cut someone down to size

Images acquired from Wikimedia Commons and used with permission. Left image attribution: public domain. Middle image attribution: Horst Frank. Right image attribution: Tomas Castelazo.

Explanation:

If you look in front of most American homes you will see a lawn which is a large area of grass around the house or building. Americans are obsessed with keeping their lawns (the grass) short which is why we use the most powerful lawn mowers (grass cutters) in the world! When the grass grows over one centimeter, an alarm sounds inside of the home, and some guy runs out with a lawn mower and starts cutting it! He does this to keep his lawn at a particular length (a particular size). So, whenever the grass gets too long, he comes out with a lawn mower, and he cuts it down to size.

It's also possible to cut a person down to size, but in a way that is mental (in the mind) not physical. Some people are arrogant, and they believe that they are more important than other people. They think they're special, and everyone should admire them and kiss their feet! However, it's possible to cut them down to size (make them feel smaller) by showing them that they are not more important than other people.

Note: This expression is considered to be a form of negative communication in English.
When we cut someone down to size, we make that person understand that he or she is not more important than other people.
Example:

Sharon: Oh no! Here comes "macho" Marvin again, and he doesn't have his shirt on.

David: Unbelievable! What kind of person walks around an office with no shirt on. He doesn't even wear an undershirt!

Sharon: Well, he works out at a gym everyday, so he thinks that everybody should admire his muscles.

David: Yeah, you're right. Every morning he comes through here trying to put on a little show for the ladies. Then, he goes back to his office, and he sleeps for the rest of the day! You know, somebody should really cut him down to size!

Sharon: Well, I think we could do it. I've got an idea. Do you still have that can of blue paint in your desk?

David: Sure I do. But why?

Sharon: I was thinking that when Marvin falls asleep on his desk today, we can sneak in there and paint the word "macho" on his back. Then, the next time he walks around with no shirt on, everybody will laugh at him. He'll be so embarrassed that he'll run straight back to his office!

David: And that's where he will find the special present I'm going to leave for him.

Sharon: Oh yeah? What kind of present?

David: A large, thick shirt!

If you would like to learn to speak English clearly (like David and Sharon), you should check out the Speak English like an American course (aff).

behind someone's back

Image acquired from Wikimedia Commons and used with permission. Image attribution: public domain.

Explanation:

A secret is something about you that you don't tell anyone. Sometimes, two or more people can share a secret, but the information is secret because they don't tell others. Some people keep secrets because they do selfish things which might get them in trouble with other people. The guy in the picture above has been keeping a secret from his wife. He has a secret girlfriend! However, he was also stupid enough to keep a photograph of his secret girlfriend in his house where his wife could find it.

Now, she has found the photo, and she won't give it back to him. She's screaming at him, and demanding to know who this woman is! It's now obvious that he has been cheating on his wife, and visiting other women behind her back. Soon they will get divorced, and the man will have to leave his house and move in with his sexy girlfriend!
When we do something behind someone's back, it means that we do it when he or she is not watching us. Sometimes, people do or say things behind someone's back because they don't want that person to get upset.
Example:

Gary: Hey John. So, where's your friend Larry? You guys always hang out together.

John: Not this time. Larry and I aren't friends anymore.

Gary: That's too bad. What happened?

John: Well, I found out that he was doing a lot of things behind my back.

Gary: Oh yeah? Like what?

John: Well, he stole my car and my girlfriend behind my back.. Then, he spoke to my boss at work behind my back, and he got me fired from my job. Then, I found out that he had a blog on the Internet, and he was writing about all the things he did to me behind my back.

Gary: Wow! That's terrible!

John: Yeah, I know! Then, I found out that his blog has 85,000 readers, and all of them were laughing at me behind my back.

Gary: I just don't understand it. Larry was your friend. Why would he do all of that behind your back?

John: I'm not sure, but maybe he's angry with me about something. Maybe it has something to do with the money I borrowed from him.

Gary: Oh yeah? How much did you borrow from him?

John: Only one million dollars. He lent the money to me about two years ago, but I never actually gave it back to him. I wonder if that's what he's angry about? Not getting his one million dollars back.

Gary: Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Yeah. Maybe that's why, "Mr. Einstein!"

Would you like to get a translation of the conversation above into your native language? Then you should check out Babylon's translation software (aff) which can translate between English and many other languages.

no sweat

Image acquired from Wikimedia Commons and used with permission. Image attribution: Bibikoff.

Explanation:

Sweat is the water that comes out your body when you work or exercise. Sweat can be used as a noun or a verb. People sweat when they move heavy boxes or ride a bicycle uphill. I sweat when I'm alone with my girlfriend at night, but I can't really talk about that here! My point is that people sweat when they do some kind of physical activity (usually something difficult). When something is easy, a person doesn't sweat. There is no sweat at all.
Americans say, "no sweat" when something is easy to do, and the person can do it quickly. Saying no sweat is the same as saying no problem.
Example:

William: Hi Janet. The boss told me to move this copy machine down to the floor below us, but it doesn't have wheels, so I can't roll it anywhere.

Janet: I know who could move it for you, Strongo Muscleking. I'll call him over to us. Hey Strongo! We need some help. Could you please come over here?

Strongo: Yes. What can Strongo do for you?

William: Do you think you could move this copy machine to the floor below us?

Strongo: No sweat. Strongo has big muscles and great strength. Strongo can move your machine to the other floor very fast.

Strongo picks up the copy machine and starts to carry it down the stairs. William and Janet stand at the top of the stairs and watch him.

William: Wow! That guy works fast. He's already halfway down the stairs.

Janet: Uh oh. It looks like he's loosing his balance. He just slipped, and now he's falling!

William: Oh no! He's rolling down the stairs, and the copy machine is tumbling behind him!

Janet: This is terrible! He's rolling all the way to the bottom of the building! He's so far away now that I can't see him anymore!

William: I can still see him. He's at the bottom now, and I think he's O.K. Yeah, he's trying to get up now; he's standing up. Now, he's looking at the copy machine, and he's scratching his head.

Janet: I don't understand it. Why didn't he just use the elevator?

William: Well Janet, there is a simple answer to your question. Strongo has very big muscles, but a very small brain!

Is English your second language? Would you like to learn English from anywhere? If so, you should check out some of the talking dictionaries and translators (aff) from Ectaco.

get off someone's back

Image acquired from Wikimedia Commons and used with permission. Image attribution: public domain via Cmd.808.

Explanation:

Imagine that you are looking for work, and you see an advertisement for a high-paying job in a newspaper. The job description says that a large company needs someone to provide transportation for their new CEO (the chief executive officer, the manager for the whole company). You apply for the job and get it. However, when you arrive for your first day of work, you find out that the kind of transportation you will use is not a car, a motorcycle, or even a bicycle; the transportation is you! You have to transport the CEO on your back (called a piggyback ride in English) everywhere he wants to go. This includes taking him to the restroom!

One day, after he has finished using the restroom, you start to carry him back to his office, and you smell something funny. You look down and notice that he didn't wash his hands! You tell him to immediately get off your back, and you quit the job the same day! Now, we both know that, while at work, you don't have to actually carry your supervisor on your back (I hope), but you may have a supervisor who comes into your workspace all day long to look at you, and make sure that you are doing your work. This can give you a feeling similar to the one you would get from carrying your supervisor on your back.

Variation: Some Americans also use the expression "get off my case" which means the same thing.

Note: This expression is considered impolite (not polite) in English. If you tell someone to get off your / his / her back, you should expect to get a negative response from that person.
When someone is constantly watching and bothering me, I can tell that person to get off my back.
Example:

Sally: Martin I'm home from work.

Martin: Yeah. Great.

Sally: Hey! What's going on here?! I just came home, and again, you're sitting there watching cartoons! You told me you would look for a job today.

Martin: Yeah. Yeah. I'll do it tomorrow.

Sally: That's what you said yesterday. I mean, look at you Martin. Look at what you've become. You're 38 years old now, and you're sitting there watching kid's cartoons. You have a jelly stain on your shirt that's been there for three days, and you smell like you haven't taken a shower in two weeks!

Martin: Could you please keep your voice down? I can't hear the TV.

Sally: That's it Martin! I can't take this anymore! Either you look for a job right now, or you pack your things, and get out of this house!

Martin: O.K. mom. O.K. I'll go and look for a job. Get off my back!

Sally: And that's another thing, Martin; I want you to stop calling me mom. For goodness sake, I'm your wife!

Martin: Whatever you say lady.

If you would like to learn to speak English clearly (like Martin and Sally), you should check out the Speak English like an American course (aff).

as nutty as a fruitcake

Images acquired from Wikimedia Commons and used with permission. Left image attribution: Stu Spivak. Right image attribution: David de la Luz.

Explanation:

First, in American English, people can call someone a "nut", a "nutcase", or a "fruitcake" if he or she is crazy. You can also use the adjective "nutty" to say the same thing. Now, a fruitcake is literally a kind of cake (see above image) that Americans give to each other during the winter holidays. It looks like a brick, and it tastes twice as bad. It has, embedded in it, different kinds of nuts as well as multicolored pieces of an unknown substance which looks like fruit.

So, the expression "as nutty as a fruitcake" refers to someone who is very crazy. When I say very crazy, I'm not talking about some guy who gets drunk, then walks around naked. I'm talking about the kind of guy who runs around in the street, screaming and biting people, until the police come and throw a net over him! Check out the werewolf (wolfman) picture above to see what this kind of guy looks like.
When someone is so crazy that other people run away as soon as they see this person, then we say that he or she is as nutty as a fruitcake.
Example:

Joe: Hey Diane. What's wrong? You look like you've just seen a monster!

Diane: I have! It's Gary! He just changed into a werewolf, and now he's going crazy! He's throwing stuff, and busting up the office!

Joe: Oh no! Gary has a special medical condition. He can't work at night during a full moon. Otherwise he changes into a werewolf!

Diane: You'd better call the police, and fast!

Joe: You're right we need their help!

Joe picks up the phone and calls the police.

Officer Copman: Police department. Copman speaking. What can I do for you?

Joe: Officer, we've got this guy over here who just changed into a werewolf, and he's acting crazy and destroying the whole office! He's as nutty as a fruitcake!

Officer Copman: Is he still in your immediate area? Can you see him?

Joe: Yeah, I can see him. He's breaking things, and now he just threw somebody out the window!

Officer Copman: Ok. We'll send some officers over immediately to take him away.

Joe: Good. I'm sure he'll get the medical treatment he needs after you take him to the hospital.

Officer Copman: The hospital? We can't take him there; he's a crazy werewolf. We're taking that guy straight to the zoo!

Would you like a translation of the conversation above into your native language? Then you should check out Babylon's translation software (aff) which can translate between English and many other languages.

get the boot

Image acquired from Wikimedia Commons and used with permission. Left image attribution: Safedom. Middle image attribution: public domain. Right image attribution: Kenneth Allen

Explanation:

American cartoons actually have many funny and absurd idioms in them. In the old cartoons when someone was forced to leave a place, he wasn't just asked to leave, he was actually carried over to an open door, and then kicked (sometimes with a boot) into the street. In real life, most of the time, people don't get forced out of somewhere physically, but they are often told to leave a place or a company and never return.

Note: This expression can be used in the past (got the boot) or the future (will or going to get the boot).

Variations: He was booted out. They booted him out. They gave him the boot.
When someone is forced to leave a place, we say that he or she got the boot.
Example:

Susan: Hey Joe. Why are you putting all the stuff from your desk into a box?

Joe: The boss fired me. He told me to leave and never come back. I finally got the boot.

Susan: How did it happen?

Joe: It's ridiculous really. The boss fired me just because he caught me sleeping in my office for the 57th time.

Susan: That's too bad. Now you don't have a job.

Joe: Don't worry. I'm sure I can find another office to sleep in!

Is English your second language? Would you like to learn English from anywhere? If so, you should check out some of the talking dictionaries and translators (aff) from Ectaco.

an ace up one's sleeve

Image acquired from Wikimedia Commons and used with permission. Left image attribution: public domain. Right image attribution: Christian Glaeser

Explanation:

Some people always win when they play cards. Some people win some of the time, and some people always lose. Those who lose at cards have found a way to solve this problem; they cheat. Since an "ace" is the most powerful card in most card games, it's a good idea to have one when it is needed. A tricky player can do this by keeping an ace hidden in the sleeve of his shirt. That way, when he starts losing, he has an ace up his sleeve which can give him a secret advantage.
An ace up one's sleeve is a hidden yet powerful solution that a person can use to get an advantage in a situation.
Example:

Jack: Hey Bill. Guess what? We are going to have another five hour meeting today where the boss will tell us about all the things we're doing wrong.

Bill: No, not this time Jack.

Jack: What do you mean? These meetings are mandatory; we have to go.

Bill: Not necessarily. This time, I've got an ace up my sleeve. You see, I paid some guy on the street to come in here and run around like a crazy chicken just before the meeting starts. While everyone in the building is chasing him, we just quietly walk away.

Jack: That's brilliant Bill! You're the one who should be boss!

Bill: Someday Jack. Someday.

If you would like to learn to speak English clearly (like Bill and Jack), you should check out the Speak English like an American course (aff).

as phony as a three-dollar bill

Image acquired from Wikimedia Commons and used with permission. Image attribution: public domain.

Explanation:

In U.S. currency, there aren't any three-dollar bills. If somebody made a three-dollar bill, it would be obviously phony (fake) to any American who saw one. And If someone had a three-dollar bill, and he was stupid enough to try to spend it, agents from the Treasury Department would rush in, surround him with guns, and take him to prison! That's how phony it is.

Note: A person can also be as phony as a three-dollar bill when he or she says nice things to people, but isn't being honest.
When something or someone is obviously fake, we say that it (or he/she) is as phony as a three-dollar bill.
Example:

Jane: Hi Donna! Guess what? My boyfriend and I are finally getting married! He proposed to me yesterday, and he gave me this beautiful diamond ring!

Donna: I really hate to tell you this Jane, but that thing in your ring isn't a real diamond.

Jane: What do you mean?

Donna: I work for a jewelry store, and I can tell you for sure that your "diamond" is actually made out of glass. It's as phony as a three-dollar bill!

Jane: I should have known something was wrong when I saw my boyfriend come out of that toy store just before he gave it to me!

Donna: Just a suggestion, but maybe you should marry someone who has more than five dollars to spend on a ring!

Would you like a translation of the conversation above into your native language? Then you should check out Babylon's translation software (aff) which can translate many languages into English.

a rude awakening

Picture acquired from Wikimedia Commons and used with permission. Picture attribution: public domain.
Explanation:

You awaken when you open your eyes after sleeping for some time. Most people have a pleasant (nice) awakening which means they open their eyes, get up, stretch a little, and then have breakfast (or, in my case, dinner). Now, let's say that one day, you open your eyes, and you find a big, ugly, slobbering monster standing in front of your bed. As soon as he sees that you're awake, he screams in your face, then runs into your closet, closing the door behind him! That would be an example of a rude awakening. In the real world, we don't have any monsters living in our closets, but we do have people who tell us things that shock us emotionally. The kind of shock which is the same as the one we would get from seeing a monster.
When someone tells you bad news, and it gives you a mental (mind) shock, we call that situation a rude awakening.
Example:

Gary: Hey John. How's everything?

John: Not too good. I just got some bad news Gary.

Gary: Oh really? What?

John: My father just told me that he's not my real father. It was definitely a rude awakening for me!

Gary: Oh no! That's unbelievable! Then who's your real father?

John: The mailman!

Gary: The mailman?! But how did he become your father?

John: Gary, don't ask stupid questions!

If you want to improve your speaking skills in English, you can practice saying the example conversations on this site. However, if you want speak English clearly, then you should check out the Speak English like an American course (aff).