Look through my fingers! 😉

Vocabulary: Idioms

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Here’s an expression for you: to look through someone’s fingers.

Can you guess what it means?

Well, in English, it doesn’t mean a thing. But if you’re Serbian, you know exactly what’s going on.

The phrase itself has nothing to do with its actual message. In English, it translates to to turn a blind eye.

Oh great! Now you just have two weird phrases.

Okay, here’s what both really mean: to ignore something that you know is wrong. (C1 level) Click here for example sentences.

Every language has such expressions that can’t be understood word for word. They are an important part of a language—they make you sound more natural.

But that’s not all there is to it.

You want to understand what people are saying, right? Especially when you’re involved in the conversation and expected to reply. That’s why it’s a very good idea to start learning idioms (that’s what we call these phrases).

Why wait? Here we go!

There are different types of idioms:

1. VERB + OBJECT

Idiom: ram/force/push/shove/cram something down someone’s throat
Meaning: impose one’s ideas/views on someone
Examples: I hate going to my friend’s house, because her husband’s always ramming political rhetoric down my throat.

Idiom: have second thoughts
Meaning: change your opinion or begin to have doubts about it
Example: I think she’s having second thoughts about leaving London.

2. PREPOSITION + NOUN

Idiom: in the dark

Meaning: not knowing very much about something, because other people are keeping it secret from you
Example: We are still very much in the dark about how the money was lost.

Idiom: out of the blue
Meaning: completely unexpectedly
Example: One of them wrote to us out of the blue several years later.

3. COMPOUNDS

Idiom: a kick in the teeth
Meaning: something very disappointing and upsetting
Example: We’ve been struggling for years and it’s a real kick in the teeth to see a new band make it ahead of us.

Idiom: a stumbling block
Meaning: an obstacle, a problem which stops you from achieving something
Example: Lack of willingness to compromise on both sides is the major stumbling block to reaching a settlement.

Idiom: state-of-the-art
Meaning: most technically advanced
Example: He always has a state-of-the-art computer.

4. BINOMIAL (x AND y)

Idiom: high and mighty
Meaning: self-important, arrogant
Example: You think you’re so high and mighty, but you will come tumbling down some day.

5. SIMILE (AS adjective AS noun)

Idiom: as strong as an ox
Meaning: very strong
Example: Get Carl to lift it – he’s as strong as an ox.

6. CONVERSATIONAL PHRASES

Idiom: long time no see
Meaning: used when you meet someone who you have not seen for a long time
Example: Hey Susan. Long time no see. How have you been?

7. SAYINGS / MAXIMS

Idiom: Every little helps.
Meaning: every contribution toward a goal is valuable, regardless of how small it may be
Example: Making that change isn’t anywhere near enough by itself – but every little helps.

8. PROVERBS

Idiom: don’t count your chickens (before they’re hatched)
Meaning: don’t make plans for the future because you do not know for certain how a particular situation will develop
Example: When dealing with important financial arrangements, it is imperative that you do not count your chickens before they are hatched.

ACTIVITY 1

Read the text and find eight idioms.

I always try to make the most of any opportunity to make new friends, such as a party or a social event. But it’s not always easy to break the ice, and when you don’t know someone, it’s so easy to put your foot in it by saying something insensitive or something which unexpectedly rubs someone up the wrong way. But if you keep an eye on what you say, play it by ear and just try to act naturally, it can make all the difference and you may find you stand a good chance of making a new acquaintance or even a good friend.

Match each idiom you found above with its meaning:

  1. be watchful/careful about something
  2. create a relaxed social atmosphere
  3. get the maximum benefit from a situation
  4. irritate someone
  5. say or do something socially embarrassing
  6. have a very positive effect
  7. there is a strong possibility
  8. don’t plan in advance, just see how things go

ACTIVITY 2

Complete the idioms using the prepositions: in, under, on, out, in, from, at.

  1. We were talking _____ cross purposes. I was talking about the exams, and you thought I meant the course as a whole.
  2. I was a bit _____ the weather last week, but I feel much better now.
  3. I’m afraid we’ll have to start _____ scratch again. This system just isn’t working.
  4. We were kept _____ the dark for weeks before anyone told us the truth.
  5. Where we live now, we have great shops and everything we need _____ our doorstep.
  6. They were killed _____ cold blood by rebel soldiers.
  7. One day, _____ of the blue, he left his job and emigrated to Australia.

ACTIVITY 3

Rewrite each sentence using one of the idioms from Activity 2.

  1. I hate being uninformed about things at work.
  2. The terrorists had no mercy and killed all the hostages.
  3. The mountains and ski slopes are just a few miles away; we’re so lucky.
  4. Without any warning she received a letter from her long-lost brother.
  5. I often find Jane and I have misunderstandings.
  6. It looks as if they’ll have to start all over again.
  7. Keith’s not looking too well these days, is he?

Hope you liked the lesson!

Class dismissed. ⏱️

Jelena

Answer key

Activity 1

I always try to make the most of any opportunity to make new friends, such as a party or a social event. But it’s not always easy to break the ice, and when you don’t know someone, it’s so easy to put your foot in it by saying something insensitive or something which unexpectedly rubs someone up the wrong way. But if you keep an eye on what you say, play it by ear and just try to act naturally, it can make all the difference and you may find you stand a good chance of making a new acquaintance or even a good friend.

  1. be watchful/careful about something = keep an eye on
  2. create a relaxed social atmosphere = break the ice
  3. get the maximum benefit from a situation = make the most of
  4. irritate someone = rub someone up the wrong way
  5. say or do something socially embarrassing = put your foot in it
  6. have a very positive effect = make all the difference
  7. there is a strong possibility = stand a good chance
  8. don’t plan in advance, just see how things go = play it by ear

Activity 2

  1. We were talking at cross purposes. I was talking about the exams, and you thought I meant the course as a whole.
  2. I was a bit under the weather last week, but I feel much better now.
  3. I’m afraid we’ll have to start from scratch again. This system just isn’t working.
  4. We were kept in the dark for weeks before anyone told us the truth.
  5. Where we live now, we have great shops and everything we need on our doorstep.
  6. They were killed in cold blood by rebel soldiers.
  7. One day, out of the blue, he left his job and emigrated to Australia.

Activity 3

  1. I hate being (kept) in the dark about things at work.
  2. The terrorists killed all the hostages in cold blood.
  3. The mountains and ski slopes are on our doorstep; we’re so lucky.
  4. Out of the blue she received a letter from her long-lost brother.
  5. I often find Jane and I are at cross purposes.
  6. It looks as if they’ll have to start from scratch.
  7. Keith’s been looking under the weather recently, hasn’t he?