15 English expressions with double meanings that can cause a lot of confusion

Once we have reached the basic level of a language, we are able to identify certain words and expressions in texts. There are colloquial expressions, however, that are rarely in the vocabulary of foreigners at the beginning of the learning journey. It is important to know which of them cannot be translated literally for the simple fact that they have several meanings (which are sometimes surprising).

we, from awesome.clubwe got curious about the quirks of spoken English and put together a list of the most common expressions whose extraordinary meaning can easily mislead and embarrass you during a conversation.

Not always the interlocutor intends to offend and tells you to shut up saying “shut up🇧🇷 In a chat with friends, this exclamation serves as an expression of surprise that can be translated as “swear?!” or “I don’t believe it!”

These phrasal verbs are also not designed just to hurt someone. Of course, if the speech is accompanied by an angry look and an annoyed voice, it’s best to walk away. But in everyday conversations, they can be used to say “seriously!” or “don’t tell me!”

It’s slang that isn’t actually shopping related. It means “don’t buy this one!” or “you’re winding me up!” and applies in response to a finding.

This expression is used not to ask someone to tell you more about the subject, but to agree with the interlocutor, and can be translated as “neither tell me!” or “I say so!”

It may even seem that this combination of words is a grammatical or typographical error. But she is right and is used to admit her mistake.

The statements “I’m in🇧🇷I’m down🇧🇷 and “I’m game🇧🇷 are used to express the desire to participate in an activity, such as their Brazilian versions “I am in!” or “I’m in!”

It is one of the most heard expressions in bars, cafes and restaurants. No, you don’t have to become Dutch or buy a Dutch pie after listening to it as it is a request to split the bill.

Amazingly, this expression does not just translate as “a piece of cake”, but is also used as a slang term to say that making something is very easy.

The origin of this expression is really due to the postal service, but it means “to be furious”, “to have a socially aggressive behavior”, or “to run the baiana” in spoken Portuguese. It was incorporated into colloquial language in the second half of the 20th century, when American mailmen worked so hard that they took out their anger on their colleagues, so tired were they.

No, you don’t need to repeat what you just said, since the meaning of that expression is “I agree with everything you said”.

It’s a way of confirming something, so it’s best to keep in mind that the verb “bet” has more than one meaning besides “to place a bet”. Remember that you can use this expression to say “you bet!” or “combined!”

Some may think that this is how we express ourselves to say that something will never happen. But in fact, this expression has the opposite meaning, that is, it is used to inform that something will be done in the blink of an eye.

It’s a very creative way of saying something is not good. The word “pants” makes a reference to underwear, and brings us to something that is not presentable in public.

We’re not talking about the cheese bread or the four-cheese pizza. The true meaning of the adjective “cheesey” is “tacky”, “cheesy” or simply “tasteless”.

Even those who know English very well, get stuck on this expression. There’s no point in doing a word-for-word translation. It is best to simply remember that the expression “by and large” means “as a rule” or “in general”.

Did you know all the meanings of the expressions mentioned above? Have you ever found yourself in an embarrassing situation related to the language barrier? Share with us your experience.