Idioms - Daily lesson openers
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These slides are designed to be used individually as lesson openers for classes taking the CAE exams and not as a whole lesson.
What are idioms?
Idioms and meaning
Idioms are expressions which have a meaning that is not obvious from the individual words - For example the idiom drive someone round the bend means make someone angry or frustrated, but we cannot know this from just looking at the words.
The best way to understand an idiom is to see it in context. If someone says: That noise is driving me round the bend!, It's so annoying! Then the context and common sense tells us that drive round the bend means something different from driving a car round a curve in the road. The context tells us the noise is really annoying and is having an effect on the person hearing it.
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1. Happiness
Extreme Happiness
There are many informal idioms which mean extremely happy
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1.1 Other happiness idioms?
Idiom:
Get a (real) kick out of something
Meaning
Very much enjoy doing something (informal)
Example:
I get a real kick out of going for a run first thing in the morning before anyone else is up
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1.2 Other happiness idioms?
Idiom:
Do something for kicks
Meaning
Do something because it is exciting, usually something dangerous (informal)
Example:
Kate is keen to have a go at bungy jumping - just for kicks
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1.3 Other happiness idioms?
Idiom:
Jump for joy
Meaning
Be very happy and excited about something that has happened
Example:
Rowena jumped for joy when she heard she had won first prize
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1.4 Other happiness idioms?
Idiom:
be floating/walking on air
Meaning
Be very happy about something good that has happened
Example:
I've been walking in air ever since Chris and I started going out together.
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1.5 Other happiness idioms?
Idiom:
something makes your day
Meaning
Something makes you feel very happy
Example:
It's great to hear from you. It has really made my day.
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2. sadness
Sadness
There are many informal idioms which mean sad or unhappy
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2.1 Other sadness idioms?
Idiom:
sour grapes
Meaning
Being jealous about something you can't have
Example:
Pat is also suffering from sour grapes because I got the role in the school play she wanted.
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2.2Other sadness idioms?
Idiom:
puts a damper on
Meaning
stop an occasion from being enjoyable (sometimes dampner is used instead of damper)
Example:
Pat's unreasonable behaviour puts a damper on every meal, so I am really looking forward to staying with you at the weekend.
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Which idioms do these pictures make you think of?
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3. Anger
Being angry
These informal idioms can be used either about yourself or about a third person.
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3. Anger
Being angry
These informal idioms are generally used about other people.
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3. Anger
Being angry
These less informal idioms describe other people's anger and are based on the word blood.
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3.1 Angry relationships
Idiom:
drive someone up the wall
Meaning
Make someone very angry (or sometimes very bored)
Example:
The neighbour's loud music is driving me up the wall.
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3.2 Angry relationships
Idiom:
drive/send someone round the bend/twist
Meaning
Make someone very angry (or sometimes very bored)
Example:
His lack of consideration is driving me round the twist.
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3.3 Angry relationships
Idiom:
rub someone up the wrong way
Meaning
Make someone annoyed
Example:
Jill always manages to say something to rub her sister up the wrong way.
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3.4 Angry relationships
Idiom:
get/put someone's back up
Meaning
Make someone annoyed
Example:
Roger put his brother's back up by saying he would never be a good driver.
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3.5 Angry relationships
Idiom:
ruffle someone's feathers
Meaning
Make someone annoyed
Example:
Jo says what she thinks, without worrying about whether she might ruffle anyone's feathers.
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3.6 Angry relationships
Idiom:
not be on speaking terms
Meaning
Be so angry with each other that they refuse to speak to each other.
Example:
They haven't been on speaking terms for years, although neither can remember what they first quarrelled about.
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3.7 Angry relationships
Idiom:
put/send the cat among the pigeons
Meaning
Do or say something that makes a lot of people angry or worried.
Example:
Danny put the cat among the pigeons by suggesting that the company may have to make some redundancies.
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3.8 Angry relationships
Idiom:
to give someone an earful
Meaning
Tell someone how angry you are with them (informal)
Example:
The old lady gave the children an earful for nearly knocking her over.
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3.9 Angry relationships
Idiom:
to give someone a piece of your mind
Meaning
Tell someone how angry you are with them
Example:
He'll give the boys a piece of his mind if he catches them in his garden.
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Now you try
Complete each of these idioms.
Ethan has had it up to .................. with his work.
It's horrible living with two people who are not on speaking ........
It'll really put the ......... among the pigeons if you bring that up at the meeting.
My sister ............. spare when she found out I'd burnt her new top.
Joel is ........... your blood now he knows it was you who told the police.
The demonstrators are furious and ........for blood.
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Source:
Adapted for LessonUp by Susan Corrigan from
ENGLISH IDIOMS IN USE.
Cambridge University Press
This presentation is designed to be used as one slide per lesson as a lesson opener and not as an entire lesson.
