Food Idioms

Idiom	Meaning	Example Sentence
apple of one's eye	a person that is adored by someone	Baby Jessica is the apple of her father's eye.
(have a) bun in the oven	be pregnant	I don't think Jan will come to the bar because she has a bun in the oven.
bad egg	a person who is often in trouble	I don't want my little brother hanging around with the bad eggs on the street.
big cheese	very important person (VIP)	I thought I was just going to interview the secretary, but they let me talk to thebig cheese himself.
bread and butter	necessities, the main thing	Just explain the bread and butter of your report. You don't have to go into details.
bring home the bacon	earn the income	My husband has had to bring home the bacon ever since I broke my leg.
butter someone up	be extra nice to someone (usually for selfish reasons)	We'll have to butter Angie up before we tell her the news about the broken vase.
(have one's) cake and eat it too	want more than your fair share or need	Rick wants to have his cake and eat it too. He wants to be single but he doesn't want me to date anyone else.
carrot top	person with red or orange hair	Simon is the first carrot top I've ever gone out with.
cheesy	silly	I love reading cheesy romance novels because I don't have to think.
cool as a cucumber	very relaxed	I thought I was afraid of flying, but I was cool as a cucumber all the way to England.
cream of the crop	the best	We hired the cream of the crop to entertain us at the Christmas party.
(don't) cry over spilled milk	get upset over something that has happened and cannot be changed	The mirror is broken and we can't fix it. There's no need to cry over spilled milk.
cup of joe	cup of coffee	Let's stop for a cup of joe before we head to work.
(not my) cup of tea	something you enjoy (usually used negatively)	Opera isn't exactly my cup of tea.
egg someone on	urge someone to do something	The gang tried to egg us on but we didn't want to fight.
freeze one's buns off	be very cold	I froze my buns off at the ice rink.
full of beans	have a lot of (silly) energy	The kids were full of beans after the circus.
gravy train	extremely good pay for minimal work	The unionized grocers have been enjoying the gravy train for twenty years.
(have something) handed to someone on a silver platter	receive without working for something	The professor's daughter had her college diploma handed to her on a silver platter.
hard nut to crack	difficult to understand (often a person)	Angelo is a hard nut to crack when something is bothering him like this.
hot potato	a controversial or difficult subject	Choosing a location for our new store is a hot potato right now.
in a nutshell	simply	In a nutshell, I'm having a bad day.
nuts about something, someone	like a lot	I'm nuts about classical music these days.
out to lunch	crazy or mad	Harry has been out to lunch ever since he lost his job.
one smart cookie	a very intelligent person	Your daughter is one smart cookie. She reads much higher than her grade level.
peach fuzz	small amount of hair growth	Except for a bit of peach fuzz, the baby came out bald.
piece of cake	very easy	The exam was a piece of cake.
put all of ones eggs in one basket	rely on one single thing	Even though I'm majoring in Art, I'm taking a maths course because my Dad says I shouldn't put all of my eggs in one basket.
souped up	made more powerful or stylish	The car was souped up with shiny rims and a loud stereo.
sell like hot cakes	bought by many people	The new Harry Potter books sold like hot cakes.
spice things up	make something more exciting	I wanted to spice things up in the office, so I bought some red and gold paint.
spill the beans	reveal the truth	On Monday, I'm going to spill the beans about my travel plans.
take something with a pinch (grain) of salt	don't consider something 100% accurate	Take Mandy's advice with a pinch of salt. She doesn't always do her research.
use your noodle	use your brain	You're going to have to really use your noodle on this crossword puzzle. It's an extra difficult one.

source:  http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/idioms-food.htm

Word Parts

Control Idioms

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*control over someone or something

the power to direct or manage someone or something. (*Typically: get ~; have ~; give someone ~.) I have no control over Mary. I can't stop her from running away. Who gave you control over what goes on in this house?

*out of control 

1. Lit. [of something, such as a machine] not responding to direction or instructions. (*Typically: be ~; go ~.) The computer is out of control and making funny-looking characters all over the screen. My CD player is out of control and only makes screeching noises.

2. and *out of hand Fig. acting wildly or violently. (*Typically: be ~; get ~.) Watch out, that dog is out of control. The kids got out of hand again.

See also: out

*under control

Fig. manageable; restrained and controlled; not out of control. (*Typically: be ~; bring someone or something ~; getsomeone or something ~; have someone or something ~; keep someone or something ~.) We finally got things under control and functioning smoothly. The doctor felt she had the disease under control and that I would get well soon.

bring someone or something under one's control

to achieve dominion over someone or something. The dictator was at last able to bring the army under his control. Harry could not bring Ron under his control. Walter could not be brought under Lily's control.

See also: bring

control the purse strings and hold the purse strings

Fig. to be in charge of the money in a business or a household. I control the purse strings at our house. Mr. Williams is the treasurer. He controls the purse strings.

See also: purse, string

exercise power over

someone or something and exercise control over someone or something; exercise influence over someone or something to have someone or something under one's control or influence. The dictator exercised power over the island for many years. See if you can exercise some control over your appetite. I wish I could exercise some influence over the committee.

See also: exercise, power

in control of someone or something 

1. in charge of someone or something. Who is in control of this place? I am not in control of her. She works for another department.

2. to have someone or something mastered or subdued; to have achieved management of someone or something. You should be in control of your dog at all times. The attendant was instructed to be in control of his patient at all times.

rage out of control

to become uncontrollable. The fire raged out of control and threatened the residential area. If we didn't do something quickly, the fire would be raging out of control.

See also: out, rage

take control of someone or something

to get the power and right to direct someone or something. I will take control of him and see that he does what I want. Will you take control of the Wilson project?

See also: take

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

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out of control

unable to be managed or limited The weeds in the garden are out of control.

Parts of Speech Video

Word Part Frequecies

Most Commonly-Used Prefixes

This list, compiled by White, Sowell, and Yanagihara (The Reading Teacher, 42, p. 306), has the 

twenty most frequently-used prefixes. In fact these prefixes make up 97% of all prefixed words. 

Reference:  http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/High-Frequency-Prefixes-Suffixes-and-Roots.pdf

Rank/Prefix Meaning 

1. un not 

2. re again 

3. in, im, il, ir not 

4. dis away from 

5. en, em in 

6. non not 

7. in, im in 

8. over above 

9. mis not 

10. sub under 

11. pre before 

12. inter between 

13. fore in front 

14. de apart from 

15. trans across 

16. super above 

17. semi half 

18. anti against 

19. mid middle 

20. under too little Frequently-Used Roots

Root Meaning Origin Example 

aud hear Latin auditorium 

mis send Latin mission 

astro star Greek astrology 

ped foot Latin pedal 

bio life Greek biology 

phon sound Greek telephone 

dict say Latin predict 

port carry Latin import 

geo earth Greek geography 

scrib, scrip write Latin scribble, scripture 

meter measure Greek thermometer 

min little, small Latin minimum 

spect see Latin inspect 

mit, mis send Latin transmit, mission 

struct build, form Latin instruct 

Adapted from Stahl, S.A. and Shiel, T.G., Reading and Writing Quarterly: Overcoming Learning 

Disabilities, 8, 223-241

Most Commonly-Used Suffixes

Suffix Meaning Examples 

_s, _es plural or verb tense cats, pushes 

_ed past verb tense, past participle helped, had helped 

_ing verb tense or noun form indicating on-going action was going, listening 

_ly how, when, where, or under what conditions slowly 

_er, _or one who writer, actor 

_er comparative adjective bigger 

_tion, _ion, the process or act of notion, onion, 

_sion, _ition, tension, partition, 

_ation decoration 

_able, _ible able to be comparable, invisible 

_al, _ial related to mortal, partial 

_y consisting of or inclined toward rainy 

_ness state, quality, condition, degree brightness 

This list was adapted from the research compiled by Cooper 2000. 

People Expressions

all things to all men and all things to all people

Fig. [for someone or something] liked or used by all people; [for someone or something] everything that is wanted by all people. You simply can't be all things to all people. The candidate set out to be all things to all men and came off looking very wishy-washy.

See also: men, thing

assimilate with some people

to join or mix in with people and become accepted by them. It's easy for Karen to assimilate with new people. I want to assimilate rapidly with the other people in my class.

See also: assimilate, some

choose between two people or things

to choose one from a selection of two persons or things in any combination. For dessert, you can choose between chocolate and vanilla ice cream. I am unable to choose between promoting John and hiring one of the others.

See also: choose, thing, two

draw people or things together

to pull people together; to pull things together. She drew her toys together in preparation for leaving. She drew together all the people she wanted to talk to.

See also: draw, thing, together

gather someone into something and gather someone in

to assemble or bring people into something or some place. The hostess gathered the children into the house just as the storm hit. She gathered in the children. Harry gathered them in before the storm.

See also: gather

Idle people have the least leisure. and Idle folk have the least leisure.

Prov. If you are not energetic and hardworking, you will never have any free time, since you will have to spend all your time finishing your work. My grandmother always told me not to dawdle, since idle people have the least leisure.

See also: have, idle, least, leisure

interpose someone or something between people or things

to put someone or something between people or things, in any combination. I do not wish to interpose Randy between the twins. We will not interpose our own standards between these two warring factions.

See also: interpose, thing

keep people straight (in one's mind)

Fig. to correctly distinguish one person from other people. The twins look exactly alike. Not even their mother can keep them straight.

See also: keep, straight

lot of someone or something and lots of people or things

a large number of people or things; much of something. I got a lot of presents for my birthday. I ate lots of cookies after dinner.

See also: lot

number of things or people

some things or people, in an indefinite amount. I subscribe to a number of different magazines. A number of people are here now.

See also: number, thing

people something with someone

to provide population for something or some place, using someone or some kind of people. The government decided to people the frontier with a variety of races. The island had been peopled with marooned sailors.

People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Prov. You should not criticize other people for having the same faults that you yourself have. Jill: Richard sure was drinking a lot at the office party. Jane: I noticed you had quite a few cocktails yourself. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

See also: glass, house, live, shouldn't, stone, throw, who

put people or things together

to join or combine people or things. We will put Sam and Trudy together at the dinner table. Let's put all the crystal goblets together.

See also: put, thing, together

put people's heads together

to join together with someone to confer. Let's put our heads together and come up with a solution to this problem. Mary and Ted put their heads together, but failed to provide anything new.

See also: head, put, together

some people (just) don't know when to quit and some people (just) don't know when to give up; some people (just) don't know when to stop 

1. You, or someone being talked about, should stop doing something, such as talking, arguing, scolding, etc. (often directed toward the person being addressed.) Bill: I hate to say it again, but that lipstick is all wrong for you. It brings out the wrong color in your eyes, and it makes your mouth larger than it really is. Jane: Oh, stop, stop! That's enough! Some people just don't know when to quit. John: Those bushes out in the backyard need trimming. Sally: You keep criticizing! Is there no end to it? Some people don't know when to stop!

2. Some people do not know when to slow down and stop working so hard. Jane: He just kept on gambling. Finally, he had no money left. Sally: Some people don't know when to quit.

See also: know, quit, some

split people up

to separate two or more people (from one another). If you two don't stop chattering, I'll have to split you up. I willhttp://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/people have to split up that twosome in the corner.

See also: split, up

tell people or things apart

to distinguish one from another. I can't tell Bob and Bill apart. I find it easy to tell apart Bill and Bob. The two cakes look different, but in taste, I can't tell this one and that one apart.

See also: apart, tell, thing

throw people together

to bring or put two or more people together. The crisis threw complete strangers together, and they became fast friends before it was over. They were thrown together by fate.

See also: throw, together

wedge someone or something (in) between people or things

to work someone or something into a tiny space between people or things. The usher wedged us in between two enormously fat people, and we were all very uncomfortable. They wedged in the package between Jane and the wall. We had to wedge Timmy between Jed and the side of the car.

See also: thing, wedge

yoke people or things together

to connect two people together with a yoke; to connect two animals together with a yoke. Todd yoked the oxen together for the parade. Sam yoked Fred and Tom together so they could pull the load.

See also: thing, together, yoke

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Reference:  http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/people

Money Idioms Quiz Link

http://www.idiomconnection.com/money.html#BQ

Money Expressions Video

Money Idioms Video

Word Parts Intro Video

Vocabulary Builder - Root Words Video

Vocabulary Roots Video

How to Master Your Vocabulary Video

STAR System of Vocabulary Study

 

Name and think about how you will implement the parts of the STAR System for your selected/assigned vocabulary items:

S: Structure

1. What word parts are in the word? Identify any word elements (prefixes, roots, suffixes) and their meanings.
2. Identify and define any releated words (nouns,
   verbs, adjectives, adverbs).
3. Define the word, include the information on parts of speech, pronunciation, etymology, level of usage.
4. Separate familiar from unfamiliar.
5. Use the known parts for the decoding of the whole

T: Theme

Consider the contexts of the vocabulary. Note the level, context, topic, sources, . . .

1. What situations would you most likely find the vocabulary.
2. Where have you seen the words.
3. Go beyond the textbook vocabulary course requirements: Where else have you or would you be likely to encounter the words -- what lists? reading? speech situation? graphic media? video? sound track? . . .
4. What is your interest in the word?
5. Where does the word fit with regard to your understanding of the item and its context?

A: Action

Learn by doing -- To make the new vocabulary your own by starting to do something with it. Activating your connections with your target words.

1. Write about it.
2. Talk about it.
3. Map it.
4. Elaborate upon it.
5. Personalize it.
6. Act by using your full cognitive and affective abilities to attain your desired level of proficiency.
7. Make paths, connections with your previous knowledge.
8. Use the the newly learned vocabulary in your speaking, writing, creative representations, maps, etc.
9. Add your activities with the new content to your own and/or your team's blogs/wikis.

R: Review

1. Review -- consider what you've learned, acted upon, and how it fits into your goals.
2. Review the process you've used and the result you've achieved.
3. Personalize your learning through applications and reuse of the content.
4. Follow-up with what you've determined is your own best method for learning and remembering the new materials as you apply it in various contexts.
5. Select your techniques for achieving your purpose based on your own learning goals and style.
6. Consider your target level: receptive, productive, informal, technical?
7. How much depth, breadth of meaning, associations initially and finally do you need or want as your target proficiency.
8. Time your reviews to maintain your new knowledge and add to its significance.

Word Study Graphic

Improving your English vocabulary

Having a great English vocabulary doesn't just mean that you can understand lots of words and phrases: it also means that you can use these words and phrases and that you can remember them when you need them.

This is the difference between an active and a passive vocabulary. Generally, most people's passive vocabulary is far bigger than their active vocabulary, and the secret is to try and "activate" passive knowledge.

There are a number of ways that you can activate your passive vocabulary in English, ranging from simple five-minute activities to longer periods of study. Most activities work best if a) you have a good dictionary and b) you keep a vocabulary notebook.

Good English dictionaries

A good English dictionary should be up-to-date (no more than five years old!) and should be easy to understand. Make sure that the definitions are written in clear English. Pictures also help you to understand some words. I strongly recommend the Longman range of dictionaries, as there is good coverage of spoken and written English, British and American English, as well as clear example sentences.

Vocabulary notebooks

When you come across a new English word or phrase, make a note of it! Look up the meaning in the dictionary, making sure you are aware of any grammatical information. (For instance, if you are looking up a verb, check to see if the verb can be used in a passive form, if it is followed by any particular preposition, and so on.) Check also for the pronunciation and use of a word. Is it particularly formal or informal, or used in certain word partnerships? For example, we say "do housework", but "make an effort".

When you find a new word, check to see if you can use it in other ways. English is a flexible language – nouns, verbs and adjectives often share the same stem. For example, a house, to house, housing policy, and so on.

When you write down your new word in your notebook, try to include an example sentence in English.

Some people find it helpful to organise notebooks into themes. So rather than having a list of words without any obvious connection, you divide your notebook into themes, with one page containing words to do with the house, another page with words to do with jobs, and so on.

Quick English vocabulary booster activities

1. An English word a day

Choose a new word or phrase from your notebook and try to use it as often as possible in one day. Think of situations where you would need to use it, and write down a couple of example sentences. Go back to this word or phrase after a week, to make sure you still remember it.

Some people find index cards useful. You can write down the word on the card and carry it around with you for a day, taking it out of your pocket whenever you have a moment and trying to put it into a sentence.

2. Review

The next time you have a spare couple of minutes, flick through your notebook. You'll be surprised how much comes back to you! Choose a page where you have already stored a number of words and expressions, cover the page, and try to remember what you wrote. Then look at the page and see how many you remember.

3. One word at a time

When you read a page of a book or newspaper, decide you will only look up one word in a dictionary. When you write it down in your notebook, also make a note of any synonyms (words that mean the same) or the opposite of the new word.

4. English word building

Take a prefix (such as "en", or "pre") and make a list of all the words that can follow. (For example, encircle, enclose, enlist; prenatal, premature, pre-war.) Here are some more prefixes you can use:
dis, il, im, ir, pro, anti, de, un, con, re

Longer English vocabulary learning activities

1. Read

Read something that interests you. It could be a newspaper, a novel, a magazine, or even an English graded reader (a simplified book). Working page by page, underline the words or phrases that you don't know. Look up only those that are important for understanding, or which are repeated. Use a good dictionary, and make a note in your English vocabulary notebook.

2. Blitz
Focus on a theme, such as sport. Divide one page of your notebook into three columns. In the first column write down as many sports as you can think of. In the second, write down all the equipment you need for the sport. In the third, write down the scoring systems. You might end up with something that looks like this:

tennis racquet, ball, net umpire, love, linesman

football pitch, ball, goal posts referee, offside, penalty

You can use this method for many different themes: houses (rooms of house, furniture, styles); jobs (names of jobs, places where these jobs are done, characteristics of the job) and so on.

3. Word association

Write a key word in the middle of a page and draw a bubble around it. Then draw lines out from this word connected to smaller bubbles. In the smaller bubbles you can add words associated with the main word.

For example, you could write "email" in the middle of a page. Then the smaller bubbles could contain words such as "write", "compose", "receive", "delete", "reply" and so on.

from http://www.english-at-home.com/vocabulary/improving-your-vocabulary/

Word Maps

from http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/word_maps/

A word map is a visual organizer that promotes vocabulary development. Using a graphic organizer, students think about terms or concepts in several ways. Most word map organizers engage students in developing a definition, synonyms, antonyms, and a picture for a given vocabulary word or concept. Enhancing students' vocabulary is important to developing their reading comprehension.

  Share your examples!

WHY USE WORD MAPS?

• They're useful for helping students develop their understanding of a word.
• They help students think about new terms or concepts in several ways by asking the following questions:

  "What is it?"
  "What is it like?" and
  "What are some examples?"

• They help student build upon prior knowledge and visually represent new information.

When to use:	Before reading	During reading	After reading
How to use:	Individually	With small groups	Whole class setting

HOW TO USE WORD MAPS

1. Introduce the vocabulary word and the map to the students.
2. Teach them how to use the map by putting the target word in the central box.
3. Ask students to suggest words or phrases to put in the other boxes which answer the following questions: "What is it?" "What is it like?" and "What are some examples?"
4. Encourage students to use synonyms, antonyms, and a picture to help illustrate the new target word or concept.
5. Model how to write a definition using the information on the word map.

Download blank templates

• Template 1 (52K PDF)*
• Template 2 (64K PDF)*

EXAMPLES

Language Arts

See example of a completed word map for the vocabulary word "harbor" and examples of using synonyms, antonyms and the student's description.

See example > (76K PDF)*

Math

See how teachers can use word maps to teach new and unfamiliar terms in various math units.

See example > (52K PDF)*

Science

See how teachers can use this strategy to teach unfamiliar vocabulary terms in science units.

See example > (688K PDF)*

Social Studies

See how word maps can be integrated within a geography lesson to teach new concepts and terms.

See example > (8K PDF)*

Dictionary with sentences link

Dictionary with sentences link:  http://sentence.yourdictionary.com

Sentence Diagramming Link

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/diagrams2/diagrams_frames.htm

Do You Speak American? Link

http://www.pbs.org/speak/

Freemind Link

Freemind Mind Mapping Software

http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page