Unusual expressions

 

What have you eaten today? Where did you eat? What are you planning to eat before you go to bed tonight?

 

 

appetite : a strong desire or need  •  capable : able to do things effectively and skillfully, and to achieve results  •  chew : to crush food into smaller, softer pieces with the teeth so that it can be swallowed  •  contemptuous : expressing a strong feeling of combined dislike and lack of respect  •  conversationalist : someone who enjoys or is good at talking with people  •  cope : to deal successfully with a difficult situation  •  endeavor : an attempt to do something  •  envy : the feeling that you wish you had something that someone else has  •  expertise : a high level of knowledge or skill  •  fickle : likely to change your opinion or your feelings suddenly and without a good reason  •  fond : having a great liking for someone or something  •  foolish : unwise, ridiculous or lacking in judgment  •  forgiving : willing to tolerate errors  •  fulfill : to do something that is expected, hoped for or promised or to cause it to happen  •  impractical : Impractical arrangements, ideas or methods cannot be done or used easily or effectively  •  instant messaging : a type of service available on the Internet that allows you to exchange written messages with someone else who is using the service at the same time  •  margin for error : an additional amount of something, such as time or money, which you allow because there might be a mistake in your calculations  •  miserable : very unhappy  •  mustard : a thick yellow or brown sauce that tastes spicy and is eaten cold in small amounts, especially with meat  •  obsolete : not in use any more, having been replaced by something newer and better or more fashionable  •  pie : a type of food made with meat, vegetables or fruit covered in pastry and baked  •  resource : a useful or valuable possession or quality of a country, organization or person  •  show off : to show something or someone you are proud of to other people, so that they will admire them  •  standard : a level of quality  •  stingy : unwilling to spend money  •  utterly : completely or extremely

 

 

 

 

01 Apple of your eye

 

Actual meaning: Something or someone that you are especially fond of

 

What, or who, is the apple of your eye these days? How did this thing or person come to become the apple of your eye? What do you find most appealing about this thing or person? How fickle are you in your affections?

 

 

 

 

02 Bigger fish to fry

 

Actual meaning: Plans for doing more important things than you are doing now

 

Do you think you are now doing what you were meant to do in life, or do you think you have bigger fish to fry? When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How close is your life now to what you thought you would be doing when you were growing up?

 

 

 

 

03 By the skin of your teeth

 

Actual meaning: Barely succeed after almost failing

 

Have you ever done something important only by the skin of your teeth? Do you tend to approach things so that you only do just enough to succeed, or do you try to leave yourself a large margin for error? Have you ever failed at something important to you because you didn’t put in the necessary effort?

 

 

 

 

04 Chew the fat

 

Actual meaning: Talk in a relaxed way

 

Do you enjoy chewing the fat? What are some of your favorite topics to talk about with friends? Do you think you spend either too much, or not enough, time just chewing the fat? How good a conversationalist do you think you are? What’s the best thing about talking to you? In what kind of conversation are you at your best—face-to-face, phone, or instant messaging?

 

 

 

 

05 Cut the mustard

 

Actual meaning: Reach a required standard

 

Have you ever not been able to cut the mustard? Do you tend to avoid endeavors where you might not cut the mustard, or do you tend to simply follow your interests, regardless of how capable you might be? Are there many people around you whom you think don’t cut the mustard? What do you think about them? Do you tend to be forgiving, or contemptuous, of things or people that don’t cut the mustard?

 

 

 

 

06 Eat your heart out

 

Actual meaning: Feel miserable because of envy

 

What can you do better than someone who is famous for doing the same thing? What do you consider to be your greatest skill or area of expertise? How do you feel when you discover someone can do something better than you can? Is there anything in which you think you may be the best in the world?

 

 

 

 

07 Egg on your face

 

Actual meaning: Looking foolish or embarrassed

 

When was the last time you felt you really had egg on your face? How do you react when you are embarrassed? How hard do you work to avoid being embarrassed?

 

 

 

 

08 Living hand to mouth

 

Actual meaning: Having only enough money to survive with nothing left over

 

Has there ever been a time in your life when you were living hand to mouth? If you suddenly became very poor, how well do you think you would be able to cope? What would you miss most about your present lifestyle if you suddenly had to live hand to mouth?

 

 

 

 

09 Long in the tooth

 

Actual meaning: Becoming old or obsolete

 

What belongings of yours are getting long in the tooth? Do you plan to replace them soon? Do you tend to keep things even after they have worn out and should be thrown out? What sorts of things—for example, clothes—do you do this with?

 

 

 

 

10 Pie in the sky

 

Actual meaning: Utterly impractical

 

Have you ever had any plans that turned out to be pie in the sky? In general, do you tend to be very practical? What dreams or plans did you have in the past that you have now given up on? Which ones are you still hoping to fulfill? Which have you already fulfilled?