Idioms in English speech
Достаточно подробная классификация идиом английского языка с тестом.
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Idiom An idiom is a phrase where the words together have a meaning that is different from the dictionary definitions of the individual words.
Clear idioms no wonder as a rule at this point be out of shape make friends take care of
Idioms from mythology and ancient history Achilles’ heel cut the Gordian knot Trojan Horse as wise as Solomon
Unclear idioms A pretty penny it is very expensive. Rain cats and dogs It is poring rain be broke spent all money by heart by memorizing
Idioms about love catch someone's eye to fancy someone to fall for someone to be lovey-dovey puppy love
Conclusion Idioms tend to confuse those not already familiar with them; students of a new language must learn its idiomatic expressions the way they learn its other vocabulary. Many natural language words have idiomatic origins, but have been sufficiently assimilated so that their figurative senses have been lost. But without idioms English would lose much of its variety and humor both in speech an writing
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Муниципальное бюджетное образовательное учреждение средняя общеобразовательная школа с углублённым изучением отдельных предметов №14
«English Idioms in speech».
Выполнила: Филиппова Татьяна, 10б класс Учитель: Марченкова М.А.
2011г.
The topic of my work is «Idioms in speech».The aim of my work is to perfect the speech habits of people on the one hand and to enrich our vocabulary on the other.
An idiom is a set expression, the meaning of which is different from the literal meanings of its components. Idioms present a great variety of structures and combinations that are mostly unchangeable and often not logical and may not follow basic rules of grammar. It is pointless to ask why idioms have such unusual structure or choice of words, or why they don’t follow basic grammar rules. Let’s just accept as fact that idioms are a difficult peculiarity of English.
In someone's native language, idioms may be a natural part of speaking. An idiom is not really considered to be set in a language. They are more in one's culture. Idioms don't usually cross language boundaries. In some cases, when an idiom is translated into another language, the meaning of the idiom is changed or does not make any sense at as it once did in another language. Idioms are probably the hardest thing for a person to learn in the process of learning a new language. This is because most people grow up using idioms as if their true meanings actually make sense
Many idioms are similar to expressions in other languages and can be easy for a learner to understand. Other idioms come from older phrases which have changed over time.
Many idioms are similar to expressions in other languages and can be easy for a learner to understand. Other idioms come from older phrases which have changed over time.
American and British idioms.
The background and etymological origins of most idioms is at best obscure. This is the reason why a study of differences between the idioms of American and British English is somewhat difficult. But it also makes the cases, where background, etymology and history are known, even more interesting. Some idioms of the "worldwide English" have first been seen in the works of writers like Shakespeare, Sir Walter Scott, Lewis Carroll or even in the paperbacks of contemporary novelists. An example of Shakespearian quotation can be found in the following sentence:"As a social worker, you certainly see the seamy side of life." Biblical references are also the source of many idioms. Sports terms, technical terms, legal terms, military slang and even nautical expressions have found their way to the everyday use of English language. Following are some examples of these, some used in either American or British English and some used in both:
"Having won the first two Tests, Australia is now almost certain to retain the Ashes." (Ashes is a British English idiom that is nowadays a well-established cricket term.)
"In his case the exception proves the rule." (A legal maxim -- in full:"the exception proves the rule in cases not excepted". Widely used in both AmE and BrE.)
"To have the edge on/over someone." (This is originally American English idiom, now established in almost every other form of English, including BrE.)
"A happy hunting ground." (Place where one often goes to obtain something or to make money. Originally American English idiom from the Red Indians' Paradise.)
Idioms and culture
An idiom is generally a colloquial metaphor — a term which requires some foundational knowledge, information, or experience, to use only within a culture where parties must have common reference. Idioms are therefore not considered a part of the language, but rather a part of the culture. As cultures are typically localized, idioms are often not useful outside of that local context. However some idioms can be more universally used than others, and they can be easily translated, metaphorical meaning can be more easily deduced.
While many idioms are clearly based in conceptual metaphors such as "time as a substance", "time as a path", "love as war" or "up is more", the idioms themselves are often not particularly essential, even when the metaphors themselves are. For example, "spend time", "battle of the sexes", and "back in the day" are idiomatic and based in essential metaphors. These "deep metaphors" and their relationship to human cognition are discussed by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson in their 1980 book Metaphors We Live By.
In forms like "profits are up", the metaphor is carried by "up" itself. The phrase "profits are up" is not itself an idiom. Practically anything measurable can be used in place of "profits": "crime is up", "satisfaction is up", "complaints are up" etc. Truly essential idioms generally involve prepositions, for example "out of" or "turn into".
Interestingly, many Chinese characters are likewise idiomatic constructs, as their meanings are more often not traceable to a literal (i.e. pictographic) meaning of their assembled parts, or radicals. Because all characters are composed from a relatively small base of about 214 radicals, their assembled meanings follow several different modes of interpretation - from the pictographic to the metaphorical to those whose original meaning has been lost in history. It may be a feature that helps everyday life.
In this part of my work, we are studying useful idioms that native speakers use frequently in their everyday life. These idioms are accepted as part of everyday speech and undoubtedly are of great practical value to you. Many other idioms, though they are often interesting and colorful, are not that necessary in your everyday conversational English. The selections of idioms here are my choice of everyday idioms that I think are necessary.
Idioms, with definitions or synonyms | Examples | Translation |
after all - despite, nevertheless | I knew it! After all, I was right! | все-таки |
all of a sudden - suddenly | All of a sudden, he refused to pay. | неожиданно |
all the same - no difference | If it's all the same to you, let's start at two. | все равно, без разницы |
as a rule - usually | As a rule, we offer a 5% discount. | как правило |
as for me /as to me - as far as I am concerned | As for me, I liked the book very much. | что касается меня |
at all - (not) in the smallest degree | He doesn't know French at all. | совсем (не) |
at this point - at this time | At this point, we can't turn back. | на данном этапе |
be about to do something - be close to doing something, be going to do something | I was about to leave when you called. | быть готовым сделать что-то, собираться сделать что-то |
be broke - have no money at all | I spent all my money, I'm broke. | разориться |
be in charge of something - be responsible for something | He is in charge of marketing. | быть ответственным за что-то |
be into something - be interested in | He is into computers. She is into sports. | увлекаться чем-то |
be on one's way | I'm on my way. | Я уже еду. |
be out of something - be without something | We are out of bread, cheese, and sugar. | не иметь чего-то в наличии |
be out of shape - be physically unfit | He needs to exercise, he is out of shape. | быть не в форме |
be pressed for time / money - not have enough time / money | I'm pressed for time now. We are pressed for money at the moment. | не хватать времени или денег |
be to blame - be responsible for a mistake / for something wrong | Who is to blame for this awful mistake? Tom is to blame for this mix-up. | винить за ошибку, неправильные действия |
be up to someone - be one's own decision or responsibility | It's up to you to decide. It's up to you to close the office at 8 o'clock. | на ваше усмотрение, под вашу ответственность |
be used to something - be accustomed to something | I'm used to hard work. He's used to hot weather. | быть привычным к чему-то |
break into (the house) - enter by force | The police broke into the robber's house. | ворваться (в дом) силой |
by heart - by memorizing | Learn this poem by heart for tomorrow. | наизусть |
by the way - incidentally | By the way, Ann is coming back today. | кстати |
come across - meet by chance | I came across that article yesterday. | наткнуться на |
come down with (some illness) - become ill | I'm coming down with a cold. | заболеть чем-то |
come true - become reality | His dream came true when he met Kate. | осуществиться |
count on someone - depend on someone | You can always count on me for help. | рассчитывать на кого-то |
do one's best - try very hard | I did my best to help him in his work. | сделать все, что смог |
do over - do again | This work is not good, do it over. | сделать заново |
every other - every second one | She washes her hair every other day. | через один |
fall behind - lag behind | The little boy fell behind the older boys. | отстать от |
fall in love - begin to love | Tom fell in love with Sue at first sight. | влюбиться |
find out - learn or discover | I found out that Maria left town. | узнать, обнаружить |
from now on - since now | From now on, I forbid you to go there. | впредь |
get along with someone - have good relations with | Ann gets along with most coworkers, but doesn't get along with Laura. | уживаться, быть в хороших отношениях с кем-то |
get away with something / with it - not be caught after doing wrong | The police didn't find the thief. He got away with his crime. He got away with it. | уйти от наказания |
get in touch with someone - contact someone | Get in touch with Mr. Smith for help. | связаться с кем-то |
get lost - lose one's way | She got lost in the old part of town. | потеряться |
get mixed up - get confused | I got mixed up and went the wrong way. | перепутать |
get on (the bus, train, plane) | I got on the bus on Oak Street. | сесть на (транспорт) |
get off (the bus, train, plane) | I got off the bus at the bank. | сойти с (транспорта) |
get over something - recover after an illness or bad experience | I can't get over how rude he was to me. She got over her illness quite quickly. I'm sure that he'll get over these difficulties. | преодолеть, поправиться, оправиться после болезни или тяжелого переживания |
get rid of something / someone - dispose of, discard | He got rid of his old useless car. | избавиться от чего-то / кого-то |
get together - meet with | My friends and I get together often. | собираться вместе |
get to the point - speak directly about the subject, come to the point | Please get to the point, I don't have much time now. | перейти к сути дела, начать говорить по существу |
give someone a lift / a ride - take to some place by car | Can you give me a lift to the bank? He gave her a ride in his new Porsche. | подвезти кого-то |
give up - stop doing something, stop trying to do something | I gave up smoking. I gave up trying to fix my old car. | отказаться от чего-то, прекратить попытки |
go out - go to parties, movies, restaurants | Do they go out often? | пойти развлекаться |
had better - should | You look ill, you'd better see a doctor. | лучше бы, а то… |
in advance - well before | He told her about his plan in advance. | заранее |
in fact - actually, in reality | In fact, he works as a manager here. | фактически |
in general - generally, generally speaking | In general, he likes to be alone. He described the place only in general. | в общем, вообще |
in time (to do something) - before something begins | I came in time to have a cup of coffee before class. | придти вовремя, чтобы успеть что-то до начала |
It's worth it. / It's not worth it. | Watch this film, it's worth it. Don't buy this coat, it is not worth it. | оно того стоит; оно того не стоит |
it's time - should do it right away | Hurry up, it's time to go. | пора |
just in case - to be on the safe side | Take an extra shirt, just in case. | на всякий случай |
Just my luck! - Bad / Hard luck! | They lost my job application. Just my luck! | Мне всегда не везет! |
let (it) go - forget bad experience, return to normal life | He's still in despair and can't let (it) go. You can’t change anything, so let it go. | освободиться от тяжелого переживания |
little by little - step by step, gradually | Little by little, they saved enough money to buy a car. | понемногу, постепенно |
look for someone / something - search for someone / something | What are you looking for? | искать кого-то / что-то |
look forward to something - expect with pleasure | I'm looking forward to your letter. Mary is looking forward to the party. | ожидать чего-то с нетерпением |
look out - be careful, watch out | Look out! The bus is coming! | остерегаться |
look up - check with /in a dictionary or reference book | If you don’t know this word, look it up in the dictionary. | посмотреть в словаре или справочнике |
lose one's way - get lost | I lost my way. Can you help me? | потерять дорогу |
make friends - become friends | Anton makes new friends easily. | подружиться |
make fun of someone / something - laugh at, joke about | He made fun of her German accent. | высмеивать кого-то / что-то |
make sense - be logical | What you say makes sense. | имеет смысл |
make up one's mind - decide | When will you go? Make up your mind. | принять решение |
Make yourself at home. - Be comfortable, feel at home. | Come in please. Make yourself at home. | Будьте как дома. |
never mind - it doesn't matter | I'm terribly sorry. - Never mind. | неважно, ничего, не беспокойтесь |
not to mention - in addition to | We have three dogs, not to mention two cats. | не говоря уж |
no wonder - not surprising | He ate three big fish. No wonder he is sick. | неудивительно, что |
on credit - not pay cash right away | He bought a car on credit. | в кредит |
on guard - on the alert | He's cautious and always on guard. | настороже, бдительный |
on hand - available | Do you have a calculator on hand? | под рукой |
on one's own - alone, by oneself | She likes to live and work on her own. | самостоятельно, один, сам по себе |
on purpose - intentionally | I didn't do it on purpose, it just happened so. | нарочно, с целью |
on the other hand - considering the other side of the question | I'd like to have a dog. On the other hand, my wife likes cats better. | с другой стороны |
on time - punctually | Jim is always on time. | в назначенное время |
out of the question - impossible | Paying him is out of the question! | не может быть и речи |
pay attention - be attentive | Pay attention to his words. | обратить внимание |
pick up - take, get | I'll pick you up at 7. | подобрать, взять |
put off - postpone | Don't put it off till tomorrow. | откладывать |
right away - immediately | It' very important to do it right away. | сразу же, немедленно |
run into someone - meet by chance | I ran into an old friend yesterday. | случайно встретить кого-то |
so far - up to now | So far, I have read 5 books by Stephen King. | до сих пор, пока, к настоящему моменту |
switch on - turn on | Switch on the light. | включить |
switch off - turn off | Switch off the light. | выключить |
take a break - stop for rest | Let’s take a break, I’m tired. | сделать перерыв |
take advantage of something - use for one's own benefit, to profit from | We took advantage of the low prices and bought a computer and a monitor. | воспользоваться возможностью |
take after someone - be like one of the parents | Tom takes after his father in character, and after his mother in appearance. | быть похожим на родителей (родителя) |
take care of someone / something - look after, protect, see that smth. is done properly | Can you take care of my dog while I’m away? Tom takes good care of his car. | позаботиться о ком-то, чем-то, присмотреть за |
take into account - consider something | You must take into account her old age and poor health. | принять во внимание |
take it easy - relax, be calm | Take it easy, everything will be OK. | не волнуйся |
take part in something - participate | Mary is going to take part in the show. | принять участие |
take place - happen | The accident took place on Oak Street. | иметь место |
take time - take a long time | It takes time to get used to a new place. | занять много времени |
take turns - alternate doing something one after another | We went to Minsk by car. We didn't get tired because we took turns driving. | делать по очереди, меняться местами |
talk it over - discuss | I will talk it over with my family. | обсудить с кем-то |
tell apart - see the difference | Can you tell the twins apart? | различить, отличить от |
That's just the point. - That's it. | That's just the point! I hate this job! | В этом-то и дело. |
think over - consider carefully | Think over your answer. Think it over carefully. | обдумать |
try on - test new clothes for size and look | Try on this leather coat, it's very good. | примерить одежду (перед покупкой) |
turn on - switch on | Turn on the radio. | включить |
turn off - switch off | Turn off the water. | выключить |
turn out to be - result /end so | He turned out to be a very good actor. | оказаться |
under the weather - feeling ill | I'm a little under the weather today. | нездоровится |
used to do something - did something regularly in the past, but not now | He used to live on Maple Street. I used to play the piano when I was in school (but I don't play it now). | в прошлом обычно делал что-то, а сейчас нет |
watch out - look out, be careful | Watch out for that car! Watch out! | остерегаться |
What's the matter? - What is it? | What's the matter? What happened? | В чем дело? |
would rather - prefer | I'd rather stay at home today. | предпочитать |
Now you can see that more of idioms are quite clear and we can easy understand them. In next part of my work I tried to unite unclear idioms which we can’t translate without help. In my opinion it is more difficult idioms and that why interesting for us.
A lick and a promis небрежно сделанная работа | If you give something a lick and a promise, you do it hurriedly, most often incompletely, intending to return to it later. |
A little bird told me Сорока на хвосте принесла | If someone doesn't want to say where they got some information from, they can say that a little bird told them. |
A lost ball in the high weeds Запутаться, заблудиться в трёх соснах | A lost ball in the high weeds is someone who does not know what they are doing, where they are or how to do something. |
A pretty penny Очень дорого, бешеные деньги | If something costs a pretty penny, it is very expensive. |
Acid test Серьёзное испытание | An acid test is something that proves whether something is good, effective, etc, or not. |
To be fishy –a strange or suspicious situation- There’s something fishy about it-Это выглядит подозрительно
To flog a dead horse-there’s no point in trying to get him work any more=Stop doing it, you are flogging a dead horse-зря тратить силы, носить воду в решете
To go bananas – to be very emotionad and stats shouting and behaving in a crazy way-Don’t go bananas!-нервничать, сходить с ума
Also these idioms include idioms and proverbs with Proper Names. English proper names include people’s names (John Smith), geographical names (Africa, the Thames), names of institutions (the United Nations; the British Museum), places in the city (Central Park; Fifth Avenue), historical and other events (the French Revolution; the Jazz Festival), nationalities (Russian; Irishman), weekdays (Tuesday), months (May) and other notions, objects or places that are capitalized and used as names. There are many idiomatic expressions that contain proper names. The same as other idioms, they came from people’s everyday life, folklore, prose and poetry, myths, fairy tales, fables, songs, slang and other sources. The lists below illustrate some English idioms and proverbs with proper names. They include idioms that are still in use, as well as some bookish or outdated expressions. Use the lists for studying and understanding idioms, not for active usage. Russian translation of the idioms given below is approximate.
Idioms with people’s names
before you could say Jack Robinson - very quickly; | быстрее, чем успеет сказать Джек Робинсон, очень быстро; |
doubting Thomas - a skeptic, a person who refuses to believe without clear proof; | Фома неверующий - скептик, человек, который отказывается верить без явного доказательства; |
every Tom, Dick and Harry - any / every ordinary man; | каждый Том, Дик и Гарри - любой / каждый обычный человек; |
G.I. Joe - an American soldier; | американский солдат; |
Jack of all trades - a person who is able to do many manual jobs; | мастер на все руки, человек, который может выполнять разные виды ручной работы; |
Joe Blow / Joe Doakes - an average citizen; | Джо Блоу / Джо Доукс - рядовой гражданин; |
John Bull - a typical Englishman, the English people; | Джон Булл - типичный англичанин, английский народ; |
John Doe - 1. an unnamed person in legal proceedings; 2. an anonymous average citizen; | Джон Доу - 1. неназываемое лицо в судебном процессе, 2. безымянный средний гражданин; |
John Hancock - a person’s signature; | личная подпись кого-то; |
Johnny-come-lately - a newcomer, a participant who started later than the others; | новичок; участник, начавший позже других; |
Jolly Roger - a pirate flag; | Веселый Роджер, пиратский флаг; |
keep up with the Joneses - to try to achieve the same social position and wealth as one’s neighbors or acquaintances; | стараться достичь такого же социального и материального положения, как у соседей или знакомых, стараться быть не хуже других; |
the real McCoy - the genuine thing, not an imitation; | настоящая, оригинальная, неподдельная вещь (не имитация); |
Mr. Nice Guy - a very decent, friendly man; | очень порядочный, дружелюбный мужчина; |
Mister Right (or Miss Right) - the person one would like to marry, a perfect match; | человек (она или она), который является очень подходящей партией для брака, прекрасная пара; |
rob Peter to pay Paul - to borrow from one to give to another; | занять у одного, чтобы расплатиться с другим, т.е. все так же в долгу; |
Tommy Atkins - a British soldier; | Томми Аткинс, британский солдат; |
Uncle Sam - the U.S., the U.S. government. | дядя Сэм - США, американское правительство. |
Idioms with the names of countries, cities, streets and nationalities
be Greek to someone - to be completely unintelligible to someone; | быть совершенно непонятным, нечитаемым, бессмысленным для кого-то; |
the Big Apple - New York City’s nickname; | прозвище г. Нью-Йорка; |
Black Russian - a cocktail made from coffee liqueur and vodka; | коктейль, приготовленный из кофейного ликера и водки; |
double Dutch - completely unintelligible language, especially technical jargon; | абсолютно непонятный язык, особенно профессиональный жаргон; |
French leave - departure without goodbye, notice or permission; | уход по-французски - уход без прощания, предупреждения или разрешения; |
go Dutch - to pay for oneself (in a restaurant, movie theater, etc.); | платить каждый за себя (в ресторане, кинотеатре и т.д.); |
grin like a Cheshire cat - to smile or grin inscrutably; | улыбаться / ухмыляться как Чеширский кот - все время загадочно улыбаться; |
Indian summer - a period of warm weather in autumn; | бабье лето, период теплой погоды осенью; |
in plain English - in simple, understandable language; | проще говоря, говоря простым и понятным (английским) языком; |
in Queer Street - in financial instability, in difficulty or trouble; | в нестабильном финансовом положении, в затруднении или беде; |
Madison Avenue - U.S. advertising industry; | Мэдисон-авеню - рекламная индустрия США; |
meet one’s Waterloo - to be defeated; | потерпеть поражение; |
on Easy Street - in wealth, in financial security and comfort; | в достатке, в финансовой стабильности и комфорте; |
Pardon my French - a phrase used as apology for vulgar or obscene language; | Извиняюсь за выражение - фраза-извинение за вульгарное или непристойное выражение; |
Silicon Valley - the world of computers; | Кремниевая долина - мир компьютеров; |
Utopian dreams / schemes - beautiful but impracticable plans; | утопические мечты / планы - прекрасные, но неосуществимые планы; |
Wall Street - American money market, American financial oligarchy. | Уолл-стрит - американский денежный рынок, американская финансовая олигархия. |
Idioms with the names of months and days
April fool - the victim of a joke played on April Fools’ Day; | апрельский дурак - жертва первоапрельской шутки в День дураков; |
as mad as a March hare - a mad or peculiar person; | сумасшедший, как мартовский заяц - сумасшедший или эксцентричный человек; |
May queen - a girl crowned with flowers and honored as queen on May Day; | девушка, которую Первого мая коронуют цветами и почитают как королеву; |
Blue Monday - Monday as a depressing workday after Sunday; | тяжелый / грустный понедельник как рабочий день после воскресенья; |
Black Friday - any Friday on which financial or other misfortunes happen; | черная пятница - любая пятница, в которую происходят финансовые или иные неудачи; |
girl Friday - a low-ranking office assistant with various duties; | ассистентка в офисе, с невысоким служебным положением и разнообразными обязанностями; |
man Friday - a true servant; | верный слуга (как Пятница); |
a month of Sundays - a very long time; | очень длительное время; |
Sunday best / Sunday clothes - best clothes for special occasions; | лучшая (новая, праздничная) одежда для особых случаев; |
Sunday driver - an inexperienced driver; | неумелый водитель (водит только по выходным); |
Sunday School - school for religious instruction on Sundays; | воскресная школа для религиозного воспитания детей по воскресеньям; |
when two Sundays come together - never. | когда два воскресенья встретятся, т.е. никогда. |
There are Idioms from mythology and ancient history. We can understand it without problems because we often use it in Russian speech.
Achilles’ heel - the most vulnerable spot; | Ахиллесова пята, самое уязвимое место; |
Alpha and Omega - the beginning and the end; | альфа и омега, начало и конец; |
as rich as Croesus - a very rich person; | богат как Крез - очень богатый человек; |
as wise as Solomon - a very wise person; | мудрый как Соломон - очень мудрый человек; |
between Scylla and Charybdis - between two equally disastrous alternatives; | между Сциллой и Харибдой, между двух огней, между молотом и наковальней; |
cut the Gordian knot - to solve a difficult problem quickly and boldly; | разрубить Гордиев узел - разрешить трудную проблему быстро и смело; |
Janus-faced - having two contrasting aspects or qualities; | двуликий (как) Янус - имеющий две противоположных стороны или качества; |
Pyrrhic victory - a victory where the loss is bigger than the gain; | Пиррова победа - победа, где потери больше, чем выигрыш; |
Trojan Horse - something that is designed to undermine or destroy from within; | Троянский конь - что-то, предназначенное для подрыва или уничтожения изнутри; |
work like a Trojan - to work very hard. | работать как троянец - работать очень усердно. |
Love idioms
Now it is spring and I think love idioms are one of the most beautiful and interesting part
of my work.
catch someone's eye | to be attractive to someone: The shy man at the back of the class caught my eye |
to fancy someone | to find someone attractive: "My friend fancies you!" |
to have a crush on someone | to only be able to think about one person: "When I was at school, I had a crush on a film star." |
to have a soft spot for someone | to have a weakness for someone: "She has a soft spot for Richard - he can do anything!" |
to have the hots for someone | to find someone very attractive: "She's got the hots for the new office manager." |
to go out with someone | to date someone: "They've been going out together for years!" |
to go steady | to go out with someone: "They've been going steady since their first year at university." |
to fall for someone | to fall in love: "He always falls for the wrong types!" |
to fall head over heels for someone | to completely fall in love: "He fell head over heels for her." |
to be lovey-dovey | for a couple to show everyone how much they are in love: "They're so lovey-dovey, always whispering to each other and looking into each other's eyes." |
to have eyes only for | to be attracted to one person only: "He's dropped all his old friends, now that he has eyes only for Susie." |
to be the apple of someone's eye | to be loved by someone, normally an older relative: "She's the apple of her father's eye." |
to be smitten by someone | to be in love with someone: "I first met him at a party and from that evening on, I was smitten." |
a love-nest | the place where two lovers live: "They made a love-nest in the old basement flat." |
to be loved-up | to exist in a warm feeling of love: "They are one loved-up couple!" |
to be the love of someone's life | to be loved by a person: "He has always been the love of her life." |
puppy love | love between teenagers: "It's just puppy love - you'll grow out of it!" |
cupboard love | love for someone because they give you food: "I think my cat loves me, but it's only cupboard love!" |
to go through a bit of a rough patch | when things are not going well: "Since the argument, they've been going through a bit of a rough patch." |
to have blazing rows | to have big arguments: "We had a blazing row last night." |
can't stand the sight of someone | to not like someone: "She can't stand the sight of him any more!" |
Idioms tend to confuse those not already familiar with them; students of a new language must learn its idiomatic expressions the way they learn its other vocabulary. Many natural language words have idiomatic origins, but have been sufficiently assimilated so that their figurative senses have been lost. But without idioms English would lose much of its variety and humor both in speech an writing.
Knowledge idioms
I can recite this poem without looking at it. I know it by __________ .
hand
mouth
head
heart
Правильно
By heart - наизусть
He's lived in this city all his life. He knows it like the back of his _________ .
eyes
hand
arm
head
Правильно
To know smth. like the back of one's hand - знать ч-л. как свои 5 пальцев
She spent twenty years studying the history of London. She knows it _________ out.
inside
through
all
over
Правильно
To know smth. inside out - знать ч-л. досконально
'Which is the longest river in the world?' 'I haven't the __________ idea.'
slight
any
no
faintest
Правильно
Not to have the faintest idea - не иметь ни малейшего представления
I'm really not interested in politics. I know _________ to nothing about it.
close
near
nearly
next
Правильно
To know smth. next to nothing - почти ничего не знать
'Can you tell me where Portsmouth Road is?' 'Sorry, I haven't got a __________ .'
idea
knowledge
clue
faintest
Правильно
Not to have a clue - не иметь ни малейшего понятия
Как Дед Мороз сделал себе помощников
Хитрый коврик
Выбери путь
Весенняя сказка
Рисуем домики зимой