Hi, Tom! I love your videos, I always refer to them in my classes, as I'm a teacher. I'm Brazilian, and the "cheap as chips" idiom is "it goes for the price of bananas" down here! Cheers, keep up the great content.
This is a hilariously dumb comment. "British Idioms" mean that they originated in Britain and are introduced by British English. It doesn't mean that they can't be or are not spoken elsewhere in the world otherwise you'd be put in jail.
@@rebeccamalcolm8549 Don't we eat food described as being chinese in America? If something originates from somewhere , it doesn't mean it can travel or be used across the world.
Hi @MakeupByTalha! Not sure whether you’re calling my comment hilariously dumb or the original comment. Sorry if you found my comment to be - just meant it as an observation about the overlap in usage, not as a claim to some kind of linguistic ownership. It’s just a comment about whether a phrase is used in other countries, as many other commenters do in these sorts of videos. As someone who has lived and worked in multiple countries with with internationals, I have found it helpful to know where words or phrases are used so that I know whether my students, friends etc understood (or not) when I use them. Sometimes, I haven’t realised until we talked about it or I saw it in videos like this. As for the comment about food, likewise, knowing whether a food variety is available can be useful, but isn’t a claim to ownership. Knowing that the area of SE Asia that I live in has lots of Korean and Chinese food tells you about the people and the context of the area, even though it isn’t in Korea or China. I think both food and language are key indicators of cultural contexts, and knowing about them can help you to understand a culture.
Thanks a lot Tom , some other common and important idioms: 1. it costs an arm and a leg. very expensive stuff, opposite to cheap as chips. 2. I'd give my right arm to do something. I am ready to do everything and anything to achieve my goal. 3. As easy as pie. similar to piece of cake. 4. To have a finger in many pies. To do many tasks different and unrelated tasks at the same time. 5. The bee's knees. The best of something, or something made from the best materials. Like, Mercedes is the bee's knees of the German vehicles. 6. To have a bee in your bonnet. When we are worry or anxious about something. 7. A second bite of the cherry. When ask for a second chance to correct our failure in the first attempt. 8. To go bananas. To be crazy or hyperactive. 9. To make a dog's dinner of something. To make mess of something, like when kids throw their toys everywhere, we may say: you really made a dog's dinner of your toys. 10. There isn't enough room to swing a cat. There isn't enough space or the place is pretty small, like a flat. There isn't enough room to swing a cat in his flat. Tom: kindly revise them and if any error or mistake, please correct me. N.B.: for more lots of idioms, please visit th-cam.com/video/p0Ygbm2GuHk/w-d-xo.html Kind regards,
"Something went pear-shaped" is really the most interesting idiom! I think I read somewhere that's existing the opposite too "Something went apple-shaped" for saying something has gone really good. Or I "Drunk like a fish" (in italian: drink like a sponge), or the sentence was "Cheap as chips" (in italian I really don't know if it's something...we use more expression for say that's expensive) ahah
It has nothing to do with Russia... Ruski, means Ruthenian my fellow Polish friends. Russian is rosyjski. The adjective ruski (also used in one of the most popular Polish dishes "ruskie pierogi" comes from Ruś (Ruthenia), which is a term used to describe various eastern lands (which in the past were parts of Poland). Maaany Polish people don't know that, as we don't have these lands after WWI anymore, so please look it up and stop confusing foreigners ;) Thanks! The term "raz na ruski rok" means "extremely rarely" - once in a blue moon. The genesis for this idom comes from the term "ruski miesiąc", so Ruthenian month. People on the east used the Julian calendar (not the Gregorian one, the one everyone knows now). Because of this, every month finished 13 days later when compared to the Gregorian calendar. That's why the Orthodox celebrate Christmas in January ;)
There are many other translation in Italian but these are the first off the top of my head: Not my cup of tea -> Non è il mio forte (not the strongest part of me) Piece of cake -> Liscio come l'olio (easy, like the oil) Go pear-shaped -> a carte 48 (I don't know how to translated this..) Donkey's years -> Dai tempi di Noè (Noah's years) Cheap as chips -> E' regalato (it's a gift!) Pardon my French -> Scusa il francesismo (the same!) Do the runner -> Fare il vento, "do the wind" Itchy feet -> Prudono i piedi (the same!) ..to save your life -> Ho due mani sinistre (I have two left hands!)
In German, if something is really cheap, especially if you'd expect it to be a lot more expensive, that is, you made a good bargain, you say you got it "for an apple and an egg" - "I got myself three of these sweaters. They were selling them for an apple and an egg!"
Thanks! In Italy we say: is not my cup of tea - non è il mio genre (is not my kind) go pear-shaped - andare a rotoli for/in donkey's years - da una vita, da un secolo across the pond - oltreoceano cheap as chips - non costa niente (it doesn't cost anything) do a runner - telare, darsela a gambe :)
In America we might say "it's raining cats and dogs" and sometimes we just say "it's pouring." When I was little we said "it's raining cats and dogs, I just stepped in a poodle."
Not too much to add to the comments. Am a "cousin" from across the pond. I've always used a variation on your last example. "I couldn't learn French even if my life depended on it. Just discovered your channel and am enjoying it. Kudos!
These are in common useage in Aus too; I had thought they were Australian colloquiallisms 😄. The reverse of 'Downunder' for us is really just 'Britain' (possibly because Queens- land is already taken 😎).
There's a common expression in Russian which is similar to "cheap as chips" - "It's cheaper than mushrooms." In addition, there's another one for "It was a piece of cake." - "It was easier than a steamed turnip"
Hello I am from the US. I’ve watched several of your videos now and am still amazed that we do use a lot of the same words and phrases to mean the same thing. Such as “pardon my French” and “not my cup of tea” and “cant do that to save my life”. I was also interested to learn the other idioms you told us. Here in America I can’t think of a way to cheap as chips other than “cheap as sh!t”. However we do have one for something that’s really expensive: “that costs an arm and a leg” or something that’s really old can be said to be “as old as dirt”! Thanks for the fun lesson 😊
late to the game, but there's one that I have always used. I'm sure where it came from but I like it. "What are you on about?" This, I have always believed, meant "What are you talking about?
Hi! Teacher! I wanna tell you the funny thing. In Thailand if you say “Itchy Feet” to Thai people, It’s mean you wanna fight them😂😂 now i can know this idiom in English way, thank you😀🙏🙏
I love idioms.I'm from Serbia. I can't reckon an idiom for cheapness in Serbian. Perhaps a relatively new one I heard the other day. It's "As cheap as the office furniture". However, there is one commonly used when we want to say something is too expensive. We say something like: "It's as expensive as ordering scrambled eggs from St. Peter's". Yeah, it's kinda funny...
Many of these phrases are also spoken in Mid-America where I am from. I say "not my cup of tea", "That's a piece of cake!!", "Pardon my French", "I can't draw to save my life!", and "Sally lives down under (Australia). Want to know where Britain is on the map? "I live in Boston, but James lives across the Pond (Britain)!!" When a bride runs from her wedding, "she has cold feet". If you haven't seen or done something in a long time you say "I haven't seen him in ages!!"
galiagoze A lot of these are said in the northeast too. The idiom about pears I’ve never heard of but the rest of them are used here also. Actually, the donkey one I’ve heard but I think is much less frequently used. Interesting stuff.
A jack of all trades but master of none. A bird in hand is worth than two in the bush. A rolling stone gathers no moss. Casting pearls before the swine. A drop in the ocean.
Thanks a lot Making it easy for viewers 😁 1. Not my cup of tea. 2. A piece of cake. 3. Go Pear-Shaped 4. For/In Donkey’s years. 5. Across the pond (Bonus: Down Under). 6. Cheap as chips. 7. Pardon my french. 8. Do a runner. 9. Itchy feet. 10. Can’t (do something) to save (your) life.
Such a great teacher Tom! Love All the idioms! I gonna try to remember all of them and try to find a situation to use them, it's quite difficult though.
I live in America and I say almost all of them!! Although I have never heard "in donkeys years " before. Thank you for your videos, I really enjoy them!! ❤
0:35 - not my cup of tea 1:20 - a piece of cake 2:00 - to go pear-shaped 2:58 - for donkey's years 3:48 - across the pond / down under 4:53 - cheap as chips 5:40 - pardon my french 6:14 - to do a runner 7:05 - itchy feet 7:59 - can't do something to save your life
In the US we use a similar phrase: "have an itch to scratch" or "have to scratch an itch" which means you have a craving you need to satisfy, such as eat some candy or do something you really want to do.
In Italy we say "vale quattro soldi" as cheap as chips. It literally means "it's worth two bits" . "Soldi" is a money nobody uses, a kind of out of time term, a medieval memory. Thank for sharing your super-fresh lessons.
Your videos are really nice. You remind me a British teacher I have here in Ecuador just easy explanations to make English enjoyable. Greetings from Ecuador
Haven't seen you "In a dogs age" U.S.A. ...................Subbed and like your videos so much! I'm American/English and do pop home to Eng. each year.
Tom am Sarah from Somalia really like ur channel am learning English from u N now my English is getting better this video is so special and amazing 😉 Thank you very much u deserve to be called the best teacher 👨🏫 u N Papa English r my favorite anyway Thanks N keep it up ❤️❤️💕💕💕💝💝❤️💕💕💕💕✅
In Portuguese we have some similar idioms. "Não é minha praia" (it's not my beach) for "it's not my cup of tea". "A preço de banana" (at the price of a banana) for "cheap as chips". "Faz tempo pra burro" (it's been a time for donkey) for "donkey's yeara" - obs.: but "pra burro" (for donkey) serves for express any other big quantities as money, food, etc. "É sopa no mel" (it's soup in the honey) or "é mamão com açúcar" (it's papaya with sugar) for "a piece of cake".
In Italy "a piece of cake" can be translated as "un gioco da ragazzi " (a game for young people)... when we use bad words we also say "scusate il francesismo" 😂😂😂. I have learned a lot of new idioms in this video. Thank you a lot 😊
Here in Brazil we say that something is cheap as bananas. Maybe because bananas are very cheap in Brazil but I think it is cheap in other countries too.
marcos silva I dont agree with you as Turkish :) it is not cheap to have. If you purchase for a kilo, you need to pay as 3 dollars. By the way Brazil is amazing country i am really excited for it!!
In Uruguay and in Buenos Aires, Argentina there is the frase proportionally equivalent to "across the pond": To cross the puddle (cruzar el charco), meaning to cross the estuary Rio de la Plata. In Brazil referring something very cheap, they say 'cheap as banana'. "If I were you" is used in Spanish (at least in Uruguay and Argentina) as 'yo que tú', which means the same. Your videos are very useful, Thanks!
Hello Tom, I have just watched your video, loved it. I ran into your channel by chance, it's splendid. Keep doing, man! I am from the Czech Republic, so speak Czech, a Slavonic language, we have a few very very similar idioms here though. We say, Walk through a rose orchard, Behind the big puddle, By antipodes. Guess what is what :)
Hello! I really love your channel) To be honest, you tell about English so interestingly. Thank you for that. By the way I want to tell you about idiom that in my language(I`m Russian) can mean "for donkey`s years". We usually say "hundred summers, hundred winters" for example: Hey!! Hundred summers, hundred winters! I haven`t seen you for many years.
In Italian for donkeys' years we say "ogni morte di papa" that is every time the Pope dies because it's just so rare I guess and usually they live a pretty long life
The expression (great one!) is similar but the meaning is different: we say "that thing happens ogni morte di papa". It is something that happens once in a blue moon! (to use another expression). "for donkey's years" is something that hasn't happened for ages.
in Argentina, we have a similar idiom (bishop instead of pope) but those fit more for referring to an infrequent event, rather than "a long time" like the examples given by Tom. Similar but not the same
Thanks for your video Tom . You are a good teacher. English is not my native language. But now it's become a piece of cake day by day , by watching your videos
In Russia we also say "pardon my French" when we use bad language))) we say "prostite mn'e moy frantsuskiy")))) and we also have an idiom that sounds like" do a runner " - we say " delat' nogi" (to do legs) it means to leave very quickly))) and we say as easy as an orange))) thanks for sharing, you videos are really useful for me as I am a teacher of English as a foreign language)))
You're right, "Je suis désolé" means "I'm sorry" (yah, I'm French and I use your videos to prove my english teacher that the figures of speech I use are right, so THANK YOU)
As a life long Anglophile from across the pond, I am really enjoying your videos. One phrase I haven't heard you use yet is gobsmacked. I hear it in British shows and movies, is it common in the real world? Because of my love of all things British, most of the terms you use are familiar to me. I also use quite a few myself. My kids think I'm weird! LOL! I enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work.
I love idioms! The strangest one for me was when my mate from work said 'oh I need to spend a penny'. I thought he goes shopping few times a day and spends his money or something :D but nope, there's nothing you can buy in the loo:D
Hahaha yes! It's such a strange one isn't it. Over here in Britain there are still public toilets where we have to pay to use them but nowadays we have to 'spend 50 pennies' rather than 1. Is it the same where you are from Anna Zyxx?
Eat Sleep Dream English I live in England now but come from Poland and yes it's the same there, but trust me you don't wanna go to public toilet in Poland, even for free :D but Poland is such a beautiful country with lovely people anyway! Just avoid public toilets! :D
It was once common to have coin operated locks on the cubicle doors. If there was an (cloakroom) attendant you'd be expected to tip more, often in exchange for arbitrary services, like having the back of your coat brushed or use of perfume (toilet water).
Is that 'dirt cheap' has same meaning with 'cheap as chips' ? Btw, your video is so cool. I am an Anglophile and I really love British English. I hope you make more videos about specific topics like: health, food, pricing...
I was been expecting more England-specific and colorful phrases. We have phrases such as: 1. He ain’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. (Not too smart) 2. Happier than a dog with two peckers. (REALLY HAPPY!) 3. Half a bubble off-center (a little crazy). 4) If it had hair around I bet you’d get it in there! (What you say to your co-worker trying to fit a part in another part). There’s more but they’re even raunchier.
In American English you would say “Let’s dash” to leave quickly to avoid something negative or troublesome. People often use the expression “dine and dash” when referring to leaving quickly from a restaurant without paying. Americans also say “That’s not my cup of tea” or alternately “Thats not [really] my thing.”
Hello Tom! If somebody says, 'I couldn't sing to save my life', can that mean the person didn't manage to sing well on one occasion? Or is it only about your general ability?
The ugly, literal meaning of "can't sing [ or do something else] to save my life is: If someone pointed a handgun at your ear and said that you had to sing pleasantly or you would be shot, you would probably lose your life because you are so very bad at singing [ or whatever else the gunman wanted] .
I love these videos to brush up my English. If something is really easy, Germans call it a »Kinderspiel« which means a childrens game. To do a runner would translate into »Die Beine in die Hand nehmen« which literally means to take your legs into your hands - sounds absurd because you can't really run without your legs or with your legs in your hands but that's what we say. Funny that the Italians and the Russians also have a similar phrase for »Pardon my French« - if we say something in plain German (»auf gut Deutsch«) or don't take a leaf in front of our mouth (»kein Blatt vor den Mund nehmen«) you can be sure that a word might follow that we otherwise wouldn't make use of ;-) Languages are really funny - and each and every one in its own way.
In Panamanian Spanish we have a similar phrase to "In donkey's years". We say "en el año de la pera". We use it for something that happened a long time ago. We also say "cruzar el charco" to reference a trip to Europe from America.
Tim, in Argentina, as an exaggerated expression, we say "regalado" (which means "given away") or "tirado" (= laid down or thrown away) when referring to something really inexpensive
Ahhh I really appreciate that samantha eilz welcome and thanks for taking the time to watch my videos. If there is a video you would like me to make for you, please let me know : )
In Egypt, if someone said that he/she is going to do something in a short period like one day, and we know that this person usually takes very long time to fulfill or accomplish his/her promise, we say "his day is as long as the government's day" because usually when we do any transaction at any governmental organisation, like issuing a passport, driving license, or any else transaction, process is lengthy and takes long time. Kind regards,
In Armenia, we say "Cheap as water". It's because you can drink water from public water fountains free of charge (so-called "pulpulak": small, usually one meter tall, stone memorials with running water), which are very common in Armenia. And "from Noah's times" instead of "for/in donkey's years".
It means "...and that's it" like when given instructions: "follow step 1 xxxxx, then step 2 xxxxxx and then step 3 xxxxxx and Bob's your uncle" and one can then add "and Fanny's / Nelly's your aunt"
It could also be easy peasy! how was your exam! Oh, It was really easy peasy! means very easy! It is cheap as his or her life! :D from other words here in philippines hahaha
Hi, Tom! I love your videos, I always refer to them in my classes, as I'm a teacher. I'm Brazilian, and the "cheap as chips" idiom is "it goes for the price of bananas" down here! Cheers, keep up the great content.
"Not my cup of tea", "piece of cake", "pardon my French", and "to save my life" are all commonly used in the U.S. as well. Fun video. Thanks.
All of the phrases he says are used in Australia too. In fact, across most of the videos, Australians use the phrases described as being British.
This is a hilariously dumb comment. "British Idioms" mean that they originated in Britain and are introduced by British English. It doesn't mean that they can't be or are not spoken elsewhere in the world otherwise you'd be put in jail.
@@rebeccamalcolm8549 Don't we eat food described as being chinese in America? If something originates from somewhere , it doesn't mean it can travel or be used across the world.
Hi @MakeupByTalha! Not sure whether you’re calling my comment hilariously dumb or the original comment. Sorry if you found my comment to be - just meant it as an observation about the overlap in usage, not as a claim to some kind of linguistic ownership. It’s just a comment about whether a phrase is used in other countries, as many other commenters do in these sorts of videos.
As someone who has lived and worked in multiple countries with with internationals, I have found it helpful to know where words or phrases are used so that I know whether my students, friends etc understood (or not) when I use them. Sometimes, I haven’t realised until we talked about it or I saw it in videos like this.
As for the comment about food, likewise, knowing whether a food variety is available can be useful, but isn’t a claim to ownership. Knowing that the area of SE Asia that I live in has lots of Korean and Chinese food tells you about the people and the context of the area, even though it isn’t in Korea or China. I think both food and language are key indicators of cultural contexts, and knowing about them can help you to understand a culture.
"pardon my French" is even used in Russian lol
Thanks a lot Tom ,
some other common and important idioms:
1. it costs an arm and a leg.
very expensive stuff, opposite to cheap as chips.
2. I'd give my right arm to do something.
I am ready to do everything and anything to achieve my goal.
3. As easy as pie.
similar to piece of cake.
4. To have a finger in many pies.
To do many tasks different and unrelated tasks at the same time.
5. The bee's knees.
The best of something, or something made from the best materials. Like, Mercedes is the bee's knees of the German vehicles.
6. To have a bee in your bonnet.
When we are worry or anxious about something.
7. A second bite of the cherry.
When ask for a second chance to correct our failure in the first attempt.
8. To go bananas.
To be crazy or hyperactive.
9. To make a dog's dinner of something.
To make mess of something, like when kids throw their toys everywhere, we may say: you really made a dog's dinner of your toys.
10. There isn't enough room to swing a cat.
There isn't enough space or the place is pretty small, like a flat. There isn't enough room to swing a cat in his flat.
Tom: kindly revise them and if any error or mistake, please correct me.
N.B.: for more lots of idioms, please visit th-cam.com/video/p0Ygbm2GuHk/w-d-xo.html
Kind regards,
47Sukhoi really insightful
"Something went pear-shaped" is really the most interesting idiom! I think I read somewhere that's existing the opposite too "Something went apple-shaped" for saying something has gone really good. Or I "Drunk like a fish" (in italian: drink like a sponge), or the sentence was "Cheap as chips" (in italian I really don't know if it's something...we use more expression for say that's expensive) ahah
In Poland we say: "for a Russian year" - meaning really long
Very cool! Thanks for sharing that with us Kinga Gryger, that's really interesting. Do you know why that is?
raz na Ruski rok --- I guess it's more like "extremely rarely"
It has nothing to do with Russia... Ruski, means Ruthenian my fellow Polish friends. Russian is rosyjski. The adjective ruski (also used in one of the most popular Polish dishes "ruskie pierogi" comes from Ruś (Ruthenia), which is a term used to describe various eastern lands (which in the past were parts of Poland). Maaany Polish people don't know that, as we don't have these lands after WWI anymore, so please look it up and stop confusing foreigners ;) Thanks!
The term "raz na ruski rok" means "extremely rarely" - once in a blue moon. The genesis for this idom comes from the term "ruski miesiąc", so Ruthenian month. People on the east used the Julian calendar (not the Gregorian one, the one everyone knows now). Because of this, every month finished 13 days later when compared to the Gregorian calendar. That's why the Orthodox celebrate Christmas in January ;)
Pawcio765 👌
@@Pawcio765 thank you, so interesting)))) i've never heard Polish people say "raz na Ruski rok". Now i know))
There are many other translation in Italian but these are the first off the top of my head:
Not my cup of tea -> Non è il mio forte (not the strongest part of me)
Piece of cake -> Liscio come l'olio (easy, like the oil)
Go pear-shaped -> a carte 48 (I don't know how to translated this..)
Donkey's years -> Dai tempi di Noè (Noah's years)
Cheap as chips -> E' regalato (it's a gift!)
Pardon my French -> Scusa il francesismo (the same!)
Do the runner -> Fare il vento, "do the wind"
Itchy feet -> Prudono i piedi (the same!)
..to save your life -> Ho due mani sinistre (I have two left hands!)
In German, if something is really cheap, especially if you'd expect it to be a lot more expensive, that is, you made a good bargain, you say you got it "for an apple and an egg" - "I got myself three of these sweaters. They were selling them for an apple and an egg!"
Thanks!
In Italy we say:
is not my cup of tea - non è il mio genre (is not my kind)
go pear-shaped - andare a rotoli
for/in donkey's years - da una vita, da un secolo
across the pond - oltreoceano
cheap as chips - non costa niente (it doesn't cost anything)
do a runner - telare, darsela a gambe
:)
In England you say
"It rains cats and dogs"
In Greece we say
"It rains chairs legs"
😂😂
in Spanish we say "it rains frogs and snakes"
@@norbertoiusem2304 hahahahaaa
@@norbertoiusem2304 lol no one here says that hahah
In America we might say "it's raining cats and dogs" and sometimes we just say "it's pouring." When I was little we said "it's raining cats and dogs, I just stepped in a poodle."
We have studied that fraze in Russia too, but I've never heard it among native speakers.
Not too much to add to the comments. Am a "cousin" from across the pond. I've always used a variation on your last example. "I couldn't learn French even if my life depended on it. Just discovered your channel and am enjoying it. Kudos!
These are in common useage in Aus too; I had thought they were Australian colloquiallisms 😄.
The reverse of 'Downunder' for us is really just 'Britain' (possibly because Queens- land is already taken 😎).
There's a common expression in Russian which is similar to "cheap as chips" - "It's cheaper than mushrooms."
In addition, there's another one for "It was a piece of cake." - "It was easier than a steamed turnip"
Hello I am from the US. I’ve watched several of your videos now and am still amazed that we do use a lot of the same words and phrases to mean the same thing. Such as “pardon my French” and “not my cup of tea” and “cant do that to save my life”. I was also interested to learn the other idioms you told us. Here in America I can’t think of a way to cheap as chips other than “cheap as sh!t”. However we do have one for something that’s really expensive: “that costs an arm and a leg” or something that’s really old can be said to be “as old as dirt”! Thanks for the fun lesson 😊
Dirt cheap
late to the game, but there's one that I have always used. I'm sure where it came from but I like it.
"What are you on about?" This, I have always believed, meant "What are you talking about?
Hi! Teacher! I wanna tell you the funny thing. In Thailand if you say “Itchy Feet” to Thai people, It’s mean you wanna fight them😂😂 now i can know this idiom in English way, thank you😀🙏🙏
I love idioms.I'm from Serbia. I can't reckon an idiom for cheapness in Serbian. Perhaps a relatively new one I heard the other day. It's "As cheap as the office furniture". However, there is one commonly used when we want to say something is too expensive. We say something like: "It's as expensive as ordering scrambled eggs from St. Peter's". Yeah, it's kinda funny...
Today I learned one: "My brother and I are like chalk and cheese" meaning we're completely different from each other.
Great! The idioms are very interesting and useful. I am a new subscriber. I love British English.
Many of these phrases are also spoken in Mid-America where I am from. I say "not my cup of tea", "That's a piece of cake!!", "Pardon my French", "I can't draw to save my life!", and "Sally lives down under (Australia). Want to know where Britain is on the map? "I live in Boston, but James lives across the Pond (Britain)!!" When a bride runs from her wedding, "she has cold feet". If you haven't seen or done something in a long time you say "I haven't seen him in ages!!"
Great! So interesting they're used in your part of the world too. Thanks so much for sharing galiagoze!
galiagoze A lot of these are said in the northeast too. The idiom about pears I’ve never heard of but the rest of them are used here also. Actually, the donkey one I’ve heard but I think is much less frequently used. Interesting stuff.
When you are extremely reluctant to do something in America "you have cold feet" .
A jack of all trades but master of none. A bird in hand is worth than two in the bush. A rolling stone gathers no moss. Casting pearls before the swine. A drop in the ocean.
I just love the way you used Harry Styles as examples
Thanks a lot
Making it easy for viewers 😁
1. Not my cup of tea.
2. A piece of cake.
3. Go Pear-Shaped
4. For/In Donkey’s years.
5. Across the pond (Bonus: Down Under).
6. Cheap as chips.
7. Pardon my french.
8. Do a runner.
9. Itchy feet.
10. Can’t (do something) to save (your) life.
Such a great teacher Tom! Love All the idioms! I gonna try to remember all of them and try to find a situation to use them, it's quite difficult though.
Hope you find a situation to use them in!
I live in America and I say almost all of them!! Although I have never heard "in donkeys years " before. Thank you for your videos, I really enjoy them!! ❤
0:35 - not my cup of tea
1:20 - a piece of cake
2:00 - to go pear-shaped
2:58 - for donkey's years
3:48 - across the pond / down under
4:53 - cheap as chips
5:40 - pardon my french
6:14 - to do a runner
7:05 - itchy feet
7:59 - can't do something to save your life
In the US we use a similar phrase: "have an itch to scratch" or "have to scratch an itch" which means you have a craving you need to satisfy, such as eat some candy or do something you really want to do.
We say “dirt cheap” here in the US. “These shoes were dirt cheap”
Or we say that "it was a steal"..... "These shoes were a steal."
He speaks so clearly
This is great a lesson. Thank you so much
You are very welcome Ngọc Anh Hoàng Thị, thanks for your kind words.
Ngọc Anh Hoàng Thị instead of saying this is great lesson,i'd be better to say this is a great lesson.forgive me if this makes you annoyed
In Italy we say "vale quattro soldi" as cheap as chips. It literally means "it's worth two bits" . "Soldi" is a money nobody uses, a kind of out of time term, a medieval memory. Thank for sharing your super-fresh lessons.
Your videos are really nice. You remind me a British teacher I have here in Ecuador just easy explanations to make English enjoyable. Greetings from Ecuador
Haven't seen you "In a dogs age" U.S.A. ...................Subbed and like your videos so much! I'm American/English and do pop home to Eng. each year.
You are a good teacher, it's very easy to understand what you say,don't give up"
Thank you so much Dolors Cirera
I have just realized your channel. You are amazing in teaching.
,,Bun with butter" (bułka z masłem), means something like ,,peace of cake", in Polish 🇵🇱
Hi Tom I’m from Saudi Arabia but now I living in cardiff I really benefited from you I wish see you soon 💕
Tom am Sarah from Somalia really like ur channel am learning English from u N now my English is getting better this video is so special and amazing 😉 Thank you very much u deserve to be called the best teacher 👨🏫 u N Papa English r my favorite anyway Thanks N keep it up ❤️❤️💕💕💕💝💝❤️💕💕💕💕✅
Thanks so much Sarah and welcome to my channel. It's great to have you with us : )
In Portuguese we have some similar idioms. "Não é minha praia" (it's not my beach) for "it's not my cup of tea". "A preço de banana" (at the price of a banana) for "cheap as chips". "Faz tempo pra burro" (it's been a time for donkey) for "donkey's yeara" - obs.: but "pra burro" (for donkey) serves for express any other big quantities as money, food, etc. "É sopa no mel" (it's soup in the honey) or "é mamão com açúcar" (it's papaya with sugar) for "a piece of cake".
In Italy "a piece of cake" can be translated as "un gioco da ragazzi " (a game for young people)... when we use bad words we also say "scusate il francesismo" 😂😂😂. I have learned a lot of new idioms in this video. Thank you a lot 😊
Great! Thanks for sharing those with us Annalisa Cozzolino!
Or even: "as easy as stealing candy from a child". Not a very polite thing to do, but still...
One of my favourites is "to blow one's own trumpet", meaning to brag about something. Great video!
Tooting your own horn.
Here in Brazil we say that something is cheap as bananas. Maybe because bananas are very cheap in Brazil but I think it is cheap in other countries too.
Ha! That's awesome, thanks for sharing that marcos silva
Great video!!
marcos silva I dont agree with you as Turkish :) it is not cheap to have. If you purchase for a kilo, you need to pay as 3 dollars. By the way Brazil is amazing country i am really excited for it!!
In Uruguay and in Buenos Aires, Argentina there is the frase proportionally equivalent to "across the pond": To cross the puddle (cruzar el charco), meaning to cross the estuary Rio de la Plata. In Brazil referring something very cheap, they say 'cheap as banana'.
"If I were you" is used in Spanish (at least in Uruguay and Argentina) as 'yo que tú', which means the same.
Your videos are very useful, Thanks!
Hello Tom, I have just watched your video, loved it. I ran into your channel by chance, it's splendid. Keep doing, man! I am from the Czech Republic, so speak Czech, a Slavonic language, we have a few very very similar idioms here though. We say, Walk through a rose orchard, Behind the big puddle, By antipodes. Guess what is what :)
Welcome to Eat Sleep Dream English Šárka Fíla. Ohh 'walk through a rose orchard' sounds like an awesome idiom. Does it mean to experience happy times?
I learnt something new from this video Tom! :)
We actually got a grocery store called "Cheap as Chips" here in Australia lol.
Drinking coffee is not my cup of tea. 🙂
Nice!
Hafiz Mahbob I like what you did there! 😂
the same phrase came to my mind.
witty
We use quite a few of them in USA. Pear shaped never heard. Love ur vlogs
"Bob's your uncle" is my fav British idiom
In America it's "your mother."
Hello! I really love your channel) To be honest, you tell about English so interestingly. Thank you for that. By the way I want to tell you about idiom that in my language(I`m Russian) can mean "for donkey`s years". We usually say "hundred summers, hundred winters"
for example: Hey!! Hundred summers, hundred winters! I haven`t seen you for many years.
In Italian for donkeys' years we say "ogni morte di papa" that is every time the Pope dies because it's just so rare I guess and usually they live a pretty long life
The expression (great one!) is similar but the meaning is different: we say "that thing happens ogni morte di papa". It is something that happens once in a blue moon! (to use another expression). "for donkey's years" is something that hasn't happened for ages.
in spanish we have also that one: "cada que muere un papa".
in Argentina, we have a similar idiom (bishop instead of pope) but those fit more for referring to an infrequent event, rather than "a long time" like the examples given by Tom. Similar but not the same
I love your videos because you always mention Harry Styles, that is nice.
Thats not my beer - German for "thats not my responsibility"
+itkcurdjj jjdruckti ha ha great one! Thanks dor sharing!
Thanks for your video Tom . You are a good teacher. English is not my native language. But now it's become a piece of cake day by day , by watching your videos
In Russia we also say "pardon my French" when we use bad language))) we say "prostite mn'e moy frantsuskiy")))) and we also have an idiom that sounds like" do a runner " - we say " delat' nogi" (to do legs) it means to leave very quickly))) and we say as easy as an orange))) thanks for sharing, you videos are really useful for me as I am a teacher of English as a foreign language)))
Never heard anyone say easy as an orange. Doesn't even make sense. We say easier than steamed turnip or easy as two times two.
As easy as an orange? Can you write it in Russian. I never heard
@@ekaterinagrichko8106 просто как апельсин)))
@@chillndrama it may depend on the local features of speech. I have been hearing it since my childhood. Not every day, yes, but... Sometimes))
@@creativechaos953 Amazing! Which part of Russia are you from?
Tom is a really lovely guy .. great humour as a teacher. .. merci beaucoup mon ami for this vid ❣
You're right, "Je suis désolé" means "I'm sorry" (yah, I'm French and I use your videos to prove my english teacher that the figures of speech I use are right, so THANK YOU)
As a life long Anglophile from across the pond, I am really enjoying your videos. One phrase I haven't heard you use yet is gobsmacked. I hear it in British shows and movies, is it common in the real world? Because of my love of all things British, most of the terms you use are familiar to me. I also use quite a few myself. My kids think I'm weird! LOL! I enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work.
I love idioms! The strangest one for me was when my mate from work said 'oh I need to spend a penny'. I thought he goes shopping few times a day and spends his money or something :D but nope, there's nothing you can buy in the loo:D
Hahaha yes! It's such a strange one isn't it. Over here in Britain there are still public toilets where we have to pay to use them but nowadays we have to 'spend 50 pennies' rather than 1. Is it the same where you are from Anna Zyxx?
Eat Sleep Dream English I live in England now but come from Poland and yes it's the same there, but trust me you don't wanna go to public toilet in Poland, even for free :D but Poland is such a beautiful country with lovely people anyway! Just avoid public toilets! :D
It was once common to have coin operated locks on the cubicle doors. If there was an (cloakroom) attendant you'd be expected to tip more, often in exchange for arbitrary services, like having the back of your coat brushed or use of perfume (toilet water).
My favourite English idiom "Every cloud has a silver lining". Thanks a lot for your lessons. I'm glad to find your channel. I've already subscribed.
We use similar idiom in Turkey. it's cheap as chips =it's cheaper than water
very cool!
In America we have a similar phrase...cheaper then dirt
This idiom will be useless in the future!!
helal be reis
Mehmet Oran How about don’t burn the quilt for one flea....in English, don’t cut your nose off to spite your face.
Loved this video- it was 'Right up my street' 😉
wonderful video!!!!! here in Brazil we imply that something is cheap by saying "banana price".
Ha ha - that's a great one. Thanks for sharing Lucas Ferreira.
My FAV channel to learn british english 🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆
very useful and thanks
Pleased you enjoyed it deen course
Your comments were 'spot one' (meaning correct)
Is that 'dirt cheap' has same meaning with 'cheap as chips' ? Btw, your video is so cool. I am an Anglophile and I really love British English. I hope you make more videos about specific topics like: health, food, pricing...
I was been expecting more England-specific and colorful phrases. We have phrases such as:
1. He ain’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. (Not too smart)
2. Happier than a dog with two peckers. (REALLY HAPPY!)
3. Half a bubble off-center (a little crazy).
4) If it had hair around I bet you’d get it in there! (What you say to your co-worker trying to fit a part in another part).
There’s more but they’re even raunchier.
I'm American & I have never heard of #2. #3, or #4 --ever
In American English you would say “Let’s dash” to leave quickly to avoid something negative or troublesome. People often use the expression “dine and dash” when referring to leaving quickly from a restaurant without paying. Americans also say “That’s not my cup of tea” or alternately “Thats not [really] my thing.”
Polish equivalent of Cheap as chips is Tani jak barszcz (Tany yak burshch). It is means Cheap as borsch ;) BTW: Thanks for another great video ;)
Ha! That's very cool Casto, I love how it's a very local type of food. Thanks for telling us : )
We use "Not my cup of tea" "pardon my french" and "piece of cake" in America all the time 😀
"Doing a runner" is "dine & dash" here though
“I haven’t been to the gym in forever”
“That jacket was dirt cheap”
In the States, we use that saying, "that's not my cup of tea" too sometimes, also we use "A Piece of Cake" as well. We share some of the same Idioms
Hello Tom! If somebody says, 'I couldn't sing to save my life', can that mean the person didn't manage to sing well on one occasion? Or is it only about your general ability?
Fab question Andriy Shyrochenkov it's a general ability so they can't sing at all!
The ugly, literal meaning of "can't sing [ or do something else] to save my life is: If someone pointed a handgun at your ear and said that you had to sing pleasantly or you would be shot, you would probably lose your life because you are so very bad at singing [ or whatever else the gunman wanted] .
I love these videos to brush up my English. If something is really easy, Germans call it a »Kinderspiel« which means a childrens game. To do a runner would translate into »Die Beine in die Hand nehmen« which literally means to take your legs into your hands - sounds absurd because you can't really run without your legs or with your legs in your hands but that's what we say. Funny that the Italians and the Russians also have a similar phrase for »Pardon my French« - if we say something in plain German (»auf gut Deutsch«) or don't take a leaf in front of our mouth (»kein Blatt vor den Mund nehmen«) you can be sure that a word might follow that we otherwise wouldn't make use of ;-) Languages are really funny - and each and every one in its own way.
In polish 'a piece of cake' is 'bułka z masłem' in english it means something like a bread roll with butter. I know that it's strange but it's polish😀
Hehe thanks for sharing Julia
Because its very easy to spread butter on the roll.
Love your channel, Tom!
Some American idioms:
It’s a cinch.
Dine and dash
Long time no see!
Spread your wings.
Cheers!
What a precious lesson !!! Thank you.
Thanks Minh Hoàng Lê : )
In Panamanian Spanish we have a similar phrase to "In donkey's years". We say "en el año de la pera". We use it for something that happened a long time ago. We also say "cruzar el charco" to reference a trip to Europe from America.
“When pigs fly” or “when hell freezes over” not likely to happen, lmao!
It's not likely to happen if you say "It will happen when hell freezes over" . I agree
@@gwillis01..in french: Quand les poules auront des dents / when chickens have teeth!
Tim, in Argentina, as an exaggerated expression, we say "regalado" (which means "given away") or "tirado" (= laid down or thrown away) when referring to something really inexpensive
I love your channel 🖤
Ahhh I really appreciate that samantha eilz welcome and thanks for taking the time to watch my videos. If there is a video you would like me to make for you, please let me know : )
Eat Sleep Dream English 🖤
Your accent is incredibly amazing! You go from one accent to the other so easily that I Envy you.
Thanks for the big help
In Poland we say as cheap as beetroot soup...haha rather strange, isn't it? Very cool video thx!!!
That's a great one Jagoda Hoffmann. Thanks for sharing. Beetroot soup sounds yummy!
I love your videos, mate! Greetings from Brazil.Cheers.
Ahh thanks Luiz, greetings from LONDON!
In Egypt, if someone said that he/she is going to do something in a short period like one day, and we know that this person usually takes very long time to fulfill or accomplish his/her promise, we say "his day is as long as the government's day" because usually when we do any transaction at any governmental organisation, like issuing a passport, driving license, or any else transaction, process is lengthy and takes long time.
Kind regards,
I love that! Thanks for sharing 47Sukhoi
Thank you for such a creative and interesting lesson. You really are number one coach.To me, the best one was "Something went pear-shaped".
I'm so glad you enjoyed it iolanta batus : )
Cheap as borscht (PL)
Great examples - thanks for sharing!
I just wanted to write that :)
A dime a dozen. I've only used in plural, but " oh, their a dime a dozen". Very common and inexpensive. Mid-west American U.S.
yes of course, tani jak barszcz
Could you translate it in Italian please? :-)
In Polish we say it' s cheap as beetroot soup. Love your lessons!
In Vietnam we say "rẻ như bèo" which means "cheap as water ferns" 😃
Ha ha - great one Hai Hien Nguyen! Thanks for sharing.
Eres muy buen maestro ! you are a very good teacher ! We like you ! Congratulations !
The Poles say instead of Donkey’s years; I haven’t seen u for a russian year (we tend to call it: Ruski Rok)
Great example - thanks for sharing Wlodzimierz Kulpa!
USA say:
Haven't seen you for a Month of Sundays
In Armenia, we say "Cheap as water". It's because you can drink water from public water fountains free of charge (so-called "pulpulak": small, usually one meter tall, stone memorials with running water), which are very common in Armenia.
And "from Noah's times" instead of "for/in donkey's years".
"As cheap as borscht"-in Polish;)
Love it! That makes sense. Thanks for sharing Agata Palach
Agata Palach in Ukraine we say the same)
your pronunciation is significant and exemplary
"Bob is your uncle"
Ahhh yes that's a classic phrase, thanks Red Panda
and fanny's your aunt
Meaning what?
Sorry Monica. It means it's raining heavily
It means "...and that's it" like when given instructions: "follow step 1 xxxxx, then step 2 xxxxxx and then step 3 xxxxxx and Bob's your uncle" and one can then add "and Fanny's / Nelly's your aunt"
from buenos aires argentina...,thanks!! was good this to me.
We haven't seen each other for internity (RU)
Go to dick
In the U.S., "doing a runner" is called "dine and dash". "Itchy feet" is also used here, sometimes paired with "horizon fever".
It could also be easy peasy! how was your exam! Oh, It was really easy peasy! means very easy!
It is cheap as his or her life! :D from other words here in philippines hahaha
Piece of cake = A walk in the park...
Why dont you have your own language ??Is English your own ?!! You are Asians not English !!
raady alsharif sure he is asian just as ur OH SO BRITISH name RAADY ALSHARIF. What a loser!
Among friends the phrase is more likely to be "piece of piss".
Thank you very much for this information great lesson Keepgoing
Will do Mehwish Jabbar!
Thanks a lot for such useful idioms! In Russian we say: "It's cheaper than mushrooms". It may be interesting for you)
Ha! That's super cool! Thanks for sharing Anna Vsmysle
Never heard this before in my life (Live in Volgograd)
BadNickVlg I'm Russian. Never heard it
In Italy the mushrooms cost an arm and a leg!
mushrooms in my country is expensive as well haha i come from VietNam
Thank u very much like always, u r the best on TH-cam!!!👍👍👍☺️☺️☺️