English grammar
Stress idioms
Talk about stress and pressure with common English idioms.
From the scene Up to my neck in it
In short
Learn stress idioms whole: up to my neck in it, a nervous wreck, lose your temper, throw in the towel.
Your turn
Which one goes with a bundle of anxious nerves?
Options: up to my neck in it · to lose your temper · a nervous wreck
Show answer
a bundle of anxious nerves → a nervous wreck
How it works
English has plenty of set phrases for pressure and losing your cool.
Your turn
Pick the word that fits the line.
Yesterday I lost my (blank) with Javi. I shouted at him in front of everyone.
Options: tempo · temper · temperature
Show answer
Yesterday I lost my temper with Javi. I shouted at him in front of everyone.
Ayer perdí los estribos con Javi. Le grité delante de todos.
Good to know
Up to your neck in it (in serious trouble), a nervous wreck, to lose your temper, to make a mountain out of a molehill (exaggerate a small problem), and to throw in the towel (give up, from boxing).
Your turn
Pick the word that fits the line.
Tomás, you're making a (blank) out of a molehill.
Options: hill · valley · mountain
Show answer
Tomás, you're making a mountain out of a molehill.
Tomás, te estás ahogando en un vaso de agua.
in serious trouble, especially with money up to my neck in it
Tomás
I'm up to my neck in it. And this time, it's not a figure of speech.
Estoy con el agua al cuello. Y esta vez, no es una forma de hablar.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
I'm (blank). And this time, it's not a figure of speech.
Options: a nervous wreck · to lose your temper · up to my neck in it
Show answer
Tomás
I'm up to my neck in it. And this time, it's not a figure of speech.
Estoy con el agua al cuello. Y esta vez, no es una forma de hablar.
a bundle of anxious nerves a nervous wreck
Nuria
I know. You've been a nervous wreck for a week.
Ya lo sé. Llevas una semana de los nervios.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
I know. You've been (blank) for a week.
Options: to lose your temper · a nervous wreck · up to my neck in it
Show answer
Nuria
I know. You've been a nervous wreck for a week.
Ya lo sé. Llevas una semana de los nervios.
to get suddenly angry to lose your temper
to exaggerate a small problem to make a mountain out of a molehill
Your turn
What goes with to make a mountain out of a molehill?
Options: to exaggerate a small problem · in serious trouble, especially with money · a bundle of anxious nerves
Show answer
to make a mountain out of a molehill → to exaggerate a small problem
to give up (from boxing) to throw in the towel
Practise it in the story
Meet this rule inside a short animated scene. Answer as it plays, then say the lines yourself.
Practise free in the appSee all forms
| in serious trouble, especially with money | up to my neck in it |
|---|---|
| a bundle of anxious nerves | a nervous wreck |
| to get suddenly angry | to lose your temper |
| to exaggerate a small problem | to make a mountain out of a molehill |
| to give up (from boxing) | to throw in the towel |
More lines from the story
- TomásYesterday I lost my temper with Javi. I shouted at him in front of everyone.Ayer perdí los estribos con Javi. Le grité delante de todos.
- NuriaTomás, you're making a mountain out of a molehill.Tomás, te estás ahogando en un vaso de agua.
- TomásI think I'll throw in the towel. Opening a café was a mistake.Creo que voy a tirar la toalla. Abrir un café fue un error.
- TomásA molehill? It was a flood!¿Un vaso? ¡Fue una inundación!