10 Informal English Phrases Used By Native Speakers

#1 – “Hang

In There.”
If someone is having difficulties or experiencing a bad situation, telling them to “hang in there” means “keep trying; don’t give up; be patient and things will eventually get better.”
#2 – “My New Job Rocks!/Rules!”
Saying something “rocks” or “rules” means it’s really great, awesome, wonderful.
#3 – “The New Technology Blew Me Away.”
If something “blows you away”, it means it completely amazed you. Another way to say it is “I was blown away by the new technology.”
#4 – “I Missed The Boat On That One.”
If you “miss the boat”, it means you are too late to get an opportunity, so you lose the chance to participate.
#5 – “We Got Off On The Wrong Foot.”
To “get off on the wrong foot” means to start something in a bad way. It is often used when two people meet for the first time and have some sort of misunderstanding or disagreement, or their first impression of each other was not a nice one.
#6 – “Everybody Was Freaking Out.”
To “freak out” means to panic or become very upset or agitated.
#7 – “I Haven’t Done This In A Long Time. I’m Rusty.”
You can say you’re “rusty” when you used to have good skills or ability to do something, but you haven’t done this activity in a long time. Now you’re not as good at it, because you are out of practice.
#8 – “Things Are Still Up In The Air.”
The expression “up in the air” means that plans are still undecided or uncertain; nothing is confirmed.
#9 – “We All Have To Pitch In.”
To “pitch in” means to join an effort and help with something, usually a project that has multiple people working on it.
#10 – “I’m Beat. Time To Hit The Sack.”
Saying you are “beat” is a slang way to say you’re tired, and “hit the sack” means to go to bed.