if information goes in one ear and out the other, the person who is told it forgets it immediately because they do not listen carefully enough.
to throw cold water on something
• to react in a very angry way to something someone says or does
Up in arms
• All us students are up in arms at the news the school is raising our tuition ten percent. • Local businessmen are up in arms over the new parking regulations which will make shopping very inconvenient for customers.
• Everybody else in the office thought my idea was great, but the boss threw cold water on it." • I had planned on going to medical school but my dad hrew cold water on this idea the other day when he told me he wasn't sure he had the money to pay my tuition for so long."
• to criticize or stop something that some people are enthusiastic about
The shoe is on the other foot
• Back in school we made fun of Jones because we thought he spent too much time studying instead of having fun. Now the shoe is on the other foot -- he's made lots of money and the rest of us are just barely making enough to feed our families.
• to make an effort to improve your work or behaviour because it is not good enough.
keep an ear to the ground
• I try to keep an ear to the ground and what I hear these days is that most people think we spend too much money on building roads and not enough on our schools.
• I told Sally it was foolish to marry that man, but it went in one ear and out the other. Now she wishes she'd listened to me. He drinks and gambles and she wants to leave him. • How many times have I told you to get to work on time. But my words just go in one ear and out the other. So I don't have any choice but to fire you.
• to laugh at someone secretly, often in an unkind way
• Ｔｈａｎｋ ｙｏｕ！
Break a leg= Good Luck
On the house
A:Hi,do you want to try this new flavor hamburger , buy one and I’ll give you one on the house. B:On the house? Can I just go upstairs?
• very angry
laugh up one's sleeve
• We were all laughing up our sleeves at the teacher when he was up at the blackboard explaining the math problem. He had a rip in the back of his pants and didn't know it. • We were all laughing up our sleeves at our brother when he sat down at the dinner table. He'd seen his girl off at the airport and had lipstick on his face and didn't know it.
• if you say that the shoe is on the other foot, you mean that a situation is now the opposite of what it was before, often because a person who was in a weak position is now in a strong position.
• to watch and listen carefully to what is happening around you so that you know about everything
fly off the handle
• My wife spent all afternoon yesterday cooking a special dinner for our wedding anniversary. So she really flew off the handle when I came home three hours late. • He really flew off the handle when I suggested selling the house.
English
informal words and expressions , but it’s more acceptable when used socially.
slangs
Slang is the use of
Break a leg
A:Man,I have a performance tomorrow ．I am so nervous. B: Don’t be, you will be fine , break a leg ,okay! A: break a leg? Are you kidding me?
On the house = for free
gold digger
A:I am gonna break up with my girlfriend, she is totally a gold digger. B: Why ? She must
be rich.
Gold digger = 拜金女
It goes in one ear and out the other
Pull your socks up
• I have bad news: our sales were off 18% for the last quarter. So I'm telling you guys -- you have to pull your socks up and get out there and sell more stuff, or you'll be looking for new jobs this summer.