Colloquial Expressions

adjective small, unimpressive, or of poor quality; inferior in size or quality

• The dinky toy car collection was carefully displayed in the museum.
• I found a dinky little cafe on the corner that serves great coffee.
• That dinky old car of yours won't make it up the hill.
• Her dinky excuses for being late were wearing thin with her boss.

noun the last part or remainder of something

• The fag end of the meeting was spent discussing the budget.
• We just chatted about random stuff at the fag end of the party.
• Let's grab a drink at the fag end of the night.
• He was at the fag end of his patience after dealing with the difficult customer.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

conjunction a word that connects words, phrases, or clauses

• Despite facing challenges, everything is fine and dandy in our organization.
• Don't worry about me, I'm feeling fine and dandy.
• I thought I was in trouble, but it turned out everything was fine and dandy.
• The project seemed doomed at first, but with some adjustments, it's now fine and dandy.

noun a tale or account that is not entirely believable

• The man's account of catching a massive marlin is often dismissed as a mere fish story.
• I think Bob is just telling a fish story about the size of the fish he caught last weekend.
• Don't believe everything he says, it's probably just a fish story.
• Her explanation for being late sounded like a fish story to me.

noun a person who lays flooring or finishes floors professionally

• The floorer was responsible for installing the hardwood flooring in the new office building.
• My friend is a talented floorer and can fix any squeaky floorboard in no time.
• That guy is a real floorer - he can lay down tile faster than anyone I know.
• The news of her promotion as the new CEO was a real floorer for everyone in the company.

noun a thick, messy substance or mixture

• The chef carefully spooned the glop of sauce onto the plate before adding the final garnish.
• I accidentally spilled the glop of ketchup on my shirt while eating my burger.
• I can't believe you're eating that glop of leftover pizza for breakfast.
• The politician's speech was just a glop of empty promises with no real substance.

noun A person who is jogging or running

verb To run or move at a steady, gentle pace

• I kindly ask you to jog on as I have important matters to attend to.
• Hey, why don't you just jog on and leave me alone?
• If you don't like it, you can just jog on, mate.
• His outdated opinions need to jog on and make way for progress.

noun a person who is mentally ill, especially one who behaves violently; a deranged person

• The psychiatrist diagnosed the man as a dangerous lunatic.
• I heard that guy is a complete lunatic, always doing crazy things.
• That lunatic is off his rocker, I swear.
• The idea of jumping out of a plane seems like something only a lunatic would do.

noun a way or method

adverb used to emphasize a negative statement

• There is no way to predict the outcome of the experiment without further data.
• No way! I can't believe you're going skydiving next weekend.
• No way, dude! That concert was totally lit!
• There's no way I'm going to let you down when you need me the most.

noun informal term for the head or brain

• He gently massaged his noggin after hitting it on the low doorway.
• I need to put some ice on my noggin after that fall.
• Watch out, you almost bumped your noggin on the doorframe!
• She used her noggin to come up with a clever solution to the problem.

noun a term of endearment for one's father or grandfather

• The elderly gentleman referred to his grandfather as 'pappy'.
• My pappy always tells the best stories from his youth.
• I'm heading over to my pappy's house for dinner tonight.
• The old tree in the backyard was like a pappy watching over the garden.

noun a spherical object used in various games and sports

verb to participate in a game or sport

• The umpire called out 'play ball' to officially start the baseball game.
• Hey guys, let's gather around and play ball at the park.
• I'm itching to hit the field and play ball with the crew.
• After months of preparation, the team was finally ready to play ball and launch their new product.

verb to intimidate, manipulate, or deceive someone psychologically in order to gain an advantage

• The athlete tried to psych out his opponent by maintaining a calm and confident demeanor.
• I think she's trying to psych us out with all these mind games.
• Don't let them psych you out, just focus on your own game.
• The loud noises from the construction site were starting to psych me out.

noun a mistake or error

verb to make a mistake or mess up

adverb in a manner that results in a mistake or error

• It is important to double check your work to avoid any potential screw up.
• I really hope I don't screw up this presentation tomorrow.
• I always manage to screw up when I'm under pressure.
• Life is like a puzzle, one wrong move can really screw up everything.

noun a brief period of sleep or rest

adjective closed or nearly closed, especially with the eyes

• I need to get some shut eye before the big meeting tomorrow.
• I'm going to catch some shut eye before the party tonight.
• Let's crash at my place and get some shut eye.
• After a long day of work, I finally shut my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

noun a person's buttocks

interjection used to express disapproval or dismissal

• She gently adjusted her dress to ensure it covered her tush.
• I can't believe you fell on your tush in front of everyone!
• He's got a nice tush, doesn't he?
• Don't let setbacks kick you in the tush, keep pushing forward.

noun a supernatural power or force believed to cause harm or misfortune

• The unexpected economic downturn dealt a double whammy to the company's profits.
• I can't believe I got hit with a parking ticket and a flat tire in the same day, what a whammy!
• She really threw a whammy on him by canceling their date at the last minute.
• Losing his job was just the first whammy in a series of unfortunate events for him.

noun a slang term used to refer to a close friend or brother

• The term 'bruv' is often used in informal settings among friends.
• Hey bruv, what's good?
• Bruv, you coming to the party tonight?
• In some cultures, 'bruv' is a term of endearment among close friends.

pronoun a word that takes the place of a noun or noun phrase, such as 'which've' replacing 'which have'

• I have not seen the documents which’ve been requested by the client.
• I can't find the keys which’ve been missing since yesterday.
• I don't know where the party is tonight, but I heard it's at John's place, which’ve got a cool setup.
• The memories of our childhood, which’ve faded over time, still hold a special place in my heart.

noun a word that functions as the name of a specific person, place, thing, or idea

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

• I was wondering about the protocol for submitting a complaint, asking for a friend.
• Can you tell me if it's okay to bring a plus one to the party, asking for a friend?
• Is it cool to borrow your car for the weekend, asking for a friend?
• Do you think it's worth investing in cryptocurrency, asking for a friend?

noun a person who is excessively or chronically anxious or uneasy

adjective describing someone who is anxious or uneasy

• The nervous Nellie in the group always double checks everything before making a decision.
• Don't be such a nervous Nellie, everything will be fine.
• She's such a nervous Nellie, always worrying about every little thing.
• Being a nervous Nellie won't help you in this situation, you need to stay calm and focused.

noun a slang term for the internet, used to describe the interconnected network of websites and online resources

• The interweb has revolutionized the way we access information and communicate.
• I found that recipe on the interweb last night.
• I spend hours scrolling through the interweb looking at memes.
• His mind was like a vast interweb, connecting ideas and concepts effortlessly.

adverb a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb or a word group, expressing a relation of place, time, circumstance, manner, cause, degree, etc.

pronoun a word that can function by itself as a noun phrase and that refers either to the participants in the discourse (e.g., I, you) or to someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the discourse (e.g., she, it)

interjection an abrupt remark, made especially as an aside or interruption

• Is that so? Could you provide more details to support your claim?
• Is that so? I didn't know that, thanks for sharing!
• Is that so? No way, that's crazy!
• Is that so? It's like finding a needle in a haystack.

noun a move

verb bust

• The dance instructor demonstrated how to properly bust a move during the class.
• Hey, let's hit the dance floor and bust a move!
• I saw Sarah bust a move at the party last night, she's got some serious skills!
• In order to succeed in business, sometimes you have to be willing to bust a move and take risks.

adverb to some extent; kind of

conjunction informal contraction of 'kind of'

• The researchers were kinna to explore the implications of their findings.
• I'm kinna tired of all this drama.
• She's kinna into that new TV show.
• His words were kinna like a dagger to her heart.

noun A word used to identify a person, place, thing, or idea.

verb An action word expressing a command or directive.

interjection A word or phrase that expresses a strong emotion or feeling, often used in exclamatory expressions.

• Please leave immediately and do one!
• Hey, stop bothering me and just do one!
• Quit being annoying and just do one!
• I'm tired of your excuses, it's time to do one and take action.

noun a word or phrase that functions as the subject or object of a verb

adverb a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb

interjection a word or phrase that expresses emotion or exclamation

• I cannot comprehend what the heck you are trying to explain.
• What the heck are you doing with my phone?
• What the heck is his problem?
• What the heck is going on in this chaotic situation?

noun a colloquial term used in some dialects to refer to a group of people, similar to 'you all' or 'y'all'

pronoun a pronoun used in some dialects to refer to a group of people, similar to 'you all' or 'y'all'

• In some regions, 'youse' is used as a colloquial plural form of 'you'.
• Hey youse guys, what are you up to tonight?
• Youse better watch out for that guy, he's trouble.
• Youse are the backbone of this community, always willing to lend a hand.

noun a type of loose-fitting pajamas or nightwear

• She quickly changed out of her jim-jams and into a more appropriate outfit for the meeting.
• I love lounging around in my cozy jim-jams on lazy weekends.
• I couldn't find my jim-jams last night so I ended up sleeping in my jeans.
• His mind was still in its sleepy jim-jams when he tried to solve the complex math problem.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action or a state of being

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

article a word that specifies a noun (e.g., 'a', 'an', 'the')

• I would advise you to take a chill pill and approach the situation with a calm demeanor.
• Hey, just take a chill pill and relax, everything will be fine.
• Dude, you need to take a chill pill and stop freaking out.
• Sometimes we just need to take a chill pill and let go of things beyond our control.

adjective a slang term used to describe something that is expensive or costs a lot of money

• The cost of living in this city is quite high, making everything seem expenny.
• I can't afford to go out to eat tonight, it's too expenny.
• I'm not going to that store, their prices are expenny!
• She always goes for the expenny option, never settling for less.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action or state of being

adverb a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb

pronoun a word that takes the place of a noun in a sentence

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

interjection a word or phrase that expresses strong emotion or surprise

article a word that is used to specify a noun, such as 'a', 'an', or 'the'

• The speaker asked the audience member to please put a cork in it during the presentation.
• Hey, can you just put a cork in it for a minute? I'm trying to concentrate.
• Dude, seriously, put a cork in it. You're being so annoying.
• When her friend wouldn't stop talking about her problems, she wished she could just put a cork in it and enjoy the evening.

noun a familiar term for one's grandfather

• My grandfather, also known as my gramps, served in the military during World War II.
• I love spending time with my gramps on the weekends, he always tells the best stories.
• Me and my gramps are going fishing this weekend, it's gonna be lit.
• Even though he's not my real grandfather, I consider him my gramps because he's always been there for me.

noun a contraction of 'going to'

verb a contraction of 'going to'

adjective not applicable

adverb not applicable

pronoun not applicable

preposition not applicable

conjunction not applicable

interjection not applicable

article not applicable

• I am sorry, but I am not going to attend the meeting tomorrow.
• I'm not gonna make it to the party tonight.
• I ain't gon't be there for the game this weekend.
• She gon't let anyone bring her down with negative comments.

noun A slang term for a cigarette in British English.

• The bifter is a colloquial term used in some regions to refer to a cigarette.
• Hey, do you have a spare bifter I can bum off you?
• I'm going to step outside and smoke a bifter.
• He lit up a bifter of determination before facing the challenge.

noun a derogatory term used to describe a pregnant person

adjective describing someone who is pregnant

• The term 'preghead' is considered derogatory and should not be used in professional settings.
• I heard someone call her a 'preghead' at the grocery store yesterday.
• I can't believe that preghead is still trying to party like she's not pregnant.
• Her swollen belly made her look like a preghead ready to pop.

verb A word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence

adverb A word that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb

pronoun A word that can function by itself as a noun phrase and that refers either to the participants in the discourse (e.g., I, you) or to someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the discourse (e.g., she, it, this)

• I kindly ask that you refrain from doing that.
• Gonnae no dae that, please?
• Gonnae no be a daftie and listen to me?
• Gonnae no break my heart like that?

noun a type of bird found in New Zealand, also known as the New Zealand parrot

• The researcher presented a detailed analysis of the kak phenomenon in their latest paper.
• I heard a rumor about some kak going down at the party last night.
• That movie was so kak, I walked out halfway through.
• Dealing with this project has been a real kakstorm lately.

noun a word formed by removing one or more syllables from the beginning or end of a longer word, often with an affix attached

• Affix-clipping is a linguistic process where a part of a word is removed to create a new word.
• I learned about affix-clipping in my linguistics class.
• Some people use affix-clipping to create trendy new words.
• In literature, affix-clipping can be used to symbolize the simplification of language.