19 Expressions with “Touch” You Should Know

19 Expressions with “Touch” You Should Know

Are you superstitious? 🙂Have you ever touched wood when you didn’t want a bad thing to happen to you? This custom originates from the distant past when people believed that spirits lived in the trees. Can you believe it? 🙂. Here are 19 expressions with “touch” you should know.

The word touch can be both a verb and a noun.

• Don’t touch the fire, Michael! (a verb)
• One of the human senses is a sense of touch. ( a noun)

Here are some common expressions with “touch”:

Get in touch

To get in touch means to get in contact with someone.

• When did you last get in touch with your ex-wife? (when did you last contact her) 
• I’ve been trying to get in touch with David all day. I wonder where he is.

Lose touch with someone 

The opposite to get in touch is losing touch, which refers to losing contact with someone.

• I’m so sorry I lost touch with my ex-colleague. We used to get on well.
• Even though they haven’t met very often, they’ve never lost touch.

Lose your touch

To lose your touch means to lose the ability to do something as you used to.

• It seems like Jane has lost touch with skiing.
• Don’t you find that you’re losing touch with playing tennis? You should practice more often.

Keep in touch

If you keep in touch with someone, then you stay in contact with them.

• I’ve always been trying to keep in touch with my schoolmates, even when we didn’t live in the same country. 
• Don’t forget all those days we spent together! Let’s keep in touch.

Magic touch 

If you have a magic touch, then you are able to do something excellently.

• Sara has a magic touch when it comes to gardening.
• Ted has a magic touch with children. They do everything he wants.

Soft touch / easy touch

 A person with a soft/easy touch is someone you can make do what you want easily. 

• Clara is a soft touch. We can always persuade her to babysit for us.
• We can ask Tim to borrow us some money. He’s an easy touch.

Out of touch

If you are out of touch then you don’t have information about a person or there is a lack of communication.

• Unfortunately, we’re out of touch with John, so we have no idea what he’s been doing.
• I was on holiday and I’m totally out of touch with the news in the village.

IDIOMS WITH “TOUCH”

Touch-and-go 

A touch-and-go situation is uncertain or critical.

• Everything was touch-and-go before Pauline’s operation.
• Five minutes before the end of the match, everything was touch-and-go for the New York Knicks.

Touch base 

To touch base means to talk to someone for a while.

• While we were in Italy, we touched base with some old friends.
• Hi Emily. We’ve just got back from holiday. Wouldn’t it be nice if we met somewhere for a coffee just to touch base?

Touch wood

You can say ‘touch wood’ as a charm against misfortune.

•  I think the cake will be just fine, touch wood.
• I must say, I’ve never been in a car accident, touch wood.

Finishing touch 

The finishing touch refers to final details that complete someone’s work. 

• To add the finishing touch to your dish, sprinkle some parsley on top.
• Amanda added some more blush to her face to make a finishing touch. 

Touch a sore spot (point) 

To touch a sore spot (point) refers to a sensitive matter.

• I don’t think we should touch a sore spot and ask him why he’s lost his job.
• When I was a teenager, an issue of my weight was a sore point with me.

Touch a (raw) nerve

To touch a (raw) nerve means to make someone very upset.

• Any idea of increasing the cost of oil and gas touches a nerve with Canadians.
• I’m sorry if I touch a raw nerve, but I have to raise the question of Sam’s infidelity.

PHRASAL VERBS WITH “TOUCH”

TOUCH DOWN 

To touch down means to land.

• The plane from Moscow has just touched down.
• In the movie, a large helicopter was touching down on the top of the skyscraper.

TOUCH OFF 

The phrasal verb touch off refers to a situation when something causes a series of events.

• The news about cutting the rainforests have touched off demonstrations all around the continent.
• Mentioning the war touched off lots of queries among the journalists.

TOUCH UP 

if you touch something up, you improved its appearance.

• Sally touched up her make-up and her dress.
• The painting is finished. I just need to touch it up here and there.

TOUCH ON / UPON

To touch something on means to mention a certain subject.

• It is necessary to touch on the subject at the meeting.
• The article in the newspaper touches upon the floods in India.

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