101 American English Idioms: Understanding and Speaking English Like an American

Rating:
Summary: Some did not work!
Review: As soon as I read this book I used some phrases to my friend, who is an American lawyer obtained a degree from Duke grad. No doubt she is intelligent enough. But some of them did not work. For example, she did not understand "dressed to the teeth" at all. Because I used it at our friend's wedding party, the situation was perfect to use it. In addition, I wrote them down for fear that she had not catch them correctly because of my pronounciation. I found that some of others also didn't work. I wonder if some of idioms on this book are obsolete. But, generally, it seems to be useful.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Idioms Book!
Review: From The Publisher

Here is a refreshing tongue-in-cheek look at American idioms, presented in living caricature. American English Idioms, a whimsical collection of colloquialisms, is sure to delight you - and provide real insight into American idioms, customs, and humor.

Harry Collis has arranged common everyday idioms into nine lighthearted sections - including: The Body Has Many Uses, People Do the Strangest Things, When Things Go Wrong, When Things Go Well, and more! And he has turned them over to the expert hands of Mario Risso, whose wonderfully humorous cartoons illustrate what Americans say and what they really mean.

Each idiom has a standard English "translation" and is placed in a real-life context, either in a natural dialogue or narrative. These facilitate understanding and make the idioms come alive!

Rating:
Summary: Recording is for fun, not very
Review: I am a Bostonian who heard the recording from one of my English students. Dressed to the teeth is an expression I readily recognize, but I am more likely to read it than to hear it in everyday, modern conversation. Some of the expressions are probably regional, perhaps most from Northeastern section of the country. Of course the term American is often misused, and foreign visitors should be careful buying books claiming to teach American words or phrases.

Rating:
Summary: Effective and Fun!
Review: I use 101 American English Idioms with my students. The idioms are common, and I feel the illustrations add a generous element of fun to a very effective book. Because my students need to understand spoken English, I also use Whaddaya Say, 2nd Edition, to help them accurately hear natural spoken English.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent appearance, the content is not that great
Review: The appearance of the book is excellent: both the graphics and the audiotape are excellent ways to help you learn the expressions. However, during my stay in the US, I found that most of the idioms are rarely used.

If you are a foreigner, and want to learn how to speak American English, get 'Street Talk 1' instead.

Rating:
Summary: A great book for ESL children
Review: This book includes 101 popular American English idioms along with an illustration for each that children will find amusing. Note that the illustrations are purely for amusement rather than providing visual explanations of the idiom. Some of the idioms are more popular than others but overall a good selection has been made. Each idiom is explained in detail and with example sentences and a larger context.

Older readers will want to spend their money on a more comprehensive idiom dictionary, but this is perfect for children and those who enjoy reading to them. My only criticism would be that the idioms are presented in context and the examples are written at a higher level of English than what the overall genre seems to suggest would be appropriate. This book could be used with older/more advanced learners because of this, but the publisher seems to have aimed a little wide.

Rating:
Summary: The best idiom dictionary that I have EVER read!!!!!
Review: You have to have it! A must read for any fan of the American English Idiom world!!!