Read Webster's New World American Idioms Handbook Online
Authors: Gail Brenner
Webster's New World American Idioms Handbook (46 page)
where someone (
or
something) is concerned
anything concerning or regarding someone or something ♦
She’s always responsible
where money is concerned. ♦ Where my children are concerned,
I don’t compromise.
where it counts
where it will have the most influence or value; usually said of time, energy, and money ♦
Put your time
where it counts.
Volunteer for a charity organization.
♦
They put their money
where it counts
—into their children’s education.
where it’s at
the center of activity, where important or trendy things are happening; the ultimate of what’s “cool” ♦
He really thinks he’s
where it’s at
with that new sports car.
♦
The Harbor Club is definitely
where it’s at
for good jazz music.
where one is coming from
one’s perspective, beliefs, or underlying motives ♦
It’s hard to know
where he’s coming from.
His campaign message is so vague.
♦
Now that I understand
where she’s coming from,
her behavior makes more sense.
where one stands
one’s position or status relative to others; how one is viewed by others ♦
When I get a copy of my evaluation, I’ll know better
where I stand. ♦
I like her a lot, but I’m not sure
where I stand
with her.
Idioms That Use
Who
Most idiomatic expressions that begin with
who
are followed by a verb, as in
who cares
or
who can say.
Who can say?
means “I don’t know” or “Nobody knows” ♦
A lot of people think they know which stocks will perform well, but
who can
really
say? ♦ Who can say
why some TV shows are popular?
Note:
This expression is similar to
who knows
but is slightly more polite.
Who cares?
means “I don’t care” or “It’s not important enough to care about” ♦ Who cares
about school? I just want to have fun!
♦
She made a big deal about which waste-basket to use, but
who cares?
Who gives . . .
typically followed by an obscenity or by
darn, rap,
or
straw
to mean “I don’t care.” Similar to
who cares,
but can be stronger. ♦
Brooke: I saw Brian with your ex-girlfriend yesterday. Chris:
Who gives
a darn? I’m through with that relationship.
Who knew?
means “None of us knew about this,” or “How could we have known?” This idiom is often said with real or mock surprise, and sometimes as light ridicule. ♦
Our guest left early because she is allergic to cats.
Who knew?
She never said so, and she knows we have cats.
♦
Her new husband turned out to be a gambler.
Who knew?
Who knows?
means “I don’t know” or “Nobody knows for sure” ♦ Who knows
when we’ll get our bonuses?
♦ Who knows
how he got lost so easily?
Note:
This expression is similar to
who can say
but is slightly more sarcastic and less polite.
Who says . . .?
a show of disbelief or challenge to a statement, a rule, or a common belief; often said as
Who says?
or
Says who?
♦
Dean: You can’t wear a nose ring at work. Kylie:
Who says
I can’t?
♦
Krista: Our team is going to beat your pathetic team today! Megan: Oh really?
Says who?
Who’s there?
a question that’s asked after someone knocks on the door; also phrased
Who is it?
♦
Cindy
: Who’s there?
Is that you, Elly? Elly: Yes, it’s me.
Knock-Knock Jokes
Knock-knock jokes use “who’s there” as the standard response to “knock, knock,” such as in the following example:
Robin: Here’s a joke. Knock, knock.
Sandy:
Who’s there?
Robin: Orange.
Sandy: Orange who?
Robin: Orange you glad to see me? (Aren’t you glad to see me?)
who’s who
who each person is, each person’s name; who is important and influential; often phrased as
know who’s who
♦
After a few days, I usually learn
who’s who
in the classroom.
♦
Aunt Dorothy is listed in “
Who’s Who
in American Business.”
Idioms That Use
Why
Idiomatic expressions that begin with
why
generally introduce questions, such as
Why don’t you . . .
? However, in a few cases
why
has other functions.
Why . . .!
a sentence opener that expresses surprise; similar to “hey!” ♦ Why,
look who’s here! It’s our old friend Cindy.
♦ Why,
you’ve done very well with your business, haven’t you?
Why don’t . . .
1.
used to introduce advice or a suggestion.
Why don’t
(or
why doesn’t
) is usually followed by a pronoun, as the examples show. ♦
Look, if you’re worried about your brother, then
why don’t
you call him?
♦ Why don’t
we go get some ice cream after dinner?
♦
If he wants to get in shape,
why doesn’t
he join a gym?
2.
used sarcastically to emphasize one’s anger ♦
Tell everyone about my problems,
why don’t
you!
♦ Why don’t
we just wake up the whole neighborhood?!
Why in the world . . .?
used for emphasis when one is surprised or confused ♦ Why in the world
did you quit your job? Now what are you going to do?
♦ Why in the world
would anyone have loaded guns around children?
♦
I don’t know
why in the world
he wants to buy that old car, but he does.
Why not . . .?
1.
used to introduce advice or a suggestion; similar in usage to
why don’t. . . .
In this context,
why not
is followed by a verb in the base form (the infinitive form without
to
). ♦
If we have some free time,
why not
go to a movie?
2.
an affirmative response to an invitation or suggestion ♦
Phil: Will you go to lunch with me? Kristy:
Why not? ♦
Elizabeth: Maybe you should go for a walk around the park to get some exercise. Leonard:
Why not?
That’s a good idea.
that’s why
used as emphasis at the end of an answer to the question “why?” ♦
Rita: Why did you stop dating him? Jane: Because he had too many other dates,
that’s why!
Idioms That Use
How
Idioms that begin with
how
often function as greetings, to show surprise or interest, or to ask why.
Using
How
as a Greeting
A number of idiomatic expressions with
how
are used as casual greetings that mean “How are you?” or “How has your life been lately?” Sometimes they’re said instead of
hello.
Here are some of the most common:
How goes it?
How’s it going?
How’s life?
How’s life been treating you?
How’re things? (How’s things?)
How’s everything?
The typical responses to these greetings are
good, great, not bad, fine, okay, nothing to complain about,
and other similar replies.
Here are a few examples:
Bob:
How goes it?
Jane: Great!
Cindy:
How is everything?
Pam: Things are going well. I love my new job.
Tina:
How are things?
Patricia: Okay, but I can’t wait for this week to be over!
[See more greeting expressions and responses in Chapter 9.]
Other
How
Idioms
How . . .
used before an adjective to emphasize or intensify the adjective; also expresses surprise. ♦
Your wife bought you that tie?
How
sweet of her!
♦
Ellen’s mother passed away?
How
sad.
♦ How
stupid of me! I forgot to call her on her birthday.
How about that?
means “That’s surprising”, “That’s remarkable”, or “What do you think of that?” Also, “That’s great!” ♦
Well,
how about that!
Sy and Rachael are going to have a baby.
♦
Lilly: Mom, I won an award for my art project. Mom: Wow!
How about that!
How come?
means “Why?” or “Why is it so?” ♦
Dana: I’ve got to go to court today. Scott:
How come?! ♦
Lou: My feet are killing me! Lynn:
How come
you don’t sit down for a minute?
How so?
means “Why?” or “Why is it so?” ♦
Josh: Whew! What a stressful day it was at work today! Lynn:
How so?
Note:
How so?
and
how come?
are very similar, with one difference:
How so
can only serve as a response to a statement; it cannot introduce a longer question. If someone feels sick, you can say, “
How come
you don’t go to the doctor?” but you can’t say “
How so
you don’t go to the doctor?”
How could you?
an expression of shock or anger at someone’s actions; similar to “Why did you do such a thing?!” This idiom is often meant to cause shame or remorse. ♦ How could you
be so mean to your little brother?! You should apologize.
♦
Jeremy: I decided to sell that ring Dad gave me. Ellen: Jeremy,
how could you?
That belonged to our grandfather and was very special.
How do I know?
means “I don’t know,” or “Why do you think I would know?”; also, “There is no way to know.” Often said somewhat scornfully about something that one is unhappy about or not interested in. ♦
Pete: Do you think you’re going to get that promotion? Dan:
How do I know?
They haven’t said anything.
♦ How do we know
what the government is really planning to do?
How do you do?
a very formal “How are you?” generally used when someone is introduced or as a formal greeting ♦ How do you do,
Dr. Coltrain? It’s very nice to meet you.
♦ How do you do?
I’ve heard so much about you.
How in the world . . .?!
means “How did that happen?” or “How can it be done?” This idiom is used as an emphasized “how” when one is surprised, amazed, angry at someone’s actions, or completely confused about how to do something; also phrased
how in the heck?
or
how in the hell?
♦ How in the world
do those skydivers get the courage to jump out of a plane?
♦ How in the heck
do you work this paint sprayer?! I can’t figure it out.
How . . . is that!?
a modern expression used as an exclamation of surprise, disgust, or other strong emotion; usually said at the end of a statement. A comment such as “How good is that!?” is similar in meaning to “That’s very good!” ♦
Her dad bought her a new car. Man
, how cool is that! ♦
You partied all weekend before the final exam?
How dumb is that!
PART V
PHRASAL VERBS
Everyday conversation is full of phrasal verbs. And though they may seem difficult to you at first, phrasal verbs and idioms often simplify communication. In fact, many idioms developed naturally as shortcuts to longer, more descriptive, and more laborious language.
CHAPTER 18
USING PHRASAL VERBS
Before you get very far in your study of idioms, you’ll encounter a large category of idioms called
phrasal verbs.
The term
phrasal verb
may sound intimidating, but it simply means a phrase that typically consists of a verb plus one or two prepositions. Phrasal verbs are often called
two-word verbs
or
three-word verbs.
The two or three words together form a unit that has a different meaning than the literal meaning of the words individually. Sometimes the phrasal verb merely extends or makes more specific the literal meaning of the verb, as in the phrasal verbs
sleep in
(to sleep later than usual in the morning) or
eat out
(to eat outside the home in a restaurant). Other times the phrasal verb has its own unique meaning that is completely unrelated to the literal meaning of the verb, as in the phrasal verbs
call off
(to cancel) or
stand for
(to represent).
Following are some sentences that include phrasal verbs, shown in
italics:
- Hand in
your essays at the end of the week. - I need to buy more milk, before we
run out. - I
came down with
a cold yesterday.
In the sentences above, the words
hand, run,
and
come
have nothing to do with a hand or with literally running or coming. The meanings of the phrasal verbs is given below:
hand in:
to submit homework or some other work project
run out:
to deplete the supply of something
come down with:
become sick with
More than 4,000 common phrasal verbs exist in American English, with new ones appearing regularly. Phrasal verbs are some of the most frequently used verbs in both casual and formal communication. Without them, it’s often difficult and cumbersome to communicate naturally and effectively.
What Is a Phrasal Verb . . . and What Isn’t
A phrasal verb is different from a simple verb and preposition in three specific ways:
- In a phrasal verb, the verb and preposition go together as a unit to form the verb.
- A different preposition with the verb creates either an error or a new phrasal verb with a completely different meaning.
- A phrasal verb functions like a single word, even though it is composed of more than one word.
For example, the phrasal verb
run into
is an idiom meaning to meet someone or something unexpectedly. Of course, you can also literally
run into
someone or something — to be running or moving quickly and accidentally bump into a person or thing. In that case,
run into
is not an idiom; it means exactly what it says. The following sentences show the difference between the phrasal verb
run into
and the simple verb
run
plus the preposition
into:
Phrasal verb:
I
ran into
(met unexpectedly) an old friend of mine yesterday. It was nice to see her again.
Simple verb and preposition:
I was in a hurry, and I accidentally
ran into
(bumped) someone on the sidewalk. How embarrassing!
Mastering Phrasal Verbs
The good news is that some phrasal verbs are easy to learn. Here’s why:
- Some verb-preposition combinations make sense. They’re somewhat logical, so you can easily guess the meaning. For example:
- go out:
to go outside the home for entertainment or other activities; to date
- go out:
- Many phrasal verbs have almost the same meaning as the verb alone. This is often the case with idioms that include the prepositions
up
or
down:- finish up:
to complete or finish the last of something - quiet down:
to become quieter
- finish up:
Of course, learning phrasal verbs has its challenges. First, there are so many commonly used phrasal verbs to learn. Second, phrasal verbs have some specific traits that can make them tricky to master — but also fun to learn:
- With most phrasal verbs, it’s difficult or even impossible to guess the meaning from the individual words. For example, the idiom
egg on
has nothing at all to do with eggs, breakfast, chickens, food, or any other egg-related thing. Curiously,
egg on
means to urge or provoke, to encourage someone to act wrongfully: “The older boys
egged on
the younger ones to throw stones at the window.” - While you’re learning idioms, it’s easy to make a mistake by choosing the wrong verb or preposition, and accidentally saying something embarrassing. For example, if you go to the gym to
work out
(exercise), don’t make the mistake that one language learner made of telling your spouse that you are going to the gym to
make out
(kiss passionately and possibly have sex). - Most phrasal verbs have more than one meaning. Take
make out,
for example. In addition to meaning to kiss passionately, this idiom has six other very common meanings. Here are a few of them:- see or discern with difficulty
- manage, handle a situation
- write as a reminder or a record
- see or discern with difficulty
The Big Role of Little Prepositions
By definition, a
preposition
is a word, or in some cases a group of words, that links one element of the sentence to another and shows a relationship between the two elements. Prepositions, such as
of, in, up, down
,
with, over
, and so on, function in a sentence as connectors or to show location or direction. They typically do not serve as content words or elements that help carry the main meaning of the sentence.
However, in phrasal verbs, prepositions are essential to the meaning of the sentence. They help to convey the content of the sentence, though they may act as connectors, too. The following three examples show the preposition
in
as a simple connector, as a word of location, and as part of a phrasal verb:
Preposition as connector:
Are you interested
in
classical music?
Preposition of location:
The book is
in
my school bag.
Preposition as part of an phrasal verb:
I’m tired. I’m going to
turn in
(go to bed).
The preposition that is used most frequently in phrasal verbs is the preposition
up,
but all of the following prepositions commonly appear in phrasal verbs:
around
away
down
for
in
off
on
out
over
through
up
under
with
without
Almost any common one-syllable verb can be joined with one of these prepositions to form a phrasal verb and create an idiom. For example, in the following list the preposition
up
forms a phrasal verb when combined with
sit, stand, look, talk,
and
write.
The phrasal verbs have an idiomatic meaning that is shown after the bolded phrasal verb:
sit up:
stay awake, generally through the night, with a sick or troubled person ♦
He
sat up
with his daughter, who had the flu.
stand up:
remain strong, durable, or valid ♦
This old furniture has
stood up
well over the years.
look up:
check a reference book for information ♦
Will you
look up
the phone number for The Lakeshore Hotel?
talk up:
promote someone or something ♦
Rebecca can’t stop
talking up
this sales opportunity.
write up:
write a citation for; report on one’s findings ♦
I’ll
write up
my research results and give you a copy.
Other prepositions can be combined with these simple verbs to create even more idioms. For example, the preposition
for
with
stand
gives you
stand for
(to represent). The preposition
out
gives you
stand out
(to protrude or be very obvious).
In
gives you
stand in
(to substitute for someone or something), and so on.
Although prepositions play a very big role in phrasal verbs, they are often used incorrectly or neglected altogether. They can be the most difficult part of the phrasal verb to remember and to use accurately. Here’s why:
- Prepositions generally are not emphasized or accented in speaking, so you don’t always hear them clearly — or hear them at all.
- One verb might combine with different prepositions to form different idioms, so if you choose the wrong preposition you may create a different idiom with a completely different meaning.
- There is no rule to tell you which prepositions join with which verbs, and usually there is no logic to the choice of preposition. For example, why do people say “
Write down
this phone number” (meaning record this information on paper), when in fact you are writing
across
the page, not down!
Transitive and Intransitive Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs fall into two distinct categories:
Transitive:
Transitive verbs require a direct object.
Intransitive:
Intransitive verbs do not require a direct object.
Transitive verbs require a direct object to form a complete sentence. Intransitive verbs do not require a direct object to form a complete sentence. It’s important to know whether the phrasal verb is transitive or intransitive in order to use it correctly. And many phrasal verbs can be either transitive or intransitive depending on their meaning in the sentence. Sound a bit challenging? Don’t worry — it’s not necessary for you to name each verb as transitive or intransitive; it’s only important to know how these two types function in a sentence.
The following sections on transitive and intransitive verbs explain the differences in greater detail and give examples of each type.
Transitive Verbs
Webster’s New World Dictionary
defines transitive verbs as “expressing an action [that is] thought of as passing over to or having an effect on some person or thing.” That person or thing is the direct object, and with transitive verbs, it is needed to form a complete sentence. For example, the phrasal verb
look up
(to check a dictionary or reference for information) is a transitive verb, and therefore must have a direct object — you must
look up
something
.
As an idiom,
look up
is not complete without its object. In the following sentence, the direct object of the phrasal verb
look up
is the phone number:
I
looked up
the phone number
in the phone book.
Without an object, the phrase
look up
isn’t an idiom, it’s a simple verb with a literal meaning, to look in an upward direction. For example, “
Look up
in the sky.”
Here’s another example of a transitive verb: The idiom
look for
(to search, hoping to find something or someone) requires a direct object. You must
look for
someone
or
something.
In the following sentence, the direct object of
look for
is you:
We were
looking for
you
all morning! Where were you?
Intransitive Verbs
Intransitive verbs are verbs that don’t require a direct object to form a complete sentence. They do not transfer or pass on their action to a person or thing. For example, the phrasal verb
come back
(return to a starting point) is an intransitive verb and, therefore, it does not require a direct object. You don’t
come back
(something) or
come back
(someone); you simply
come back!
Here are some examples of this intransitive verb in context:
My dog ran away, but eventually he
came back.
They went to Hawaii on vacation, and they’re
coming back
next week.
Phrasal Verbs with Both Transitive and Intransitive Forms
Some phrasal verbs can be transitive in some situations and intransitive in others. Here’s why:
- When a phrasal verb has multiple meanings, one meaning may require a transitive verb, while another meaning uses an intransitive verb. The idiom
drop off
provides a good example. When
drop off
means to unload or deliver, it is transitive and has a direct object; you must
drop off
something:- Transitive:
I have to
drop off
this package
at the post office.
- Transitive:
- When
drop off
means to fall asleep or to decrease, it is intransitive and doesn’t have a direct object:- Intransitive:
I often
drop off
(fall asleep) while watching TV in the evening. - Intransitive:
Because of the poor economy, housing sales have
dropped off
(decreased).
- Intransitive:
- Some phrasal verbs require a direct object when the action of the verb is directed at someone else, but do not use a direct object when the action of the verb is directed upon oneself. One such phrasal verb is
wake up
(to awake from sleeping). You can wake up
someone else
or you can simply wake up (yourself).- Requires a direct object:
I
woke up
my son. - Doesn’t use a direct object:
I
woke up
.
- Requires a direct object:
- Occasionally a reflexive pronoun is used with phrasal verbs such as
wake up;
when used, it is placed between the verb and preposition: “I woke
myself
up.” This sentence implies that you caused yourself to wake up, possibly by snoring loudly or coughing. - Some transitive phrasal verbs do not use their direct object when the direct object is implied in the meaning of the idiom. For example, with the phrasal verb
pull over
(to move a vehicle out of the flow of traffic, and slow down or stop), it’s not necessary to say “I
pulled
the car
over
” because
the car
is implied by the idiom. You can simply say “I
pulled over.
” However, like the previous example with
wake up,
a direct object is required when the action is directed at someone else. For example, when police officers direct someone to pull a vehicle off the road and stop, a direct object is required: the officer
pulls over
someone.- Requires a direct object:
The police officer
pulled over
the speeding driver. - Direct object is implied:
I got a flat tire so I
pulled over
to the side of the road.
- Requires a direct object: