السلام عليكم
i would like to present some english idioms with examples
Idioms are phrases and sentences that do not mean exactly what they say. Even if you know the meaning of every word in the see or hear, you may not understand the idiom because you don't understand the culture behind it
1- A bad apple
Meaning:
A (morally) bad person who makes a whole group bad.
A bad apple is someone who has a bad effect on a whole group or system.
People also say, "One bad/rotten apple spoils the (whole) bu****/barrel."
Example: The corruption in the government started with a bad apple, a high official two years ago. Now the whole system is corrupt.
2- Be A Piece Of Cake
Meaning:
To be very easy
If something is a piece of cake, it is very easy to do.
Example:
A: How was the driving test yesterday? Did you pass?
B: Of course! It was a piece of cake.
3- Be All Ears
Meaning:
Be very intersted in what someone is about to say.
If you are all ears, you are eager and ready to listen to what someone is going to say.
Example:
Now tell us all about your adventures in Afraica last summer. I'm all ears.
When the president started his speech, he found everyone listening, all ears.
3- Be As Blind A Bat
Meaning:
Be unable to see well or unable to see at all.
If someone is as blind as a bat, he/she cannot see well or cannot see at all because of his/her very bad eyesight.
Example: A: Can you read the first paragraph on page 115 for me?
B: Sorry, I forgot to bring my glasses. I'm as blind as a bat without them.
4- Backfire
Meaning:
to produce an unexpected / undesired / opposite result.
If your plan or action backfires, you get the opposite result to the one you wanted.
Example:
The new stricter school policy may backfire and do more harm to the students than good.
Her plan to lose weight backfired. After losing 10 pounds, she started to eat a lot again and gained 20 pounds quickly.
5- Bark Up The Wrong Tree
Meaning:
To misunderstand a situation and complain to a wrong person or blame a wrong thing.
If someone is barking up the wrong tree, he/she has an incorrect idea about a situation, and his/her course of action is wrong.
Example:
Don't blame me. I have nothing to do with it. You are barking up the wrong tree.
The committee spent more than 5 month to try to solve the problem. They were just barking up the wrong tree.
6- Beat Around The Bush:
Meaning:
Avoid or delay talking about something unpleasant or embarrassing
If you beat around the bush, you don't say something directly to someone because you are worried about his/her reaction and don't want to upset him/her.
Some people also say " beat about the bush. "
Example:
Don't beat around the bush! Tell me what exactly you want.
Let's not beat around the bush anymore. You'd better do this project over. It's not acceptable to us
