Episode 178 Score With Some Great English Idioms

In this episode we're back to normal and studying some idioms. Some of my regular students will recognise their stories in this episode, I hope they don't mind me using them for dramatic effect! I gave you lots of examples of how you might use these idioms and sentence structures for them. Today's idioms were: Move the goal posts - to keep moving the end goal or parameters of success. (Changing the goalposts is exactly the same) 'I've been trying so hard at work but my boss keeps moving the goal posts. I don't think I'll ever finish this project'. Fob you off - to keep telling you things to keep you waiting, but not actually finishing or even working on the project. 'He's always fobbing me off. I never know when it's actually going to be finished.' Go round in circles - to keep having the same discussion again and again and never reaching a decision or conclusion. 'Ah, I feel like we're going round and round in circles.' Have you running round in circles - to have you do lots of tasks or send you to lots of places, often without a good organisation or clear plan. 'Does nobody know how anything works in this office? Why am I always having to run round in circles to get anything done?' Run you ragged - to keep you very busy so you're always exhausted. 'Man! The boss really ran me ragged today! I need a holiday!' Get hung up on - to get stuck on a point or problem and not be able to move on. 'I'm hung up on this detail, we need to fix it before we can move forward.' Have hang ups - to feel embarrassed, nervous or lacking in confidence because of your skills, abilities or how you look. 'I have a lot of hang ups about my English, so I'd rather not speak in public if I can help it.' Additional Vocabulary Specifications - the clear guidelines for something Deemed - to decide Redefining - to change the specifications Wearing you out - idiom - to make you very tired Work your fingers to the bone - idiom - to work very hard until you're exhausted it's just been nonstop - phrase - describing a very busy day It's been go go all day- phrase - describing a very busy day A little bit tricky - phrase - it's a bit difficult Getting in the way- idiom - something is preventing forward movement perfectionism - the need to make sure there are no mistakes or flaws and everything is perfect Pop them in the comments - phrasal verb 'pop them' just means to put something somewhere