Native English Expressions | Ep.34

Do you feel lost when listening to native speakers? It’s likely because textbook English isn’t enough. Welcome to Native Expressions Ep.34.

Real conversations are full of idioms, phrasal verbs, and cultural nuances. This series curates authentic expressions directly from podcasts and YouTube videos to help you sound more natural and confident.

Native Expressions Ep.34 | 1 – 10

people skills

: social ability. the ability to talk to others and be friendly.
The customer told the bartender that she needs better people skills to do her job well.

carefree

: relaxed. having no worries or big responsibilities.
The man missed the carefree days of being a student before he had a family.

look someone in the eye

: make eye contact. to look directly at someone’s eyes while speaking.
The man was so nervous that he could not look a woman in the eye.

showdown

: confrontation. a final meeting or argument to solve a disagreement.
He planned to have a showdown with his parents to talk about his future.

aisle

: path. the long walk in a room where a person goes to get married.
He was afraid of walking down the aisle with a person his parents chose for him.

overdo it

: do too much. to do something more than is healthy or necessary.
His friend told him not to overdo it with the green drinks before his date.

hunky-dory

: fine. a situation where everything is okay and going well.
After a few drinks, the man felt that his difficult life was finally hunky-dory.

keep an eye on

: watch. to look after someone to make sure they are okay.
The waitress promised to keep an eye on her friend during his important meeting at the restaurant.

affirmation

: support. A positive statement to encourage someone.
She said a quick affirmation to her partner before they started their busy shift.

private matter

: secret. Something personal that you do not want others to know.
The cook wanted to discuss a private matter regarding his health with a friend.

Native Expressions Ep.34 | 11 – 20

therapist

: counselor. A professional who helps people with mental or emotional problems.
The man spoke to a therapist at a coffee shop because he was having trouble with his confidence.

intimacy

: closeness. The state of being emotionally or physically close to someone.
He felt scared because intimacy was a very difficult thing for him to handle.

over one’s head

: confusing. To be too difficult for someone to understand.
The complicated explanation about the medical issue was over his head.

work out

: succeed. To happen or develop in a positive way.
She told him not to worry because she was sure everything would work out fine.

limp

: soft. Not firm or strong.
He was embarrassed because he felt limp and lacked confidence during the date.

spill

: drop. To let liquid flow out of a container by accident.
The man was so nervous that he spilled his hot drink all over his shoes.

manicurist

: nail-expert. A person whose job is to care for people’s nails.
The woman shared a secret with her manicurist while getting her nails done.

know for a fact

: certain. to be completely sure that something is true.
She knows for a fact that her boss is hiding a special surprise in a gift bag.

one-of-a-kind

: unique. being the only one of its type.
He gave his friends one-of-a-kind silk screens that he created specifically for them.

remind someone of

: suggest. to make someone think about a specific person or thing.
The drawings on the shirts remind her of the different personalities of her coworkers.

Native Expressions Ep.34 | 21 – 29

put someone on hold

: wait. to make a telephone caller wait before speaking to them.
The receptionist put the customer on hold while she looked for the order details.

go through

: endure. to experience a difficult or unpleasant situation.
She had to go through several minutes of annoying music while waiting on the phone.

up the prices

: increase. to make the cost of a product higher.
They decided to up the prices of the popular items to earn more profit for the business

next day delivery

: fast shipping. a service where a purchased item is brought to the buyer the very next day.
The business card promised next day delivery, but the worker said it was impossible to do.

truth be told

: honestly. a phrase used when telling the real facts about a situation.
Truth be told, the worker was very slow and had not finished the project from last year.

what’s the rush?

: why hurry?. a question used to ask why someone is moving so quickly or is in a hurry.
He didn’t see the need to work faster and asked what’s the rush since they weren’t busy.

not go anywhere

: stay still. to fail to make any progress in life or a career.
They felt stuck in their jobs and worried that their professional lives were not going anywhere.

no judgment

: no criticism. a promise not to think badly of someone for what they say or do.
She told her friend to answer honestly and promised there would be no judgment regardless of the truth.

cut someone off

: stop. to refuse to give more alcohol to someone who is already drunk.
She had to cut him off after he started acting very strange at the table.