Hi there!
Here’s the first of another series of posts about the English language, this time concerning one of my favourite features of the world’s Lingua Franca: idioms!
But what’s an idiom again?
According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, it is
a group of words in a fixed order that have a particular meaning that is different from the meanings of each word on its own.
Which – in a few words – means that you kinda have to learn it by heart.
Indeed, you have to treat an idiom just like any other new word you come across, so you have to use a vocabulary-memorisation strategy (come to my classes to learn more about this!) and instead of a single word or a collocation, this time you’re going to learn a chunk of words all together.
Some idioms may sound familiar, as they cross cultures and languages, some others have the same meaning as idioms that in other languages use a different form (different animals or objects or other concepts), whereas others may not exist in your language at all, and that’s fine!
Let’s not forget that language and culture are deeply connected, and we could even say that they are two sides of the same coin (see what I’ve done here? 😀 ), and idioms or idiomatic expressions are, together with proverbs, the ultimate result of culture, traditions, customs and values.
But let’s start, shall we?
1) Every cloud has a silver lining
Now this idiom I am particularly attached to. Especially in these dark times, I really need to see the glass as half full (gosh, I have to stop doing this 😀 ), so I need a positive outlook on life, and this idiom expresses exactly that: it means that every difficult situation has an upside, or that after a difficult, dark period the sun will come out again. The silver lining is the bright outline that clouds get when the sun lies behind them.
Example sentence:
It’s a tough moment for everyone, but don’t worry: every cloud has a silver lining.
2) Alive and kicking
Another really positive idiom that I use a lot when people ask me how I’m doing and it’s a really good day, I feel fine, the birds are singing, the sun is shining… You get the gist. It just means you’re healthy and well (besides being a song by the Simple Minds).
Example sentence:
- Hey Jane, are you feeling better today?
- Alive and kicking!
- Great!
3) Like water off a duck’s back
This one means that whatever is happening or whatever people are saying (or someone in particular has said) is not affecting you whatsoever, it’s just a fleeting happening that is basically insignificant for you.
Example sentence:
I thought that he would feel like crap after the break-up, but apparently it was like water off a duck’s back!
4) Lovely weather for ducks
Another one with ducks! I know, I like them a lot 🙂
When I was saying before that idioms are extremely related to culture and customs, this one isn’t hard to understand if you think about what the weather is like in the UK, as what it means is rainy weather! Especially when it’s raining a lot.
Example sentence:
- Hey Sam, are we having that picnic tomorrow or not?
- Well unfortunately, it’s going to be lovely weather for ducks!
- Oh that’s a shame! I guess we’ll try again next weekend.
5) No More Mr Nice Guy
I wish there was a female version of this, but I guess you can say “No more Mrs Nice Lady!”. What it means if you say this is that you are not going to be kind and patient anymore, from now on you will tell off/punish people around you that misbehave or you won’t tolerate any bad behaviour.
A teacher’s idiom 😀
Example sentence:
Ok, that’s it! No more Mr Nice Guy! Sit down and be quiet or you’re doing grammar exercises until lunchtime!
6) Brick by brick
This is the twin idiom of “step by step”, so it means to create (or in this case, even destroy) something gradually, little by little.
Example sentence:
I managed to become quite a well-known teacher in my town, but I’ve done it brick by brick.
7) A monkey on your back
Monkeys, just like ducks, are quite frequent in English idioms (you may remember the “I don’t give a monkey’s” Facebook post of mine). In this case, the monkey on your back represents a problem, usually emotional, that’s making your life difficult. In slang, it can also mean a drug-addiction problem.
Example sentence:
Mary’s been trying to get rid of the monkey on her back for ages, but without anybody helping her she might start feeling depressed about it.
8) be on the cards
If something is on the cards it means that it is really likely or certain to happen.
Example sentence:
Julie and Mike have been arguing for too long now, it’s on the cards that they’ll end up breaking up!
9) on the fence
Usually I am never on the fence, and if I happen to be it doesn’t last for long. This is because I don’t like spending too much time deciding and I very often follow my guts (can you guess the meaning of this one? 😉 ). If you’re on the fence, instead, you cannot make up your mind about two different choices, you cannot decide. A fence is a structure that separates two areas, that confines animals into a space or that protects a property from intruders.
Example sentence:
I have to decide between Yale and Harvard but I’m on the fence! Any advice?
10) the apple of my eye
Thought of having Biblical origin, this idiom refers to a cherished, beloved person of yours.
Example sentence:
My newborn nephew is the apple of my eye!
Ok dear students, we’ve just reached the bottom of the list, I hope you’ve found these idioms useful and for practice, why don’t you make sentences with them?
Until next time
Take care
Ilaria
Commenti recenti