Intermediate-level ESL students can use this book to supplement classroom textbooks. It's a reliable guide to help everyone comprehend the intricacies of idiomatic American English.
The literal meanings of such phrases as "raining cats and dogs," "get on the ball," "have a bone to pick," "eat one's words, and "kick the bucket" are likely to conjure peculiar images in any non-English speaker's mind. These and dozens more phrases are explained, "translated" into more formal English, and repeated in various contexts. Also included are exercises designed to improve comprehension and fluency in informal American English.