So, this is the doctor's way of being lighthearted or funny.Īnd that brings us to the end of this Words and Their Stories! We here at VOA Learning English hope you pass your next exam with flying colors - or at least we hope you don't bomb on your next project!ĭo you have any slang expressions in your language to describe passing and failing? Let us know in the Comments Section - where you can also practice using "bomb" or "pass with flying colors" in a sentence.Īnna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. The doctor may come in and say, "Don't worry! I'm looking at the results of your blood test and you passed with flying colors!" It's not as if you studied for your blood test and then did well on it. Let's say you are nervously waiting in a doctor's exam room for the results of a blood test. That means you can use "pass with flying colors" when you are being graded on a test or course, but also in a situation that is out of your control - such as a medical exam. Some people do celebrate passing an exam with fireworks! Here, fireworks explode over a ship with scarlet sails on the Neva River during the Scarlet Sails festival celebrating school graduation in St. And “colors” doesn’t mean shades like red or blue, but flags.Īccording to the website The Phrase Finder, “pass with flying colors” originally describes winning ships sailing into port “with flags flying from all the mastheads.” By around 1700, the phrase was being used to describe any kind of victory. In this case, “pass” doesn’t mean to succeed, but to travel. ![]() Word experts seem to agree that the expression "to pass with flying colors" comes from the military. The last expression might make you think of a big celebration - like maybe your parents celebrated your passing grade by lighting colorful fireworks. You aced it! You can also say that you passed with flying colors. Now, let's talk about expressions to use when you do something really well. It might not be a good career move to say to her, "That outfit is the bomb! You look awesome!"Īnd making comments about a bomb at a U.S. For example, let's say your boss wears a new suit to an important meeting. For example, if a high school student wears a new pair of sneakers to school, his friends could say, "Those shoes are the bomb!" That means they are great - in a cool, awesome kind of way.īut please be careful: using “the bomb" this way is extremely casual and would not be appropriate to use in a formal situation. Please take note that when the word "bomb" is a verb, it means to fail.Īs a slang expression, however, “ the bomb” often describes something really good. And if a class you are taking is boring or useless, you could call it a "a real dud." (Photo Courtesy Warner Brothers)Įven a party that bombs can be called a dud or a flop. The film grossed $103.1 million at the box office in North America during its opening weekend in 2017. "Wonder Woman" is most definitely not a flop. These two words are often used to describe a form of entertainment that failed in its purpose - to entertain. In this case, they were buying tickets for a dud or a flop. The box office is where people buy their movie tickets. Now, let's say nobody goes to the new superhero movie, you can say it bombed at the box office. Afterward, if you are feeling very mean, you could say to him, "Wow, you really bombed." For example, if a comedian is on stage telling jokes but no one is laughing, you can say his jokes are bombing. ![]() We also often use "bomb" this way when talking about movies, plays or performing. In American slang, when something bombs, it fails completely. Now, as you probably know, a bomb is something that blows things up. Let's start with the bad situations first. But, they can also be used in other situations. The expressions you will hear in today's program are commonly used in a classroom. So, today we are going to talk about both. Naturally, we all want to do well in school and life. On this show, we explore the origins and usage of common expressions in American English.ĭuring September in the United States - and in many places around the world - children are going back to school.Įven if your school days have long passed, you may remember this time of the year well: the smell of books and pencils, the sound of your footsteps as you enter a strange classroom, the nervous feeling in your stomach as you meet your new teacher. Now, the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories.
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