Idioms

to dress up: to wear formal clothes, to dress very nicely Examples of DRESS UP There are whole websites full of people who like to dress up their cats and dogs. On casual Fridays, we don’t need to dress up at my office.

at first: at the beginning, originally Examples of AT FIRST At first, I didn’t know what to think about Jamie, but now I think she’s pretty cool. She consulted, at first, with a general practitioner, but then she decided to see a specialist.

to get up: to arise, to rise from a bed; to make someone arise Examples of GET UP After a good sleep, Matt was ready to get up and go to work. You’ll need to get up the courage to tell your boss what you think.

sooner or later: eventually, after a period of time Examples of SOONER OR LATER I’ll get around to it sooner or later. If you study English seriously, sooner or later you’ll become fluent. Sooner or later, everyone catches a cold.

to pick up: to lift from the floor, table, etc., with one’s fingers Examples of PICK UP He went to pick up his kids from soccer practice. Don’t forget to pick up milk at the store!  

right away: very soon; immediately (also: at once) Examples of RIGHT AWAY I need sixty dollars right away, or they’ll turn off my phone. Clean this mess up right away!

to turn off: to cause to stop functioning (also: to switch off, to shut off) Examples of TURN OFF I forgot to turn off the television after I recorded the program. She needs to turn off the waterworks; crying won’t help in this job.

to turn on: to start or cause to function (also: to switch on) Examples of TURN ON I called building management because it wasn’t possible to turn on the ceiling fan. Do I need to turn on the television for it to record the program?

to call up: to telephone (also: to give some one a call) Examples of CALL UP I want to call up my dad and wish him a happy Father’s Day. You need to call up your four o’clock appointment and confirm he’ll be there.

to take off: to remove (usually said of clothes) Examples of TAKE OFF The chef forgot to take off his apron when he sat down to eat. With his diet, he was hoping to take off some weight before his vacation at the beach.