15 Funny English Idioms (make people laugh!) (+ Free PDF & Quiz)

Learn 15 English idioms that make people laugh! I explain WHAT they mean, WHEN we use them and WHY we say them! 📝 GET THE FREE LESSON PDF here 👉🏼 bit.ly/FunnyIdiomsPDF 📊 FIND OUT YOUR ENGLISH LEVEL! Take my level test here 👉🏼 bit.ly/EnglishLevelTest12 👩🏼‍🏫 JOIN MY ONLINE ENGLISH COURSES: englishwithlucy.teachable.com... - We have launched our B1 and B2 Complete English Programmes!
🌐 VISIT MY WEBSITE for an interactive pronunciation tool and more free lessons: englishwithlucy.com/
🗣 ENGLISH SPEAKING PRACTICE
Are you looking for private language lessons? Find your perfect 1-on-1 language tutor with LanguaTalk! Make sure they are right for you with a free trial class here 👉🏼bit.ly/LanguaTalkOffer (Ad - affiliate)
I've been learning Italian on LanguaTalk and have been blown away so far! I am so excited about this new platform! So much so, I decided to become a part of it!
🇬🇧 LEARN TO SPEAK ENGLISH CONFIDENTLY AND FLUENTLY
Join my 3-month Beautiful British English Programmes! Use code KZbin15 for a 15% discount:
Join B1 (Lower-Intermediate) Level here 👉🏼b1course.com/youtube-descript...
Join B2 (Upper-Intermediate) Level here 👉🏼b2course.co.uk/youtube-descri...
🎥 Video edited by Connor Hinde
👥 MY SOCIAL MEDIA:
Personal/Vlogging Channel: bit.ly/LucyBella​​​
Instagram: @englishwithlucy
TikTok: @english_with_lucy
Email for business enquiries ONLY: [e-mail]
#learnenglish #english #grammar

[@EnglishwithLucy]

Learn 15 English idioms that make people laugh! I explain WHAT they mean, WHEN we use them and WHY we say them! 📝 *GET THE FREE LESSON PDF* _here_ 👉🏼 bit.ly/FunnyIdiomsPDF 📊 *FIND OUT YOUR ENGLISH LEVEL!* _Take my level test here_ 👉🏼 bit.ly/EnglishLevelTest12 👩🏼‍🏫 *JOIN MY ONLINE ENGLISH COURSES:* englishwithlucy.teachable.com/courses - _We have launched our B1 and B2 Complete English Programmes!_

[@alexunstoppable7737]

2nd

[@manishanimbalkar3573]

3rd

[@Valgici]

4

[@hamdiydirie3454]

Hi lucy

[@prashastisingh9974]

5 th

[@marziima3394]

Today we are celebrating Teacher's Day in Poland. All the best wishes for you. Remember that you are one of the best teachers on KZbin. 🥰

[@Nguyenytram0205]

I just studied many things about Poland

[@arturartur7162]

I agree ... She is pretty good So ... we can support Her watching advs on Her videos ... simply don’t press “skip” button

[@hati-hati4673]

@@Nguyenytram0205 I know that you must be a Vietnamese. Are you Vietnamese living in Poland? I used to go to a Vietnamese market somewhere in Warsaw

[@Nguyenytram0205]

@@hati-hati4673 you got it

[@hati-hati4673]

@@Nguyenytram0205 I love Vietnamese people and of course Polish people

[@andrewtime2994]

When carpenters hammer a long nail through two pieces of wood they bend the pointed end down and hammer it flat. This makes a strong bond but the nail can never be pulled out and used again. The nail is therefore "dead". Doors used to be made this way with lots of nails, so "dead as a doornail" was a pun. The expression stayed in the language after its origin was forgotten.

[@jormamaattanen3048]

Interesting! Charles Dickens: "Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail:

[@celesterosales8976]

Fascinating

[@james6401]

Is this the origin of "as dead as a door-nail"? Nice one, makes sense.

[@bruces4515]

"kill" can also be used in this. Before the carpenter had started that task the boss came over and said "Kill that nail".

[@oops.its.raquan4599]

I like how she unintentionally uses another idiom while explaining this one. "What the cat dragged in" about the rat.

[@johnlochness]

A lovely lady who was my boss many years ago had a wonderful version of “put the feelers out” when assessing a new idea, she would say “we’ll hoist the flag up the flagpole and see who salutes”, which basically meant will put the idea about and see if people like it.

[@mkshffr4936]

Like throw it against the wall and see if it sticks. (like the old pasta doneness trick.)

[@kenbrown2808]

my brother taught me, "that sounds like a high tech solution to a low tech problem" which means you're doing something the hard way.

[@lesnyk255]

Related to "a solution in search of a problem"

[@heenagupta2940]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpiZf4dpeMarotU

[@alastairdallas]

I always liked "you're trying to boil the ocean." Not doing it the hard way, just trying to solve something that's impossible at scale.

[@TampaDave]

Alastair Dallas Right, before thermonuclear devices, there was no way to boil an ocean. We could have one boiling in a short time now, if we decided to do it.

[@james6401]

"Reinventing the wheel" ?

[@JapanesewithPang]

In Thai, we have an idiom that literally translation would be “ride on an elephen to catch a grasshopper” which means you put a huge investment just for a tiny return.

[@bethel1019]

What we would call "using a sledgehammer to crack a nut".

[@ThorRavnsborg]

That's a good one. In Danish the similar translation would be "to shoot sparrows with cannons". It can be used in many situations where you take excessive measures to obtain a certain goal.

[@apataye]

In SPANISH (similar to the Dane version) we say: "TO KILL MOSQUITOES WITH CANNON SHOTS"

[@annamorning]

We have a very similar expression in Chinese: "To kill a rooster with huge knife".

[@mariacebrecos303]

@@ThorRavnsborg Similarly un Spanish: To kill flies with cannons shots

[@alesolasz6956]

Ha ha, thank you, that explained a lot! Czech language has many idioms and most of them are hard to translate, but one funny one for you: “Mít dlouhé vedení” means “To have long wiring”...in the brain. It means that the person is slow in thinking, reactions, doesn’t get point quickly, etc. So if you tell a joke and the person takes some time to process it, you’d say about him “má dlouhé vedení” because the information has to travel through longer wires to reach the destination...😂😊

[@MrMockingbird1313]

Loved this podcast. Here are some American South idioms for you: 1. That's the best thing since they came out with pockets on a shirt. 2. He'd drive a wooden man crazy. 3. She'd give a woodpecker a headache. 4. She wanted to know everything including the color of the mid-wife's dress. 5. He's happy as a pig in fresh mud. 6. That dog won't hunt. 7. Don't bet the trailer payment.

[@ellenlehrman9299]

My favorite southern idiom: Well, bless your heart! It means: you’re a complete idiot. Very similar to the Yiddish zie gezunt.

[@johncox6321]

@@ellenlehrman9299 And let's not forget "Ain't that special."

[@walterrutherford8321]

Recently I heard one I think is Southern, “as useless as a back pocket on a t-shirt”.

[@MrMockingbird1313]

@@walterrutherford8321 excellent

[@maryewillburn158]

The happy as a pig in fresh mud must be the happy phrase to my mom's "as happy as a pig in a pot" I always thought was that he wouldn't like being cooked, but it might mean something different.

[@helenejohansson7130]

My parents were both Swedish and we lived in Sweden so naturally Swedish was the language spoken in our home when I grew up BUT for some reason my mum would always use the English idiom “Everything but the kitchen sink” so that was one of my first english sentences 😊 I think you may have this one in English as well but in Sweden some would say: “Hjulet snurrar men hamsters är död” (The Wheel is spinning but the hamster is dead) and that would mean the same as “The lights are on but nobody is home”. 🙃 Thank you Lucy for a fun lesson!

[@whatworkedforme]

that literally made me laugh out loud!.. but the hamster is dead...😂

[@RyutaShinohara]

Nobody: British people: so it´s still tea related

[@omegamix7750]

So did I

[@hidden1878]

🤣

[@deepakjoshi823]

Hi girl! You are beautiful!

[@csgogaming9862]

@@deepakjoshi823 matlab apne desh ka naam barbad karna hai hai har jagah jake

[@deepakjoshi823]

@@csgogaming9862 Apna kaam kr na chup chaap! Bda aya jyaan dene wala! 😏😏😏😏

[@dragoncat3765]

In Germany we say: "Aus einer Mücke einen Elefanten machen" wich literally translates to:" to make a mosquito into an elephant" 😂 It means that someone is making a big deal of a small thing, an example would be: "OMG I HATE HIM SO MUCH!" "Why?" "HE DIDN‘T GREET ME WHEN I SAW HIM IN THE BUS DRIVING BY!!!"

[@kojak8403]

Dragoncat - in Polish it's "to make a pitchfork out of a needle" :)

[@caffeinatedYT]

Also in German: the best thing since sliced bread is instead roast potato

[@ParisAntarktis]

the same in slovak, except is is donkey instead of elephant :D

[@zersdgy752]

I understand easily ur lessons. U're good teacher. During u explained, something before had ignored...

[@jana204]

And kicked the bucket is "den Löffel abgeben"😂

[@test0682]

Here’s one from Turkish I find interesting: “İyi insan lafının üstüne gelir.” Which roughly translates to “a good person is one who appears when he is being talked about” which is said when two people are having a conversation and the third person appears suddenly out of nowhere. I find it interesting because the English equivalent said in such a situation is “speak of the devil” where the person is thought of as if having some cunning wit about him, whereas the Turkish logic is that if a third person appears at a place while the conversation is about him he is thought of as a pure-hearted man.

[@hunlandia]

Funny, in Hungarian the third person is "the mentioned donkey".

[@gemmasanz9225]

In Spain in that case we'd say "hablando del rey de Roma" which means "speaking of the king of Rome"

[@kimberlythomas3080]

In the U.S. we say "speaking of the devil" or "speak of the devil and he shall appear."

[@soulis1000]

In Sweden we say "När man talar om trollen" When you speak about the trolls. Kind of wierd when i think about it :D

[@walterrutherford8321]

Speak of the devil is from old superstitions against accidentally calling the devil to you. Today it doesn’t have any negative connotations about the person arriving (unless it’s in your tone).

[@arnoldcaines9012]

Equivalents to "Lights on, nobody's home." "Wheel is turning but the hamster is dead." "His elevator doesn't reach the top floor" "He's a few sandwiches shy of a picnic." "He's not operating on all thrusters" or "firing on all cylinders." "He cut loose the sandbags but his balloon didn't go any higher." "Not the sharpest knife in the drawer", "sharpest tool in the shed" or "brightest bulb in the marquee."

[@shelleyphilcox4743]

A couple of bricks short of a load

[@SiliconBong]

@@shelleyphilcox4743 a couple of bricks short of a shithouse

[@ThomasistheTwin]

The cheese fell of the cracker a long time ago. Not playing with a full deck.

[@SiliconBong]

@t flapp my favourite

[@condorboss3339]

My own personal one: "Not the bright star atop the Christmas tree."

[@gosesnuff]

Swedish version of "nothing to write home about" is "inget att hänga i julgran" which literally translates to "nothing to hang in the Christmas tree".

[@apataye]

SPANISH version is: "NOTHING TO LITE FIRE-CRACKERS ABOUT" ("No es para echar cohetes").

[@gavinreid5387]

It mean something is unimpressive.

[@TampaDave]

It really makes the most sense in the case that you're not going to be arranging for this person to meet your parents (as a prelude to becoming engaged).

[@AmandaHugandKiss411]

Cool

[@gabrielatomkova4775]

In Slovakia, we say "good morning" when someone has a "lighbulb moment" and realizes something way too late compared to everyone else. Or "The goose that was shot honked", meaning that the person who is guilty revealed himself without realizing.

[@meenki347]

I'm American and we use all the same expressions. But the incredible variety of expressions in the comments is brilliant.

[@shiroi201]

In germany we have something similar to the shot goose. It's "the dog that was hit barks". It means basically the same. You weren't even accused of anything yet but revealed yourself as the guilty one

[@drreason2927]

I'm always surprized at how familiar your Brittish words and phrases are to us Americans, but I have never heard used: "Did a runner." Your beauty is breathtaking, your personality engaging, your information informative, and your overall production quite enjoyable.

[@aburton9993]

I’m from Hawaii and now living on the east coast of the states and I have hear “Did a runner.” Maybe it’s regional?

[@tupelohoney622]

Chiming in from the Deep South, "Did a runner," is a common expression in our area or perhaps I just know a significant number of bartenders and servers.😉

[@filianablanxart8305]

Not so much regionally , but only in specific context , or specific occupation . In general American usage could be He took off , made a getaway , went on the lam ( or he's on the lam ) .

[@comicus6769]

For us it was "dine and dash".

[@aspenrebel]

What is this, The Dating Game?

[@juhanipitkakari5999]

In Finnish, we have this saying: Emergency does not read the law. Means resolving a problem (or making a decision) in any means possible as a final option.

[@-.-4]

My mom was laughing at a joke said in Finnish and I asked her what was she laughing about. Can't translate it into English. Oh, well. Finn was my mother's1st language even though she was born in the U.S.

[@juhanipitkakari5999]

@@-.-4 When someone is offended here, it means he has aspired or sucked a pea into his nose.Don't ask me, where these sayings have come from.

[@emmamalm9657]

In Swedish there's an idiom that both my best friend and I love to use. "Vara ute och cykla" = "To be out biking". In Swedish, this is an idiom you might use when you want to claim, say, ask or suggest something, but you're not sure if you're correct or when someone has misunderstood something and is confused. For example, "Were we supposed to hand in our essays yesterday or am I out biking?" or "What is she on about? She is out biking!".

[@tuxedojunction9422]

In America, we'd say, "She's out to lunch!"

[@shelleyphilcox4743]

England would use either 'out to lunch' or possibly 'hes lost the plot'

[@lizgriffin7381]

In England we say, “On your bike” to mean “Go away”.

[@majdan63]

I think the US equivalent to is " All Wet".As in, " Was this job supposed to be finished today or am I all wet?"

[@user-dn3ss2qe8v]

Just after watching this lesson, I've watched a Friends episode when Joey said "I'll let myself out". So cool when you learn something that you can actually hear in real life (or in TV show in my case). Thank you, Lucy, you are an amazing teacher!

[@ProfessorBernardFuck]

There is the alternative "I'll just get my coat"

[@geoculus5606]

@@ProfessorBernardFuck Also, there is "I'll let myself out."

[@sfcmp7005]

When I was in the Army I once heard a word used that I had never heard before. That word was "Unflappable". The funny thing about that was similar to what happened to you. Right after hearing someone use it, I then heard it again the next day, and then heard it several times after that. But up to that point had never heard it.

[@highlowview2780]

​@@sfcmp7005 Maybe you have heard it before but didn't notice as you didn't know this word at that time.

[@MandoVibes]

I have lived in the Western part of the US my whole life, mostly California and Arizona, and I actually have never heard from someone in normal conversation "storm in a teacup" or the other phrase. Perhaps its equivalent to "making a mountain out of a molehill"? Also, since I had never heard it before I always thought it was just a phrase made up by the Red Hot Chili Peppers from their song Storm in a Teacup haha Also, with the last "show myself out" idiom, where I'm from in Arizona I've never heard it used in the way you describe. For me I've only said it or heard it said as a normal phrase when someone offers to show you the exit or walk you out of like a party or a building, as in - "Let me walk you to the door." "No thanks, I'll show myself out." Perhaps a regional usage

[@davidnoel9355]

One of my favorite statements is "In the history of 'calm down' no one has ever calmed down by being told to calm down."

[@Manuel02082]

Whoever is reading this: Your skin isn’t paper don’t cut it Your body isn’t a book don’t judge it Your heart isn’t a door don’t lock it Your life isn’t a movie don’t end it you’re beautiful be you...stay safe (By the way I’m also a small KZbinr looking for your support) I didn’t create this quote just wanna spread positivity❤️

[@annieray5747]

Wow thnx

[@maybelater6594]

dude i swear i saw you everywhere

[@deepakjoshi823]

894 Subscribers without even a single video!😱 How did you do that girl?

[@kamolanoza]

@@maybelater6594 yeah me too I saw much time 😀✌️

[@amylou584]

You're a divine awakened person...Thanks , it's so beautiful, you've made my day with such bright words !✨✨✨

[@userNecrona]

In Ukraine, we say: "when a crayfish whistles on the hill" meaning some situation which is of a low probability, never to happen. Comparable to English "when pigs fly" in 3 dimensions:in meaning, sarcasm level and animalistic layer. By the way: in Ukrainian it sounds like: " ko'ly rak na ho'ri 'svysne " 👌😊

[@justteachmethod]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eKq6loqFa6t2rtk

[@dr.akramshalabi2855]

Когда рак на горе свестнит.

[@apataye]

In SPAIN we say: "WHEN FROGS GROW HAIR"

[@userNecrona]

@@apataye very impressive, and gives some ground for imagination!)

[@jurijus01]

that’s a russian expression. in uk they say “when pigs fly”

[@witsued]

Back in the Seventies as a freshman in college I was assigned a new Yugoslav roommate. He had been recruited to play tennis for the school. He had a book on his shelf that contained English idioms in pictoral form. The one I remember best is "Catching the Bus" with a cartoon character standing in the middle of the street with arms wide with a bus approching.

[@lilianikolova7685]

You mean Serbian

[@aspenrebel]

Huh? How is "catching the bus" an idiom? What is that suppose to mean other than you want to catch the bus, to be on time to get onto the bus to take it somewhere?

[@aspenrebel]

@@lilianikolova7685 Well it was Yugoslavia to us back in the 1970's.

[@doritr9690]

I word-to-word translate German idioms to English to confuse my colleagues. It's a fun thing to do. One of them is "I cannot dance at every wedding [Ich kann nicht auf jeder Hochzeit tanzen]" meaning "I cannot do everything".

[@jurijus01]

hoch zeit = high times. A wedding, if translated literally

[@Keithbarber]

Known in English as "winding them up"......... 😀

[@kumamom4526]

In Poland we say something similar to "to kick the bucket" but we say it like - "To kick the calendar" 😂

[@EnglishwithLucy]

Omg I love that!!! So expressive 😀😀😀😀

[@user-pb5wj1ee2f]

In Russia its like to "drop the skates". "Skates" mean shoes on a criminal slang. The origin of the phrase: when car roadkills someone, if his shoes are off his foot, he's definetly dead. We have quite sad road accidents statistics

[@PaulineNemchak]

@@user-pb5wj1ee2f to drop hooves as well :D

[@renatanesio]

In Portuguese we say something like "to hit the boots". Apparently it came from war times, when the Dutch invaded the country. Some people would trip and fall, then become an easy target and die, or so they say. So people would say someone "hit the boots" and died. We don't use it just for accidental deaths, though. It's pretty generic.

[@crisferreira98]

@@renatanesio O comentário que eu procurava 😂

[@jkkqjqnw6451]

It seems like, with each passing day, you are becoming obsessed with these beautiful earrings😂.... But they look really nice....😊 Love from India 💕

[@EnglishwithLucy]

I absolutely am :'D

[@sandhiyar1864]

Can. A indian student can join in lingoda ??????

[@Bilal-rx1nb]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKjVp5x7i5h4irM

[@deepakjoshi823]

@@sandhiyar1864 Sure you can! But it's paid not just for Indians but for everybody!

[@sandhiyar1864]

@@deepakjoshi823 but the cost is not in Indian rupees and it is in euros and so !

[@CraigCruden]

One I remember from my grandmother (Scottish): As slow as molasses. The other thing she kept on telling me when she became exasperated was: Go fly a kite! (we did not have one)

[@margaritaabaracon9801]

Something similar in Spanish, ‘Anda a ver si estoy en la esquina’ : ‘Go see if I’m at the corner’ or ‘anda a ver si estoy afuera’ eGo see if I’m outside’

[@aspenrebel]

oh right! "He's as slow as molasses" meaning he is lazy, takes to long to do his work, etc. "Go fly a kite" means to get out of here, go outside and do something, fly a kite or something. Stop being lazy. You're bothering me. You're out of your mind so go do something basic, simple, and down to earth like flying a kite.

[@NZLatic]

I’ve always thought that the idiom, “to hit the road” would be very confusing if someone was learning English. I can picture the student imagining slapping the asphalt and wondering why this was necessary.

[@rgnotdead]

Unless dead drunk

[@fu7879]

Wow love this 😂😂 but we have a similiar idiom in Turkish too and I can guess the meaning quite easily: "Yollara vurulmak" means "to be hit onto the roads" Wait a minute now I doubt my understanding of that English idiom you say😕 I'm going to check if it really means the way I understand it😅

[@slightsmile999]

Here are some peculiar Bulgarian idioms (Bulgaria's that small country in the Balkans west of the Black Sea). I have tried to come up with the best English equivalents; Come and hit me one shoulder - lend sb. a hand (help; I guess arms and hands have a lot to do with help) Throw an eye on that = have a look to pull out one's bread = to make a living be carried by the same wind = to be on the same wavelength I said my mother's milk! = I said absolutely everything I knew A stone is lying on my heart - some heavy burden is bothering me to be eating flies - to be doing nothing a bear's favour - used when sb. wants to help but doesn't realize it will do more harm than good to tear sb's skin - normally used for relatives; to be the same as a bakery shovel - a hypocritical person to split a hair in two - to be stingy PS: I love your videos!

[@izeugirdor]

Haha! Wow, to be eating flies! That looks horrible in my mind. :D

[@HamGuderhagen]

"Throw an eye on", "a bear's favour", "to split a hair" - those exist exactly like that in German, too. The stone on the heart is slightly different though: "There falls a stone from my heart" (I am so relieved)

[@M-Three0]

In German we have "Nur Bahnhof verstehen" In English you would say "To only understand train station" Meaning: To have no idea what the other person is talking about.

[@radhikarathore30]

Thanks for the information

[@HamGuderhagen]

It is self-evident: When abroad, not having any of the local language and then asking where the station is ... you will only understand "station" in the locals' answers (the one word you learned to be able to ask the question)

[@manavkashyap7]

Lucy, you impart the knowledge in an extremely amazing manner!

[@k.stewart007]

So when they did the marketing campaigns did they say "sliced bread! The best thing since wrapped bread"?

[@Bobrogers99]

Locally we say, "best thing since beer in a can".

[@andreasrehn7454]

in German you say something sold like sliced bread. . same origin I guess

[@sophiess9751]

"Snowballs!!" I choked 😂😂😂

[@47_zinia]

🤣🤣🤣

[@yesit_slove]

Same!

[@mirax777]

She showed them out?

[@lucky.one22]

😂🤣😂

[@seorsamaclately4294]

some equivalents to your idioms in German 1. Sturm im Wasserglas - storm in a water glass 3. mausetot - dead as a mouse 4. ins Gras beißen . to bite into grass 6. nicht alle Tassen im Schrank haben - to not have all cups in the cupboard 7. ewig und 3 Tage - forever and 3 days 10. Holzauge, sei wachsam - wooden eye, be cautious

[@aluk2408]

Love idioms. One of my favourites is "this'll blow your socks off" when you hand someone a strong drink.

[@markcooper5595]

Lucy , you’re an abundance of joy and happiness…keep showing us all with your good nature and detailed English lessons

[@padmagogoi6124]

When it comes to Lucy's videos,I always like before I watch.Loads of love from India🤗🤗

[@kasim4282]

Even me. She is my favorite Teacher. Lots of love from India 🇮🇳

[@sandhiyar1864]

Can a indian student join lingoda?

[@dumitranoctavian343]

Same here ^__^♡♡

[@bouthibaabderraouf8639]

"You did it with your hands, you solve it with your teeth", an algerian idiom, that means if you caused a problem yourself, you have to solve it yourself

[@graceygrumble]

That's similar to "You've made your bed, now you have to lie in it".

[@hanslodholz6461]

In the US the idiom "balls to the wall" is used in circumstances in which the maximum amount of effort is exerted, or resources applied, to attaining an objective. This is often mistaken to be a vulgar phrase as the word "balls" is believed to be a reference to male genitalia. The reality is that the idiom originated in World War 2 aviation. American multi-engine bombers of the era had spherical throttle handles (balls). Positioning the throttle controls fully forward, such that they were nearest the firewall (balls to the wall), meant that the throttles were fully opened and the engines were producing maximum power. Thus, "balls to the wall" became an idiom meaning to exert maximum effort.

[@Bazroshan]

Another one that sounds ruder than it is: 'It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey!' The balls of a pawnbroker's sign were suspended from a bracket known as a monkey.

[@james6401]

"Brass monkeys" indeed Is "to make a balls of something" a vulgarity I wonder? Might not be. A "cock up" similarly might not refer to nether parts either. "To make a hames of something" comes from a farming implement off the top of my head!

[@aspenrebel]

@@Bazroshan What balls of a pawnbroker's sign?

[@aspenrebel]

ok, I don't think I have ever heard anyone use that phrase.

[@mangalvnam2010]

Sounds like a cop command to someone subjetcted to blitz...

[@randyide8355]

Hello Lucy, I am a native speaker of the southern California dialect of American English. I enjoy watching and listening to your lessons. I like learning the English idioms and pronunciation of our language. Plus, as a healthy adult male I have to say you have a lovely speaking voice, a lovely continence and your slight lisp is very endearing. My best Regards, Randall Ide.

[@maqameda]

An idiom from Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 “I don’t have time to scratch my head” means that I don’t have time, I’m full busy. 😂

[@assiaelm]

We have the same idiom in MORROCO SAME WORDS SAME MEANING!

[@zenamoon6156]

We have the same idioms in Turkey as well :)

[@maqameda]

Ahaha perfect guys 😎 I'm glad to hear that.

[@chevrois4260]

In Poland it's also similar but it sounds "I don't have time to scratch my ass" 😂 which isn't quite polite to be honest haha

[@maqameda]

chevrois ahaha true, a little bit 😅

[@internetghost469]

8:06 In the US there's a similar saying "dodged a bullet" which is where you successfully avoided a bad situation or a problem

[@lcrjones5220]

Yeah, we have that in the UK too!

[@loisdungey3528]

Same in New Zealand. He just dodged a bullet - he just avoided serious consequences.

[@filianablanxart8305]

Not just avoided , but further implication that either it was a narrow miss , or that your favorable outcome to potentially bad situation was either unlikely , or unexpected .

[@aspenrebel]

Yeah, like Marriage!!! As I always say "Marriage is the leading cause of divorce".

[@tanujgoswami9552]

Lucy, your style of expression and presentation specially idioms and phrases makes me clear a lot of things . I follow your lessons even at 60years

[@indranighoshroy4920]

I so very hated learning idioms, and now you made me fall in love with'em. I have been sometimes trying to make up unnecessary sentences in recent conversations just to embed some cool idioms I learnt from your videos. That's something I myself find hard to belief, but yes! Thank you so much!

[@A.Spirited_Solivagant]

Those earrings aren't a nuisance, Ms Earl but they've rather accentuated your beauty. I loved the beautiful background in your recent videos, but this isn't bad either. I really appreciate your effort to create PDF lessons from henceforth. They'll be extremely useful for those who watch your videos on the move. A lesson on idioms from your end is an absolute delight, Ms Earl. Thank you. :) Much love xxx

[@jafflinvijayakumar1978]

Love from India 🇮🇳...just loved your way of teaching ma’am...it’s really very useful..thank you so much,ma’am 😊

[@DiabolicCherry]

A funny one we have in France : "One shouldn't push grandma in the nettles" which means Don't push it/ Don't overdo it

[@loisdungey3528]

Maybe don't push your luck.

[@arthurnibble4763]

"Keep them peeled" relates to the first British police force, in London, founded by Sir Robert Peel. The policemen were nicknamed peelers. The phrase relates to policemen looking out for anything suspicious.

[@AutomaticDuck300]

It's also why Bobby is British slang for a police officer.

[@aspenrebel]

Really? Cop for police officer. "Call the Cops! Bad boy, bad boy, what you gonna do, what you gonna do when they come for you?" Cop comes from Copper, which was the first nickname for police officers, cuz they wore bright shiny copper buttons on their uniforms.

[@aspenrebel]

@@AutomaticDuck300 Really? When I was a kid I had one of those helmets. Oh, Flashback. When I was in High School, I wrote a story titled "Say Goodbye to Bobby for Me". It was set in London. It had nothing, well almost nothing to do with police, but police were in the story. Bobby was the name of a dog. The rest is a bit complicated and involved.

[@cynhwon]

There is a chinese idom that goes: Every family has a book (sacred texts) that is difficult to read. which means everyone has a different circumstance that others don’t often understand completely.

[@positivemind5424]

What is the Idiom?

[@dariawicgs5254]

@@positivemind5424 家家有本难念的经

[@positivemind5424]

@@dariawicgs5254 Please write down in English. I don't understand this language.

[@dariawicgs5254]

@@positivemind5424 emmm aren't u asked for the idiom...

[@positivemind5424]

@@dariawicgs5254 Yeah....I was trying to say that ."Every family has a book that is difficult to read." is this the Idiom?

[@kojak8403]

"Everything but the kitchen sink" meaning guess: I'm not doing the dishes!

[@haruka.h560]

I love it 😂😂

[@Nebobo]

now this is a good one😂

[@alexthebadassbadger5749]

Hilarious, I hate doing the dishes 😂

[@MyDanymax]

LOL...... get a diswasher LOL

[@akiradora3271]

WTH lol😂😂😂😂

[@michaelmappin4425]

I'm an American and English is my only language but I still like watching your videos. You have a lovely voice.

[@jeremypope]

German: "someone talks like a waterfall" (jemand redet wie ein Wasserfall) means someone speaks fast and does not stop. There is also "something sells like sliced bread" (verkauft sich wie geschnitten Brot) for something that sells well.

[@sulsul6476]

Thanks for the video! In my language (Kazakh) there is a phrase - "put your brain on the scales", which means to thought about smth deeply.

[@janetchungNKen]

There's a best Chinese idioms "I'll run with my clogs if there ain't any shoe". It means can't wait to get away desperately form any situation. This is my all time favourite idioms, 😅😅😅

[@stefaniamarinescu1631]

I saw this video for the first time and I clicked on the link to get the FREe lesson PDF. For everyone, it does come a bit later, but it's worth it. I didn't read at first that it will come slower, and I was about to complain. I'm grateful I didn't.

[@irrelevant_noob]

TBH, i'm more disappointed that it's called "Copy of Copy of ©English with lucy (3).pdf" than that it takes a few minutes to arrive... ^^

[@dmbm10]

This informal, open adn friendly way to share is much appreciated.

[@jejed9610]

I always laugh when you say impoh-tant 😂😂. British accent is just something else. I am trying now to sound like British so I can confuse people 😏

[@vasanthabanu6902]

Me 2 😑😀

[@talktome120]

Yayy!! New videos from Lucy make my day, I'm really obsessed :) Thank you so much for quality content!

[@ac4th371]

I really wish us English still had an accent like yours. Proper English.

[@atomiccellarvintageslinger2516]

Here in the US Southern states the term "Bless your heart" can be an expression of empathy...or an insult depending on intent and content.

[@user-lq6sq3lx7d]

"You are making an elephant from a mouse!" It means the same as a storm in a teacup Also, we have in Russian "Not everyone is at home" an equivalent to the lights are on but no one's home Thank you for your videos, they are always positive and energetic!

[@ennasus5964]

We say 'You don't have all cups in the cupboard' 😅

[@user-ny7ne1og8t]

Hold up, I say in Russian "You are making an elephant from a fly". How surprising!

[@user-lq6sq3lx7d]

@@user-ny7ne1og8t Yeah we state the same, but I've noticed that someone pronounce it this way! I found it interesting, and thought it would be amusing to russian speakers

[@kardolina]

In Poland we say "you are making a pitchfork from a needle" :D

[@user-lq6sq3lx7d]

@@kardolina Sounds great:)))))

[@jerryjavs3210]

Just in time for my English online class on idioms. This is such a good addition to my collection. Thanks Lucy.💙

[@vulanimaswanganye6209]

Your work is amazing Lucy...Thank you so much...I'm learning a lot from the lessons you provide...👌👌👌

[@ABC-ed8cg]

In Chinese slang, a teacher is ‘one who eats chalk dust‘. There’s one chinese idiom that goes ‘the emperor isn’t anxious but his eunuchs are’, which means the observers/the less important ppl are more anxious than the person involved. Another chinese idiom equivalent to English’s ‘cross the bridge when you come to it’ is ‘the ship/boat will align itself once it comes to the bridge’ - no point fretting about the problem.

[@francescorampini9343]

Oh god! I love so much idioms because there's always cultural background to discover! I'm from Italy and about 10. we say, literally, "Let your eye dance" about being vigilant!

[@jesusguillermoplasenciapaz7628]

I really missed that background (just a wall). Love u Lucy!

[@EnglishwithLucy]

I thought it would be more appropriate for this video as there is so much text on screen

[@devthomasbenoj1408]

@@EnglishwithLucy You are a genius!

[@kasim4282]

Indeed .

[@Bilal-rx1nb]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKjVp5x7i5h4irM

[@nickmacdonald9535]

I'm a real cockney and rhyming slang has been part of my whole life. Many years ago I was a copper in South London and we were doing an obbo, (observation). The subject of our obbo came out of his house and I used the radio to inform my colleagues. It went something like this; " 'es out of 'is drum and 'eadin' your way. 'Es on 'is plates". Translated; He has left his house and going in your direction. He's walking. Everybody understood but there was nothing else to be said and that was the way we spoke to each other. Even now, I no longer live in London but I still include rhyming slang in my everyday spech. It's so natural to me.

[@loisdungey3528]

We use quite a few of these in New Zealand. My son had a top that said Bob's your Uncle. He loved it as he did really have an Uncle Bob.

[@yaffayed]

i always love your idiom lessons ms.lucy, hoping for another idiom lessons💜

[@user-pb5wj1ee2f]

"The thief's hat is burning " is a russian idiom for someone who is guilty for somewhat and cannot hide his shame

[@joojasia1]

In Polish we say it too😉

[@mayanlogos92]

Hows it in Russian Need to know if I recognise it...

[@mayanlogos92]

Шапка вору горит"? I think it's not Really so... can't wait to see the answer

[@user-di2er6cw2j]

@@mayanlogos92 на воре и шапка горит

[@user-pb5wj1ee2f]

@@mayanlogos92 "На воре шапка горит"

[@rulocco]

For N° 8, here in Chile we say: "Hacer perro muerto" (to do a dead dog), mening to order for something, and then go away without paying. For N° 1, we say "Tormenta en un vaso de agua" ( A storm in glass of water) Its the same meaning, but with no tea in it. And opposite, when something is very smooth, we say "Como una taza de leche" (Like cup of milk) We have lots of funny idioms in Chile, sometimes not even other spanish speakers can understan us!!! Cheers / Saludos

[@bryanpark2760]

I have no idea what's happening here but I really and truly do love Lucy. I could listen to you all day everyday. 🌷💜

[@lLadyAszneth]

In the Southern states of the U.S, I use and others say "The Engine's running, but there's noone behind the wheel." Love that one! 😂🤣😂 Oh and I have a joke, but it's a good one, I think. *Clears throat* If people from Poland are called "Poles," why aren't people from Holland called "Holes!" Do you think I need to show myself out? 🤭🤭🤭

[@lLadyAszneth]

@JustaRandomGuy Why thank you! 😀

[@IAmValenwind]

other variants of "the lights are on but nobody's home" used on the west coast of the US: "not the sharpest knife in the drawer" ("sharp" is also a statement about someone being quick-witted, so it's a double play on words) "not the sharpest tool in the shed" "not the brightest bulb" ("bright", likewise, being a statement of intelligence) "a can short of a six pack" (cans of soda or beer are sold in packs of 6, so not all of his reasoning faculties are present... one is missing) "not the sharpest bulb in the shed" (he is so bad off, only a mixed metaphor that makes no sense accurately describes him, because what exactly is a bulb doing in the shed, and why did someone try to sharpen it???) "he's a potato" (in elementary school science, a potato can be used to power a small light bulb, but not much else)

[@henkvandenbos9769]

Hahaha, dutchman here, actually living in Zuid-Holland... I admit I had to laugh, but now I'm left with a bit of a hollow fealing...

[@rosti7698]

I just love how ''kick the bucket'' sounds. In Bulgarian, we say ''kick the bell'' (referring to a church bell). Another one, I'm not sure if you have it in English, it is ''from chicken to milk'' and it basically means there is plenty of everything you want. We tend to use it when a fridge is full, you could say ''it's got from chicken to milk''. I know it doesn't translate well in English, but i think it's a funny one. 😂

[@robertvaneersel3741]

In the Netherlands we say: he gives the pipe to Maarten. Nobody knows who that Maarten is though.

[@rosti7698]

Robert van Eersel Ha-ha! I like that one as well. 🤣

[@madzia357]

In Polish we say "to kick the calendar"

[@aspenrebel]

"Take the bull by the horns" means to take charge of something, to command something. Ex: The company was about to go bankrupt. But they brought in a new President, and he took the bull by the horns. He saved the company, now it is profitable.

[@DanhNguyen-ks8ke]

@@aspenrebel and the opposite of that would be “pass the buck”

[@stannesk]

Here is a funny one in Serbian (my mother tongue): To step on a crazy stone. It means to get married (only related to men).

[@rogersledz6793]

Thank you so much for uploading this video. It is helping me to get through the pandemic!

[@shalinibajpai9833]

You are a brilliant and the most beautiful teacher.....I love watching your lesson videos in leisure time. Lots of love from India.♥️

[@upasakchakrabarty2772]

"A storm in a teacup" is similar to Bengali idiom "Chayer Cup e tufan tola".... meaning is the same

[@freddb34]

I work in the US but had a counterpart in the UK and he’s always be describing something and end with “and Bob’s your uncle” and I never knew what he meant until now. I didn’t want to ask as I felt it rude. And I don’t know what it is about a woman with a British accent…just melts my heart!!

[@MaaritKy]

In Finland we have an idiom " kestääkö rahkeet?" which means if something is strong enough. Nowadays Finns don't even know what are these "rahkeet" because it is an old word for one surtain part of a horse harness, which takes all the hardest weight when horse is pulling a very heavy load.

[@haroldlake1005]

I know one English idiom: "Birds of the feather flock together", in Spanish it means: "Dios los cría y ellos se juntan". Thanks a lot, Lucy.

[@mahmoudrubeya7876]

I thought that was a proverb

[@aspenrebel]

One in the hand is worth two in the bush.

[@viktoriakollmann3946]

Hellou! This video is a lovely collection! Here’s my homework: In Hungarian: “Vaj van a füle mögött = someone has got butter behind the ears” it means that a child have done something bad but adults only suppose it. “Alulról szagolja az ibolyát = someone is smelling the violets from under” and it means that someone is dead.

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

The second one is kind of like the English "they're pushing up daisies"

[@SpicyTechyPodcast]

Thank you so much for this awesome video! Having been born and raised here in Canada, my first language is English, however I wasn't familiar with a few of these expressions... most of them I've heard before, but not all. Thank you for sharing the origins of some of these idioms as well! Fascinating indeed! :)

[@larrystowe2761]

I've heard most of these all my life, and used them for Donkeyears...but then again my mum was from Norwich UK and I was born in Windsor. I love your videos.

[@taylor_green_9]

”Estar más cerca del arpa que de la guitarra" (to be closer to the harp than to the guitar). It means "to be close to death, due to old age or sickness"

[@bruces4515]

Does the guitarra represent the serenade of the woman he loves, only to be humiliated in front of a mariachi band? Is this one country or basic Spanish.

[@taylor_green_9]

@@bruces4515 The guitar represents hanging out with friends around a bonfire or a barbecue, singing and dancing; in short, it represents life. The idiom is used in Argentina, but I don't know whether it is also used in other countries or not.

[@hnlr7385]

I HAVE JUST FINISHED YOUR VLOG ON LUCY BELLA CHANNEL AND HERE YOU GO WHAT A LOVELY VLOG IT WAS KEEP SHINING DEAR MY LOVE FROM MOROCCO

[@EnglishwithLucy]

aaaaaah so glad you liked my vlog!!!

[@KingDavid839]

@@EnglishwithLucy can you give me a personal phone number please of yours and I am form India😘😘

[@dataking3784]

@@KingDavid839 kuch toh saram kar bhai.

[@piros100]

My mum used so many funny idioms in Hungarian. -Nyomja, mint süket a csengőt = Presses it like a deaf person does the doorbell. meaning to press something, usually a button neadlessly hard and long. - Annyit ér, mint halottnak a csók/szentelt víz = as useless as giving a kiss/holy water to a dead person. used when someone keeps trying hard to change a situation that is finite.

[@hussainomer6356]

you're absolutely beautiful person ,I'm very lucky to have a teacher like you in my life. Following you from Sudan.

[@yazminyusub351]

If in school they have cute teacher like her, students will go to school every day without miss her class

[@dondiego6282]

I love your accent so much! !! I’ve learned that British accent was the most appreciated accent from french people!! So chic !! 🐔🇫🇷🤩

[@williamdeegan7840]

No.16- A few bricks shy of a full load. No.17- Her or his elevator doesn't go to the top floor. No.18- There not playing with a full deck. No.19- There not running on all 8.( Refers to a V8 engine) . No.20- There not the sharpest tool in the shed. Interesting. Very nice video.

[@veronika7778]

Hello Lucy, thank you so much for your lessons . I love them a lot! I‘m from germany and your storm in the teacup is in german the storm in a glass of water. A funny Idiom in german is the word „Pustekuchen“. Literally translated it means „blow cake“. The exclamation blow cake means something like: from because of. Depending on the context, it is used to express that someone does not get something, that they would like to have or that their opinion is wrong.

[@dumitranoctavian343]

In Romanian we say" se potrivește ca nuca în perete" = it fits like a nut in a wall.. for 2 things wich doesn't fit at all actually..Very good 👍 👍 video and final joke as well.Lots of love 💘 ❤ from Paris

[@tesnimabderrahmen4658]

In Tunisia we have a very weird language so here's some idioms: 1/To ruffle intestines on someone's head: We use it when someone is totally annoyed or angry with someone else so we would say "if he comes I swear I'd ruffle intestines on his head!!" 2/To wash and remove someone: to insult 3/To loose someone's eye in someone else: to insult or to repulse someone 4/ "they are like 'eat me I'll eat you'": when two persons or more are always fighting 5/ they are like "free my hand for your hair": same as the fourth 6/to invert someone's head: it can be like to pick your brain but we use it when you wanna know sth (sth happened for example) from someone by making them telling you subconsciously. 7/ your ear and nose: we use it like " you wish" when the request that will never be accepted. 8/will be late by the grade: same as the seventh 9/to push the pawn: to be irresponsible and lazy in doing sth or to make fun of a serious thing 10/the house owner is not here: means when the person that should get into the problem is ignoring it

[@cindypellegrini1]

For the idiom "the lights are on, but no one's home", we use something similar in French which is "Il n'a pas la lumière à tous les étages" which literally means "Lights are not on on every floor of his home". We also have "OK, je sors" that is to say "OK, I'm leaving" that we use exactly as British people use "I'll show myself out". :)

[@rons3634]

Never heard "donkey's years" before, but I'm American and a couple of these are very British. Say "Bob's your uncle!" to an American and they'd think you were "Off your rocker". :)

[@leonavickas]

In Brazilian Portuguese we have a lot of funny idioms. “É batata” literally means “it’s potato” but is used when something is right to happen. Like “It was potatoes, he asked me to marry him, as you said.”

[@itsa5345]

My University admission is knocking at the door and this came to suggestions!Glad to see this🌼

[@stevebrown5253]

Smashing list; related to the chill pill, I often tell my barky dogs to “ try the decaf” (referring to coffee of course). Cheers, Steve.