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UNIT 4 TRAVEL
LIVING OUT OF A SUITCASE
1. Read the text below:
M
any actors and singers live out of a suitcase: early on in their career, they have to accept that they are supposed to hit the road, check in and out of hotels, go to exotic as well as dull places, meet all sorts of people, and get used to a variety of customs and climates in the twinkling of an eye. For some, leading such a hectic life drives you up the wall; for others, it broadens your mind from the word go. Most celebrities sacrifice their peace and quiet, but they seem to love taking leave of their uneventful existences. As soon as they set foot in a world of glamour and rub shoulders with important and powerful people, there is no turning back to where they used to be.
2. Now match the idioms in Box 1 (found in the passage above) with their meanings in Box 2. The first one has been done for you.
BOX 1
1. live out of a suitcase 2. hit the road 3. in the twinkling of an eye 4. drive sb up the wall 5. from the word go 6. take leave of 7. set foot 8. rub shoulders with sb
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BOX 2
a. travel frequently b. very quickly c. annoy sb d. go, escape e. travel f. come into contact with sb g. walk into (a place) h. from the very beginning
3.
WHAT’S THE IDIOM FOR?
Replace the phrases in italics with the idioms in Column A.
a) Jason’s in the habit of staying up late at night. b) She’d never blame them if she weren’t sure of their guilt. She’s so sensible! c) His dismissal was difficult for him to accept. d) As soon as you master the skill of writing, you’ll excel at school. e) She was very healthy when she came back from Corsica.
COLUMN A
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
level-headed call the shots cupboard love get the hang of sth (as) fit as a fiddle stew in one’s own juice a night owl a bitter pill to swallow
f) Who decides how things should be done at home? g) Don’t get on at me, please! Let me suffer on my own! h) You’ve never loved your father! You only go up to him with your fake love when you need his help!
4. Look at the following sentences and choose the best answer (A, B or C) to fill in the blanks. 1) I can’t stand her! She thinks she’s the bee’s __!
A. legs
B. knees C. elbows
2) George is a _ off the old block. Even their mannerisms are alike!
A. cheap
B. sheep C. chip
3) I asked John not to tell anyone about my secret affair with Laura, but he let the cat out of the _.
A. bag
B. rag C. sack
4) The party was fabulous! The __ in the ointment, though, was that Tom didn’t turn up.
A. fly
B. fish
C. fig
5) Nowadays, the Revenue Department gets the lion’s _.
A. den
B. share C. snare
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3.
WHAT’S THE IDIOM FOR?
Look at the following informal phrases meaning to be happy and try visualising them.
P be on cloud nine P be tickled pink P be in the seventh heaven
P be on top of the world
4. Have a look at the idioms in Box A. Then match them with their Greek meanings in Box B and translate into Greek the sentences that follow.
BOX A
BOX B
1. talk shop a. απ’ το κακό στο χειρότερο, ενός κακού μύρια έπονται 2. rake over the ashes b. «βράζω» (από θυμό) 3. hit the nail on the head c. πετυχαίνω διάνα, «τό’πα και ταίριαξε» 4. (be) fuming d. σκαλίζω τα παλιά 5. it never rains but it pours e. μιλάω για δουλειά, για επαγγελματικά
a) I’m tired of your talking shop all the time! b) Let’s not rake over the ashes. It’s been such a long time! c) Exactly! You’ve hit the nail on the head! d) James was fuming when he saw them. e) Yesterday, he learned that he failed his driving-test; now he’s had an accident! It never rains but it pours.
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5. Listen to Evelyn talking about her compulsive eating habits, and fill in the blanks with the words that complete the idioms in bold. I came within an ………. of committing suicide! You can’t imagine what it was like having to wake up in the middle of the night, unable to resist the temptation of raiding the fridge! I was bitten by the eating …….. and there was nothing I could do to restrain myself! Then, I decided to go to the doctor and try to kick the …………. There was no problem with my hormones or something. So, she suggested that I should go to a psychiatrist or even a psychoanalyst, in order to find out what was going on. I rose to the ………, I did whatever I was supposed to do, I started painting again, made friends, went to the cinema, had long walks on the beach, and I lost fifteen pounds within a month! I felt great! I knew I could make it! I had to lose at least 140 pounds by hook or by ……….! But things weren’t that easy. I had a nervous breakdown, went to hospital and when I felt better, I began eating again! Now I’m 260 pounds and nothing’s gonna stop me!
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WHAT’S THE IDIOM FOR? 6.
Fill in the gaps with the words given.
shave fences
nutshell
leg
cards leaf
a) I think that elections are on the _. b) It was a close _ when Tim veered the car to avoid the truck that was coming upon us! c) If you keep calm and don’t rush your _, you’re bound to succeed. d) You’re pulling my _! I can’t be the winner! e) When he got out of prison, he decided to turn over a new _: to find a job and get married. f) The working environment was a bit strange. I couldn’t concentrate on my work and nobody seemed to care! To put it in a _, I hated the job and in a few weeks I handed in my resignation.
7.
Replace the phrases in italics with the idioms in Column A.
a) Sarah’s had a sudden success on the stock market! b) After exploring the world for twenty years, he decided to settle down in Peru. c) She’s always been attentive to him; that’s why he takes her for granted. d) He felt very anxious when he woke up and realised he was alone. e) She thought I’d bring her a ring and, when she saw the flowers, she got very disappointed. f) She pretended not to see me when we ran into each other yesterday.
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COLUMN A
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
be at sb’s beck and call cut sb dead have one’s heart in one’s mouth make a killing pull a long face put down roots
6Have one's heart in one's mouth
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5.
WHAT’S THE IDIOM FOR?
Listen to Sophie and Jonathan talking about marriage, and fill in the blanks with the words that complete the idioms in bold.
Sophie: So, you’re planning to jump off the …………, eh? Jonathan: I’ve never thought of it that way! Well…yes, I’m getting married to Julie. Sophie: When? Jonathan: Hmm….I’ve …………… the question, but we haven’t named the ………., yet. Sophie: You’re not throwing a bachelor’s party, are you? Jonathan: I’ve no idea! Why shouldn’t I? Sophie: It’s up to you! I could bring some friends over… Jonathan: It’s a good idea…But…I don’t know if I… Sophie: Here’s a piece of advice from me…Never allow yourself to… fetch and ………… for anyone, let alone your wife! Jonathan: Not a very feministic idea! I’m impressed! Sophie: Married life isn’t all beer and ………………! Bear that in mind!
6.
Match the idioms in Column A with their meanings in Column B. Then use them in order to rephrase the following sentences, so that they will have the same meaning. COLUMN A
COLUMN B
1. run the gauntlet a. suffer (criticism etc) 2. sign on the dotted line b. no room at all 3. no room to swing a cat (in) c. a chance to prove how good one is 4. pour/throw cold water d. a scapegoat over/on sb 5. (be)small beer e. discourage sb 6. a whipping boy f. do exactly what others tell you to do 7. (be)putty in sb’s hands g. unimportant (compared to sb/sth else) 8. a fair crack of the whip h. (be)eager to do what sb you love wants
a) Don’t discourage him! Don’t ……………………………………………………… him! b) His second book is unimportant compared to his first one. His second book is ………………………… compared to his first one. c) I just want to be given a chance to prove how good I am! I just want to be given ………………………………………………! d) How on earth am I supposed to throw a party in here? There’s no room at all! How on earth am I supposed to throw a party in here? There’s …………………………………!
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WHAT’S THE IDIOM FOR?
e) Her father is eager to do whatever she wants. Her father is ……………………………………………………….
f) While you are here, you are expected to do exactly as you are told! While you are here, you are expected to ………………………………………………! g) Important though our mission may be, we’ll have to suffer hostility. Important though our mission may be, we’ll have to ……………………… ……………………………………………… hostility. h) I think that a politician should not be a scapegoat for all economic ills! I think that a politician should not be ……………………………… for all economic ills!
7.
Look at the following sentences and spot the mistake. There are some correct phrases.
a) She has such a cutting tongue! b) I didn’t want to stay with my mother, but any port in a storm. c) He always travels a light. d) Our relationship seems to have been on the mountains for quite some time now. e) Negotiations have reached a stalemate.
6Knee-high to a grasshopper
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WHAT’S THE IDIOM FOR?
UNIT 18: ΜΕΤΑΦΡΑΣΕΙΣ ΙΔΙΩΜΑΤΙΣΜΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΛΕΞΕΩΝ ΜΕΤΑΦΡΑΣΕΙΣ ΙΔΙΩΜΑΤΙΣΜΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΛΕΞΕΩΝ ΤΟΥ UNIT g g g
g
g g
g g g
g g g g g g
g g g g g
g g g
g
g g
g
knee-high to a grasshopper one’s/sb’s salad years jog one’s/sb’s memory have a good innings (be) past one’s prime donkey’s years above board put one’s thinking cap on take it on the chin in high dudgeon put a spoke in sb’s wheel root and branch easy on the eye the year dot keep mum put the finger on sb (a) hue and cry cast a veil over sth put sb in mind of sb/sth jump off the dock
pop the question name the day fetch and carry (for sb) (not) all beer and skittles
run the gauntlet: sign on the dotted line: no room to swing a cat (in)
μικρό παιδί νιάτα, νεότητα, παιδικά χρόνια κάνω κπ να θυμηθεί, βοηθώ τη μνήμη του είχα μια καλή και μεγάλη ζωή, έζησα πολλά χρόνια γερνάω, «πέρασε η μπογιά μου» για πολλά χρόνια, για μεγάλο χρονικό διάστημα ειλικρινής, τίμιος σκέφτομαι, συλλογίζομαι αντεπεξέρχομαι στις δυσκολίες με κουράγιο προσβεβλημένος, θυμωμένος χαλώ τα σχέδια κάποιου ολοσχερώς, ολοκληρωτικά, σύρριζα όμορφος, ελκυστικός πριν πολλά χρόνια κρατώ μυστικό, δεν το λέω σε κανέναν, το κρατώ για τον εαυτό μου «καρφώνω» κπ, καταδίδω γενική κατακραυγή κρύβω κτ, «ρίχνω στάχτη στα μάτια» θυμίζω σε κπ κπ/κτ παντρεύομαι (χρησιμοποιείται για να δηλώσει ειρωνικά ότι είναι μια απόφαση που δεν έχει γυρισμό/ δεν αντιστρέφεται) κάνω πρόταση γάμου ορίζω ημερομηνία γάμου γίνομαι δούλος κάποιου, κάνω ό,τι θέλει αυτός {για το γάμο ή κάποια άλλη κατάσταση} (δεν είναι μόνο) ευχάριστες στιγμές (υπάρχουν και προβλήματα, υποχρεώσεις) υποφέρω/υφίσταμαι (κριτική) κάνω ό,τι μου πουν χωρίς αντιρρήσεις, δέχομαι όρους δεν υπάρχει καθόλου χώρος/μέρος
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UNIT 19 LITERATURE
THE VILLAIN OF THE PIECE
1. Read the text below:
In
literature, language is endowed with a different dynamic. In a way, language becomes the protagonist, creating a world full of beautiful or disagreeable images. For example, consider the difference between “insult” or “disparage” and “cast aspersions on sb.” In drama, we speak of “the villain of the piece” rather than the “guilty” one. When we want to sound more formal, either in literature or in science, we talk about arguments which “hold water” or “beg the question.” Besides, when we do research, we seek to shed light on a specific topic or area of study, and if we can’t find anything, we say there is not a scintilla of evidence. Moreover, a hero or heroine in a book or a film can be described as being “in raptures” about his or her success, instead of as merely “happy.” And if a couple goes through difficulties and hardships, they can be thought of as going through trials and tribulations.
2. Now match the idioms in Box 1 (found in the passage above) with their meanings in Box 2. The first one has been done for you.
BOX 1
1. cast aspersions on sb 2. the villain of the piece 3. hold water 4. beg the question 5. shed light (up)on sth 6. not a scintilla of sth 7. in raptures (about sth) 8. trials and tribulations
BOX 2
a. difficulties and hardships b. the guilty c. (of an argument) be rational/convincing d. (of an argument) fail to convince e. insult/disparage sb f. prove/show sth g. not the slightest amount of sth h. happy
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WHAT’S THE IDIOM FOR? 3.
Look at the following sentences and choose the best answer (A, B or C) to fill in the blanks.
1) The war laid everything _________. A. destroyed
B. wasted
C. waste
2) I took _____________ of using your phone while you were away. A. freedom
B. liberty
C. will
3) His theory gives the ______ to the viability of traditional methods of teaching. A. lie
B. truth
C. meaning
4) The thunder rent the _________! A. skies
B. night
C. day
5) Most people pay lip _________ to equality; in fact, they do nothing to change their way of living and thinking.
A. gloss
4.
Have a look at the idioms in Box A. Then match them with their Greek meanings in Box B and translate the sentences that follow, paying particular attention to the phrases in bold.
B. safety
C. service
BOX A
BOX B
1. fall into desuetude a. δείχνω υποταγή σε κπ/κτ, αποτίω φόρο τιμής σε κπ/κτ 2. come to terms/grips with sth b. σε πείσμα του, παρότι, ενάντια σε 3. in the teeth of sth c. πέφτω σε αχρησία 4. at (this, that etc) juncture d. παλεύω με κτ, αποδέχομαι κτ 5. do/pay/make obeisance to sb/sth e. σ’ αυτό το σημείο/στάδιο
a) Οι στρατιώτες απέτισαν φόρο τιμής στους νεκρούς τους. b) Σ’ αυτό το σημείο, πρέπει να αναφερθούν δύο πράγματα. c) Πολλές αγγλικές λέξεις έχουν πέσει σε αχρησία. d) Παντρεύτηκαν σε πείσμα όλων. e) Η ηρωίδα προσπαθεί να αποδεχτεί την πραγματικότητα.
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5.
WHAT’S THE IDIOM FOR?
Listen to Professor Williams talking about writing, and fill in the blanks with the words that complete the idioms in bold.
Prof. Williams: Here, the author does ……………… to the genre of literary review by presenting his arguments, not linearly, but in a circular way, that is, by touching upon a topic once, then going on to the next one, then going back to the first one, and so forth. It’s strange, really, but I’m glad that he has decided to break with literary conventions. His writing has a lot in common with German authors. As I’ve told you, this kind of writing is not of frequent …………………, but it has been gaining ………….. in the past two years. More and more University students are beginning to experiment with new conventions and traditions of writing, which is only natural, if we take into account the fact that they come into contact with students from all ……… of life, read all sorts of articles written by Japanese, Korean, Indian or Greek educated authors, and develop a keen awareness of other cultures. Of course, we shouldn’t overstep the ……….!
6.
Fill in the gaps with the words given.
odds
production
virtue
sting
wake
a) Stuart gained entrance to the building on __ of this card. b) They’re constantly at _ with each other. c) There is hatred by _ of ignorance. d) Music takes the _ out of my misery. e) He handed in his resignation in the _ of a fierce row with his boss.
7.
Look at the following sentences and underline or circle the correct idiomatic phrase.
a) You can never get over the shock of killing a human being. This thought will always be an albatross round your neck/a vulture round your neck. b) Our marriage is fraying at the seams/fraying at the edges. c) The fact that he won the Nobel Prize was a leather in his cap/a feather in his cap. d) Modern technology has certainly made roads into/made inroads into the environment. e) I hadn’t studied, but I sat in for the exam on a wind and a prayer/ on a wing and a prayer.
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WHAT’S THE IDIOM FOR?
UNIT 19: ΜΕΤΑΦΡΑΣΕΙΣ ΙΔΙΩΜΑΤΙΣΜΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΛΕΞΕΩΝ ΜΕΤΑΦΡΑΣΕΙΣ ΙΔΙΩΜΑΤΙΣΜΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΛΕΞΕΩΝ ΤΟΥ UNIT g g g g
g g
g
g g g g g g
g
g g
g
g g
g g g
g g g
g g g g
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(be) endowed with sth disagreeable disparage cast aspersions on sb the villain of the piece hold water beg the question shed light (up)on sth not a scintilla of sth in raptures (about sth) trials and tribulations lay sth waste take liberty of doing sth give the lie to sth viability rend the skies/air pay lip service to sth/ pay sth lip service fall into desuetude come to terms/grips with sth in the teeth of sth at (this, that etc) juncture do/pay/make obeisance to sb/sth do violence to sth linearly of (frequent, rare etc) occurrence from all walks of life overstep the mark on production of sth at odds with sb
προικισμένος με κτ άσχημος, δυσάρεστος δυσφημώ δυσφημώ, «εξαπολύω μύδρους εναντίον κάποιου» ένοχος, κακός (για θεωρία) λογική, που ευσταθεί, πειστική (για θεωρία) παράλογη, που δεν ευσταθεί, μη πειστική ρίχνω φως σε κτ/δείχνω/αποδεικνύω καθόλου, ούτε ελάχιστο είμαι ευτυχισμένος δεινά, βάσανα, δυσκολίες καταστρέφω κτ παίρνω το θάρρος να κάνω κτ/παίρνω από μόνος μου την άδεια να κάνω κτ διαψεύδω κτ/αποδεικνύω ότι κτ είναι λάθος βιωσιμότητα κάνω εκκωφαντικό θόρυβο, σκίζω τον ουρανό λέω ότι πιστεύω σε κτ μόνο στα λόγια πέφτω σε αχρησία παλεύω με κτ, αποδέχομαι κτ σε πείσμα του, παρότι, ενάντια σε σ’ αυτό το σημείο/στάδιο δείχνω υποταγή σε κπ/κτ, αποτίω φόρο τιμής σε κπ/κτ πάω ενάντια σε κτ, αντίκειμαι σε κτ γραμμικά, με τη σειρά συχνός/αραιός απ’ όλο τον κόσμο «το παρακάνω», ξεπερνώ τα όρια επί τη εμφανίσει, δείχνοντας κτ σε διαφωνία/διένεξη με κπ
WHAT’S THE IDIOM FOR?
UNIT 19: ΜΕΤΑΦΡΑΣΕΙΣ ΙΔΙΩΜΑΤΙΣΜΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΛΕΞΕΩΝ g g g
g g
g g
g
g
by virtue of sb/sth take the sting out of sth in the wake of fierce row an albatross round one’s/ sb’s neck fray at the edges a feather in one’s/sb’s cap make inroads into/upon sth on a wing and a prayer
εξαιτίας κάποιου (έμψυχου/άψυχου) κάνω κτ λιγότερο επώδυνο ως αποτέλεσμα κάποιου πράγματος/κατάστασης έντονος καυγάς τύψεις στη συνείδηση κάποιου «ξεφτίζω», καταστρέφομαι κτ για το οποίο νιώθει κπ υπερήφανος, επίτευγμα/κατόρθωμα καταστρέφω κτ, έχω άσχημες συνέπειες σε κτ με την ελπίδα ότι θα νικήσω/πετύχω
Over to you... 6An albatross NStudy carefully the idiomatic r o u n d y o u r n e c k phrases above and translate
the follow ing text into English, paying particula r attention to the Greek phrases in bold.
Σ
τα περισσότερα έργα, ο κακός είναι, συνήθως, ο άσχημος. Είναι καιρός να πάμε ενάντια σ’ αυτή την παράδοση, χωρίς, φυσικά, να «το παρακάνουμε». Πήρα το θάρρος να διαβάσω μερικά βιβλία σας και διαπίστωσα ότι ο δυτικός πολιτισμός είχε άσχημες συνέπειες στον τρόπο σκέψης μας. Δυστυχώς, χρησιμοποιούμε στερεότυπα που δε μας βοηθούν να γνωρίσουμε τον εαυτό μας καλύτερα. Η έννοια του «διαφορετικού» «ξεφτίζει».
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4.
REVISION UNIT 17-20 WHAT’S THE IDIOM FOR?
Match the idioms in Column A with their meanings in Column B. Then use them in order to rephrase the following sentences, so that they will have the same meaning.
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
1. jump off the dock a. get married 2. (be) small beer b. travel with no suitcases 3. a fair crack of the whip c. the guilty; the bad one 4. travel light d. a chance to prove how good one is 5. the villain of the piece e. unimportant compared to sb/sth 6. lay sth waste f. destroy sth
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a) So, you’re planning to get married. So, you’re planning to ……………………………………… b) The war destroyed everything. The war ………… everything …………… c) Who was the bad one? Who was ………………………………………………………? d) He wanted to be given a chance to prove his abilities. He wanted to be given …………………………………………………………… e) She always travels with no suitcases. She always …………………………………………… f) This essay is unimportant compared to the rest. This essay is ……………………………… compared to the rest.
5.
Look at the following sentences and choose the best answer (A, B or C) to fill in the blanks.
1) She has such a __ tongue!
A. sharp
B. cutting
C. long
2) A little wine will _ your memory.
A. jig
B. jingle
C. jog
3) His extreme ideas raised (a) _ and cry.
A. hew
B. hue
C. new
4) Their friendship is on the _.
A. rocks
B. mountains
C. ice
5) There is not a __ of evidence to prove your theory.
A. vanilla
B. scintilla
C. priscilla
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6.
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a) b) c) d)
REVISION UNIT 17-20 WHAT’S THE IDIOM FOR?
Fill in the gaps with the words given.
ground
overstep
feather
prayer
He hadn’t studied, so he sat in for the exam on a wing and a __. Her theory is gaining __ day by day. You’re free to do as you like, but don’t __ the mark! The fact that he passed his exams was a __ in his cap.
7. Translate the following sentences into English, paying particular attention to the Greek phrases in bold. a) Οι στρατιώτες απέτισαν φόρο τιμής στους νεκρούς τους. b) Σ’ αυτό το σημείο, πρέπει να αναφερθούν δύο πράγματα. c) Πολλές αγγλικές λέξεις έχουν πέσει σε αχρησία. d) Παντρεύτηκαν σε πείσμα όλων. e) Η ηρωίδα προσπαθεί να αποδεχτεί την πραγματικότητα.
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