OK,I am not sure if this question deserves to be posted on this section,but since it seems like that many forumers here like learning and have a good desire to exchange anythings,I decided to post my topic here.

(please move my thread if this topic does not fit to this section)


Today I found a book at my school library that shows many examples about American Colloquial expressions(the book title is "American colloquial Idioms" published by NTC)
After I checked a few of the pages in this book,I found many expressions were very new to me that I never heard of or learned even while I was staying in the states for about 1 year....So I came to be very curious of whether mastering these expressions would improve or help my practical English ability when I have a conversation with native English speakers.

OK I am now showing a few of examples that the book shows and please tell me whether these following colloquial expressions are often
soken in your real daily life and the possibility that most of the people would understand very well these expressions.

How would you feel if a non english speaker like me use these colloquial
expressions in front of the native English speakers?

How much would these expression practical and add color and precesion to the proceedings?


Here are the example sentences.
The bold part is colloquial expression

1>Miss Jane is really on the ball ,She's already improved the filing system in the office,Looks like she knows her stuff .

2>Joe,the new person in our department,is so naive and callow.
He doesn't know the score.

3>Tom,a Jack of all trades,did his stuff again and fixed the fan.
He's a real Johnnyu-on-the-spot in the office.

4>I can't drive transmission to save my life

5>Mind you,I wouldn't put it past Tom to say he is rich even if he isn't.

6>His sudden burst of disapproval got me so hot under the collar.

7>Why on earth yoy even repeat that cock and bull story to anyone?

8>I don't mean to beat a dead horse

9>You had me in stitches when you were telling your joke about the time that you live in Atlanta.

10>He bent over backwards to help me get on my feet



OK I am just posting very easily looking part only,(IN MY ENGLISH LEVEL)
but I was very difficult to get the meaning of these expressions before cheking the explanations.

Would you recommend me to learn these expressions and speak them out in front of the native speakers? That will help my English?

Thank you for reading.
God Bless you all.

As long as you use them in the correct context, sure why not? But just be careful to who you are speaking to. Australian English colloquialisms and their Canadian, British, American etc counterparts couold be very different. For example an Australian colloquialism might not be understood in the US.

Alexander is correct with that!

I've heard English and Aussie people use a phrase quite often that's something like "take the piss out of some one" or shorter, "taking the piss".

To Americans, that makes NO sense at all. Here you can "take A piss" but you cannot "take THE piss". I still don't even know what it really means but I'm guessing it's something like making fun of someone or joking with someone.

EG....

When you are "taking the piss out of someone" it means that you are making fun of them....

In Australia when you get "pissed" it more often than not means that you are drunk, in the US being "pissed" means being angry. In Australia when you are angry you are "pissed off".

Alexander21,Jread

Thank you for your kind relplies.
I have a question, Can you understand those colloquial expressions very well?
Those colloquial expressions are often spoken in your daily life?

Wouldn't I look funny if I speak those expressions in front of the native speakers?


Thank you. :)

God bless You.

Everyday conversations tend to be littered with colloquialisms. It'd probably be good to learn a few, but as others have said, things differ between us and the yanks, so be careful :)

Oh yes a british gentleman came in this thread,

welcome Blunther,

@British forumers ,

Can you understand American or Australian colloquialisms?
How does American English sound to your ears?
Can you show me some examples of British colloquialisms?
How English,Irish and Walsh or Scotish languages are differnt from each other?

@Australian forumers,
Are Australiand and Kiwi English different from each other?
Is Australian English nearly same with original English(of British's)?


Thank you,I am really curious.

I think one of the strengths of English is that it is a language that is open to change and is strengthened by new phrases although some times it's quite good fun to go back in time and see where these phrases originated.

Each person that speaks it / learns it - adds to it - so feel free to have a go at any phrases and you may well create some new ones as well.

Oh yes a british gentleman came in this thread,

welcome Blunther,

@British forumers ,

Can you understand American or Australian colloquialisms?
How does American English sound to your ears?
Can you show me some examples of British colloquialisms?
How English,Irish and Walsh or Scotish languages are differnt from each other?

@Australian forumers,
Are Australiand and Kiwi English different from each other?
Is Australian English nearly same with original English(of British's)?


Thank you,I am really curious.

A british gentleman :laugh:

Hello mate!

I think our pgrases are more similar to Australians than anything. We have the same use of the word 'piss' for example. Taking the piss (taking the mickey, poking fun at someone), getting pissed (drunk). I think we could understand most Australian colloquialisms pretty well, and they could understand ours. Americans are a different breded entirely. They've taken English and changed bits of it - we can uderstand them, but they may well have different phrases to us. Not sure really.

British colloquialisms
Instead of 'hello friend', in an informal setting, one might say 'alright mate?'. If you know someone well, you usually call them mate. Well, I and many others do. Not everyone, of course.
Can't really think of many off the top of my head! Erm... in English, if you know someone, or are getting to know someone, you might want to insult them a bit. I know that seems strange, but if I for example was meeting a friend I havebn't seen for a few weeks, I might greet them with 'alright shitface!?'. Odd I know. I wouldn't try this in America though - I don't think they get it...

All the phrases you said in your original post work fine, so you'd be okay including them in your diction.

Regarding English, Welsh, Scotish and Irish languages, well, English is about as far from them as you can get. Welsh often looks as foreign as Greek to an Englishman, because they're celtic languages. I think if you're speaking English to them though (as the vast, vast majority of them speak English - many don't speak their 'native' languages), they'd understand any colloquialisms you'd use in England.

Where are you from mate? What language(s) do you speak already?

I think one of the strengths of English is that it is a language that is open to change and is strengthened by new phrases although some times it's quite good fun to go back in time and see where these phrases originated.

Each person that speaks it / learns it - adds to it - so feel free to have a go at any phrases and you may well create some new ones as well.

I agree :)

just tell the yanks that they are 'off their cakes' and that should get 'em confused!! .....no seriously probs best to get to grips with the language proper first before jumping into colloquisms...its hard enough...just be aware what they mean when people use them or 'your head will get battered' and you wont know whether your 'coming or going'...jesus i feel like richard whitley!!
ps I have never heard of 'Johnnyu-on-the-spot' the rest are used on a daily basis, think that one came from the 1920's or something!!!

Can't really think of many off the top of my head! Erm... in English, if you know someone, or are getting to know someone, you might want to insult them a bit. I know that seems strange, but if I for example was meeting a friend I havebn't seen for a few weeks, I might greet them with 'alright shitface!?'. Odd I know. I wouldn't try this in America though - I don't think they get it...

I wouldn't recommend doing this.... well perhaps in Britain but in Australia like America this would be fairly offensive (We may understand it though).

Generally make sure you have a really good understanding of colluqialisms before you start using them and just avoid any which could be offensive no one apprecihates having a non-native english speaker say "Hello, shit-face" or enen "Hullo, shit-face".

Americans should be referred to as 'wankers' ;)

Brit lingo

off my tits (male and female) = drunk (also plastered, mullered, shit faced, wankered)
really getting on my tits= annoying me (Americanism is really getting on my nerves)
ape (short for 'ape shit')/ throwing a wobbly= gone crazy
munter / fuggler/ moose = ugly person
gagging for it = wanting sex

new Cockney additions:

Tony Blair - hair
Brad Pitt - shit
Posh and Becks - sex

Brit lingo

off my tits (male and female) = drunk (also plastered, mullered, shit faced, wankered)
really getting on my tits= annoying me (Americanism is really getting on my nerves)
ape (short for 'ape shit')/ throwing a wobbly= gone crazy
munter / fuggler/ moose = ugly person
gagging for it = wanting sex

new Cockney additions:

Tony Blair - hair
Brad Pitt - shit
Posh and Becks - sex

In America, we also use "Plastered", "Shit-Faced" and "Ape Shit". We don't use the others, though, except for the word "wanker" which is becoming more common around here.

To the original poster, you can learn many general colloquialisms but it would be impossible to learn all of them. Even in the United States there are expressions that are only heard in certain regions. Here in Texas, for instance, we have names and expressions for things that aren't used anywhere else in the world :hahaha:

Different regions of the US definitely have their own "language." Various dialects exist in Boston, the New York area, the rural South, the new large southern cities, Texas, California, the upper Midwest (Minnesota and the Dakotas especially), New England (outside of Boston) and many more I just have'nt experienced. Basically, in America you can tell where a person grew up by his accent and use of English. I find that in the UK, a person's accent and use of English shows what he views as his "class."

In general in the UK the stronger the regional accent - the more likely you are to be working class, the better you pronounce your words - the more likely it is you are middle or upper class.

In Australia the accent between one end and the other is the same, there are some regional sayings that people use but mainly its the same all over. We dont have the different accents like they do in the US or in the UK.

Australian, Kiwi and UK English is very similar, and there are a lot of similar colloquialisms however they do tend to have their own colloquialisms as well.

Eg in Australia many people use the word G'Day (short for Good Day) which is another way of saying Hello.

Here in Texas, for instance, we have names and expressions for things that aren't used anywhere else in the world :hahaha:


http://www.wvah.com/programs/kingofthehill/boomhauer.jpg

eah man, I tell ya what, man. That dang ol' Internet, man. You just go on there and point and click. Talk about W-W-dot-W-com. An' lotsa nekkid chicks on there, man. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. It's real easy, man.

http://www.wvah.com/programs/kingofthehill/boomhauer.jpg

eah man, I tell ya what, man. That dang ol' Internet, man. You just go on there and point and click. Talk about W-W-dot-W-com. An' lotsa nekkid chicks on there, man. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. It's real easy, man.

Dang ol' dubya dubya dubya dot click click click bewbies!

We also have "party barns" here... those drive-thru beer stores. They have them in other places but Texas is the only place that calls them "party barns". We also are the home of the "turn around" lane on the "feeder roads" of our freeways. Most states don't have feeder roads on EVERY freeway like we do, and they don't have those turn around lanes that completely bypass the intersections. Texas is really its own little world :D

We also are the home of the "turn around" lane on the "feeder roads" of our freeways.

i hear people referring to 'turning the bitch' when using those lanes. :laugh:

Don't ever tell an American girl or woman that you'll "knock her up in the morning." You'll find yourself "in a pickle" or might even get "bitchslapped."

Don't eat pizza with a fork and knife either. You'll get funny looks. The one exception to this rule is Chicago-style. And it's simply the best pizza you'll ever eat in your life.

Visit Liverpool, UK and they have a whole other language to themselves!

Religion:

a lemon pelter: member of the Orange Lodge

Cat'licks: Catholic

Cogger: Catholic

Jesus Fluid: holy water

knee-bender: pious person

left-handed: a Catholic

left footer: a Catholic

Oi Veh Maria, a: Catholic-Jewish wedding

Proddy-Dog: Protestant

sin shifter: parson, priest, or rabbi

sinner club: synagogue

sunbeams: church-bound children

In terms of using 'familiar' English, I think that it's easier to approach American English before you attempt colloquial English or Australian English. Americans tend to be more literal in their interpretation of the language, and their application of words and phrases is more obvious. Even the examples you listed at the start of this thread are easily explained, especially if compared to the rhyming slang and idioms of Anglo-Australian English.

... "Pissed as a fart" ... is my favourite, normally meaning plastered! :) :cheers:

the better you pronounce your words - .


blimey didnt expect you to be such an elitist englishman

Some of the stuff are idioms right?

In Singapore, well, there's Singlish:D

I'll translate the texas thing into Singlish:

Oi! I tell you, that internet ar, you jus connect and anyhowclick, all der w w w dot dot dot tings. Got alot of naked chio bu ar! Very easy one lah.

Some of the stuff are idioms right?

In Singapore, well, there's Singlish:D

I'll translate the texas thing into Singlish:

Oi! I tell you, that internet ar, you jus connect and anyhowclick, all der w w w dot dot dot tings. Got alot of naked chio bu ar! Very easy one lah.

Oh man....this is funny.......:lol::lol:

gentlejunho, the idioms you posted are generally pretty common, but some of them are more common than others, and some may be more common in certain regions, I wouldn't really know about that.

Very common:
"to save my life"
"Wouldn't put it past"
"Bent over backwards"
"Mind You" (but it's kind of pretentious, you'll see it in literature)

Fairly common:
"On the Ball"
"Knows her stuff"
"On my feet"
"Jack of all trades"

Not all that common:
"Know the score"
"Did his stuff"
"Johnny-on-the-spot" (never heard this one actually. Maybe old people say it :) )
"Hot under the collar"
"Cock and Bull story" (I don't think I've heard this outside of literature and TV)
"Beat a dead horse"
"Had me in stitches" (the last two seem to be fading from use)

Common:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/gallery/grammy2001/nominees/common-arrival.jpg

:jk:


In case you ever decide to go to Britain, I'll give you one American expression that is not used in Britain, and will get you weird stares. Americans say someone "blew them off" to say that someone didn't show up for something. For instance, you could say "Sally said she'd go to the movie with me, but then she blew me off," meaning she never showed up (and didn't cancel). Let me just say that the same sentence has a VERY different meaning in the U.K.; you can probably figure it out yourself!

I have heard "taking the piss" from my British friends here. They use it to refer to someone being sarcastic, and since I'm always sarcastic, I hear it a lot. It's kind of like saying "You're joking, right?" Actually, I heard a funny story from a friend who went up to someone standing against a wall to say hello to them. The guy said "Go away." My friend said "Are you taking the piss?" The guy said yeah, but he meant he really was taking a piss! :)

I've only heard "Johnny on the spot" in the movie "Saving Private Ryan," when they tell the interpreter that he has to keep supplying everyone with ammunition when the Germans attack. That was supposed to take place in the early 1940's and I haven't heard it used lately!!

By the way, the one phrase I'd like to remove from the American lexicon is "at the end of the day," meaning when the task is completed these will be the results. They use this on "The Apprentice" all the time and I cringe every time.

In general in the UK the stronger the regional accent - the more likely you are to be working class, the better you pronounce your words - the more likely it is you are middle or upper class.

That's true here as well. When I was taking Anthropology in my freshman year of college, there was a study mentioned in the textbook in which someone conducted a survey of the accents of sales people in different New York City clothing stores. The more upscale the store (Sak's, for example), the less you heard the Noo Yawk accent.

"Beat a dead horse"
Actually this one is not THAT rare, even tho not common either.


For instance, you could say "Sally said she'd go to the movie with me, but then she blew me off," meaning she never showed up (and didn't cancel). Let me just say that the same sentence has a VERY different meaning in the U.K.; you can probably figure it out yourself!

My school's in NY metro area but if I told them that a girl blew me off they would think I got third base.

Lol!

I have more UK/NZ colloqiulisms.

One of the most unusual English dialects is Geordie which is what you'll hear in the North East of England in and around the city of Newcastle. Here are some examples, some bear absolutely no resemblance to the original English sentence!!

Please mother don't embarass me. - How man mutha man.

Do you know what I mean? - Ye knaa what ah mean leik.

OK, I have had enough, I am going to the bar. - Eeeh man, ahm gannin te the booza.

Who's in the lavatory? - Whees i' the netty?

Be carefull or we will crash into something. - Gan canny or we'll dunsh summick.

Those are some examples I got from http://www.geordie.org.uk/ it's a bloody good website. It's got an English - Geordie translator on it. You just type in any phrase in standard English and it'll give it to you in Geordie. It comes out with some really funny stuff, 'a right laff'!

As some-one who has embarrassed himself in both French and Italian, I suggest to the original person on this thread, not to try too hard to use colloquialisms as they depend very much on context and your relationship to the person you are speaking to. When you can say the expressions with confidence - practise with understanding friends - go ahead, but it usually isn't wise to do it to strangers unless you want to get "decked" (punched).
In fact, there are varying accents in Australia ranging from the "educated" which is closer to Oxbridge (standard) English, through to either very broad Oz (Australian) which is distinguished by flat, often extended vowel sounds, and slow delivery of words, and, more recently, a variation on Broad Oz but strongly influenced by immigrant parents. There are some regional differences but you would have to have a good understanding of Australian English to pick them.
The New Zealand accent is different in some ways from Australian especially in the sound of vowels. A favourite example is that when a New Zealander says "six" it sounds like "sex" which could prove embarrassing, even dangerous, in some situations.
I have heard all the expressions in your original list though, as suggested elsewhere, some of them are either not common or else old-fashioned, but then I am "no spring chicken" which would probably explain why I know them all.
In USA I discovered in Boston, at least, that if I used the word "fortnight", ie, two weeks, it was greeted with alarm as it was understood as "for tonight".
This thread hasn't much to do with skyscrapers but it's bloody interesting.

Alexander21,Jread

Thank you for your kind relplies.
I have a question, Can you understand those colloquial expressions very well?
Those colloquial expressions are often spoken in your daily life?

Wouldn't I look funny if I speak those expressions in front of the native speakers?


Thank you. :)

God bless You.


Most English speakers wouldn't even consider these to be colloquial terms. English is so full of colourful idioms and these are especially used in everyday speech.

You should also remember that English evolves so quickly that things can change pretty fast.

I've only heard "Johnny on the spot" in the movie "Saving Private Ryan," when they tell the interpreter that he has to keep supplying everyone with ammunition when the Germans attack. That was supposed to take place in the early 1940's and I haven't heard it used lately!!

By the way, the one phrase I'd like to remove from the American lexicon is "at the end of the day," meaning when the task is completed these will be the results. They use this on "The Apprentice" all the time and I cringe every time.
I think Johnny on the spot means something like staying or being alert or ready. As for the phrase "at the end of the day" it is commonly used in the UK and its used to emphasise a fact for instance: "we care for the environment but at the end of the day profit is what matters"