Phrases & Expressions

Deliberate unfriendliness.

• She gave me the cold shoulder.
• Why are you giving him the cold shoulder?

Wearing very fashionable and attractive clothes, often to impress.

• She came dressed to kill.
• He was dressed to kill.

Excessively conceited or self-absorbed.

• After she won the award, she became really full of herself.
• Mitch thinks he's amazing — he's so full of himself.

Said privately and not to be published or officially recorded.

• Off the record, he's leaving.
• This is strictly off the record, so don't quote me.

To understand each other well because you share similar ideas and opinions.

• We're on the same wavelength about the project.
• They're on the same wavelength about politics.

Not typical of someone.

• That's out of character for him.
• Her reaction was out of character.

To understand each other well because you share similar ideas, values, or experiences.

• After a long discussion, we finally speak the same language.
• The two departments don't speak the same language.

Used before a direct, often blunt statement.

• To put it bluntly, he was wrong.
• To put it bluntly, the plan failed.

A polite phrase used to express disagreement, especially when speaking to someone in authority.

• With all due respect, I disagree.
• With all due respect, you're wrong.

A sincere and intimate conversation between two people.

• We need to have a heart-to-heart about our future.
• After the argument, they had a heart-to-heart and resolved their differences.