Hit the books

Hit the books means to physically hit, punch or slap your reading books. However this is an idiom which simply means “to study,” and is a way of telling your friends that you’re going to study.

“Sorry but I can’t watch the game with you tonight, I have to hit the books. I have a huge exam next week!”

Hit the sack literally means physically hitting or beating a sack (a large bag usually used for carrying things in bulk such as flour, rice or even soil). But actually to hit the sack means to go to bed, and you’d use this to tell your friends or family that you’re really tired, so you’re going to sleep.

Instead of saying hit the sack you can also say hit the hay.

“It’s time for me to hit the sack, I’m so tired.” And if you manage to twist someone else’s arm it means that you’re great at convincing them, and they’ve finally agreed to do something after you’ve been begging them.

“Jake, you should really come to the party tonight!” “You know I can’t, I have to hit the books (study).”

“C’mon, you have to come! It’s going to be so much fun and there are going to be lots of girls there. Please come?”

“Pretty girls? Oh all right, you’ve twisted my arm, I’ll come!”

Stab someone in the back If we take this idiom literally, we could find ourselves in a whole lot of trouble with the police, as it would mean taking a knife or another sharp object and putting it into a person’s back.

However, as an idiom, to stab someone in the back means to hurt someone who was close to us and trusted us by betraying them secretly and breaking their trust. We call the person who does this a back stabber.

“Did you hear that Sarah stabbed Kate in the back last week?”

“No! I thought they were best friends, what did she do?”

“She told their boss that Kate wasn’t interested in a promotion at work and Sarah got it instead.” Sit tight Sit tight literally would mean that you sit down squeezing your body in a tight way — which if you did would be very uncomfortable, not to mention you’d look really strange. But if a person tells you to sit tight they want you to wait patiently and take no action until you hear otherwise.

“Mrs Carter, do you have any idea when the exam results are going to come out?”

“Who knows Johnny, sometimes they come out quickly but it could take some time.You’re just going to have to sit tight and wait.”

Pitch in This idiom actually makes no sense if you try to take it literally. However, figuratively speaking, it means to contribute (give) to something or someone or to join in.

So if your dad tells the family that he wants everyone to pitch in this weekend and help clear the backyard, it means he wants everyone to join in on the efforts to clear the yard and get things done quicker.

“What are you going birthday?”

to buy Sally

“I don’t know. I don’t have much money.”

for her

“Maybe we can all pitch in and buy her something great.”

The above conversation suggests that every one of Sally’s friends should contribute a little bit of money so they can afford to buy her a bigger and better present together.