Learn 5 “GET” Idioms in 10 minutes

It's time to get our hands dirty.

Hey, everyone, I'm Alex, thanks for clicking, and welcome to this video on 5 Practical Get

Idioms.

So today, we will look at 5 phrases that use the verb "get" and that you can use in your

daily life.

All of the idioms in this video are from my book, oof, 200 Practical English Idioms.

If you would like a copy of this book because you enjoy the content in this video and you

want more of it, go to my website, EnglishAlex.com, or just click on the link in the description

to this video.

This book has over 1,000 example sentences, so that means 5 example sentences per idiom.

So check it out if you like this video, and check out the other stuff on my website, EnglishAlex.com.

Thanks, guys.

Alright, so the first one is "to get one's hands dirty".

So this means to get your hands dirty, to get his hands dirty, to get her hands dirty.

If you get your hands dirty, you do a job, or you are involved in some form of criminal

activity or morally ambiguous activity, and the job that you do is usually undesirable

or it's usually manual, something that someone else doesn't want to do.

So for example, he's a lazy boss.

He never wants to get his hands dirty.

He never wants to do the job that his employees are doing.

Maybe he tells, "No, no, you do it.

I don't want to do it.

I don't want to get my hands dirty."

So think of somebody who works in construction.

When you work in the construction field, you have to get your hands dirty.

You know, you're using concrete and the bricks and everything, and your hands get dirty when

you do a job.

Like I mentioned, it can also have the meaning of being involved in some form of criminal

activity.

So, for example, you're in prison because you decided to get your hands dirty.

So right now, we're all getting our hands a little dirty by studying English together,

and we'll get through this together.

So let's move on to number two.

Get a taste of one's own medicine.

So if you get a taste of your own medicine, you experience the same bad things that you

did to someone else.

So for example, if you splash water on me, like with a water bottle or with your hands,

and I have water in my face, and I say, "Okay, I'm going to give you a taste of your own

medicine," and I splash water on you.

So now we're even.

So two more examples.

How does it feel to get a taste of your own medicine?

This is a very common question, a very common comment that you can make and give to someone

who experiences the bad consequences or the mistreatment that they have given to others

in the past.

And the second example, you think humiliating others in public is funny?

You're about to get a taste of your own medicine.

So, again, this means you will experience the same bad things, the same mistreatment

that you have given to others because you're going to get a taste of your own medicine.

Let's move on to number three.

Get a second wind.

So if you get a second wind, you get a second wave of energy after a period of fatigue,

after you are tired, or you get a renewed energy after feeling tired.

This is very common in sports, or if you run for a long time, and you feel tired, tired,

tired, and then you rest a little bit, and suddenly you feel renewed energy, that's your

second wind.

Now people can have third winds, and fourth winds, and fifth winds.

You're lucky if you do, I guess.

But the most common idiom in this case is "get a second wind".

You can also use the verb "catch a second wind" instead of "get" in this case.

So, two examples, "I can't stop now, I just got my second wind."

Now, this can also work, like, in the workplace or at school.

So, for example, if you work hard in the morning, and you feel really tired by lunchtime, but

after lunch, maybe you had a coffee or something, and you feel a renewed sense of feeling energized.

If you have new energy, then you get a second wind, or in this case, in the past, you got

a second wind.

Give me a minute, let me get my second wind.

So maybe, running, you're running, you're running, and I'm so tired.

Hold on, wait, wait.

Give me a minute, let me get my second wind, let me get my second wave of energy.

Are you good?

Are you okay?

Okay, yeah, I'm good now.

Let's go.

Let's go.

Let's go.

Number four, "get bent out of shape".

So, if you get bent out of shape, you become angry, upset, or anxious about something.

One variation of this idiom is, "get all bent out of shape", like every part of you becomes

just a little bit, you know, unsettled, I will say.

So some examples, "Whoa, whoa, relax, relax.

Why are you getting so bent out of shape?"

Or "Veera got bent out of shape when I canceled our dinner plans."

So this means, again, you become angry, you become upset, you become not calm, basically.

You can become anxious as well.

So you're not in your normal state.

You are in a state where, hmm, maybe, you know, your shoulder goes up.

These are just physical representations of what you feel inside.

But yeah, don't get bent out of shape.

We only have one more to go.

Let's move on to number five, "get over something or someone".

This means to recover from an illness, a difficult time, or a period of sadness or depression,

for example.

Now, you can also "get over someone", which means you move past the feelings of loss,

for example, usually with a bad relationship.

So if someone tells you, "Come on, get over her" or "get over him", stop thinking about

her, stop thinking about him.

You ended the relationship a long time ago, for example.

A common sentence with "get over something", like an illness, is "It took me a week to

get over the flu", for example.

Or "Most people get over COVID after one or two weeks", as another example.

So "to get over", "to recover", and you see the word "over", right?

So you imagine the illness is here, and you have to get over it, but you still have to

touch the top of it a little bit, but you'll get over it.

Vera, Vera is back.

We disappointed Vera.

We broke up the dinner plans, right?

So Vera broke up with you over a year ago.

She probably broke up with you because she got bent out of shape when you canceled the

dinner plans, but she broke up with you over a year ago.

You need to get over her, or you need to get over it.

So you can get over a person or get over something.

In this case, the "it" refers to the breakup, the end of the relationship.

So "get over it" is a very common sentence, or "get over him", or "get over her", or "you'll

get over it".

Alright.

So, today, I gave you five common idioms with the verb "get".

I hope you learned something new.

If you did, please let me know in the comments.

And if you really enjoyed this video, make sure to like it, share it, subscribe to my

channel on YouTube, and do the quiz on www.engvid.com.

And if you want more idioms, because you think, "Hey, this was really useful, actually.

Where can I get more?"

Like I mentioned at the beginning of this video, you can get the book "200 Practical

English Idioms" on my website, www.englishalex.com.

Just check out the link that is attached to this video.

And until next time, thanks for clicking.

Good luck with all of your studies, and I'll see you soon.