Accent Reduction Classroom

Every language has idioms and these often use everyday words to describe a message with a hidden meaning. In this lesson I describe three idioms that are commonly used in conversational American English.

1. Like two peas in a pod

Americans frequently use this idiom to describe two people that are nearly identical, just as 2 peas from one peapod would be.

For example: If John and Luke like to play all the same sports I might say, “When it comes to sports, John and Luke are like two peas in a pod.”

2. As cool as a cucumber

Americans use this idiom to describe a person who remains calm and relaxed in stressful situations.

For example: If Ryan looks very relaxed the just before a big meeting with his boss I might say, “Even though Ryan is meeting with the boss this morning, he looks as cool as a cucumber.”

3. A couch potato

In American English a couch potato is a lazy sort of person who spends their free time sitting on the couch in front of the television.

For example: If my husband has been sitting in front of the TV watching football all weekend I might say, “Come on Frank, don’t be such a couch potato, let’s go out for a bike ride.”.

Learning idioms will help you understand Americans more easily. Using them will make your English sound more natural. You can learn the meaning and pronunciation of lots of American idioms using my Accent Reduction Success CD.