American English

jump the gun

jump the gun [idiom]

To act hastily and without thinking

Example: 

Don’t jump the gun on it. I’ll tell Ely about the proposal before it’s the right time or you’ll spoil the surprise.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

11 jump the gun to start doing something too soon, especially without thinking about it carefully

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

jump the gun

jump the ˈgun idiom

to do sth too soon, before the right time

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
 

jump the gun

to do something too soon, especially without thinking carefully about it:

They've only just met - isn't it jumping the gun to be talking about marriage already?

© Cambridge University Press 2013

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary: 

jump the gun informal : to start or do something too soon
• Several racers jumped the gun. [=started to race before the starting gun was fired]
• The newspaper jumped the gun [=acted too soon] and announced the wrong candidate as winner of the election.

air quotes

air quotes [noun]

Imaginary quotation marks that you make in the air with your fingers, to show that you are using a word or phrase in an unusual way or repeating exactly what someone has said

US /ˈer ˌkwoʊts/ 
UK /ˈeə ˌkwəʊts/ 

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

air quote noun [countable usually plural]    

a movement that someone makes in the air with their fingers to show that what they are saying should be in quotation marks, and that it should not be taken as their real opinion or their usual way of speaking

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
 

ˈ air ˌ quotes noun [ plural ]

imaginary quotation marks that you make in the air with your fingers, to show that you are using a word or phrase in an unusual way or repeating exactly what someone has said

© Cambridge University Press 2013

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary: 

air quotes

 plural noun

Definition of air quotes

a gesture made by raising and flexing the index and middle fingers of both hands that is used to call attention to a spoken word or expression

Turkish

Turkish [adjective]

Relating to Turkey, its people, or its language

US /ˈtɝː.kɪʃ/ 
UK /ˈtɜː.kɪʃ/ 
Example: 

Turkish Airlines

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

Turkish

I. Turkish1 /ˈtɜːkɪʃ $ ˈtɜːr-/ BrE AmE adjective
relating to Turkey, its people, or its language

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Turkish

Turk·ish 7 [Turkish] adjective, noun   [ˈtɜːkɪʃ]    [ˈtɜːrkɪʃ]

adjective

from or connected with Turkey

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

Turkish

[tɜ͟ː(r)kɪʃ]
 ♦♦♦
 1) ADJ Turkish means belonging or relating to Turkey, or to its people, language, or culture.
  ...the Turkish capital, Ankara.
  ...the Turkish government.
 2) N-UNCOUNT Turkish is the main language spoken in Turkey.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary: 

Turkish
 

2Turkish adj : of or relating to Turkey, Turks, or Turkish
Turkish culture/politics
• He is from Ankara, the Turkish capital.

pop culture

pop culture [noun]

Music, TV, cinema, literature, etc. that is popular and enjoyed by ordinary people, rather than experts or very educated people

US /ˌpɑːp ˈkʌl.tʃɚ/ 
UK /ˌpɒp ˈkʌl.tʃər/ 
Example: 

Pop culture involves the aspects of social life

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

pop culture

ˈpop ˌculture BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
music, films, products etc in a particular society that are familiar to and popular with most ordinary people in that society

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
 

ˌ pop ˈ culture noun [ U ]

music, TV, cinema, literature, etc. that is popular and enjoyed by ordinary people, rather than experts or very educated people

© Cambridge University Press 2013

hang around

hang around [phrasal verb] (somewhere)

To wait or spend time somewhere, usually for no particular reason

US /hæŋ/ 
UK /hæŋ/ 
Example: 

I spent most of my youth hanging around the bars of Dublin.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

hang about

hang about phrasal verb British English (see also ↑hang)
1. spoken to move slowly or take too long doing something:
Come on, we haven’t got time to hang about!
2. hang about (something) to spend time somewhere without any real purpose:
There were always groups of boys hanging about in the square.
He normally hung about the house all day.
3. hang about! spoken
a) used to ask someone to wait or stop what they are doing
b) used when you have just noticed or thought of something that is interesting or wrong:
Hang about – that can’t be right.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

hang around ( … )

ˌhang aˈround (…) derived

(informal) to wait or stay near a place, not doing very much

You hang around here in case he comes, and I'll go on ahead.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
 

hang around (somewhere ) ( UK also hang about ) — phrasal verb with hang / hæŋ / verb

B1 to wait or spend time somewhere, usually for no particular reason:

I spent most of my youth hanging around the bars of Dublin.

I thought I'd hang around for a while and see if she comes.

 

hang around ( UK also hang about ) informal — phrasal verb with hang / hæŋ / verb

to move or do things slowly:

Go and pack but don't hang around - we have to go in an hour.
 

hang around with sb ( UK also hang about with sb ) — phrasal verb with hang / hæŋ / verb

to spend time with someone:

I got into drugs because I was hanging around with the wrong people.

© Cambridge University Press 2013

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

hang around

 (in BRIT, also use hang about, hang round)
 1) PHRASAL VERB If you hang around, hang about, or hang round, you stay in the same place doing nothing, usually because you are waiting for something or someone. [INFORMAL]
  [V P -ing] He got sick of hanging around waiting for me...
  [V P] On Saturdays we hang about in the park.
  [V P n] ...those people hanging round the streets at 6 am with nowhere to go.
 2) PHRASAL VERB If you hang around, hang about, or hang round with someone or in a particular place, you spend a lot of time with that person or in that place. [INFORMAL]
  [V P together] They usually hung around together most of the time...
  [V P with n] Helen used to hang round with the boys.
  [V P n] ...the usual young crowd who hung around the cafe day in and day out.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary: 

hang around or Brit hang about/round [phrasal verb] informal
1 hang around/about/round or hang around/about/round (a place) : to be or stay in a place for a period of time without doing much
• We just hung around all afternoon, listening to music.
• They hung around the theater after the play was over.
2 hang around/about/round with (someone) : to spend time relaxing, talking, or doing things with (someone)
• She hangs around with older kids.
• Who does he usually hang around with?

get in sb's hair

get in sb's hair [idiom]

To annoy or irritate someone especially by being near them all the time

get in sb's hair - کسی را اذیت و کلافه کردن
Example: 

I love Kate’s kids, but they are really noisy and messy. It’s been three days I’m trying to be nice to them but they are getting in my hair. I don’t know what to do anymore.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
 

get in sb's hair informal

to annoy someone, usually by being present all the time:

My flatmate has been getting in my hair a bit recently.

© Cambridge University Press 2013

make ends meet

make ends meet [idiom]

To earn money which is only enough to cover your expenses

make ends meet - دخل و خرج را جور کردن
Example: 

Sara gets a descent salary, bust she has to be careful about extra expenses to make both ends meet.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

make ends meet

to have only just enough money to buy the things you need When Mike lost his job, we could barely make ends meet.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

make (both) ends meet

make (both) ends ˈmeet idiom
to earn just enough money to be able to buy the things you need

Many families struggle to make ends meet.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
 

make ends meet

C1 ( Indian English make both ends meet ) to have just enough money to pay for the things that you need

© Cambridge University Press 2013

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

to make ends meet

phrase

If you find it difficult to make ends meet, you can only just manage financially because you hardly have enough money for the things you need.

With Betty's salary they barely made ends meet.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary: 

make ends meet : to pay for the things that you need to live when you have little money
• We had a hard time making ends meet.

you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours

you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours [idiom]

Help someone back who has helped you

you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours - لطف کسی را جبران کردن
Example: 

Ali: Sue, would you please give me a hand with my math homework? Sue: Sure, I’ll do it if you promise to help me with the housework later. Scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yoursspoken used to say that you will help someone if they agree to help you

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours

informal

used to tell someone that if they help you, you will help them

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours

phrase

People say 'You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours' to mean that one person helps another on condition that the second person helps them in return.

[informal]

string someone along

string someone along [idiom]

To deliberately deceive someone about your plans or intentions over a period of time; to make someone believe something while you know for a fact that you are misleading them and giving them false hopes about that thing

string someone along - کسی را به بازی گرفتن

فریب دادن کسی، کسی را به بازی گرفتن، سر کار گذاشتن

Example: 

Can’t you see he has strung you around? There is no pay raise or promotion and he only wants you to do all his duties to go on holiday freely.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

string along phrasal verb informal1 string somebody along to deceive someone for a long time by making them believe that you will help them, that you love them etc He’s just stringing you along.2 British English to go somewhere with someone for a short time, especially because you do not have anything else to dowith If you’re going into town, I’ll string along with you.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
 

string sb along — phrasal verb with string / strɪŋ / verb [ T ] ( strung , strung )

to deceive someone for a long time about what you are really intending to do:

She's been promising to pay back the money for six months, but I reckon she's just stringing me along.

He strung her along for years, saying he'd marry her and divorce his wife.

© Cambridge University Press 2013

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

string along

phrasal verb

If you string someone along, you deceive them by letting them believe you have the same desires, beliefs, or hopes as them.

[informal]

The longer you string him along, the more hurt he will be when you dump him. [VERB noun PARTICLE]

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - American English