Phrases & Expressions

Used to show that what you are saying is also true of you, the speaker.

• Many students, myself included, find it hard to concentrate when studying at home.
• A lot of people, myself included, have started cycling to work since fuel prices went up.

To keep asking or telling someone to do something, in a way that annoys them.

• My mum used to nag me to tidy my room every single day.
• Parents who constantly nag their teenagers to study may actually make them less motivated.

(of two people or teams in a contest) so close that it is impossible to say who will win.

• With one question left in the quiz, our team and the teachers' team were neck and neck.
• Going into the final lap, the leading runners were neck and neck, and nobody knew who would win.

An informal way of saying that something is not important or not a problem.

• I missed the bus, but it's no biggie because another one comes soon.
• Thanks for giving me a ride home, it was really no biggie.

Used when saying something that might upset someone, to show that you do not mean to be rude.

• I'm only trying to help, so no offence intended if my comments on your essay sound harsh.
• When I said the office looked old-fashioned, it was just an observation – no offence intended.

A longing for a period in the past, mixing pleasure with a little sadness.

• The success of the series is partly due to viewers' nostalgia for the 1990s.
• Many people in their forties feel a strong nostalgia for the cartoons and video games of their childhood.

Something you do not particularly like or find interesting.

• I know many people love camping, but sleeping in a tent is not my cup of tea.
• Working in a noisy open-plan office is not everyone's cup of tea, so some firms offer quiet rooms.

Ordinary and not especially good, interesting or impressive.

• The hotel was clean and cheap, but the food was nothing to write home about.
• Her exam results were nothing to write home about, but they were good enough to get her into college.

To inform someone officially about something.

• The airline notified passengers of the delay by text message just twenty minutes before boarding.
• All candidates will be notified of their results by email in the middle of August.

Said to make a group of people listen before you start a new topic or give instructions.

• Now then, before we start the meeting, I'd like to introduce our two new colleagues.
• Now then, let's look together at the results of last week's practice test.