English is a language where you get enormous things to learn every day. One can never stop learning in his entire life. This is how native speakers become expert in English. They keep on updating themselves by reading literature books. That doesn’t mean you also start reading high literature books in order to learn English. Remember one thing, “Rome was not built in a day”, so start with baby steps by simply reading a newspaper. Select a specific category, for example, lifestyle or health. Read that section for a few days and try to figure out the words that are different and only used for the specific section. This will help you build your vocabulary faster and understand the idioms present in that category.
Idioms are combination of words which don’t have a literal meaning, but are figurative in nature. In the English language, there are idioms for almost every situation. But you must be aware of those and know the meaning according to the situation. Today, we will understand the idioms related to health. Although these idioms may not be used in everyday English, but you might often hear it from a native English speaker. Let’s get started with some really interesting ones:
1. Sick as a dog
No, don’t go with its literal meaning. When someone says that he is sick as a dog it means he is very sick. Because the idiom sick as a dog, means a person is sick.
Example:
Naina couldn’t attend her lectures as she was feeling sick as a dog.
2. Black out
This has nothing to do with darkness or light. Black out, here means to faint or to lose consciousness.
Example:
Poornima blacked out due to sudden change in her BP level.
3. Safe and sound
You can make out its meaning easily as you often hear it. Safe and sound means coming out safe without any injury.
Example: Meenakshi was safe and sound after the accident.
4. Have one foot in the grave
This idiom can somewhere relate it to its real meaning. It means to be near death especially because of an illness.
Example: My grandmother is suffering from last stage of cancer and has one foot in the grave.
5. Hale and hearty
As the idiom say, hale and hearty means to be in good health.
Example: At the age of 80 Mr. Shinde looks hale and hearty.
The above examples show how these health idioms are indirectly related to health. You will learn these idioms with the course of time. Once you get familiar with it, you can improve your English communication skills as well as acquire fluency in speaking.
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- By Shailja Varma
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