By Ela Britchkow, Speech Therapist, American Accent Specialist American Idiomatic Expressions will help you to sound creative, interesting and fun when you’re using English. And of course, it will definitely help you to understand more of what native speakers say. Using idioms correctly in your English speaking exams like IELTS or TOEFL will definitely impress your examiner – so it’s worth spending some time learning a few idioms that you can use to talk about holidays that you’ve had. Yippee! “Let’s have a Ball” (Let’s have a great time!) “To travel light” or “to pack light” Now, if someone travels light or packs light, they don’t take a lot of luggage with them on a trip. They don’t take lots of bags. “We only stayed for three days, so we packed light!” “To hit the road” This idiom means to leave or to start a journey. “We’re going to hit the road at 8am.” We’re going to leave at 8am. “To catch the sun” This idiom is used to say that someone is sunburned, burnt by the sun. “You look like you caught the sun today!” “To live it up” or “to live the life” This idiom is used to say that someone is really enjoying themselves and they’re having a really good time without worrying about anything – including money. “We’re going to live it up in a 5 star resort for a few days!” “To do something on a shoestring” or “to do something on the cheap” Now this idiom is nothing like the last one. If you do something on a shoestring or on the cheap, you do it without spending a lot of money. “We plan to spend a month in Bali on the cheap and then, live it up in Singapore for a few days before we fly home.” “At the crack of dawn” This idiom describes the earliest time in the day, just as the sun is rising. “We were up at the crack of dawn to watch the sun rise.” “It’s a long drive, so we set off at the crack of dawn.” “Paul got up at the crack of dawn every day to hike around the island.” “Bright and early” Now, this idiom is similar to the last one, it’s used to explain that something happens early in the morning. It’s not quite as early as at the crack of dawn though. “We had to get up bright and early to catch the train to Paris.” Another idiom that’s similar is “first thing”. It means before anything else is done in the morning. “We need to check out first thing tomorrow.” “You need to call and make a reservation first thing. We don’t want to miss out!” “To call it a day/night”. This idiom means to stop doing an activity for the rest of the day or to finish what you’re doing at night and go home to bed. “We were so exhausted that we decided to call it a day and ordered room service in our hotel room!” “I need to call it a night, I’ve been dancing for 12 hours!!” “ Have a whale of a time” {informal}- to enjoy yourself very much. 'You've been on a skiing holiday, haven't you? What was it like?' - 'Yes, I went with some friends. It was great. We had a whale of a time.' Everything but/except the kitchen sink {humorous}- a much larger number of things than is necessary. 'Are you surey ou packed emough clothes?' -'Yes, positive. We've packed everything except the kitchen sink.' There's no place like home - your home is a special place. 'Are you glad to be back?' -'Very much! We had a wonderful holiday, but you know what they say - There's no place like home. Just what the doctor ordered - exactly what is wanted or needed. 'Welcome back, Peter. You look well. Did you have a good time?' - 'Fantastic. Sun, sea and excellent food. It was just what the doctor ordered.' Recharge your batteries - to have a period of rest and relaxation so that you feel energetic again. We are going to relax at a remote resort! How will you fill your days?' We’re not going to have a wild time.! We're going to recharge our batteries.' Get away from it all - to go somewhere completely different from what is usual. 'When are off on holiday?' - 'Tomorrow. I can't wait. I'm really looking forward to getting away from it all.' The time of your life - an extremely enjoyable experience. 'How was your holiday, Jane?' -'Fabulous! We had the time of our lives.' Off the beaten track {US also off the beaten path}- in a place where few people go, far from any main roads and towns. 'The best thing about the town was it was so quiet. We were the only tourists.' -'Yes, I'm like you. I prefer places off the beaten track.' Tis the Season “‘Tis” is an old method of contracting “it” and “is.” Today, it is rarely used in anything but traditional song or poetry, such as “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” or “‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all,” by Alfred Lord Tennyson. This usage is abbreviated from a line in a holiday carol: “‘Tis the season to be jolly.” The word “jolly” is also old and simply means “happy.” Deck the Halls “Decking” or decorating the halls with branches from a holly tree is an old tradition, and the popular carol began as a Welsh tune from the 1700s. These days, merry-makers deck their halls with blinking lights, pine branches, popcorn strung on strands of thread, and glittery garland. So if you’re taking a vacation this winter or even a short get-away, try to use some of these idiomatic expressions. They will make your stories more interesting. On the other hand, if someone you know just came back from vacation and they use any of the above expressions, you will now know what they mean. If you know of any other vacation idiomatic expressions that you have heard, please let us know and I will add them to the list. Our American English Pronunciation Software program is an outstanding tool for practicing English in your real life. Good luck with your practice and don’t give up. At the end of the day you are responsible for your language growth, BUT… help is nearby. You only need to reach to us. Comments are closed.
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