to get some fresh air
—| B2-C1 (upper-intermediate to advanced) |—
In Canadian English, this typically means:
IDIOM:
to remove yourself from a situation and go outside in order to think and/or calm down (standard)
to go outside and smoke cigarettes (Canadian slang; humourous)
EXAMPLES
“It was such an incredible offer, but it required me to move half-way across the globe, away from my family and friends. I just wasn’t sure that I could do it. To be that independent. So, I had to step away for a moment and get some fresh air. After a little while, the overwhelm subsided and I was able to decide what I was going to do.”
“Where’s John? He’s late for coffee.”
“Oh, he’s already here. He’s just getting some fresh air.”
“Oh! I see him now. I didn’t notice him through the window before. But I can see now the smoke coming from his cigarette.”
Do you ever need to get some fresh air when you are overwhelmed? Maybe you regularly get some fresh air because you smoke? Tell me about it in the comments below.
ASSOCIATED WORDS
Some synonyms related to “to get some fresh air” include:
Definition 1
IDIOMS
to go out for some fresh air
to take a moment
Definition 2
VERB
to smoke
IDIOMS
to smoke a dart (Canadian slang)
COLLOCATIONS
to go out for a smoke
to take a smoke break
to be on a smoke break
to smoke a cigarette
to be out, smoking a dart (Canadian slang)