Summer Idioms

Now that summer is comming and we are preparing our intensive courses for July and August we would like to teach you some expressions and idioms related to this season, so you can tell everyone all about your holidays!

Here you have the expressions:

The dog days of summer- The hottest period of the summer, typically three weeks or so between July and August. The expression dates back to the Romans!.

 During the dog days of summer it’s too hot to do anything but relax and go swimming.

Indian summer- An unusually warm, dry period in the autumn, almost like an extension of summer.

The children really enjoyed the Indian summer because they could go to the beach in October!

Travel on a shoestring- Typical of university students and other young people, this means to travel very cheaply, staying in youth hostels, and always looking for deals and discounts to make the trip as cheap as possible

 I really learned how to travel on a shoestring when I studied abroad.

Off the beaten path- If you travel off the beaten path, you stay away from the most popular and touristy sights and go instead to places where you may get a more authentic experience.

We’re hoping to get off the beaten path on our next trip to Italy and see some of the undiscovered beauty of the country.

Soak up some sun- Quite simply, to spend some time in the sun and get a tan.

Sandra can’t wait to lie by the pool and soak up some sun on her vacation.

To be off on your vacation- The phrase “to be off” in this case means “to be away.” The expression, then, means to be on holiday, but implying that you’ve traveled somewhere a distance away.

My parents are off on their vacation in Alaska at the moment.

One swallow doesn’t make a summer- An expression that means that just because one good thing has happened doesn’t necessarily indicate that the tendency will continue.

 His baseball team won the first match in the tournament, but one swallow doesn’t make a summer. They still have four more games to go!

A summer fling- A short romance during the summer holidays that typically ends before returning to school and/or university in the fall.

Sandy and Danny started out as a summer fling, but ended up staying together after discovering they went to the same high school.

To beat the heat- To escape the heat of summer, typically by finding indoor activities, places to go swimming, etc.

 We’re going to beat the heat by going to the cinema today. They always have the air conditioning turned on.

The midnight sun- This refers to places near the Arctic or Antarctic regions where the sun shines nearly 24 hours.

In Finland I was able to go kayaking under the midnight sun. It was incredible how much light there was so late at night!

What are you doing this summer? Can you use any of these expressions to describe your next holidays? We look forward to hearing from you! and remeber, If you want to improve your English level join in our intensives courses this Summer and get your B1 or B2 certificate.