Spring 1
I always get butterflies in my stomach before I take my quarterly exams. No matter how much I prepare I always feel nervous.
Butterflies in my stomach- feeling nervous
My mom said not to put all of my eggs in one basket and to make sure I have a back-up plan just in case the project didn't work out.
put all of your eggs into one basket-to put all of your thoughts and time into one plan
What's the first thing that springs to mind when you think of summer vacation?
to suddenly think of something
We had a surprise party planned for Kelly, but John spilled the beans to her. Even though Kelly acted surprised, she really knew about the party.
Spill the beans: to give away a secret
My brother is an early bird who likes to study in the morning, but I’m a night owl so I always study at night.
Night owl: someone who loves staying up late
Firefighters need to be ready to spring into action at any moment because they never know when there might be an emergency.
Spring into action- to do something quickly or suddenly
My mom decide to spring for a new video game as a reward for doing well on my exams.
To spring for something-to treat someone by paying for something
My students have a hard time staying focused once spring fever hits. They all wish they could be outside playing.
Spring fever- a feeling of excitement when the warmer weather starts
Eating a lot of food during Thanksgiving makes me exhausted. I usually hit the hay right after dessert.
Hit the hay: to go to bed
My family was planning a surprise trip to Disney, but my aunt let the cat out of the bag when she posted about it on Instagram.
the cat’s out of the bag: to reveal a surprise that was supposed to stay hidden
Josh was not a great football player as a child. I guess he was a late bloomer because he is now a great college football quarterback.
Late bloomer- someone who grows or gets good at something later than expected
My cousin gets annoyed so easily over the smallest things. Whenever she comes over to the house, we have to walk on eggshells around her so she doesn’t get angry.
Walking on eggshells- to act carefully so you don’t upset someone
Mary had a spring in her step after she found out she was getting a puppy for her birthday. I’ve never seen her so happy.
A spring in one’s step- happy, excited
We need to sit down and talk turkey about our project. If we keep wasting time, we’ll never finish.
Talk turkey: to talk seriously
When I saw the giant spider in my shower this morning, I was scared stiff.
Scared stiff: very frightened (so scared that a person can’t move)
The audience sprang to their feet and applauded as soon as the play was over.
Spring to your feet- to stand up quickly
My mom knew I broke her favorite coffee mug so she told me to stop beating around the bush and to stop avoiding the topic.
Beat around the bush- to avoid answering a question/talking about something.
When it comes to chores in my house, I always get the short end of the stick and get stuck taking out the garbage.
Short end of the stick- getting the bad end of a deal
I’m going to stick my neck out and ask my teacher for extra time to complete the assignment.
Stick my neck out: to take a risk
I had to spill my guts to my mother about the broken window.
Spill my guts: to reveal everything
The student who was sleeping on his desk sprang to life when he saw the principal walk into his classroom.
Spring to life- to become suddenly alive or active
I lent my sister money twice and she never paid me back. She’s barking up the wrong tree if she thinks I’m going to lend her more money to go to a concert.
Barking up the wrong tree- making a mistake
Ms. Jones rarely gives extra credit, but I’m going to go out on a limb and ask her for an extra credit assignment to improve my grade.
Out on a limb- to take a risk
When I was struggling with decimals, Ms. Jones took me under her wing and did additional problems with me after class.
Take under your wing: to take care of and help someone
Many beach resorts become ghost towns in the winter.
Ghost town: an area that’s empty or deserted