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12 English phrases meaning something completely different

Improve Spoken English

I often affect upon the subject of English idiomatic expressions on this blog for the simple reason that more often than non  our every-twenty-four hours spoken language consists of such and similar  word combinations and information technology's making our oral communication so much more easier !

But look at the above paragraph – it's blimp with various idiomatic expressions and collocations, and the one mutual trait they all share is that you have to learn the EXACT mode they're used and then that you lot tin acquire them off by middle and and then utilise them in your ain conversations.

Then there are proper English idioms y'all tin can't even understand unless y'all actually know what they mean – such as "It's no skin off my nose" or "Until the cows come home".

In that location are, all the same, certain English language phrases that may at first sound as if they don't have any double-meanings AT ALL, yet they hateful something completely unlike!

If you're an avant-garde English speaker and you've been communicating with existent people in real life for years, this list will probably reveal nothing new to you.

If you're someone who's but starting off in an English language speaking country, for example, the following phrases might turn out to be an eye-opener for yous! 😉

You don't want to practise that!

If you take this phrase literally, it sounds as if someone is making a argument that you don't want to do something (in which case information technology doesn't really brand an atrocious lot of sense – I mean, how can someone else maybe know what I do or what I don't want to exercise?!)

In reality though, this phrase is used when advising someone not to practice something, and so the real message behind this expression is "Yous shouldn't do it!"

Why do English language speaking people say "You don't desire to do that!" instead of simply saying that one SHOULDN'T do it?

Well – it'southward just the way conversational English language goes! Don't enquire WHY – just accept that information technology's the style native English speakers speak, and life is going to be a whole lot easier for you lot.

Another version of the same phrase – "You don't desire to be doing that!" – is used only like the original i, and once again – don't ask WHY in that location are two dissimilar versions of this phrase in use.

Simply take it and use whichever 1 you want to use! 😀

He can't help himself

When I heard the English verb "to aid" used in this context for the first fourth dimension, I thought the person in question must be physically handicapped once they can't help themselves.

I mean – the word "to help" is quite simple and straightforward, and then when someone can't assistance themselves, they quite literally tin can't assistance themselves with performing certain tasks, isn't that correct?

Turns out it'southward not the case!

When someone says virtually some other person that they can't assistance themselves, it means the person in question can't RESIST doing something, they're too weak to say NO to themselves

Let'south say, you're eating too much chocolate on a daily basis, and your work colleague asks you one solar day why y'all're eating so much chocolate every day. You can simply answer by saying "I just can't assist myself!" which means that information technology'due south a habit and so strong you tin't resist it.

Shut up!

When someone tells you to shut upwardly, it's quite clear what they want to tell you, isn't that correct?

They're telling yous to shut your oral fissure, and needless to say, it'southward quite rude to exist talking to someone like that.

Sometimes, however, the phrase "Shut upwardly!" can exist used to express something completely dissimilar – namely, your amazement at something the other person is telling you lot about.

Then if you're speaking with an English speaking person and they respond to yous by proverb "Shut up! I can't believe it!", it doesn't necessarily mean they want yous to close your mouth and terminate talking to them. It merely means they're and so surprised at what you lot just said that they're using the phrase "Shut upwards!" as ways of expressing they disbelief or excitement.

Sure plenty, you lot'll be able to read the true meaning of those words off the other person's face and tone of voice – the role of torso language tin't be underestimated, later all.

At that place might be some occasions, however, when you'd think the other person is being rude to you while in reality there's no impairment intended, so please bear in listen that the expression "Shut upwardly!" tin can also have a pretty harmless meaning!

Go abroad!

I don't know about you, but where I live (Republic of ireland) this phrase is used the aforementioned way as the 1 in a higher place ("Shut upwards!") when expressing your surprise at something the other person has simply said.

Basically it's just some other way of proverb "Really?!", and when they say "Go away!", nobody means it literally. It' just a way of letting the other person know that you're shocked to hear it, and you may likewise start using this phrase in your ain daily English conversations.

I see!

This is a very, very simple English phrase, but when an average beginner English educatee sees it, on 9 times out of 10 they'll recall it means that someone is saying that they SEE something.

In fact, the phrase "I see!" is used conversationally all the time when people desire to say that they get it, that they UNDERSTAND it, and this is actually something that a lot of foreign English speakers should learn pretty early in their lives.

On fashion too many occasions my young man foreigners say "I empathize" while the phrase they should be using is "I meet"!

You see, "I sympathise" sounds way too formal when used during your daily conversations, so I warmly suggest you commencement using the much more friendlier version of it "I see!" instead.

Meet where I'm coming from?

If someone asks you if you meet where they're coming from, you may presume they mean it quite literally, in which case y'all may be thinking "How on Earth am I supposed to know where they're coming from?!"

When people ask yous this question, what they actually mean to say is "Do y'all sympathize the reasons why I'chiliad proverb this?"

Basically the conversation would go something like this:

"I think nosotros should swap this motorcar for the other one because the production output is much lower now that the busy flavor is over."

Yous: ???

"You lot see where I'm coming from?" (Practice you understand why I'1000 suggesting nosotros should bandy the machines on the product line?)

Yous: "I haven't got a clue what you lot're talking about! Can you explain everything to me step-past-step please?"

You lot may want to…

This phrase may seem a chip disruptive at kickoff. You may… You want… Why "You MAY Want" so? Why are the 2 words grouped together? Does it hateful you're giving the other person a permission to exercise something every bit in "You may do it"?

What this phrase really ways is quite the opposite to giving someone a permission to practise something – it's all about giving the other person a proposition that they should probably cull to do whatsoever it is you're telling them to do!

Why not simply say "You should…" instead?

Well, y'all see – "You may want to…" is a very polite mode of letting someone know equally to what would be the right course of action while "You should…" might actually sound similar a command rather than a suggestion!

I don't buy it!

This English phrase has nothing to do with buying stuff, it'due south all about Assertive what y'all're told! 😉

If someone makes an empty promise to you lot or you're told some news you lot don't believe, yous can answer with saying "I don't purchase it!" in which example yous're simply making it articulate you lot don't believe what you're told.

I'm looking forrard to…

As a beginner English language student you may think this phrase means to be looking straight ahead of y'all (equally opposed to be looking backwards or sideways, for instance).

In conversational English and also in English in full general, however, this phrase has a completely different meaning – it simply means to exist expecting something, to be really waiting on something to happen!

I remember when I'd just started living in Republic of ireland 11 years agone, my supervisor asked me at work if I was looking forward to my holidays, to which I didn't really know what to say because the sentence didn't make a lot of sense to me.

Now I know only too well that it means to be expecting something, and in case you didn't know it – it'south about time to add together this English language phrase onto your vocabulary!

Tell me about it!

"Tell me about information technology!" doesn't mean "TELL me Virtually it".

It means "Aye, I know exactly what you're talking about – I accept the aforementioned feel!"

Here'south a situation to describe exactly what I'thou talking about hither:

You: "My trivial sister is real nightmare – she constantly makes demands to our mom and cries if she doesn't become what she wants!"

Your friend: "Tell me nigh it!"

What your friends is telling yous is – "Yeah, I tin completely chronicle to that because I besides have a little sister who'southward behaving that way!"

So now that you know what this phrase ways, you wouldn't beginning telling your friend MORE Almost it. You'd merely empathize your friend is going through a similar experience!

It doesn't hurt to…

When someone tells you lot that it doesn't hurt to practice something, they don't literally mean that it's not going to be painful.

What they hateful to tell you lot is that the activity in question is going to result is something actually beneficial to you, so information technology'due south definitely worth doing it!

How do you discover this…?

I call up someone asked me how I establish my job to which I started telling them well-nigh the recruitment agency who helped me to country my job with the company…

What that person actually meant was – "What exercise you lot Think ABOUT your chore?" – so in this case the English verb "to notice" has another meaning on top of the most common i which is to actually detect something after you've been looking for it!

* * *

Now, did you find this commodity interesting?

Did you acquire a few new English phrases you didn't know existed?

If so – let your friends know nigh them by using the social sharing tool below!

Thanks for reading,

Robby 😉

P.S. Would yous similar to observe out why I'k highlighting some of the text in reddish? Read this article and y'all'll learn why it'due south then important to learn idiomatic expressions and how information technology volition help you to improve your spoken English language!

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