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You light up my life!

Cheryl Teacher

 

The word “light” is very versatile in the English language, used in various idioms, phrases, and contexts to convey different meanings.


Firstly, let’s see the word “light” used to mean “illuminating,” like how the sun gives us light in the day. 


Light up: To illuminate or brighten, E.g., "The strings of fairy lights lit up the garden, turning it into a magical wonderland at night."


It is also used metaphorically to mean someone's face expressing happiness or excitement. E.g., "Her smile can light up the entire room."


"Every time he mentioned her name, his eyes would light up with unmistakable joy."


Come to light: To become known or apparent. E.g., "New evidence has come to light since the trial."


Light at the end of the tunnel: A sign of hope or an indication that a difficult period will end soon. E.g., "After years of research, they finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel."


"After months of hard work, the team finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel with the project's completion."


"Her recovery was slow, but the doctor assured there was a light at the end of the tunnel."


Green light: To give permission to proceed with a project or action. E.g., "The manager gave the green light for the new marketing campaign."


"After months of planning, the council finally gave the green light to the new housing project."


Out like a light: To fall asleep very quickly or deeply. E.g., "As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was out like a light."


"Exhausted from the day's hike, they were out like a light as soon as they lay down."


Shed light on: To clarify or explain something. E.g., "The study shed light on the causes of the disease." 


Next, let’s see the word “light” used to mean “not heavy.” 


Light on one's feet: To be agile or nimble. E.g., "Despite his age, he's still very light on his feet."


"The dancer was light on her feet, moving gracefully across the stage."


"In the boxing ring, he was surprisingly light on his feet for someone of his stature."


Light-fingered: Having a tendency to steal things; thievish. E.g., "You have to watch your belongings around light-fingered individuals."


"The market was notorious for its light-fingered pickpockets, always on the lookout for an easy target."


"He had a reputation for being light-fingered, often pilfering supplies from the office."


Lighten up: To become more relaxed or less serious. E.g., "You need to lighten up and enjoy the party."

"Sometimes you just have to lighten up and not take every criticism to heart."


Travel light: To bring very few things with you when you go on a trip. E.g., "It's just a weekend getaway, so I'm going to travel light."


"He preferred to travel light, carrying nothing but a backpack for his month-long journey."


"Traveling light meant she could move quickly and freely, without the burden of heavy luggage."


Light as a feather: Describing something very light in weight. E.g., "This fabric is light as a feather."


"The package arrived and to my surprise, it was light as a feather despite its size."


Take something lightly: To not treat something seriously or consider it unimportant. E.g., "He took the warnings lightly and regretted it later."


Light-hearted: Cheerful and carefree. E.g., "It was a light-hearted comedy that everyone enjoyed."


"Even in the face of adversity, her light-hearted spirit kept everyone's morale high."


That’s all for now. I wish you a light and easy day! 


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This column was published by the author in their personal capacity.
The opinions expressed in this column are the author's own and do not reflect the view of Cafetalk.

Lesson

British Idioms

25 min
2,200 Points

Comments (1)

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  • Charlotte A

    Thanks for posting all these ways is using the word ‘light’. We just had the festival of Lammas, a celebration of light. Why is the word ‘light’ in English spelled with a ‘g’ and a ‘h’? I wrote about it here: https://cafetalk.com/column/read/?c=eJzLzfAvyPSPNEwqq8g2dQnwDrb0LCxLt7UFAGtACEM.&lang=en

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