Colloquial Language
Informal, everyday speech as used in conversation; it may include slang expressions. Not appropriate in written reports, essays or exams. Eg.
The cops have arrived. [police]
It cost me ten quid. [pounds]
Colloquial Expressions
In colloquial language, the meaning of an adjective is often emphasised by the addition of a noun or another adjective before it. Examples:
stone cold (noun + adjective)
icy cold (adjective + adjective)
Combinations like these give extra impact to descriptions.
Colloquial Expressions Exercises
A. Complete the gaps in the following sentences with an adjective or noun from the box.
| bone | wide |
| freezing | dirt |
| wafer | sky |
| crystal | fast |
| plain | stiff |
- It was _________ stupid of him to leave his bicycle unlocked in a busy street.
- Wasn’t Jeremy’s talk fascinating? I’m afraid I don’t agree. In fact, I was bored _________.
- The resort was idyllic – a beautiful sandy beach and _________ clear water.
- I was scared _________ when the plane began to shake.
- No wonder it’s _________ cold in here. You’ve left the window _________ open.
- Chantal looked so pretty in her _________ -blue outfit.
- I was exhausted after our long trek back to the campsite. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was _________ asleep.
- Why did you buy so many bananas? I couldn’t resist it. They were _________ cheap.
- These _________ -thin sandwiches are no good for hungry hikers.
- The rain was lashing down, but his feet were _________ dry inside his new boots.
B. Complete the sentences below with these colloquial phrases.
| a penny to his name | in the nick of time |
| a speck of dirt | a hair out of place |
| a bite to eat | a drop of rain |
| a stroke of work | hear a pin drop |
- we stopped at the cafe on the way home as we hadn’t had _____________ all day.
- The farmers are very worried about their crops. There hasn’t been _____________ for months.
- The library was so quiet that you could _____________.
- The hotel kitchen is spotlessly clean. You never see _____________ anywhere.
- Her appearance is immaculate. She never has _____________.
- We were delayed on the way to the airport and only arrived for our flight _____________.
- Hassan used to be a millionaire but now he doesn’t have _____________.
- The workmen they employed didn’t do _____________ all day.
C. Express these colloquial expressions in a formal way.
- It all went belly-up in the first few minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________
- He was very in my face about it. I won’t mess with him again. _______________________________________________________________________________
- The bottom line is that he accepted the offer. _______________________________________________________________________________
- It’s way out of order for them to say that it’s down to you. _______________________________________________________________________________