KA WORDCAST: Idioms and Phrasal Verbs Lesson 12: SPLISH SPLASH Splish Splash-­‐Bobby Darin In this season of KA Wordcast, we’ve been introducing you to important idioms, phrasal verbs, and other common English expressions. And we’ve been showing you how to put the phrases to good use in your own writing and conversation. If you’ve been tuning in regularly, you already know what we mean by idioms and phrasal verbs. But for those of you joining us for the first time, you can “catch up” by listening to KA Wordcast: Idioms and Phrasal Verbs, Lessons 1 through 9. Some words—PLOP, SPLASH, WHIP, BUMP—sound like what they mean. The Greeks had a word for it: Onomatopoeia. Roughly translated, this witty word means, “I say a word.” Today, we are going to look at various phrasal verbs and idiomatic expressions based on commonly used onomatopoeia that “pop up” in TV and film, books and magazines, and everyday conversation. This lesson is available to download in PDF format. To test your knowledge of today’s phrases before the lesson begins, try taking the quick “pre-­‐test” that is downloadable from our website. Then, after the podcast, you can use the answer sheet to see how well you did and how much you have learned. Remember that reviewing and practicing over and over again is the best way to “build up” your English speaking and writing skills. And that is exactly what these Wordcasts are all about. As we’ve explained in previously aired Wordcasts, a phrasal verb is an idiomatic phrase made up of a verb and another element such as a particle, preposition, or combination of both, while an idiom is a combination of words that has a figurative meaning separate from its literal or real meaning. The following phrases are quite informal, slangy even, but they will help you make your writing (and conversation) more interesting and fun. 1. SPLASH OUT ON SPLASH is the sound something makes as it falls into a liquid, and phrases such as SPLASH AROUND, SPLASH ABOUT, and SPLASH ON are all related to water or other forms of fluid. Our first phrase, to SPLASH OUT ON, however, has nothing to do with liquids. It means to spend a lot of money, especially on nice things for yourself. To splurge, be extravagant, spring for, and to throw money at are close equivalents. Jennie: How much did you SPLASH OUT ON your prom dress? It’s gorgeous! Molly: I bought it at a consignment shop, so it cost me next to nothing. My dad SPLASHED OUT a lot of money ON a gas barbecue and grill without consulting my mom, which, needless to say, put her in a foul mood. I heard that the Gibbons just bought a 75-­‐inch, 3-­‐D TV that cost nearly £5,000! I would never SPLASH that much OUT ON a TV, even if I were as rich as they are. 2. COUGH UP COUGH is what you do when you have a cold or chest infection and expel air from your lungs and out through your mouth with a sudden, sharp sound. A COUGH is the act or sound of COUGHING. When you COUGH something such as blood UP, you force it out of your lungs and up through your throat and the mouth by COUGHING. COUGHING UP blood is cause for concern, especially if you have other symptoms such as fever or chest pain. More figuratively, though, to COUGH UP means to pay quite a lot for something, especially when you don’t want to. Pay up, shell out, square up, and fork out can be used in its place. Lily: What’s wrong with Kylie? She seems really upset. Bill: Her parents made her COUGH UP £300 to pay for the dent she put in the family car, money that she had been saving up to buy a new iPhone. I just had to COUGH UP £17.50 to pay for late-­‐return fees at the library. I might just as well have bought the book the in first place. Kathy: It’s your turn to pay for dinner, Damon, so COUGH UP. Damon: Can’t we just go Dutch? I’ll pay next time, I promise. 3. BUZZ AROUND/ IN/ OFF A BUZZ is the low, humming sound made by a bee or other insect. When an insect BUZZES AROUND, it flies around making its usual continuous noise. Jordan: You look really tired this morning, Megan. What’s up? Megan: I didn’t sleep a wink last night. There were mosquitoes BUZZING AROUND my head all night long. Figuratively speaking, BUZZ AROUND can also mean to move quickly around a place in a busy (as a bee) way. Sometimes, thoughts can BUZZ AROUND in your head, too, which means that you are thinking about a lot of things at the same time. The children BUZZED AROUND the playroom, picking up toys and tidying up without being told. Monica BUZZED AROUND all over town looking for a Spiderman-­‐shaped piñata for her soon-­‐to-­‐
be five-­‐year-­‐old son’s birthday party. With all these Spanish verb conjugations BUZZING AROUND in my head, I couldn’t get to sleep until well after midnight. I’ll be happy when my Spanish final is over and done with. When you BUZZ someone IN, you allow him/her to enter your building or property by pressing a button that unlocks a door or gate. Phoebe: Hi, Tony. It’s me, Phoebe. I’ve forgotten my key again. Could you BUZZ me IN? Tony: Sure thing. Come on up. Building security has warned residents against BUZZING IN visitors without first confirming their identity. Since the school stepped up their child-­‐safety program, all parents visiting the school must be BUZZED IN through the front office. The very informal phrase to BUZZ OFF is used to tell someone rudely to go away (imagine swatting away a bee or other pest). Susan: BUZZ OFF, will you! I’m trying to study for tomorrow’s test. Karl: Well, excuse me. I was just going to ask if you wanted a cup of coffee, but forget it. 4. WHIP UP/ THROUGH/ INTO As a verb, to WHIP means to beat, strike, or beat violently using a WHIP of some kind. But it can also mean to move quickly or suddenly. From this, we get the phrase to WHIP UP, which means to prepare, create, or put something together quickly. Joey: What do we have to eat? I’m starving. Rachel: I can WHIP UP a cheese omelet or something. How does that sound? I haven’t even started my book report yet, but I’ll WHIP something UP by tomorrow morning. Laina: Mom, I need a World Book Day costume by tomorrow. Mom: No problem. We can WHIP something UP out of what’s in your dressing-­‐up box. When you WHIP THROUGH something, you go or look through it very quickly. Whiz through, run through, and hurry through are close equivalents. Tana WHIPPED THROUGH her spelling homework and went outside to play in the garden. Mom: I want you to do this math sheet carefully. Don’t just WHIP THROUGH it. Tristan: And then can I play on the Xbox? We only had a few minutes until our lunch reservation, so we WHIPPED THROUGH the National Gallery and just glimpsed at the Monets and Cezannes. The idiomatic phrase to WHIP INTO SHAPE means to cause someone or something to be in better condition, usually with a fair amount of effort. However hard he tried, the coach was unable to WHIP his team INTO SHAPE before the start of the new football season, and they lost the first three games in a row. The new principal was determined to WHIP his low-­‐ranked school INTO SHAPE by introducing innovative methods he’d come across while living in Europe. 5. WHIZ THROUGH WHIZ is a whistling or whooshing sound made by an object—a ball, a shuttlecock, an arrow—as it passes quickly through the air. So it should be easy to figure out that to WHIZ THROUGH, like WHIP THROUGH above, means to go through something very quickly. Every March, thousands of cyclists taking part in the Cycle for Life charity drive WHIZ THROUGH our village dressed in ridiculous costumes, and we all go out to cheer them on. Johan: How was the Life in the UK citizenship test? Was it difficult? Maya: It was a piece of cake. I WHIZZED right THROUGH it. Haley WHIZZED THROUGH her Christmas shopping list and was all set for the holidays well ahead of time. 6. BANG ON/ GET A BANG OUT OF something A BANG is a sudden, loud, sharp noise. A door slamming, a car crashing, firecrackers, and gunshots all make a “BANG” sound. As a verb, to BANG means to strike heavily or to close suddenly and loudly. Most “BANG”-­‐related phrases have to do with some kind of collision—BANG INTO, BANG UP, BANG AGAINST—but here are a couple of expressions that have little to do with crashing or hitting. The chiefly British phrase BANG ON means right on, exactly, or precisely. Similar phrases and synonyms include absolutely, promptly, on the button, on the nose, to a T, and dead on. Holly was BANG ON about the new Indian restaurant. They have delicious food, great service, and a friendly staff. We’ll definitely be going there again. You can rely on Japanese trains to be BANG ON time 99% of the time. It’s only on very rare occasions that they are late, and even then, they are only a minute or two behind schedule. Your projection for last night’s game would have been BANG ON if the team’s star player, Oscar, hadn’t been injured early in the second half. The informal phrase to GET A BANG OUT OF something means to get great pleasure, excitement, or enjoyment from it. To get a kick out of and to get a charge out of are near equivalents. I think you’ll GET a real BANG OUT OF the new show on Disney Junior. It’s meant for kids, but there’s a lot of adult humor mixed in. Jake is hilarious. I GET A BANG OUT OF his celebrity impressions, especially when he does his Scooby Doo and Shaggy impersonation. 7. BUMP INTO/UP AGAINST/ ALONG To BUMP means to knock or run into or against someone or something, often with a jolt. The onomatopoeia ”BUMP” mimics the dull sound of a light blow or collision. So, literally speaking, when you BUMP INTO something, you accidentally hit against or smash into it. The nearest synonym is collide with. Isla: How did you get that bruise on your shin? Geoff: I BUMPED INTO the corner of the bleachers in the gym when I was shooting hoops after school. But figuratively speaking, if you BUMP INTO someone, you meet him/her unexpectedly. Run into is the closest equivalent. Marty: Fiona: Have you seen Tracey lately? I haven’t seen her for ages. I BUMPED INTO her at the library just last week. She’s been working on a research project that’s been keeping her busy. Last week, I BUMPED INTO an old friend I hadn’t seen in years. We didn't have time to chat, but we promised to get together soon and catch up. Finn: You’ll never guess who I BUMPED INTO at the mall today. Jess: You’re right. I’ll never guess, so why don’t you just tell me? The phrase BUMP UP AGAINST literally means to gently strike someone or something accidentally. Lenny BUMPED UP AGAINST the mailbox as he was backing his car out of the driveway and knocked off his side mirror. More figuratively, to BUMP UP AGAINST means to experience a problem that slows down the progress of something you are doing. Come up against, run into, and be faced with are the nearest synonyms. Principal: What’s the hold-­‐up with this month’s issue of the school magazine? Student: We’ve BUMPED UP AGAINST some technical issues that we still need to sort out. We’ve BUMPED UP AGAINST some problems with the planning permission and will have to submit new drawings soon if we want to get started on the new school building. BUMP ALONG, on the other hand, means to continue doing something at around the same pace or level without experiencing any setbacks or major breakthroughs. Angie: How are you enjoying living in New Zealand? It must be so exciting. Craig: Not really. I thought our lives would change for the better, but we’re BUMPING ALONG just as we did when we lived in Chicago. The world’s economy just seems to be BUMPING ALONG with no sign of improvement for the foreseeable future. 8. POP UP POP is the light, explosive sound you hear when something such as a balloon bursts suddenly or a cork is pulled out of a champagne bottle. When something POPS UP, it appears or happens very quickly or suddenly. Ever since the actress won an Academy Award, she has been POPPING UP in just about every major Hollywood film. She’s definitely the “it” girl of the moment. Support staff: IT Services. How can I help you? Customer: An error message POPS UP on my screen every time I plug something into my USB socket. Is this normal? Percy: Something’s POPPED UP, so I'm going to be a little later than expected. Alison: That’s fine. Thanks for letting me know. POP IN, POP OVER, POP BY, POP DOWN, and POP AROUND all mean to go somewhere or visit someone or somewhere for a short time. Can you POP IN to the store on your way home and pick up a liter of milk? Ollie: Do you mind if I POP OVER after school? There’s something I want to ask you. Anna: Sure. I’ll be at home, so come by anytime. Erika POPPED BY while you were at the gym and left a book for you. I’ve put it on your desk in your room. Shawn: What are your plans for the weekend? Tomiko: We’re just POPPING DOWN to Nagoya for a night to visit my parents for my mom’s birthday. We’ve got a full day planned, but if we have time in the evening, we might POP AROUND your place for a cup of coffee on our way home. POP OUT, on the other hand, means to leave a room or a place quickly for a short time. Matt: Where’s Brad? Angelina: He just POPPED OUT to return a DVD to the shops. He’ll be back in about ten minutes. Do you mind if I POP OUT for a few minutes? I need to mail this letter before the post office closes. 9. KNOCK AROUND/DOWN/OUT The verb KNOCK is often combined with prepositions to mean to hit something or someone, as in KNOCK AGAINST, KNOCK INTO, KNOCK THROUGH, and KNOCK OVER. There are dozens of KNOCK-­‐
based phrasal verbs with literal uses. Here are a few of the most common. Inga KNOCKED her leg AGAINST the coffee table and KNOCKED OVER a vase filled with glass marbles. Since we are only renting the apartment, we are not allowed to KNOCK nails INTO the walls to hang pictures. Petra: What do you plan to do with the kitchen and dining room? Jeffrey: We’re going to KNOCK THROUGH this wall here to create a more open kitchen and dining space. But there are just as many KNOCK-­‐based phrasal verbs that have more figurative meanings and uses. For example, when an idea or suggestion is KNOCKED DOWN, it is refused or rejected because it isn’t good enough or isn’t considered useful. Every time anyone makes a suggestion about prom themes, the chairperson KNOCKS it DOWN. If you ask me, she just likes to have control over everything and everyone. Bryan is upset because Mr. Collins rejected his proposal, and Bryan’s not used to having his ideas KNOCKED DOWN. Prices can also be KNOCKED DOWN, or reduced. Since Valentine’s Day is over and done with, we’ll have to KNOCK DOWN the prices on these chocolates and hope they sell out. The auto dealer reluctantly agreed to KNOCK DOWN the price of the RV after we pointed out that the water pump needs fixing. The informal phrase to KNOCK AROUND means to spend time in a place with no particular purpose. Lisa spent the summer after graduation KNOCKING AROUND Europe on a shoestring budget. Margot: I’m free on Saturday. What would you like to do? Allan: How about if we just KNOCK AROUND Notting Hill or go to the Portobello Market? In sports and other competitions, a person or team that is KNOCKED OUT is forced out of the competition after being defeated. You can also KNOCK OUT an opponent by defeating him/her/them. Chrissy: Which countries do you think will most likely to be KNOCKED OUT of the World Cup first? Paul: My bet is on Croatia and Holland. The Falcons KNOCKED our team OUT in the first round of the playoffs. How humiliating! You probably know that in boxing, K.O. stands for KNOCK OUT, which means to hit someone so hard that he/she becomes unconscious (OUT by itself can mean unconscious). More figuratively and generally, a person can be KNOCKED OUT by some physical force or by taking some medication or drinking too much alcohol. Rodney was KNOCKED OUT when the awning of Ginger’s Bakery crashed down on his head during last night’s windstorm. Yvonne: Doesn’t getting your wisdom tooth pulled hurt? Michael: I’ll be KNOCKED OUT on meds, so I shouldn’t feel a thing. If you KNOCK yourself OUT doing something, it means that you exert so much effort and energy that you make yourself tired. Don’t KNOCK yourself OUT cooking me a three-­‐course meal. I’m happy just to have a sandwich or share a pizza with you. Gillian KNOCKED herself OUT trying to impress her in-­‐laws by cleaning the house from floor to ceiling, but they didn’t seem to notice. When someone KNOCKS OFF at a particular time, he/she finishes working at that time. Clock out and punch out are the nearest synonyms. Doug: What time are you KNOCKING OFF tonight? Robyn: Around 7:30. I have some work to finish up before I can go home. Shelly finally KNOCKED OFF at seven in the morning after working a 24-­‐hour shift at the hospital. KNOCK OFF also means to produce something quickly and carelessly without putting much thought or effort into it. My history teacher thinks I can just KNOCK OFF thousand-­‐word essays over night, but it usually takes me a day or two just to get my thoughts organized. Editor: How are you coming along with your novel, Howard? Howard: I should be able to KNOCK OFF the last few chapters by the end of this week. If you ever want to get your driveway re-­‐paved, I highly recommend Miguel. He can KNOCK OFF any job in a few days, and he’s reasonably priced to boot. The phrase KNOCK IT OFF! is used to order someone to stop doing something unpleasant or annoying. Sam: Will you KNOCK IT OFF? I can’t hear the television. Chloe: But I’m supposed to practice the piano at least 30 minutes a day, and you’re just watching silly TV. I told Jerry to KNOCK IT OFF, but he carried on driving down the road like a maniac, and we ended up getting in an accident. Fortunately, no one was hurt. A KNOCKOFF, by the way, is a bad or cheap copy or imitation of something, often of a designer product. Imitation, fake, and counterfeit are close synonyms. Last spring, I traveled to Hong Kong and bought some KNOCKOFFS. I got a designer bag and some accessories from the street vendors for about a tenth of the price of real ones. A product that KNOCKS you BACK costs you a certain amount of money, usually quite a large amount. Susie: How much did those sunglasses KNOCK you BACK, Jimmy? Jimmy: $100, but they’re really good quality. A new hard drive will KNOCK you BACK around £450, so you might as well invest in a new computer. In British English, when something KNOCKS you BACK, it means that it causes delays or problems. The bad weather has KNOCKED us BACK a couple of weeks, but if this fine weather continues, we should have the pool dug up and ready before the summer. *** Now that you have a good understanding of all the key phrases we have examined today (and aren’t they a lot of fun?), you can go back and check out your score on the “pre-­‐test” exercise. How did you do? We’ll be back again next week with lots more useful phrasal verbs for you to study and get to know.