Commonly used english part 89 pptx

talk Idioms talk a blue streak - to talk very much and very rapidly The woman who sat behind me in the airplane talked a blue streak from when I first sat down.. talk down to someone -

take (something) up with (someone)

- to raise and discuss a matter with someone

Our supervisor plans to take the issue of overtime up with the senior managers

take (something) with a grain of salt

- to not take something that someone has said seriously

You can take everything that our teacher says with a grain of salt

take steps to (prevent/do something)

- to begin to make plans or arrangements for something, to make preparations for something

Our company has begun to take steps to stop people from smoking in the office building

take stock

- to count items of merchandise or supplies that are in stock, to take inventory

The store will be closed next week while the company is taking stock

take stock in (something)

- to have faith in something, to believe in something (usually used in the negative)

The woman took no stock in the idea that women could not work as firefighters as well as men

take stock of (something)

- to carefully study a situation or a number of possibilities or opportunities

After taking stock of the situation the man decided that it would be difficult to

continue working for the company

take that tack

- to take a course of action or do something that is different from the preceding course

of action

I decided to take that tack when I realized that I was making no progress with my previous plans

take the bitter with the sweet

- to accept the bad things along with the good things

You have to take the bitter with the sweet when you are an athlete

take the bull by the horns

- to take some kind of action

My aunt decided to take the bull by the horns and started to plan the family reunion

take the cake

- to be the best or the worst

The woman's manners take the cake They are very bad

take the day off

- to choose not to go to work for one day

I decided to take the day off because I was not feeling well

take the edge off (something)

- to lessen/weaken/soften something

We had a drink of hot chocolate to take the edge off the cold weather

take the Fifth

- to hide behind the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution which

guarantees any witness the right not to incriminate himself or herself while testifying

at a trial

The man decided to take the Fifth rather than tell all of the facts at the trial

take the initiative to (do something)

- to decide to do something although one has not been asked to do it

I decided to take the initiative to organize a dinner for my friend who was leaving to

go to a different university

take the law into one's own hands

- to attempt to administer the law oneself

The citizens took the law into their own hands when they arrested the man who had cut down the tree

take the liberty of (doing something)

- to assume the right to do something

I took the liberty of eating the food that was in my friend's refridgerator

take the plunge

- to do something decisive (such as getting married)

My friend decided to take the plunge and will get married next year

take the rap for (someone or something)

- to receive punishment for something, to be accused and punished for something, to receive punishment in place of someone else

The owner of the restaurant was forced to take the rap over permitting underage workers to work at night

take the stand

- to go and sit in the witness chair in a courtroom

The star witness will take the stand in the trial tomorrow

take the starch out of (someone)

- to make someone less arrogant, to make someone tired and weak

The criticism by the teacher took the starch out of the girl who thought that she was the best in the class

take the trouble to (do something)

- to make an effort to do something

My grandmother always takes the trouble to phone us on our birthdays

take the wind out of someone's sails

- to challenge someone's boasting or arrogance

It took the wind out of the man's sails when he lost his job

take the words out of (someone`s) mouth

- to say something that someone else was going to say

The man took the words out of my mouth when he answered the question

take time off

- to not work for a period of time

I plan to take time off next week so that I can go to a funeral

take to one's heels

- to run away

take to (someone or something)

- to like someone or something at first meeting, to be pleased by or attracted to

someone or something, to accept someone or something quickly

The team took to the new coach immediately and did very well during the season

take to (something)

- to begin the work or job of something, to learn something easily, to do well at something

The man took to the job of administrator and was a great success

take to the woods

- to run away and hide

The man decided to take to the woods rather than wait to talk to his angry wife

take turns (doing something)

- to do something alternately with others

We had to take turns using the dictionary because there was only one

take umbrage at (something)

- to feel that one has been insulted by something

The man took umbrage at the comments that were directed at him by his supervisor

take up a collection

- to gather something together, to collect something

We decided to take up a collection in order to get money to repair the old building

take up arms against (someone or something)

- to get ready to fight or make war

The citizens of the small country were not willing to take up arms to try and change their government

take up (clothes)

- to make a skirt/dress/pants shorter

I went back to the department store to see if they could take up my suit pants

take up (something)

- to begin an activity or hobby

My father has much free time lately and has decided to take up fishing as a hobby

take up (somewhere)

- to begin somewhere, to start somewhere

We took up the lesson where we had finished last week

take up (space or room)

- to fill a space or room, to occupy space or room

The old chairs are taking up space in the garage

take up (time)

- to fill/occupy time, to waste someone's time

Building model airplanes takes up most of my friend's time

take up where one left off

- to start up again in the very place that one has stopped

take up with (someone)

- to become a friend or companion to someone

My cousin has taken up with a very strange group of people

.

taken aback

- to be unpleasantly surprised, to be suddenly puzzled/shocked/confused

I was taken aback when the woman said that she did not want to work for our

company any longer

taken for dead

- to be assumed to be dead

The men in the coal mine were taken for dead after there was no contact for several days

talk Idioms

talk a blue streak

- to talk very much and very rapidly

The woman who sat behind me in the airplane talked a blue streak from when I first sat down

talk back to (someone)

- to answer someone rudely

The woman is very strict and never allows her children to talk back to her

talk big

- to talk boastfully, to brag

The man is always talking big but nobody believes what he says

talk down to (someone)

- to use words or ideas that make you seem smarter or better than others

I do not like that woman because she is always talking down to the people around her

talk in circles

- to talk in a confusing or roundabout manner

Our boss was talking in circles for most of the meeting

the talk of (somewhere)

- the subject of conversations somewhere

The new theater production is the talk of the city

talk oneself out

- to talk until one can talk no more

I met my friend at the coffee shop and we talked ourselves out

talk out (a problem)

- to discuss something until everything is agreed upon, to settle something

We stayed up late last night and talked out the problem

talk shop

- to talk about things related to one`s work

Everybody at the company gathering decided that they would not talk shop during the

talk (someone) down in price

- to convince someone to lower the price of something

I was able to talk the man down in price when I was buying the stereo

talk (someone's) ear

- to speak too much, to talk to someone and bore them

The man beside me in the bank talked my ear off

talk (someone's) head off

- to speak too much, to talk to someone and bore them

My friend always talks my head off when I meet him

talk (someone) into (doing something)

- to persuade someone to agree to do something, to persuade someone to do

something

My friend talked her father into lending her the family car

talk (someone) out of (doing something)

- to persuade someone not to do something, to persuade someone to give something

up

I spent an hour yesterday trying to talk my friend out of quitting his job

talk (something) over

- to discuss something

"You had better talk over your plans with your parents before you decide what to do."

talk through one`s hat

- to make exaggerated or inaccurate statements about something

The man is always talking through his hat and you never know if you can believe him

or not

talk turkey

- to discuss something seriously

"Now you`re talking turkey Let`s finish and go home."

talk until one is blue in the face

- to talk until one is exhausted

I talked until I was blue in the face but still my supervisor would not let me take a day off from work

talk up (someone or something)

- to speak in favor of someone or something

The manager was talking up the new product during the meeting

.

to be talked out

- to be tired of talking, to be unable to talk anymore

I was talked out and had little to say for the rest of the dinner party

tamper with (something)

- to attempt to alter or change something

Someone tampered with the lock on the storage locker room

tan (someone`s) hide

- to give someone a beating, to spank someone hard

The boy`s mother threatened to tan his hide if he did not behave himself