Uploaded September 2016 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Are you "in the loop" or "in two minds"? Are you "on your own" or "on a mission"? Learn the meanings of eight commonly used idioms in no time! What are idioms? Words that have a different meaning when used together than when used separately. Watch this lesson now, so you won't be "in hot water" when speaking to native English speakers! Then, take the quiz: engvid.com/8-easy-english-idioms-with-in-and-on
TRANSCRIPT
i. I'm Rebecca from engVid. In the next few minutes you will learn to understand and use eight idioms which are used very commonly by native English speakers. Okay? Now, of course, there are thousands of idioms in English. And just to remind you: What are idioms? Idioms are expressions that have a different meaning when used... When the words are used together than when they are used separately. But even though there are thousands - don't worry. Today our goal, our mission is for you to know eight more idioms than when you woke up this morning. Okay? So, let's get started.
Number one. Oh, by the way, I tried to make it a little bit easier for you by choosing four that start with "in" and four that start with "on". Okay? I hope that helps. All right, number one: "in the loop". What does it mean to be "in the loop"? It means to be... First of all, a "loop" is like something round, a circle. Okay? Kind of like a circle or... Or if I take this wire and I make it go around, I will loop it around. Okay? So, "loop" is like a circle. So, if you are "in the loop", you're part of a group of people who know what's happening. Okay? That's what it means. So, sometimes there are in... Let's say in a company, there are some people who are lower down, and there's some people who are a little bit higher up, and they know exactly what's going on, they are in the loop. Okay? They know what's happening, or part of a group of people who know what's happening.
Okay. Now: "in two minds". What does it mean to be "in two minds"? What do you think it means? In this is one mind, this is another mind - no. Okay. So, "in two minds" means you're not sure what to do. You feel like doing this, then you feel like doing that, so you are in two minds. It means you're undecided or unsure. Okay?
Next, number three: "in hot water". Okay. What do you think it means: "in hot water", to be in hot water? I don't know. Maybe you have a similar expression in your language. Well, in English, it's not good to be in hot water. In English, if you're in hot water it means you are in trouble. Okay? So it's not a good thing. All right.
And number four: "in no time". What does that mean: "in no time"? It means very, very quickly. All right? "In no time" means very quickly.
Let's review. "In the loop" means you're part of a circle of people or a group of people who know what's going on. "In hot water" means you're in trouble. "In two minds" means you're unsure, you're undecided. And "in no time" means very fast, very quickly. Okay? Let's go on to the next four. Are you ready? Let's go.
Number five: "on a mission". If you are on a mission, which I believe you are, it means you are determined to do something, you are very serious about achieving something, a goal, a target. Okay? You are on a mission. I think you are on a mission to improve your English, that's why you're watching this video.
Okay, number six: "on my own". Now, I've written: "on my own", but you can actually write anything; "on my own", "on your own", "on his own", "on her own", "on our own", "on their own". Okay? But what does it mean if I say: "I'm on my own"? It means I'm alone. Or: "I did it on my own" means I did it by myself. Okay? So, what it means is just that person alone; not with any help or not with anyone else there. Okay?
Number seven: "on good terms". What does it mean to be on good terms with somebody? Well, I hope you're on good terms with your boss, with your colleagues, with your neighbours. It means you have a good relationship with them. Okay? "On good terms" means a good relationship.
And the last one, here: "on second thought", okay? So, "on second thought" means on thinking a little bit more, when I think a little bit further, then I think this. So what this suggests is that first you made one decision, but then after thinking some more, then on second thought you decided something different. Okay? So, whenever you say: "on second thought", you're going to say that that new thing is different from whatever you had decided earlier. Okay?
So, just to review: if you are alone, you could say you are "on your own". If you change your mind and you thought something first and now you think something else, so then what expression could you use? "On second thought", good. If you are determined to do something and nothing's going to stop you, you could use which idiom? You could use the idiom: "on a mission". And if you get along very well with people, you can say you are "on good terms" with them, very nice. Let's use them now, okay?
Are you "in the loop" or "in two minds"? Are you "on your own" or "on a mission"? Learn the meanings of eight commonly used idioms in no time! What are idioms? Words that have a different meaning when used together than when used separately. Watch this lesson now, so you won't be "in hot water" when speaking to native English speakers! Then, take the quiz: engvid.com/8-easy-english-idioms-with-in-and-on
TRANSCRIPT
i. I'm Rebecca from engVid. In the next few minutes you will learn to understand and use eight idioms which are used very commonly by native English speakers. Okay? Now, of course, there are thousands of idioms in English. And just to remind you: What are idioms? Idioms are expressions that have a different meaning when used... When the words are used together than when they are used separately. But even though there are thousands - don't worry. Today our goal, our mission is for you to know eight more idioms than when you woke up this morning. Okay? So, let's get started.
Number one. Oh, by the way, I tried to make it a little bit easier for you by choosing four that start with "in" and four that start with "on". Okay? I hope that helps. All right, number one: "in the loop". What does it mean to be "in the loop"? It means to be... First of all, a "loop" is like something round, a circle. Okay? Kind of like a circle or... Or if I take this wire and I make it go around, I will loop it around. Okay? So, "loop" is like a circle. So, if you are "in the loop", you're part of a group of people who know what's happening. Okay? That's what it means. So, sometimes there are in... Let's say in a company, there are some people who are lower down, and there's some people who are a little bit higher up, and they know exactly what's going on, they are in the loop. Okay? They know what's happening, or part of a group of people who know what's happening.
Okay. Now: "in two minds". What does it mean to be "in two minds"? What do you think it means? In this is one mind, this is another mind - no. Okay. So, "in two minds" means you're not sure what to do. You feel like doing this, then you feel like doing that, so you are in two minds. It means you're undecided or unsure. Okay?
Next, number three: "in hot water". Okay. What do you think it means: "in hot water", to be in hot water? I don't know. Maybe you have a similar expression in your language. Well, in English, it's not good to be in hot water. In English, if you're in hot water it means you are in trouble. Okay? So it's not a good thing. All right.
And number four: "in no time". What does that mean: "in no time"? It means very, very quickly. All right? "In no time" means very quickly.
Let's review. "In the loop" means you're part of a circle of people or a group of people who know what's going on. "In hot water" means you're in trouble. "In two minds" means you're unsure, you're undecided. And "in no time" means very fast, very quickly. Okay? Let's go on to the next four. Are you ready? Let's go.
Number five: "on a mission". If you are on a mission, which I believe you are, it means you are determined to do something, you are very serious about achieving something, a goal, a target. Okay? You are on a mission. I think you are on a mission to improve your English, that's why you're watching this video.
Okay, number six: "on my own". Now, I've written: "on my own", but you can actually write anything; "on my own", "on your own", "on his own", "on her own", "on our own", "on their own". Okay? But what does it mean if I say: "I'm on my own"? It means I'm alone. Or: "I did it on my own" means I did it by myself. Okay? So, what it means is just that person alone; not with any help or not with anyone else there. Okay?
Number seven: "on good terms". What does it mean to be on good terms with somebody? Well, I hope you're on good terms with your boss, with your colleagues, with your neighbours. It means you have a good relationship with them. Okay? "On good terms" means a good relationship.
And the last one, here: "on second thought", okay? So, "on second thought" means on thinking a little bit more, when I think a little bit further, then I think this. So what this suggests is that first you made one decision, but then after thinking some more, then on second thought you decided something different. Okay? So, whenever you say: "on second thought", you're going to say that that new thing is different from whatever you had decided earlier. Okay?
So, just to review: if you are alone, you could say you are "on your own". If you change your mind and you thought something first and now you think something else, so then what expression could you use? "On second thought", good. If you are determined to do something and nothing's going to stop you, you could use which idiom? You could use the idiom: "on a mission". And if you get along very well with people, you can say you are "on good terms" with them, very nice. Let's use them now, okay?
