21 Quirky English Expressions You Should Know

When someone learns English as a second language, we are encouraged to say what we mean, and mean things that we do say. However, advanced and fluent speakers know this is not always applicable. Speaking naturally often requires us to put concepts together that are opposites of each other, e.g. a “passive aggressive” encounter.

In this article, we explore some of the quirky expressions that have found their place in everyday use. These expressions may be simply be a contradiction in terms, or exaggerations, or other semi-deliberate mistakes that make the text more interesting when used correctly.

Most of these fall under the category of oxymorons, which is a term for words or phrases that contradict itself.

Here is a list of such odd phrases and expressions, with examples of typical usage. Enjoy!

Original copy

• The auction house authenticated the painting as an original copy by Vincent van Gogh before putting it up for bidding.
• Maggie prefers reading physical books over e-books because she loves the smell and feel of an original copy.
• The editor made sure to mark “original copy” on the manuscript before sending it off to the publisher.
• As an archivist, it’s Scott’s job to preserve and catalog the library’s collection of original copies and rare editions.

Authentic copy is similar.

Exact estimate

• After closely examining the blueprints, the architect came up with an exact estimate of how long construction on the building would take.
• Without doing a detailed inventory, the store manager could only provide an exact estimate of how much stock they had left.
• The doctor refused to give an exact estimate of how long the patient had left to live.
• Doing complex calculations, the physicist came up with an exact estimate of the rocket’s trajectory.

Small crowd

• A small crowd had gathered at the park for the evening walk.
• There was a small crowd in front of the new art exhibit at the museum.
• She stepped onto the stage, nodding nervously at the small crowd.
• Despite the drizzling rain, a small crowd still came to watch the high school football match.

Pretty ugly

• His new car looks pretty ugly in that bright neon color.
• Despite being expensive, her dress was pretty ugly.
• The house’s exterior is pretty ugly, despite the beautiful interior.
• Some of these modern art pieces are pretty ugly.

Act naturally

• The director told the actors to just act naturally when he shouts “Action!”
• Noticing the hidden camera, Jake whispered to his friend, “Just act naturally and keep walking.”
• Before stepping onto the stage for her first performance, she was advised to act naturally to calm her nerves.
• The wildlife photographer works silently, encouraging the animals to act naturally as he captures their images.

Working vacation

• My boss approved a working vacation, so I’ll be combining business with pleasure.
• Signing on to a working vacation can be a fantastic change of scenery.
• I enjoyed the working vacation so much that I quit my regular job and became a digital nomad.
• Even though it’s a working vacation, I will have some downtime to explore the city.

Found missing

• His lucky token that was found missing was discovered lying on the kitchen counter.
• The report, which we found missing, mysteriously appeared on the desk today.
• The antique necklace, originally found missing, was discovered hidden in the attic.
• The files on the computer were found missing after the system crash.

Liquid gas

• The scientist was fascinated by the transformation of liquid to gas.
• Bruno prided himself on his ability to identify liquid gas at a glance.
• The experiment required a significant amount of liquid gas.
• The liquid gas in the tank should be handled with caution.

Deafening silence

• The room fell into a deafening silence after her shocking announcement.
• In the wake of his unecpected news, the deafening silence was palpable.
• I was greeted by a deafening silence as I entered the empty house.
• The party had abruptly ended, leaving behind a deafening silence.

Virtual reality

• Virtual reality technology blows away gaming boundaries.
• The educational sector is significantly benefitting from virtual reality.
• Virtual reality experiences can transport viewers to stunning otherworldly landscapes.
• The cinema industry is currently embracing promising innovations around virtual reality.

Mark Zuckerberg’s Metaverse was a big bet on virtual reality, and was supposed to be the next big thing in technology.

Friendly fire

• During the chaos, we accidentally encountered friendly fire.
• In the heat of battle, friendly fire is a real concern.
• Due to a mistake in coordinates, they were hit by friendly fire.
• His platoon was devastated by a tragic incident of friendly fire.

Random order

• The books were scattered in a random order on the floor.
• John tackled his homework in a completely random order.
• They drew names in a random order to decide the sequence.
• In a random order, she began to recall the events of the day.

Quickly slow down

• As the turn approached, the driver had to quickly slow down the car.
• When she realized she was reading too fast, she decided to quickly slow down.
• Jen toned her workout and quickly slow down her heart rate.
• While baking, it became necessary to quickly slow down the mixer speed to avoid a mess.

Awfully nice

• It’s awfully nice to finally meet you.
• Despite the difficulties, they were awfully nice to everyone.
• They’ve done an awfully nice job renovating the old house.
• The sunrise at the beach was awfully nice today.

Only choice

• Having exhausted all other alternatives, this was my only choice.
• I decided to invest in real estate as that seemed to be my only choice.
• She, being my only choice, was chosen to lead the campaign.
• Given the circumstances, going abroad for higher studies was his only choice.

Open secret

• Her infatuation with the boss is an open secret in the office.
• The fact that he cheated on the test became an open secret.
• Her upcoming movie is Hollywood’s worst kept open secret.
• His gambling addiction was an open secret in the family.

Assisted suicide

• Assisted suicide is a controversial topic debated worldwide.
• Legislation around assisted suicide varies wildly from country to country.
• Dr. John advocated for the right to assisted suicide for terminally ill patients.
• Opinions on assisted suicide are often rooted in religious, ethical, and cultural beliefs.

Minor crisis

• A minor crisis occurred at work when the power went out.
• The burnt toast was a minor crisis at breakfast.
• His dog escaping from the yard caused a minor crisis.
• The wifi going down was a minor crisis for the busy office.

Seriously funny

• The play was seriously funny, keeping the audience in fits of laughter throughout.
• She has a seriously funny sense of humor that can lighten up even the grimmest situations.
• His stand-up comedy show was seriously funny, leaving everyone gasping for breath.
• The book was seriously funny, filled with humorous anecdotes and witty dialogues.

Good grief

• Good grief, I can’t believe we made it to the concert in time!
• She won the lottery? Good grief, some people have all the luck.
• After looking at his messy room, all she could muster was a perplexed ‘Good grief!’
• The football team lost again? Good grief, we need a new coach.

Accidentally Intentional

• The spilling of the ink was accidentally intentional, a seemingly innocent move that ruined the document.
• His accidentally intentional jab at her cooking skill made the room awkwardly silent.
• Her lipstick mark on his shirt seemed accidentally intentional, giving away their secret relationship.
• The painting’s beauty lay in its accidentally intentional strokes, making it extraordinarily unique.