By Robby

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12 English phrases meaning something completely different

Improve Spoken English

I often touch upon the subject of English idiomatic expressions on this weblog for the simple reason that more often than not  our every-day spoken language consists of such and similar  word combinations and it'south making our spoken language and then much more easier !

Merely look at the to a higher place paragraph – it'south stuffed with diverse idiomatic expressions and collocations, and the one mutual trait they all share is that you take to learn the Verbal way they're used then that you can learn them off by heart and so use them in your own conversations.

So in that location are proper English idioms you can't even understand unless you actually know what they mean – such equally "Information technology's no skin off my nose" or "Until the cows come dwelling house".

There are, yet, certain English language phrases that may at start audio every bit if they don't have any double-meanings AT ALL, yet they mean something completely different!

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

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

Y'all don't want to do that!

If you take this phrase literally, information technology sounds as if someone is making a statement that yous don't want to do something (in which instance information technology doesn't really brand an atrocious lot of sense – I mean, how can someone else possibly know what I do or what I don't desire to exercise?!)

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

Why do English speaking people say "Yous don't want to do that!" instead of simply saying that one SHOULDN'T practice information technology?

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

Some other version of the aforementioned phrase – "You don't want to exist doing that!" – is used just like the original one, and once more – don't ask WHY there are 2 different versions of this phrase in employ.

Just have information technology and use whichever one you desire to utilise! 😀

He can't assistance himself

When I heard the English verb "to help" used in this context for the first time, I idea the person in question must be physically handicapped in one case they tin can't help themselves.

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

Turns out information technology's not the case!

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

Allow's say, you're eating too much chocolate on a daily basis, and your piece of work colleague asks yous one mean solar day why you're eating and so much chocolate every day. You tin simply respond by proverb "I but can't help myself!" which ways that information technology's a habit so strong yous can't resist it.

Close upwards!

When someone tells y'all to shut up, it's quite articulate what they desire to tell you, isn't that right?

They're telling you to shut your mouth, and needless to say, information technology's quite rude to exist talking to someone like that.

Sometimes, however, the phrase "Close up!" can exist used to express something completely different – namely, your amazement at something the other person is telling you about.

And so if you lot're speaking with an English speaking person and they respond to you by saying "Shut up! I can't believe it!", it doesn't necessarily mean they want you to shut your oral cavity and cease talking to them. It merely ways they're so surprised at what you just said that they're using the phrase "Shut up!" equally means of expressing they disbelief or excitement.

Sure enough, you'll exist able to read the truthful significant of those words off the other person'southward face and tone of vocalisation – the role of body linguistic communication can't be underestimated, afterwards all.

There might be some occasions, however, when yous'd remember the other person is existence rude to yous while in reality there'south no damage intended, then delight bear in listen that the expression "Shut upwardly!" tin can also have a pretty harmless meaning!

Go away!

I don't know well-nigh you, but where I alive (Republic of ireland) this phrase is used the same way as the one above ("Shut upwardly!") when expressing your surprise at something the other person has just said.

Basically it's just another manner of saying "Really?!", and when they say "Go abroad!", nobody means it literally. It' just a way of letting the other person know that you're shocked to hear it, and you may as well offset using this phrase in your own daily English language conversations.

I encounter!

This is a very, very simple English phrase, but when an average beginner English student sees it, on 9 times out of 10 they'll think it means that someone is maxim that they SEE something.

In fact, the phrase "I run into!" is used conversationally all the time when people want to say that they get it, that they Empathize it, and this is actually something that a lot of foreign English speakers should learn pretty early on in their lives.

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

You see, "I understand" sounds way too formal when used during your daily conversations, so I warmly suggest yous start using the much more friendlier version of it "I meet!" instead.

Meet where I'm coming from?

If someone asks you if you see where they're coming from, you may assume they mean information technology quite literally, in which case you lot may be thinking "How on Earth am I supposed to know where they're coming from?!"

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

Basically the conversation would become something similar this:

"I think we should swap this machine for the other 1 because the production output is much lower now that the busy flavor is over."

You: ???

"Y'all run across where I'thousand coming from?" (Do you lot sympathise why I'm suggesting nosotros should swap the machines on the production line?)

You: "I haven't got a clue what you're talking about! Can you explicate everything to me step-past-pace please?"

You lot may want to…

This phrase may seem a bit disruptive at first. You lot may… You lot desire… Why "You MAY Desire" and then? Why are the ii words grouped together? Does it hateful you're giving the other person a permission to practise something as in "You lot may do it"?

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

Why not simply say "You lot should…" instead?

Well, you see – "Yous may want to…" is a very polite way of letting someone know as to what would be the right form of action while "You should…" might actually audio like a command rather than a suggestion!

I don't purchase it!

This English language phrase has nothing to exercise with ownership stuff, it's all about Believing what you lot're told! 😉

If someone makes an empty promise to you or you're told some news you lot don't believe, you can respond with maxim "I don't buy information technology!" in which instance you're just making information technology clear y'all don't believe what you're told.

I'm looking frontward to…

As a beginner English pupil you may recollect this phrase means to be looking direct alee of you (equally opposed to be looking backwards or sideways, for example).

In conversational English and also in English in general, however, this phrase has a completely different pregnant – it simply means to be expecting something, to be actually waiting on something to happen!

I remember when I'd just started living in Ireland xi years ago, my supervisor asked me at work if I was looking frontward to my holidays, to which I didn't really know what to say considering the judgement didn't brand a lot of sense to me.

Now I know only besides well that it means to exist expecting something, and in case you didn't know it – it's almost time to add together this English phrase onto your vocabulary!

Tell me about it!

"Tell me most information technology!" doesn't hateful "TELL me Well-nigh it".

It means "Yes, I know exactly what y'all're talking virtually – I have the same experience!"

Here'south a situation to describe exactly what I'k talking about here:

Y'all: "My little sister is real nightmare – she constantly makes demands to our mom and cries if she doesn't get what she wants!"

Your friend: "Tell me about it!"

What your friends is telling y'all is – "Yes, I tin can completely chronicle to that because I also have a little sis who'south behaving that way!"

So now that you know what this phrase means, you wouldn't start telling your friend More ABOUT information technology. You'd simply understand your friend is going through a similar feel!

It doesn't hurt to…

When someone tells y'all that it doesn't injure to do something, they don't literally mean that information technology's not going to exist painful.

What they mean to tell you lot is that the activity in question is going to result is something really beneficial to y'all, so information technology'southward definitely worth doing it!

How exercise yous find this…?

I recall someone asked me how I found my task to which I started telling them about the recruitment bureau who helped me to country my job with the company…

What that person actually meant was – "What do you THINK ABOUT your job?" – so in this case the English verb "to observe" has another meaning on height of the most common ane which is to really discover something later on yous've been looking for it!

* * *

Now, did you find this article interesting?

Did you learn a few new English phrases yous didn't know existed?

If then – let your friends know about them past using the social sharing tool below!

Cheers for reading,

Robby 😉

P.South. Would you lot like to discover out why I'm highlighting some of the text in carmine? Read this article and you'll learn why it's and then important to learn idiomatic expressions and how it will aid you lot to amend your spoken English!

P.S.S. Are you lot serious about your spoken English improvement? Check out my English Harmony System Hither!

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P.S. Are yous serious most your spoken English improvement? Bank check out the English language Harmony System HERE!

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