Idioms & Phrases

to bring up

/ italkyoutalk

to bring up (to mention)

Eg 1:

A: Why did you have to bring up our money problems in the meeting with the bank manager yesterday?

B: I had to bring it up! He is our bank manager! He needs to know everything about our finances!

A: Yes, but you didn’t have to tell him in such detail!

Eg 2:

A: Have you told the employees that they are going to lose their jobs yet?

B: No, I haven’t. I haven’t found the right time to bring it up yet.

A: There is no right time to bring up something like that. You should tell them as soon as possible.

——–

Can you make a sentence using to bring up?

red tape

/ italkyoutalk

solid-red-background

red tape (bureaucracy and official procedures that take much time)

Eg. 1

A: Have you got your visa to study in the UK yet?

B: No, not yet. I can’t believe how much red tape there is!

Eg 2.

A: Was it easy for you to get a job in Japan?

B: It wasn’t so difficult, but there was quite a lot of red tape.

to put (one’s) foot in it

/ italkyoutalk

Leather shoes

(*Image from Fotolia)

to put (one’s) foot in it (to say or do the wrong thing)

Eg 1:

A: I really put my foot in it when I asked Zoe how her husband was. I forgot they had got divorced.

B: Yes, you did. It was really embarrassing.

Eg 2:

A: Greg put his foot in it again this year.

B: Why? What did he do?

A: He forgot our wedding anniversary again!

—–

Tell us about a time when you put your foot in it. What happened?

to be out of touch

/ italkyoutalk

to be out of touch (with someone) (to not have contact [with someone])

Eg 1:

A: Are you still in touch with Pierre?

B: No. We’ve been out of touch for years. We lost touch after he went back to France.

Eg 2:

A: I heard that Liliana has been out of touch with her parents for years.

B: Yes, I heard that too.  I wonder why she doesn’t try to get in touch with them.

—–

Can you make a sentence using “to be out of touch”?

to be in touch

/ italkyoutalk

to be in touch (with someone) (to be in contact [with someone])

Eg 1:

A: Do you talk to Ramez much these days?

B: Yes, I’m still in touch with him. We talk about once a month.

Eg 2:

A: When will you tell me the test results?

B: I’ll be in touch next week.

——-

Can you make a sentence using “to be in touch”?

to have second thoughts

/ italkyoutalk

to have second thoughts about (something) (to start having doubts about [something] which you originally thought was good)

Eg 1:

A: I thought studying science at university was a good idea, but now I’m having second thoughts about it. I can’t understand the lectures at all.

B: You should talk to your professor about it. He will be able to help you.

Eg 2:

A: Helen had second thoughts about climbing Mt. Fuji when it started to rain heavily.

B: Had she started climbing?

A: No, she was just about to start.

——

Can you make a sentence using “have second thoughts”?

to let (one’s) hair down

/ italkyoutalk

to let (one’s) hair down (to relax and enjoy oneself)

Eg 1:

A: Are you going to the party tonight?

B: Of course. I’m going to let my hair down and have fun!

Eg 2:

A: You work too hard. You should come out with us tonight and let your hair down.

B: I wish I could, but I’ve got to finish this report before tomorrow.

—–

How about you? Have you let your hair down recently? Where did you go?

to go/come up to

/ italkyoutalk

to go/come up to (to approach)

Eg 1:

A: A stranger came up to me and asked me to go for a drink with him.

B: What did you say?

A: I said ‘No!’ of course!

Eg 2:

A: When the prime minister visited our town, many people went up to him and told him he should quit.

B: What did he do?

A: Nothing. He just walked away.

——

Can you make a sentence using “to go/come up with”?