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American proverb: "Love is blind"

This means that when you are in love, you don't see or realize the faults of the person you are in love with. What others see and what 2 people in love see, may be completely different.

American proverb: "No pain, no gain"

This phrase is very simple and common. It means that if you want to progress and grow, there will be pain. If you avoid pain and don't experience pain, then you probably will not see any progress. This pain can be any type: Physical, emotional, mental, etc. Don't be afraid of pain!

Example,

Henry: "I really hate going to the gym. It's boring and I'm sore the morning after. I think I'm going to try a different way to get in shape."

John: "If you want to get in shape, you are going to have to work hard every day! It will not be easy. No pain, no gain!"

American proverb: "Don't cry over spilled milk"

This means there is no benefit worrying or getting upset over things that have already happened and cannot be changed.

Cindy: "Ahhh. I can't believe I missed the train. Now I will be late for the interview!"
Mike: "It will be OK. Try not to worry too much."
Cindy: "Now I won't get the job, I won't be able to go on the trip to Spain, and I just don't know what to do."
Mike: "There's no use crying over spilt milk, Cindy. It's impossible to get there on time now, but maybe they will understand. You don't know. All you can do is do your best. If you don't get the job, you'll find something else good, I'm sure!"

Warning: This saying is usually used for small things. It would be very rude to say this when something more significant happened. For example, a family death or maybe a large natural disaster.

American Proverb: "Don't bite off more than you can chew."

Imagine putting a very large piece of cake in your mouth. So much cake that you can't chew it! This is not so smart. Instead it's better to take small bites and slowly eat the cake. This is true in many parts of our lives.

This phrase is often used to discourage people from accepting or agreeing to more responsibility than they are able to manage.

For example:

Mike, your friend at work, is talking about how busy he is. "I really need to save money this year, so I got another part-time job. Also, my son wants to play soccer this year. My wife thinks I should consider coaching the soccer team, so I think I may do it. My goal is to start my own business too! I will be so busy this year."

You are worried, so you might give Mike advice: "Don't bite off more than you can chew. Maybe it's better to focus on just 1 or 2 things this year. After you complete them, then you can focus on your other goals. If you try to do to much, you might not accomplish anything!"



Take care!

American proverb: "Beggars can't be choosers"

People who are in great need of something must accept what is given to them even though it may not be perfect or may not be a full solution to their problem.

For example:
Bob is hiking in the forest. He forgot to a bring his lunch! So, he has no food. He passes another hiker on the trail and they begin talking. Bob tells the other hiker that he forgot his lunch. The hiker reaches into his bag and gives Bob an egg sandwich. Bob says, "Egg sandwich? I don't like to eat egg when I'm hiking. Do you have chicken or beef?"

The other hiker gets a little annoyed. He replies, "Sorry! Beggars can't be choosers! At least you have something to eat now!"

Hope that makes sense. Let me know if you have questions!

American proverb: "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink"

This means you can give someone advice or offer someone an opportunity to do something, but you cannot force them take action.

For example, "I introduced him to the owner of the company and I offered him a ride to the job interview, but he didn't want to apply for the job! It was a great job. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."

American Proverb: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away"

Very simple meaning: If you eat an apple or a piece of fruit every day, you will remain healthy and won't need to see a doctor!

American proverb #1 - "Actions speak louder than words"

This proverb means that the values you have in life are judged more by how you live your life than by what you say.

For example, if your friend says, "I think it's important to be honest with others." However, he often lies to you and others, people will not think he values honesty. They will judge his values by his actions, not by what he says. Actions speak louder than words.

Have a great long weekend!!

Watch 1 episode of friends every night and you'll improve your American English quickly! Great idioms and natural expressions!

The American Corn Dog!

"wait a minute" is a way to ask someone to wait for a short time...maybe 1 to 5 minutes. This phrase shouldn't be used for longer wait times.