Learn American Slang

airhead: a person who is a little stupid or unable to concentrate.

I'm such an airhead today. I forgot to bring my lunch to work.

eat away at = to cause trouble, create worries.

Problems at work are eating away at him so much, he can't sleep at night.

Don't let your daily worries eat away at you. Take one day at a time.

every other = to skip one and go to the next.

Every other month, she has to see her doctor. (January, March, May, July, etc.)

Every other day, I have to work late. (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, etc. )

anal: easily upset over small problems; in total control.

Rosie is a little anal when it comes to her garden. It doesn't have a single weed in it.

There are a lot of rules for articles:

1. Don't put an article in front of the name of a place.

Correct: Minneapolis is a great city.

Not correct: The Minneapolis is a great city.

But it's correct to use the name of a place as an adjective:

The Minneapolis skyline is beautiful at night.

2. Indefinite amounts or general qualities don't take an article.

Pennies are made of copper.

The copper in this penny is turning brown. (this is a specific amount)

 Water is good for you.

The water in this glass tastes bad. (this is a specific amount)

3. Don't use an article with possessive nouns or pronouns.

This is the Paul's website.

Much and Many are usually not used in the affirmative:

Examples:

 There are many apples in the basket. It sounds better to say...

 There are a lot of apples in the basket.

 There is much milk in the refrigerator. It sounds better to say...

 There is a lot of milk in the refrigerator.

 
Learn American Slang

B
baby: 1. a person who complains all the time, or someone who
always gets what he or she wants.

1. hate playing baseball with that guy. He's such a big baby when he
loses.

2. a person that you like, love, or are attracted to.

Hey, baby, let's go out to dinner tonight.

3. something that's valuable to you.

Take a look at these babies. (apples) I bought them at the grocery

store today.

bad: good or tough (African-American slang)

He thinks he's so bad now that he got those new shoes.

 

badmouth: to say someone bad about someone.

She was heard badmouthing her boss and that's why she got fired.

bail: to leave someone without helping; to abandon

Don't bail on me man. I really need you to help me.

bail out: help or financial assistance.

I need $100. Can you bail me out?

baloney: nonsense; something stupid

She wants me to work this weekend?! That's a bunch of baloney.

barf: throw up, vomit; to have a negative reaction

I almost barfed when I saw the accident. There was blood and guts
everywhere.

barfly: a person who is always at a bar, usually someone who

drinks a lot of alcohol at a bar.

 A:You've been a real barfly lately. What's up?

 B: Well, I don't start work until the afternoon now, so I can
stay up late.

beat the hell out of: to win easily in competition or a game. ("heck"
is a good substitute for "hell." Some conservative religious people
really don't like to hear the word--ever.)

Did you see the Twins play last night? They really got the hell beat
out of them.

beats me: I don't know

 A: Who was the 36th President of the United States?

 B: Beats me. Why don't you look it up online?

beer belly: a big stomach from drinking too much beer.

If you party a lot, you have to start worrying about developing a

beer belly after the age of 40.

be good: good-bye, usually when the absence is long.

 A: Bye. See you later.

 B: Okay. Be good. I'll call you see next year.

better half: a husband or wife.

Before I buy this car, I'm going to have to talk to my better half.

Big Brother: the government. This is a reference to the George

Orwell novel, 1984, critical of authoritarian government.

Big Brother does his best to keep people from doing drugs, but he
can't completely prevent this behavior.

big deal: a big problem; something serious

She came in late to work today, but her boss told her it was no big
deal because the restaurant wasn't busy.

big guy: often used when saying hello to a friend. Usually used by
men.

Hey, big guy! What's going on?

big of ____: good; admirable.

It was big of him to apologize for his mistake.

big money: a lot of money

It's going to cost big money to get our car fixed.

bite the bullet: do something that's difficult but important.

Next year I'll have to bite the bullet and start looking for another
job.

blast: a good time; something fun

This new video game is such a blast!

blah blah blah: used when someone talks too much or used in place
of a lot of words.

The teacher went on an on, blah blah blah, about how important it
is to study.

 
blow away: to make a big impression

The band was so awesome, they blew everyone away.

blow one's mind: to make an impression on an intellectual level;

something is interesting.

It blew my mind to see how many people came to my website.

bomb: to do a bad job, especially on a test.

After she bombed the test, the teacher let her take it over again and
she got a better grade.

booger: the stuff that's inside your nose. (caution)

When the little girl sneezed, a big booger flew out of her nose.

book: 1. to make a reservation; 2. to leave a place quickly.

1. I booked a flight for Las Vegas next weekend.

2. The police are here! Let's book!

buzz: a little high from drugs, alcohol, or caffeine.

Jerry got a big caffeine buzz off of his espresso. Does drinking coffee give you a buzz?

breeze: something that is very easy.

Although it might look hard, it's a breeze to learn how to drive a car.

brownie points: credit for having done something good.

He'll get brownie points from his wife if he cleans the bathroom.
 

B.S.: (abbreviation) Use with caution. Although you only use the initials, everyone knows
what they stand for. (Bullshit)

That's a bunch of B.S. You're lying to me!

bummer: a bad situation; something depressing or sad

I'm sorry you lost your job. That's a bummer.

bum (one) out: (verb) to make someone feel sad.

Let's not see a movie that bums us out. I want to see something funny.

burnout: to feel overworked or stressed. This results from working too much

Todd is starting to feel a little burned out from his job as a lawyer.

(be) supposed to _____

Idiomatic and passive, "be supposed to" shows expectation.

Someone expects you to do something in the present or the future:

Unusual Uses of Get and Have

have + the past participle

I have my oil changed once every three months.

or

get + the past participle

I get my oil changed once every three months.

Both sentences have the same meaning. What makes them
different from the passive voice is the word order:

S + V + DO + V

Generally, when you use this word order, it sounds like you
had some kind of work done for you. You paid someone or got
someone to do something and you didn't do anything.

More examples:

I get my taxes done every year by an accountant.

She had her nails manicured by a manicurist.

We get our car fixed by a mechanic.

He got his hair cut by a barber.

(A professional barber did the work.)

or

He had the barber give him a haircut.

Note: If a person doing the work comes after the verb, the verb is in the simple form. If a
thing comes after the verb, the verb is in the form of the past participle. In the first sentence,
the word "cut" is a past participle. In the second sentence, "give" is in the simple form. This is
also explained in the video below.

They had their house painted blue.

(Professional house painters did the work.)

or

They had a company paint their house.

She got her teeth cleaned by a dental hygienist.

or
She had the hygienst clean her teeth.

Comparative Adverbs

Adverbs in the comparative form describe verbs, adjectives,

and other adverbs.

Adverbs usually end in "ly"

Making the comparative form for adverbs is not as easy as

making the comparative form for adjectives. Remember,
most adverbs end in "ly," so most adverbs are two-syllable
words; therefore, you will usually use "more" in front of the
adverb to make the comparison.

Many Americans ignore the rules for comparative adverbs,

but you should still learn how to use them properly.

A subway train can get you

through the city more quickly
than a bus.

("more quickly" describes the

verb "get." "Get" is a verb.)

A laptop computer allows her

to do her work more
efficiently.
 Barack Obama campaigned
more skillfully than his
opponents, and that's one
reason why he won his
election.

Some adverbs have only one

syllable and don't add "ly."

fast, hard, soon, high

 She works faster than

he does.

 He can reach higher

than she can.

 They'll finish their

work sooner than they
did last week

The opposite of "more" is

"less."

He is less easily disturbed by

her behavior than he was in
the past.

Idiomatic Modals

These verb phrases are a little unusual and sometimes hard to use:

Idiomatic
Picture Example in a sentence
Modal
 They're going to do some work in
their garden.

Main verb is in the simple form

S + (be) going to _______

(be) going I am going to We are going

to do to do
You are You are going
future going to do to do
He is going
(similar to  
to do
"will")
She is going They are
to do going to do
It is going to
 
do
(scroll down for video lessons) negative: (be) + not + going to

am not / isn't / aren't going to

A penguin is a bird that is also able to
swim.

Main verb is in the simple form

S + (be) able to _________

I am able to We are able

(be) able to swim to swim
possibility You are able You are able
to swim to swim
(similar to He is able to
 
"can") swim
She is able They are
to swiim able to swim
It is able to
 
swim
negative: (be) + not + able to

am not / isn't / aren't able to

 She has to clean the bathroom. She
also has to do some other chores
around the house.

Main verb is in the simple form

S + has or have to ________

I have to We have to
have to clean clean
necessity You have to You have to
clean clean
(similar to He has to
 
"must") clean
She has to They have to
clean clean
It has to
 
clean
Negative: don't/doesn't have to

Notice the negative requires the verb

"do"

Perfect Modal Verbs

modal verb + have + past participle

Perfect Modal Picture sentence

could have _____

The boy could have done the
couldn't have _____ dishes himself, but his father
decided to help.
past ability
 should have ____ The girl shouldn't have spun
around so many times. She fell
shouldn't have ____ down.

You did or didn't do spin: turn around many times.

something that was a
good idea. spin / spun / spun

would have ____

This house of cards would
wouldn't have ____
have fallen over if the person
who built it hadn't been so
past condition /
careful.
past situation

may have _____

My grandfather may have
may not have _____ used this camera when he was
a young man, but I'm not sure.
past possibility

might have ______

Her mother might have put
might not have _____ mustard on her sandwich. She
hopes not.
past possibility

must have ____

must not have ___

They must have practiced a
past probability. lot because they're very good
musicians.
This indicates that
something probably
happened in the past.
 
 Let's not forget...

The Future Perfect Tense

Unlike all the other modals above, will is used for the future:

Subject + will + have + past participle

Singular Plural
I will have lived We will have lived
You will have lived You will have lived
He will have lived
She will have lived They will have lived
It will have lived
This is a difficult tense to use. It describes an action that will be completed in the
future.

For example:

I moved to Minnesota in 1991. The year now is 2008.

By 2011, I will have lived in Minnesota for 20 years.

Superlative Adverbs

Adverbs in the superlative form describe verbs, adjectives,

and other adverbs.

Adverbs usually end in "ly"

Making the superlative form for adverbs is even more

difficult than the comparative form. Many Americans avoid
doing it, so you might not hear it used very often.

He rides his bike most

frequently in the morning.

I work at school and at home

during the week, but I work
most comfortably at my desk
on the weekend.
She is most likely to become a
doctor after she finishes med
school.

Birds sing most beautifully in

the morning.

Some adverbs don't use "ly"

endings. For these words, just
add "est."

 They play well

together, but they play
best when they're
under pressure.

 They perform the

worst on the field
when they don't
practice.

 John is the hardest

working player on the
team.

 Burt runs the fastest,

so he's a wide receiver.

 
Idioms C
 

carry out = to do something

that is part of a plan; follow
an order

These business managers are

carrying out a plan for the
expansion of their company.

catch on = start to
understand.

At first, Abbas and

Dominique had trouble
Abbas
understanding how to learn
English with this website,
but then they quickly caught
on.

Dominique
check out = to look at, to
examine carefully.

These kids are checking out a

really interesting website.

come on = hurry; stop doing

something. Sometimes used
when asking or pleading for
something.

"Come on! Please eat your

food!"
 come to terms (with) = to
learn to accept. Used with
difficult situations.

When there's a war, many

people have to come to terms
with the death of a family
member.

 
come up = to happen
quickly, suddenly, or soon.

Linda has an important

meeting coming up next week
and she has to prepare for it.

 come up with = to have an

idea or to create an idea

She's trying to come up with

some new ideas for teaching
English.
cut down on = reduce; do
less of something

If he doesn't cut down on his

smoking or quit completely,
he's going to suffer from
illness later in life.

 
cut off = to stop someone; to
be rude and get in front of
someone; to interrupt.

He got really mad at the

driver who cut him off at the
intersection.

I was talking on my cell

phone when suddenly I got
cut off.
 Learn American Slang

call it quits: stop working and, maybe, leave the place where you work. Also, call it a day.

We called it quits after a 10-hour day and went out for a few beers.

can do: completely possible. Also used in the negative--no can do.

This company needs a can-do attitude if it wants to be successful.

catch-22: an impossible situation with no easy solution; a contradiction; illogical reasoning.

This is a reference to a book, Catch-22, written by Joseph Heller about a bureaucratic military
during World War II. This is hard to use, and it's often misused, but it remains popular.

The harder I work, the more money I pay in taxes. It seems like a catch-22.

check it out: look at this; this is interesting; listen to me.

Check it out! I got the new Google phone!

cheesy: something kind of cheap; an appeal to popular taste in decorating and entertainment;
not of high quality--sometimes regarded as an insult.

Where did she find that cheesy old coat? It looks like something from the 60s.

chick: a beautiful woman; a young woman. (some women don't like the use of this word--it's
a little sexist.)

There were tons of hot chicks at the place we went to last night.

chicken: scared; afraid. (This is a very popular adjective)

If you're too chicken to ask her out, I'll do it for you.

chip in: to share the expenses; to contribute money.

Someone at the office is getting married so we're all chipping in for a gift.

choke: to suddenly lose the ability to do something or win; to go from winning to losing.

The Cubs have a good baseball team, but they always choke at the end of the season.

chug: drink fast, usually beer.

Let's chug these beers and get going.

clean: innocent of wrongdoing; not carrying a weapon. (You hear this used a lot on TV cop
shows.)

The public thought he was guilty of murder at first, but then it turned out he was clean.

closet: secret (adjective); also in the closet, and out of the closet, usually used for someone
who is hiding the fact that he or she is gay.

When he came out of the closet, he lost his job with the military.

cold: not friendly; unemotional.

Ali tried talking to Sara, but she was so cold towards him, he walked away.

come off: to appear; to make an impression.

She came off as a nice person at first, but then after we all got to know her, it turned out she
was really mean.
 

come on: to show some romantic interest in someone.

She was coming on to my friend at the club, but he didn't notice.

comp: (complimentary); free; payback.

We're getting out tickets comp because we won a contest.

cool: great; interesting; good. (very popular)

This is a very cool song! What's it called?

cool off: calm down; try not to be upset

You'd better cool off before you speak to him. You're too angry right now.

cop: police officer (very popular)

The cops came when a shot was fired in the restaurant.

couch potato: a person who stays on the couch, watches TV, and usually eats.

She'd rather be a coach potato today than go to school on her day off.

corny: something that appeals to simple emotions; lacking in sophistication.

A lot of people say that movie is so powerful that it made them cry, but I thought it was corny
and boring.

cough up: to give; to give with reluctance.

Tom's sister couldn't cough up enough money to pay her rent this month, so he helped her
out.

crap: something bad; junk.

They have a bunch of crap in their backyard that needs to be thrown out.

crib: house or apartment. (African-American usage)

Let's go back to the crib and get something to eat.

crush: 1. (noun) a fondness; deep romantic love, often one that can't be fullfilled; 2. (verb,
often used in the passive voice) to experience disappointment.

1. She has a crush on her teacher.

2. He was crushed to find out that he didn't get that job.

cut it out: stop immediately.

My kids were fighting so I told them to cut it out.

cut the cheese: fart; expell gas (a little vulgar); a bad smell.

It stinks in here. Who just cut the cheese?

Learn American Slang

 
dang: darn; wow; used to express frustration or surprise.

Dang! That's a big building!

date: to have a romantic relationship; to go out with someone, usually to a restaurant or a

movie or both.

They've been dating for the last year, and they might get married.

deadbeat: a person who doesn't pay his debts or someone who doesn't work and is always
asking for money.

Those deadbeats who hang out on the corner every day are begging for money again.

dead duck: a person who is in big trouble.

His company went broke and now he's a dead duck.

deck: hit; knock over with a punch.

Two angry drivers got out of their cars after an accident and then one decked the other.

DJ or deejay: a person who plays music at a nightclub or who plays music at a radio station.
(noun or verb)

She's going to deejay at a big party this weekend.

deep pockets: something you have if you are rich; a supply of money.

Although they lost a lot of money in the stock market, they've got pretty deep pockets and
should be okay.

 
demo: a product that sits on a store shelf but isn't for sale. Usually a TV, a computer, or some
other big appliance.

Kumar got thirty percent off on his digital camera because it was a demo.

dibs, to have dibs on ____: to say that something belongs to you before someone else gets it;
to make an early claim of ownership.

I've got dibs on that last donut. Don't anyone touch it.

die: 1. to laugh uncontrollably; 2. to slowly fade away or become much less.

1. The audience was dying with laughter.

2. Business died out in that section of town and now most of the stores are closed.

ding-dong: a stupid person; someone you don't like.

The ding-dong who sold me my shoes forgot to put one of them in the box. Now I have to go
back to the store.

dish it out: to give someone a hard time or to say mean things to another person.

Roger really dishes it out to his employees when they make a mistake.

dog: a woman who isn't attractive; a bad product.

The microwave that she bought at the store turned out be a dog, so she took it back.

doggy bag: a bag for taking home food leftover at a restaurant.

I can't finish all this kung pao chicken. Let's ask the waitress for a doggie bag.

 
do it: have a sexual relationship. (use with caution*)

Do you think they're doing it yet? They've only been going out for two weeks.

do (one's) own thing: to do something that you enjoy; a hobby.

It's important to be able to do your own thing on the weekends.

double-dip: to get more money from a job than a person has earned; to dip a single tortilla
chip or potato chip twice.

When I saw Jane douple-dipping her chips at the party, I stopped eating the salsa because
she has a cold.

double take: to look quickly look at something twice out of suprise; to be surprised.

The police officer did a double take when he saw what looked like a dog driving a car. It
turned out to be a man with really long hair.

double up: to have to go from individual ownership to two people sharing something.

We'll have to double up some of the students on the computers because there aren't enough
for everyone.

down: to be sad or depressed. (this word has many different meanings and variations, most of
them related to sadness: down in the dumps, down on one's luck, etc.)

 A: Why does she look so down?

 B: She just found out her cat died.

drag: a negative situation; something bad.

Going to this class is such a drag. The teacher is really boring.

 

DQ: Dairy Queen, a very popular place to get ice cream and other fast food.

Let's go to DQ and get some ice cream cones.

drive crazy: to make someone crazy; to cause intense frustration.

My neighbor's TV set is so loud, I can't get to sleep at night and it's driving me crazy.

dude: 1. a person; 2. a friend; 3. an exclamation of surprise or concern. (This is a very

popular word among young people and it can have many different meanings depending on
how it's used.)

1. Go ask that dude over there if he knows what time the show starts.

2. Hey, dude! What are you doing today?

3. Dude! Be careful!

dump: 1. a messy or unclean house or apartment; 2. to put something down

1. Geraldo didn't want to take Maria back to his apartment because it's such a dump.

2. Go ahead and dump your laundry on the floor, and then we'll put it in the machines.

Learn American Slang

eager beaver: a person who keeps busy and likes to work; a good volunteer.

All the people who stayed to clean up after the picnic were such eager beavers we finished in
15 minutes.

 
early bird: a person who arrives early, usually for some benefit.

When it comes to waking up on the weekend, I'm a real early bird. I get up at 5:00 in the
morning.

easy: to say "yes" to something; to agree without objection.

When it comes to grading students, she's really easy.

eat it or eat the loss: to take a loss; to accept some failure.

Our company will have to eat some big losses this year when we sell some of our assets.

ego trip: a person who has a very high opinion of himself or herself; to think highly of one's
abilities.

Since she won the skating competition, she's been on a huge ego trip.

eighteen wheeler: a big truck with 18 wheels.

There's an eighteen wheeler sitting on the side of the road with its lights on and engine
running.

elbow grease: hard work; effort from using muscles.

You've got to put a little elbow grease into cleaning those pots and pans. They're still dirty.

elbow room: space; enough room to feel comfortable.

Please! You're sitting too close ! I need a little elbow room here in order to write.

empty nester: a person whose children have grown and left the hose.
A lot of empty nesters in the U.S. are now buying condominiums in lively downtown areas.

enough: stop.

Enough! I'm tired of hearing you kids argue. Enough is enough.

even-steven: to break even; not to lose money.

Because you paid for parking, I'll pay for the tickets and then we'll be even-steven.

eye-opener: a strong alcoholic drink; a dramatic experience.

Seeing so many people lose their jobs at work has been a real eye-opener.

Learn American Slang

fake / fake it: to pretend something is real; phoney.

She said she had a good time, but I could tell she was just faking it.

fall for: to be attracted to someone; to be deceived, tricked, or fooled.

Zoe said that she spoke to Barack Obama on the telephone, and some of her friends fell for it.
(They believed her lie)

fart / fart around: (a little vulgar but popular) 1. to expel gas; 2. to goof around or play
around.
1. We could all tell that someone had farted in the classroom, but no one knew who it was.

2. You've got to stop farting around and get some work done.

fat cat: a rich person.

Investors are suddenly thinking seriously about investing in alternative energy now that the
fat cats are getting involved.

fast food: food that is made and served very quickly, usually not healthy.

It's not a good idea to eat fast food every day if you want to avoid health and weight
problems.

faux pas: an embarrasing mistake; a social error (This is a French word. It's pronounced fo
paw )

He committed a slight faux pas by arriving at the dinner party half an hour early.

fed up: to feel anger toward someone or a situation; tired of something routine.

Most Americans are fed up with George Bush's incompetent handling of the U.S. economy.

feel up: to feel a person's body, sometimes unwanted touching of another person. (*use with
caution)

When her boss tried to feel her up on the elevator, she reported his behavior to human
resources and he got in big trouble with the company.

feel up to: want to do something. (notice that a gerund follows the word "to" in the example)

 A: Do you feel up to seeing a movie today?

 B: No, I don't feel up to it.
 

fender bender: a car accident, usually a small accident

To avoid fender benders in parking lots, try parking at the far end and walk the extra
distance.

finagle: to make something happen through hard work or trickery.

We were able to finagle new financing for our house which lowered our monthly payments.

fill (one) in: provide information; tell what happened.

Could you please fill me in on what happened at work yesterday. I was out sick.

fire away: ask me your question.

 A: I'd like to ask a question.

 B: Okay. FIre away.

fish: 1. try to get information; 2. a person of importance, sometimes a criminal.

1. The children in class fished for answers to questions about where life comes from.

2. The police caught a very big fish involved in illegal gambling and drugs.

five-finger discount: stealing from a store; shoplifting

Tony decided that a five-finger discount for a bottle of wine was worth the risk of getting
caught by the store owner.

fixing to: going to; will

They're fixing to get married next year.

 

fizzle: lose energy; slowly stop working

When business at the restaurant started to fizzle, Mario decided to look for another job as a
cook.

flake: a person who is a little stupid. As an adjective, use flakey.

The teacher is such a flake. She always forgets what we did in class the day before.

flashback: to think back in time; to see the past clearly in your mind.

Are you able to flashback to a time in your youth and remember exactly what everything
looked like?

flick: a movie, usually at a movie theater.

Who wants to go see a flick this weekend?

flip or flip out: to get very angry.

Jill's mother flipped out when she found out her daughter was smoking cigarettes.

flip-flop: to change one's mind.

Politicians are often said to flip-flop on the issues, but it might be more accurate to say that
they compromise.

flip someone off or flip the bird: to give someone the middle finger. (in the U.S., sticking the
middle finger up while the others are down is a very rude, insulting thing to do.

That guy just flipped me off. I'm going to kick his ____.
 

flower child: a person who was young during the 1960s and 1970s and participated in the
youth culture of the time. Lifestyles focused on music, anti-war protests, some drug use, long
hair, and environmental concern.

The flower children of the 1960s surprised many Americans with their ideas about politics
and communal living.

fluke: something that happens by chance; something lucky or unlucky.

It was just a fluke that the tree branch was struck by lightning and crushed the car below.

flunk: to fail a test; to do a bad job at something.

After he flunked out of high school, he tried to get a job, but nobody wanted to hire him
without a diploma.

fly: cool (this is a relatively new use of the word--not easy to use. Origin is African-
American)

She looks so fly in those jeans.

fool around (with) : 1. to have a relationship outside of marriage or outside of an established

relationship. 2. to experiment with something; to try to learn how something works.

1. My boss was caught fooling around with another woman, so his wife divorced him.

2. I spent all day fooling around with this computer program and it still doesn't work right.

forget about it: don't worry about it; it's okay;

 A: Thanks for all your help.

 B: Forget about it. It was my pleasure.

 
fork over: to give; to give something with reluctance.

Okay, fork over that money you owe me.

for real: Really? Are you telling me the truth?

It's free to get into the concert tonight? Is that for real?

for sure: yes; certainly; I agree.

 A: They're going to have to get rid of that ugly furniture.

 B: Oh, for sure.

forty winks: sleep; sometimes it's a nap.

If I don't get my forty winks, I'm no good the next day.

four-letter word: a bad word; a swear word

Students caught using a four-letter word in class get in big trouble with the teacher.

freak / freak out: to be very upset; to be surprised and then get mad.

His mother freaked out when he told her he was going to joing the marines.

free lunch: something for nothing

There's no such thing as a free lunch.

freeze: 1. stop working, usually for computers.

I can't use my computer right now because it's frozen. If it doesn't unfreeze in a minute, I'll
have to restart it.

French kiss: a kiss that includes the tongue.

French kissing in public is not a cool thing to do.

fresh: something that is in style; something good.

The DJ is spinning some pretty fresh tracks. (music)

fret: worry.

The man next door frets too much about his daughter's driving.

fruit / fruitcake: an unusual person; someone eccentric; sometimes someone who is gay.

The fruitcake down the street painted his house pink and purple.

fruity: not masculine.

Why is Bruce speaking with such a fruity voice? It sounds like he's lisping.

full of it: to say things that aren't true; to be false. (related to B.S.)

He so full of it. Why do you believe him when he says he's making over $100,000 a year?

full of oneself: to have a very high opinion of oneself.

She's so full herself, she won't listen to anyone who tries to give her advice.

 
funky: odd; unusual; sometimes good.

Where did you find this funky music? I kind of like it.

funny business: suspicious activity; something that's not right or something that might be
illegal.

There was all kinds of funny business going on at that company before the police came in and
shut it down.

Learn American Slang

gag: to have a negative reaction; to choke. ("gag" rhymes with "bag")

Carmela almost gagged on her sandwhich when her old boyfriend walked into the restaurant.

go gaga: to be very excited; extremely happy.

The teenage girls in the audience went gaga when the Jonas Brothers took the stage and
began to perform.

gay: homosexual; a person who is attracted to someone of the same gender. (Recently used to
describe objects or activities -- That movie was so gay! -- Some people find this particular use
to be offensive)

Men found to be gay in some countries around the world are punished with prison or torture.

geek: a person who is very intelligent, works well with computers and/or new forms of
technology, and might lack strong social skills.

He's such a geek when it comes to computers. They're his only interest.
 

Get

(notice how many expressions, idioms, and slang begin with the word "get." This is a very
important word to learn in all its forms: get / got / gotten / getting)

get a bang: to be amused or impressed; to feel some excitment.

The kids got a big bang out of watching the Hollidazzle Parade last night in downtown
Minneapolis.

get a clue: pay attention; try to learn about something. (related to have a clue)

Her boyfriend isn't very interested in her anymore. She's going to have to get a clue and
accept that.

get a grip: understand what's happening; recoginize realilty.

Leonard has to get a grip and stop drinking so much if he wants to improve his chances of
getting a job.

get a handle on; learn; learn something new.

I'm trying to get a handle on how my new cell phone works. It's very complicated.

get a load of ____: look at this; this is interesting.

Hey, get a load of that squirrel. He lost his tail.

get a move on: go; get going; move faster

Let's get a move on. We have to be in New York in three hours and we might not get there on
time.
 

get by: have enough money to live; to survive.

It look like they'll have just enough money to get by this month. Next month might be better.

get going: to leave; to go somewhere.

It's time to get going. Goodbye.

get off: to be amused or aroused by something, sometimes the reasons for amusement or
pleasure are not very nice.

She gets off on watching other people fight.

get on with (it): continue some activity; do something

He's trying to get on with his life after losing both of his parents in a car accident.

get over: learn to live with; accept.

It's hard to get over a life-changing event, but eventually we do.

get the hang of _____: learn how to do something.

Tara is starting to get the hang of skateboarding. When she first began, she was terrible at it.
Now she's getting good at it.

get the picture: to understand (often used as a question).

I'm sick and tired of l.... Get the picture?

 
get together: to meet someone; sometimes used for a large gathering of people.

Americans like to get together with family and friends during the holidays.

get-up-and-go: energy; motivation.

I'm so tired! I just don't have any get-up-and-go today.

get with it: learn what everyone else knows; pay attention to things happening around you.

Mathilda had been putting of the purchase of a cell phone for years, but when her
granchildren got them, she decided to get with it an get one for herself.

gimmie: contraction of "give" and "me." sometims this has a greedy and unpleasant sound;
often used by children.

Two children playing with toys:

 A: Gimmie that! I want it back right now!

 B: Okay. Here.

giveaway: an open secret; something obvious. (often used with the word "dead" preceding it.)

The smile on his face was a dead giveaway, and suddenly everyone knew he was guilty of the
crime.

give someone five: to slap someone's hand in celebration or greeting.

You got the job! Great! Give me five!

give the finger: to stick the middle finger up while the others down. (this is a very rude
gesture)
While I was driving on the highway, I noticed a man in a car behind me giving me the finger,
but I wasn't sure why. Perhaps he didn't like my driving.

give the shaft and get the shaft. to put someone in a bad position.

It's often poor people who get the shaft when the economy goes bad. Rich people never seem
to suffer.

go all the way: do something to the point of completion; sometimes used for sexual activity
resulting in intercourse.

When Miguel tried to go all the way with his girlfriend, Lupe, she told him she wasn't ready.

go for it: do something; try to do something difficult

It's hard to get into that university , but Natalia is going to go for it.

go-getter: a person who works hard and is ambitious.

At 19 years old, he's a real go-getter with a successful business and great potential to become
wealthy.

goof around: to play around; not to do something with serious intentions; to neglect
responsibilities.

When the supervisor saw that the cashiers were goofing around at work, he fired them.

gotcha: 1. to understand someone; 2. to catch some. (this is a contraction: got + you = gotcha)

1. You want me to turn the wrench to the right? Okay, I gotcha.

2. Gotcha! Now I'm not going to let go of you.

 
green: 1. new; inexperienced; 2. clean energy source or non-polluting technology.

1. You'll have to help her with that. She's still a bit green.

2. Green is the new red, white, and blue. That means good, patriotic Americans try their best
to save energy these days.

gross: something that makes you feel sick; a very unattractive object or situation.

It's so gross the way he spits on the sidewalk.

groupie: a person (often young a woman) whose admiration of a performer results in

constant, personal contact; a person who hangs around someone to excess.

He's become so well-known as a guitarist, he's even starting to attract groupies.

grungy: dirty; old.

These jeans are so grungy. Why don't you throw them out?

grunt work: hard work; manual labor.

Why is it that people who do all the grunt work get paid the least while management gets paid
the most?

guzzle: drink quickly; consume large amounts of liquid.

Tito's car guzzles gas at about 12 miles per gallon. He's thinking about buying a hybrid.

Learn American Slang

 
hairy: difficult; complicated.

The loss of a job creates a very hairy situation for a family.

hands-on: involved; to be part of something.

Her style of teaching second-graders is very hands-on. The students are always making
things in the classroom

hands-off: not involved; allow others to do work.

The owner of the company takes a hands-off approach to management and allows his
employees to make most of the big decisions.

hang it up: to stop doing something.

After a long career in politics, the Senator has decided to hang it up and retire.

happy hour: a time at a bar or restaurant when prices for drinks and food cost less. Popular
during the week, especially Friday afternoons.

Let's wait until happy hour starts before buying some drinks.

hardball: a tough, competitive situation. ("hardball" is a reference to baseball)

Ted's company is going to have to start playing hardball if it wants to stay in business.

hard up for: desperate to get something; to desire something.

I feel pretty hard up for some good, fresh tomatoes.

 
has been: someone who is no longer famous; a former celebrity. (this looks like a verb but
you use it as a noun)

She was once on every national magazine cover in the 1980s, but now she's a has been and
no one recognizesher.

hassle: a problem; something irritating. Used as a noun or as a verb.

After my car was towed, it was a big hassle and very expensive to go downtown and get it
back.

haul ass: go fast (a little vulgar)

Let's haul ass out of here!

have a ball: to have a very good time; to have fun.

We had a ball at the party last night. Everyone stayed up until three in the morning.

have a cow: to get angry

Zippo's father had a cow when he found out his son was dating a girl of another religious
faith.

have it: to be upset; to want something to stop.

The American people have had it with a government that doesn't serve their needs. That's why
the Republicans lost and the Democrats won in the '08 elections. ( "had it" is often used in the
present perfect tense)

have it together: to be well-organized; to lead a respectable life.

I'm sorry, I just don't have it together today.

 

have it good: to have a good situation, often used to describe one's position at work.

Even though Michael has it really good right now, he still works on the weekends to make
extra money.

have the hots: to like someone a lot.

She's got the hots for one of her coworkers.

head: the top; the person who leads a group or a company.

The head of the corporation made some big mistakes and resigned.

heads-up: a warning or caution; watch out for this.

Our supervisor gave everyone a heads-up today and said that we needed to work a little
harder in order to keep our jobs.

head trip: a person has a high opinion of himself or herself based on some past
accomplishment.

She's been on a big head trip ever since she appeared in that TV commercial.

heebie-jeebies: to feel a little sick or queasy at the mention or sight of something unpleasant.

Big hairy spiders give Janice the heebie-jeebies.

hell: a bad situation (Be careful with this word. some very conservative, religious people
think it's bad to use it, but it's not. "Heck" is a good subsititute if you're worried about eternal
damnation.)

His car has been giving him hell lately, so he brought it in to bet it fixed.
 

hell of it: for no good reason.

Just for the hell of it, let's see what happens if we buy a few lottery tickets this weekend.

hey: hi

 A: Hey, Tony. How's it going?

 B: Hey, Paul. Good. How are you?

hick: a person who lives in the country (way outside of the city) and whose educational
achievements are low. Often used with the word "stupid." Voted for Bush in 2000 and 2004)

You know those stupid hicks who leave all their cars parked in the front yard? They had a big
party last weekend and burned down their barn.

high: to feel light and dizzy from drugs or alcohol or both.

It doesn't take Mario very much to get high. He's often high at work.

high five: to slap a person's hand in the air, usually done in celebration of an accomplishment.

High-five, man!

high tech: new technology; a product or machine that looks completely modern and new.

It's fun to work at a job where everything is high-tech.

 
hip: cool; aware of current trends

Raya tries so hard to be hip, but she just looks silly in the clothes that she wears.

hippie: a person with long hair and nonconforming beliefs; someone whose antiestablishment
ideas are similar to those of the 1960s and 1970s counterculture.

The hippies who live down the street turned their entire front yard into a garden.

hit the spot: to consume something that provides satisfaction; to eat or drink something good.

This cup of coffee really hits the spot.

hokey: phoney; overly sentimental.

Why do you like those hokey movies on TV? They always follow the same formula.

hold up: wait.

Can you hold up a minute? I have to tie my shoe.

holy cow: wow! (this is used as an exclamation when something suprising or amazing
happens.)

Holy cow! Look at the size of that boat!

homeboy / hommie: a friend, a person who lives in you neighborhood. (African American
origin, but now popular among young people)

I'm going to a concert with some of my hommies tonight.

hooked: addicted; unable to stop doing something.

Doris is hooked on video games. She plays them all the time.

hoops: the game of basketball.

Darrel and Roger stayed after school to play some hoops.

hooters: a woman's breasts. (This is also the name of an American restaurant that hires
women with big breasts to work as waitresses)

She's got a big pair of hooters!

horny: to feel sexually aroused.

Whenever she gets horny, she calls her old boyfriends on the phone and tries to arrange
dates.

horse around: to goof around; to play when work should be done.

Hey, you kids! Stop horsing around and finish your homework.

hose: to cheat.

Jeremy got hosed by a car dealer and paid way too much for his car.

hot: attractive; good-looking; sometimes used to describe a popular product.

The new iPhones are so hot, they're flying off the shelves.

hottie: a beautiful woman

A woman who works in our office is such a hottie, she turns heads wherever she goes in the
building.
 

hunker down: work hard; prepare for something difficult.

It's time to hunker down and start studying for tomorrow's math test.

hype: to promote; something that is promoted. (this can be a verb or a noun)

Don't believe the hype. Use your own judgement in deciding if a popular song is good or not.