Read Webster's New World American Idioms Handbook Online
Authors: Gail Brenner
Webster's New World American Idioms Handbook (24 page)
Expressions for Bad News
People commonly say the following when they hear bad or unhappy news, when someone doesn’t reach his or her goal, doesn’t succeed or win, or when someone experiences bad luck. People also say these expressions to themselves:
Oh no
♦ Oh no!
I can’t find my wallet!
Too bad
♦
He missed the deadline to apply for the grant.
Too bad!
What a shame
♦
He died and left three young children.
What a shame!
What a pity
(also phrased
It’s a pity)
♦ What a pity
to see how he’s wasted his life.
(What a) Bummer
(slang) ♦
Your dog got lost?
Bummer!
What a drag
(also phrased
That’s a drag;
slang) ♦ What a drag
that your parents won’t let you go out during the week.
Shoot
(slang) ♦ Shoot!
I forgot to mail these letters.
That sucks
(slang) ♦
She broke up with him to date someone else.
That sucks!
That’s the pits
(also phrased
It’s the pits)
♦
You failed the final exam? Man,
that’s the pits!
A related expression is
Better luck next time,
which is often said to take the attention off the failure and put it on future success: “Well, your team can’t always win.
Better luck next time
.”
Way to Go!
Way to go!
is a popular expression of congratulation and encouragement. It’s used for any accomplishment or situation, large or small, that deserves recognition, and it’s used with people of any age, from toddlers to grandmas. In this section you’ll find many more ways to say
Way to go!
and offer encouragement.
Words of Encouragement
The short expressions of encouragement that follow basically mean “I encourage you to go and do it; do it with spirit, and do it well.”
Go for it!
means “Go for your goal” ♦
You want to get a PhD? Hey,
go for it! ♦ Go for it!
You’re the best person for the job.
You go (girl)!
originally, feisty words of support and acknowledgement for women; often phrased simply as
You go!
and used with anyone ♦
She became a top country music star at 14!
You go, girl! ♦
Nicole: I’ve lost 10 pounds now that I’ve started exercising. Marcia:
You go!
Do it!
means
“
Go for your dreams,” “Don’t hesitate” ♦
If you really want to travel, I say
do it! ♦
You’ve wanted to go to law school for years. Stop talking and
do it!
Have at it!
means “Go ahead and attempt it”; often said when there’s a physical task to be done, or when there’s a lot of work to do ♦
Sue wanted to try building our deck, so I said,
“Have at it!” ♦
When I offered to help my wife organize the basement she said, “
Have at it!”
Go get ’em!
short for “Go get them,” meaning go beat the competition; also used generally to mean “Go for your goals” ♦
You’re going to run in the Ironman Competition? Wonderful!
Go get ’em! ♦
I’m so glad you were accepted to medical school.
Go get ’em!
Words of Congratulations
When the goal is reached, whether one’s success is large or small, people offer some of the following expressions of praise and congratulations:
You did it
Way to go
Well done
You done good
(slangy variation of
You did a very good job
)
Good for you
Good going
That’s my girl/boy
(often said to a child or someone younger than the speaker)
Atta girl/boy
(short version of
That’s my girl/boy
)
You’re the man
(
the man
means the top person of either gender, the one deserving of most respect)
Bravo:
from Italian; a cheer of praise and congratulations
That’s Life
The expressions that follow reflect the attitude that one can’t control life; to live in this world, one must accept the good with the bad. These expressions are about accepting fate. They’re often said after a disappointment, but also can express a carefree attitude about life. They can be said with compassion or with cynicism.
That’s life
♦
So, you weren’t chosen for the team.
That’s life.
Life’s like that
♦
Son, sometimes other kids can be mean.
Life’s like that!
That’s the way it goes
♦
I just got a bonus, and now I have to use it to fix my leaking roof.
That’s the way it goes.
That’s just the way it is
♦
Not everyone will like your artwork.
That’s just the way it is.
It is what it is
♦
That speeding ticket made my insurance rates go up. Well,
it is what it is.
You win some, you lose some
♦ Well, you win some, you lose some.
The house we wanted just sold to someone else.
Such is life
♦
Our cat died. We miss him, but
such is life.
C’est la vie
(French for that’s life) ♦
They didn’t hire me, but I have other options. So,
c’est la vie.
PART III
IDIOMS FOR EXPRESSING EMOTION, CHARACTER, SUCCESS, AND FAILURE
American English has idioms for every aspect of life: idioms for tangible things such as food and exercise, and for abstract things such as emotions, personality, and concepts like success, failure, and luck. The idioms in this part cover these less-concrete aspects of life.
CHAPTER 10
EMOTIONS
“Don’t worry, be happy,” the song says. That’s good advice, but sometimes one does worry, or feel sad or angry. These are common human emotions. Some people
wear their hearts on their sleeves,
meaning they openly show their emotions (especially romantic ones). These types of people are sometimes called
an open book
because they’re
easy to read,
meaning it’s easy to see how they feel; their emotions are visible. Other people hide their feelings or
keep everything inside.
They’re sometimes called
a closed book
because they are
hard to read,
meaning it’s hard to know what they’re feeling.
This chapter presents idioms and expressions for a variety of emotions and sentiments: joy, sadness, peacefulness, anxiety, anger, resentment, guilt, and others.
Happiness and Contentment
The idioms in this section refer to happiness, contentment, and having a positive attitude.
In Good Spirits
and Related Idioms
Someone who is
in good spirits
is feeling good, happy, and positive. Here are two other idioms that mean the same as
in good spirits:
up
♦
You seem
up
today. Why are you so happy?
in a good mood
♦
I’m always
in a good mood
after getting a letter from my daughter.
in good spirits
♦
We’ve
been in good spirits
here ever since the snow melted.
Grammar Note:
The last two idioms above can also be said as be
put in good spirits
or be
put in a good
mood,
meaning to be made to feel happy because of something. For example, “Going to the beach always
puts me in a good mood.
”
The following expressions mean that a person is very happy. These expressions are
similes
— comparisons that use the words
as
or
like:
(as) pleased as punch
♦
He’ll be
pleased as punch
to hear that you got the promotion.
(as) happy as a clam
♦
Give that child some paper and crayons, and she’s
as happy as a clam
for hours.
(as) happy as a lark
♦
The newlyweds are
as happy as larks
in their new home.
Note:
The first two of these similes are particularly unusual, because neither punch (a festive party drink) nor a clam seems particularly pleased or happy.
Stay Positive
and Related Idioms
The following expressions mean to be carefree, have a positive attitude, and not worry about things:
be positive
or
stay positive
to keep a positive, good, hopeful attitude or outlook; can imply that a person faces adversity or is in a difficult position ♦
I know you’re going through some hard times, but try to
stay positive.
Everything will be resolved in time.
♦
I like to work with Stephanie because she
is
always so
positive.
happy-go-lucky
carefree and happy; often used to describe people’s personalities, rather than their mood ♦
You’re so
happy-go-lucky.
Did you win the lottery or something?
♦
Jimmy is a
happy-go-lucky
guy. No matter what happens, he’s smiling.
upbeat
very positive; implies that a person is energetic and optimistic ♦
If you can keep an
upbeat
attitude, you’ll heal much faster from injury and illness.
♦
Whenever he faces a deadline, Brian stays
upbeat
and focused.
Jumping for Joy
and Related Idioms
The following idioms mean very happy, blissfully happy, ecstatic. Almost all of the idioms that express great happiness and joy allude to being off the ground, up in the air:
jumping for joy
♦
Everyone was
jumping for joy
when the missing girl was found.
walking on air
♦
Ever since those two became engaged they’ve been
walking on air.
walking two feet off the ground
♦
After winning the election, I was
walking two feet off the ground
for days.
Note:
You may also hear people say
walking
6
or
10 feet off the ground
instead of just
two feet.
Seeing the Glass Half Full
or
Half Empty
Some people
see the glass half full
and others
see the glass half empty.
These expressions refer to the belief that, if you take a glass of water and fill it halfway, an optimist will see the glass as half full and a pessimist will see the glass as half empty. Here are some examples:
- She has a great attitude. She always
sees the glass as half full. - He tends to
see the glass half empty,
and criticizes everything.
Here’s another expression to describe someone who is extremely happy and is smiling widely: “He was
grinning from ear to ear,
” meaning that the smile is so wide it extends from one ear to the other.
[See
on cloud nine
and
in seventh heaven
in Chapter 15; see idioms for humor and laughter in Chapter 7.]
Sadness and Melancholy
The idioms in this section describe sadness, melancholy, depression, and having a bad or negative attitude.
In a Mood
and Related Idioms
When people are irritable, impatient, or grouchy, they may be in a bad mood for no apparent reason. Following are some common idioms to describe this feeling:
in a mood
♦
Be careful! The boss is
in a mood
today
.
in a bad mood
♦
When she’s
in a bad mood,
it’s best just to leave her alone.
in a foul mood
♦
You’re
in a foul mood.
What’s the problem?
in a rotten mood
♦
I don’t know why I’m
in
such
a rotten mood.
Grammar Note:
These idioms can also be said as to
put
someone
in a bad mood, put
someone
in a foul mood,
and so on. These forms are used to convey that something or someone caused a person to be in a bad mood.
A related idiom is
moody,
which means to alternate from a good mood to a bad mood for no reason. For example, “He’s always so
moody.
That’s why our relationship didn’t last.”
All of the following adjectives mean irritable and impatient:
cranky
grouchy
grumpy
bitchy
(a strong insult and slightly vulgar)
short-tempered
All of these words except
short-tempered
have noun forms:
crank, grouch, grump,
and
bitch.
Feeling Low
and Related Idioms
In contrast to being “off the ground” (blissfully happy), someone who’s feeling
low
or
down
is in a sad or depressed mood. Many idioms describe this feeling:
down
♦
She’s been feeling
down
ever since her pet rabbit died.
low
♦
His girlfriend just left him, so he’s pretty
low.
bummed (out)
(can also mean annoyed or a little angry) ♦
I’m really
bummed
about failing that exam. I thought I had passed it.
in a funk
♦
Sometimes, thinking about the troubles in the world puts me
in a funk.
down in the mouth
♦
You look
down in the mouth.
Is something wrong?
Note:
This idiom is generally said of other people, not oneself.
When someone is
in a bad mood
and feeling irritable, people might say “He
got up on the wrong side of the bed.”
This expression alludes to an old belief that it’s bad luck to put one’s left foot out of bed first. Here’s an example:
Sidney: Why are you so grumpy today?
Lynn: I don’t know. I guess I just
got up on the wrong side of the bed
this morning.
I’ve Got
the Blues
If you say, “I’ve
got the blues,”
then you feel sad and depressed. You can also say, “I’m
blue
” or “I’m
feeling blue.
” The use of the word “blue” to describe sadness is very old, and the origin of the word isn’t clear. But the expression is familiar to the world in the form of
blues music
or simply
the blues,
which is a form of African-American folk music (and the basis for jazz music), characterized by a slow tempo and melancholy words.
Grammar Note:
In American English, “I’ve got . . .” is a common way of saying “I have . . .”
Cheer Up!
and Related Idioms
When people are
down in the dumps
or feeling depressed, there are a number of expressions used to encourage them to feel better. The idioms
Cheer up!
and
Lighten up!
mean to try to be more cheerful, less depressed. Here are some other idioms that mean the same:
let it go
to release whatever is bothering you; means “Forget about it” ♦
I know you’re upset that your team lost the championship, but you should
let it go. ♦
I didn’t mean it as an insult, so
let it go.
look on the bright side
to see the positive part of a problem, to see the benefit in the situation ♦
Hey,
look on the bright side:
Not getting that job means that you’re available for something better.
♦
My car broke down, but I’m
looking on the bright side:
I finally have an excuse to buy a new car.
it could be worse
means “This situation isn’t so bad, compared to a worse situation” ♦
Well,
it could always be worse.
You could have failed two classes instead of just one.
♦
I have the flu, but
it could be worse.
My friend has the flu and a rash.
Note:
The adjective
always
is often placed after the word
could,
as shown in the first example.
[See
“Get over it!”
in Part V
;
see more on
cheer up
and
lighten up
in Part V.]
Torn Up
and Related Idioms
When one is very sad, grieving, or deeply disappointed, his or her feelings might be described by one of the following idioms:
torn up (adj)
♦
He’s really
torn up
over the death of his best friend.
beside oneself
(adj)
♦
She was
beside herself
when her husband was so ill.
heartbroken
or
brokenhearted
(adj)
♦
I’m
heartbroken
over that relationship.
crushed (adj)
♦
She was
crushed
that she wasn’t chosen for the softball team.
a heavy heart
(n)
♦
Seeing so many AIDS orphans gave her
a heavy heart.
[See
out of one’s head
in Chapter 13.]
If you’re
torn up
or
beside yourself,
you may want to cry. All of the following idioms mean to cry a lot:
cry one’s eyes out
♦
Timmy
cried his eyes out
when his dog died.
cry like a baby
♦
I
cried like a baby
watching that sad film.
burst into tears
♦
When she was scolded, she
burst into tears.
break down
♦
He
broke down
after hearing the news of his mother’s death.
Being Negative
and Related Idioms
The following expressions are used to describe someone with a bad or negative attitude, someone who discourages the enjoyment of others and is unenthusiastic.
negative
having a bad or hopeless attitude about something, pessimistic, unhappy ♦
Your financial situation isn’t hopeless, so you should stop being so
negative
about it and start taking some positive action.
a sourpuss
one who discourages enjoyment ♦
There’s no use trying to cheer him up; he’s just
a sourpuss.
a wet blanket
a person who spoils others’ fun, discourages enjoyment. Alludes to using a wet blanket to smother a fire. ♦
Don’t be such
a wet blanket.
Have a little fun.
♦
Let’s not invite him. He’s really
a wet blanket.
Staying Calm and Cool
Idioms in this section mean to feel calm, at peace, without worry, anxiety, or anger. Many of these idioms use the word
cool
(calm and relaxed) as the opposite of
hot
(angry, or sweating from anxiety).
