Dont You Know What You Are Trying to Say?
By Robby
If you are new here please read this kickoff.
I often touch upon the subject field of English idiomatic expressions on this blog for the simple reason that more than frequently than not our every-day speech communication consists of such and similar give-and-take combinations and it's making our spoken language and then much more easier !
Just look at the above paragraph – it's stuffed with diverse idiomatic expressions and collocations, and the 1 mutual trait they all share is that you have to larn the Exact mode they're used so that you can learn them off by middle and and so use them in your own conversations.
And then in that location are proper English language idioms you can't even understand unless you actually know what they mean – such equally "It'south no skin off my nose" or "Until the cows come domicile".
There are, nevertheless, certain English phrases that may at first audio equally if they don't have any double-meanings AT ALL, yet they mean something completely different!
If you're an advanced English speaker and you lot've been communicating with real people in real life for years, this listing will probably reveal nothing new to you.
If you're someone who's only starting off in an English speaking state, for case, the following phrases might turn out to exist an eye-opener for you! 😉
You don't want to practise that!
If y'all take this phrase literally, it sounds as if someone is making a argument that y'all don't want to practice something (in which example information technology doesn't really make an atrocious lot of sense – I mean, how can someone else possibly know what I do or what I don't want to do?!)
In reality though, this phrase is used when advising someone not to exercise something, and then the real message behind this expression is "Y'all shouldn't do it!"
Why do English speaking people say "You lot don't want to do that!" instead of simply maxim that one SHOULDN'T do information technology?
Well – it's just the way conversational English goes! Don't ask WHY – just accept that it's the style native English speakers speak, and life is going to exist a whole lot easier for yous.
Some other version of the same phrase – "You don't desire to be doing that!" – is used merely like the original one, and once again – don't inquire WHY there are two different versions of this phrase in utilise.
Just take it and use whichever one you desire to use! 😀
He tin't assistance himself
When I heard the English verb "to assistance" used in this context for the first time, I thought the person in question must be physically handicapped once they can't help themselves.
I mean – the word "to assist" is quite unproblematic and straightforward, so when someone can't assist themselves, they quite literally can't assist themselves with performing certain tasks, isn't that right?
Turns out information technology's non the case!
When someone says about another person that they tin can't help themselves, information technology means the person in question tin't RESIST doing something, they're too weak to say NO to themselves ❗
Let's say, y'all're eating likewise much chocolate on a daily basis, and your piece of work colleague asks you one day why yous're eating then much chocolate every solar day. You can just respond by saying "I just can't assistance myself!" which means that information technology's a habit and so strong y'all can't resist information technology.
Shut upward!
When someone tells y'all to shut up, information technology's quite clear what they desire to tell you, isn't that right?
They're telling yous to shut your rima oris, and needless to say, it's quite rude to exist talking to someone like that.
Sometimes, still, the phrase "Close up!" can be used to limited something completely dissimilar – namely, your amazement at something the other person is telling you virtually.
So if you're speaking with an English speaking person and they respond to yous past saying "Shut up! I can't believe it!", it doesn't necessarily mean they want you lot to shut your oral cavity and stop talking to them. It merely means they're so surprised at what you lot but said that they're using the phrase "Close up!" as means of expressing they disbelief or excitement.
Sure enough, y'all'll be able to read the truthful meaning of those words off the other person's confront and tone of vocalism – the office of body linguistic communication can't exist underestimated, later on all.
There might be some occasions, withal, when y'all'd recall the other person is existence rude to you lot while in reality there's no harm intended, so please bear in mind that the expression "Shut upwards!" can too have a pretty harmless meaning!
Go away!
I don't know about you, simply where I live (Ireland) this phrase is used the same way as the i above ("Close up!") when expressing your surprise at something the other person has only said.
Basically it's just some other way of saying "Really?!", and when they say "Go away!", nobody means it literally. It' just a way of letting the other person know that y'all're shocked to hear it, and you may as well start using this phrase in your ain daily English conversations.
I run into!
This is a very, very simple English phrase, simply when an average beginner English language student sees information technology, on nine times out of x they'll think it means that someone is saying that they See something.
In fact, the phrase "I run into!" is used conversationally all the time when people want to say that they become it, that they UNDERSTAND it, and this is actually something that a lot of foreign English speakers should learn pretty early in their lives.
On manner too many occasions my fellow foreigners say "I understand" while the phrase they should be using is "I see"!
Yous run into, "I understand" sounds fashion also formal when used during your daily conversations, then I warmly suggest you outset using the much more friendlier version of it "I see!" instead.
Run across where I'm coming from?
If someone asks you if y'all see where they're coming from, you may assume they mean it quite literally, in which case you may be thinking "How on Earth am I supposed to know where they're coming from?!"
When people ask you this question, what they really mean to say is "Practise you understand the reasons why I'thou saying this?"
Basically the conversation would go something like this:
"I think we should bandy this machine for the other one because the production output is much lower now that the busy season is over."
You: ???
"You see where I'one thousand coming from?" (Exercise you understand why I'k suggesting we should bandy the machines on the production line?)
You lot: "I haven't got a clue what you lot're talking about! Tin yous explain everything to me step-past-footstep please?"
Yous may desire to…
This phrase may seem a bit confusing at commencement. You lot may… Y'all want… Why "You lot MAY Want" and so? Why are the two words grouped together? Does information technology mean you're giving the other person a permission to do something as in "Yous may do it"?
What this phrase really means is quite the reverse to giving someone a permission to practise something – it's all about giving the other person a suggestion that they should probably choose to exercise whatever it is you're telling them to exercise!
Why non simply say "Y'all should…" instead?
Well, you see – "You lot may want to…" is a very polite manner of letting someone know as to what would exist the correct grade of activeness while "You should…" might actually audio like a command rather than a suggestion!
I don't purchase it!
This English phrase has nix to do with buying stuff, information technology's all nearly BELIEVING what you lot're told! 😉
If someone makes an empty promise to you or you're told some news yous don't believe, you tin answer with maxim "I don't buy it!" in which case you're merely making it clear you don't believe what you're told.
I'm looking forward to…
Every bit a beginner English student you lot may think this phrase ways to be looking directly ahead of you (as opposed to be looking backwards or sideways, for example).
In conversational English and besides in English in general, however, this phrase has a completely unlike meaning – it simply ways to exist expecting something, to be really waiting on something to happen!
I recall when I'd merely started living in Ireland 11 years ago, my supervisor asked me at piece of work if I was looking forward to my holidays, to which I didn't actually know what to say considering the judgement didn't make a lot of sense to me.
Now I know simply besides well that information technology means to be expecting something, and in case you didn't know it – it's about fourth dimension to add this English phrase onto your vocabulary!
Tell me most it!
"Tell me about it!" doesn't hateful "TELL me ABOUT it".
It means "Yes, I know exactly what you lot're talking about – I take the same feel!"
Here's a situation to describe exactly what I'thou talking nigh hither:
You: "My little sister is real nightmare – she constantly makes demands to our mom and cries if she doesn't get what she wants!"
Your friend: "Tell me about it!"
What your friends is telling you is – "Yeah, I can completely relate to that because I also accept a little sister who's behaving that manner!"
So now that y'all know what this phrase means, you wouldn't offset telling your friend MORE Nigh it. You lot'd merely understand your friend is going through a similar experience!
It doesn't hurt to…
When someone tells y'all that it doesn't hurt to practice something, they don't literally hateful that it'southward not going to be painful.
What they mean to tell you lot is that the activity in question is going to result is something really benign to you, and then information technology'south definitely worth doing it!
How practise you find this…?
I remember someone asked me how I plant my task to which I started telling them about the recruitment agency who helped me to land my job with the company…
What that person actually meant was – "What practice y'all THINK Well-nigh your job?" – so in this case the English language verb "to find" has some other meaning on top of the most common one which is to actually notice something later you've been looking for it!
* * *
At present, did y'all find this commodity interesting?
Did you learn a few new English language phrases yous didn't know existed?
If so – let your friends know virtually them by using the social sharing tool beneath!
Thanks for reading,
Robby 😉
P.South. Would y'all similar to detect out why I'1000 highlighting some of the text in ruby? Read this article and yous'll learn why it'southward and so important to acquire idiomatic expressions and how it will help you to ameliorate your spoken English!
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Source: https://englishharmony.com/phrases-with-different-meanings/
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