Idioms and Phrasal Verbs
Education
Be into - I was really into art at school
Be very interested in something
Fall behind – I had fallen behind in Maths until I had private classes
To fail to do something fast enough or on time
Drop out – People don't tend to drop out of University in Spain
To stop doing something before you have completely finished
To learn by heart – I used to learn verbs off by heart but now...
To memorise
Pass with flying colours – I passed my last exam with flying colours
To pass something easily and with a high score
National and local produce and products
The best thing since sliced bread – The honey from here is the best thing since sliced bread
Something is great
Cost an arm and a leg – If you buy souvenirs in the city centre they usually cost an arm and a leg
Something is very expensive
National Customs
Put your foot in it – I put my foot in it when I said the wrong thing
To make a mistake
Eat out – It's common to eat out a lot in Spain especially in the summer
To have a meal at a restaurant, not at home
Keep an open mind – You should keep an open mind when visiting different countries
Be open-minded
Early Memories
Ring a bell – His name rings a bell
It's familiar to you but your not sure why
Slip your mind – It completely slipped my mind
To forget to do something
Look back –When I look back at my childhood I'm filled with happiness
To remember something in the past
Village and city life
In the middle of nowhere – My village is in the middle of nowhere
A place far away from anywhere known to you
Only a matter of time – It's only a matter of time until more people move to the city
Something that will happen sooner or later
Like a fish out of water – I feel a little bit like a fish out of water when I visit a big city
When you feel uncomfortable in an unfamiliar environment
Recycling and Environmental concerns
An eye opener – The documentary on global warming was a real eye opener
Something that makes you see something differently
Pay the price for something – Eventually we will pay the price for not looking after the earth
To suffer the consequences of something
Cut back on/Cut down on – I have cut down on using plastic bags
Use less of something
Idioms and Phrasal Verbs
Personal Values and ideas
Change of heart – I had never believed in love at fist sight, but recently I've had a change of heart
To change your mind
Have second thoughts – I'm starting to have second thoughts about...
To reconsider something
Every cloud has a silver lining – When I first moved here it was pretty difficult, but then I ended
up meeting my boyfriend! I guess every cloud has a silver lining
Something good can come from a bad situation
Public figures
Up and coming – She's a real up and coming star.
New and becoming successful
A blessing in disguise – Being caught up in the scandal turned out to be a blessing in disguise as
she got a modelling contract
A good thing that first appears as a bad thing
To sell like hotcakes – tickets to her concert sell like hotcakes because she is so famous right now
To sell quickly
Look up to – I really look up to him because he has great morals
To admire someone
Society and Living Standards
To be stuck in a rut – I feel a little frustrated at the moment because I'm stuck in a rut
To be in a situation which you cannot make any progress
Be better off – People are better off living near their families so they can help with childcare
To be in a better situation
Make ends meet – It's hard to make ends meet when you only earn a basic wage
To earn as much as you spend
Have a good work life balance – It's important to have a good work life balance
The world of work
Know your stuff – You've got to really know your stuff if you want to work as a …
To know something well
A long haul – I told my boss I was in it for the long haul. I wouldn't give up
The long road, the option that takes the most time
Learn the ropes – It took me a long time to learn the ropes at my new job
To learn something new until you are good at it
