82. Idioms connected with using language | | Idioms connected with communication problems wo, ro LO Wow! Cider (erseejoutien) (i) I Sena) ( Monday a friend, They're talking at cross-purposes. He's got the wrong end of the stick. (~aorwitanding Dy! tar other proviso ERE, hor seated. 2D (exe 7 XO SS She can't get a word in edgeways. Tcan’t make head or tail of what he’s saying. | Good talk, bad talk The boss always talks down to us. _ [talks as if we were inferior] ‘My work-mates are always talking behind my back. [saying negative things about me when I’m not there] It was just small talk, nothing more, I promise. [purely social talk, nothing serious} Let’s sit somewhere else; they always talk shop over lunch, and it bores me rigid. [talk about work] Hey! Your new friend’s become a real talking-point among the staff! Did you know? {subject that everyone wants to talk about] It’s gone too far this time. I shall have to give him a talking to. [reproach/scold him] Talk in discussions, meetings, etc. r —— To put icin a 2 (rear isa | ‘waste of time. © Derek’sso 4 “ris always ( talks rubbish NS TG hope hey seo) he pot soon.) Thope Will speaks; he always talks sense. | 2{Twant to speak 2| ‘my mind today. Thope we wrap up the session by 1230, )5 5 finish the discussion say exactly what I think 6 say stupid things 8 1 start the discussion come to the important part of the matter 2 3 say it in few words 4 say intelligent, reasonable things say things in a long, indirect way 164 English Vocabulary in UseB21 82.2 82.3 Exercises Look at these dialogues and comment on them, as in the example. Example: a: £98 for a meal! that’s outrageous! 8: Not the meal, you twit! The room! They seem to be talking at crose-purposes. 1 jor: So that’s what I'm going to do, take it all away. ANN: What about - JOE And if they don’t like it they can just go and do what they like. ANN: If she— Jor: Not that I have to consult them, anyway, I’m in charge round here. ANN: wonder whether it~ so Ie seems that Ann can’t get 2 Mick: — I got very upset when you said I was childish. Gract: I didn’t, honestly! All I said was that you seemed to get on very well with the children. Honestly. Mick: Oh, I'see. Oh, sorry. It seems that Mick got the You see, I'm the kind of person who can take a hard decision when it’s needed. 3 DAN: So, area-wise the down-matching sales profile commitment would seem to high-staked on double-par. ReG: Eh? Could you say that again? You've got me there. It seems that Reg can’t make 4 mapce: _Idon’t expect someone with your intelligence to understand this document. ERIC: Thank you. Madge seems to be talking ‘What idioms opposite do these drawings represent? aS 3 © start 2 4 get to / come to Fill the gaps to complete the collocation. 1 She is very direct and always her mind. 2 I get bored with small sler’s get down to serious matters. I'm in love with you. 3. The boss gave me a real to after that stupid mistake I made, Still, 1 was in the wrong. 4 You're behind the times! Darren's girlfriend was last week's -point. English Vocabulary in Use 16583 Idioms - miscellaneous | Idioms connected with paying, buying and selling He bought a real pig in a poke when he got that car. [buy something without examining it properly first] ‘We'll probably have to pay over the odds for a hotel room during the week of the festival. (pay more than the usual rate] He did £600 worth of damage to the car and his parents had to foot the bill. [pay up, usually a large amount] That restaurant was a real rip-off. or That taxi-driver really ripped us off. {made us pay much too much; very informal] If were you I'd drive a hard bargain. She’s desperate to buy a flat and wants yours. [ask a lot and resist lowering the price] See also nose on the human body below. Idioms based on names of the parts of the body Pve got that song on the brain! [just can’t stop myself singing it] He’s made quite a bit of headway with his maths lately. [make progress] Thope you didn't mind me telling you. Tjust had to get it off my chest. {tell something that’s been bothering you a lor] We had to pay through the nose for those tickets. pay a huge amount] Oh, he’s gor a finger in every pie. ‘You've got to hand ZO it to her; she’s a great singer. lacknowledge/admit] Hc Idioms connected with daily routine 166 Come ont Rise and shine! We've got to leave! {a command to someone to get up, often said to someone who doesn’t want to and at a very early hour]. There’s no time for breakfast. We can get a bite to eat on the motorway [have a snack or meal]. I'l drive and you can have a nap in the back seat [a short sleep]. When we get there, there'll just be time to freshen up before the meeting. [wash and tidy oneself]. I's going to be a long day; T'll be ready to crash out about 8 o'clock, I should think [be very tired/zeady to sleep almost anywhere}. Sell, we can stay home the following evening and put our feet up [relax], and just watch the box [watch television], English Vocabulary in Use83.1 83.2 83.3 83.4 Exercises Look at these mini-dialogues and decide which idiom from the opposite page you could use to answer the questions, 1 A: Pll give you $85. No, $100 or nothing. A: Oh, come on. Look, $90, there. : No, I said $100 and I mean $100. What's B doing? 2a: I'm president of the squash club, I'm on the teacher-parent committee and I run three youth clubs. : Really? A: Yes, oh, and I'm on that working party at the Social Centre, and there’s the Union... What sort of person could A be described as? 3a: ‘Lady in red, la-da-da-di-da...” wish you'd stop singing that blasted song! A: What? Oh, sorry... ‘Lady in red, la-la ...” What's A’s problem? 4. A: Oh, no! You know that box of wine glasses I bought from that guy in the street? Half of them are cracked! : Well, you should have looked at them first. It’s your stupid fault. What has A done? Rewrite these sentences using an idiom instead of the underlined bits. 1 Can [tell you about a problem I have? I just have to tell somebody. It’s been bothering me for a while now. 2 They charged us £100 for a tiny room without a bath. It was just robbery! 3. There'll just be time to have a quick meal before the show. 4 I must admit, Maria coped with the situation brilliantly. 5 6 I think Pil just go upstairs and have a sleep for a while, if nobody objects. Well, I was very tired and fell asleep on the sofa at about two o'clock, and the party was still in full swing. Can you think of a situation where you might... 1 have to get a bite to eat on the way? 2 have to pay over the odds for a hotel room? 3 find it hard to make any headway? 4 be willing to pay through the nose for tickets? Which idioms do these drawings suggest? Follow-up: Look up idioms under further parts of the body, for example, tongue, heels, toe, back, and make a note of examples. English Vocabulary in Use 167