Similes With Like - (Get On) Like a House on Fire

Meaning – to be very friendly, have a lot in common

Ø      Despite having only met once at a party a few months ago, John and  Sally get on like a house on fire.

Ø    Sarah is delighted that her boyfriend and my parents get on like a house on fire.

Phrasal Verbs- Boil Down To

Meaning – can be summarized into something

Ø     At the end of the day, it all boils down to whether you want to pursue a career in medicine or pursue your love for dancing.

Ø     We can do a lot to beautify this park. It all boils down to money.

Homophones - Spa v Spar

Spa (noun) – a place where people go to become healthier by doing exercises, going on special diets etc.

Ø      The spa offers a variety of facial packages and treatments for men and women alike.

Spar (verb)

1.              to argue.

Ø     Despite being old friends, Jim and Sally often enjoy sparring over dinner.

2.    to practise some form of martial arts like taekwondo or karate without the intention of hurting each other.

Ø     I enjoy sparring with Kelly as she’s not only competitive, but she also tries to help me improve on my techniques.

Similes with As - As Sharp as A Razor

Meaning – intelligent, very quick to understand or notice things

Ø      Our new manager is as sharp as a razor. He seems to know everything that’s happening in the office despite being the newest employee in the company.

Ø      Although our neighbour, Mrs Johnson, is well into her 80s, she’s still as sharp as a razor. In fact, she even noticed that I’ve been coming home a little later than usual this week.

Homonyms - Race (As a Verb and Noun)

1.   (noun) – competition

Ø      We’re training very hard for the cycling race next month.

Ø      Would you happen to know who won the boat race yesterday?

Ø      They are taking part in a race to the top of Mount Kinabalu.

2.   (noun) – people

Ø     We are blessed that people of different races can live peacefully in this country.

3.   (verb) – competition

Ø     We used to race against each other when we were in high school.

4.   (verb) – hurry

Ø     We saw the paramedics racing (= rushing) a patient into the operating theatre while visiting a friend in hospital yesterday.

Ø     John was so excited to see his cousin that he raced down the stairs when he heard the doorbell rang.

Idiomatic Pairs of Adjectives - High and Dry

Meaning – abandoned, isolated

Ø      Sam was furious when he found out that his friends had left him high and dry at the party.

Ø      Despite being left high and dry by his friends, Randy had a great time exploring the city all by himself.

Idioms with Prepositions - After Hours

Meaning – the period after regular business hours

Ø      If you’re staying in the office after hours, please make sure to switch off all the lights and lock up before you leave.

Ø      I often like to focus on my own work after hours.

Idioms - (Be) Short Of

Meaning – not have enough of

Ø      I’ve come to notice that I’m always short of small change by the end of the week.

Ø      Since we were short of one member, our team wasn’t allowed to participate in the competition.

Synonyms - Rich

Meaning – Affluent, wealthy, well-off, well-to-do

Ø      Despite coming from an affluent family, James is surprisingly humble and well-mannered.

Ø      With so much natural resources, it’s no surprise Sarawak is a wealthy state.

Ø      This resort clearly caters for the well-off. It’s no wonder it costs a bomb (= costs a lot of money) to stay here.

Ø      Some well-to-do families don’t own expensive cars for fear of attracting unwanted attention.

Similes with Like - Out Like a Light

Meaning – fall into a deep sleep immediately

Ø      After spending 8 hours selling and promoting our company products and services at the Luxury Fair, I was out like a light the minute my head hit the pillow.

Ø      The children will probably be out like a light after a full day of activities tomorrow.

Synonyms- Cry

Cry – shout, scream, sob

Ø      “I’ll see you tomorrow,” shouted (verb) Ellen above the noise of the music.

Ø      Her concentration was interrupted by the angry shouts (noun) from the neighbour.

Ø      Through the smoke, the rescuers could hear the trapped people screaming (verb) for help.

Ø      She let out a piercing scream (noun) when she fell off the horse.

Ø      We found Ryan sobbing (verb) in the bedroom because he’d broken his favourite toy.

Ø      I could hear her sobs (noun) from my room.

Proverbs and Sayings - Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining

Meaning – said as an encouragement to someone who is discouraged by some difficulty and is unable to see a positive way forward.

Ø     I realize your future appears to be very uncertain at the moment, but if I were you, I’d focus on the positive side of things. After all, every cloud has a silver lining.

Ø     Despite being homeless and jobless, John is still optimistic about the future. He always believes that every cloud has a silver lining.

Homonyms - Current (As an Adjective and Noun)

1.   (adj) – present time

Ø     Have you read the current (= most recently published) issue of the Times magazine?

Ø     This $5 note is no longer in current use.

2.   (noun) – flow of water, air or electricity in a particular direction

Ø      The fishermen were swept out to sea by the strong current.

Ø      It’s strongly advisable to switch off the electric current before changing the light bulb.

3.   (noun) – feeling or opinion that a particular group of people have

Ø      There is a growing current of support for the opposition party leaders.

Ø      The growing current of discontent among the employees is becoming very hard to ignore.