Here at LOS Language Online Services we are so enthusiastic about teaching English idioms that we have created our own blend word, based on the one inspired by The Fab Four (The Beatles), to headline our new audio programme; IDIOMANIA. Each week or so, we will record an episode which highlights an everyday concept or setting, and then explore some of the common idioms and proverbs (and antonyms) surrounding that scenario. So don't be frightened to try us out.
Episode 56: Embrace The Future!
Whether you're a tech enthusiast or passionate about language, this episode offers valuable insights and learning opportunities. So, let's dive in and together uncover the fascinating intersection of technology and colloquial English!
11/28/2023 • 13 minutes, 23 seconds
Idiomania #55 What Is Time To You?
What is ‘time’ to you? A reading on a watch or other device? A period to be enjoyed or endured, perhaps? Clearly it can be all these things and more, depending on context. So clock on and zone in on what makes ‘time’ tick.
9/13/2023 • 12 minutes, 1 second
Episode #54 Star-Studded Cast
You watch too much TV and way too many movies! Or is that just us? Either way, the moving image plays a central part in 21st century life, so building up a relevant vocabulary is essential, even if only to understand what the bores are talking about.
12/8/2022 • 11 minutes, 49 seconds
Episode #53 Rhyming Phrases
When English sings, what joy it brings. This episode gives an insight into how rhyming creativity can inject fun into the majority of situations. Give it a go. You may be a poet and just don't know it!
11/21/2022 • 13 minutes, 17 seconds
Episode #52 21st Century Skills
Are you familiar with 'alliteration'? If so, perhaps productivity and performance have played a part. Maybe managers have made it meaningful. Whatever, this episode will combine creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking to cultivate your competencies.
6/1/2022 • 9 minutes, 18 seconds
Episode #51 Three Little Letters
What phrase do you use when giving approximations? 'More or Less'? This makes Angels cry. 'Give or Take'? Better, but the Angels are still unhappy. Want to make them smile? This podcast tells you how.
5/10/2022 • 9 minutes, 52 seconds
Episode #50 Universal Studio
Is someone the centre of your Universe? Or maybe they live on a different planet? Perhaps they need to be brought back down to Earth. More importantly, will the Metaverse be a Betterverse? Listen in to the podcast which kicks off the conversation.
3/29/2022 • 10 minutes, 42 seconds
Episode #49 Perception is Reality
Let's keep this real. Or should we? What language should we use when we're not sure? The most relevant Idiomania to date explores what it means to be in the here and now. Or not. You decide.
2/23/2022 • 11 minutes, 57 seconds
Episode #48 Outside The Box
Are you strategic or reactive? Is your thinking conservative or free-ranging? Irrespective of your current mindset, you'll benefit from the idiomatic language of innovation within this episode, so important to any kind of debate.
12/20/2021 • 13 minutes, 56 seconds
Episode #47 Construction Industry
Do you sometimes engage your feedback mouth before your feedback brain? Just say what's on your mind before factoring in the recipient? This episode gives some great tips on how to deliver the same information in different ways to different audiences.
11/22/2021 • 12 minutes, 1 second
Episode #46 Lend Me Your Ears
Are you paying attention to the art of communication? You need to lend us your ears, and understand how those organs are regularly used in English idiom. You won't be sorry to have given this episode a fair hearing.
10/26/2021 • 12 minutes, 13 seconds
Episode #45 Home Sweet Home
We all think home is special, right? No wonder, then, that language tends to reflect this importance in idiom. English certainly does, and this episode highlights some examples that we are sure you'll enjoy. In fact, we'd bet our house on it!
9/14/2021 • 13 minutes, 45 seconds
Episode #44 Let's Get Cooking!
Are you hungry to learn English? Then feast right here on some food-inspired idioms which will invoke the Idiomania Paradox. You'll be left satisfied yet wanting more.
8/31/2021 • 12 minutes, 31 seconds
Episode #43 Same Difference
Are you the spitting image of someone, or cut from the same cloth as anybody? Same difference, perhaps? Personal and professional comparisons are a feature of everyday life, and this episode will help your confidence in expressing these in English idiom.
7/12/2021 • 11 minutes, 45 seconds
Episode #42 Foreign Exchange
English words crop up in many other languages, with varying degrees of acceptance, but the reverse is also true. Check out this episode to see if any of your native vocabulary has made it into the Lingua Franca. Ciao Bella!
6/23/2021 • 13 minutes, 34 seconds
Episode #41 Six Feet Under
Frightened of kicking the bucket or popping your clogs before you bite the dust? This episode looks at some of the less reverential ways to talk about death, whether of mice, men ... or parrots.
6/1/2021 • 13 minutes, 23 seconds
Episode #40 Going For A Song
Have you ever made a song and dance about singing and dancing? Maybe when you weren’t on song? This episode injects some music into your idiomatic repertoire.
5/18/2021 • 10 minutes, 47 seconds
Episode #39 Teach The Teacher
What do old dogs and sucking eggs have in common? Or grandmothers and new tricks? Listen in to find out, as we turn the mirror on ourselves with a look at some regularly-used teaching idioms.
4/28/2021 • 13 minutes, 41 seconds
Episode #38 Hanging Proverbs
Are there any phrases in your native language that are so well-known that you only need to say part of them to be understood? English is full of proverbs like that, and this episode will teach you how to play around with some fun ones that are in everyday use.
4/12/2021 • 11 minutes, 32 seconds
Episode #37 Maxims
What are maxims? They are well-known phrases that express something that is usually true or that people think is a rule for sensible behaviour. In this episode you're going to take it to the max.
3/29/2021 • 13 minutes, 54 seconds
Episode #36 Trust
Is your word your bond, or are you as bent as a nine-bob note? You will love this episode. Trust us!
3/15/2021 • 12 minutes, 49 seconds
Episode #35 Animals Part 2
Is it hard to say how a cat can look like it's got the cream? Only if you can't pronounce 'Anthropomorphisation'! In this episode we're going to take another look at the impact of animals on language.
3/1/2021 • 14 minutes, 43 seconds
Episode #34 Cutting A Dash
Is punctuation a neglected art-form? You will be astonished how one little dash, or the lack thereof, has the power to make or break the meaning of written English. In this episode you're going to learn and practise a number hyphenated idioms.
2/18/2021 • 12 minutes, 28 seconds
Episode #33 The Rule Of Law
How do you emphasise that something is legally binding? Or express your frustration with pettifogging regulations? This episode will show you what a native speaker would say in these and other situations; maybe even to a bigwig!
2/2/2021 • 15 minutes, 22 seconds
Episode #32 The Paranormal
Do you fancy a few minutes' escape from the humdrum into the fantastical, whilst simultaneously improving your English? Then this episode is for you! You'll learn and practise a number of idioms relating to the spooky.
1/18/2021 • 13 minutes, 5 seconds
Episode #31 Friends
What are the pros and cons of having a trusted confidant? It's not always easy to build personal and professional connections, especially when work is virtual. In this episode we're going to learn and practise a number of idioms relating to friendship.
1/5/2021 • 11 minutes, 29 seconds
Episode #30 The New Normal
How do you cope with rapidly changing circumstances? Can working from home be adapted and 'photoshopped' like any other image? In this episode we're going to learn and practise a number of idioms relating to the new normal.
11/24/2020 • 12 minutes, 17 seconds
Episode #29 Binomials
What is a binomial? It's a phrase containing two words that are joined together. In music we can listen to 'rock and roll' and a popular British meal is 'fish and chips'. In this episode we're going to introduce a number of commonly used binomials.
11/10/2020 • 10 minutes, 9 seconds
Episode #28 Fortune-Telling
We’re all looking to the future, right? But expressing our thoughts in this regard can be a bit tricky. This episode will help you optimise your language skills when talking about the days to come.
10/28/2020 • 12 minutes, 47 seconds
Episode #27 Bizspeak
What do you call a piece of advice given to someone in advance? Can you describe a typical water-cooler conversation? In this episode we're going to learn and practise a number of idioms relating to business language.
10/13/2020 • 13 minutes, 54 seconds
Episode #26 Oxymorons
You'll probably know what 'moron' means. What about 'oxymoron'? Oxymorons are phrases that combine two words that seem to be the opposite of each other. In this episode we're going to learn and practise some of these.
9/29/2020 • 12 minutes, 47 seconds
Episode #25 For Better Or Worse?
What do you do to keep fit? Have you ever thrown a sickie or swung the lead? In this episode we're going to learn and practise a number of idioms relating to health.
9/15/2020 • 12 minutes, 34 seconds
Episode #24 Have We Got News For You!
A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth can get its boots on. Would you agree? In this episode we're going to learn and practise a number of idioms relating to announcements.
9/3/2020 • 13 minutes, 4 seconds
Episode #23 Crime
Have you ever been caught with your hands in the till? We hope not. And do you know who Dirk Turpin was? We hope you do. In this episode we're going to learn and practise a number of idioms relating to crime.
8/25/2020 • 17 minutes, 1 second
Episode #22 Loneliness
How does it feel when you're alone for a prolonged period of time? Are you comfortable in your own skin? In this episode we're going to learn and practise a number of idioms relating to loneliness.
7/30/2020 • 15 minutes, 13 seconds
Episode #21 Spontaneity
How good are you at speaking off the cuff and thinking on your feet? In this episode we're going to discuss and practise a number of idioms relating to spontaneity.
7/14/2020 • 13 minutes, 45 seconds
Episode #20 Errors & Failure
How comfortable is it to make mistakes when you're trying to learn something new? Are you ready to take criticism on the chin? In this episode we're going to practise a number of idioms relating to errors and failure.
6/22/2020 • 11 minutes, 17 seconds
Episode #19 Leisure Activities
Do you think we're out of the woods when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic? Do you know anybody who gets on their hobby horse when you mention Brexit? In this episode we're going to learn and practise four idioms that are loosely related to leisure activities.
6/8/2020 • 10 minutes, 41 seconds
Episode #18 Workaholism
How difficult is it for you to keep a work-life balance in this time of crisis? Are you able to keep your head above water? In this episode we're going to learn and practise a number of idioms relating to workaholism.
6/1/2020 • 13 minutes, 10 seconds
Episode #17 Job Responsibility
Have you ever encountered a jobsworth? Do you have any work colleagues whose performance is simply not up to scratch? This episode will introduce you to some useful, and regularly-used, workplace vocabulary.
5/18/2020 • 11 minutes, 33 seconds
Episode #16 Ball Games
What happens if a particular issue is turned into a political footBALL? Is this good or bad? In this episode you're going to learn and practise a number of idioms relating to the word 'ball'.
5/12/2020 • 10 minutes, 17 seconds
Episode #15 Humour
Are you feeling a bit down today? Have a laugh! In this episode we're going to cheer you up with four different types of humour.
4/29/2020 • 12 minutes, 21 seconds
Episode #14 What's In A Name?
Would you call your newborn daughter Alexa? Or Corona which means 'crown' in Latin? If you did, it could go Pete Tong. In this episode we're going to learn and practise a number of idioms relating to names.
3/13/2020 • 13 minutes, 1 second
Episode #13 Animals Part 1
What's your favourite animal? Is there an English idiom that features this animal? In this episode we're going to learn and practise a number of colloquial expressions relating to the animal kingdom.
2/10/2020 • 12 minutes, 19 seconds
Episode #12 Effective Communication
What's your best strategy to connect with people on a personal level? How often do you get your wires crossed? In this episode we're going to learn and practise a number of idioms relating to effective communication.
1/15/2020 • 12 minutes, 19 seconds
Episode #11 Xmas
Do you know where the abbreviation 'Xmas' comes from? Why do turkeys never vote for Christmas? Here's our last episode of Idiomania in 2019.
12/11/2019 • 13 minutes, 22 seconds
Episode #10 Charisma
There's one personal quality that people can use both for good and bad. Which one is it? Does a snake-oil salesman possess such a trait? In this episode we're going to learn and practise a number of idioms relating to charisma.
11/23/2019 • 14 minutes, 20 seconds
Episode #9 Disagreement
Sometimes it is difficult to disagree productively. How often do you rock the boat? In this episode we're going to learn and practise a number of idioms relating to disagreement.
11/4/2019 • 13 minutes, 38 seconds
Episode #8 End Product
How do you feel when someone's breathing down your neck? Does it help you to do a better job? In this episode we're going to learn and practise a number of idioms relating to productivity.
6/27/2019 • 14 minutes, 20 seconds
Episode #7 Routine Check
How good are you at identifying problems and nipping them in the bud? In this episode we're going to learn and practise a number of idioms relating to bad habits.
6/12/2019 • 14 minutes, 49 seconds
Episode #6 Lifelong Learning & CPD
Are your communication skills a little rusty? They probably need brushing up. In this episode we're going to learn and practise a number of idioms relating to lifelong learning and CPD.
5/27/2019 • 12 minutes, 46 seconds
Episode #5 Happiness
When did you last have a whale of a time? In this episode we're going to learn and practise a number of idioms relating to happiness.
5/20/2019 • 13 minutes, 35 seconds
Episode #4 What's Your Version?
Are you the kind of person who wouldn't say boo to a goose? In this episode we're going to learn a number of idioms relating to extroversion and introversion.
4/9/2019 • 13 minutes, 55 seconds
Episode #3 Travel
Is globe-trotting your thing? In this episode we're going to learn and practise a number of idioms relating to travel.
4/5/2019 • 8 minutes, 39 seconds
Episode #2 Talent
Do you know anyone who's a natural? In this episode we're going to learn and practise a number of idioms relating to talent.
4/2/2019 • 10 minutes, 3 seconds
Episode #1 Procrastination
How often and when do you kick the can down the road? In this episode we're going to learn and practise a number of idioms relating to procrastination.
