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no wonder
When you wonder about something, you want to find out some information about it. For example, if you say, “I wonder what the weather will be like tomorrow,” it means you don’t know what the weather forecast is for tomorrow, but you want to find out. No wonder is sort of the opposite because you… Read more »
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not my cup of tea
Your cup of tea is anything that you like or enjoy doing. It can be a characteristic or a quality; it can be an activity, a thing or someone’s personality. Usually, this phrase is used in the negative. So you usually say that something is not your cup of tea, and you say this to… Read more »
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right up my alley
Something is right up your alley if it’s similar or the same as your job or hobby, which therefore makes you very knowledgeable about it. If you work with computers, for example, and a friend is having problems with his computer, you can say, “I can help you figure out what’s wrong. That’s right up… Read more »
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(just) happens to + verb
We use this phrase when something unplanned or unexpected occurs. When you go to a party, and someone you know just happens to be there, it means that you didn’t plan to meet that person at the party, and it was completely unexpected for you to see that person there. This expression is also used… Read more »
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You get the idea.
This is somewhat of an informal way of saying, “You understand, don’t you?” or “You do understand, right?” When you say this expression, the assumption is that what you’re saying is not too difficult and that the person you’re talking to should not have a hard time understanding. You usually say this expression after you… Read more »
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It’s at the tip of my tongue
Have you ever been in a situation where you know that a word exists but you just can’t think of the word? For example, you are trying to say or write the word “villain”, but you just can’t think of the word. (Hey, it can happen.) So you say, “He’s the bad guy in the… Read more »
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knock on wood
This is another superstitious expression. When we’re saying something positive, and we don’t want it to stop or in some way turn into something negative, we say “knock on wood.” Then, we actually knock on wood. Sometimes, it can turn humorous when people use this expression and they have to find wood to knock on,… Read more »
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keep your fingers crossed
This is a supertitious phrase that we use when we are waiting and hoping for some good news. For example, when you’ve just had a job interview, and this is the job that you really want, you can say, “I think the interview went well. I really hope I get the job. I’m keeping my… Read more »
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tie the knot
In keeping with our theme of getting older and settling down, from yesterday’s lesson, let’s practice the expression tie the knot, which means to get married. For many people, an important part of settling down is meeting the right person, making a commitment and tying the knot. If a friend has just gotten engaged, for… Read more »
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settle down (part 2)
The other idiomatic meaning of to settle down is usually used when someone stops moving around in his life and finally stays in one place or focuses on one thing. When we are young, many of us move from place to place and travel around a lot. When we get older, however, we stay in… Read more »