around something to get your head around something this means to come to understand something to work to understand something for example i'm going to spend tonight trying to get my head around this new legislation number 12 is to hear on the grapevine to hear on the grapevine this means to hear a rumor or an unconfirmed story for example i heard on the grapevine that our receptionist will be leaving us soon number 13 a personal favorite it takes two to tango it takes two to tango you've got to be comfortable with the tough sound to say that it takes two to tango this means that actions or communications need more than one person for example don't just blame him for the affair it takes two to two parties were involved in that bad behavior number fourteen is to miss the boat to miss the boat this means to miss the opportunity to do something for example i think you've missed the boat on that application they've already started interviewing candidates number 15 is a lovely one it is a piece of cake a piece of cake this means really easy that pop quiz was a piece of cake number 16 is pull yourself together pull yourself together this means calm down and act normally it's normally said when somebody is stressing out for example i think you need to pull yourself together and stop stressing about the presentation number 17 is to sit or to be on the fence to sit on the fence to be on the fence this means to stay neutral and to not take sides for example i'm sitting on the fence on this one i don't want to offend anyone number 18 is to step up one's game to step up your game this means to start performing better for example if you really want to get this promotion you'll need to step up your game number 19 is to sell someone out to sell someone out this means to snitch on someone or to let their secret out for example i asked you to keep that information to yourself i can't believe you sold me out like that and number 20 is your guess is as good as mine your guess is as good as mine this means i don't know or i have no idea for example we just don't have enough data your guess is as good as mine right those were our 20 idioms that you can use to sound like a native speaker i've got some more homework for you this is the official homework the other homework was just spur of the moment homework spur of the moment means on impulse or without advance planning the real homework is to write in the comments section five sentences using five of your favorite idioms that we have talked about today if you'd like to add some sentences with additional idioms that you have heard native speakers say then feel free to do so and we can all learn from each other don't forget to check out audible the link to claim your free audio book is in the description box and don't forget to connect with me on all of my social media i've got my facebook my instagram and my twitter and i shall see you soon for another lesson [Music] [Music] you

Channel: English with Lucy

Views: 1,136,890

Keywords: idioms, english idioms, daily idioms, everyday idioms, native idioms, sound like a native, to sound like a native, 20 idioms, 20 daily idioms, english with lucy, learn idioms, common idioms, top idioms, idiom, learn english, british idioms, american idioms, british expressions, american expressions

Id: kmxoPFPvveQ

Length: 10min 20sec (620 seconds)

Published: Wed Nov 27 2019