Common English Expressions and Invitations

Common Ways to Ask Someone to Attend an Event

• "Are you free on..." is a common way to ask someone to attend an event, such as "Are you free on Sunday? We're thinking of going out for a pub lunch"
• "Do you fancy..." is another way to ask if someone wants to do something, for example, "Do you fancy going out for a bite to eat?"

Significant Birthdays

• It is is common to shorten significant birthdays, such as "Will's 30th" for "Will's 30th birthday."

English Expressions

• To play it by ear: To deal with a situation as it develops, rather than making plans in advance. Example: "I don't know how many people are coming. We'll just have to play it by ear."
• To be over the moon: To be very happy. Example: "My sister was over the moon when I offered to babysit her children for the night."
• We've got this/ we got this: To offer to pay for something. Example: "Don't worry about lunch today, I've got this."
• To bear in mind: To remember or to consider a piece of information. Example: "Bear in mind that I only cooked for 10 people, but over 30 turned up."
• Out of this World: To emphasize how fantastic something is. Example: "The decorations were out of this world."
• To call it a night/ to call it a day: To stop an activity for the night/ day. Example: "At 10:00 p.m. we decided to call it a night."

Lifestyle and Well-Being

• At Face Value: Accepting something as it appears without questioning its true nature. Example: Don't take nutrition advice at face value, verify from reliable sources.
• To Have a Crack at Something: To attempt or try something, often for the first time with enthusiasm. Example: Never tried rock climbing before, but decided to have a crack at it during team building.
• To Burn the Midnight Oil: To study or work late into the night, often to complete a task or meet a deadline. Example: With exams nearing, Sarah found herself burning the midnight oil to cover all the required material.
• To Strike a Balance: Finding a compromise or middle ground between two competing factors. Example: Essential to strike a balance between work and leisure for a healthy lifestyle.
• To Let Off Steam: Doing or saying something to release anger or frustration. Example: So Furious that I had to go for a walk to let of steam and release my anger.
• To Count One's Blessings: To make an effort to be grateful for the good things in your life. Example: When feeling down, try to count your blessings.
• To Bloom: To become healthy, happy, and confident, often used in relation to maturity. Example: Carl bloomed during his holiday in the countryside thanks to fresh air and healthy food.

People

• To Stick One's Neck Out: Taking a risk or exposing yourself to possible criticism or danger by doing or saying something. Example: Despite controversy, Jane decided to stick her neck out and support the new policy.
• A Knee-Jerk Reaction: An immediate, automatic response to a situation, often without careful consideration. Example: Our knee-jerk reaction to hearing about rising crime rates was to demand more police patrols.
• To Split Hairs: To argue or worry about small, unimportant details or differences. Example: My husband sometimes splits hairs over insignificant matters.
• Pecking Order: Social hierarchy within a group, reflecting different levels of importance. Example: There's a clear pecking order in their group of friends with Sally being top of the pile.
• Shrewd: Good at understanding and making judgments about situations, often able to make decisions for their advantage. Example: CLA was a shrewd business person, making wise investment decisions when she was young.
• Obstinate: Refusing to change one's opinion or actions despite pressure. Example: Henry was a very obstinate teenager, refusing to admit he might be wrong.
• Placid: Very calm and not easily excited or annoyed. Example: Despite the halo around her, Ally remained placid.

Work

• To Pull Some Strings: Using influence or connections, often secretly or unethically, to achieve a desired outcome. Example: Tom was able to get his sister a prestigious position by pulling some strings.
• To Have a Field Day: Taking advantage of a situation, typically for personal benefit and often at the expense of others. Example: Tabloid journalists had a field day writing sensational stories about the scandal.
• To Be Privy To: Having access to or knowledge of secret or confidential information. Example: The CEO's assistant is privy to all the important decisions in the company.
• On the Back Burner: Low priority, not being dealt with at the present moment. Example: Let's put this project on the back burner and focus on more pressing matters.
• Cushy: Very easy and comfortable, requiring little effort. Example: Ellen got a cushy job that pays well but allows her lots of free time.
• To Get Your Foot in the Door: Entering a company or organization at a low level with a chance of promotion. Example: Lena got her foot in the door as an intern but worked her way up to department head.
• To Go Belly Up: To fail completely and have to close down (used to describe a business). Example: The business went belly up after just a year of trading.