Black Friday: Shop 'til you drop

Yesterday was Black Friday, and a day before that was the famous American holiday called Thanksgiving. It was not just a day to stuff yourself with turkey, gravy, and all you can eat buffet but also to go shopping, since on Black Friday, there are huge discounts that no American wants to miss. It is also known as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.

If you are wondering why 'Black Friday', it is because the retailers (shop owners) start to see the profit, which is in English also called being "in the black", an idiom that we explained in one of our previous posts. But in case you do not remember, it means that you, or in this case they, will get money. 

In honor of Black Friday and Thanksgiving day, here are some idioms that you may encounter when reading about the topic:


(to) turn one's back on - to not pay attention to someone; to not offer service to someone. Of course, retailers can't turn their back on shoppers who like to go to stores. Even though shopping online increases every Black Friday, 60% of sales were still made in stores, according to the Wall Street Journal article.

to) flock to - to come in great numbers (originates from "flock," a large gathering of animals. Shall we point out that many shoppers gathered together in enclosed spaces can sometimes start behaving like animals?!)

door busters - the type of low-cost items that customers practically bust (break) the door of the store to get their hands on!

(to) gear up - to prepare for; to get ready for

(to) talk turkey - to seriously discuss a topic or a matter

a blessing in disguise - something that first appears to be bad or unlucky, but is actually good

Idioms with technology

Hello fellow English student,

The theme of my blog today will be on a very important concept in our lives. technology. 

To push someone´s buttons

This means that something or someone is really annoying you.

On the same wavelength

When people are on the same wavelength, they have the same ideas and opinions about something.

A well-oiled machine

You can use this name for something that functions really well.

Rocket science

If something is not rocket science, it is not very complicated or difficult to understand. This idiom is normally used in the negative.

To get your wires cross

If people get their wires cross, they misunderstand each other, especially when making arrangements.  ('Get your lines crossed' is also used.)


To hit the panic button

To start to panic suddenly 

A silver surfer

An older person who uses the Internet.

Up and running

Ready for use

He´s not the brightest blub

He´s not the smartest person, he´s rather dumb

Links:

http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/cat/19.html

http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/vocabulary-lesson-idioms-categories.php?category=Technology%20and%20Science#.VHc3q1es-mh

Don't forget about the law

In most English-speaking countries, everything is a product, included healthcare and law. While most of liberal-influenced politicians of Europe find this awful, this is how things work across the pond. Let's discover some of the idioms related to the law!

kangaroo court: a judicial tribunal or assembly that blatantly disregards recognized standards of law or justice, and often carries little or no official standing in the territory within which it resides.

caveat emptor:  let the buyer beware. In most common law countries, there is no obligation of refund when a buyer gets a product that he doesn't like.

lay down the law: to tell people what they must do, without caring about their opinions

be a licence to print money:  if a company or activity is a licence to print money, it causes people to become very rich without having to make any effort

murphy's law: adage or epigram that is typically stated as: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

sharp practice: sneaky or cunning behavior that is technically within the rules of the law but borders on being unethical.

toe the line: to do what you are ordered or expected to do

Idioms with pictures

Hello everyone!

Today I'll share with you some interesting idioms with pictures as examples. Sometimes idioms can be funny too!

To burn one's finger



If you burn your finger, it means that you have harmed yourself and that you have to suffer the consequences.

Take something with a grain of salt



To take a something with 'a grain of salt' or 'a pinch of salt' means to accept it but to maintain a degree of skepticism about its truth.

To smell a rat



To start to believe that something is wrong about a situation, especially that someone is beingdishonest

Head over heels



Head over heels means upside down, but it is commonly used in the expression 'to be head over heels in love', which means being out of control in love.

A taste of your own medicine



Someone gives you "a taste of your own medicine" when they act towards you the same way you act towards others in order to teach you a lesson about the way you are acting.

When pigs fly



"When pigs fly"is used to describe a situation that is impossible to ever happen.

It's all Greek to me



You can use this idiom when you do not understand something

Let the cat out of the bag



When you let the cat out of the bag, you reveal facts that were previously hidden.

To take the bull by the horns



When you take the bull by the horns, you confront a problem head-on and deal with it openly.






I hope you enjoyed it !