10 beautiful flower idioms | British English Vocabulary Lesson (+ Free PDF & Quiz)

161,285 views ・ 2019-03-06

English with Lucy


Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.

00:02
(upbeat music)
0
2637
2583
00:09
Hello everyone
1
9987
833
00:10
and welcome back to English With Lucy.
2
10820
2540
00:13
Spring has almost sprung in England.
3
13360
3970
00:17
We've had some very, very sunny days,
4
17330
1710
00:19
we've had a couple of rainy days,
5
19040
2010
00:21
but I've been enjoying lots of dog walks
6
21050
1850
00:22
and lots of runs in the countryside,
7
22900
2110
00:25
as you might have seen on my Instagram.
8
25010
2090
00:27
I have been feeling so excited about spring,
9
27100
3160
00:30
I cannot wait to see leaves on the trees,
10
30260
2400
00:32
grass everywhere, flowers everywhere,
11
32660
2700
00:35
and in the spirit of spring,
12
35360
1570
00:36
I've decided to make a flower idioms video for you.
13
36930
3960
00:40
A lesson all about floral expressions
14
40890
3390
00:44
that we use in British English
15
44280
1640
00:45
and in American English.
16
45920
1530
00:47
This lesson is going to be really good
17
47450
1700
00:49
for building your vocabulary,
18
49150
1550
00:50
it will help with your reading,
19
50700
1360
00:52
it will help you with your writing.
20
52060
1690
00:53
It will also help with your speaking and your listening,
21
53750
2920
00:56
because you'll be able to understand
22
56670
1590
00:58
what natives mean when they say these idioms.
23
58260
2750
01:01
I know loads of you are desperately looking
24
61010
2430
01:03
for ways to improve your speaking,
25
63440
1810
01:05
pronunciation and listening,
26
65250
2050
01:07
and there's one thing that I'd like to mention.
27
67300
2200
01:09
I know a lot of you are using it already,
28
69500
1740
01:11
but I really, really, really recommend Audible.
29
71240
4000
01:15
Audible is Amazon's provider of audiobooks.
30
75240
3500
01:18
My advice to you is search for a book
31
78740
2470
01:21
read in a British accent,
32
81210
1350
01:22
or your English accent of choice.
33
82560
1890
01:24
If you're at a slightly lower level,
34
84450
1690
01:26
go for something aimed at teenagers or children.
35
86140
2920
01:29
If you're at a higher level,
36
89060
1120
01:30
maybe go for non-fiction or sci-fi.
37
90180
3150
01:33
Listening to an audiobook
38
93330
1350
01:34
and reading the actual book at the same time
39
94680
2050
01:36
is such a great way of improving
40
96730
1910
01:38
your listening and your pronunciation,
41
98640
1850
01:40
because you can see how the words are written
42
100490
2670
01:43
and hear how they are pronounced.
43
103160
2230
01:45
You can claim a free audiobook
44
105390
2090
01:47
by clicking on the link in the description box.
45
107480
2270
01:49
That's a 30-day free trial
46
109750
2120
01:51
and I've got some recommendations
47
111870
1460
01:53
like Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes,
48
113330
2060
01:55
all read with a British accent,
49
115390
1560
01:56
in the description box as well.
50
116950
1820
01:58
Right, let's get on with the lesson.
51
118770
2450
02:01
Right, idiom number one
52
121220
1490
02:02
is to come up or out smelling of roses.
53
122710
4410
02:07
To come up smelling of roses
54
127120
1680
02:08
or to come out smelling of roses.
55
128800
2530
02:11
If somebody comes up smelling of roses,
56
131330
2490
02:13
it means they emerge from a situation
57
133820
2260
02:16
with their reputation undamaged.
58
136080
2970
02:19
So it's to have people believe
59
139050
1780
02:20
that you are good and honest
60
140830
2018
02:22
after a situation that could have
61
142848
2092
02:24
made you look bad and dishonest.
62
144940
2543
02:28
For example,
63
148320
833
02:29
the scandal could have ruined her reputation,
64
149153
2517
02:31
but she came up smelling of roses.
65
151670
2523
02:35
Number two, to go to seed.
66
155440
2760
02:38
To go to seed.
67
158200
1640
02:39
This is slightly negative,
68
159840
1990
02:41
be careful who you say this to.
69
161830
1980
02:43
If somebody goes to seed,
70
163810
1680
02:45
it means their quality or appearance has declined.
71
165490
4020
02:49
A flower is really, really beautiful,
72
169510
1910
02:51
and then it goes to seed
73
171420
1220
02:52
and it doesn't look so good.
74
172640
1790
02:54
It might mean that they look older
75
174430
1390
02:55
or worse than they did.
76
175820
1690
02:57
For example, after having children,
77
177510
2110
02:59
he started to go to seed.
78
179620
2120
03:01
He didn't look so good anymore.
79
181740
2410
03:04
That's a really nasty phrase.
80
184150
2020
03:06
Let's move on to something more positive.
81
186170
2490
03:08
Okay, number three.
82
188660
2340
03:11
As fresh as a daisy.
83
191000
2010
03:13
As fresh as a daisy,
84
193010
1280
03:14
much nicer than the previous one.
85
194290
2080
03:16
If you are as fresh as a daisy,
86
196370
1610
03:17
it means you are healthy and full of energy.
87
197980
2430
03:20
For example, I thought I'd have a hangover,
88
200410
2310
03:22
but I've woken up as fresh as a daisy.
89
202720
2890
03:25
Said no one, ever. (laughs)
90
205610
2590
03:28
Number four.
91
208200
1560
03:29
A late bloomer.
92
209760
1680
03:31
A late bloomer.
93
211440
1720
03:33
A late bloomer is somebody
94
213160
1350
03:34
who develops later on in life,
95
214510
2620
03:37
either physically or mentally.
96
217130
2460
03:39
So it could mean that
97
219590
960
03:40
they hit puberty at a later age,
98
220550
2500
03:43
or it could mean that they got a job,
99
223050
1580
03:44
settled down, got married, had children
100
224630
2550
03:47
at a much later age than is considered normal.
101
227180
3490
03:50
For example, Colonel Sanders,
102
230670
1940
03:52
the founder of KFC, was a late bloomer.
103
232610
3060
03:55
He founded KFC at 65.
104
235670
3020
03:58
And then he became a multi-millionaire.
105
238690
1981
04:00
(claps) Congratulations, late bloomer.
106
240671
2509
04:03
Number five.
107
243180
1350
04:04
No bed of roses.
108
244530
1680
04:06
No bed of roses.
109
246210
1920
04:08
If something is no bed of roses,
110
248130
2410
04:10
it means it's difficult, it's not easy.
111
250540
3330
04:13
For example,
112
253870
833
04:14
gaining a UK citizenship is no bed of roses.
113
254703
3250
04:17
It's very, very difficult.
114
257953
1820
04:20
We also have number six.
115
260750
2650
04:23
Pushing up the daisies.
116
263400
1910
04:25
Pushing up the daisies.
117
265310
1600
04:26
This is a slightly morbid one.
118
266910
3410
04:30
If you are pushing up the daisies,
119
270320
2140
04:32
it means you're dead.
120
272460
1650
04:34
You're underground
121
274110
1470
04:35
and you're helping the daisies to bloom.
122
275580
3233
04:39
For example,
123
279820
833
04:40
my late uncle Malcolm is pushing up the daisies.
124
280653
3837
04:44
It's very sad.
125
284490
1270
04:45
Number seven, we have oops a daisy.
126
285760
3430
04:49
Oops a daisy.
127
289190
1070
04:50
And this isn't really an idiom,
128
290260
1630
04:51
it's more of an exclamation.
129
291890
2400
04:54
It's an expression used to indicate surprise.
130
294290
3340
04:57
It's like (gasps) silly me!
131
297630
2038
04:59
(gasps) Oh no!
132
299668
1387
05:01
(gasps) Oops a daisy.
133
301055
1835
05:02
We can just shorten it down to oops.
134
302890
2520
05:05
It is quite frequently used with children.
135
305410
3220
05:08
So, for example, when Will says to me,
136
308630
1787
05:10
"Lucy, you left the front door unlocked again,"
137
310417
2853
05:13
I might say oops a daisy, silly me!
138
313270
3633
05:18
The next one is a shrinking violet.
139
318400
2970
05:21
A shrinking violet.
140
321370
1980
05:23
A shrinking violet is somebody
141
323350
1630
05:24
who is very, very, very shy,
142
324980
3510
05:28
somebody who doesn't like to express
143
328490
1600
05:30
their views and their opinions.
144
330090
1900
05:31
For example,
145
331990
1156
05:33
I am no shrinking violet
146
333146
2414
05:35
when it comes to expressing my opinions.
147
335560
2970
05:38
That's a lie, sometimes I am.
148
338530
1600
05:40
Sometimes I'm not, depends who I'm with.
149
340130
1507
05:41
Don't ask me about Brexit.
150
341637
1673
05:43
And the next one.
151
343310
880
05:44
This is a really good one.
152
344190
1250
05:45
I use this a lot.
153
345440
1350
05:46
To nip something in the bud.
154
346790
2280
05:49
To nip something in the bud.
155
349070
1810
05:50
This means to stop something at an early stage.
156
350880
3710
05:54
For example,
157
354590
833
05:55
if you see yourself developing a bad habit,
158
355423
3037
05:58
try and nip it in the bud
159
358460
1460
05:59
before it becomes ingrained in your brain.
160
359920
3280
06:03
I try to do this, but I'm not always successful.
161
363200
3520
06:06
And the last one, the final floral idiom,
162
366720
3320
06:10
is to smell the roses.
163
370040
2600
06:12
To smell the roses.
164
372640
2720
06:15
This means to appreciate what is often ignored.
165
375360
3960
06:19
We sometimes say to stop and smell the roses
166
379320
2750
06:22
or to wake up and smell the roses,
167
382070
1950
06:24
and in general it means to take time
168
384020
2210
06:26
out of your busy schedule to stop
169
386230
2290
06:28
and appreciate what is often ignored.
170
388520
2490
06:31
Like nature and the beauty of life.
171
391010
3020
06:34
So I might say,
172
394030
1120
06:35
every morning I like to stop and smell the roses
173
395150
3420
06:38
and take my dog on a walk.
174
398570
2040
06:40
There are no roses on the walk,
175
400610
1970
06:42
but I just like to take a moment
176
402580
1770
06:44
and enjoy the beauty that is around me.
177
404350
2880
06:47
Right, that's it for today's lesson.
178
407230
2060
06:49
I hope you enjoyed it
179
409290
1010
06:50
and I hope you learnt something.
180
410300
1980
06:52
Don't forget to check out Audible,
181
412280
2090
06:54
the link is in the description box,
182
414370
1550
06:55
you can claim your free audiobook
183
415920
1900
06:57
and your 30-day free trial,
184
417820
1730
06:59
and I've got loads of recommendations
185
419550
1750
07:01
down there as well.
186
421300
1220
07:02
And don't forget to connect with me
187
422520
1310
07:03
on all of my social media.
188
423830
1350
07:05
I've got my Facebook, I've got my Instagram,
189
425180
2480
07:07
and I've got my Twitter,
190
427660
1780
07:09
and I shall see you soon for another lesson.
191
429440
2825
07:12
(kissing noise)
192
432265
1555
07:13
Today, I've got a lesson for you on
193
433820
2966
07:16
(jumbled noises)
194
436786
2894
07:19
Today, I have got a very...
195
439680
3160
07:22
A very.
196
442840
1240
07:24
I've been feeling so ready for spring,
197
444080
2390
07:26
I cannot wait for all of the leaves to
198
446470
2915
07:29
(blows raspberry)
199
449385
1765
07:31
I've been feeling so excited by blah.
200
451150
2833
07:35
I've got such a headache.
201
455039
1101
07:36
Maybe it's hay fever, you know?
202
456140
1550
07:39
Could be.
203
459839
833
07:42
This isn't really an idiom,
204
462460
890
07:43
it's more of a...
205
463350
1060
07:46
For example...
206
466510
870
07:51
And the last one, the last final blah.
207
471773
2890
07:56
(laughing)
208
476276
2379
07:58
(upbeat music)
209
478655
2583
About this website

This site will introduce you to YouTube videos that are useful for learning English. You will see English lessons taught by top-notch teachers from around the world. Double-click on the English subtitles displayed on each video page to play the video from there. The subtitles scroll in sync with the video playback. If you have any comments or requests, please contact us using this contact form.

https://forms.gle/WvT1wiN1qDtmnspy7