The Fluent Mind ESL Podcast Idioms A to Z 003: Idioms with prepositions
In this episode, Kevin and Jack talk about three idioms using prepositions:
to be up in the air
to be on the ball
to get over something
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A to Z Idioms 3
Full Transcript
Kevin:
You're listening to the A. to Z. English podcast.
Kevin:
Welcome to eight is the English and today we're going to be doing and idioms eight is the episode where we're gonna talk about a couple idioms in context and explain how you can use them as well remember to check our website for study guide vocabulary discussion questions and some practice with the idioms as well as links to our website Facebook page where you can join in the conversation and practice along with us.
Kevin:
So Jack before we get into the idioms we did a couple of listener interviews recently who are we gonna talk to next.
Jack:
Well actually Kevin I'm not really sure our next interview is kind of up in the air.
Kevin:
Oh really you know Jack you really need to be on the ball for this if we don't talk to people we won't have anything planned.
Jack:
Well you know Kevin you need to just like get over it okay.
Kevin:
All right Jack alright we'll figure it out.
Jack:
There you go.
Kevin:
For everyone listening did you catch the idioms we had three different idioms in there let's go ahead and talk about them together so in the first one I asked Jack who were going to talk to and Jack what did you say.
Jack:
I said the next interview was up in the air all up in the air yeah.
Kevin:
So.
Jack:
Up in the air engine and.
Kevin:
That is I mean this is what's fun about idioms is it's hard to guess what they mean up in the air so does that mean it's like a balloon like it's up in the air something looking to pull out of the year that the cloud.
Jack:
Yeah I mean it literally up in the air would mean in the in the sky or in the air right but that's not the meaning of this the stadium.
Kevin:
Right.
Jack:
Yes so how what would you say the actual meaning is up if something is up in the air what is it.
Kevin:
If it's up in the air it means you're not really sure about it yeah that we don't really know like we've got some ideas but it's not a full plan yet it's still up in the air.
Jack:
And it's usually when we're talking about making plans yeah I know that's true.
Kevin:
Yeah so usually about plans is where we're most commonly using it.
Jack:
Yeah what are you doing on Friday well it's up in the air I'm not sure it could be I could go to a movie I could go to dinner I could stay home I haven't decided yet I haven't made any what we're gonna do yeah well we're gonna thing yeah.
Kevin:
Yeah our we talked recently in the a quick chat about you know summer camps and things and maybe if you're making plans for your summer camps like what are we gonna do on day two for the kids that's still up in the air you know maybe we'll do a movie or maybe we'll go for a hike and still up in the air.
Jack:
Yeah nothing here usually I don't know if I'm if you would agree with this but usually there's two or three choices that you have you know and so you.
Kevin:
Kind of.
Jack:
You see it's not just it's not that you don't know it all it's right you know that did you know that you're going to do something but you haven't really decided which of the three or four or five activities that you want to do and so you said you would use this in that context you say oh well it's still up in the air.
Kevin:
That's true it's not usually used when you have no idea of what you're gonna do you've got some ideas and you're starting to get some ideas maybe some good ideas maybe not but you've got some ideas like maybe this maybe this maybe this got some ideas of what you wanna do but it's up in the air and I think that makes sense when you think about it it's up in the air there's a few choices around your head and you just have to pick one right he's got a real job and decide which one you want to go with.
Jack:
Three young here yeah.
Kevin:
And so then the second Jack I told you know you said it's still up in the air but we have a podcast to run so I told you need to get on the ball.
Kevin:
We got to get on the ball on that so are we talking about the exercise ball right you're gonna do some yoga here Jack.
Jack:
You are not talking about a yoga ball or an extra at all no we're yet again.
Kevin:
The.
Jack:
Idioms are not literal if you know the other fun that's where the fun yeah the literal meaning it would be very strange to you know be on a ball but in this case to get a if Kevin tells me to get on the ball he's actually ordering me to do something you're telling ME to get do you know of focus and do some kind of job like do your job get it done I gotta finish planning yeah.
Kevin:
Yeah exactly get to what you're supposed to be doing you've been wasting too much time and we're not focused here all of those ideas are in the air I think what we can't have them in the air we got to get on the ball we have to decide we need to choose what we wanna do so Jack can get on the ball.
Jack:
Yeah in eight years of example a teacher might say this to students that are not doing their work in the classroom maybe they're talking and they're not focused on doing their math problems or something like that and the teacher can say to the students Hey get on the ball.
Kevin:
Don't.
Jack:
Talk about other things don't play games do your math problems right now so get on the ball and I'm feeling lines says it to you then it means you're not doing your work you know you might be checking email you might be you know chatting with a friend or coworker and your bosses says do you get on the ball means get back to work get focused youngster.
Kevin:
So don't listen to the a to Z. podcast at work yeah enter.
Jack:
Your ride home or do it.
Kevin:
You know.
Jack:
Secretly very secretly.
Kevin:
Yup we'll have to get on the ball and I think you can kind of understand this I mean if you're if you're standing on a ball right it's very hard to balance out a ball and so you really need to focus you got to be ready for it so in an easy way to remember if you're standing for balanced on the ball you're ready you're doing your job you're ready to go for the next one but then.
Jack:
Again.
Kevin:
You told me that I was too fat too stressed out on this and what did you tell me.
Jack:
I said you gotta get over it get over it.
Jack:
And had to get.
Kevin:
Over it so.
Jack:
You know.
Kevin:
I mean like.
Jack:
What is this.
Kevin:
What is it.
Jack:
First all right.
Kevin:
That's a good question.
Jack:
It could be could be a lot of things but in this case it would be some kind of.
Jack:
Some kind of like a bad experience or some kind of negative answer so yeah you're oftentimes.
Kevin:
A negative experience some difficult time or some difficult thing that you've had some kind of.
Jack:
Some kind of conflict that we had you know like there's like we had a.
Kevin:
We had a fight.
Jack:
Or a conflict or something and if the one person says to the other person you need to get over it means you need to forget about this conflict and let it go it's another expression to let it go.
Kevin:
Get over it and it's nuts and that's when you're getting over its you're not actually getting up on top of and going over something but most of these times these experiences like breaking up with your girlfriend or boyfriend right.
Jack:
It's kind of like a mall.
Kevin:
That you that you.
Kevin:
A good example.
Jack:
Yeah.
Kevin:
Yeah it's like a mental wall it's a problem that I have just in my head and some like you know you gotta get over that mental wall you gotta get over him get over her get over that ex boyfriend you know there it's get over that problem so get over it so Kevin you.
Jack:
If five for example your friend breaks up with his girlfriend broke up with his girlfriend yesterday is it appropriate for me today to say get over it.
Kevin:
Probably a bit too soon and obviously a bit too soon to say yeah it right something's do take some time bonus if your friend broke up with his girlfriend and it's been a year yeah they only dated for six months.
Jack:
Yes that's why I come on my new friend is still depressed and won't come out yeah.
Kevin:
Yeah like I I understand your side but you gotta get over it you gotta you gotta get out there and meet someone new get over it to get over this problem.
Jack:
There you go yeah.
Kevin:
We can also use it for actually illnesses as well right like you get over cove it.
Jack:
For example.
Kevin:
But yeah it's any kind of difficult situation that we've got.
Jack:
To get a cold or the flu or something like that and just I haven't gotten over it yet or I'm just getting over you know being out sick we can use as I'd always want that now.
Kevin:
Okay so there's R. three Indians in all of these if anyone was paying attention you might notice that all of these positions today are all of these idioms sorry we're using prepositions right.
Jack:
Up.
Kevin:
In the air on the ball or over something and so there's ways that you can organize our idioms and these are all about prepositions connecting to your location in space.
Jack:
Yes so just.
Kevin:
As a really quick review you're up in the air about something more work on the ball we're getting to work or we need to get over whatever that problem is.
Jack:
There you go.
Jack:
Excellent yeah.
Kevin:
All right well there is a great episode of a dizzy English with our idioms from eight Izzy in the show notes you can find links to our whats app group or social media we can come and try and use these idioms for yourself tell us something that you're up in the air about or what do you need to be on the ball about and if you could leave us a review and a comment on apple podcasts that would really help us out to get other people to find us we'll see you next time here with the more idioms eight Izzy.
Jack:
Get on the ball everyone see you next time.
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