The world of idioms, страница 4

If you are fed up to the teeth, unfortunately it does not mean that you have had a good meal. Instead, you are bored or cross, and you have had enough of the thing which is making you feel like that. Perhaps you have had to do something in the teeth of (in spite of) great difficulties, and that is what has made you feel fed up.

Did you catch the bus this morning by the skin of your teeth? In that case, you were lucky to get to university on time because you nearly missed it. If something irritates you very much — for example, the noise of chalk on a blackboard — it can set your teeth on edge. Does anything give you that feeling?

You may be a person with a sweet tooth. If so, you love cakes, ice cream, chocolate and sweet drinks. But be careful. Sugar is not good for your teeth and you may end up with terrible toothache.

Take care of your teeth and have fun using these toothy  idioms!

UNIT 6

Eye, the organ of sight or vision.

Eyes are not only useful for seeing. Other people's eyes also tell us what they are feeling or thinking. People's eyes express all kinds of emotions: love, dislike, surprise, fear. For example, someone who makes eyes at you likes you a lot and would like to attract you. Someone who makes sheep's eyes at you thinks you're wonderful too, but isn't quite so sure of winning you! Someone who is all eyes is paying a lot of attention to something; her eyes are big with wonder or concentration. If you are keeping an eye on something — for example, a mischievous child or a steak cooking under the grill — you won't be able to pay much attention to anything else. You will probably even have to watch the television out of the corner of your eye. You keep your eyes skinned when  you have to watch very carefully for something that might be difficult to see — when you are trying to find your friend in a long cinema queue, for example. Talking of friends, they are often people with whom you see eye to eye because you share many of the same opinions and tastes. That is why you are going to the same film, after all! When things are not going well in your life, you might  find yourself up to your eyes in difficulties. But it's no use crying your eyes out. That won't solve anything. The help of a friend often solves problems in the twinkling of an eye, or in other words, very quickly. One cure for worry is to have a delicious  meal or go to a show. Something pleasant and attractive is a sight for sore eyes. It will help cure your depression and, if you have been up to your eyes in work, it will literally give your eyes a rest, too. If you're not so lucky, and you don't go out for a treat, it is always possible to remember something you enjoyed in the past. Some people have such good imaginations, they can see it all again in their mind's eye.

We hope all these expressions will not be too difficult to remember. Even if you don't remember them all, they will be an eye-opener to you about the idioms in the English language. Keep your eyes glued to the page and you will probably know them all before long!

UNIT 7

Hair is beautiful when it is well cared for. It is an import­ant part of  everyone's personal style, like their clothes and their voice. But hair represents more than that: for example, rebelliousness, one's attitude of mind and even one's political opinions. Men with long hair and women with very short hair are often rebelling against their traditional roles or against their society. People judge your character by the way your hair looks, so it is much more than just a crowning glory.

Your hair can actually express feelings, according to idiomatic English. This is not as strange as it sounds, because when someone feels fear, shock or excitement, the skin on his head tightens. This makes the hair move. For this reason, when someone has a terrifying experience — sees a ghost, for example — he might say that his hair stood on end. It probably really did, too. However, someone with strong nerves might see the same ghost without turn­ing a hair.