Did our announcement pique your interest in idioms? Still wondering what all-hands-on-deck means?
Well, you’ve come to the right place!
“All-hands-on-deck” or “all hands on deck” – is said when there is a major problem or an emergency situation and every available person must help.
This expression comes from when shipmates or crew members have to all come to the deck of the ship to help - usually because of a sudden emergency like a storm. Everyone joins in the effort to keep the ship upright and safe. Today, that expression is used in all kinds of situations.
But what are idioms anyway?
According to theidioms.com, “An idiom is a group of words, a saying, or a phrase with a symbolic rather than literal meaning that is accepted in common usage. It is a form of artistic expression characteristic of a movement, period, individual, medium, or instrument.
Its symbolic sense differs from the definition or literal meaning of the words that make it. Idioms convey a figurative meaning that is difficult to understand solely by interpreting the words literally.”
In English, idioms are so commonly used that it’s difficult to think of a time when they aren’t! They easily slip into formal and informal situations as well as in conversations with people you know well or not at all.
What’s fun about Idioms is that they can be categorized into many different themes. Since we started with all hands on deck, let’s stick with themes related to weather.
Here are a few examples:
1. To weather the storm – means to get through or survive a difficult period or situation or challenge.
Example sentence: Hey, buddy. Things will get better. You just have to weather the storm.
2. It’s a breeze or it’ll be a breeze or it was a breeze – all mean that something is, will be or was easy to do.
Example: Don’t stress, the test will be a breeze. You studied all night for it, did you?!
3. Shoot the breeze. Nooooo, we’re not talking about violence here! This is an expression that simply means that you chat with someone in a relaxed way.
Example: What did you do at Aisha’s yesterday? Oh, we just shot the breeze about this and that.
(Yes, you can use it in the past tense too!)
4. Save up for a rainy day. When you’re saving up for a rainy day, you’re putting money aside for when you might need it later.
Example: Mom always told me it’s good to save up for a rainy day. Now that our car broke down, we have money for a new one.
Do you like to use idioms?
Personally, I love them. They’re such a colorful and easy way to add a little pizzazz to your sentences. How do you spice up your conversations?
What other weather-related examples can you think of? Click Reply and share some below. Or if you have a few from your home or host country, share those too!
Looking ahead:
If you're like Tina Turner and wondering "What's Love got to do with it?", check out our Love & Idioms discussion here.
Curiously yours,
Iya
PS: Quick Quiz: What does the picture above mean? Tell us the idiom and what the idiom means.
Vocabulary
*ya = informal “you”
A note to remember: in the English Community, underlined words that are also in bold are links for you to click. Did you click the correct links above?