YOUTUBE.

COM/ENGLISHWITHLUCY

30 EVERYDAY PHRASES
VOCABULARY LESSON
YOUTUBE.COM/ENGLISHWITHLUCY

Let's make a splash with today's lesson as we dive into learning

30 new phrases. These phrases will help you sound like a native
speaker and add a bit of colour to your conversations. Make
sure you save this lesson because it might come in handy. You
don't want to draw a blank in the middle of speaking.

No. Phrase Meaning Example

She ate her words when

To eat one’s to take back what one she realised she was
1
words has said talking badly about the
boss right to his face.

Fred made a splash during

To make a to attract a lot of
2 today’s meeting when his
splash attention
phone started ringing.

to create a sense of We recorded a video of the

To be on the
3 security and minimise incident just to be on the
safe side
any possible risk safe side.

to conclude
As far as one something based on As far I could tell, the store
4
can tell the available was closed for the day.
information

All of his efforts on the new

To go down to be completely textbook went down the
5
the drain wasted drain when they went
digital.

to be remembered His speech will surely go

To go down in
6 forever; recorded in down in history as one of
history
history books the greatest!

The opening band went

To go down a to be well received by
7 down a storm! It was their
storm an audience
first concert!

to politely decline an I can’t go to the museum

To take a rain offer with the today, but I am happy to
8
check exception of taking it take a rain check! How
up at a later time about next week?

Tara has done some pretty

To take the to be the most
9 terrible things, but stealing
biscuit remarkable or foolish
Joe’s cat takes the biscuit.

©ENGLISH WITH LUCY

 YOUTUBE.COM/ENGLISHWITHLUCY

To take to make unfair use of He took advantage of

10 advantage someone/something for being the boss’ by showing
of one’s personal benefit up late every single day.

We had to call off the

11 To call it off to cancel something festival when we found out
that it was going to rain.

The situation came to a

To come to
12 to reach a critical point head when she showed up
a head
to the family dinner drunk.

Tommy made a bee-line

To make a to go directly toward
13 for his mum when he saw
bee-line for something/someone
her after school.

I am sorry, I am drawing a
To draw a to fail to recall from
14 blank. I can’t remember
blank memory
her home address.

to express that
To put it something is usually He is putting it mildly, but
15
mildly worse than it is being this plan will never work!
said

Patrick has the upper hand

To get/have
to have a superior or in receiving the promotion
16 the upper
more powerful position as he has been with the
hand
company for 10 years.

We have to paint the entire

To have
to be faced with a house this weekend! We
17 one’s work
difficult or lengthy task really have our work cut
cut out
out for us.

Miguel hit the ground

To hit the running when he was
to get started quickly or
18 ground promoted to manager. He
with great success
running made a lot of wonderful
changes.

Keep your nose clean

To keep when you go out tonight. I
19 your nose to stay out of trouble don’t want a phone call
clean from the police in the
middle of the night.

to move more quickly or

To look It is the final half of the
20 engage in a more active
alive game! Look alive out there!
way

He went out on a limb

when he proposed to his
To go out to put one’s self in a
21 girlfriend at the Beyonce
on a limb vulnerable position
concert. I am glad she said
yes!

©ENGLISH WITH LUCY

 YOUTUBE.COM/ENGLISHWITHLUCY

This TV show has really

To go to the to become ruined or
22 gone to the dogs. What are
dogs become worse
the writers thinking?

to experience harsh Celebrities have to run the

To run the
23 criticisms or harsh gauntlet of journalists
gauntlet
treatment by others every single day.

We are lying low for now

to avoid attention; until our neighbours forget
24 To lie low
hide about the big party we
threw last week.

Tom and Greg buried the

To bury the hatchet by drinking a few
25 to end a conflict
hatchet beers and talking about
their problems.

The production team really

to do something with
went to town on the set
26 To go to town a great amount of
design! It looks like we are
enthusiasm
actually in Rome!

That book about phrasal

To come in verbs came in handy when
27 to become useful
handy I started my new English
course.

He hadn’t finished his

to temporarily delay project, so he tried to buy
28 To buy time something from time by saying he had
happening been feeling under the
weather.

You are my best friend! I

to be available to
To be there am always going to be
29 provide support or
for there for you no matter
comfort to someone
what happens!

To put a
Sandy’s bad attitude put a
damper/ to make something
30 damper on her surprise
dampener on less strong or exciting
party.
something

The more you practise,

Give it a try! the easier you will recall

these phrases in your
daily conversations.

Which phrases did you find the most interesting? Choose

your favourite ones and create some examples.

©ENGLISH WITH LUCY

 YOUTUBE.COM/ENGLISHWITHLUCY

Activity
Choose the correct conjugation of the phrase for each sentence.
1) Unfortunately, he _______________ in the middle of the exam and
didn't answer the final question.

a. draws a blank
b. drew blanks
c. drew a blank

2) You will ___________________ for saying such a thing!

a. eat your words

b. eats your words
c. ate your word

3) Paul _________________ at the family reunion when he brought his

wife whom no one had met.

a. made splashes
b. made splash
c. made a splash

4) We need to __________________ on this new project. The due date

is only a few months away.

a. hit the ground run

b. hit the ground running
c. hit the ground ran

Complete each phrase with the correct word.

5) They have their _____________ cut out for them.

a. work
b. words
c. werk

6) To put it ______________, we will need to perform emergency

surgery.

a. wildly
b. miledly
c. mildly

7) Your grandfather is looking more ______________ every time I go

to see him.

a. a live
b. alive
c. live

8) What happened to your house? You really let it go to the

______________.

a. frogs
b. hogs
c. dogs
1) c 2) a 3) c 4) b 5) a 6) c 7) b 8) c

The End
©ENGLISH WITH LUCY
 YOUTUBE.COM/ENGLISHWITHLUCY

20 ENGLISH IDIOMS TO SOUND

NATIVE
VOCABULARY LESSON
YOUTUBE.COM/ENGLISHWITHLUCY

This lesson will introduce you to 20 idioms that are

commonly used by native English speakers. If you want to
sound more native, this is the lesson for you!

No. Idiom Meaning Example

The government’s
pledge to increase
a very small part
health funding by
A drop in or insignificant
1 £100m is just a drop in
the ocean amount of
the ocean compared to
something big
the billions that need to
be spent.
It’s better to
Actions Stop apologising and
actually do
speak prove to me that I can
2 something
louder than trust you - actions speak
rather than just
words louder than words.
talk about it.
Don’t tell her about the
To add fuel to make a
3 delays - you’ll just be
to the fire problem worse
adding fuel to the fire.
it’s up to you to
The ball is in I’ve done all I can do -
4 make the next
your court the ball is in your court.
step or decision
To bend to do whatever it Our company is bending
5 over takes to help over backwards to
backwards someone satisfy our customers.
To bite off
I think I’ve bitten off
more than to take on a task
6 more than I can chew
you can that is too big
with this project.
chew
to only just
By the skin I think I might have
succeed at
7 of one’s passed that exam by the
something by a
teeth skin of my teeth!
narrow margin
call for help
My new flatmate is
8 To cry wolf when you don’t
constantly crying wolf.
need it

©ENGLISH WITH LUCY

 YOUTUBE.COM/ENGLISHWITHLUCY

To cut to give You need to cut the

9 somebody somebody a intern some slack - they
some slack break are still learning.

leave out all the

To cut to the chase - I’m
To cut to the unnecessary
10 not comfortable working
chase details and just
alongside John anymore.
get to the point
I’m going to spend
To get one’s to come to
tonight trying to get my
11 head around understand
head around this new
something something
legislation.
To hear on to hear a rumour I heard on the grapevine
12 the or unconfirmed that our receptionist will
grapevine story be leaving us soon.

actions or
Don’t just blame him for
It takes two communications
13 the affair - it takes two to
to tango need more than
tango!
one person
I think you’ve missed the
To miss the
To miss the boat on that application
14 opportunity to
boat - they’ve already started
do something
interviewing candidates..
A piece of That pop quiz was a
15 really easy
cake piece of cake!

I think you need to pull

Pull yourself calm down and yourself together and
16
together! act normally stop stressing about the
presentation.
to stay neutral I’m sitting on the fence
To sit/to be
17 and not take on this one - I don’t want
on the fence
sides to offend anyone.

If you really want to get

To step up start performing this promotion, you’ll
18
one’s game better have to seriously step up
your game.
I asked you to keep this
To sell to snitch on
information to yourself. I
19 somebody someone or let
can’t believe you sold me
out their secret out
out like that!
Your guess is We don’t have enough
to not know
20 as good as data. Your guess is as
something
mine good as mine.

©ENGLISH WITH LUCY

 YOUTUBE.COM/ENGLISHWITHLUCY

Activity
Complete each sentence with the correct idiom.
1) We appreciate all of the hard work you have been doing with
the fundraiser, but the money earned was only a
_____________________.

a. ball in your court

b. a drop in the ocean
c. skin of my teeth

2) It's too late for you to get the discount, you've missed
___________________ for this sale.

a. the boat
b. the wagon
c. the ship

3) How did you do on the entrance exam? I thought it was

_______________________.

a. a piece of cake
b. a piece of bread
c. a piece of cupcake

4) Spare me the details and _______________. What are you

going to do about this huge error?

a. cut to the words

b. tell me the truth
c. cut to the chase

5) She was simply adding ____________________ when she

brought up the fact that 500 pounds were missing.

a. wood to the fire

b. flames to the fire
c. fuel to the fire

6) We had to _______________________ to get it done in time,

but we hope you like your birthday cake!

a. bend over the sofa

b. bend over backwards
c. bend it out

7) He made it to the meeting by the skin ____________________.

a. of his teeth
b. of her teeth
c. of my teeth

8) Don't drag me into this; I am staying right here

_________________________.

a. on the bench
b. on the fence
c. on the sofa
1) b 2) a c) a 4) c 5) c 6) b 7) a 8) b

The End
©ENGLISH WITH LUCY