Pulling your weight

Have you been pulling your weight at work?

If, not, your colleagues will have something to say about it.

To pull your weight means to do your fair share of work.

This idiom comes directly from the days of tall ships when sailors would lower and raise the sails by pulling on the rigging. the ropes)

To synchronise their pulling, they sank sea shanties.

Back to pulling your weight, here's a nice video about a modern day adventure on a tall ship. Ready to watch?

Aye, aye, Captain!

Throw a wobbler

Have you thrown a wobbler lately, gone off on one or had a bit of a rant?

All of these phrases mean that you lost your temper, self-control and made a bit of a dramatic speech about something that annoyed you.

Wayne Rooney's contract negotiations with Manchester United has been big news in Britain lately and for one football manager, his behaviour was too much to take.

He threw a wobbler and went off on a rant.

You don't have to be interested in football to enjoy this. The more he talks, the more worked up he becomes!

I haven't got the foggiest

At this time of year it can be foggy in the mornings.

That's the cold, white water vapour in the air.

We can make an adjective - foggy, to describe this weather.

We can make a superlative - foggiest - it was the foggiest day ever. More often we use this word to describe something we don't understand or don't know.

I haven't got the foggiest idea what you are talking about. A useful phrase for English lessons perhaps!

Here is a popular British comedy (on TV for about 30 years I think)featuring a group of old men who go about wasting their time. In this episode, they meet an old friend, Foggy Dewhurst.

The drama takes place in a small Yorkshire town and you might find the local accents interesting. On the other hand, if you can't understand it you might say you haven't got the foggiest what the programme is about!

R.I.P.

The idiom blog has been quiet while I finish some important work but today I'm making an exception.

I heard today that Solomon Burke, one of my musical heroes, died aged 70.

Solomon Burke R.I.P - Rest in Peace.

Here's an entry from my Black Magic music blog, reposted here for all of you to see the great man.


Solomon Burke - an enormous character in body and soul. A musical legend respected by his peers. Born in 1940, a preacher and contemporary of Martin Luther King, he combined spiritual soul with musical soul and gospel.

As he says, if you don't say it's wrong, you're saying that it's right. Never let a racist comment pass you by. Challenge it and confront it for the abomination that it is for, until it's irradicated from the world, none of us are free - whatever colour. Hatred has no bounderies, nor love; the choice is yours.