English Idioms And Expressions

English Idioms And Expressions For Foreigners Like Me by Reza Mashayekhi

About The Book:

English Idioms And Expressions For Foreigners, Like Me! contains easy-to-understand meanings of more than two thousand commonly used English idioms, expressions, and phrases. It shows how they are used, and makes reference to the likely origins of some of them. Another feature in the book is the inclusion of some interesting expressions and proverbs from other languages or cultures that show how people of the world have more things in common culturally than we tend to realize. A number of humorous illustrations are also included to make the book more interesting. Author Reza Mashayekhi, himself a former new-comer to the English language, prepared this book with non-English speakers in mind, especially foreign students. However, it has proven to be a great tool for helping people to communicate with each other in English, whether or not English is their language. This is a great addition to any library, and a gift that will be appreciated over and over again. It will be a fun thing to have in any company lobby, or a valuable reference book on any coffee table. Here are just some of the comments by the readers; the complete comments may be found in the book: "A practical, entertaining, and sometimes funny look at phrases we take for granted everyday." "This is a great book to keep in your home, office, or brief case. I wish my Japanese mother had had a copy of this book when she was raising me!" "It doesn't matter if you are 'one taco short of a combination plate' or a 'one-trick pony,' you will enjoy this book!" "I expect that your readers will benefit greatly by learning the true meaning behind so many common expressions we take for granted. In addition, I hope many readers with English as their primary language will take seriously the importance of clarity in thought and speech. Congratulations upon completing a most daunting task, and thank you for allowing me to add my comments." 

My Thoughts:

This is a very interesting book that I think would of course be beneficial to students and international companies, etc. But I also think this could be a fun book just to have around. It is laid out sort of like a dictionary, from A to Z. Some of the things in this book I have never heard of, and I learned something. This might be a good book for a high school or college-bound student, whether English is their first language or not. I like the ones especially with military origins, but of course I would. One I found that Jason and his fellows soldiers used quite a bit was "Going Off Half-Cocked". The description from the book: "Act without thinking, or too quickly. I understand you're angry and you want to do something, but please don't go off half-cocked. Note: When used alone, half-cocked means very drunk." Love that. And you'd think there wasn't a saying in the book that could be a Z from the alphabetical list? Well, then - Zip It!

About The Author:

Reza Mashayekhi was born and reared in Tehran, Iran. He later attended the University of Michigan, where he received a degree in aerospace engineering. Reza has always been interested in learning the intricacies of the English language. This is why, alongside of his engineering work, he has taught English to non-English speakers. He has done this because he has wanted to expand his knowledge of English, and he has a good explanation for his reasoning. "When you want to learn a subject, you approach it from your own perspective," he says. "Once you feel that you know enough about it, you typically move on to something else. When you "teach" a subject, however, you have to learn everything about it before you can satisfactorily answer all of the questions that are raised by the students." Reza also consults with non-English speakers to prepare them for their public speaking events, or to help with their day-to-day conversational skills, both in the form of workshops and on a one-on-one basis. Being a non-native speaker of English, living and working in the U.S., Reza's experience through the years and his interactions with his students and clients has led to the compilation of his book, English Idioms And Expressions For Foreigners, Like Me!

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I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.