Re: 2)English idioms

MurielB Dim 18 Mar - 18:26

The linking words listed on that table are very useful !

MurielB Mer 21 Mar - 8:20

Tx Gérard. Today is my mother’s birthday. She is 98

MurielB Mar 11 Aoû - 22:56

« Dunkirk Spirit » is an attitude of being very strong in a difficult situation and refusing to accept defeat
https://www.google.com/amp/s/time.com/4860620/dunkirk-spirit-phrase-history-world-war-2/%3famp=true

Over eight days in May 1940, hundreds of thousands of Allied troops stranded in northern France were rescued by boat and taken back to England. Some were rescued by military boats, other had to wait for hours, stood shoulder to shoulder in the water, to wait for the flotilla of fishing boats, lifeboats and civilian sail boats hastily assembled by people back in Britain. The story of the rescue against the odds and the conditions that the soldiers endured has entered into British lore, to the extent that people in the U.K. today still talk of the “Dunkirk Spirit.”

MurielB Jeu 10 Sep - 10:08

WHello everyone
swear words In French we would say "gros mots"swearing, obscene language, language full of obscenitie=>swearing like a trooper
Excuse my French=> https://www.google.fr/search?ei=CN9ZX4OmE6qR

The expression "Excuse my French" originates from the 19th century, and was used literally. When English people used French expressions in conversation, they would often apologise for it, presumably because many of their listeners were not familiar with the language! Example: "Excuse my French, but that guys needs a kick in the ass!"

Pardon my French, or excuse my French, is an apology for the use of profanity; the expression dates from 1895. Pardon is derived from the old French pardoner meaning, “to grant, forgive.”

To turn the air blue=>To speak a stream of bad language; to curse and swear.

MurielB Mar 20 Oct - 10:05

"Break a leg" is a typical English idiom used in theatre to wish a performer "good luck". ...

See the entire meaning=>Here

MurielB Mar 19 Jan - 22:10

Ok but it will cost you an arm and a leg=>In George Washington's days,prices charged by painters were according to the number of limbs they had to paint

Here comes the big wig=>Ostentation was the order of the day in Bourbon France so the wigs became bigger to the point of absurdity (rich and important people had big wigs)

chairman or chairman of the board =>In the late 1700 most houses had only a room. The "head of the household" always sat in the chair while everyone else ate sitting on the floor.

crack smile =>In 1700's women wore wax to smooth out their complexion (acne scars). Should a woman smile the wax would crack (crack a smile)

losing face =>when 1700’s women sat too close to the fire, the wax they put on their face would melt therefore the expresssion "losing face"

straight laced =>At the time of the corsets, a proper and dignified woman, as in "straight laced "wore a tightly tied lace

playing with a full deck=>There is a popular story that the origin of this phrase dates back to the 1500s, when a tax was levied against decks of cards. To avoid paying tax people would play with 51 decks and those playing with full decks were thought to be dumb

gossip=> Early polititians required feedbacks from the public and would send assistants to"sip here and sip there" hence: gossip

minding your P's and Q's=> A bar maid’s job was to pay close attention and remember who was drinking in 'pints' and who was drinking in 'quarts,' hence the term minding your 'P's and 'Q's

MurielB Sam 4 Mar - 23:14

150 Useful Idioms with Examples, Sentences & Meanings | Leverage Edu. Please click on this very interesting link
An italian friend of mine who has lived for 50 years in London has just sent it to me.

=>https://leverageedu.com/blog/idioms-with-examples/

MurielB Jeu 6 Avr - 22:22

Trying to change opinions is like to teach a pig how to sing, it is a waste of time plus it annoys the pig
This idiom is very funny and explains the meaning in an ironic way. It is useless to try to change someone who is trapped in certain ideas or habits because a broad mind is necessary to do so. But beware, the pig can be ourselves on many occasions

MurielB Jeu 18 Mai - 22:48

curiosity killed the cat

wiki a écrit:is a proverb used to warn of the dangers of unnecessary investigation or experimentation. It also implies that being curious can sometimes lead to danger or misfortune. The original form of the proverb, now rarely used, was "Care killed the cat".

to be hen pecked

cambridge dictionary a écrit:A henpecked man is controlled by and a little frightened of a woman, especially his wife.

fair weather friend

cambridge dictionary a écrit:A person who is dependable in good times but is not in times of trouble.

to play musical chairs

Free Dictionary a écrit:play musical chairs, to. To swap jobs, prospects, or decisions in a rapid, confusing fashion. The term comes from a children's game, also called “going to ..

to come apart at the seams

Merriam Webster a écrit: to break into parts or pieces
—usually used figuratively to describe someone or something that is in very bad condition

a stool pigeon

Cambridge Dictionary a écrit:a person, often a criminal, who gives information in secret to the police so that they can catch other criminals

to backpedal about something you said

Cambridge dictionary a écrit:To change an opinion that you had expressed before, or do something different from what you had said you would do:

a fool and their money are soon departed

Merriam webster a écrit:—used to say that a foolish person spends money too quickly on unimportant things

to leave no stone unturned

The Britannia dictionary a écrit:"To leave no stone unturned" is an idiom that means to do everything possible to find something or to solve a problem.

to butt dial a telephone

Cambridge dictionary a écrit:a phone call that someone makes unintentionally by sitting or pressingon their phone while it is in theirpocket:

that takes the cake

Cambridge dictionary a écrit:to be especially annoying, surprising, etc. or to be the worst or best of its kind:

that train has left the station

Wiktionary a écrit:You’ve missed an opportunity

beggars can't be choosers

Cambridge dictionary a écrit:said when you recognize that you must accept an offer or a situation because it is the only one available to you:

cough up a lung

Health a écrit:One man's extreme coughing spells led him to cough up something unusual from his lung.

over the hump

Cambridge dictionary a écrit:to be past the most difficult or dangerous part of an activity or periodof time:

taken out to the woodsheed

Wiktionary a écrit: An occasion on which a reprimand or punishment is administered privately.

hit the jackpot

To have a big success or won a lot of money

to make waves

Cambridge dictionary a écrit:to be very active so that other peoplenotice you, often in a way that intentionally causes trouble

to throw shade on someone

Mc Millan dictionary a écrit:to show disapproval or contempt for someone publicly but often indirectly

fly by night

Oxford languages a écrit:unreliable or untrustworthy, especially in business or financial matters.
"cheap suits made by fly-by-night operators"

to cross the line

Cambridge Dictionary a écrit:to start to behave in a way that is not socially acceptable:

to get wind of

Cambridge dictionary a écrit:to hear a piece of information that someone else was trying to keepsecret:

keeping your ear to the ground

Cambridge dictionary a écrit: to pay attention to everything that is happening around you and to what people are saying

a dead man walking

Dictionary.com a écrit:informal any person in a doomed or untenable situation, esp one about to lose his or her job

loaded for bear

Wordreference

US, informal (keen for confrontation)

living on borrowed time

Cambridge dictionary to continue living after a point at which you might easily have died: a écrit:Since his cancer was diagnosed, he feels as if he's living on borrowed time

the squeaky wheel gets the grease

Cambridge dictionary a écrit:an American proverb or metaphor used to convey the idea that the most noticeable (or loudest) problems are the ones most likely to get attention.

to get someone' goat

Canterbury dictionary a écrit:To annoy someone very much

What do you call someone who is always asking for your advice, but never takes it? An Askhole

an askhole.... this is good...

MurielB Jeu 15 Juin - 21:46

Here are the expressions discussed during our video conference in English

Chill out=>relax

throw shade=> publicly criticize or express contempt for someone.

to ghost someone=>the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication.

to go cold turkey=> to withdraw suddenly and completely from an addictive substance or some other form of dependency:

count your chickens before they hatch=> someone should not depend on something hoped for until he or she knows for certain that it will happen.

rob the cradle=> US, informal. : to date or marry someone who is much younger

rest on one's laurels=> be so satisfied with what one has already done or achieved that one makes no further effort.

poison pill=> a tactic used by a company threatened with an unwelcome takeover bid to make itself unattractive to the bidder.

Blamestorming=> trying to fix blame

my eyes were bigger than my stomach=>  an expression used when somebody wants more food than he or she can eat

blame game=> a situation in which different individuals or groups attempt to assign blame to each other for some problem or failure.

apportion blame=> : to say who should be blamed

pot calling the kettle black=> used to convey that the criticisms a person is aiming at someone else could equally well apply to themselves.

to lay an egg=>be completely unsuccessful; fail badly.
"we knew we couldn't just go out and lay an egg today, even with the opponent that we were playing"

fish out of water=>a person in a completely unsuitable environment or situation.

to be given the bum's rush=> the act of forcing someone to leave a position or place.

to give someone the cold shoulder=>cold and unfriendly treatment from a person known to one.

to get a comeuppance=>a deserved rebuke or penalty :

he can dish it out, but he can't take it=> someone easily criticizes other people but does not like it when other people criticize him or her

A face plant=> a fall with your face moving towards the ground or a surface before the rest of your body:

what goes around comes around=>if someone treats other people badly he or she will eventually be treated badly by someone else.

to fall flat on one's face=> to fail completely, especially in an embarrassing way.

he has a big head=>he has an exaggerated sense of one's own importance or ability.

he has a very punchable face=> Deserving to be punched or struck

slap on the wrist=> a mild reprimand or punishment.

you can use him as a speedbump=>he is useless

it was so cold outside that all the lawyer's kept there hands in their own pockets=>very cold

to be on the lam=> running away'' or ''being a fugitive from the law''

to be beaten with the ugly stick=> someone or something that looks ugly or unappealing, and are unrelated to the musical instrument.

he/she has more baggage than an airport=>baggage: past experiences or long-held problems but as burdensome encumbrances

high body count=> someone that has had a lot of sexual partners.

the last straw that broke the camel's back=> : the last in a series of bad things that happen to make someone very upset, angry, etc.

to buy the farm=to kick the bucket=>to Die

Couch potato=> a person who takes little or no exercise and watches a lot of television.

hit the road jack=>get lost

that's the way the cookie crumbles=> that's the way the situation is, and it must be accepted, however undesirable.

don't cry over spilt milk=> there's no use in worrying over past events which cannot be changed.

spill the beans=>reveal secret information unintentionally or indiscreetly.

let the cat out of the bag=> accidentally revealing information that you weren't supposed to reveal.

the dog ate my homework=>A poor excuse for something that someone has failed to do on time.

to read the riot act=>  To chastise loudly, or to issue a severe warning:

fight tooth and nail=> fight very fiercely

to come unglued=>  to become extremely upset or angry

to come apart at the seams=> be in a very bad condition and near to failure or collapse.

to come unstuck=> fail completely

lose your cool=> to stop being calm in an annoying or frightening situation

as cool as a cucumber=>  to be very calm, with no worries.

as white as ghost=>  Very white, especially of a person's face as a result of fear.

as poor as a church mouse=>Having little or no wealth and few possessions,

Lazy Sod=>stupid or annoying

Wanker=>a contemptible person (used as a general term of abuse).

lazy b xxx rd

Lazy ass=>(vulgar, slang) A person who is lazy

dumb =>stupid

as happy as a sandboy(Very happy)

Dodgy =>Shady character(dishonest or unreliable)

geezer => : an odd, eccentric, or unreasonable person (usually a man) especially : an old man. an old geezer.

lard butt=> overweight personne

knuclke head=> a stupid person

bird brain=>sparrow brain

oafish=> ill mannered, boor

boorish=> rough and bad-mannered

a clod=>-stupid and oafish person

knuckle dragging=> Holding beliefs, or having attitudes thought to be primitive or uncivilised;

MurielB Sam 17 Juin - 20:48

Here is Helen’s contribution

Helen a écrit:
Hear my list. There might be some overlap with yours:

to wheel and deal (to try to make a profit or get an advantage using clever, complicated, and sometimes dishonest methods)
wet blanket (someone moaning all the time)
when hell freezes over (unlikely)
throw in the towel (if like in German then to give up)
don't kick a sleeping dog (if like in German then keep quiet to not cause trouble)
boot licker (someone creeping up on you)
main squeeze (wife or girlfriend) and my personal favourite
like a needle in a haystack
living on borrowed time
over the hump (over the hump day = Wednesday)
shotgun wedding
keep your ear to the ground
to drag your heels (make someone do something he doesn’t want to)
to be on the ropes (almost defeated: derived from boxing)
to go whole hog (to commit yourself entirely)
take the words out of my mouth
not a happy camper (similar to wet blanket)
I am not a cactus expert- but I know a prick when I see one
Top of the hour (begin of the hour)
Chill out
throw shade (get lost)
to ghost someone
to go cold turkey (plunge into a diet without phasing into it e.g.)
don’t count your chickens before they hatch
rob the cradle (age difference between couples)
rest on one's laurels
poison pill (to get hard out of a contract)
Blamestorming - trying to fix blame
my eyes were bigger than my stomach
pot calling the kettle black (complaining about something you do yourself like being late)
to lay an egg (same as German: cause yourself a problem)
fish out of water
to be given the bum's rush (not being welcome)
to give someone the cold shoulder
to get a comeuppance – in French atterir
he can dish it out, but he can't take it
do a face plant = fall on your face
to fall flat on one's face
instant karma
he has a big head = he has a very punchable face arrogant
slap on the wrist (punished just a little bit)
it was so cold outside that all the lawyer's kept their hands in their own pockets
to be on the lamb (to be running from authorities)
to have been beaten with the ugly stick (someone is ugly)
he/she has more baggage than an airport (lot of problems)
high body count (someone had lots of relationships)
the last straw that broke the camel's back
that's the way the cookie crumbles (that’s how things evolve)
the dog ate my homework (excuse)
to read the riot act (to be scolded by your wife)
fight tooth and nail
to come unglued (lose your cool) to come apart at the seams
BE: Lazy Sod - Useless idiot
as happy as a sandboy
lard butt (fat ass)
knucklehead (idiot)
bird brain (in German: sparrow brain) in Italian chicken brain
boorish (rude)
knuckle dragger (like an ape)
a clod -stupid and oafish (vulgar) person

I just love this section of the eve

MurielB Jeu 22 Juin - 17:15

RosanaO a écrit: The story of Hwang Woo-suk, a South Korean scientist who gained notoriety for claiming to clone human embryos, provides clues. After leaving the field in disgrace, Dr. Hwang has landed in clover, and now spends his days cloning beauty show and racing camels for United Arab Emirates royalty.

In clover is an idiom with roots in the practice of agriculture. We will examine the meaning of the idiom in clover, where it came from, and some examples of its use in sentences.

In clover means to be in a good situation, to to be in a situation of great comfort, to be in a place in life where one needn’t worry about the future. Someone who is in clover has all his basic needs met and has resources to enjoy extra entertainment or comforts. The idiom in clover carries a connotation that the person has moved from a more precarious state to being in clover. The idiom in clover goes back at least to the 1700s and is based upon the fact that cattle enjoy eating clover over other vegetation. A happy cow is in clover.

MurielB Jeu 22 Juin - 20:32

Expressions learned to-day
variety is the spice of life
Don't universalize your personnal experience

MurielB Ven 14 Juil - 12:05

There is no reward in life

f you don't take chances (aka risk) then you'll never reap the benefits (aka rewards).

don't have a cow

To tell someone not to have a cow, then, is to tell someone to relax or calm down.

Bavarian one: Dear God, take everything from me but leave me my excuse

German original: Lieber Gott, nimm' mir alles, aber lass mir meine Ausrede.

There are no stupid questions, however there are a lot of inquisitive idiots

It means that every question is a good question, even the obvious ones

he is a member of the lucky sperm club

The Lucky Sperm Club consists of those fortunate few born into economic privilege.

MurielB Jeu 22 Fév - 18:03

=>https://www.interflora.co.uk/page/flower-meanings
Hi Everyone
I have always been interested in the feelings expressed by flowers and i would like to share with you the meaning of a few of them.

MurielB Jeu 16 Mai - 10:41

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/the-lights-are-on-but-nobody-is-at-home
the lights are on but nobody is at home

said to mean that although someone seems to be normal or satisfactory, they are in fact very stupid or useless
According to Harrington, many projects are not properly thought through: `You get the feeling that the lights are on but no one's at home.'

MurielB Lun 20 Mai - 22:10

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/i-ll-we-ll-cross-that-bridge-when-i-we-come-get-to-it

I'll/we'll cross that bridge when I/we come/get to it

an expression that means you will not worry about a possible future problembut will deal with it if it happens

2)English idioms