Read Webster's New World American Idioms Handbook Online
Authors: Gail Brenner
Webster's New World American Idioms Handbook (18 page)
main squeeze
(n)
one’s romantic partner. Here,
squeeze
alludes to hugging and cuddling. ♦
You’re my
main squeeze;
the only one for me.
♦
I like him a lot. He may even become my
main squeeze.
soul mate
(n)
the person with whom one has a deeply personal or spiritual relationship, a person with whom one feels deeply that he or she belongs; also used to mean a person who views the world the same way you do, as in the third example that follows ♦
My world fell apart when my wife died. She was my
soul mate. ♦
They’re
soul mates;
they have a very deep connection.
♦
My Uncle and I are
soul mates.
We think alike.
partner
(n)
one’s husband or wife; either of two people who are not married but living together in a spouselike situation; often used by gay and lesbian couples ♦
I’d like you to meet my
partner,
Tom.
♦
She and her
partner
just bought a house in the country.
lover
(n)
one’s sexual partner, one’s romantic love ♦
They’ve been
lovers
for years but have never married.
♦
He’s feeling pretty sad right now; his
lover
just left him.
Note:
Introducing someone as
my lover
is equal to saying “This is my sex partner — and possibly the person I love.” So, don’t say this unless you are among friends or you want to share information about your sex life.
[See information on the term
lovers
later in this chapter.]
The following are a few more idiomatic expressions for one’s love. These terms are often used in advertising for romantic vacations or gifts one might give a sweetheart:
one and only
(n)
the only person that one loves; said about a partner in a serious relationship, including marriage ♦
She’s my
one and only;
the only girl for me!
♦
Give your
one and only
a moonlight cruise. Call for information.
heartthrob
(n)
the person one loves or wishes to have as a romantic partner. This idiom is often said teasingly and is most often used to refer to celebrities. ♦
He doesn’t know that he’s my
heartthrob. ♦ Heartthrob
Leonardo DiCaprio stars in a new movie to be released next month.
Dating
Dating
(spending time and going places with someone one is interested in) is part of social life and one way to look for love.
Dating
or
going out
can be expressed a number of different ways:
date someone
♦
I
dated him
when I was in college
.
have a date
♦
I’ve only
had one date
with him so far
.
go (
or
be) on a date
♦
We’re
going on a date
Saturday night
.
go out (together)
♦
Would you like to
go out
together sometime?
Some unusual or memorable dating situations are best described by handy idioms.
Grammar Note:
The following idioms are usually said as
to go on
a (type of date) or
to have
a (type of date).
blind date
(n)
a date, often arranged by a friend, where the two people have never met before. Dates arranged by people who meet through personal ads are a kind of
blind date.
♦
Can you believe, I met my wife on a
blind date. ♦
My friends arranged a
blind date
for me.
Note:
Blind
alludes to the expression
going in blind,
meaning doing something on trust without having any background information or previous experience.
double date
(n, v)
a date where two couples get together to do something. This term is generally used when the couples are single, not married, but sometimes married couples use it too. ♦
We’d love to go on a
double date
with you two sometime.
♦
My sister and I used to
double date
a lot back in high school.
third date
(n)
the third time the same two people have a date; considered significant as the date that determines if two people will continue dating; also the date where people might kiss, neck, or possibly have sex for the first time ♦
You’ll know by the
third date
if you want to keep seeing him.
♦
If she doesn’t want to kiss you after the
third date,
she’s probably not very interested.
Note:
There’s no established social rule about the third date, but three dates is generally enough to know if you like someone or not.
hot date
(n)
a date with someone whom one finds sexually attractive, a date with potential for sexual activity. This idiom is often used playfully for a date with a good friend, a sweetheart, or spouse; slang. ♦
So, tell me about your
hot date
last night.
♦
Grampa said, “I’ve got to go. Your grandma and I have a
hot date
tonight.”
going dutch
(v)
a date where each person pays his or her share of the expense for dinner, entertainment, transportation, and so on. This idiom is also used when friends share the bill at a restaurant. ♦
We usually
go dutch.
It’s easier that way.
♦
He expected me to
go dutch
on the first date. Forget it!
♦
My girlfriend and I generally take turns paying. It seems nicer than
going dutch.
Note:
Traditionally, a man
treated
a woman, and paid for all of the expenses on a date. This is often still true. But today, many couples split the expense, or even take turns paying.
In a Relationship
Whether two people are dating or married, the following expressions can be used to describe them if their relationship is good, or as people sometimes say, the relationship is
working.
made for each other
♦
My parents say they were
made for each other.
They have so much in common.
a match made in heaven
♦
Their marriage is not exactly
a match made in heaven.
They have some problems, but they seem to do okay together.
the perfect couple
♦
They seem like
the perfect couple.
I hope they continue to be happy together.
good together
♦
I think we’re really
good together;
our personalities complement each other.
Some idioms refer to how two people look together more than how well matched they really are. The following idioms imply that the couple looks good, cute, or perfect together and may also imply that they seem to have the perfect relationship or perfect life together.
poster couple
♦
They’re the new
poster couple,
but I wonder if it will last.
classic couple
♦
Some people said that John Kennedy, Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette, were the
classic couple.
When dating evolves into a romantic or sexual involvement, people might call it
a love affair.
This expression can sometimes imply an intimate relationship without long term commitment. Here are some examples of this idiom:
- When
a love affair ends,
some people continue to be friends. - He had
a love affair
with a French girl while he was studying in France.
People typically talk about serious romantic involvement and commitment, or dating one person exclusively, with one of these expressions:
in a relationship
dating one person regularly and exclusively, having a romantic involvement; often phrased
having a relationship,
which can also imply a secret romantic affair ♦
Being
in a relationship
takes a lot of work and commitment.
♦
She was
having a relationship
with a man in her office.
seeing someone
(v)
dating someone regularly; usually put in a continuous tense (verb +
-ing
). The expression
seeing anyone
is used to ask a question, as the second example shows. ♦
We’ve been
seeing each other
for a long time.
♦
Are you
seeing anyone
now?
going steady
(v)
dating regularly and exclusively. This expression is less popular today and was used mainly by younger teens or playfully by adults. ♦
We’re kind of
going steady. ♦
I don’t want to
go steady
with anyone. I want to meet lots of different people.
getting serious
(v)
possibly thinking about a long-term relationship or marriage ♦
It’s definitely
getting serious.
He wants me to meet his family.
♦
Do you think you might ever
get serious
with him?
People in a committed relationship are often referred to by one of these idioms:
a couple
(n)
two people who have been dating exclusively for awhile or are in a romantic relationship ♦
I think they’re
a couple
now.
♦
We enjoy having them over for dinner. They’re
a
really nice
couple.
Lovers
The world is full of
lovers
—
nature lovers, sports lovers, music lovers, art lovers, dog lovers, cat lovers,
and many more! In these contexts, the word
lovers
refers to someone who has a great appreciation, love, or passion for something.
Describing two people as
lovers
generally implies that they are sexual partners, so don’t say
lovers
about a couple unless you know it’s okay to share that personal information. But also, the term
lovers
can mean a couple who seems very much in love or is very affectionate. For example: “Hey, you two
lovers,
stop kissing and join the conversation” or “Cities like Florence and Venice are said to be the perfect romantic place for
lovers.
”
a pair
(n)
two people who have been dating exclusively for awhile or are in a romantic relationship ♦
Ben and Amelia have been
a pair
for a long time.
♦
We’ve been
a pair
for about 10 years.
an item
(n)
a couple who is the topic of gossip or interest, often said about a new couple or a new celebrity couple ♦
I never thought those two would get together. They’re
an item
now.
♦
So, are you two
an item
now?
sweethearts
(n)
girlfriend and boyfriend; implies a sweet, loving relationship; also said of married couples who seem very much in love ♦
Her parents are still
sweethearts
after 35 years together.
♦
This necklace is the perfect gift for your
sweetheart. ♦
He married his childhood
sweetheart.
lovebirds
(n)
lovers, a couple who show their affection openly. This idiom is sometimes said of a newly married couple. ♦
The two
lovebirds
are in Hawaii on their honeymoon.
♦
You should see those
lovebirds.
They’re so happy to have found each other.
“JoshandAmy”
Couples who spend all their time together, don’t like being apart, and are often seen clinging to each other are sometimes called by one joined name, like “JoshandAmy” or “MattandLisa.” This “nickname” is said quickly, as “Josh’n’Amy,” and implies that they are no longer two separate people but one unit. Married couples are often described this way.
Tying the Knot
When people decide that they want to spend their lives together — either in a permanent relationship or marriage — they might use one of the following terms to describe their intentions.
share one’s life with someone
to be life partners, to be married ♦
I want to
share my life with you. ♦
I do love her, but I’m not sure I want to
share my life with her.
We are too different.
(have) a future together
to be life partners, to be married; also phrased
have a life together.
♦
Do you think you two
have a future together? ♦
My boyfriend and I have been talking about
a life together.
grow old together
(v)
to stay together through old age ♦
We’re very much in love, and we want to
grow old together. ♦
If we decide we want to
grow old together,
you’ll be the first one to know.