Using Idioms in the IELTS Speaking Test

Using Idioms in the IELTS Speaking Test

āĻ…āĻ¨ā§āĻ¯Â āĻ­āĻžāώāĻž āĻļ⧇āĻ–āĻžāϰ āϞ⧋āĻ•āĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻĨ⧇āϕ⧇ Native Speaker āĻĻ⧇āϰ āφāϞāĻžāĻĻāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āϜāĻŋāύāĻŋāϏ āĻšāϞ Idioms āĻāϰ āϏāĻ āĻŋāĻ• āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰāĨ¤Â the IELTS speaking test, āϏāĻ āĻŋāĻ•āĻ­āĻžāĻŦ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāϞ⧇ āĻāϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ āϏāĻ¤ā§āϝāĻŋāχ āφāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ score āĻŦāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāϤ⧇ āϏāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āϝ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°ā§‡Â āĨ¤Â āϝāĻžāχāĻšā§‹āĻ•, āϝāĻĻāĻŋ āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āϏ⧇āϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ correctly āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āύāĻž āĻĒāĻžāϰ⧇āύ āϤāĻŦ⧇ āϤāĻžāϰāĻž āφāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ score āĻ•āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻĻāĻŋāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰ⧇āĨ¤

Idioms āĻ•āĻŋ?

Idioms āĻšāϞ words āĻŦāĻž phrase āϝāĻžāϰ common usage āĻāϰ āĻŽāĻžāĻ§ā§āϝāĻŽā§‡ āĻāĻŽāύ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ meaning āϰāϝāĻŧ⧇āϛ⧇ āϝāĻž words āϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ āĻĨ⧇āϕ⧇ āĻ¸ā§āĻĒāĻˇā§āϟ meaning āĻŦ⧁āĻāĻž āϝāĻžā§Ÿ āύāĻžāĨ¤

āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖāĻ¸ā§āĻŦāϰ⧂āĻĒ, ‘It’s raining cats and dogs’ āĻāϰ āĻ…āĻ°ā§āĻĨ āĻšāϞ āĻĒā§āϰāĻŦāϞ āĻŦ⧃āĻˇā§āϟāĻŋ āĻšāĻšā§āϛ⧇, āĻ•āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āϤ⧁ āφāĻŽāϰāĻž āϝāĻĻāĻŋ word āϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻŋ āϤāĻŦ⧇ āĻŽāύ⧇ āĻšāϝāĻŧ āϕ⧁āϕ⧁āϰ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āĻŦāĻŋāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāϞ āφāĻ•āĻžāĻļ āĻĨ⧇āϕ⧇ āĻĒāĻĄāĻŧāϛ⧇āĨ¤

āφāϰ⧇āĻ•āϟāĻŋ āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āϝāĻžāĻ•āĨ¤

āϝāĻĻāĻŋ āϕ⧇āω ‘High as a kite’, āĻšāϝāĻŧ, āϤāĻŦ⧇ āĻāϰ meaning āĻāχ āύāϝāĻŧ āϝ⧇ āϤāĻžāϰāĻž āωāĻĄāĻŧāϛ⧇, āĻāϰ āĻŽāĻžāύ⧇ āϤāĻžāϰāĻž āĻŽāĻžāĻĻāĻ•āĻžāϏāĻ•ā§āϤāĨ¤

Idioms āϕ⧀ āĻŦā§‹āĻāĻžāϝāĻŧ āϤāĻž āϏāĻ¤ā§āϝāĻŋāχ āĻŦā§‹āĻāĻžāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āφāĻŽāĻžāĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻĻ⧁āϟāĻŋ word āĻŦ⧁āĻāϤ⧇ āĻšāĻŦ⧇– literal āĻŦāĻž āφāĻ•ā§āώāϰāĻŋāĻ• āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ metaphorical āĻŦāĻž āϰ⧂āĻĒāĻ•

literal  āĻŦāĻž āφāĻ•ā§āώāϰāĻŋāĻ• āĻ…āĻ°ā§āĻĨ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ word āĻāϰ normal āĻŦāĻž usual meaningāĨ¤

metaphorical āĻŦāĻž āϰ⧂āĻĒāĻ• word āϗ⧁āϞāĻŋāϕ⧇ āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻŖāύāĻž āĻ•āϰ⧇ āϝāĻž āĻ…āĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁āϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ symbols āĻšāĻŋāϏāĻžāĻŦ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšā§ƒāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤Â āĻāϟāĻž literal  āĻŦāĻž āφāĻ•ā§āώāϰāĻŋāĻ• āĻāϰ āĻŦāĻŋāĻĒāϰ⧀āϤāĨ¤

āϤāĻžāχ ‘high’ āφāĻ•ā§āώāϰāĻŋāĻ• āĻ…āĻ°ā§āĻĨ⧇ āĻĒ⧃āĻĨāĻŋāĻŦā§€āϰ āĻĒ⧃āĻˇā§āϠ⧇āϰ āωāĻĒāϰ⧇ āĻ…āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻŋāϤ, āĻ•āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āϤ⧁ āϰ⧂āĻĒāĻ• āĻ…āĻ°ā§āĻĨ⧇ āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻ“āώ⧁āϧ āĻ—ā§āϰāĻšāĻŖ āĻ•āϰ⧇āϛ⧇āύ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āϤāĻžāĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻĒā§āϰāĻ­āĻžāĻŦ āĻ…āύ⧁āĻ­āĻŦ āĻ•āϰāϛ⧇āύāĨ¤

āĻ…āϤāĻāĻŦ, āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āϕ⧇āĻŦāϞ word āϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ āĻĻ⧇āϖ⧇ idioms āĻāϰ āĻ…āĻ°ā§āĻĨ āĻŦ⧁āĻāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŦ⧇āύ āύāĻžāĨ¤Â āφāĻĒāύāĻžāϕ⧇ āϰ⧂āĻĒāĻ• āĻŦāϞāϤ⧇ āφāϏāϞ⧇ āϕ⧀ āĻŦā§‹āĻāĻžāϝāĻŧ āϤāĻž āϖ⧁āρāĻœā§‡ āĻŦ⧇āϰ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻšāĻŦ⧇āĨ¤

āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āϝāĻĻāĻŋ āφāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ āύāĻŋāĻœā§‡āϰ āĻŽāĻžāϤ⧃āĻ­āĻžāώāĻž āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϕ⧇ āϚāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āϤāĻž āĻ•āϰ⧇āύ āϤāĻŦ⧇ āφāĻŽāĻŋ āύāĻŋāĻļā§āϚāĻŋāϤ āϝ⧇ āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁ āĻŦāĻžāĻ—āϧāĻžāϰāĻžāϰ āĻ•āĻĨāĻž āĻ­āĻžāĻŦāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰ⧇āύ āϝāĻž āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āϏāĻ°ā§āĻŦāĻĻāĻž āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰ⧇āύāĨ¤

āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ•āĻŋ writing āĻŦāĻž speaking test āĻ Idioms āĻāϰ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻŦ? 

Idiom āϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ āĻŦ⧇āĻļāĻŋāϰāĻ­āĻžāĻ— āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ informally āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚  IELTS writing test.

āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻž āωāϚāĻŋāĻ¤Â āύāϝāĻŧ āĨ¤

Spoken English āĻ āϏāĻžāϧāĻžāϰāĻŖāϤ Academic writing English āĻāϰ āϤ⧁āϞāύāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻ…āύ⧇āĻ• āĻ•āĻŽ formal, āϤāĻžāχ speaking test āĻ āĻāϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻž āĻ­āĻžāϞāĨ¤

āϤāĻžāϰāĻž āĻ•āĻŋāĻ­āĻžāĻŦ⧇ āφāĻŽāĻžāϰ score āĻŦāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰ⧇?

āωāĻĒāϰ⧇āϰ āĻ›āĻŦāĻŋāϟāĻŋ band descriptors for speaking.  āωāĻĒāϰ⧇āϰ 3āϟāĻŋ band āĻšāϞ 7, 8 āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ 9āĨ¤ āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāĻšā§āϛ⧇āύ, āĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁ inappropriate choice āĻāϰ āϏāĻžāĻĨ⧇āĻ“ Idiom āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻž āĻāĻ•āϜāύ band 7 candidate āĻāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āϏāĻžāϧāĻžāϰāĻŖāϤ āĻŦāĻŋāώ⧟āĨ¤Â rarely student āϰāĻž āĻāϗ⧁āϞāĻŋāϕ⧇ āύāĻŋāϖ⧁āρāϤāĻ­āĻžāĻŦ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰ⧇ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āĻāϗ⧁āϞ āĻāĻŽāύ āĻāĻ•āϜāύ⧇āϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āϝāĻž 9-āĻ āĻĒ⧌āρāĻ›āϤ⧇ āϏāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āϝ āĻ•āϰ⧇āĨ¤

āĻ…āύ⧇āĻ• idiom āĻ•āĻŋ āφāĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻŽā§āĻ–āĻ¸ā§āĻĨ āĻ•āϰāĻž āωāϚāĻŋāϤ?

āĻāĻ•āĻĻāĻŽāχ āύāĻž! āĻāϟāĻŋ IELTS SPEAKING TEST āϗ⧁āϞ⧋āϰ āĻŽāĻ§ā§āϝ⧇ āϏāĻŦāĻšā§‡āϝāĻŧ⧇ āϏāĻžāϧāĻžāϰāĻŖ āϭ⧁āϞāϗ⧁āϞāĻŋāϰ āĻŽāĻ§ā§āϝ⧇ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋāĨ¤Â āĻ…āύ⧇āĻ• āĻļāĻŋāĻ•ā§āώāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻĨā§€ āĻŽāύ⧇ āĻ•āϰ⧇ āϝ⧇ āϕ⧇āĻŦāϞāĻŽāĻžāĻ¤ā§āϰ āĻĒā§āϰāϚ⧁āϰ IDIOM āĻļ⧇āĻ–āĻž āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āϤāĻžāϰāĻĒāϰ Test āĻ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻž āϤāĻžāĻĻ⧇āϰ high score āĻĒ⧇āϤ⧇ āϏāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āϝ āĻ•āϰāĻŦ⧇āĨ¤Â āφāϏāϞ⧇ āĻŦāĻŋāώ⧟āϟāĻž āωāĻ˛ā§āĻŸā§‹!!! examiner āĻĻ⧇āϰ Inappropriate Idiom āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āĻšā§‡āĻˇā§āϟāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻž āϞ⧋āϕ⧇āĻĻ⧇āϰ āϚāĻŋāĻšā§āύāĻŋāϤ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ trained āĻ•āϰāĻžāύ⧋ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤

āĻāϟāĻŋ CONTEXT āĻāϰ āωāĻĒāϰ āύāĻŋāĻ°ā§āĻ­āϰ āĻ•āϰ⧇ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āϝāĻĻāĻŋ āϏ⧇āϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ āϏāĻ āĻŋāĻ•āĻ­āĻžāĻŦ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āύāĻž āĻ•āϰ⧇āύ āϤāĻŦ⧇ āϏ⧇āϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ āϖ⧁āĻŦ odd āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ unnatural āĻļā§‹āύāĻžāĻŦ⧇⧎

āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ•āĻŋāĻ­āĻžāĻŦ⧇ idiom āĻāϰ effective āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻŦ? 

āφāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ āĻļ⧁āϧ⧁āĻŽāĻžāĻ¤ā§āϰ idiom āϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻž āωāϚāĻŋāϤ āϝāĻĻāĻŋ āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻļ⧁āύ⧇ āĻĨāĻžāϕ⧇āύ āϝ⧇ āϏ⧇āϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ real context āĻ āϕ⧀āĻ­āĻžāĻŦ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āϤāĻ–āύāĻŋ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻŦ⧇āύ āϝāĻ–āύ 100% āύāĻŋāĻļā§āϚāĻŋāϤ āĻĨāĻžāĻ•āĻŦ⧇āύ āϝ⧇ āϝ⧇ āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āϏ⧇āϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ āϏāĻ āĻŋāĻ• āωāĻĒāĻžāϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāϛ⧇āĻ¨ā§ˇÂ 

Common Idioms 

āύāĻŋāĻšā§‡ āĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁ āϏāĻžāϧāĻžāϰāĻŖ Idioms āĻĻ⧇āĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž āĻšāϞ āϝāĻž āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ›āĻžāĻ¤ā§āϰāĻĻ⧇āϰ IELTS SPEAKING TEST āĻ āϏāĻ āĻŋāĻ•āĻ­āĻžāĻŦ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻļ⧁āύ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāĨ¤Â āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āϝāĻĻāĻŋ āφāϗ⧇ āĻ•āĻ–āύāĻ“ āϤāĻžāĻĻ⧇āϰ āϕ⧋āύāϟāĻŋ āύāĻž āĻļ⧁āύ⧇ āĻĨāĻžāϕ⧇āύ āϤāĻŦ⧇ āϏ⧇āϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ āϕ⧀āĻ­āĻžāĻŦ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ āϤāĻžāϰ āφāϰāĻ“ āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ āĻ–ā§‹āρāϜāĻžāϰ āĻšā§‡āĻˇā§āϟāĻž āĻ•āϰ⧁āύ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āϤāĻžāϰāĻĒāϰ āχāĻ‚āϰ⧇āϜāĻŋāϤ⧇ āĻ•āĻĨāĻž āĻŦāϞāĻžāϰ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āϏ⧇āϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ practice āĻ•āϰ⧁āύāĨ¤Â āĻāĻ›āĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāĻ“, āϏ⧇āϗ⧁āϞ⧋ āϕ⧋āĻĨāĻž āĻĨ⧇āϕ⧇ āĻāϏ⧇āϛ⧇ āĻ…āĻ°ā§āĻĨāĻžā§Ž āϏ⧇āϗ⧁āϞ⧋āϰ origin āĻŦā§‹āĻāĻž āφāĻĒāύāĻžāϕ⧇ āϏ⧇āϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ āĻŽāύ⧇ āϰāĻžāĻ–āϤ⧇ āϏāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āϝ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰ⧇āĨ¤

āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻāĻ–āĻžāύ⧇ IELTS SPEAKING TEST āύāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āφāϰāĻ“ āϏāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āϝ āĻĒāĻžāĻŦ⧇āύ:  IELTS Speaking Practice

āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āϝāĻĻāĻŋ āĻĒāĻžāϰ⧇āύ, āĻāĻ•āϜāύ Native Speaker āĻŦāĻž English Teacher āϕ⧇ āφāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ āĻ•āĻĨāĻž āĻļ⧁āύāĻžāύ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āϤāĻžāĻĻ⧇āϰāϕ⧇ ask āĻ•āϰ⧁āύ āϝ⧇ āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āϏ⧇āϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ āϏāĻ āĻŋāĻ•āĻ­āĻžāĻŦ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāϛ⧇āύ āĻ•āĻŋāύāĻžāĨ¤

āĻāϗ⧁āϞ⧋āϰ āĻŦ⧇āĻļāĻŋāϰāĻ­āĻžāĻ—āχ āĻšāϞ something, someone āĻŦāĻž āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āϕ⧇āĻŽāύ āĻ…āύ⧁āĻ­āĻŦ āĻ•āϰ⧇āύ āϤāĻž āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻŖāύāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āωāĻĒāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤Â āĻāϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻž āφāϰāĻ“ āϏāĻšāϜ āĻ•āĻžāϰāĻŖ āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āϏāĻžāϧāĻžāϰāĻŖāϤ āϝ⧇ āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻŖāύāĻžāϟāĻŋ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻŦ⧇āύ āϤāĻž substitute āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰ⧇āύāĨ¤

Examples

Over the moon– āĻ…āĻ¤ā§āϝāĻ¨ā§āϤ āϖ⧁āĻļāĻŋ āĻŦāĻž āϖ⧁āĻļāĻŋ āĻšāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻžāĨ¤

I was over the moon when I passed my speaking test.

Once in a blue moon– āϖ⧁āĻŦ āĻ•āĻŽāχ āϘāĻŸā§‡

A student will get a 9 in the IELTS writing test once in a blue moon. 

A piece of cake– āϖ⧁āĻŦ āϏāĻšāϜāĨ¤

Getting a band 6 in the speaking test will be a piece of cake.

A drop in the ocean– āĻ…āύ⧇āĻ• āĻŦāĻĄāĻŧ āĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁āϰ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āϖ⧁āĻŦ āϛ⧋āϟ āĻ…āĻ‚āĻļāĨ¤

Just learning idioms is a drop in the ocean when it comes to preparing for the speaking test.

Actions speak louder than words– āϕ⧋āύāĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁ āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϕ⧇ āĻ•āĻĨāĻž āĻŦāϞāĻžāϰ āĻšā§‡āϝāĻŧ⧇ āϤāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻž āĻ­āĻžāϞāĨ¤

Lots of people have great business ideas but do nothing about them. Actions speak louder than words, just do it.

Back to the drawing board– āϝāĻ–āύ āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āĻšā§‡āĻˇā§āϟāĻž āĻ•āϰ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ°ā§āĻĨ āĻšāύ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āϤāĻ–āύ āφāĻŦāĻžāϰ āϤāĻž āĻšā§‡āĻˇā§āϟāĻž āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻšāĻŦ⧇āĨ¤

I got 4.5 in reading! Oh well, back to the drawing board.

Put all your eggs in one basket- āφāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ āϏāĻŽāĻ¸ā§āϤ money āĻŦāĻž effort āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āϜāĻŋāύāĻŋāϏ⧇āϰ āĻŽāĻ§ā§āϝ⧇ āϰāĻžāϖ⧁āύāĨ¤

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. You should apply to lots of different universities.

The in thing– āĻĢā§āϝāĻžāĻļāύ⧇āĻŦāϞ āĻāĻŽāύ āĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁ āϕ⧇ āĻŦ⧁āĻāĻžā§Ÿ

The new iPhone is really the in thing at the moment.

The real McCoy– āφāϏāϞ āĻŦāĻž āϜāĻžāϞ āύāϝāĻŧāĨ¤

I don’t think her new handbag is the real McCoy.

Off the top of my head– āĻĒā§āϰāĻĨāĻŽā§‡ āϚāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āϤāĻž āύāĻž āĻ•āϰ⧇ āĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁ āĻŦāϞāĻžāĨ¤

Off the top of my head, I’d say about 2 or 3.

Run of the mill– āĻ—āĻĄāĻŧ, āϏāĻžāϧāĻžāϰāĻŖ (average, ordinary)

Apple phones are very run of the mill these days.

Soulmate– āĻāĻŽāύ āĻāĻ•āϜāύ āϝāĻžāϕ⧇ āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āϖ⧁āĻŦ āĻ—āĻ­ā§€āϰāĻ­āĻžāĻŦ⧇ trust āĻ•āϰ⧇āύāĨ¤

My husband is not just my lover, he’s my soul mate.

Down in the dumps– sad.

I was really down in the dumps after my dog died.

Found my feet– āĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āφāϰāĻžāĻŽāĻĻāĻžāϝāĻŧāĻ• feel āĻ•āϰāĻžāĨ¤

Moving to a new city was difficult as first, but I soon found my feet.

Set in their ways– āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦāĻ°ā§āϤāύ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āϚāĻžāύ āύāĻžāĨ¤

My parents are quite traditional and set in their ways.

Go the extra mile– āĻĒā§āϰāϝāĻŧā§‹āϜāύ⧇āϰ āĻšā§‡āϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻ…āύ⧇āĻ• āĻŦ⧇āĻļāĻŋ āĻ•āϰāĻžāĨ¤

I decided to go the extra mile and move to England to really perfect my English.

A hot potato– āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āĻŦāĻŋāϤāĻ°ā§āĻ•āĻŋāϤ āĻŦāĻŋāώāϝāĻŧāĨ¤

Abortion and capital punishment are hot potatoes in my country at the moment.

Miss the boat– āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āϏ⧁āϝ⧋āĻ— āĻŽāĻŋāϏāĨ¤

I sent my application in late and I think I missed the boat. 

Costs an arm and a leg– āϏāĻ¤ā§āϝāĻŋāχ āĻŦā§āϝāϝāĻŧāĻŦāĻšā§āϞāĨ¤

Those shoes must have cost an arm and a leg.

Sit on the fence– āϏāĻŋāĻĻā§āϧāĻžāĻ¨ā§āϤāĻšā§€āύ āĻĒ⧜āĻžāĨ¤

I haven’t made my mind up about that issue, I’ll have to sit on the fence.