Room to swing a cat

Meaning:

• If there is not room to swing a cat in a place, that place is very small.

Example sentence:

Oh dear! This flat is so tiny. There's not enough room to swing a cat! Where will we put all our furniture?



Questions for you to answer:

1. Have you lived in a place where there was not enough room to swing a cat?
2. How do you feel in places where there's not enough room to swing a cat?
3. Would you prefer a tiny place just for yourself to a spacious place that you had to share with your flatmate?

Show one's teeth

 Meaning:

• To act in an angry or threatening manner, to show that you are angry and prepared to defend yourself

Example sentence:

I'm a very calm person but I really had to show my teeth when Martin offended my girlfriend.



Questions for you to answer:

1. Do you often tend to show your teeth? In what situations?
2. How would you describe someone who often shows their teeth?
3. What should one do not to make other people show their teeth?
4. When did you last show your teeth? Why was it and what did you do?
5. What do you think this idiom alludes to?

To learn a/your lesson

Meaning:

• To understand something or learn something useful about life because of an unpleasant experience.

Example sentence:

Did you like our summer job? - Oh, no! I didn't. It was boring and hard work. But I learned a lesson; now I know that it's not easy to earn money and I am grateful to my parents they support me while I study.


Questions for you to answer:

1. Do you think people should go through unpleasant experience and failures? Why/not?
2. When did you last learn a/your lesson?
3. Do you remember a situation when you taught somebody a lesson?

Time to call it a night.

Meaning:

• It's time to quit one's activities for the night.

Example sentence:

Ok guys, it's almost midnight and I'm getting up at five tomorrow. I guess it's time to call it a night and go home.


Questions for you to answer:

1. When you are at a party, at what time do you usually say It's time to call it a night?
2. Do you know people who never say It's time to call it a night and never want to stop partying?
3. Are you an early bird or a night owl?
4. When do you think it's time to call it a night for a 16-year-old teenager? (on school days and at weekends)

Sell somebody on something

Meaning:

• To persuade someone to buy something or give support to an idea.

Example sentence:

You don't need to sell me on the idea that we need a new computer because I know we don't. We bought two laptops last month.


Questions for you to answer:

1. Have you ever been completely sold on an idea?
2. In what professions must people be good at selling others on various ideas?
3. Can you resist when somebody is trying to sell you on an idea?

Crash the gate

Meaning:

• Gain admittance, for example to a party or concert, without being invited or without buying the tickets. 

Example sentence:

I didn't have the tickets for the Rolling Stones concert but I managed to crash the gate and got inside.


Questions for you to answer:

1. Have you ever crashed the gate and got to a concert without paying?
2. Has anyone ever managed to crash the gate and got to a party of yours without being invited?
3. Have you ever been prevented from crashing the gate?

Music to my ears

Meaning:

• This is something pleasing to hear about, a welcome sound to someone; news that someone is pleased to hear.

Example sentence:

Hearing about my son's latest success was music to my ears.


Questions for you to answer:

1. Can you think of a piece of news you recently heard that was music to your ears?
2. What kind of information is generally music to your ears?
3. What kind of music is your favourite?

Be full of beans

 Meaning:

• A person who's full of beans is energetic, vigorously active, and vital.

Example sentence:

I've never seen him tired or bored. He's always full of beans even though he's nearly 80. I don't know how he does it!


Questions for you to answer:

1. When are you usually full of beans?
2. Can you think of a person who's always full of beans?
3. Why do you think small children are always full of beans?
4. How does this idiom refer to be as fresh as a daisy?

Have green fingers

 Meaning:

• If you have green fingers (or a green thumb) you are very good at gardening and looking after flowers and plants, you are good at keeping plants healthy and making them grow.

Example sentence:

I don't know how my mother does it; her garden always looks beautiful and her plants are just gorgeous - unlike me, she must have green fingers.


Questions for you to answer:

1. Would you say you have green fingers?
2. Do you know anybody who has green fingers?
3. Do you believe that people are born with green fingers or that you can learn how to look after plants and your garden?
4. What does 'green' refer to in this idiom?

Put your feet up

Meaning:

• To relax and do very little

Example sentence:

I've been really busy over the past couple of days and I need some rest. I'll just put my feet up and do nothing for a while.


Questions for you to answer:

1. Do you put your feet up after a long day at work or do you keep working at home?
2. How would you describe a person who can never put their feet up?
3. What are the benefits of putting up one's feet from time to time?
4. When did you last feel you deserved to put your feet up?
5. Do you ever feel guilty when you put your feet up?

Lost in translation

Meaning:

• This idiom refers to a word or phrase, or sometimes even an action, which, when removed from its original context, can no longer be fully understood.

Example:

Make sure that vital information is not lost in translation. Be clear and straightforward when communicating with your colleagues.


Questions for you to answer:

1. Do you remember a situation when you felt that something was lost in translation?
2. Do you think that when translating poetry, some ideas can be lost in translation? If so, what must the translator do to avoid this?
3. What should people do to prevent their words from being lost in translation?
4. Have you seen the movie called Lost in Translation?

Out of place

 Meaning:

• If you feel out of place, you don't feel comfortable or suitable for a particular situation. You feel awkward and unwelcome.

Example sentence:

I loved the party but I kind of felt out of place because I didn't know anybody there.


Questions for you to answer:

1. When did you last feel out of place?
2. Look at the picture. Who might feel out of place?
3. How does this idiom refer to be like a fish out of water?

Hats off

Meaning:

• This is something that you say when you want to express your admiration for someone.

Example sentence:

Hats off to your flawless English. Where did you study?


Questions for you to answer:

1. When did you last hear somebody say: Hats off. You did well!
2. When did you last say 'Hats off' to somebody.
3. In what situations would you use this idiom?
4. What do you think is the origin of the idiom? Do people literally take their hats off to express their admiration?

The good old days

 Meaning:

• If people talk about the good old days, they mean a time in the past when they believe life was better.
• This idiom refers to past times remembered with nostalgia.

Example sentence:

The kids are so lazy nowadays. It's not like back in the good old days when we had to work hard and help our parents every day.


Questions for you to answer:

1. Do you believe past times were better? Why/not?
2. Why do you think people use this cliché?
3. Do you know anybody who drives you crazy because they use this idiom too often?

Be as clear as crystal

Meaning:

• Something that is as clear as  crystal is very clear, transparent or easy to understand.

Example sentence:

The stream was once as clear as crystal but now it's muddy and it stinks.


Questions for you to answer:

1. When did you last swim in a lake or pond that was as clear as crystal?
2. Complete the sentence: It's as clear as crystal that the government...
3. What time of the day is your mind as clear as crystal?
4. Do you remember a night as clear as crystal? What was it like?

Water under the bridge

Meaning:

• If a problem or an unpleasant situation is water under the bridge, it happened a long time ago and no one is upset about it now.

Example sentence:

I know he hurt you once but it's all water under the bridge. Try to forget and go on.


Questions for you to answer:

1. Is there anything you could have done differently but it's just water under the bridge now?
2. Are you a person who tends to worry about problems that are water under the bridge?
3. Try to explain the idiom. What do water and bridge actually represent?

Be in somebody's good books

Meaning:

• If you are in someone's good books, they are pleased with you because you did something positive for them.

Example sentence:

I'm glad I'm in my teacher's good books because she can be really unpleasant if she doesn't like a student.


Questions for you to answer:

1. What must people do to stay in your good books?
2. Who is not in your good books at the moment?
3. Do people get in your good books just because they compliment you?

Put a spanner in the works

 Meaning:

• When you put a spanner in the works, you do something that prevents a plan or activity from succeeding

Example sentence:

I'm working hard but I feel some people are putting a spanner in the works because they don't want me to succeed.  


Questions for you to answer:

1. Has anybody put a spanner in the works in order to prevent your plans from succeeding?
2. Have you ever deliberately put a spanner in the works and prevented an activity from succeeding?
3. What actions, deeds or circumstances can put a spanner in the works and prevent somebody from getting a good job, for example?
4. How does this idiom relate to close the door on something?

Snowed under

Meaning:

• If you are snowed under, you are exceptionally busy, overworked.

Example sentence:

I'm very sorry but I can't help you with your homework; I'm snowed under with my own work at school.


Questions for you to answer:

1. How do you feel when you are snowed under with work?
2. What do you do first when you find out you are snowed under? Do you have a technique that helps you solve the problem? Do you panic or do you start setting priorities and making plans?
3. How would you describe a person who likes to be snowed under with work?