Eyes bigger than your belly

Were you a bit of a piglet over Christmas? Maybe Babcia and Matka wouldn’t settle until you were totally immobilised and were still stuffing lumps of cake into your pockets as you left, to see you through the long journey home.

Maybe you just couldn’t resist temptation and you tried to eat more than you were able to. In other words, your eyes were bigger than your belly!

If that’s the case, you’d better watch this video now! (by the way - belly button is the hole in the middle of your tummy)

The grass is always greener

One of the classic idioms/proverbs.

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

Things always look more attractive somewhere else.

One place where the grass really is greener is Ireland and here's a beautiful film to prove it!

Chick flick

Have you seen any good chick flicks lately?

Probably, for most guys, the thought of it is quite scary.

Here's how it works. Chick (a baby chicken) is a term that used to be used to refer to women, particularly in the hippy 60's.

If you were going to the flicks, you'd be going to watch a movie. The word flick comes from flicker when light flashes very quickly. This is because that's how the movies looked in the early silent movie days.

So what's a chick flick? One that appeals more to women but you may drag your reluctant husband or boyfriend along - he's just hoping he won't be spotted by his mates!

You can also have chick lit. which is literature aimed at women - Sophie Kinsella, for example.

OK, back to chick flicks - nothing defines the genre more clearly than this. Guys - look away now - yuk!!

Blue arsed fly

Have you been busy lately?

Very busy? Oh, that busy.

You could a busy bee, meaning that you are industrious but if you've been extra busy lately, we'd say you've been rushing around like a blue arsed fly!

Don't ask why. Here's an interesting film about the London Underground - people certainly rush around like blue arsed flies there!

Happy as Larry

Who's Larry and why is he so happy?

I really don't know but when you are very happy, we say as happy as Larry!

One of the happiest Larry's I know is Larry Hagman who played the evil JR Ewing in the hit TV series Dallas in 80's.

It was essential viewing at the time and told the story of everyday oil barons - great fun!

Here's a clip.

The Scottish play

Are you superstitious? Do you worry if you see a black cat or expect seven year’s bad luck if you break a mirror?

If so, you would have to be careful as an actor or actress.

One of the best things you can do as an actor is to act in a Shakespeare play.

There are many classics such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello and The Merchant of Venice.

One of the most famous plays is ‘The Scottish play.’

Of course, that’s not its real name but no actor would dare say its name directly as this would bring extremely bad luck - even death! This is a very strong tradition in theatre and is still followed by all actors because many serious accidents have occurred.

One explanation is that the play involves a lot of sword fighting so is naturally dangerous. Another theory is that there is a scene in which witches cast a spell. It is believed that in his research, Shakespeare met real witches and used a real spell, so that the play is cursed!

If you are not sure which play I am talking about here it is. A very spooky Polanski film version!

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.

Goody two shoes

And now for one our stranger idioms.

Are you a goody two shoes?

Probably not, if you are one of my students!

Goody two shoes always do their homework and go to bed at a sensible time. They don't smoke, don't drink - they are just perfect people and usually annoying!

Here's a song of the same name by the post punk Adam Ant. He was very pretty but sadly for him, he lost his hair, his looks and had a nervous breakdown - I know the feeling!

All ears

Yeah, go ahead; I'm all ears!

I don't mean that I've grown lots of extra ears but that I'm listening with great interest.

Here's an interesting, if pretty freaky, video all about ear gauges, which I have to admit, was new to me.

A labour of love

Labour is hard work.

You can labour over something.

A labour of love is something that is hard work but brings a lot of satisfaction.

'Rebuilding his classic car was a labour of love.'

However, there's another meaning of labour, also relating to hard work.

When women are about to have a baby, they 'go into labour.'

Here's the beginning of a French comedy film called Taxi which combines a man who loves his work with a lady in labour.

Fasten your seat belt first!

Arty-farty

Are you arty-farty?

Well you know about arty - the adjective of art but how about farty?

Well, if you'll excuse me, it's a noise and smell made from the lower part of the body which is highly amusing to small boys!

Therefore, to call someone arty-farty is a pejorative term.

It means arty but in a pretentious way. Generally, there can be few more pretentious people than art critics.

Here is a delicious speech about the art critic read by Peter O'Toole from the beautiful Ratatouille film. I don't care if it's pretentious, I love it!

Head in the clouds

Have you got your head in the clouds?

Maybe, if you are dreamer, you have. Some people might describe you as unrealistic; an idealist or romantic.

What if you are?

Who cares?

Such dreams were good enough for the great Edgar Alan Poe.

Like this:

Chasing your tail

Grrr! Lately, I've been rushed of my feet.

I haven't even had time to blog.

It's like I've been working very hard and just chasing my tail.

Like this!

Big head

Do you have a big head?

I don't mean is it bigger than average but are you big headed!

In other words, do you have a very high opinion of yourself because a big head does.

A man famous for his high self opinion was football manager, Brian Clough. (pronounced Klaf)So much so, that his nickname was old big head.

He was a very successful manager in the 70's and 80's but because of his outspoken manner, trouble often went hand in hand with success.

He was certainly quite a character and popular with the public. Here's part of a documentary about him.

A cameleon

Are you a cameleon?

That's one of these.




This amazing reptile change change colour to camouflage itself and merge into the background.

A person who can adapt easily and play many roles can also be described as a cameleon. Some people find that they even change their accents according to who they are with. This is a very useful skill with English as it's spoken with so many accents - like this! This lady certainly is a cameleon!

A second string to your bow

I recently met a lady who was a violinist and it reminded me of the idiom, or proverb if you prefer, it's always good to have a second string to your bow.

This idiom means that it's always useful to have more than one skill so that you have some options, particularly in difficult times.

The most famous English violinist, and someone that I admire for his individuality, is Nigel Kennedy. He doesn't do part-time brick laying but he certainly applies his musical talents to many different types of music. Like me and Count Bassie, he believes that there are only two types of music; good and bad.

Here are two film clips; one when he was interviewed, still quite young and playing his signature tune, Vivaldi's Four Seasons and secondly, playing Hendrix with some Polish friends.

To be in somebody's shoes

I was once in a pub in part of England called Hereford. I did a lot of work in the town and new the local people quite well. A guy came into the pub who was a kind of homeless hippy who was one step away from being a hardcore tramp. He started bothering people a little bit but was quite harmless. I said I'd take him into the pool room, buy him a drink and keep him occupied. As we played he said -

'These shoes are killing me; they're not mine!

The irony being that it's the sort of thing you might say as a joke but in his case was true as he would have got them out of a bin.

Well, to get to the point, the idea of being in someone's shoes is about seeing something from the other person's perspective.

We can use phrases like:

If I was in your shoes or walk a mile in my shoes.

I've decided to have a proper attempt at learning Polish and came across an interesting video on Youtube. It's in Polish but with English subtitles so today, it's a bit different.

I thought it looked like a worthwhile project and might be of interest to some of you.

It's a good example of seeing how life looks in someone else's shoes.