The most basic and important part of something is the meat and potatoes.
The meat and potatoes of this newspaper is the business news.
Volunteer work is the meat and potatoes of the programme.
When you find a task, that others find difficult, easy and pleasant, it is meat and drink to you.
Most people dislike making speeches in front of audiences but it's meat and drink to me.
Greek is the adjective form for the country Greece.
It's (all) Greek to me is used to describe something that is very confusing or not understandable.
I've tried reading the instructions but it's all Greek to me.
Dutch is the adjective for the Netherlands, also known as Holland.
What do you think is the best response to each question?
1) What did John say?
a) He said he would call you tonight.
b) He saying he would call you tonight.
c) He calling you tonight he said.
The correct answer is a) 'He said he would call you tonight' because it is the correct use of reported speech.
2) Have you seen Belinda?
a) I haven't seen her since 3 days.
b) I haven't seen her for 3 days.
c) I seen her 3 days ago.
You are more likely to get sick during winter, so here are some expressions that, unfortunately, you might find useful at this time of year:
Catch means get, so catch a cold means get a cold. We can also say pick up a cold.
I caught a cold from my brother. I hope I don't give it to anyone.
I don't feel very well today, I think I have picked up a cold.
When we become sick we say have come down with a cold.
When someone is asking you a question, it is vital that you listen carefully and answer in the correct manner. You should always respond only with information related specifically to the question asked.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"Can you repeat that, please?"
"I'm sorry, I don't understand. Can you say that again?"
How would you respond to the following? Here are ten basic questions with three possible responses per question. Choose the best answer to each question:
In the driving seat
When you are in the driving seat, you are in control of a situation.
"During negotiations, he felt he was in the driving seat."
The driving force
The driving force behind someone or something is the person or thing that motivates and directs it.
"His wife was the real driving force behind his success."
Driving blind
When we close something or it becomes closed it is shut.
Can you shut the door, please?
She shut the suitcase.
He shut his eyes and listened to the music.
Here are some other common shut expressions:
Shut yourself away
When you stay at home so you don't have to see anyone, you shut yourself away. Usually because you or unhappy or because you need a quiet place to work/concentrate.
Cut down means to use less or do less of something.
You should cut down on the amount of cigarettes you smoke.
I've cut down on how much coffee I drink. I used to drink five cups a day, now I drink two.
We're cutting down on the amount of paper we use in the office.
To completely stop eating something, usually for health reasons.
My doctor recommended I cut out salt from my diet.
This cartoon is based on the idiom collecting dust.
If something is collecting (or gathering) dust, it isn't being used any more. Dust is the fine dirt that builds up on surfaces that have not recently been cleaned. Objects become dusty if they are not used for a long time.
Examples:
When you imagine something that is not real, it is all in your head.
They were not gossiping about you, it’s all in your head.
When you are ready and eager to listen, you are all ears.
Tell me what she said, I’m all ears.
When something is unusual for other people but not unusual for you, it’s all in a day’s work.
