Idioms related with fashion and clothes
Idioms
Air your dirty laundry – private information that causes shame and embarrassment when it is made public.
Example: “My neighbor's are always airing their dirty laundry: they shout about their private problems and everyone can hear them”
All dressed up – to make (something) more attractive, impressive, or fancy.
Example: “Olivia gets all dressed up before she goes out”
As tough as an old boot – very tough, strong and resistant.
Example: “My grandmother is as tough as old boots; she survived two world wars”
At the drop of a hat – without waiting or planning, immediately, promptly.
Example: “John’s girlfriend dumped him at the drop of a hat when she found a new man”
Birthday suit – complete nakedness.
Example: “The child was swimming in the pool in his birthday suit”
Burn a hole in one’s pocket – to spend a lot of money quickly.
Example: “After he got paid, the money was burning a hole in Paul’s pocket, he spent it all last weekend”
Burst at the seams – to be too full or too crowded.
Example: “My handbag is bursting at the seams, I need to get a bigger one”
Catch (someone) with their pants down – to surprise someone in an embarrassing situation or doing something that they should not be doing.
Example: “They caught the thieves with their pants down: they were running across the garden with the TV”
Charm the pants off (someone) – to use very nice or charming behavior to persuade someone to do something.
Example: “That man could charm the pants off anyone, he’s so handsome and well-spoken”
Cloak-and-dagger – Involving secrecy and plotting.
Example: “It was all very cloak and dagger, nobody said anything about what was going to happen”
Come apart at the seams – to be in a bad situation and to begin to lose control, to become extremely upset.
Example: “After the divorce, Marie came apart at the seams”
Cut from the same cloth – to share a lot of similarities.
Example: “Jenny and her mother are cut from the same cloth: they are very strict”
Do (something) like it is going out of fashion/style – to use/buy/eat/spend a lot or too much of something.
Example: “Ian is eating fish and chips like they’re going out of fashion”
Dressed to kill – wearing your best or finest clothes.
Example: “I went to my interview, dressed to kill”
Eat one’s hat – to do something extraordinary or special if something that you do not think will happen actually happens.
Example: “If you run for 20 minutes without stopping, I’ll eat my hat”
Emperor’s new clothes – used when many people believe something that is not true, a situation in which people are afraid to criticize something because everyone else seems to think that it is good or important.
Example: “It was like the emperor’s new clothes when nobody would criticize the popular politician although he was doing a lot of bad things”
Fall apart at the seams – to separate at the seams (for material that is swen together), to fall apart.
Example: “My trousers are falling apart at the seams, I really need to buy a new pair”
Feather in one’s cap – something to be proud of, an honor.
Example: “When I got my promotion, it put a feather in my cap”
Fit like a glove – to fit perfectly.
Example: “James and me work perfectly together; he fits me like a glove”
Get the boot – to be fired from a job, to be told to leave a place.
Example: “Olivia was given the boot yesterday, so now she’s looking for a new job”
Give (someone) the shirt off one’s back – to be very generous to someone.
Example: “Gina is such a kind girl, she’d give you the shirt of her back”
Go out of fashion/style – to become unfashionable.
Example: “That type of managerial approach no longer works, it has gone out of fashion”
Hand in glove with (someone) – very close with someone.
Example: “My boss and I worked hand in glove to create a good advertising campaign”
Handle (someone) with kid gloves – to handle someone very gently and carefully because you do not want to upset him or her.
Example: “We all had to handle the celebrity with kid gloves, she was such a diva!”
A hand-me-down – a piece of clothing that is given to someone after another person does not need it.
Example: “My brother always had to wear hand-me-downs from our older cousin”
Have a bee in one’s bonnet – to have a fixed idea that stays in one’s mind.
Example: “I have a bee in my bonnet with our new housemate; she’s very dirty”
Idiom Sentences!
Let’s practice these idioms… make at least one sentence using your favorite idiom. We will correct them and this way, everyone will learn a bit of English today!
My favorite is “eat one’s hat”. It’s quite old-fashioned but fun to say. For example:
“If she manages to be on time for once, I’ll eat my hat”
Додаток В
Definition and derivation of fashion (Oxford English Dictionary)
Noun
· 1a popular or the latest style of clothing, hair, decoration, or behavior: the latest Parisian fashions
· [mass noun] the production and marketing of new styles of clothing and cosmetics: [as modifier]: a fashion magazine
· 2a manner of doing something: the work is done in a rather casual fashion
Verb
[with object]
· make into a particular form: the bottles were fashioned from green glass
· (fashion something into) use materials to produce (something): the skins were fashioned into boots and shoes
Phrases
After a fashion
to a certain extent but not perfectly: he could read after a fashion