Learn vocabulary expressions related to housework. Spick and span meaning. Clean in every nook and cranny meaning. Learn popular English idioms and phrasal verbs and improve your speaking skills.
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Harry
Vocabulary expressions related to housework
Welcome back to my English lessons where I try to give you a helping hand to understand English in a better way.
So that you can have better conversations with your friends, your colleagues, your family, relatives. You can travel. You can succeed in that job interview in English and get your dream job.
Today’s lesson is to do with English vocabulary. The particular vocabulary we’re going to look at is vocabulary connected with HOUSEWORK. Let’s learn vocabulary expressions related to housework.
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INSANITY: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
to clean from top to bottom
Meaning: to do a total overall cleaning of your house or apartment
Example:
The weather forecast for this weekend is really bad, so we’re going to clean this house from top to bottom.
spick and span
Meaning: everything should be shining bright and look like new, even if it isn’t
The meaning of this idiom goes back to the Middle Ages. Spick has a reference to a spike, which is quite shiny, and span meaning brand new.
Example:
The house looks really wonderful, everything is so spick and span.
Vocabulary expressions related to housework
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neat and tidy
It’s a fixed expression, you can’t say tidy and neat.
Meaning: organised and clean
Examples:
We’re going to clean the house. When we’re finished, everything is going to be neat and tidy.
Your granny is coming. I want you to clean your room, I want it to be neat and tidy. Do you know what she is like?
to clean in every nook and cranny
Meaning: clean really thoroughly, in every corner, even that smallest corner under the bed that you can’t reach
Example:
Every room in the house was deeply cleaned in every nook and cranny.
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Vocabulary expressions related to housework
in need of spit and polish
Meaning: in need of good cleaning; spit and polish was an old way of cleaning things without using modern sprays and detergents, with just your saliva
Example:
The old car was in perfect condition but was desperately in need of spit and polish.
to brush away
Meaning: to get rid of the cobwebs, dirt, dust, food crumbs, etc
Example:
She looked around for something to brush away the glass on the floor.
brush away the cobwebs
Meaning 1: clear away the cobwebs in the corners
Meaning 2: to make you feel more energetic and lively, for example, when you’re feeling tired after a late night, or a few busy days at work
Vocabulary expressions related to housework
to sweep up
Meaning: to get all the bits and pieces that are on the floor into a dustpan
Example:
If we drop a glass out of the dishwasher on the floor, and it breaks into a thousand pieces, we have to brush away the pieces and sweep them up.
We can also use to brush up with a similar meaning
to get rid of
Meaning: to throw away something that you don’t want or need
Examples:
We don’t need these old newspapers anymore, please get rid of them.
If you want to get rid of your old clothes, you can bring them to the clothing bank.
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Vocabulary expressions related to housework
to hang out (the washing)
Meaning: to hang wet washed clothes outside to dry
Example:
In between washes, you can hang out your jeans to freshen them and reduce any odour.
to hang out
to spend time with your friends
Example:
I like hanging out with my friends at the weekend.
to do the spring cleaning/to spring clean
Meaning: to clean something very thoroughly (your house, your car, computer files, etc)
Example:
I did a spring cleaning of my car last weekend.
More information
For more information on English grammar rules, English collocations and English idioms, check out the links below:
Linking words and phrases in English
Common English idioms with 2 words
You can always study English advanced level at Learning English with the BBC.
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