Native English Expressions | Ep.38

Do you feel lost when listening to native speakers? It’s likely because textbook English isn’t enough. Welcome to Native Expressions Ep.38.

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.38 | 1 – 10

up front

: advance. money paid at the beginning of a deal before work starts.
The person agreed to wear the costume only if they received the payment up front.

pop a squat

: sit. to sit down or crouch in a low position.
The woman asked her friend to pop a squat behind the parade float so she wouldn’t be seen.

catch

: contract. to become ill with an infection or a disease.
He was worried that he might catch a skin disease from the dirty borrowed costume.

tip

: gratuity. extra money given for good service.
The waitress was happy because a customer gave her a large tip after his meal.

mask

: cover. to hide a sound or a feeling using something else.
The loud music from the parade helped mask the embarrassing noises coming from behind the float.

hit rock bottom

: lowest point. to reach the worst or lowest possible level in a situation.
She felt she had truly begun to hit rock bottom when she had to use the bathroom in public.

unzip

: open. to open something using a zipper, like on pants or a bag.
Her friend gave her instructions on how to unzip her clothing quickly in the street.

keep it PG

appropriate. To avoid topics or behaviors that are not for children.
The girl told her grandmother to keep it PG when the jokes became too bold.

sneak up on

surprise. To approach someone quietly without being noticed.
The woman mentioned that getting old can sneak up on people very quickly.

smashing

wonderful. Very attractive, impressive, or excellent.
The guest told her friend that she looked smashing in her designer outfit.

Native Expressions Ep.38 | 11 – 20

catch up on

update. To talk about what has happened since the last meeting.
The two old friends had many things to catch up on after many years.

pronto

fast. To do something immediately or right away.
The hungry woman demanded that the first course of the meal be served pronto.

look alive

hurry. To be more active and alert while doing a job.
The lady told the worker to look alive because the guests were already arriving.

be one to talk

same. A phrase used when someone should not criticize you because they do the same thing.
When the woman told the girl to move faster, the girl thought the woman was one to talk.

work

: succeed. to have the result that you want or to be effective.
They found a maid outfit and hoped that the plan would work to fool the guest.

change into

: dress. to take off your clothes and put on different ones.
She had to change into a high-end suit quickly while hiding behind a small screen.

numerous

: many. existing in large numbers or happening many times.
The woman said she had hidden and dressed in that small space numerous times before.

do the best one can

: try. to make the greatest effort possible in a difficult situation.
The man is doing the best he can to walk even though his pants are much too large.

owe someone

: be indebted. to need to do something for someone because they helped you.
The woman believes her friend owes her a favor for wearing a very uncomfortable outfit.

get the hang of

: learn. to start understanding how to do a task well.
After working there for a long time, she finally started to get the hang of her daily duties.

Native Expressions Ep.38 | 21 – 30

strangely

: oddly. in a way that is surprising or unusual.
Strangely, doing a good job made the worker feel happy instead of feeling tired.

spill

: drop. to let liquid fall out of a container by accident.
She was very embarrassed when she started to spill hot coffee on a customer.

check

: bill. a paper that shows the price you must pay for a meal.
The customer paid the check and left a very generous amount of extra money.

block

: hide. to stand in front of something so it cannot be seen.
She stood in the way to block the view while her friend tried to hide from the crowd.

volunteer

: unpaid worker. a person who does a job without being paid for it.
They were surprised to see their neighbor working as a volunteer for the local fire department.

on me

: my treat. an expression used to say that you will pay for someone’s food or drink.
The woman offered to buy everyone a round of drinks by saying the shots were on me.

treat someone to

: pay for. to buy something special or fun for another person.
She decided to treat someone to an expensive drink at a fancy hotel to forget her bad day.

no longer an issue

: solved. something that was a problem but is not a worry anymore.
Because she decided to spend all their savings, having money for the future was no longer an issue.

against one’s skin

touching. In contact with the surface of the body.
The lady loved the feeling of the expensive silk against her skin.

subject

topic. A thing that is being discussed or talked about.
They decided to talk about the weather because it was a safer subject than illness.