British English Teacher

🇬🇧 Phrase of the Day 72

➡️ "What a fluke!"

definition: A “fluke” is something caused by chance or luck. Something can also be described as being “flukey,” meaning that it is particularly lucky or coincidental.

example: “You hit the bullseye (the red target on a darts board)! What a total fluke! You wouldn’t be able to do it again.”

origin: It was originally a billiards term meaning “a lucky shot,” and first appeared in the mid-1800s. Although no one knows the exact origin, the best theory so far is that it originates from an old English dialect word “fluke” meaning “guess.”

🇬🇧 Phrase of the Day 71

➡️ "to drop a clanger"

definition: A clanger is an obvious and indiscreet mistake or blunder.

origin: The noun clanger is used only in this phrase; the image is of something dropping with a clang, i.e. with a loud resonant ringing sound, which emphasizes the conspicuous nature of the mistake. The phrase seems to have originated in British Army slang during or immediately after the Second World War.

🇬🇧 Phrase of the Day 70

➡️ "Chock-a-block / chocka"

definition: A place that is very busy. A road, street, or shop could be described this way.

example: "It was chock-a-block at the shopping centre today"

origin: Mid 19th century (originally in nautical use, with reference to tackle having the two blocks run close together): from chock (in chock-full) and block.

🇬🇧 Phrase of the Day 69
➡️ "to have the lurgy"

definition: Lurgy — If you have the dreaded lurgy then you are unwell with either the flu or a cold.

1950s: of unknown origin; frequently used in the British radio series The Goon Show, of the 1950s and 1960s.

🇬🇧 Phrase of the Day 68

➡️ "I'm having a bit of a do"

definition: A do is basically a party or a gathering, such as a work do, a birthday do or a stag do.

example: "Are you going to Steve's birthday do on Friday?"

🇬🇧 Phrase of the Day 67

➡️ "a doddle"

definition: An easy task is a "doddle."

example: "Painting the bedroom will be an absolute doddle"

origin: The word could be a variation of "toddle" -- like a young child's first steps.

🇬🇧 Phase of the Day 66

➡️ "to have a row"

definition: If two people have a row, they have a noisy argument. Usually it's not too heavy and both parties will resolve the issue quickly.

example: "We never seem to stay together for very long before we have a dreadful row"

note: The word is not pronounced as in "row a boat", but it rhymes with "wow".

🇬🇧 Phrase of the Day 65

➡️ "A turn up for the books"

definition: An unexpected stroke of good luck.

origin: Originally “a turn up for the book”. At 18th-century horse racing meetings, punters’ names and wagers were recorded in a notebook. If an unbacked horse won, it was called a “turn up” for the bookmaker, who kept all the money.

The “luck” aspect of the phrase comes from games of chance like cribbage, where cards are “turned up” by chance.

🇬🇧 Phrase of the Day 64

➡️ "It's the bee's knees"

definition: the best, the coolest

example: "The Beatles are the bee's knees."

origin: This phrase became mainstream in the USA in the 1920s despite its British origins, but its popularity in the States has dwindled since the turn of the century.

The "bee's knees" referred to small or insignificant details when it was first documented in the 18th century. Since then, the phrase has evolved and refers to something at the "height of cool."

🇬🇧 Phrase of the Day 63

➡️ "a right cob on"

definition: to have a cob on means to be in a bad mood about something

example: “What’s wrong with you? You’ve got a right cob on!”

origin: unknown

🇬🇧 Phrase of the Day 62

➡️ "Splash out"

definition: To "splash out" means spending significant amounts of money on a particular item or event.

If you're "splashing out," it's implied that you're spending money on a treat to mark a special occasion or celebration.

example: "Wow -- you've really splashed out on this party!"

"Swot"