Spoken English: Flourish Your Language

(coco) #1

II Slangs^21311
Definition: Extremely tired, lacking energy, worn out from work-
ing too much.
Example: 1) I was completely burned out after working on a big
project for three weeks straight.
Etymology: When you are 'burned out' you have no more fuel to
burn. You are without energy, like a candle that has consumed all
of its wax.
Synonyms: wiped out, worn out, pooped


bAck bURNER
Definition: Not an urgent priority. To put something on the 'back
burner' is to put something off until later.
Example: 1) We worked hard on the project at first, but when a
new project came along, we put it on the back burner.
Etymology: 'The 'back burner' of a stove is where you put things
that are slowly cooking and that you can leave alone for a while.


Definition: A troublemaker, someone who has a bad attitude and
causes trouble.
Example: 1) Emily is a real bad egg - she's always starting fights
and causing trouble.
Etymology: In this phrase, 'egg' means 'person' or 'individual'. This
is probably because the human head looks a lot like an egg. A bad
egg, then, is a simply a bad person. There is a similar phrase to
describe a good person - a 'good egg'.

bEUy",UP
Definition: to stop existing, to stop performing as a business.
Example: 1) A lot of Internet companies went belly-up in 2001.
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