Essential English phrases to blend in like a local on your holiday

Charlotte Guest
A woman stood in a square, holding a map looking around
Reading time: 5 minutes

Summer has arrived and you might be gearing up for a holiday soon. Knowing some of the local language is always helpful, but to genuinely speak like a native English speaker, you must grasp and use common phrases and idioms that locals employ in daily conversations. Native English speakers have a natural command of these phrases, whereas non-fluent speakers often need to study and practice them to achieve fluency.

In this blog post, we’ll delve into essential English phrases that will help you sound more like a local and less like a tourist.

Phrases to help you speak English like a local
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Common English idioms and phrases you should know

Depending on where you go, the language will be vastly different, but quite often, certain English phrases overlap, so you might hear some common phrases being used in more than one country.

"It's all gone pear-shaped" (UK)

This quirky phrase means that something has gone wrong or not as planned. For example, if your holiday plans fall apart due to bad weather, you could say, “Our trip to the coast has gone all pear-shaped.” In other words, it’s bad news for our vacation.

"No worries, mate!" (Australia/UK)

In Australia, you’ll often hear the phrase “No worries, mate!” used to convey that everything is fine or that there’s no problem. It’s a versatile expression of reassurance and friendliness. For instance, if you apologize for bumping into someone on a busy street, you might receive a cheerful “No worries, mate!” in response.

"Fill your boots" (Canada)

This phrase is an invitation to help yourself to as much of something as you want. For example, if you’re at a buffet and someone says, “Fill your boots,” they’re encouraging you to enjoy as much food as you like. It’s a welcoming expression that showcases generosity and hospitality.

"Fair dinkum" (Australia)

This expression is used to affirm the truth or genuineness of something. It can be equated to saying “really” or “honestly” in other English dialects. For example, if someone tells you a surprising fact about the local wildlife, you might respond with “Fair dinkum?” to confirm that it is indeed true.

"Chock-a-block" (UK)

This phrase means that something is full to capacity. For instance, if a pub or restaurant is very crowded, you might hear someone say, “The pub is chock-a-block tonight.” It’s an evocative way to describe a situation where space is limited or an area is very busy.

"Double-double" (Canada)

In Canada, especially when discussing coffee, a “double-double” refers to a coffee with two creams and two sugars. For example, if you’re at a cafe and want a coffee with two creams and two sugars, you would say, “I’ll have a double-double, please.” This phrase will make you sound like a fluent English speaker.

"I'm knackered" (UK)

Feeling extremely tired? Then you’re “knackered.” This phrase is commonly used in the UK to express exhaustion. After a long day of sightseeing, you might say, “I’m completely knackered!” If you only feel this tired once in a blue moon, you’re lucky! This is a common way to express tiredness in everyday conversation in the UK.

"It's not my cup of tea" (UK)

If something isn’t to your liking, you might say, “It’s not my cup of tea.” This phrase is a polite way of expressing disinterest or dislike. For example, you might say, “Horror films are not my cup of tea.” Even if English is not your native language, using phrases like “It’s not my cup of tea” can help you sound more natural.

"A bit miffed" (UK)

If you find yourself slightly annoyed or irritated, you might use the phrase “a bit miffed.” It’s a mild way to express discontent. For example, if you’ve been waiting a long time in a queue and someone cuts in front of you, you might say, “I was a bit miffed when they pushed in.” If you think cutting in line will get you served faster, you’re . Fluent English speakers often use “a bit miffed” to express mild irritation politely.

"What's up?" (US)

A common greeting in the United States, “What’s up?” is a casual way to ask someone how they are or what they are doing. It’s extremely common and often used among friends and acquaintances. For instance, when meeting a friend, you might say, “Hey, what’s up?” to start a conversation.

Another casual greeting you might hear is “How’s life?” which is used to check in on someone’s well-being.

"In a jiffy" (UK)

If you hear someone use this phrase, “in a jiffy,” it means they will do it very quickly. It’s a phrase used to indicate promptness or immediacy. For example, if you’re waiting for your meal at a restaurant and the server says, “It’ll be ready in a jiffy,” you can expect it to arrive shortly.

"Hit the sack" (US)

If you’re ready to go to bed or sleep, you can use the phrase “hit the sack.” It’s a casual way of saying that you are going to sleep. After a long day of activities, you might tell your friends, “I’m exhausted, I think I’ll hit the sack.” When speaking English, using phrases like “hit the sack” can make your conversations sound more natural.

"Raining cats and dogs" (UK)

Brits love talking about the weather, so it's no surprise this idiom is weather-related. The idiom is a colorful way to describe heavy rain. Using this idiom not only conveys the severity of the rain but also adds a touch of humor to your conversation. If you visit during its rainy seasons (which is more often than you think), you'll have plenty of opportunities to use this phrase.

Conclusion

Incorporating these common English phrases into your conversations will not only help you blend in better but also make your interactions more engaging and authentic. Remember, language learning is an ongoing process, so don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Expanding your spoken English vocabulary will also help you feel more confident in your interactions.

The more you practice, the more confident you’ll become. The more you practice, the more you will sound like a fluent English speaker. If you can, consulting a native speaker can help you understand such idioms and use them correctly. Native speakers often talk quickly and use complex vocabulary, so don’t hesitate to ask them to speak slower or provide examples to improve your understanding.

Read our blog post 'English words and slang terms you should know'

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    Read more at home if you want to learn English faster: three ways to get into the habit

    I can hear parents, ELT learners and teachers all over the world thinking to themselves: We know it helps if English students learn to read for pleasure at home, but how are we supposed to find the time? Who is buying these materials? What if a parent doesn’t speak English themselves?

    That’s the beauty of reading at home, also called extensive reading: it’s completely autonomous and parents can be as involved as much or little as they like. There’s more good news as it’s never been cheaper to assemble a selection of extensive readers for your children or students, meaning that cost is no longer so much of a barrier to reading at home.

    Is extensive reading really that critical to learning English?

    Stephen D. Krashen’s [1]offers a marvellous summary and critique of extensive reading studies around the world, concluding that:

    "When [second language learners] read for pleasure, they can continue to improve in their second language without classes, without teachers, without study and even without people to converse with.’"(Krashen 1993 p. 84)

    Philip Prowse’s excellent article, “What is the secret of extensive reading?”[2]agrees with Krashen’s conclusion.

    Prowse goes into more detail about efficacy studies at primary, secondary and adult levels. This body of evidence finds that reading for pleasure improves results in grammar, writing, speaking and fluency, as well as comprehension and vocabulary – both alongside and instead of traditional textbooks.

    So, we know it works. As with so many education-related things, the question is how to implement them. Christine Nuttall talks about the virtuous circle of reading – once a learner begins to enjoy reading, they are more likely to read more and benefit more from it, so they learn to read more, and so on.

    The reverse is also true. The questions then follow: how do we motivate our Instakids to read at home in English, if they won’t read in their first language? How do we carve out time between travel, work, school and homework? Here are three ways you can form the habit of reading at home:

    1. Learners need access to extensive reading material at home to use it

    Krashen establishes this common-sense fact based on five studies from 1983 to 2003.[2]It can be a reading app, an online library subscription or a pile of readers in the corner – whatever it is, it has to be the right level for the student and it has to be a topic they’re interested in, or they’ll never learn to read for pleasure.

    Negative reading habits can happen simply because there isn’t much available to the learner: Worthy and McCool studied 11 sixth-graders in 1998 who "hated to read", and found a direct correlation between those students and the lack of reading material at home.[3] Thankfully, we now have more options than we used to:

    For extensive reading online, the Extensive Reading Foundation offers good-quality, free materials, in audio and print, at its .These text resources and audiobooks tend to be quite basic and the stories are largely classics. You can choose by level and genre, and there is also a publisher directory.

    • You can purchase full ɫèAV English Readers and other publishers’ Kindle editions on the Kindle store, iBookstore and Google Play, and read them on an e-reader, phone or tablet using the Kindle app. These are finely-graded, contemporary, relevant e-books with titles like , , , , , , and .
    • An e-book library subscription can be a cost-effective way to get access to a lot of e-books online through your browser. is a Japanese-run online library which offers hundreds of full-text graded readers, from reputable publishers, and charges about $19 per year.
    • For print readers, cost can be an issue. If you can't buy readers at your local bookshop from a publisher like ɫèAV, you can buy first- or second-hand readers cheaply from Amazon or the Book Depository, or you can ask your school to let you know when they’re upgrading their readers library, as you may be able to take some of the older books home.

    2.Make the most of the commute or the school run

    The key here is routine – give it a try and see if it works for you. Reading doesn’t just happen on a page. Today’s English learners have multiple ways to read for pleasure on their various devices as well as in print, all of which are well-adapted for reading and listening on the train/on the bus/in the car/on foot.

    I listen to podcasts on my commute by train and, to this day, I know my times tables thanks to a tape my mother used to play in the car on the way to primary school.

    • Download a podcast or audiobook. Ideally, an English learner would both read and listen, but one or the other is better than nothing. Audible.com has plenty of English extensive readers in audiobook format, and a year’s membership is $10 per month, or you can buy individual audiobooks. There are classic extensive reading podcasts available on iTunes for $4.99 each.
    • Never underestimate your public library.is an online service that finds your local library for you, wherever you are in the world. You can also search by title and see which libraries carry that particular book. Just think: you could create an instant, extensive reading library at your home for free that changes every month.

    3. Consider the power of rewards

    You can reward your child or reward yourself for building a reading habit. Remember, we are talking about starting a virtuous circle: persuading a learner to begin a new habit of reading in English for pleasure. Reward mechanisms can be very effective.

    This idea should be explored on a case-by-case basis – it depends on what you or your child responds to best. In my opinion, starting a reading habit is well worth a glass of wine, a chocolate treat, or an extra half-hour playing video games.

    References

    [1]Krashen, Stephen D. (2004),p57

    [2] Prowse, Philip: “”

    [3] Worthy, J. and McKool, S. (1996): “” in Ibid, p61

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    1. Know your stuff

    “The Spanish expect paid professionals to know everything about their expertise but there are few teachers of the English language who do know everything. We should prepare lessons adequately when teaching aspects we’re not entirely confident about.

    Many CELTA tutors say that if you are asked a question that you cannot answer confidently, you shouldn’t panic but instead inform the student that you will check and give them the detailed answer at the following lesson. This may be useful when you first start out, but it shouldn’t happen frequently, as your honesty will not always be appreciated!”

    2. Expect the unexpected

    “Teaching English is very rewarding and can be full of surprises. As a result, it’s not a good idea to try to follow a rigid teaching plan. Write a plan that’s flexible enough to allow for a good dose of spontaneity to enter into proceedings. I can honestly say that not one single day is the same as another.

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    Whatever you had planned for this week can always be done next week. The customer is always right and, when living in Spain, big lunches, high temperatures, Barcelona against Real Madrid and the after-match party can bring about very unexpected lessons!”

    3. Stick to what you’re being paid to do

    “The Spanish are extremely friendly people who love to talk and are happy to share – sometimes in great detail – the problems in their working and even private lives. In an effort to establish friendly relationships, they often create an intimacy: what is referred to in Spanish as ‘confianza’.

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    4. Do not offer guarantees

    “The busiest time of the year is often during the summer, when language schools begin to fill up as state-school exam results come in. Parents enroll their children on intensive or exam revision courses so that they can take their resits in September.

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    5. Have a good pair of shoes

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