Learn English Idioms with Throat

Idioms! Idioms! Idioms! English idioms are so much fun to teach because they are so common, are so interesting, and really help English learners become more fluent in their listening and speaking skills. If you’ve been learning with me for a while, then you know that I highly recommend learning idioms by theme for easier organization in your mind and notebooks. Learning idioms by theme helps you better remember them which allows you to use them more frequently in conversation. So, with that said, today you will learn English idioms with throat.

This isn’t the first time I’ve shared idioms related to the body, in fact, you can learn more idioms about the body on my blog right here. (Just a note, you can also search for this topic and more in the search bar on the right side of this post)

This is the first time, however, that I’ve included a 5 Minute English video teaching you these idioms. In this week’s 5 Minute English video, I’ll review 5 idioms with the word throat, and some examples. I recommend watching the video to practice listening comprehension and hear how these expressions sound (practice + improve your pronunciation). When you finish watching the video, you can come back here and read some additional examples, and review some practice questions below.

Are you ready to boost (*improve*) your English skills today? Let’s do this!

Learn English Idioms with Throat

In the video we reviewed these expressions:

1. at each other’s throat  (*NOTE: always used with the verb “to be”)

2. to force (something) down (someone’s) throat

3. to jump down (someone’s) throat

4. a frog in your throat

5. a lump in your throat

As I mentioned in the video these are the basic expressions, and can be modified (*changed*) to fit the context of what you’re saying. Specifically, anytime you see something (s.t.) or someone (s.o.) you can change that basic noun to a more specific object or person. For someone’s (s.o’s) you can also use the adjective pronouns (my, his/her, your, our, their). Although the last two expressions use the adjective pronoun “your”, this can also be changed to the others just mentioned.

More sentence examples

1.  John and Sue were at each other’s throats all week.

It’s common for parents and their children to be at each other’s throats during the teen years.

We had been at each other’s throats for months before we finally made up.

2. Tim was forcing his opinions about politics down Tina’s throat.

Car salesmen are always forcing the most expensive features down your throat when you want to buy a new car.

He went on and on (*continued talking*) about what he was selling, I felt like he was trying to force it down my throat.

3. Taylor’s boss jumped down his throat when he turned in his project late.

I knew my best friend was having a bad day because she jumped down my throat for no reason earlier.

No one likes the new high school teacher because she’s always jumping down student’s throats.

4. I knew I was getting sick because I had a frog in my throat all day.

It’s common to have a frog in your throat after a long plane ride, there are germs everywhere!

Kim has had a frog in her throat all week.

5. Lucy had a lump in her throat before she had to give her speech at her best friend’s wedding.

I know I will have a lump in my throat when my son graduates college. (I’ll be so proud.)

Jack always gets a lump in his throat before presenting in front of a large audience.

Are you ready to practice?

There are many ways you can continue practicing these idioms on your own and with me! The quickest way to practice is to comment below this blog (or on YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook), and there are 2 ways to do that:

1. Create your own sentence examples (like mine above) using these new expressions
2. Answer the practice questions below

Practice questions 

1. What do you do if you and a friend are at each other’s throats?

2. Why do people try to force their opinions down other’s throats?

3. Has anyone jumped down your throat this week? If yes, who?

4. Do you currently have a frog in your throat?

5. When was the last time you had a lump in your throat?

I know I say it every single post, but practice makes perfect! I write these posts to help you improve your English skills, so don’t let that improvement stop with just reading. Participate with me, comment below, engage with the language, join the Facebook group, and share these new idioms with a friend or a colleague. I challenge you to try and use at least 2 of these expressions this week when speaking in English. Can you do it?  I know you can!

Have a great week and happy studying! ♥