Heartland English School – Word of the Day

Theme: Expressions with proper names!

Expression: Achilles’ heel

Meaning: a weakness or vulnerable point (usually despite overall strength)

Examples:

1. I believe they are the stronger team, but their Achilles’ heel may be that their goal keeper is a little bit inconsistent.
   
2. Although she did well in school overall, math was always Carly’s Achilles’ heel.

Background: In Greek mythology, Achilles was an powerful warrior. When he was young, his mother had dipped him in the River Styx, which is said to grant invincibility. However, the river water did not cover Achilles’ heel, because his mother had to hold it in order to dip him.

In the Trojan War, Achilles is killed by an arrow shot into his heel – his one weak point.

Word: slacklining

Meaning: a sport in which people balance on a slack piece of webbing (a slackline) that is above ground.

Example: Slacklining looks easy, but it’s pretty hard.

Related Word: a slackline

Idiom: cut me some slack

Meaning: don’t punish me, give me a break

Example: “I know I made a mistake, but cut me some slack, man, I was really tired.”

Phrasal Verb: slack off

Meaning: after working really hard, to start to slow down or do less work

Example: At the start of the race, she ran hard, but she slacked off after a few minutes.

Word: a slacker (noun)

Meaning: a lazy person

Examples: Older people usually think the younger generation is a bunch of slackers. The company fired the worker because she was a slacker.

Word of the Day Theme: Slack

Word: slack

Meaning 1: (adjective) loose, lazy

Examples 1: His slack smile was creepy. The rope was slack. I had a slack day with little business.

Meaning 2: (proper noun) Slack is a popular social media app which is used by businesses.

Example 2: Heartland’s staff communicates via Slack.

Theme: Informal Expressions with GET

Expression: get something off your chest

Meaning: to express something that has been worrying you and that you have wanted to say

Examples:

1. I’m sorry but I just have to get something off my chest: I really didn’t like how you made fun of me last night. (A person talking to their friend)

2. Charlie felt bad about cheating on this test, so he got it off his chest by telling the teacher about it.

Theme: Informal Expressions with GET

Expression: get the hang of something

Meaning: to learn how to do something, especially when it is not simple or obvious

Examples:

1. A: MyEnglishLab? I’ve never used this platform before! B: Don’t worry! You’ll soon get the hang of it.

2. Kalev was finally getting the hang of his new job.

Theme: Informal Expressions with GET

Expression: get off someone’s case

Meaning: to stop criticizing someone or telling someone what to do

Examples:

1. Get off my case! I’m working as hard as I can! (An annoyed person replying to their co-worker)

2. That’s enough now – get off her case! (An annoyed parent talking to their fighting children and scolding one of them)

Theme: Informal Expressions with GET

Expression: get lost!

Meaning: used in speech as a rude or angry way to tell someone to go away

Examples:

1. Younger sister to her brother and his friends: “Can I play with you?” Brother: “No, get lost!”
2. I can’t believe David called me again. I told him to get lost. (A woman talking to her best friend about her ex)