3.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1: General Idioms II

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Don Bissonnette
South Seattle Community College

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General Idioms II

1. To be out of the question: Absolutely not; unthinkable; never happen; impossible to happen. Usually uses It. It is out of the question that....

It is out of the question that I will shave off my beard. It is out of the question that I would go to Iran nowadays because of the problems between America and Iran. It is out of the question that I would burn pictures of my parents.

2. To be up to someone: To depend on someone to make the decision, or to take the responsibility for deciding something; someone must make a decision

It is usually up to my wife what we will eat for dinner. It is usually up to me what I do on weekends. It is up to me to decide which idioms to teach you each week.

3. To stand to reason: To be clear and logical; obvious without asking questions; easily known. Always uses It: It stands to reason that....

It stands to reason that all of my students want to get a good job and make a lot of money. It stands to reason that I love my sons. It stands to reason that people are sad in rainy weather.

4. To take advantage of something or someone: To use an opportunity to your advantage so that things will be better for you without hurting someone else: Good Meaning

You are all taking advantage of going to ESL classes in the morning to learn English. I took advantage of peace in the world to travel all over Asia without any problems.

5. To take advantage of someone or something: To impose on or to profit at the expense of others. To “use” a person. Others lose while you gain at their expense: Bad Meaning

My friend is an old lady. She is 93 years old, and she is in a nursing home. Some bad “friends” of hers are taking advantage of her and cheating her out of her money and houses. They are “borrowing” money from her and then “forgetting” to pay her back. My neighbor has a friend who often visits his house at dinner time and eats dinner with his family. He is taking advantage of my neighbor’s generosity.

6. To take up something: To begin to do or to study something

I took up wood carving a couple of years ago. I took up riding on a stationary bike a couple of months ago so that I could be healthier and lose some weight.

7. In the long run: A result that will happen after a long time - either good or bad

Coming to ESL classes in the morning will have benefits to you in the long run if you plan on living in America for a long time. Watching your diet will make you healthier in the long run.

8. To run out of: To exhaust the supply of something; to have no more of something

When I was taking an exam, I ran out of time and didn’t finish the exam. When my friend went shopping, he didn’t buy everything he needed because he ran out of money.

9. To keep in mind: Not to forget; to remember carefully

Keep in mind that you have to memorize the meaning of these words. You should keep in mind the speed limit when you are driving.

10. To run over: To hit and pass over with a moving vehicle

My friend Roger ran over a pedestrian in Iran in 1975 when he was driving my brother and sister to my house. My dog Lucky got run over when he ran into the street.

11. To keep an eye on something: To watch or guard something carefully

When I am cooking, I always keep an eye on the food to make sure it doesn’t burn. Teachers have to keep an eye on students when they are taking an exam.

12. To make the best of a situation: To accept a bad situation and do the best you can and try not to be unhappy or depressed

Some students have to take ESL classes when they come to Seattle because they can’t get in-state tuition until they have been here for at least one year. They don’t want to take only English, but they make the best of the situation and take the opportunity to learn more English while waiting for one year to pass. My friend lost his job and felt very blue, but he made the best of the situation by going back to school to take some computer courses.