Common Collocations: English

Verbs With Body Parts

Image(s): FreeDigitalPhotos.net
NOD YOUR HEAD / SHAKE YOUR HEAD

Move your head up and down to say yes, or side to side to say no
When you nod your head, you move your head up and down. This means “yes” or “I
agree/approve.”
When you shake your head, you move your head from side to side. This means “no” or “I
disagree/disapprove.”
The verb “nod” can be used alone, but not “shake.”
 I asked my boss if he liked my idea, and he nodded. “I think it’s great!” he said.
 I asked my boss if he liked my idea, and he shook his head. “I don’t think it’ll work,” he
said.
TURN YOUR HEAD

When you turn your head, you direct it to one side.

To turn your head is to direct it to one side.
We can also say “turn towards” when the person turns to look at something, and “turn
away” when the person turns in the opposite direction.
 “Sarah turned towards me when I called her name.”
 “I asked her why she was so angry, but she turned away and wouldn’t look at me.”
 ROLL YOUR EYES

You can “roll your eyes” when you are annoyed

If you roll your eyes, it is often when you are annoyed, when you want to be sarcastic, or
when you think something is stupid. Be careful with this gesture, because it can be
impolite.
 The teacher rolled her eyes when the class asked for the tenth time what page the
homework was on.
BLINK YOUR EYES / WINK

This is “winking”
You wink when you close only one eye and quickly open it again. This means
something is funny or cute. Sometimes people also use it when they are romantically
interested in another person.
You blink when you close BOTH eyes and quickly open them again. This gesture
doesn’t have any particular meaning, because we do it constantly!
RAISE AN EYEBROW / RAISE YOUR
EYEBROWS
 You “raise an eyebrow” when you are curious or suspicious
When you raise an eyebrow (only one eyebrow) it means you are curious, suspicious, or
skeptical of something.
When you raise your eyebrows (two eyebrows), it usually means that you’re surprised:

When you blow your nose, you clean out the contents of your nose into a tissue or
handkerchief. Try not to do this in public!
STICK OUT YOUR TONGUE
Children often stick out their tongues to be silly or to tease another child. Depending on
the attitude of the person doing it, it can also be rude.
CLEAR YOUR THROAT
Clearing your throat is a sound – listen:

Many people try to clear their throat when they are sick. But it can be also used in social
situations to get someone’s attention.
SHRUG YOUR SHOULDERS
 Shrug your shoulders to say “I don’t know.”
You can shrug your shoulders to say “I don’t know,” “I don’t care,” or “It’s not important.”
The verb shrug can also be used alone:
 I asked him which movie he wanted to see, and he shrugged.“It’s your decision,” he
said.

CROSS YOUR LEGS

Two ways to “cross your legs”

“Crossing your legs” doesn’t have any particular meaning – it is just a way to sit.

CROSS YOUR ARMS

 Crossing your arms can show anger
In some cases, “crossing your arms” can be neutral – but it’s also possible to cross your
arms to show that you are angry, so it’s good to avoid this position in social situations.

KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED

“I’m keeping my fingers crossed!” = “I’m hoping for good luck!”

“Keeping your fingers crossed” has a special meaning in English – it means to hope for
good luck or a positive result:
 “On Wednesday I’ll find out if I passed the English test.”
“Oh, really? Do you think you did?”
“Well, the test was difficult, so I’m not sure… keep your fingers crossed!”

GIVE A THUMBS UP / THUMBS DOWN

 Use this gesture to approve or disapprove
If you give a thumbs up, it means you approve of something or think it’s great:
If you give a thumbs down, it means you disapprove of something or think it’s terrible.

bite blink
(Verb) [bit, bitten]: The shark bit the man on the leg.; (Verb) He blinked because of the fly in his eye.;
mordre cligner

breathe chew
(Verb) He told her to breathe deeply.; respirer (Verb) Chew your food before you eat it!; mâcher

clap eat
(Verb) They clapped at the end of the concert.; (Verb) [ate, eaten]: I'm not hungry because I have
applaudir just eaten.; manger

glance
(Verb) He glanced at his watch during the kick
interview.; jeter un coup d'oeil (Verb) The footballer kicked the ball into the net.;
donner un coup de pied
 Learning score: ---

kiss lick
(Verb) She kissed him and then got on the train.; (Verb) He licked his lips after finishing the ice
embrasser cream.; lécher

Learning score: --- Learning score: ---

mutter nod
(Verb) He muttered something under his breath.; (Verb) He nodded when she asked whether he was
marmonner lost.; faire un signe de la tête

Learning score: --- Learning score: ---

point punch
(Verb) She pointed at the man who stole her bag.; (Verb) He punched the man in the face during the
pointer fight.; frapper à coups de poing

Learning score: --- Learning score: ---

scratch shake
(Verb) Shake the bottle well before opening.;
(Verb) She scratched his face with her nails.; gratter
secouer

Learning score: ---

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shrug slap
(Verb) He shrugged his shoulders because he didn't (Verb) She slapped him across the face for being so
know the answer.; hausser les épaules rude.; gifler

Learning score: --- Learning score: ---

smack smell
(Verb) He smacked the child for being naughty.;
(Verb) She could smell alcohol on his breath.; sentir
faire claquer

Learning score: ---

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sniff stare
(Verb) The police dog sniffed the bag and then (Verb) Don't stare at people like that; it's rude.;
barked.; renifler dévisager

Learning score: --- Learning score: ---

stub swallow
(Verb) He stubbed his cigarette out and left the (Verb) He is ill and has difficulty swallowing food.;
room.; se cogner avaler

Learning score: --- Learning score: ---

taste
talk (Verb) I can't taste any salt in this soup!; goûter
(Verb) I want to talk to you about something
important.; parler
Learning score: ---
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whisper whistle
(Verb) She whispered something in his ear during (Verb) He must be happy. He was whistling this
the meeting.; chuchoter morning!; siffler

Learning score: --- Learning score: ---

wink
(Verb) He winked to let her know that he was only
joking.; faire un clin d'oeil

It’s an unavoidable fact that everyone makes judgments about others in this world.
One of the first things people base their judgments on is appearance.

Often times, people will use indirect expressions to

talk about other people to seem less harsh or rude and some of these expressions can
be downrightconfusing!
To help you out, I have made a list of six common idiomatic ways to talk about
someone’s appearance as either ugly or beautiful that you will hear native speakers
use.
First, we will start with ways to call someone

ugly* –
*Disclaimer: These expressions are notkind and shouldn’t be used
directly. Use at your own risk and please remember to be a nice
person in English!

1.…Be ugly as sin

Poor Joe. He is a nice enough person, but he is really ugly as sin.
This means the man is very unattractive. This is not a nice thing to say about
someone, so don’t use it directly to a person’s face unless you mean to insult them.
2.…Have a face for radio
The man was smart, funny and rich, but he really did have a face for radio.
In this example, the man is great in all regards, but he is ugly. He has the perfect face
to become famous in a profession where looks don’t matter (because you can
only hear the radio hosts but not see them).
3.…Be an average Joe
He wasn’t handsome or anything, just another average Joe.
This describes a man. It is not actually insulting because it means only that man being
described looks ordinary and unspectacular. It is a way of saying that someone is
simply NOT handsome (but also not ugly either).
The female version is “be an average Jane.”

Now, the nice expressions that mean beautiful.*

*Disclaimer: Feel free to say these directly to people’s faces, because everyone loves
a compliment!

1.…look like a million dollars

Wow! I love what you’ve done with your hair. You look like a million dollars!
Things that are expensive usually look pretty great and everyone loves money! This is
a good compliment for someone who has dressed up specially for some occasion.
2.…be as pretty as a picture
Your daughter is pretty as a picture!
This idiom, of course, describes someone pretty. The word pretty is usually only used
for girls or things that are more conventionallyfeminine. This is also an expression
you can use more casually. The person doesn’t need to dress up or be going to a
special function to be pretty as a picture.
3.…be dressed to the nines
All of the celebrities were dressed to the nines for the Academy Awards Ceremony.
The expression “to the nines” was more common in the 18th century to mean “to
perfection”. Nowadays, it is used usually only in this context of clothing and
appearance. This expression means someone has really put effort into looking
fashionable and chic. It is also a nice way to compliment someone’s outfit at a special
event: “You are really dressed to the nines tonight!”

I hope you enjoyed the list. If you have any questions or comments, let me know in
the comments below or by the Contact Form on the side.