By Robby

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12 English phrases meaning something completely different

Improve Spoken English

I often impact upon the subject field of English idiomatic expressions on this weblog for the simple reason that more than often than not  our every-day spoken communication consists of such and similar  word combinations and information technology'due south making our speech so much more than easier !

Just await at the above paragraph – it'south stuffed with various idiomatic expressions and collocations, and the one common trait they all share is that you have to learn the EXACT way they're used so that y'all tin larn them off past middle and and so use them in your own conversations.

Then there are proper English idioms you can't even sympathise unless you actually know what they hateful – such as "It's no skin off my olfactory organ" or "Until the cows come up home".

There are, still, sure English phrases that may at outset audio equally if they don't accept any double-meanings AT ALL, yet they hateful something completely different!

If you're an advanced English speaker and you've been communicating with real people in real life for years, this list volition probably reveal nothing new to you.

If y'all're someone who'south but starting off in an English language speaking land, for example, the post-obit phrases might turn out to be an heart-opener for yous! 😉

You don't want to exercise 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 actually make an atrocious lot of sense – I mean, how tin someone else perchance know what I do or what I don't want to do?!)

In reality though, this phrase is used when advising someone non to practice something, and then the existent message behind this expression is "You lot shouldn't practice it!"

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

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

Some other version of the same phrase – "You don't desire to be doing that!" – is used only similar the original one, and once again – don't ask WHY there are two unlike versions of this phrase in use.

Just take it and use whichever 1 you desire to use! 😀

He tin't assistance himself

When I heard the English language verb "to help" used in this context for the first time, I thought the person in question must exist physically handicapped in one case they can't help themselves.

I mean – the word "to assist" is quite simple and straightforward, and then when someone tin't aid themselves, they quite literally can't assist themselves with performing sure tasks, isn't that right?

Turns out information technology'south not the case!

When someone says nearly another person that they can't help themselves, information technology ways the person in question can't RESIST doing something, they're too weak to say NO to themselves ❗

Let'southward say, you're eating also much chocolate on a daily basis, and your work colleague asks you one day why you're eating and then much chocolate every mean solar day. You can simply respond by saying "I but can't assist myself!" which means that information technology's a habit so strong yous tin't resist information technology.

Shut up!

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

They're telling yous to shut your mouth, and needless to say, it's quite rude to be talking to someone similar that.

Sometimes, nevertheless, the phrase "Close up!" can exist used to express something completely dissimilar – namely, your amazement at something the other person is telling y'all almost.

So if you're speaking with an English speaking person and they reply to yous past proverb "Shut upward! I tin can't believe it!", it doesn't necessarily mean they want you to shut your mouth and stop talking to them. It just ways they're and so surprised at what you lot but said that they're using the phrase "Shut up!" as means of expressing they disbelief or excitement.

Certain enough, you'll be able to read the truthful meaning of those words off the other person's face and tone of vocalisation – the part of torso language tin can't be underestimated, after all.

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

Go abroad!

I don't know most you, simply where I live (Ireland) this phrase is used the same way every bit the one above ("Shut up!") when expressing your surprise at something the other person has just said.

Basically it'due south just another style of saying "Actually?!", and when they say "Go away!", nobody means it literally. It' just a fashion of letting the other person know that you're shocked to hear it, and you may equally well 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 student sees information technology, on 9 times out of ten they'll remember it means that someone is saying that they Encounter something.

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

On way too many occasions my fellow foreigners say "I understand" while the phrase they should exist using is "I come across"!

Yous see, "I empathize" sounds manner too formal when used during your daily conversations, and so I warmly propose you offset using the much more friendlier version of it "I see!" instead.

See 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 instance you may be thinking "How on Earth am I supposed to know where they're coming from?!"

When people ask you this question, what they really mean to say is "Do you sympathise the reasons why I'm saying this?"

Basically the conversation would become something similar this:

"I think we should swap this machine for the other one considering the product output is much lower now that the decorated flavor is over."

You lot: ???

"You see where I'm coming from?" (Do you understand why I'm suggesting we should swap the machines on the production line?)

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

Y'all may want to…

This phrase may seem a fleck confusing at first. Y'all may… Yous want… Why "Yous MAY WANT" then? Why are the two words grouped together? Does it mean you're giving the other person a permission to practise something as in "You lot may do it"?

What this phrase really ways is quite the contrary to giving someone a permission to exercise something – information technology's all near giving the other person a suggestion that they should probably choose to practice any it is you're telling them to do!

Why not simply say "You should…" instead?

Well, you see – "Y'all may want to…" is a very polite way of letting someone know as to what would be the correct form of action while "You should…" might actually sound similar a command rather than a suggestion!

I don't buy it!

This English phrase has nil to do with buying stuff, it's all about Assertive what y'all're told! 😉

If someone makes an empty hope to yous or yous're told some news y'all don't believe, you can reply with maxim "I don't buy it!" in which case yous're just making information technology articulate you don't believe what you're told.

I'm looking forrad to…

As a beginner English language student you may call up this phrase ways to exist looking straight ahead of you (as opposed to be looking backwards or sideways, for example).

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

I think when I'd but started living in Ireland 11 years ago, my supervisor asked me at piece of work if I was looking frontwards 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 y'all didn't know it – it'south about time to add together this English phrase onto your vocabulary!

Tell me virtually it!

"Tell me near information technology!" doesn't mean "TELL me ABOUT it".

It ways "Yes, I know exactly what you're talking about – I have the aforementioned feel!"

Here's a situation to depict exactly what I'm talking almost here:

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

Your friend: "Tell me well-nigh it!"

What your friends is telling you is – "Yeah, I can completely relate to that considering I as well have a picayune sister who's behaving that way!"

And then now that yous know what this phrase means, yous wouldn't beginning telling your friend More About it. Y'all'd simply understand your friend is going through a similar experience!

It doesn't hurt to…

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

What they mean to tell yous is that the activity in question is going to result is something actually beneficial to you, so it's definitely worth doing information technology!

How do y'all find this…?

I remember someone asked me how I found my job to which I started telling them about the recruitment bureau who helped me to land my task with the company…

What that person actually meant was – "What do you Remember ABOUT your task?" – so in this case the English language verb "to find" has another meaning on top of the most mutual one which is to actually find something after you've been looking for it!

* * *

Now, did you find this article interesting?

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

If then – let your friends know about them by using the social sharing tool below!

Thank you for reading,

Robby 😉

P.S. Would you similar to find out why I'm highlighting some of the text in red? Read this commodity and you'll learn why it's so of import to learn idiomatic expressions and how it volition assistance you to ameliorate your spoken English!

P.South.Southward. Are y'all serious almost your spoken English comeback? Check out my English language Harmony Organisation HERE!

English Harmony System

P.S. Are you serious nigh your spoken English improvement? Bank check out the English Harmony System HERE!

English Harmony System