Summer is associated with fun, energy, and leisure. In the U.S. schools are out, businesses slow down, and people enjoy the great outdoors. Over the years, there have been popularized sayings that people usually mention during summer or to describe a specific aspect of summer and I thought that would be a great way to spend our time in today's blog post. Let's jump right in! 

Summer Colloquial Expressions in English

Summer expressions in English often evoke the feeling of warmth, relaxation, and the joys of the season. Just like in any language, these expressions emerge from the cultural experiences and associations people have with the summer season itself. 

They are a reflection of the cultural significance of the seasons and the shared experiences and emotions people have during this time of year such as barbecues, picnics, and outdoor festivals. Most of these expressions are also associated with positive emotions such as happiness and freedom. 

Since I'm actually enjoying my vacation rightr now, I thought we'd cover some summer expressions in English. Here are some of my faves!

Lazy days of summer

This saying refers to the relaxed and unhurried pace of life during summer when people often take it easy and enjoy leisurely activities.

When saying this phrase, notice how the vowel sounds in both of these words are the same: lazy and days. Make sure you enunciate those words well as they carry the message of that particular saying, too.

Summer breeze

This is not quite a saying, but you'll hear it often in summer and it refers to the gentle and refreshing wind that blows during the summer months, bringing relief from the heat.

Since it's so short, make sure both words are emphasized and you lengthen the vowel in "breeze." 

Dog days of summer

This expression refers to the hottest and most uncomfortable days of summer, typically in July and August. In New York City, August gets unbearable at times – but the dog days of summer have been with us in July too--UGH 🥵!

Make sure you enunciate the alliteration of the /d/ sound when you say "Dog days", meaning the repetition of the same sound. 

Summer heat

Similarly, "summer heat" represents the high temperatures that are characteristic of the summer season.

Again, when sentences are short, make sure you enunciate all the words clearly. 

Cool off

This saying has become so ubiquitous in the English language, but we can definitely trace its origin to summer. It's to find relief from the heat by doing something refreshing, like swimming or having a cold drink. 

You're gonna want to stress the "off" and emphasize your intonation there. 

Beach bum

This is a term for someone who spends a lot of time at the beach, chilling on the sand, chatting it up with friends, and just having a good ol' time.

What makes these summer expressions fun is the alliteration that many of them carry – it adds a jovial and almost child-like aspect to a term or phrase. So make sure to pronounce the /b/ sounds well. 

Sun-kissed

I feel like I see this term all the time when looking at make-up or beauty products. It's one of those terms that is associated with summer and who wouldn't want a warm glow on their skin year-round? 

Stress the "sun" part of the expression to get it right! 

Catch some rays

Can you guess what this means? To sunbathe or spend time soaking up the sun's rays – this is exactly what I've been doing in Southern Italy for the past week🌅! 

"Some" isn't necessarily a key word here – so practice flowing the word "some" between the two other words: "catch" and "rays." It should sound a little like "CATCHsumRAYS" 

Summer fling

For all you single people out there, you may appreciate the idea of having a summer fling--This is a short-term light, romantic relationship that occurs during the summer months. There are many, many movies (all around the world) that have been created on this basic premise of a love interest that just gets intensified with the heat and easy-going days of summer. 

Make sure you emphasize and enunciate "fling" as it's the main idea of the expression!

Fire up the grill

Finally, a tradition that's synonymous with summer is barbecue. This expression specifically refers to the action of starting to heat up the outdoor barbecue and grill up some meats and veggies.

Here, we'll want to gloss over the words "up" and "the" and focus on emphasizing and raising our pitch with "fire" and grill." Let's think of it in a way that "fireup" is one word and you'll quickly say "the" to get to "grill."  

Ok, I'm going to enjoy my Aperol Spritz as I look out onto this Ionian Sea, enjoy the warm summer breeze, and catch some rays! 

Ciao!