UEPAs English Seminar Part II

Idioms and Sayings

in everyday language
Prof. MSc. Sdie Morhy
May, 2011
Belm, PA

What are idioms?

Idioms are words, phrases, or expressions that are
either grammatically unusual, as in, Long time, no
see!, or their meaning cannot be taken literally, as
in, It's raining cats and dogs! This expression does
not mean that cats and dogs are falling from the
sky, but it is a metaphorical expression (word
picture) that means that it is raining very heavily.
Every language contains idioms and expressions,
and American English is no different. Native
American English speakers use idioms and
expressions all day long in every speaking situation
and don't even realize it.

 Because idioms are so much a part of the

language, they are automatic.
While native American English speakers feel
quite at home hearing idioms and using them,
idioms can be a challenge for anyone who
speaks English as a second language. Simple
words you may know are suddenly put together
in phases that mean something completely
different from their literal translation!
Many idioms can be grouped together in terms
of the types of words or categories used to
create them. For example, some very common
idioms include "food" words, others include
colors.

WHY SHOULD YOU LEARN ENGLISH

IDIOMS?
Idioms are an important part of every
language. Therefore, as a language
learner, knowing idioms is useful in at
least two ways:
1) The more idioms you know, the more
native-like your language will sound;
2) By learning idioms, you learn a lot
about the culture of the community
speaking the language you are learning.

COLOR IDIOMS
What do colors mean
in English?

BLACK
black sheep: the odd or bad member of the group. Eg: My
oldest brother was the black sheep in our family. He dropped
out of school at fifteen.
black market: illegal trade. Eg: You can change dollars for a
much higher rate on the black market.
on the black list: be on a list of undesirables. Eg: We won't
be invited to their party this year we're on their black list.
give someone a black look: to look at someone as if you are
angry. Eg: Why is he giving me such a black look?
Blackmail: to extort/take money from someone by threats to
divulge. Eg: The guy was blackmailing me. He wanted some
money in exchange of his silence.
black-tie event/affair: a formal event where guests wear
semi-formal clothes with men wearing black bow ties with
tuxedos or dinner jackets. Eg. : We must wear black tie for our
the Graduation

GREEN
green with envy: very jealous. Eg: I am
green with envy over Julio's new
wardrobe.
having a green thumb - 1. able to make
plants grow well. Eg: You can tell by her
flower garden that Sheila has a green
thumb.
grass is always greener on the other
side: you always want what you don't have;
Eg: I always wanted to go to university, but
now I wish I had time to get a job. Grass is
always greener on the other side.

RED
a red letter day: a day of great importance. Eg: It's
a red letter day tomorrow in the company. It's our
fiftieth birthday!
like a red rag to a bull : likely to make someone
angry. Eg: Don't talk to him about politics it's like a
red rag to a bull.
Note: rag- a worthless piece of cloth.
red carpet treatment: treat someone with great
respect. Eg: When we visit our offices in Asia, we
get the red carpet treatment.
paint the town red: celebrate. Eg: They went out
last night and really painted the town red they
didn't come home until 5 a.m.

WHITE
white lie: an innocent lie to protect another person's
feelings. Eg: We told Grandma that her cake was
delicious, which was actually a white lie.
as white as a ghost: very pale because of
fear/shock/illness.; Eg: She got as white as a ghost when
her mother saw her making out on the sofa.
raise/wave a white flag: to indicate that you have
been defeated and you want to give up. Eg: They waved
the white flag when they realized they were losing the
competition.
white sale: the selling of towels, bed linens, sheets and
similar goods at a reduced price. Eg: Macys is having a
white sale next weekend.

PINK
pink slip: a termination notice from
a job;Eg: Martha was very sad this
morning because she received a pink
slip from her boss.
see pink elephants: to see things
which are not really there, and exist
only in ones imagination. Eg: I think
youre seeing pink elephants here.
You must give this situation a second
thought.

FOOD IDIOMS
What do foods mean
in English?

Apple polisher: puxa-saco. Eg. Martha is

always giving chocolates to her teacher. She
is a real apple polisher!
Chicken: coward; someone who acts
cowardly. Eg. Tony is afraid of rollercoaster.
He never even tries it. Hes such a chicken!
Piece of pie: easy. Eg. The test was such a
piece of pie!
To know your onions: To know a lot about a
particular subject. . Eg. "When it comes to
computers he really knows his onions."
Nutty as a fruitcake: To be slightly crazy.
Eg. "People say I'm as nutty as a fruitcake to
run this website."

 Big cheese: na important person, a leader (usually

about business). Eg. "Anita Roddick was the big
cheese at the Body Shop.
As cool as a cucumber: To remain calm under
pressure. Eg. "Although he was driving at 110 mph
James Bond was as cool as a cucumber.
A bad egg: A bad person, to be avoided. Eg. He
never phoned his mother. He was a bad egg.
To have bigger fish to fry: To have more important
things to do. Eg. He couldnt stay longer. He has
bigger fish to fry.
A couch potato: Someone who just sits on the
couch watching TV. Eg. She should get out more,
she's turning into a real couch potato. "

CLICHS AND
PROVERBS
How to use them in
everyday language?

Blood is thicker than water: Family should always come before

anything else, families are more important than friends; meaning
that however binding the ties of friendship, those of family are
stronger.
Each day brings its own bread: Try not to worry so much
about the future.
Empty vessels make the most noise: Empty headed, stupid
people make more noise than wise, thoughtful people.
Every cloud has a silver lining: When something bad happens
there is always some good that comes of it.
Every man is his own enemy: Sometimes you may do things
that inadvertently cause harm to yourself.
Every man must carry his own cross: Everyone has his or her
own emotional baggage and suffering that they carry around.

SAYINGS AND CLICHS

WE HEAR IN SONGS

 Another one bites the dust (Queen): meaning

that another person died; used to describe
someone who's wounded or dead in a fight.
Were just two ships that pass in the night
(Barry Manillow): strangers meeting quietly; people
who meet briefly and then go their separate ways.
Today it is often used with reference to brief
relationships, sometimes of sexual nature.
Eg. Everybody imagined that there was a big
romance between the two of them but it turned
out they were merely ships that pass in the night.
You are the apple of my eye (Stevie Wonder):
Apple of someones eye: someone that one likes a
lot.
Boys will be boys (Backstreet Boys): Boys are
traditionally expected to misbehave.

Come rain or come shine (BB King & Eric Clapton): I can be
relied on to turn up; nothing, not even the vagaries of British
weather, will deter me or stop me from being there.
Its been no bed of roses (Queen, in We are the champions):
A pleasant or easy situation.
There were times, I'm sure you knew, when I bit off more
than I could chew (Frank Sinatra, in My Way): meaning to
undertake more than one can handle or is able to deal with
effectively.
Ooh baby,Here I am, signed, sealed delivered I'm yours
(Stevie Wonder): it is used to indicate that someone has been
brought to a satisfactory conclusion, meaning that ones
ready. Originally it referred to legal documents, such as
property deeds, but it came to be used in more general
contexts, becoming a clich in the 20th century, as in Here are
our holiday tickets. Signed, sealed and delivered.
Rock the boat (by Hues Corporation): meaning to disturb the
stability of a situation, to cause trouble

Source:
KIRKPATRICK, Betty. Clichs, over 1500 phrases explored
and explained. New York: Library of Congress, 1996.
ROGERS, James. The dictionary of clichs. Tenth printing.
New York: Library of Congress,1991.
http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/foodidioms.htm;
04/04/2011.
http://www.englishproverbs.org/wise-words/bloodthickerwater
.html
; 04/04/2011.
http://www.suite101.com/content/how-the-bible-shaped-our
-language-a137715
http://www.english-test.net/forum/ftopic5853.html
http://www.saidwhat.co.uk/proverb/viewall. php
http://www.world-of-proverbs.com/loveproverbs.html
http://www.michellehenry.fr/proverbinsong.htm (proverbs in
songs)
http://www.english-sayings.com/come-rain-or-shine/6208