idioms
Talking (p1)
✔ a little bird(y) told me – told by a secret informant.
– Wow! How did you find out I’d be here?
– A little bird told me you were coming.
✔ an armchair critic – one who speaks critically on topics one actually knows little to nothing about.
– My uncle is such an armchair critic about the classes I’m taking—the fact that he never went to college doesn’t stop him from weighing in!
✔ like talking to a brick wall – being ignored.
– Talking to you when the TV is on is like talking to a brick wall. Hello, can you hear me?
✔ “spit it out!” – a saying used to urge someone to get to the point/confess something quickly.
– Just spit it out already—do you want to go to the dance with me or not?
✔ the gift of gab – the gift of being able to speak with eloquence.
– Alexis really has the gift of gab, so she should be the one to address the potential investors.
✔ to be all mouth – to talk boastfully about something in order to try and impress someone without intending on acting on your words.
– He talks a big game, but when it actually comes to asking out a woman, he’s all mouth.
✔ to beat around the bush – to avoid addressing the most important matter.
– Don’t beat around the bush—just tell me the truth. What’s happened?
✔ to cut to the chase – to directly address the most important matter.
– Come on, cut to the chase already—what exactly are you trying to ask me?
✔ to chew the fat/rag – to chat/catch up in an unhurried manner.
– My sister and I haven’t seen each other in nearly five years, so we stayed up half the night chewing the rag.
✔ to dish it out – to be critical.
– You were all over your sister about her eating habits, but you start pouting when I point out that you had a cupcake for dinner last night! Pfff, you can only dish it out!
✔ to run off at the mouth – to talk a lot and in an indiscreet manner.
– We would have gotten away with our plan if your dumb cousin hadn’t started running off at the mouth all over town.
✔ to shoot the breeze – to chat in an unhurried manner.
– We spent the entire afternoon just shooting the breeze. It was great!
✔ to speak out of turn – to say something inappropriate/tactless.
– Excuse me if I’m speaking out of turn, but what you are proposing is quite wrong. Bob didn’t mean anything negative.
✔ to speak the same language – to understand someone based on sharing their opinions and values.
– Bill and my dad are getting along very well together. They’re both obsessed with hockey, so they speak the same language.