Historical Idioms.docx

                               Historical Idioms (THE WHOLE BOOK)

1. To bark up the wrong tree- direct one’s attention towards the wron person/thing or to be mistaken
Police accused me of stealing a diamond necklace. And had you done it ? No they were barking up the wrong tree as usual. I was miles away robbing a bank in Manchaster.
2. To be on cloud nine- be very hapy/elated
3.To be on tenterhooks- to feel nervous and excited because you are waiting to find out something or for something to happen
She had been on tenterhooks all night, expecting Joe to return at any moment.
4.To be up to scratch- to be of an acceptable/desired standard (good enough for a particular standard)
I think you should go to the optician and find out if your eyesight is up to scratch
Some of this work is not up to scratch
She wanted to be a singer but her voice wasn’t up to scratch
-Bring/get sth up to scratch/ come up to scratch
We spent thousands of pounds getting the house up to scratch.
5.Blarney (uncountable)- pleasant but untrue things that you say to sb in order to trick or persuade them
He was talking a lot of blarney to make her marry him.
6.To blow hot and cold- continually change one’s mind about sth/sb
I can’t understand it. First my wife says she wants to go to Paris with me and then she doesn’t. Why do you think she’s blowing hot and cold ?
7.A Blue stocking- a woman who is very intellectual or academic
My brother’s fiancee is definitely a blue stocking.
8. Buff- a person who is devoted to a particular subject and therefore knows a lot about it/ a knowledgeable enthusiast
a film buff/ a computer buff/ a wine buff/ an opera buff/ a football buff/ chess buff
9.Business as usual- continuing as normal; when someone or something is still working or operating normally when you think they might not be:
Despite last night's scare, it was business as usual in the White House today.
10. Buttonhole someone- talk to sb who does not want to listen
How was the party? Not very good. A dreadful young man buttonholed me and told me his life story. It took two hours.
11.To carry the can- take responsibility or blame for sth (rightly or wrongly)
You will need to carry the can for the accident.
He has been left to carry the can for a decision he didn't make.
12. Catch sb on the hop- catch sb unprepared/surprise sb; to do something when someone is not expecting it and is not ready
Debbie had a baby a week after marrying Derek Dim. Derek didn’t even know his wife was pregnant. Yes, the baby caught him on the hop- he thought Debbie was just very fat.
Make sure everything is ready well in advance otherwise you will be caught on the hop.
13.The chips are down- a point during an important situation when you are forced to make a decision or take action (jak przyjdzie co do czego)
I heard about a woman who survived a plane crash in the jungle and had to live for three weeks on worms and insects! I could never do that- I’d rather starve to death. I disagree. I think that if the chips were down you’d eat anything.
14.A cliffhanger- a dramatic or frightening moment when one does not know what will happen next; a situation in a story, film, or a competition that makes you feel very excited or nervous because you do not know what will happen or have to wait a long time to see how it will end
The captain announced the ship had hit something and was sinking. There was only one hour to get all the passengers and crew into the lifeboats. No one was sure if it could be done. It was a real cliffhanger.
Tonight's vote may be a cliffhanger
the episode's cliffhanger ending
15.To eat humble pie- to be very submissive after regretting an action or words
Last week Chares accused his new secretary, Fiona, of stealing his wallet. It disappeared from his briefcase during lunchtime.- How awful! I expect she lost her job immediately- No, Charles gave her a pay rise. The next day he found his wallet at home It hadn’t been stolen after all so he had to eat humble pie all week and offer Fiona more money before she agreed to stay.
16. To give sb short shrift- give sb very little of one’s time due to impatience or annoyance;(to get/be given short shrift) if you or your idea, suggestion etc is given short shrift, you are told immediately that you are wrong and are not given any attention or sympathy
When Mrs Tomlin takes her cat to the vet he spends ages with her, but when I go he gives me short shrift – Perhaps he likes Mrs Tomlin’s cat better than yours – But I haven’t got a cat, I’ve got a poisonous snake!
McLaren got short shrift from all the record companies when he first presented his new band to them in 1976.
17.To Give sb/get  the cold shoulder- treat sb in a cold way/shun somebody
Don’t bother to ask Mr Brown to help with the charity event- he always gives everyone the cold shoulder|
18. Heath Robinson (adjective)- strange looking/appearing to be homemade or improvised (used about machinery/vehicles); a Heath Robinson machine, system etc is very complicated in an amusing way but not at all practical
A Heath Robinson car/ bicycle etc.
19. Hobson’s choice-(noun, uncountable) a situation in which there appears to be a choice when actually there is none at all
Have you been to that chic new restaurant yet? I’ve seen the menu and there seems to be lots of delicious food – Take my advice- don’t go. The menu looks very varied but it’s always Hobson’s choice. They never have anything available but fish and chips.
20. To keep up with the Joneses- always buy/do what one;s friends and neighbours buy/ do in order to seem as rich as they are
She is always trying to keep up with the Joneses. When she found that all her friends had a car, she immediately bought one herself. It was such a silly thing to do- Personally I find a car very useful. Why do you think it was silly? – Because Marcia can’t drive
21. To let the cat out of the bag- reveal a secret by mistake
22.To look a gift horse in the mouth- be ungrateful for an unexpected opportunity/bonus
The Managing Director told me t his afternoon that I could have a company car- a VW. But when I t old him I would prefer a Ferrari he became very angry.
-I am not surprised. After all you were looking a gift horse in the mouth! You probably won’t get anything now.- Yes I will. He told me I could have a bicycle.
23. To mind one’s Ps and Qs- be careful to be well behaved and polite
-I’m going to have lunch with the Queen at the Palace.
-You will have to mind your Ps and Qs. I’ve heard that she can be offended if visitors do or say the wrong thing
-Don’t worry. If I make a mistake, I’ll offer to give her a ride on the back of my motorbike!
24. Money for old rope- money for doing very little
I thought it would be money for old rope, but I’m never going to do it again.
25. One for the road- one last drink, usually alcoholic, before leaving a pub, house
-It’s a pity you have to leave the party so soon. If you’re not in a hurry how about one for the road ?
-Yes of course I can stay a little longer.
26. To pay through the nose- to pay a high price for syh which is not worth it
27. To run the gauntlet of sth/sb- suffer an attack/pressure/criticism
-Did you hear about Freda Fib? Apparently she had to run the gauntlet of dozens of newspaper reporters when she arrived at a charity dinner in a rea fur coat.
-But lots of people wear real fur, why did they decide to pick on Freda
-Well, the dinner was in aid of the local animal rights group.

There was no way to avoid running the gauntlet of media attention.
The foreign secretary ran the gauntlet of demonstrators.
28. Sour grapes- bitter comments about sth which one wants but cannot have
-That’s a beautiful salmon you’ve caught. It must weigh over five kilos! Are you going to have it for dinner?
-Well I was, but when I showed it to Mr Surly he told me it was diseased and that it wou;d be dangerous to eat/
-Don’t listen to him- It’s just sour grapes. He’s fished in that river for years and he’s never caught anything larger than an old boot!
29. To steal sb’s thunder- spoil the effect of sb’s actions or word by doing the same or better first
30. To stick one’s neck out- do/say something which carries a high risk of failure, trouble or embarrassment
The Prime Minister stuck his neck out today and promised that the unemployment figures will be halved by the end of this year.
31.  To toe the line- obey orders/accept policy or ideas of a group; to do what other people in a job or organization say you should do, whether you agree
with them or not:
You toe the line or you don't stay on the team!
32. To turn the tables (on sb)- reverse the situation in which one is at a disadvantage so one is in a superior position
-When we were children we decided to have a competition and see who would become a millionaire first.
-George has always earned much more than you- It’s obvious that he will be the one to do it.
-Yes that’s what I used to think but now I’ve turned the tables on him. Yesterday a solicitor rang me and said that a distand cousin has died, leaving me one million pounds!

The tables were turned when I sent him the letter.

33.An Underdog(countable)- sb who is almost certain to fail/lose a competition/argument/war etc
Crowds often feel sympathy for the underdog.
-Kevin Klumsy is the British netry at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships this year. He’ll be the underdog as usual.
-Why do you say that? He might win!
-Well, for a start he’s very shortsighted and has a wooden leg!
34. To upset the applecart- spoil a plan, arrangement or expected course of events
-Did you go to Veronica Vain’s wedding? I hear it was going to be the most spectacular social event of the year
-Yes it was. On the morning of the wedding the groom upset the applecart by saying he couldn’t go through with the marriage and wanted it all stopped.
35. A white elephant- sth which is expensive but useless/something which is costly to keep and has no apparent benefit
His new car is a complete white elephant. It uses an enormous amount of petrol and breaks down all the time. It’s costing my brother a fortune.
36. A bimbo- a young woman who is not very intelligent but is particularly attractive
She sounds like a bimbo to me.
He picked up some bimbo at the club.
37. A buzzword- a new word or expression whichis fashionable; a word or phrase from one special area of knowledge that people suddenly think is very important
'Multimedia' has been a buzzword in the computer industry for years.
38. A couch potato
I enjoy being a couch potato so much I;e decided to give up jogging altogether
39. Culture shock- feeling uncomfortable in a strange country or place because of the different habits and way of life
When he moved to the countryside it was a complete culture shock
India is where I first experienced real culture shock.
Moving to London was a bit of a culture shock after ten years of living in the country.
40. DIY (noun, adjective)- household improvements which are done by oneself rather than by a professional or; things which are able to be used
My hobby is DIY.
DIY heart tests, DIY dentistr kit
41.Dosh- money (uncountable, informal)
I am making more dosh than he is.
42. Flagship (countable, usually singular)- sth which represents the best that can be offered.
The company’s flagship product.
The flagship of a new Ford range.
The film has just opened a flagship store in LA.
43. Flavour of the month- currently popular/famous for a short while
Why is he suddenly flavour of the month?
44. A freebie- upominek od firmy w ramach promocji
Freebie holiday/flight/glass of wine
45. A ghetto blaster- (boombox-AmE) a type of portable cassette player whih can play music extremely loudly.
46.A golden parachute- a contract which is given to important executives so that they receive a large sum of money if they lose their job
I have got a golden parachute. When I leave at the end of the week I’ll receive a huge cheque!
47. To headhunt- fill a vacancy for a job by directly apporaching sb who is already working for another company/ a headhunter
All the people who gave held this post before me have been headhunted.
48. A high-flyer- an exceptionally talented professional person who receives rapid promotion
He is a high-flyer.
49.To  hype/ hype (uncountable)- robić szuł wokół; szum rozgłos
The media hype surrounding Spielberg’s new movie.
The director is just using the controversy to hype his movie.
We told the record company that we didn’t want to hype our band.
Some experts are concerned that the new drug won't live up to all the hype.
Despite the media hype, I found the film very disappointing.
50. Junk food/junk mail- unhealthy food chich Has many additives and high fat conent (uncountable)
I’ve decided to give up junk food.
51. To moonlight- to do another Job as well as one’s normal one
I don’t earn enough Money as a nurse so I moonlight as a waitress in the evenings.
52. Nightmare scenario- the most awful series of events that can be imagined
I am very worried about nu clear weapons. If every country has them I don’t see how we can avoid the nightmare scenario of a Word war which destroys the whole Earth.
53. Sell-by date- the point at which sth is no longer at its Best and is beginning a natural decline
Most footballers are past their sell-by date at thiry-five.
a yoghurt two days past its sell-by date
This type of games console is starting to look well past its sell-by date.
54. A squatter- a person who lives in an unused house without the owner’s permission and without paying rent
I’ve been a squatter for 15 years but now I’ve decided to stop.
55. State-of-the-art- the best technology which is currently available/can be achieved (any type of technical o electrical equipment: radio, hi-fi, cameras, tv sets, videos, computers, cars, aeoroplanes, satellites etc)
Do you like my new state-of-the-art TV ?
56. The thinking man’s/woman’s (adjective)- attractive to intellectuals and intelligent people
He is the thinking woman’s sex symbol !
The thinking man’s newspaper.
57. A toyboy- boyfriend of an older, usually rich, woman
58. User-friendly- easy to operate, use, understand
a user-friendly guide to computing
a user-friendly system
59.A Yuppie- young rich person who works in a well paid job- especially in finance, advertising or marketing; young person who earns a lot and is interested in buying expensive things
60. To be chock-a-block with sth (full of sth, squashed together in a limited space)
Paris was chock-a-block with tourists.
The platform was chock-a-block wit passengers.
61. Claptrap (uncountable)- insincere, foolish talk/nonsense- czcze słowa, frazesy, efekciarstwo
romantic claptrap
62.A ding-dong- a loud argument
They were having a real ding-dong in the kitchen.
63.A Fuddy-duddy(noun or adj)- sb or sth which is very old-fashioned, conservative, boring
I hope you don’t think I am a fuddy-duddy.
You're such an old fuddy-duddy!
64. Gobbledegook- complicated/obscure/meaningles language (written or spoken) complicated language, especially in an official or technical document, that is impossible or difficult to understand - used to show disapproval
(uncountable)
I really hate gobbledegook.
65. Hotchpotch- a mixture of different things or ideas which do not go together- mieszanina, groch z kapustą
Your last report is a hotchpotch of ideas and opinions.
66. Humdrum (adjective)- boring, repetitive, ordinary (monotony, prozaiczny)
She leads a very humdrum life.
He is a very humdrum person.

a humdrum Job
humdrum existence/job/life etc

the prisoners' humdrum routine
67. Hurly-burly (noun, uncountable)- noise, intense activity
the hurly-burly of city life
She goes to the city centre beacuse she enjoys the hurly-burly
68. Mumbo-jumbo(uncountable)- language, ideas, beliefs which are either too complicated and difficult t understand or nonsensical; technical language that is difficult to understand and seems to have no sense:
The scientist talked a lot of mumbo-jumbo about space and time and I didn’t undestand a word!
a bunch of legal mumbo-jumbo
69. Namby-pamby- weak and sentimental; too weak and gentle and not strict or tough enough: (adjective)
It’s no good being namby-pamby.
For some people soccer has a reputation as a rather namby-pamby sport.
70. To pooh-pooh- completely turn down/treat with contempt an idea or suggestion without further consideration or discussion; to say that you think that an idea, suggestion, effort etc is silly or not very good (wyśmiewać, wykpiwać)
I asked my parents if I could go to Australia with my friends but they pooh-poohed the idea.
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