It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack

 

This an expression that we love to use when something is difficult to find.  As you can imagine, a needle is very small and would be difficult to find in the stack of hay to your left.  So any time something is challenging to find, you can use this expression.  I always think of those Where is Waldo books where you have to find Waldo in a crowd of people.  It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

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Cast your net wide

 Cast your net wide is a phrase that we use often to talk about not being too narrow in your search.  It's a figure of speech that comes from fishing.  When you are fishing, the wider the net, the more fish you are likely to catch. The action of throwing a net out to fish is called "casting a net."

So we use the term a lot when applying for jobs or for colleges.  You could also hear it when you are doing research.  A professor might tell you to start your search broad and not start off with searches that are too specific. 

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It's the way to go!

English phrase - It's the way to go! - 

 "When you're in Chicago, walking along the river is the way to go if you don't want to spend much money."  This is a phrase that we use when we are trying to tell someone that a certain way is best way to do something. - 

"If you want a good meal that will fill you up and won't cost much, pizza is the way to go." 


"When you live in a rainy city, having about a dozen umbrellas is the way to go." - "If you like live music, the tavern on Jackson Street is the way to go." - Go ahead and try to use this phrase in a sentence.

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Fake it 'til you make it

English expression: Fake it 'til you make it. - (Fake it until you make it) - = If you don't know how to do something, pretend like you know how to do it until you learn how to do it or become successful. - This is a common expression and easy to remember because it rhymes. People love things that rhyme. - I'm not sure how I feel about the ideology behind this expression. On one hand, I think it's good because it can encourage people to keep trying until they succeed. On the other hand, it encourages a bit of deceitful behavior.

I think that English learners should fake it until they make it because practicing is the only way to get better. On the other hand, I certainly would not want my doctor to be faking it until he or she makes it. - It's most commonly used for when someone starts a new job and is having doubts on if he or she will be able to do it well. The cliché advice people give that person is, "Hey, fake it 'til make you make it." - What do you think? Is this good advice? Do you think people should fake it 'til they make it"? - Share your thoughts in the comments! - Check out #fakeittillyoumakeit for more examples. - Tag a friend who faked it 'til he or she made it.

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That ship has sailed

That ship has sailed. -
This is an English expression that we use to talk about missed opportunities.  For example, "I wanted to become a doctor, but that ship has sailed. I guess I will just be an English teacher online." -

This is similar to another popular expression we use when you miss an opportunity or trend, we say, "you missed the boat on that one." -


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To talk someone into something

To talk someone into something

 Today, we learn English with a phrasal verb that we use to talk about convincing someone or persuading someone. - For example, "I talked my friend into letting me give him a haircut. The results were disastrous." - If you swipe to the left, there's another example. - - Are you good at talking people into to things? - Can I talk you into tagging your friends and sharing this with them? - When was the last time you talked someone into something? Share your responses in the comments. -









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To toot your own horn

English Expression: To toot your own horn!

 

"I'm not trying to toot my own horn here, but I'm a pretty good singer." - This is a weird phrase that we say a lot in English when we are about to compliment ourselves or say something that could come across as bragging. - To toot is like to make a sound, like to honk the horn on your car. - What's something that you have done recently that made you feel like tooting your own horn?

See real-life examples of the expression on YouTube, Twitter, and in the News!

 

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