A night owl is someone who likes to stay awake until late at night, or who works at night.

Examples of use:

1. He's always been a night owl: when he was a child he often read until past midnight.

2. There were a few night owls sitting in the café, but most people had gone home.

3. I'm a night owl: I do my best work at night.

Are you a night owl, or do you prefer to be up with the lark?

Image © Angela GS

It's Halloween on the 31st October, the night when ghosts and witches are said to appear.

Here are some suitably ghostly, spooky, evil and mysterious words and phrases…

Witches, ghosts and skeletons

♦ witch-hunt - to go on a witch-hunt is to try and find and punish or harrass people with unpopular opinions, usually because they are said to be dangerous to others.

This expression has its origins in the witch-hunts of the Middle Ages when thousands of young women in Europe were killed because they were thought to be witches.

Example:

He was the victim of a witch-hunt at work, and was fired because of his new and innovative ideas.

♦ witching hour - witching hour is the time of night when witches, ghosts, and other supernatural creatures are said to appear.

Example:

I'm not leaving the house at witching hour on Halloween!

♦ skeleton in the cupboard – a skeleton in the cupboard is is something that might bring shame or embarrassment to a family or person if other people knew about it.

Example:

Mrs Mills has a skeleton in the cupboard: she was caught stealing money from her employer in 2002.

♦ skeleton staff - a skeleton staff is the smallest number of people needed to do a job.

Example:

My local doctors' surgery only has a skeleton staff at weekends.

♦ a ghost town – a ghost town is one that has been abandoned and is no longer inhabited.

Example:

All the young people have left our village and it's like a ghost town now.

♦ spirit away – to spirit away something or somebody (or spirit something or somebody away), is to remove something or someone from a place quickly, secretly and mysteriously.

Example:

According to legend, she was spirited away in the middle of the night by witches.

Blood

♦ chill the blood – if something chills your blood it scares you. Also – make the blood run cold

Examples:

The horror story chilled my blood.

The screams from the haunted house made my blood run cold.

♦ in cold blood – to act in cold blood is to do something deliberately and without emotions or mercy.

Example:

They killed their former friend in cold blood.

♦ makes one's blood boil – if something makes your blood boil, it makes you angry.

Example:

It makes my blood boil to think that he was promoted to Manager before I was.

♦ out for one's blood / after one's blood – to be out for someone's blood is to be determined to get revenge.

Sometimes used humorously.

Example: We beat them at football, and now they are after our blood.

Weapons

♦ put / stick the knife in – to do or say something very unpleasant or very unkind to someone.

Example:

He really put the knife in when he told her that nobody at work liked her.

♦ look daggers at – to look daggers at someone, is to look at them with hatred or anger.

Example:

Her husband's ex-wife looked daggers at her.

♦ stab in the back – to stab someone in the back is to betray them.

Example:

We let him stay in our home, but he stabbed us in the back by telling lies about us to everyone.

Owls, rats, bats and cats

♦ bats in the belfry – if someone has bats in the belfry (or is bats, or batty) it means they are eccentric or slightly mad (crazy).

Example:

I think my neighbour has bats in the belfry: his house is full of thousands of old newspapers and magazines.

♦ a night owl – a night owl is someone who likes being awake and active at night.

Example:

I'm a night owl: I do my best work in the evenings and at night.

♦ smell a rat – to smell a rat is to be suspicious about something, to suspect that it is not as it appears.

Example:

Her new boyfriend said he is a doctor, but I smell a rat: I think he's lying.

♦ a rat – a rat is a person who betrays or deserts their friends or associates.

Example:

He's a rat. He sold our plans for the new business to a rival company.

♦ not a cat in hell's chance – no chance at all.

This phrase was originally "No more chance that a cat in hell without claws" – which refers to the difficulty of fighting a battle with inadequate defence or weapons.

It is often used in situations where there is no hope.

Example:

We hadn't a cat in hell's chance of rescuing our possessions from the fire.

Fear

♦ scared stiff - if someone is scared stiff they are so frightened they are unable to move.

Example:

I was scared stiff when I saw the ghostly face at my window.

♦ scare the pants off someone - to scare the pants off someone is to frighten them a great deal

Example:

Halloween scares the pants off me!

Madness

♦ a Jekyll and Hyde personality - someone with a Jekyll and Hyde personality has two sides to their personality: good and evil.

This expression comes from the novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, in which the good Dr Jekyll turns into the evil Mr Hyde.

Example:

Everybody thinks he is a lovely old man, but he can be very cruel and heartless: he has a Jeckyll and Hyde personality.

♦ mad as a hatter – if someone is as mad as a hatter, they are completely insane.

It is thought this expression might have its origins in the fact that mercury was used in hat making: this caused nerve damage in the hat makers, making them appear insane.

Example:

Be careful when you talk to him, he's as mad as a hatter.

♦ Bedlam (noun) – uproar and confusion.

This expression has its origins in Bethlem Royal Hospital – a hospital in London for the mentally ill.

Examples:

1. It's the school holidays and it's bedlam in our house.

2. The meeting was absolute bedlam, with everyone shouting and swearing at each other.

♦ driven out of one's mind – to be driven out of one's mind is to be made insane with worry or fear.

Example:

I was driven out of my mind with worry when I lost my job and had no money to pay the bills.

Phrasal verbs

♦ dress up - to dress up is to put on costumes or clothes to make yourself look like someone or something else.

Examples:

1. The children dressed up in their Halloween costumes.

2. I dressed up as a witch for the Halloween party.

♦ believe in - when you believe in something or somebody, you are sure that something or somebody exists.

Examples:

1. Do you believe in ghosts?

2. My children still believe in witches and fairies.

♦ freak out – to freak out is to experience strong emotions and become excited or disturbed, or very angry or very upset.

Examples:

1. He freaked out when he saw the scary halloween costume.

2. They freaked out when we leapt out wearing witch masks and screaming loudly.

♦ weird out - to weird someone out is to make them feel very uncomfortable or uneasy.

Examples:

1. Take that mask off – it's really weirding me out.

2. I don't like Halloween. The costumes and decorations weird me out.

♦ hand out - to hand out something (or hand something out) is to give something to each person in a group of people.

Example:

On Halloween, people hand out sweets to children who knock on their doors

♦ huddle up – to huddle up is to move closer to other people, or to keep your arms and legs very close to your body, usually because you are cold or frightened

Example:

We were terrified in the haunted house so we held hands and huddled up together.

♦ Look out! – Look out! is an exclamation you shout out to warn someone about potential danger.

Example:

Look out! There's a ghost behind you!

♦ turn into - when something turns into something else it becomes that thing.

Example:

She drank the magic potion and turned into a black cat.

♦ wind up – to wind up somebody, or wind somebody up, is to tell them something that isn't true in order to make a joke.

Example:

We wound up his younger brother by telling him that ghosts and witches are real.

♦ scare away / off - to scare away someobody or something, is to make a person or animal so scared that they go away.

Example:

We scared the neighbours' children away by dressing up as skeletons and shouting loudly!

♦ ward off – if you ward off something unpleasant, you stop it from harming you or coming near to you.

Example:

Garlic and crosses ward off vampires.

Halloween History from National Geographic

Image © DeusXFlorida (pumpkins)  Erich Ferdinand (dagger) Ruthanne Reid (coffin) jimmy brown (witch)   longhorndave (bat) 

Here are some useful expressions for expressing or talking about anger.

gets one's goat 

If something annoys or irritates you, it gets your goat.

It's thought this expression might have its origins in horse racing. Nervous racing horses were kept with goats in order to keep them calm. If a horse's goat companion was lost or stolen, the horse would get very anxious and nervous and might lose the race.

Examples of use:

1. It really gets my goat when people push in front of me in a queue.

2. That postman gets my goat: he never shuts the gate.

to be on the warpath

If someone is on the warpath they are angry and looking for the person who has angered them, in order to confront them or start a fight.

Examples of use:

1. She is on the warpath after discovering that her personal photos were published online.

2. Look out: dad's on the warpath. He's knows that you borrowed his car without asking.

to see red

If a person sees red they are very angry.

It is thought this expression might have its origins in bull-fighting where a red cape is used to attract and anger the bull.

Examples of use:

1. I saw red when the van driver drove into the back of my car.

2. I didn't mean to punch him: I just saw red.

to throw a wobbly

To throw a wobbly is to suddenly lose one's self-control and become angry.

British and Australian English.

Examples of use:

1. His girlfriend threw a wobbly when she saw him looking at another girl.

2. OK, don't throw a wobbly. I said I'm sorry.

getting on my nerves

If someone is getting on your nerves, they are doing something that is irritating or bothering you.

Examples of use:

1. Will you stop whistling! You're getting on my nerves.

2. My neighbours children are playing in the garden and they're really getting on my nerves with their shouting and screaming.

makes one's blood boil

If something makes your blood boil, it makes you very angry.

Examples of use:

1. It makes my blood boil to think that he will not be punished for his crime.

2. It makes my blood boil when I see people using their mobile phones while driving.

(almost) burst a blood vessel

To burst a blood vessel is to become very angry about something.

Usually used in a humorous way.

Examples of use:

1. My dad nearly burst a blood vessel when I crashed his car!

2. My mum almost burst a blood vessel when she saw my tattoo.

to be hopping mad

To be hopping mad is to be extremely angry. So angry that you are almost jumping / hopping around with rage.

Examples of use:

1. His parents were hopping mad when he broke the window.

2. He was hopping mad when I was promoted to Office Manager before him.

go ballistic

To go ballistic is to become violently and uncontrollably angry.

Examples of use:

1. Our boss went ballistic when

2. Before you go ballistic; I just want you to know it was an accident.

blow your top (also, blow up, blow a gasket and blow a fuse)

To blow up is to suddenly lose your temper (get very angry).

Examples of use:

1. Mum will blow her top when she sees the mess you've made.

2. We were having a discussion about the accounts and he suddenly blew up and stormed out.

Can you use one of these expressions in a sentence?

What makes your blood boil, or makes you hopping mad?

Image © David365

Here are some useful expressions for expressing or talking about sadness.

down in the mouth

When you look down in the mouth you look depressed and unhappy.

Down in the mouth is the way you look when the corners of your mouth are turned down because you are unhappy.

Examples of use:

1. You're looking down in the mouth. What's the problem?

2. What's wrong with Erica? She's been looking down in the mouth all week.

down in the dumps (or in the dumps)

To be down in the dumps is to be depressed or miserable.

Examples of use:

1. He's been down in the dumps ever since he lost his job.

2. Sharon is down in the dumps because her boyfriend has gone on holiday without her.

have a face like a wet weekend

To have a face like a wet weekend is to look very unhappy

British English. Informal.

Examples of use:

1. Cheer up. You've had a face like a wet weekend all day!

2. Every time I take my girlfriend to a football match she has a face like a wet weekend.

feeling blue or to have the blues

To feel (or look) blue is to feel (or look) depressed or unhappy.

The colour blue is often associated with feelings of sadness and depression.

Examples of use:

1. I'm feeling blue today.

2. She has the blues because she hasn't seen her boyfriend for a week.

3. When I'm feeling blue I listen to some happy music to cheer myself up.

beside yourself with grief / worry

When you are beside yourself with grief or worry your feelings are so strong that you are overwhelmed by them.

Examples of use:

1. She was beside herself with worry when she lost her daughter in the shop.

2. They were beside themselves with grief when  their mother died.

reduced to tears

When someone or something reduces you to tears, they make you feel so unhappy that you cry.

Examples of use:

1. My boss reduced me to tears when he shouted at me.

2. Her mother reduces her to tears with her constant criticism.

downhearted

If you feel downhearted you feel sad or depressed.

Examples of use:

1. Don't be downhearted. You can retake your exams next month.

2. We have to move out of our home and I feel so downhearted.

heartbroken

If someone is heartbroken they are feeling intense and overwhelming sadness.

Examples of use:

1. He was heartbroken when his partner died.

2. We were heartbroken when our old dog died.

Can you use one of these expressions in a sentence?

What makes you feel blue?

Image © Erich Ferdinand