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Thursday, August 28, 2014

To burn off

Idiom: to burn off 


Context #1:
Julie:  Hey, do you want to go to the beach today?
Kathy: I don't know.  It's really cloudy right now.
Julie: I know.  California is like that in June.  It's always cloudy in the morning but once the clouds burn off it'll be gorgeous.
Kathy: Really?  Ok!  Let's go then.

Context #2:
Tom: Did you guys go to the beach yesterday?
David: Yeah, we were going to go in the morning, but it was too cold and cloudy. We waited until the clouds burned off.
Tom: I bet the weather was amazing in the afternoon.
David: Yeah, it was perfect! Clear, sunny skies and not a lot of wind.

Meaning: "to burn off" is an idiom that is specifically used to talk about the process of morning clouds gradually disappearing.  Usually along the coast in California the sky is cloudy in the morning. But then in the late morning or early afternoon the clouds go away and it becomes sunny and hot. 

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

To get roasted

Idiom: To get roasted
Context #1:
Jim (On Monday): What did you do this weekend? 
Tommy: I went to the beach all day yesterday, and I forgot to put on sunblock.
Jim: Uh-oh.  Did you get sunburned?
Tommy:  My shoulders got so roasted that I couldn't even sleep last night.  My skin hurts so bad!
Jim:  Well, I guess next time you won't forget to wear sunblock.

Context #2:
Chrissy: Can I borrow some of your sunscreen?
Jill: Sure!  Help yourself.
Chrissy: I want to make sure my nose doesn't get roasted
Jill: Good idea!

Meaning: "to get roasted" is an American idiom that means to get very sunburned. People use this expression when they get so burned by the sun that their skin hurts.