By Robby

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12 English phrases meaning something completely different

Improve Spoken English

I frequently touch upon the subject area of English idiomatic expressions on this web log for the elementary reason that more often than non  our every-day speech consists of such and like  word combinations and it's making our spoken communication so much more easier !

But look at the above paragraph – it'due south blimp with various idiomatic expressions and collocations, and the one mutual trait they all share is that you have to learn the EXACT mode they're used so that you tin learn them off past eye and and then employ them in your own conversations.

Then in that location are proper English idioms you can't fifty-fifty understand unless you actually know what they mean – such as "Information technology'southward no skin off my olfactory organ" or "Until the cows come home".

There are, however, certain English phrases that may at showtime audio as if they don't have whatsoever double-meanings AT ALL, yet they mean something completely different!

If yous're an advanced English speaker and you've been communicating with real people in real life for years, this listing will probably reveal nothing new to you.

If you're someone who's just starting off in an English speaking country, for example, the following phrases might plough out to be an centre-opener for you! 😉

Yous don't desire to exercise that!

If you take this phrase literally, it sounds as if someone is making a statement that yous don't desire to practise something (in which instance it doesn't actually make an awful lot of sense – I mean, how tin someone else possibly know what I practise or what I don't want to do?!)

In reality though, this phrase is used when advising someone not to do something, and so the real message behind this expression is "You lot shouldn't practise information technology!"

Why do English language speaking people say "You don't want to do that!" instead of simply proverb that one SHOULDN'T do information technology?

Well – information technology'southward simply the way conversational English language goes! Don't ask WHY – just have that it's the way native English speakers speak, and life is going to be a whole lot easier for you.

Another version of the aforementioned phrase – "You lot don't want to exist doing that!" – is used just like the original one, and once over again – don't enquire WHY there are two different versions of this phrase in use.

Just take information technology and employ whichever ane you want to use! 😀

He can't assist himself

When I heard the English verb "to help" used in this context for the outset fourth dimension, I thought the person in question must be physically handicapped once they tin't help themselves.

I mean – the word "to help" is quite simple and straightforward, so when someone can't assist themselves, they quite literally can't help themselves with performing certain tasks, isn't that right?

Turns out it'southward not the case!

When someone says virtually another person that they tin can't help themselves, it ways the person in question can't RESIST doing something, they're also weak to say NO to themselves

Permit's say, yous're eating also much chocolate on a daily ground, and your work colleague asks you one day why you're eating then much chocolate every twenty-four hour period. You can simply respond past saying "I simply can't help myself!" which ways that it's a habit so potent you can't resist it.

Shut up!

When someone tells you to close up, information technology's quite articulate what they want to tell you, isn't that correct?

They're telling you lot to shut your mouth, and needless to say, it'south quite rude to exist talking to someone like that.

Sometimes, however, the phrase "Shut upwards!" can be used to express something completely unlike – namely, your amazement at something the other person is telling you about.

And so if you're speaking with an English language speaking person and they reply to you by saying "Shut upwards! I can't believe information technology!", it doesn't necessarily mean they desire you to close your oral fissure and end talking to them. Information technology merely means they're then surprised at what you lot merely said that they're using the phrase "Shut upwardly!" as means of expressing they disbelief or excitement.

Sure enough, you lot'll be able to read the true meaning of those words off the other person's face and tone of voice – the role of body language can't be underestimated, after all.

There might be some occasions, withal, when you lot'd call back the other person is being rude to you while in reality at that place'due south no impairment intended, so please bear in mind that the expression "Close upwards!" can too take a pretty harmless meaning!

Go away!

I don't know about you, but where I live (Ireland) this phrase is used the same style every bit the i above ("Shut up!") when expressing your surprise at something the other person has just said.

Basically it'due south just another way of saying "Actually?!", and when they say "Get away!", nobody means it literally. Information technology' just a way of letting the other person know that y'all're shocked to hear it, and yous may as well start using this phrase in your own daily English conversations.

I run across!

This is a very, very simple English phrase, but when an average beginner English educatee sees it, on nine times out of 10 they'll retrieve it means that someone is saying that they SEE something.

In fact, the phrase "I see!" is used conversationally all the time when people want to say that they get information technology, that they UNDERSTAND it, and this is actually something that a lot of foreign English speakers should acquire pretty early in their lives.

On mode too many occasions my young man foreigners say "I understand" while the phrase they should be using is "I see"!

You meet, "I understand" sounds mode as well formal when used during your daily conversations, so I warmly suggest you start using the much more friendlier version of information technology "I come across!" instead.

Come across where I'm coming from?

If someone asks y'all if yous see where they're coming from, you may presume they mean it quite literally, in which case you may be thinking "How on World am I supposed to know where they're coming from?!"

When people ask you this question, what they really mean to say is "Do yous understand the reasons why I'm proverb this?"

Basically the conversation would get something like this:

"I think we should swap this machine for the other one because the production output is much lower now that the busy season is over."

You: ???

"You meet where I'm coming from?" (Exercise yous understand why I'm suggesting we should swap the machines on the production line?)

Yous: "I haven't got a clue what you're talking nigh! Can you explain everything to me footstep-by-footstep please?"

You may want to…

This phrase may seem a bit disruptive at commencement. Yous may… Yous want… Why "You MAY Want" then? Why are the two words grouped together? Does it mean you're giving the other person a permission to do something as in "You may do it"?

What this phrase actually ways is quite the opposite to giving someone a permission to practise something – it's all about giving the other person a suggestion that they should probably choose to practice whatever it is you're telling them to do!

Why not just say "You should…" instead?

Well, you see – "Y'all may want to…" is a very polite style of letting someone know every bit to what would exist the correct class of action while "Yous should…" might actually sound similar a command rather than a suggestion!

I don't purchase information technology!

This English phrase has nothing to exercise with buying stuff, it'southward all nearly BELIEVING what yous're told! 😉

If someone makes an empty promise to you or you're told some news you don't believe, you tin respond with saying "I don't buy it!" in which case yous're simply making it articulate you don't believe what you're told.

I'm looking forward to…

Equally a beginner English student you may remember this phrase means to be looking direct alee of you (every bit opposed to be looking backwards or sideways, for instance).

In conversational English and besides in English in general, however, this phrase has a completely different meaning – it but means to be expecting something, to be really waiting on something to happen!

I remember when I'd just started living in Ireland 11 years agone, my supervisor asked me at piece of work if I was looking forward to my holidays, to which I didn't really know what to say considering the sentence didn't make a lot of sense to me.

At present I know only also well that information technology means to exist expecting something, and in case you didn't know it – it'due south about time to add this English phrase onto your vocabulary!

Tell me about it!

"Tell me about it!" doesn't mean "TELL me Almost it".

It means "Aye, I know exactly what yous're talking about – I accept the same feel!"

Here'due south a state of affairs to describe exactly what I'm talking nearly here:

You: "My little sis is real nightmare – she constantly makes demands to our mom and cries if she doesn't go what she wants!"

Your friend: "Tell me nearly it!"

What your friends is telling you is – "Yeah, I tin completely chronicle to that considering I also have a piffling sister who's behaving that manner!"

Then now that you lot know what this phrase means, you lot wouldn't start telling your friend MORE ABOUT it. You'd only empathize your friend is going through a similar experience!

Information technology doesn't hurt to…

When someone tells yous that it doesn't injure to practice something, they don't literally mean that it's non going to be painful.

What they mean to tell you is that the action in question is going to effect is something actually beneficial to you, so information technology'due south definitely worth doing information technology!

How do you lot find this…?

I remember someone asked me how I plant my job to which I started telling them about the recruitment agency who helped me to land my task with the company…

What that person actually meant was – "What practise you lot THINK Almost your job?" – then in this case the English verb "to discover" has some other pregnant on top of the about common one which is to actually find something after y'all've been looking for information technology!

* * *

Now, did you discover this article interesting?

Did you acquire a few new English language phrases y'all didn't know existed?

If and then – permit your friends know about them past using the social sharing tool beneath!

Thanks for reading,

Robby 😉

P.S. Would you like to find out why I'm highlighting some of the text in red? Read this article and y'all'll learn why it'due south so important to larn idiomatic expressions and how it will help you to meliorate your spoken English!

P.Southward.S. Are yous serious almost your spoken English improvement? Check out my English Harmony System Here!

English Harmony System

P.S. Are y'all serious about your spoken English improvement? Bank check out the English Harmony System HERE!

English Harmony System