Native English Expressions | Ep.14

Do you feel lost when listening to native speakers? It’s likely because textbook English isn’t enough. Welcome to Native Expressions Ep.14.

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.

To see these idioms in action, check out the 10:00 – 20:08 mark of this video, where today’s expressions were originally used: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7muA1KCCUc

Native Expressions Ep.14 | 1 – 10

show off

to try to impress others by displaying skills
He didn’t mean to show off, but his confidence made it seem like he was trying to impress the team.

take risks

to do something that could fail but may bring benefits
People often grow faster when they take risks and learn from the results.

textbook

a perfect example of how something is usually done
Her calm response was a textbook example of how to handle a tough negotiation.

drop the anchor

to set the first strong reference point in a negotiation
By making the first offer, she tried to drop the anchor and shape the discussion.

collaborative approach

a way of working together where all sides share ideas and respect each other
They chose a collaborative approach so both sides could reach a fair agreement.

steamroll someone

to force your ideas on others without listening to them
He didn’t want to steamroll them, so he asked for their opinion first.

third party

an outside person or group not directly involved in the situation
They trusted the data because it came from a third party.

mental model

a simple way to organize how something works
He uses a clear mental model to explain difficult conversations.

acknowledge and validate

to recognize someone’s feelings and show they are understandable
She began by acknowledging and validating his frustration before asking questions.

legit

acceptable according to shared rules or standards
The offer sounded legit because it was based on clear data that both sides respected.

Native Expressions Ep.14 | 11 – 20

compassionate

showing care, and concern for other people’s feelings
She took a compassionate tone during the conversation, which helped lower the tension.

rigid

not flexible or open to change
The plan was not rigid, so they could adjust their approach during the discussion.

get really tactical

to focus on very practical actions
She wanted to get really tactical and talk about exact steps to handle tough conversations.

gaslight someone

to make someone doubt their understanding of past events
Pretending nothing happened can gaslight someone and create resistance.

clear the air

to openly talk about past problems to reduce tension
She decided to clear the air before moving forward with the discussion.

get back on track

to return to a productive or positive direction
They talked honestly to get back on track as a team.

deny the reality

to refuse to accept what is clearly true
Ignoring past conflict can feel like you are trying to deny the reality.

revisit the past

to talk again about things that already happened
He didn’t want to revisit the past, but instead focus on solutions.

leave it in the past

to stop focusing on old problems or mistakes
They agreed to leave it in the past and think about the future.

sacrifice the past to win the future

to let go of past conflicts in order to improve what comes next
She chose to sacrifice the past to win the future by focusing on cooperation.

Native Expressions Ep.14 | 21 – 30

relitigate

to argue about the same issue again
She made it clear she didn’t want to relitigate the past and preferred to focus on what they could do next.

say the quiet part out loud

to openly express something that people usually think but do not say
By saying the quiet part out loud, she reduced tension at the start of the conversation.

deflate a balloon

to release tension so things calm down
Addressing the issue early helped deflate a balloon and made everyone relax.

coiled

emotionally tense
After talking honestly, he no longer felt so coiled during the discussion.

mechanics of memory

the way human memory works and fails
Understanding the mechanics of memory helps explain why people remember events differently.

come into our lap

to happen unexpectedly without effort
The opportunity seemed to come into our lap without any planning.

give someone the benefit of the doubt

to assume good intentions instead of blame
He tried to give her the benefit of the doubt before accusing her of manipulation.

pull back

to reduce involvement or distance yourself from a situation
When the conversation became unhealthy, she decided to pull back to protect herself.

manipulate someone

to control someone unfairly for your own benefit
He realized his coworker was trying to manipulate him by creating pressure and confusion during discussions.

deprive someone of something

to prevent someone from having or using something
She decided to deprive him of opportunities to interrupt by setting clear boundaries in the conversation.

Native Expressions Ep.14 | 31 – 40

through the lens of something

by using a particular way of thinking or perspective
He began to see the conflict through the lens of negotiation instead of pure emotion.

break free

to escape from control or a difficult situation
She found the courage to break free and build a healthier life on her own.

walk away clean

to leave a situation calmly without creating more conflict
After acknowledging the progress they made, he chose to walk away clean from the argument.

fade

to gradually lose energy over time
After a long discussion, everyone began to fade, and the conversation became less productive.

mull something over

to think about something carefully before making a decision
He asked for time to mull it over so he could respond more calmly later.

go back and forth

to argue repeatedly
They kept going back and forth on the same issue without reaching an agreement.

wrap something up

to finish something
She suggested they wrap it up another day when emotions were less intense.

pay someone the respect of doing something

to show respect by giving someone careful attention
He chose to pay her the respect of listening even though he disagreed.

nothing more to add

having no additional points or information to share
After explaining his position clearly, he said he had nothing more to add.

get out of a conversation

to leave a discussion
He looked for a polite way to get out of the conversation before it escalated.

Native Expressions Ep.14 | 41 – 47

compassionate curiosity

a kind way of asking questions to understand someone’s feelings
Using compassionate curiosity, she asked what he still wanted to achieve.

put it back on someone

to return responsibility to the other person
By asking that question, he put it back on them to explain their real concern.

left unsaid

not expressed or communicated
She wondered if something important had been left unsaid during the argument.

back off

to stop pushing someone
Once he realized there was nothing new to say, he decided to back off.

spiral

to repeat negative thoughts and lose control
The discussion began to spiral when they kept repeating the same complaints.

cycle over something

to think about the same issue again and again
He noticed she was cycling over the problem instead of moving forward.

overexplain oneself

to give too much detail, often to justify oneself
She realized she tended to overexplain herself when she felt misunderstood.