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In this post I am going to introduce some common idioms and explain their meanings.

First off though, let’s see if you know some of them already. Can you complete the sentences below using one of the following words - accounting / own / street / taste / cup ?

1. I must admit, I don’t really like this kind of music. It’s not really my ____ of tea.
2. If you’re into action movies, you’ve got to see the new Die Hard sequel. It should be right up your _____.
3. You like Disney movies!? I can’t believe it! Oh well, each to their _____.
4. My favourite kind of food is cheese - blue cheese. I know, it’s an acquired _____.
5. I can’t stand that music he is always listening to. Still, that’s him, and there’s no _____ for taste.

So, let’s think about the meanings of these idioms…

1. “it’s not really my cup of tea” - I don’t really like that kind of thing.
2. “right up your street” - something that you would like, that would suit your personality or your skills.
3. “each to their own” - different people like different things. Everyone is free to like what they like and think how they think. We usually use this expression when someone seems to like different things to us, or to think differently to us. This expression catches the famous ‘tolerance’ of British people. The idea is that even though we cannot understand someone’s likes and dislikes, we do not have the right to judge them on that basis.
4. “an acquired taste” - something (food or music, etc..) that people do not usually like naturally at first, but come to like with time. The idea is that some things it takes time to appreciate.
5. “there’s no accounting for taste” - different people like different things (same as 3.). This expression means that it is difficult or impossible to explain why people like what they like. Like 3., this expression is usually used when we cannot understand why someone seems to like something we do not like.

Just a quick post this time - check back soon for more idioms and expressions.