Here are some English phrases used in everyday situations. They’re very common, but they’re rather colloquial, so you often won’t find them in an English textbook! Learn these phrases and expressions as well as the situations in which you can use each one.
I’ll Say.
You can say “I’ll say” to show that you strongly agree with what the other person says. We often use “I’ll say” to imply that what the other person said was an understatement, and that the truth is even “stronger” than their statement.
Situation: You and your friend see this:
Your friend: “Wow – that’s a big fish.”
You: “I’ll say!” (implies that the fish is not just big… the fish is GIGANTIC)
Fat Chance!
“Fat chance!” means that there is a very little possibility of something happening. The possibility is so small that you think it won’t happen. Note: This expression is rather sarcastic. You should only use it with very good friends, never in a professional situation.
Situation: You and your friend are talking about the baseball championships.
Your friend: The Red Sox are going all the way this year.
(“going all the way” = going to win the championship)
You: Fat chance! They’ll never beat the Yankees!
A more formal and polite way to express a small probability is “I don’t think that’s very likely.”
I Rest My Case.
You can say this when you are expressing a fact or opinion, and then something happens to prove your point perfectly and show that you are completely correct.
Situation: You and your friend are talking about cooking.
You: You can’t cook at all.
Your friend: I can cook! I always make those instant noodle soups.
You: I rest my case.
(the fact that instant noodle soups are meals for people who don’t really know how to cook, shows that your first statement about your friend’s lack of cooking abilities was correct)
What’s The Catch?
You can say this when something sounds too good to be true. It means that you suspect that there is a hidden problem, which might make the opportunity not as good as it appears to be.
Situation: You and your friend are talking about working from home.
Your friend: I just found out about a great opportunity – I can work from home only 5 hours a week and I’ll earn at least $2000 a month, guaranteed!
You: Hmm… what’s the catch?
(you think that there is some problem or lie about this opportunity)
Good Call.
When you respond to a statement with “good call,” you are saying that the other person made a good decision or a smart observation.
Situation: You and your friend are trying to decide whether to go to the mall or to the movies.
Your friend: Let’s go to the mall – they’re having a big sale this weekend. We can go to the movies anytime.
You: Good call.
Take Your Pick.
You can say “take your pick” when you are offering the other person items for them to make a choice.
Situation: You are going to make tea for your friend, and you have several different flavors. You want to know which type of tea she prefers.
You: I have chai, green tea, ginger tea, and black tea – take your pick.
Make Yourself At Home.
You can say this to welcome someone who comes to your home for a visit. It means they can sit down, get comfortable, and relax.
Situation: You invited your colleague and her husband over for dinner, and they arrive.
You: Hi! Please come on in – make yourselves at home.
Your colleague: Thank you! You have a lovely apartment.
It’s A Small World!
You can say “It’s a small world!” (or “What a small world!”) in reaction to an unexpected coincidence.
Situation: You are meeting a new colleague for the first time.
You: I heard you have a degree in physics. Where did you go to school?
Colleague: At Stanford University.
You: What a small world! I studied there too. What year did you graduate?
No Hard Feelings.
You can say this after someone apologizes to you, to express the fact that you won’t stay angry. This phrase is generally used after apologies for social conflicts that are more serious (or have the potential to be serious) – not small accidents like stepping on someone’s foot.
Situation: Your friend said something rude about you during a conversation with a group of people, and everyone laughed at you. At the time, you felt very embarrassed and angry at your friend. But later, your friend realizes that what he did was wrong, and comes to apologize.
Your friend: I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have made that kind of remark about you, and I feel terrible about it.
You: That’s OK – no hard feelings.
The More The Merrier!
You can say this to show that you are happy when more people are going to join in an activity. Many people use this phrase regarding activities in which there might be a limit on the number of people who can participate – so “the more the merrier” expresses the idea that it’s OK if additional people join.
Situation: You’re having a birthday party for your son, and you invited your friend and her daughter. However, your friend’s relatives will be visiting her that weekend, and she wants to ask permission to bring 4 additional children to the party.
Your friend: Is it OK if my nieces and nephews come to your son’s party?
You: Of course – the more the merrier! Don’t worry, we’ll have plenty of cake for everyone.
Join The Club.
You can say this when another person says something that applies to you too. It is generally used for negative things.
Your friend: I’ve got so much work to do – I’m so stressed out.
You: Join the club.
(= I have a lot of work and am stressed out too.)
No Need.
“No need” is simply a short way to say “it’s not necessary.”
Situation: You are planning a ski trip with some friends, and one person doesn’t have their own ski equipment.
Your friend: I’d love to go, but I don’t have any ski equipment
You: Oh, no need – you can rent the equipment at the ski lodge.
Now, Where Was I? / Now, Where Were We?
You can say this to get back on topic after a distraction or interruption. “Now, where was I?” is generally said when it is just one person talking (such as during a lecture or presentation). If it is two people who are talking or doing an activity together, you can say “Now, where were we?” After you say this, the other person can remind you about the topic of conversation before the interruption.
Situation: You’re helping your friend install a computer program, and you get a call on your cell phone. You answer the phone and talk for a few minutes. After finishing the call, you can’t remember what part of the installation you were doing before the distraction.
You: Now, where were we?
Your friend: We just installed the software, but we haven’t registered yet.
You: Oh, right. OK, you can click here to start the registration process.
Just My Luck!
“Just my luck!” is a sarcastic phrase that expresses especially unfortunate bad luck.
Situation: You have been single for a long time, and you really want to get married. You meet a beautiful, funny, intelligent, successful woman and you start to fall in love with her – but then you find out she is engaged.
You: Just my luck! I finally meet a woman I’m very attracted to, and it turns out she’s taken.
(“taken” = in a relationship with someone else)
Big Deal.
This is a sarcastic expression to say that something (especially another person’s accomplishment) is not as important as it seems to be. Don’t use this expression in a professional context – it would be considered rude.
Situation: You and your friend are talking about a classmate who recently got a very high-paying job at a big company.
Your friend: Did you hear that Jeremy got the job at TechCorp? Apparently he’s making $200,000 a year.
You: Big deal. He on ly got that job because his uncle is vice-president of the company.
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