Love and Relationships Idioms

Paul Huber

In February, there are several special dates observed or celebrated in the United States:
Groundhog Day, Lincoln’s Birthday, Rosa Parks Day, Presidents’ Day, Chinese New Year, and
the Super Bowl among others, but none is more popular than Valentine’s Day, which is celebrated by
approximately 54% of Americans. Considering that the population of the U.S. is 325.7
million… that’s a lot of people!

 

Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14. It is a day in which many people celebrate their
love for their partner. This includes giving cards, flowers, chocolate, jewelry, fancy gifts,
romantic dinners, and many other demonstrations of love. Here are some idioms connected with
love and relationships.

 

fix somebody up with somebody – to find a romantic partner for somebody
Example: I tried to fix him up with my friend, and he said he wasn’t looking for a relationship,
but the next time I saw him, he was engaged!

 

be an item – to have a romantic relationship
Example: I was surprised when I found out that they were an item.

 

love at first sight – to have strong feelings for somebody from the first moment you see them
Example: They met at a party and it was love at first sight. They started to go out and got
married six months later.

 

be head over heels – to be very much in love with somebody
Example: I never saw him so head over heels for any other girl.

 

lovey-dovey – to express love in public by constantly kissing and hugging
Example: They were all lovey-dovey at the movie theater.

 

pop the question – to ask somebody to marry you
Example: So, how did he pop the question?

 

tie the knot – to get married
Example: When did they tie the knot?

 

a match made in heaven – a couple that is great because they complement each other so well
Example: I think that their marriage will last; they’re really a match made in heaven.

Thanksgiving Feast at Pasadena Center

Paul Huber

Who loves Thanksgiving food? Poly Languages Institute at Pasadena does!

On November 15, 2018, we held our annual Thanksgiving potluck in the Student Lounge. Each one of our ESL class and TOEFL class students have unique backgrounds from various countries. Not only was this a gathering to celebrate an American holiday and enjoy food, but it was also an opportunity to learn from each other and try new types of food. There was food from China, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Hong Kong, Japan, and many more.

Since our students are all adults, they have responsibilities outside of the classroom. Most students only show up to their classes and leave right after. There is not a lot of opportunity to socialize and get to know each other. This is why these potlucks and other planned events are so vital to our Poly community. We planned our Thanksgiving potluck between two classes; therefore, there was no excuse our ESL students to miss it.

Everyone had a blast (great time). Students were enjoying delicious food, conversing with other students in their class and with those in different English speaking levels. Even teachers and staff members had a great time having casual conversations with the students.

It was a time to be stress-free and focus on being grateful for things that we can easily take for granted. We are grateful for food, friends, family, and the opportunity to expand our knowledge. No matter how old we are, all of us here at Poly have a common goal: improving and refining our understanding of the English language.

We are looking forward to future events so that our students, teachers, and staff members get to know each other better and have a great time together.