The word shop appears a lot in English with many different meanings that have no connection with shopping at all and a lot which do have a connection. You can also go to the shopping centre to window shop, or to shop around for the best price before you buy something or even to shoplift if you don't have any money....

Here are some of the many words, collocations, and phrases that contain the word shop in English

To go shopping - to buy clothes or other things not related to food. “I'm going shopping, do you want to come?”

To do the/some shopping - to buy food from a supermarket. “Can we stop at the supermarket on the way, I’ve got to do some shopping”

To shop around - to check many places for the best price. “I’m definitely going to buy that phone you have, but I’m shopping around for the best price”

To shoplift (shoplifting/shoplifter) - to steal from a shop – “Even though he has the money to buy things, he still shoplifts. He says he does it for the buzz”

A sweatshop - a factory, usually in an underdeveloped country where people, including children, work for low pay. “I’ve stopped wearing Nike since I heard they use sweatshops to make their trainers”

A body shop - a place that works on, and fixes cars. Mostly American. In the UK it is known as a garage. “My car is in the body shop/garage waiting to be fixed”

A knocking shop - a house or flat full of prostitutes where men(and women) go also known as a brothel or whorehouse. "I’m pretty sure I live next door to a knocking shop. Men coming and going all night and day, and don’t even get me started on the noises"

A weekly shop - a trip to the supermarket to buy food for the week ahead. “We do our weekly shop on a Monday when there are fewer people in the shops”

Like a (fat) kid in a sweet shop - to be very happy in their surroundings. He may be 40 but he was like a kid in a sweet shop when we went to Arsenal football museum

Talk shop - to talk about work relative activities. "Let’s talk shop, I want to make sure we are clear about how this is going to work"

To shop someone - to report something to the authorities for doing something wrong. "His own father shopped him to the police for stealing drugs. His own father!"

To be all over the shop - to be disorganised or not in order. "He had a hangover, so his presentation was all over the shop. I don’t even think he knew what he was saying"

To be like a bull in a China shop - to be careless and clumsy in certain situations. Do not let him speak to them. He is like a bull in a China shop. It will not end well.

To shop till you drop - go shopping and buy many things until you are exhausted. “My wife has my credit card. I fear the worst. She’s with her friends and no doubt they’ll shop until they drop”

A pawn shop - a shop where people sell their goods for quick cash. Usually there is an option to buy their items back within a time period. “I’m going to pawn the ring. I’ll have the money in a couple of days to buy it back”

On the shop floor - the main area of the shop where customers are. “There has to be at least two people on the shop floor at all times”

Set up shop – to establish a business in a certain area. “We set up shop here about 5 years ago and we are still going strong”

A pop-up shop - a shop that will only last for a limited period of time - "Before we decide, we are going to open a pop-up shop in the centre for 2 weeks to see how it goes and then after think about something more permanent'

Practice. Choose the best shop combination to fill the below gap.

a) John, please!, I don’t want to ….. after work. I just want to chill and talk about football and have a beer
b) My brother took me to go shopping and I was shocked. I saw him ….. a t-shirt I told him I liked
c) We went to a strip club for his 18th birthday. He was...... He couldn't stop smiling
d) I went into the shop, and nobody was …… I could have stolen anything. I think they were all outside smoking.
e) Nobody knew what they were doing. They were.... I won’t use them again
f) How can you go shopping? You’ve got no money! I’m just ……
g) All big corporations use ….. I don’t care what they use. It’s all about profit.
i) It looks good, but I’m going to ….. before I make a decision


Key: talk shop/ shoplift / like a (fat) kid in a sweet shop/on the shop floor/all over the shop /window shopping / sweatshops / shop around

And… here’s a few other words connected to shopping

Bargain – a very good price for something.
Refund – when you return the item and get your money back. To do this you will need the receipt. (REECEET)
The till – the device that is used at the check out. It holds the money.
Aisle – The ‘rows’ found in supermarkets. The drinks aisle, the sweets aisle. (I'll)
Shelf – the place where food goods are placed in supermarkets. Sometimes they are empty…
Queue – a line of people waiting to pay (Q)
Trolley – the thing you push and put your food in when you do a weekly shop.
Basket – the thing you carry and put your food or clothes in.
Price tag – the tag with the price on. Sometimes there isn’t one…
Rails – this is what clothes (CLOSE) are hung in clothes (CLOSE) shops.
Hanger – the thing that is used to hang clothes. It goes in the neck.
In cash/By cash – how you pay
Card reader – the ‘terminal’
Splash out - to spend a lot of money on something

Cheers
Native Speaker Online - English Lessons with a Native Speaker