Александра Егурнова - Idioms and Proverbs on Personal Issues. Учебное пособие

Example: Jolly Roger is a pirate’s flag with a white skull and crossbones on a black background.

The 18 thcentury pirates roamed the seas and attacked merchant ships to steal their goods and treasure.

A joyrider is a person who steals cars in order to drive around in them at high speed.

My mother doesn’t want me to be friends with Kevin and says he has a negative influence on me because he’s a joyrider.

2.6 Match the beginning of each sentence with its ending.

2.7 Correct the mistakes in these idioms.

1. Mandy got each conceivable pleasure at the shop retailing women’s clothing, shoes, and accessories created by cutting edge designers.

2. The arts gallery housing all handwork silk embroidery picture and oil painting did my soul good.

3. Chris is always looking for some drawbacks in people as well as in himself. He who is ill to himself will be good to nobody.

4. When my pen ran out of ink, Andrew’s spare one was down a treat.

5. I left my homework at home, didn’t manage to catch the school bus, had to walk in a heavy rain, but, looking on the light side of things, I got an A for my essay.

6. Next month William is going to visit his grandparents he hasn’t seen for ages. The boy is as please as Punch.

2.8 Give appropriate and full answers to the following questions.

1. Do you believe that joy shared is joy doubled? Why?

2. Have you ever been in alt all day long? What was the reason for joy?

3. How do young people get their jollies in your town/ city?

4. Can flattery make you quite out of breath for joy?

5. What should happen to make a poor man’s life a bed of roses?

6. Would you be bursting with joy if you won or lost something?

7. Have you ever forgotten anything in your joy? What?

8. Good company upon the road is the shortest cut, isn’t it?

9. How do celebrities enjoy their lives?

10. Is it possible to get every conceivable pleasure? How?/ Why not?

2.9 Fill in the gaps with the information about you and your environment.

1. Seeing ……………………… does ……………… heart good.

2. My friends usually make good cheer ……………………………

3. ……………… goes down a treat when I …………………………

4. I love ………………………………………… to my heart content.

5. ……………… is as jolly as a sandboy every time s/he …………

6. ………………………… is a fair treat for ………………………

7. I try to look on the bright side of things when …………………

2.10 Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Елена, побывав в столице и посетив почти все достопримечательности, была вне себя от радости.

2. Если человек живет только в свое удовольствие, он черствеет и перестает обращать внимание на окружающих его людей.

3. В последнее время Борис изучает турецкий язык, в прошлом месяце он брал уроки скалолазания, завтра он займется еще чем-нибудь увлекательным. Его жизнь бьет ключом.

4. Андрей постоянно всем недоволен. Из-за этого у него нет друзей. Верно говорят, себе не в сладость, другим не в радость.

5. Иван любит повеселиться всласть.

6. Цирк с клоунами, дрессированными животными и воздушными гимнастами – прекрасное зрелище для детей.

7. Семен работает в компании, которой владеет его отец. Поэтому работа для него – приятное времяпрепровождение.

8. Надеюсь, весь класс пойдет на выпускной. Повеселимся на всю катушку.

9. Родные были очень рады, что приз достался Николаю. А Коля был рад вдвойне.

2.11 Write a letter to your pen-friend of about 150 words describing some jolly event or situation of yours. Find a proper place for at least 3 idioms.

Guess Russian equivalents of the idioms by the pictures given

Other useful idioms and their explanation

A misery guts – a person who complains all the time and is never happy

Smth holds no joy/ pleasure for smb – smth doesn’t make smb happy

Sour grapes – jealous about smth one can’t have

To be black as night – to be joyless and cheerless

To be down in the dumps – to be unhappy

To be in low spirits – to feel sadness and despondency

To be in no mood for/ to do smth – not to feel like doing or experiencing smth

To be in/ get/ have the blues – to be depressed, to have a fit of spleen

To be out of humor – to be sad and unhappy

To be out of sorts – to be slightly unhappy or ill

To have a bad hair day – to have a day when everything seems to go wrong

To just grin and bear it – to accept a situation one doesn’t like

To kick oneself – to be annoyed with oneself for doing smth foolish or missing an opportunity

To knock smb for six – to shock or upset smb very much

To lose heart – to become discouraged

To pull/ make a wry face – to have an expression of disappointment, or annoyance

Proverbs

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy – мешай дело с бездельем, проживешь век с весельем.

Better be envied than pitied – лучше жить в зависти, чем в жалости.

It is more pain to do nothing than something – скучен день до вечера, коли делать нечего.

Joy is always trailed by sorrow – за радостью горе по пятам ходит.

Misery loves company – на людях и горе вполгоря.

EXERCISES

3.1 Combine the words from the box below to make seven idioms. Use each word once only.

3.2 Which idioms do the given pictures make you think of?

3.3 Complete each idiom in the following sentences.

1. As Bruce is peppy, playing chess holds …………… for him.

2. Liz got an F at school. That’s why she’s in no ………….. to do the shopping with friends.

3. It’s clear that nobody wants to stay after classes, but lagging behind is much worse. So, you’d better ………….. bear it.