‘Down-to-earth’ = practical, sensible, no-nonsense, dealing with FACTS, not theories.“What ‘on earth’ are you doing?” = When we add ‘on earth’ to a question, it makes the question EMPHATIC, and usually indicates our surprise, irritation, or amusement.
“How on earth did you climb up there?” asks the Mam, to the child sitting on top of the wardrobe.
‘To come down to earth’ = To abandon ‘dreams in the sky’, and FACE REALITY.
“When Peter left University, he came down to earth with a bump, because he had to start earning some money”.
‘To bring someone down to earth’ = To FORCE someone to abandon ‘dreams in the sky’, and FACE REALITY.
“Peter had some expensive ideas on how to improve the factory, but his new Boss soon brought him down to earth”.
‘Like nothing on earth.’ (A colloquial expression) = HORRIBLE, awful, terrible. (It is used with verbs such as ‘to look; to feel; to smell; to taste; to sound).
“Tom, you look like nothing on earth in those red trousers, that green jacket, that Panama hat, and those stupid spotted boots”.
‘The salt of the earth’ = The BEST people on earth.
“She will do anything, go anywhere, give anything to someone who needs help. She is the salt of the earth.
‘To disappear off the face of the earth’ = to DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY.
“After University, I didn’t hear anything from my best friend Bill. He just disappeared off the face of the earth”.
‘To move heaven and earth’ = To do EVERYTHING possible to achieve something.
“I want to be a Pop-star! I’ll do ANYTHING! I’ll move heaven and earth to sing on TV”.
‘Heaven on earth’ = Something EXTREMELY GOOD.
“My Mother’s food is fantastic! Her fruit cake is heaven on earth!”
“My Mother’s food is fantastic! Her fruit cake is heaven on earth!”
‘To go to earth/ground’ = When someone is being followed, pursued, or stalked, and he/she HIDES in a safe refuge.
“The actor escaped from the journalists by going to earth/ground in a house in the forest.
‘To run someone to earth/ground’ = After a search, to DISCOVER where the escaped person is hiding.
“The journalists eventually ran the actor to earth/ground in a house in the forest”.
When something costs ‘the earth’ = It was very, very, very EXPENSIVE!
“Oh, darling, this diamond ring is beautiful. You must have paid the earth for it!”
‘The four corners of the earth’ = EVERY PART of the world.
“The Olympic athletes came to London from the four corners of the earth.”
‘Hell on earth’ = Something which is VERY UNPLEASANT.
“At school many bullies punched, kicked, and taunted me every day. My life was hell on earth.”
‘Not to have an earthly’ or ‘Not to have an earthly chance’ = To have NO POSSIBILITY of success.
“He intends to race against Olympic Champions, but he hasn’t trained for it. He won’t have an earthly!” (“He won’t have an earthly chance!”)
‘No earthly reason’ = NO REASON at all, (usually said in irritation).
“There’s no earthly reason why you should give your boy-friend money. He has an EXCELLENT salary, and YOU are still at College!”
‘The scum of the earth’ = The VERY WORST type of people.
“The farmer starved and beat his faithful old dog. People like him are the scum of the earth”.
‘Follow to the ends of the earth’ = To travel as far as it is POSSIBLE to go.
“The wife loved her sailor husband very much. She was willing to follow him to the ends of the earth”.
