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Unit 04
Feelings & People
over the moon, on edge, a heart of gold…
Describing Feelings and Character
Native speakers often use idioms instead of simple adjectives: I'm over the moon is stronger and more colourful than I'm very happy. Many of these idioms contain your, which changes to match the subject: I lost my temper / She lost her temper.
Happy & Calm
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| over the moon | extremely happy | She was over the moon about her exam results. |
| on cloud nine | extremely happy, often because of good news | Since he got engaged, he's been on cloud nine. |
| in high spirits | happy and full of energy | The team was in high spirits after the win. |
| (as) cool as a cucumber | very calm, especially in a difficult situation | She stayed as cool as a cucumber during the interview. |
Sad, Nervous & Angry
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| down in the dumps | sad and without energy | He's been down in the dumps since he lost his job. |
| on edge | nervous and anxious | I'm a bit on edge before the interview. |
| have butterflies in your stomach | to feel nervous before something important | I always have butterflies in my stomach before a presentation. |
| get on someone's nerves | to annoy someone | His constant complaining gets on my nerves. |
| lose your temper | to become very angry suddenly | He lost his temper and started shouting. |
| at the end of your tether | having no patience or energy left | I'm at the end of my tether with this noise! |
| green with envy | very jealous | She was green with envy when she saw my new car. |
People & Character
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a heart of gold | a very kind and generous nature | My grandmother has a heart of gold. |
| a night owl | a person who likes staying up late | I'm a night owl — I work best after midnight. |
| an early bird | a person who gets up early | My dad is an early bird — he's up at five. |
| a couch potato | a lazy person who watches a lot of TV | Stop being a couch potato and go outside! |
| a know-it-all | a person who acts as if they know everything | Nobody likes a know-it-all in a meeting. |
| full of yourself | too proud of yourself; arrogant | Since his promotion, he's been really full of himself. |
| give someone the cold shoulder | to ignore someone deliberately | She gave me the cold shoulder at the party. |
| see eye to eye | to agree with someone | My brother and I don't always see eye to eye. |
Watch Out
- Many feeling idioms use colours: green with envy, feel blue (feel sad), see red (become very angry).
- At the end of your tether is British; Americans say at the end of your rope.
- Lose your temper, not
lose your temperature— temper means mood or anger.
Annotated Examples
Subject
Verb
Auxiliary
Object
Adjective
Adverb
Preposition
Hover over any word to see its role.
subjectSheverbwasadjectiveover the moonadverbabout the news.
↳ over the moon = extremely happy.
subjectHis jokesverbget onobjectmy nerves.
↳ get on someone's nerves = annoy.
subjectMy grandmotherverbhasobjecta heart of gold.
↳ a heart of gold = a very kind nature.
Common Mistakes
I lost my temperature.
→
I lost my temper.
temper = anger/mood; temperature = how hot something is.
She was green from envy.
→
She was green with envy.
Fixed form: green with envy.
He gets on my nerve.
→
He gets on my nerves.
Fixed form: nerves (plural).
I'm on the cloud nine.
→
I'm on cloud nine.
Fixed form: on cloud nine (no article).
We don't see eyes to eyes.
→
We don't see eye to eye.
Fixed form: eye to eye (singular).