This Friends Glossary turns memorable language from five Season 1 episodes into practical English you can use in conversations about relationships, work, decisions, emotions, and everyday problems.
Relationships and difficult conversations
Have a thing for someone
To feel romantic attraction toward someone, often without openly admitting it.
Try it: I think he has a thing for his new coworker.
Use this in casual conversation, not formal writing.
Cushion the blow
To make unpleasant news, criticism, or rejection feel less painful.
Try it: She started with a compliment to cushion the blow.
Common with bad news, rejection, disappointment, and criticism.
Gang up on someone
When several people join together against one person.
Try it: Let us discuss this calmly instead of ganging up on him.
The phrase usually suggests the situation feels unfair.
Be out of someone’s league
To seem too attractive, successful, or impressive for another person to date or compete with.
Try it: He thought she was out of his league, but he introduced himself anyway.
Often used jokingly or self-critically in dating conversations.
Handling change, pressure, and emotions
Roll with the punches
To adapt when events are difficult, unexpected, or outside your control.
Try it: The schedule keeps changing, so we have to roll with the punches.
This expression presents flexibility as a strength.
Let it go
To stop focusing on something that is upsetting, finished, or no longer useful to argue about.
Try it: You made your point; now it is probably better to let it go.
Tone matters: it can sound supportive or impatient.
Take your mind off something
To distract yourself from a worry, painful memory, or stressful situation.
Try it: A long walk might take your mind off the interview.
Usually followed by the problem: take my mind off work.
Something burns you up
Something makes you very angry or frustrated.
Try it: It burns me up when people take credit for someone else’s work.
This is vivid, emotional, and informal.
Well up
To begin filling with emotion or tears.
Try it: Her eyes welled up when she heard the news.
Often used with eyes, tears, pride, sadness, or emotion.
Decisions, judgments, and outcomes
Be on the table
To remain available for discussion or possible selection.
Try it: Working remotely is still on the table.
Useful in work meetings, negotiations, and planning.
The bottom line is …
Use this to introduce the most important conclusion after discussing several details.
Try it: The bottom line is, we need more time to test the product.
Natural in both professional and everyday English.
All things considered
Use this before giving an overall judgment after considering both positive and negative points.
Try it: All things considered, the trip went surprisingly well.
A polished alternative to overall or in the end.
A judgment call
A decision based on personal evaluation when there is no completely clear rule or answer.
Try it: Whether we delay the launch is a judgment call.
Especially useful when reasonable people could choose differently.
More or less
Approximately, almost, or generally true, though not exact in every detail.
Try it: The first version is more or less finished.
It softens a statement and leaves room for small exceptions.
Work, opportunity, and independence
Figure something out
To understand something or find a solution through thought or effort.
Try it: We have not fixed the bug yet, but we will figure it out.
One of the most transferable phrasal verbs in everyday English.
Not worth it
Used when the benefit does not justify the cost, effort, time, or risk.
Try it: The cheaper flight has three stops, so it is not worth it.
Replace it with the activity when needed: The argument is not worth having.
Make it on your own
To succeed or support yourself without depending heavily on other people.
Try it: Moving abroad proved that she could make it on her own.
Often connected with independence, money, work, or adulthood.
A big break
An important opportunity that could significantly improve someone’s career.
Try it: That small film role became his big break.
Common in entertainment, sports, business, and creative careers.
A simple speaking drill
Choose five expressions and complete these prompts aloud:
1. Something that is still on the table for me is …
2. When plans change, I usually roll with the punches by …
3. Something I recently had to figure out was …
4. All things considered, my week was …
5. The bottom line is …
Do not aim for perfect sentences on the first try. Aim to retrieve the expression quickly and use it naturally.
Explore more Friends English lessons
For more vocabulary and speaking practice, continue with the full Friends English learning guide.
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