Learn 10 English Expressions with NOSE!

Hi there.

Oh, I'm sorry, I'm picking my nose.

This thing here is called a "nose", and we have many expressions or idioms using the

word "nose".

So, first of all, again, pronunciation, it's not: "nose-see-e".

It's "nose".

It's a homophone, and it sounds like this word in English.

A "homophone" is a word that sounds exactly the same as another word, but the meaning

is different.

So, "nose" and "knows" is a homophone.

I have a beautiful rhyme for you: Nobody knows what Rosy knows when she blows her nose in

her underclothes.

That's your homework: Figure out that.

Rosy, don't blow your nose in your underclothes.

So: "Expressions with 'Nose'".

For some reason in English we have many idioms and expressions using parts of the body, and

the nose has many expressions.

I've narrowed it down to ten that I think are the most useful.

I've told you guys before that I find idioms to be a little bit, I don't know, old-fashioned,

old-school.

I don't think we use them a lot, but these ones we do, so that's why I'm teaching them

to you.

Ha-ha.

So, "nose" idioms.

The first one is: "Keep your nose clean".

So that doesn't mean you pick your nose; it just means that you don't do anything bad.

Now, when I was researching this, I thought: "What could you possibly do bad with your

nose other than pick it?"

I think this might have to do with drugs, specifically drugs that you inhale; cocaine.

So, maybe this came from not doing cocaine.

So: "Keep your nose clean" means don't do cocaine.

Rule number one: Don't die.

Rule number two: Don't do cocaine.

So: "Keep your nose clean" means don't do anything bad.

Don't do bad things.

Another expression we have is: "Keep your nose to the grindstone."

So, this is a very, very old expression.

A "grindstone" is a stone that you would use to grind something.

So, "grind" means take something from a solid into a powder.

So, you can grind grain.

You can take corn and make it corn powder, or wheat.

So, a grindstone, if you're a worker, you want to make sure that you... you're not looking

up and you're actually focusing on your work.

So: "Keep your nose to the grindstone" means: "Do your job.

Don't mess around on Facebook."

They didn't have Facebook back then.

If they did, it would be treacherous.

But: "Keep your nose to the grindstone" means just: "Hey.

Hey.

Hey.

Hey.

Concentrate.

Do your work.

Don't be distracted."

This is a great word: "He or she is nosey".

"Nosey" is an adjective.

"Nosey" means that the person is asking you too many personal questions.

So, this is where we can get confused.

There's a difference between making conversation with someone and being nosey.

Some people think that when other people are talking to them, they're being nosey, but

actually they're making conversation.

So, if somebody is nosey, they ask too many personal questions.

For example: "Oh, hi.

Nice to meet you.

What's your job?

Oh.

Well, how much money do you make?

Oh.

What kind of car do you have?"

This is being a little nosey.

Some might... people might say it's rude, but you're asking too many personal questions.

-"What did you do yesterday?"

-"Oh, I went out."

-"Where did you go?

Who did you go with?

What did you do?"

Again, someone might be trying to help you learn English and practice your conversation,

or they might be being nosey.

So: "Nose around" has to do with being nosey.

Or: "Put your nose in other people's lives."

So, this, again, comes from the expression of being nosey.

If you "nose around" or if you "put your nose in other people's lives" or other people's

business, it means you interfere with their personal life.

So, again, you're just asking too many questions.

You're getting too personal.

If it's between friends, it's okay; but if it's someone you do not know very well, you're

being nosey; you're nosing around.

Get your nose out of there.

This is a cool expression; we use this a lot: "Have a nose for something."

I have a nose for smelling, but: "To have a nose for something" means that you are good

at detecting or good at doing something.

For example, I can say: "I have a nose for wine."

This means I'm good at distinguishing different kinds of wine.

Or: "I have a nose for colour."

My nose has eyes.

If you have a nose for something, you're good at using it; you're good at doing it.

Maybe you have a nose for English.

I have a nose for English, a nose for Spanish, a nose for Po-... no.

You only have one nose, but it means you're good at doing something.

What do you have a nose for?

The next one is if you "turn up your nose".

So, if you "turn up your nose", it means you do this.

If you turn up your nose at something, it means you show the person you do not like

something.

So, you show... uh-oh.

You show you don't like.

So, a really easy example of this is with children.

If you give a child food they don't like, they go: "Eww", and their little noses turn

up.

You can do this as an adult.

It's kind of rude.

Depends on who you are.

But if I give you food and you don't like it, you shouldn't go: "Eww".

You shouldn't turn up your nose.

Sometimes it happens naturally if you really hate something, you go... but this is a facial

expression that can be rude, so be careful.

If you don't like something, just politely say: "Ah, you know, I don't really like that",

but don't go: "Eww.

That's disgusting."

Okay?

Be careful.

Be nice to people.

To show you don't like something means to turn up your nose.

This one: "brownnose".

This is one of my favourites.

So, "to brownnose someone" means that you try... let me tell you another... let me do

this another way.

If you brownnose someone, we have another expression: "You suck up to someone."

So, if you "suck up to someone" or you "brownnose someone", it means you try to please them,

but it's way too much.

So, you will hear someone say: "Oh my god, Susie's sucking up to the boss again."

Or: "Susie is such a brownnoser.

Susie brownnoses."

Why do you think the nose is brown?

Okay.

Let me explain.

So, this comes from the expression: "to kiss ass".

So: "kiss ass", "suck up to someone", and "brownnose" is the same.

This means you literally put your face in someone's ass.

Why are you doing that?

That's strange.

Maybe you're a dog.

But it means that you try too hard to please people; usually a boss.

So, if you want a promotion, you're going to brownnose the boss.

So the boss is going to bend over and you're going to put your face right in their bum,

and your nose is going to get brown.

English is weird.

Why do you...?

I don't think this is cool.

I don't think I would like to do this to my boss.

I don't think my boss would like this.

Some bosses like this, though, I'm sure.

So, if you want a promotion, feel free to brownnose, or suck up to your boss, or kiss

ass.

Hopefully the person's washed.

So, "brownnose" means you try to please your boss a lot.

This is cool: "Follow your nose".

Obviously every day you're going to follow your nose because it's in front of you, but

I literally do this every day when I smell Indian food.

So, the way that I know if a restaurant, an Indian restaurant is delicious is I smell

the air, and I go: "Oh... oh, no.

Hold on.

I smell some good food."

I follow my nose-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-to the restaurant.

If you "follow your nose" it means you let the smell guide you to some place that you

think is good.

It doesn't have to be with restaurants; it means you follow your instincts.

My instinct is to eat Indian food.

Good instinct.

So, "follow your nose" means follow your instinct.

The last one: "Have your nose in a book".

You're famous.

Just your nose.

Your nose is a model.

"To have your nose in a book" means you are reading the book so intensely that you do

not look at anything else.

Oh, hi.

So, "to have your nose in a book"... you can have your nose in a magazine, have your nose

in a book.

I think people would say: "I have my nose in my phone", because I don't see a lot of

people reading books or magazines anymore.

So, he has his nose in his phone; he's actually ignoring other people and only looking at

the book or only looking at the phone.

Do you have a nose?

Do you have a nose for something?

What do you have a nose for?

I have a nose for smelling.

Smell ya later.