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Teacher's Pet |
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A
teacher's pet is a student who is
favoured and given special attention by the teacher.
"I am worried that the other kids might get jealous if they think I am
teacher's pet," Teddy said. I don't think Teddy has to worry, for even
though the students can see that he is teacher's pet, they know there are
serious disadvantages to that. "That's because Professor Oxbridge can be
pretty difficult to please !" Teddy explained. |
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The
King's / Queen's English |
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The King and
Queen act as though they have just met ! "Actually, we are here to explain the
difference between the King's English and the Queen's
English, " the King said. "In reality, there is no difference," the
Queen added, " because these terms describe the very best and most correct
English, and whether you call it the King's English or the Queen's English
depends on who is on the throne of England at that moment, " she smiled |
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Meet someone halfway |
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When Chief Totem got news that explorers had set sail for his continent,
he decided to meet them halfway. Hopping into his boat, he soon found them
somewhere in the middle of the ocean. "I'd be ever so happy to show you
the way to my lands if you will show me the way to yours," he smiled.
There is no record of what the explorers replied, but it is well-known
that to meet someone halfway is
to cooperate with someone by agreeing to
make compromises. |
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Count sheep |
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You won't find
him counting sheep. He sleeps very well, thank you. I if this sounds odd it's
because to count sheep is an old method of
trying to get to sleep by counting imaginary lambs
jumping over a fence in one's mind. "Poor father. I know I've
disappointed him. I hope he doesn't lie in bed counting sheep thinking that I
have failed him, " Sal sighed. |
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Blue Monday |
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To
be blue is to be sad. Many people feel sad returning to work after a
weekend of rest -- and that's the meaning behind blue Monday. "The
weekend's over," Felix sighed, "and here it is,
blue Monday, time to get back to
the routine of work." |
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Play (a) cat-and-mouse (game) |
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Play a cat-and-mouse (game) is
to deliberately confuse someone so that he or she does
not know what is happening. "Christopher played a cat-and-mouse game
with the management until finally resigning to go to work for our competitors.
Until then, no one knew if he would stay or leave." "That fellow was playing a
cat and mouse with me!" the boss exclaimed. |
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Go Bust |
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When a store or company has no money, it goes out of
business. Colloquially, it goes bust.
That makes me think of the time Felix sold balloons at the fair. "One by one, my
balloons broke!" he said. "In no time at all, my business went bust!" Today,
Felix has a much better job working for a large company. "There is no chance of
it every going bust!" he said. |
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Live in a fishbowl / goldfish bowl |
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A person
described as living in a fishbowl ( or in a
goldfish bowl ) has absolutely no privacy.
His every movement can be observed and he has no place to hide ... just as a
fish living in a glass bowl. "I don't think I'd enjoy being a television star.
It must be like living in a fish bowl." |
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(Like) water off a duck's back |
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Ducks
aren't bothered by water because the oil in their feathers keeps moisture from
reaching their bodies. Any water that gets on them runs right off. That has
given us this expression, which we use to say that we are
not annoyed by something. "School doesn't bother Mary. To her,
doing homework is like water off a duck's back."
Someone criticized Teddy, but he isn't bothered. " What do I care ? It's water
of a duck's back to me," he said. |
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Top dog |
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A
top dog is a person
of authority and importance. One's boss, for instance, could be said
to be the top dog in a company. Or it could be someone of importance
politically. "I'm curious to know who the new top dog will be at the Office of
trade," Winnie said. |
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A golden key opens every door |
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"Look what
I found!" Albert cried. "Why, it's a golden key!" Officer Mutt observed.
"It reminds me that a golden key opens every
door," Albert smiled. "Yes, I think it will open a door for
you at my nice jail, " Mutt replied. Actually, the golden key here is
money for it is assumed that money will
let a person do anything he wants. |
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An Old Salt |
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"Look, there's an old salt coming off that
ship!" Teddy exclaimed. "That looks like a sailor," Angela answered. "An
experienced sailor is often called
an old salt,"Teddy
explained. "Is that because the sea is salty?" Angela asked. "That's right, but
we don't call people who sail boats on weekends old salts,"Teddy said. "The term
is reserved for sailors who have been to sea a long time. |
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Save one's breath |
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"It's too hot to work today," Eddie said. "Why
don't we ask the boss if we can have the afternoon off ?" "Save your breath,"
his co-workers advised. Eddie asked the boss anyway, and she said the same
thing. To save one's breath
means to say nothing, usually
because one's words have no value or will have no effect. |
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Stand up and be counted |
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Those who
express their private opinions
openly have concluded that it is time for them to
stand up and be counted.
They do this by writing, speaking, or voting on issues they consider important.
" Excuse me, what's your opinion ? Why don't you stand up and be counted ? If
you want to see some changes made, stand up and be counted !" " How many of you
little fellows would like to go to market ? Hurry, stand up and be counted !"
Henrietta Hen called. |
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Back to the salt mines |
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In Siberia, salt is found deep underground.
Many years ago, prisoners were sent there and were forced to bring the salt to
the surface. From that, back to the salt mines
has come to mean hard work of any kind, and this humorous expression refers to
going back to work.
"The weekend is over it's time to get back to the salt mines." Oliver sighed as
he and his friends walked to work. |
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Lead by the nose |
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"I fully understand that people don't
like being led by the nose," Timothy said. " Most mice object to that
too," he noted. "How do you elephants feel about it ?" I asked. The
elephant he was leading didn't reply. To lead
by the nose is to
control someone.
" And make them do what you want, " Timothy added. |
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Snatch something from under
someone's nose |
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"When I go to bed at night I count
sheep, "Angela said. "Where do you put the sheep when you are done
counting them ?" Teddy asked. "If I told you, you would probably snatch
them from under my nose," Angela replied. They both laughed, because to
snatch something from under someone's nose
is to take or steal
something directly in front of someone. |
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Money does not grow on trees |
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William asked his boss for a raise. "I
need more money because the cost of everything is going up," he said.
The boss looked at William and sighed. "Let me be frank with you,
William: Money doesn't not grow on trees."
William signed and departed empty-handed because he knew that this
expression means that
money is not so plentiful that one can pick it off the trees like leaves. |
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Say cheese |
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If you look into a mirror and say the
word "cheese", you will notice that you appear to be smiling. For that
reason, photographers often ask you to say
cheese when they are
about to take your
picture. "If you don't mind, would you look into the lens of
my camera and say cheese?" Timothy asked. "And though you may look at my
cheese and admire it, you may not have it. Just gaze at it, say cheese,
and then I will return to eating it." |
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Get the hang of something |
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When Teddy trained for the circus, it
took him no time at all to get the hang of being a trapeze artist.
"Everything depends on getting the timing right," he explain. Meanwhile
his partner has been having trouble getting the hang of working with
him. "It's hard to swing and chew gum at the same time," she said.
To get the hang of something means
to learn how to do
something. |
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Live in a vacuum |
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Timothy and Tina have moved to a new
home. "It's so far from our family and friends that we feel isolated!"
Tina said sadly. "We are so remote from everything that someone even
accused me of living in a vacuum!" Timothy added. When people are said
to live in a vacuum they are
unaffected, unaware or
don't care about what goes on in the world around them. |
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On a high horse |
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Someone on a
high horse can be difficult to deal with. "There's an
explanation for that," Hallaway said, " because someone on a high horse
is haughty and proud
-- and he may think he's better than anyone around him." Hallaway should
know : he's been on his high horse ever since he got promoted. "Yes, I'm
the boss of the riding club now," Hallaway declared. |
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Rest on one's laurels |
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The ancient Greeks awarded crowns of
laurel leaves to the winners of games and competitions as a symbol of
achievement. From that, those who are satisfied
with past honors and do nothing to improve upon their successes
are said to rest on their laurels.
"Several years ago Haliburt won a trophy for excellence, but ever since
then he has been resting on his laurels. Some people have said it's
because he's lazy ! |
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(as) black as one is painted |
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In this idiom, black doesn't refer to a
color. Instead, it refers to someone's evil or
wicked qualities. And the word painted here means 'describe'.
Therefore, someone who is ( as ) black as
he/she is painted is truly as sinister as he or she is
portrayed. "I'm painting a picture of someone who is said to be a very
naughty person," Robert said, "but to me he seems rather nice. Surely he
can't be as black as he is painted !" |
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A (The) moving spirit |
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The spirit in this idiom is a lively,
energetic person who plans an action and then
sets it in motion. That's why he or she is described as
a moving spirit. "If we want to win
the championship, our team will have to find a coach who can be a moving
spirit." Here's another example of the idiom: "Mr. Becker is the moving
spirit behind our company's expansion plans." |
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In someone's shoes |
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To understand how someone feels or
thinks, we should try to be in their shoes. To be
in someone's shoes means to attempt to think as they
think, or to put ourselves in the same
situation that they are in. It may not be easy, but it's a
valuable thing to keep in mind. "My grades aren't very good," Angela
said. "If you were in my shoes, what would you do ?" "Well, if I were in
your shoes I would discuss the matter with the teacher," Teddy replied. |
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With a light heart |
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Angela's teacher asked her to write a paper describing her weekend. "It
was with a light heart that I went
to the park," she wrote, " and with a light heart I went home.
Furthermore, it is with a light heart that I look forward to going to
the park next weekend," Angela concluded. This describes being
filled with joy. |
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A flight of fancy |
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"Do you know what it's called when someone dreams
or imagines something highly unusual or imaginative ?" Felix
asked Sylvester. "I believe that is called a
flight of fancy," Sylvester answered. "Correct," Felix
smiled, "and yesterday, in a flight of fancy, I imagined I could fly !"
"What good is a flight of fancy if nothing becomes of it ?" Sylvester
smiled. "Climb on board and dream no more !" |
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Rock bottom |
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(1) Physically or emotionally, rock bottom
means the very lowest. "It's like
being way, way down at the bottom of the sea," Bighead said. "My spirits
have touched rock bottom today and I feel miserable!" "If I were you, I
wouldn't worry about him," Eggmont said. "He always says that he hits
rock bottom when the tourist boats are due to arrive." (2) When you
visit shops that advertise things at rock
bottom prices, you expect to find
the lowest prices in town. In money terms, rock bottom means
the cheapest price. "A real estate agent told me it was still possible
to find land selling at rock bottom on one of the nearby islands." |
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Starry-eyed |
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"I notice that today's tourist boat had some pretty big Hollywood
celebrities on it," Petrock said. "How can you tell ?" Bighead asked.
"Look over there at Eggmont. The boat may be gone, but he's looking all
starry-eyed just thinking about it," Bighead said. When a person is
described as being starry-eyed, he or she is
dreaming fanciful dreams.
"And they are usually impossible ones that are never likely to come
true," Petrock added. |
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Sweat Bullets |
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"I I have asked Bob and Ben to join me today to demonstrate an American
idiom," Manfred said. "The idiom is sweat
bullets, and here is an example of it : prior to an
examination, a student might say he or she is sweating bullets. What
does that mean ?" "It means to be dreadfully
worried about something," Bob mumbled. "That or scared silly
!" Ben stammered. |
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A golden parachute |
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Winston has just been given a golden parachute. He's absolutely thrilled,
of course, and I think you'd be thrilled, too, if you were given one
because a golden parachute is
a large sum of money given to an employee to
encourage him to leave his position before retirement age. "Wheeeeee,
" Winston whooped. |
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A scandal sheet |
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Felix was telling Teddy about a time in his youth when he worked as a
reporter for one of the town's leading scandal sheets. "What's a scandal
sheet ?" Teddy asked. Felix blushed. He was so embarassed that he didn't
want to explain. That's understandable because
a scandal sheet is a newspaper that
features lots of gossip and sensationalism, but very little real news. |
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In a fix |
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The mechanics at Joe's Garage are in a fix. "Our new robot isn't
responding to our signals," Joe said. "What's more, I am in a fix
because I promised I'd have it ready today !" "What's the robot supposed
to do ?" I asked. "Its purpose is to explain English idioms," Joe said.
Suddenly the robot began to speak. "If you get me working I will be able
to tell everyone that in a fix means
to be in trouble !" the robot said. |
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Have the field to oneself |
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When the folks from Mars visited Earth they invited Winston to join them
on Mars for a friendly game of football. It was a long time before
Winston got to Mars, though, and by then it was too late. "There was no
one there," he said to reporters when he returned to earth. "I guess you
could say I had the field to myself
!" This expression means to have no opposition
or competition. "I'm selling rocks I brought back from Mars,
" Winston said. " Since no one else has any, I have the field to
myself." |
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The sticker
price |
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"This is sensational !" Felix said as he struggled to remove a price
marker from a large vase. "I just bought this wonderful vase. The
sticker price was $900, but I bought it on sale for $599!"
The sticker price is
the original or normal selling price
of something, and even large items can be said to have a sticker price.
"That's true, I have a cousin who can get me a new car much cheaper than
the sticker price, "Felix said. |
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Cook the books |
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The books referred to here are those used to keep business accounts, and
naturally they are supposed to be precise and accurate. "Except, of
course, when someone cooks the books !" the boss said.
Cooking the books is a very serious
matter because when one does that he or she
makes false or inaccurate entries to make profits look better,
or worse -- or even to hide stolen funds ! |
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Old as
Methuselah |
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One day Methuselah ( meh-THU-zeh-la ) was sitting on a rock waiting for a
bus when someone came along and wished him Happy Birthday. Poor
Methuselah, he forgot it was his birthday, but when you are as old as
Methuselah ( the Bible says he was 969 years old ) you tend to forget
things like that. From that, anything or anyone said to be as
old as Methuselah is
extremely old. |
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Like the sound
of one's own voice |
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"I have a pretty little bird that sings ail the time," Melissa said.
"Maybe it likes the sound of its own voice,"
Patsy said. I don't think Patsy is being sarcastic, but this idiom is
often used in a sarcastic manner when referring
to a person who talks on and on and doesn't give others an opportunity
to talk. |
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Go straight |
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This is the world-famous criminal Dennis Dimwit on the day of his release
from prison. He has not exactly enjoyed his stay in jail and that has
convinced him to go straight. When someone goes
straight - it's usually a criminal -
he changes his way of life and becomes an honest, law-abiding citizen.
"I'm sincerely glad I have gone straight." Dennis smile. |
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Go on the stump |
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In years past, when politicians traveled around the country talking to
people they discovered that the stumps of old trees made useful
platforms on which to stand to give a speech. That's the origin of this
idiom, and it now means to campaign for
political office. "Fredrick has decided he'd like to be
President and he's gone on the stump
to speak to the voters." |
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All of a piece
with your clumsiness |
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"Chadwick, you silly cat !" Millie cried. "The way you keep bumping into
things is all of a piece with your clumsiness
!" Millie is saying that Chadwick's actions are
consistent with his nature of character. In other words,
it is what you would expect from someone such as Chadwick. "Getting
caught is all of a piece with me, too," Chadwick complained. |
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A bag of wind |
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"I wonder why people say Howard is such an interesting man," Lily yawned.
"To me he is nothing more than a big bag of wind." Lily is either very
unkind or she is awfully honest because a bag
of wind is someone who talks a lot. "Especially if he
boasts and tells exaggerated stories that are
hard to believe," Lily added. |
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