ESL Podcast 357 - Describing Facial Expressions

taken aback - surprised and shocked, often in a negative way

We were all taken aback when the manager announced that the store was going to close.

to give (someone) a dirty look - to make a facial expression that shows that one is displeased or angry with another person; to scowl at another person

Stacy gave her father a dirty look when he told her that she was too young to date.

to look down (one's) nose at (someone) - to believe that one is better, smarter, or more intelligent than another person

Kirk is the best soccer player on the team and looks down his nose at the other players.

if looks could kill.... - a phrase used to show that someone made a very mean and/or angry facial expression, and that if facial expressions were able to kill people, then this one would have done so

• How did your parents react when you told them that you crashed their new car?
• Let's just say that if looks could kill....

to strike out on (one's) own - to begin to do something independently, without assistance from other people

We all offered to help Maggie find an apartment, but she decided that she would rather strike out on her own.

happy-go-lucky - laidback; relaxed; not stressed out about anything; calm

Abu is a happy-go-lucky guy. Even when he lost a lot of money in his investments, he just shrugged his shoulders and made a joke out of it.

to misread - to misinterpret something that one has seen; to see something and think that it means one thing, although it actually means something else

Karen never cries, and some people misread this as a sign of her strength, but it's really just that she doesn't show her emotions in front of other people.

to grin [from] ear to ear - to smile very widely; to have a very large smile and be very happy

After Dinkar's girlfriend agreed to marry him, he was grinning ear to ear for days.

frown - an expression of displeasure or sadness where the corners of one's lips turn down; the opposite of a smile

The little boy had a frown on his face and refused to smile for the camera.

not sure - uncertain; not knowing

I'm not sure what time the meeting will end, but probably no later than 4:20.

what to make of (something) - how to interpret something; how to understand something

We didn't know what to make of Kelly's decision to change her major from biophysics to American literature.

to raise (one's) eyebrows at (someone) - to lift one's eyebrows, often to show that one is confused or surprised by something that another person has said or done, or to question something that another person has said or done

When Keith said that he was going to sell his car and start riding his bicycle everywhere, his friends raised their eyebrows at him in surprise.

to wince - to cringe; to change one's facial expression to show negative surprise, shock, or pain, usually moving one's head and shoulders backward slightly

Lulu winced when the doctor gave her a painful shot.

poker face - a facial expression that does not change to show one's emotions; a facial expression that is intended to hide what one is feeling

The criminal had a poker face throughout the trial, and he didn't even react when the judge sentenced him to 10 years in prison.

purple with rage - so angry that one's face has a dark red color

Octavio became purple with rage when he found out that he was going to lose his job.

long face - a facial expression showing great sorrow or depression

Lenny had a long face for weeks after his dog died.

to spring (something) on (someone) - to surprise someone with something; to tell someone without preparing him or her in advance

When Zede and Jeb decided to get married, they sprang the news on their parents over dinner.

all at once - all at one time; simultaneously; doing something with a group of people together at the same time, rather than one at a time

In their family, they open their Christmas presents all at once, rather than opening gifts one at a time to see what everyone else has received.

to cry over spilled milk - to regret something that has happened; to feel bad about something that has happened and wish that one could have done it differently

When his business failed, everyone said, "It's no use crying over spilled milk. Forget about it and open a new business!"