Idioms are phrases that do not mean exactly what they say. They have "hidden" meanings, like the idiom "to let the cat out of the bag" really means to tell a secret. Idioms are like sayings.
Ants in your
Pants
How would you feel if you were
sitting on the ground and suddenly you felt ants in your
pants? I bet you'd feel squirmy and wiggley. You'd want to
get rid of those ants. Well, that's exactly what this saying
means..to want to get up and move around a lot and not sit
still. You might feel like you have ants in your pants if
you had to sit in the car all buckled up for a long time.
You would want to squirm and crawl around.
Get Out of
My Face
This is an African American
expression. It a saying that you might use if someone is
standing too close to you, bugging you, disagreeing with you
and disapproving of your actions. You would say this to get
hem to move away quickly before they get hurt. This
expression is used usually in anger.
When someone is in your face and
you think you might get angry, you could say, "Get out of my
face," to help prevent a fight or accident.
Between the
Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
This idiom means to be between two
difficult situations. In the 17th century there was a large
wooden plank attached to the side of a boat. Sometimes a
sailor would have to go out on it and fix something. The
plank was called the "devil". The sailor was in danger of
falling off and drowning. Therefore, he was between the
"devil' and the deep blue sea.
For example if you cheat on your
homework and the teacher called on you and you didn't
understand it, you could tell the truth or try and fake it.
You'd be between the devil and the deep blue sea.
Bite the
Hand that Feeds you
this idiom came from the early
1700s which originally came from a foolish and ungrateful
dog. this dog actually bit the hand of the owner when he fed
him. if you tried to help someone and the person hurt you,
in a way that person was biting the hand that fed him or
her. for example Jody bit the hand that fed her because she
offended her friend that heled her play soccer.
Burn the
Midnight Oil
Bull in a
China Shop
This idiom mean a big, clumsy
person who is always knocking things over and making
trouble. Aesop, the ancient story teller, once wrote a story
about a donkey in a pottery shop. Aesop's story was changed
to a bull in a china shop when fragile plates and dishes
were brought to Europe. The reason they changed bull from
donkey is because a bull is bigger and stronger.
Letting a pro-wrestler into an
ancient pottery exhibit is like having a bull in a china
shop.
Hard Nut to
Crack
This idiom is used when you are
stuck on a hard problem or a hard person to work with. This
was used in the early 1700s and even Benjamin Franklin used
it. When people bought nuts long ago, they were still in
their shells and they would have to crack them with their
hands. Some nuts would be very difficult to crack. If you
are working on a difficult math challenge, you could say
it's a hard nut to crack.
Hold your
Horses
This idiom means to slow down or to
wait a little. In the 19th century if a driver let his
horses go too fast he'd have to hold back on the reins. This
would pull the horses to a stop. In harness horse racing,
some new drivers would start their horses too soon and the
starter would have to say, "Hold your horses".
Now this saying means to wait a
minute . For example, if someone was eating very fast, you
could say, "Hold your horses, why are you eating so
fast?"
Go Over Like
a lead Balloon
This idiom means to fail miserably.
This is a fairly recent expression. The author who first
used this expression imagined what would happen if you
filled a balloon full of lead. The balloon would probably
not get off the ground.
If a teacher asked the class if she
should give homework over the weekend, that idea would go
over like a lead balloon.
Stir up a
Hornet's Nest
This week's idiom means to make someone furious and to
get into deep trouble. This idiom was started in ancient
Rome, Italy and by the 1700s people were saying it in
English.
"Don't stir up a hornet's nest" is a great piece of
advice. If you were poking a hive of stinging hornets, you
would be causing a lot of trouble.
A way you could use this idiom would be to advise someone
by saying, " You'll stir up a hornet's nest by pulling the
fire alarm. Don't do it."
Jump Down
your Throat
This idiom means to talk or scream at someone in a
sudden, angry way. This saying has been popular since the
1800s. If someone jumps down your throat they suddenly
spring off the ground and start screaming at you. If you say
something that angers someone, then he or she would be
"jumping down your throat" by suddenly scolding you because
the throat is where your voice box is and where the sound
comes from.
Here's an example of how this expression could be used.
After Joseph asked, "Could you not give us homework tonight,
Ms. Izenberg?" she jumped down his throat.
To Skate on
Thin Ice
This expression came from foolish people that skated on
thin ice. They thought if they skated fast enough, the ice
wouldn't break. This idiom means to be in a risky situation
or to take a big chance. If someone was climbing a climbing
wall without a harness, they would be skating on thin ice.
JUMP THE
GUN
This week's idiom is to Jump the Gun. It means to do or
say something before you should. This idiom was used in the
early 1900s. It referred to starting a race before the
starter's pistol was fired. Although this started out as "to
beat the pistol", it later was changed to "Jump the Gun". A
way to use this idiom would be, "My uncle dropped off a
Christmas present for me early and I couldn't wait to open
it so I jumped the gun and opened it early."
KEEP YOUR
SHIRT ON
This idiom means to be patient. In the mid-1800s when
this saying first came into use, a man who was going to get
in a fist fight often would take his shirt off. If he was
wearing a stiff, starched shirt and he took it off, it
wouldn't get dirty, wrinkled or bloody.
Here's an example of how you could use this idiom today.
When Mrs. Gennis came in to make the gingerbread house,
we all got excited and Ms. Izenberg could have said, "Keep
your shirt on, Mrs. Gennis will be here soon!"
SNUG AS A
BUG IN A RUG
This idiom means to be cozy and comfortable. For
centuries writers have been looking for intelligent ways to
show feelings of warmth and comfort. When William
Shakespeare was alive (around the 1600s) instead of saying
snug as a bug in a rug, people would say "snug as pigs in
pease-straw". Later people said that they liked "snug as a
bug in a rug" more because it contained 3 rhyming words. The
bug used to refer to a carpet beetle peacefully sleeping
inside a rolled-up rug during Benjamin Franklin's time.
On a rainy day, you can be as "snug as a bug" in your
house reading a good book.
Scarce as
Hen's Teeth
This idiom means to be very rare or not existing at all.
This idiom comes from the 19th century. This expression is
sometimes used as "scarcer than hen's teeth". Hen's teeth
don't exist because hens don't have teeth. They grind their
food up in their stomach.
A way to use this expression would be if you were trying
to find a dinosaur, you could say that would be as scarce as
hen's teeth. Another way to use it is if you went looking
for a popular toy or game but couldn't find it anywhere
because everyone had bought them, you could say the game is
as scarce as hen's teeth.
NUTTY AS A
FRUITCAKE
This expression means to be crazy or extremely strange in
behavior. This saying originated in America in the 1920s.
Nutty is slang for crazy. A nut was a person who seemed
weird in the way he or she appeared or dressed. Fruitcakes
have plenty of nuts so if a person is Nutty as a Fruitcake,
they are crazy.
When your friend is wearing shorts on a cold winter day,
you could say he's as nutty as a fruitcake.
TILL THE
COWS COME HOME
This idiom means a long, long time. It comes from the
late 16th century. It came from when the cows took a long
time to come from the fields to the barn. When you use this
expression you're describing a long time or passage in a
barn yard image.
An example is if you were on a long car ride and you
asked your mom when you will get home, she might say "not
till the cows come home."
BUTTER
SOMEONE UP
This idiom means to try to change someone's mind by doing
things for them and being really nice so they will do what
you want. This came from the simple act of buttering a piece
of plain bread which is like making it look and taste
better. This is the same as flattering a person.
An example could be like if I wanted recess for a whole
day and no math, I would have to butter up Ms. Izenberg a
lot!!!
CATCH MORE
FLIES WITH HONEY THAN WITH VINEGAR
This idiom means you can get more done if you are
pleasant. Even in the 1600s people in Europe were using this
idiom. As you may know, flies are attracted to sweet things
like honey. They do not like sour things like vinegar. So,
if you are sweet you will get more of the things you want.
So never be bitter or sharp.
A way to use this idiom is: If you want to get your
sibling to do something for you, you should remember, "You
can catch more flies with honey than vinegar," therefore be
extra nice to them.
Heavens to
Betsy
This expression means to be
astonished and amazed with disbelief. This expression is a
real mystery. Why the word Heavens and who's Betsy. The
experts think it originated in the United States in the late
1890s. Even today no one is 100% certain where it came from,
even the word experts.
A way you can use this is if
someone tells you that a 5-year old child just wrote a
symphony alone, you could say, "Heavens to Betsy!"
COOL AS A
CUCUMBER
This idiom means to be very calm and not nervous. In the
early 1500s, people used this to describe people who were
calm. When thermometers were discovered, scientists proved
that cucumbers were usually 20 degrees cooler inside the
cucumber than the outside air.
A way to use this idiom is to say, "My friend was cool as
a cucumber when he was presented with an award."
A Wolf in
Sheep's Clothing
This idiom means to to
seem like you're harmless but to really be dangerous.
This saying originated
from the book Aesop's Fables. Most people think of a wolf as
a mean animal and a sheep as a calm harmless animal. So if a
wolf wanted people to think he was kind, he could dress up
as a sheep.
Here's an example of a
way this would be used "Fred's older brother was being
really nice because he wanted to play with Fred's toy. When
Fred said he could use the toy, his brother ran off with it
and played with his friends. He really was a "wolf in
sheep's clothing".
BUG
OFF
There was an expression in the late 1800s which was
"bugger off". It actually meant the same thing as bug off.
Both expressions mean to be highly annoyed with someone and
you want that person to leave you alone. An example of using
this would be that if Ben kept kicking Dan, Dan could say,
"Bug off Ben".
BLIND
LEADING THE BLIND
This idiom came from a sentence in the King James
bible... "And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall
into the ditch."
Today the saying fits the description of someone who
fails something and yet tries to teach others how to do the
thing they failed. For instance when bill failed his math
class he became a tutor for math and it was like the blind
leading the blind.
Keep your
Fingers Crossed
This idiom means to wish for good luck or to wish to
succeed. This American expression may have come from the
superstition that keeping your fingers crossed kept away
evil and bad luck. It may have also come from children's
games in that the players crossed their fingers to keep
safe. Some people say if you cross your fingers when you lie
it does not "count".
A way to use this is: The team needed one more home run
to win so the coach told every one to keep their fingers
crossed.
Pay through
the Nose
This idiom means to pay too much for something. In the
1600s "Rhino" was a slang word for money but was originally
the Greek word for nose. In the 9th century if you didn't
pay your taxes, people would cut your nose off.
Today you'd be paying though the nose if you were paying
a really expensive price.
An example would be if Ms. Izenberg went to McDonald's
and they charged her $30, she would be paying through the
nose.
IN THE DOG
HOUSE
This idiom means to get punished or to be in disgrace.
This might have come from old times when people banished a
bad dog outside to its dog house It also could have come
from Peter Pan when the dad treats the dog badly and the
children fly away and the dad lives in the dog house until
the kids come back because he feels so guilty.
A way this expression could be used is if you forget a
special friend's or relative's birthday, you might be in the
doghouse.
SIX OF ONE
AND HALF DOZEN OF THE OTHER
This idiom means to be the same or to have nothing to
really choose between because both choices are equally as
good. Six is the same as half a dozen so it does not matter
which one you say.
This idiom originated from Charles Dickens who was an
English novelist. He used the phrase in some of his books.
This idiom has been used since the 1800s. A way you could
use this idiom is if you had to choose between living in the
Bahamas or in the Caribbean that would be six of one and
half dozen of the other because they are both Paradise.
FAT
CAT
This idiom means a person who is wealthy or rich.
This saying originated in 1920 in America. It was used
for rich people who gave huge contributions to political
candidates.
"Fat" was used for the size of their waist because they
could afford big meals and for the size of their wallets
because they were wealthy.
They used the word 'cat' because it rhymed with fat and
rhyming sounds usually make sayings become popular.
A way you could use this idiom is to say...Maybe we can
get some 'fat cats' to contribute some money for a water
park to have at Loker School.
MONKEY
BUSINESS
This idiom means to be silly or to fool around. This
expression was comes from the 20th century and also comes
from an old expression called "Monkeyshines" which dates to
the 1820s. This idiom could be used if two kids were doing
math problems and one kid leaned over and started wrestling
with the other kid. The teacher might come along and say,
"Stop that monkey business."
SICK AS A
DOG
This idiom means to be very sick. It was used in the
1500s or earlier. Dogs are the most popular animal used for
idioms... like, "it's raining cars and dogs", "in the dog
house" and more. Some dogs eat things they shouldn't and
then they get sick. That's how this idiom came to be "as
sick as a dog"
A way you could use this idiom is to say, "Tonight we
won't have a lot of math homework because Ms. Izenberg is as
sick as a dog."
In Hot
Water
This idiom means to be in big trouble or be in an
embarrassing situation with someone. It originated in the
early 1500s. It may refer to when you're cooking and you
spill hot water or hot food. You would be in trouble. Hot
water is definitely something you don't want to be in except
in a hot bath! An example of how to use this is, "I was in
hot water with Ms. Izenberg when I didn't do my homework."
Once in a
Blue Moon
This idiom means "hardly ever".
Once in a blue moon was popular since the 1500s.
On some nights when the bright part of the moon is a
crescent, the other part has a bluish color to it, so some
people say. A "Blue moon" is rare which is why this idiom
means hardly ever.
A way you can use this idiom is: "once in a blue moon,
Ms. Izenberg wouldn't give us homework.
You can imagine how difficult it
would be to have all thumbs and no fingers. Don't you think
it would be difficult to pick up objects or type on the
computer? All thumbs means to be clumsy. If you had all
thumbs I would think you would be clumsy, too.
This idiom has two possible
origins. One is from when people banished their bad dogs and
sent them to their dog houses. Another possible origin is
from the popular story of Peter Pan. The father treated the
lovable pet dog badly and so the kids flew away with Peter
Pan. The father lived in the doghouse until the children
came back. By the way you can say someone is "IN THE
DOGHOUSE" if they're going to get in trouble
This idiom comes from Britain where
the game cricket is very popular. When a team didn't score a
point the people in the stands said they laid "a duck's egg"
which is the same shape as the 0 on the score board. Toward
the end of the 1800s the United States took the saying "Laid
a Duck's Egg" and shortened it to "Laid an Egg". Today it
means to do something very embarrassing like being in front
of a group and doing something that nobody likes. This term
can even be found in baseball slang. To get no score in
baseball is to "lay a goose egg" which is the expression
meaning zero.
This idiom means to feel joyful and
really happy. Many writers have used this idiom since the
early 1900s. When you are feeling "down", you are depressed
and sad and when you are feeling "Up" you are happy. "UP" is
like the top. The "world" in this idiom refers to everything
in your life. So when somebody says that they are "On Top of
the World", they mean they are extremely happy. We hope you
have an "On top of the World" Week!
Did you see someone yesterday, on
Halloween, who dressed really crazy or acted really weird.
If so, you may have referred to them as "nutty as a
fruitcake". This idiom originated in America in the 1920s.
It became a saying because the word "nutty" was slang for
crazy and was used for someone who dressed or acted
abnormal. A fruit cake has lots of nuts in them so if a
person is as "nutty as a fruitcake" it meant he or she was
really strange.
Have you ever thought someone had a
crazy idea? Well you could say they had a"bee in their
bonnet".
This 16th century expression means
you have a crazy or bizarre idea. This phrase used to be
said, "to have a head full of bees".
This was later changed in 1648 to
"Bee in your bonnet". It was changed because two words
starting with the same letter in a phrase sounded
better.
Next time you hear someone say a
crazy idea make sure you tell them they have a "bee in their
bonnet."
Have you ever thought you were
definitely going to win a game or get something special? You
probably thought the win or the gift was "in the bag".
In the 1600s hunters put their
catch in a special bag . When they came to win a prize at
the club they said victory was "in the bag" meaning their
game bags. There is also another use of that phrase: when a
bird owner of brought their bird in a bag to a cockfight,
the owner would yell at his opponent "VICTORY IS IN THE BAG"
as if the bird in his bag was going to win.
In the first half of the 20th
century the expression "in the bag" came to mean a "sure
win"
The expression to "walk on eggs"
means to be very cautious about doing something. This idiom
was thought of in the late 1500s. The man who thought of
this idiom must have been thinking about someone walking
very carefully on eggs trying not to break any egg shells.
Of course, it can't be done,..not even with hard boiled
eggs. If you've ever broken some dishes in the house, you
might have to "walk on eggs" the next time you use dishes...
and handle them very carefully so as not to drop
them.
Have you ever been on Pins and
needles? It means you are waiting nervously for something to
happen. You sometimes feel as if you can't sit still...like
pins and needles are sticking into you.
If your dad went on a trip and he
took an airplane, you might be on pins and needles to know
if he landed safely. This phrase was first used in the late
1800s by a writer. After he used this phrase, it seemed to
stick and everyone began using it.
Our idiom for today is to Bite the
bullet. This idiom came from the 19th century medical
practice of giving a wounded soldier a soft lead bullet to
bite while the surgeon was operating on him.. This way the
soldier wouldn't scream which might distract the surgeon who
was operating.
The saying means to prepare
yourself for an unpleasant experience.
Does anyone know what a red letter
day is? A red letter day means to have a special or
important day that gives you pleasure...like a birthday or
holiday. This expression came from the medieval times.
Holidays, festivals and saints' days were printed in red ink
on church calendars. We hope today and every day are red
letter days for you.
In England, in 1865 the Marquis of
Queensberry made up strict rules for boxing. One of the
strictest rules was you couldn't hit below the belt line. We
still have that rule today in boxing. The saying also means
to act unfairly in any kind of contest , relationship or
activity.
Have you ever had someone pick you
to do something but someone else was much better at it or
liked it more? For example maybe they picked you to draw a
picture for a project..but you didn't even like to draw.
Well you could say the person who picked you was "barking up
the wrong tree". During the colonial times, people would
hunt raccoons as a popular sport. Trained dogs would chase a
raccoon up a tree and bark near the bottom of the tree until
the hunter came. Sometimes the raccoon would escape to
another tree leaving the dog barking up the wrong tree.
Today this expression means to pick
the wrong person or thing or to have the wrong idea about
something. Be sure to ask the right person for something or
you might find yourself "barking up the wrong tree."
The idiom for this week is to "bite
the dust". It means to die, to fall to defeat, or to fail to
succeed. This idiom originated 2,000 years ago and comes
from Homer's book called, The Iliad. He describes the Trojan
War and how the dying soldiers had fallen with their faces
in the dirt. They looked as if they were biting the dust.
This saying became popular in the 1800s and was often heard
in early Western movies.
An example of how we might use this
idiom today is if someone got out in a game and couldn't
play anymore...you might say that he "bit the dust".
Today's idiom is "to skate on thin
ice". This idiom originated from people skating on thin ice
thinking that if they're speedy enough, they won't fall
through.
People use this expression to say
that someone is taking a chance in doing something foolish
or risky and could be getting themselves into a dangerous
situation.
Sometimes you can just say a person
is "on thin ice". An example of this idiom is that you'd be
"on thin ice" if you yelled at your teacher.
Today's idiom is "to skate on thin
ice". This idiom originated from people skating on thin ice
thinking that if they're speedy enough, they won't fall
through.
People use this expression to say
that someone is taking a chance in doing something foolish
or risky and could be getting themselves into a dangerous
situation.
Sometimes you can just say a person
is "on thin ice." An example of this idiom is that you'd be
"on thin ice" if you yelled at your teacher.
The idiom for this week is "Keep
your Fingers Crossed. this idiom may have come from the
superstition if you cross your fingers it will bring you
good luck. Or it may also have come from when kids were
playing games they crossed their fingers to be safe. A way
to use this idiom is if you like snow, you might keep your
fingers crossed that it snows so hard even Dr. Burton might
call off school.
Do you know anybody who's a
"goody-two-shoes"? Goody-two-shoes means somebody being
perfect or who tries to be or who thinks they are
perfect.
In the 1700s there was a nursery
rhyme tale. It was about a girl who only had one shoe. Then
she got another one and she was so happy about having two
shoes that she went around showing off her shoes saying "two
shoes", "two shoes" to everyone.
It's nice to do well, but no one is
perfect so don't pretend you are. You don't want to be
thought of as a "goody-two shoes".
The idiom today is Forty Winks.
Since the 1300s a "wink" meant a short nap. William
Shakespeare did not think of 40 as the number after 39. He
thought of it as being a few. Today you can use this idiom
if you say to your mom, "I could have done my homework if
you let me take forty winks."
If your mom does not understand you
could say " I need a short nap."
THERE ARE MANY ORIGINS OF THIS
IDIOM. YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THE TEA PARTY IN LEWIS
CARROLL'S BOOK, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, IN WHICH THERE WAS A
PERSON WHO WAS CRAZY AND WORE A HAT. THERE ARE TWO POSSIBLE
ORIGINS OF THIS PHRASE, MAD AS A HATTER, BOTH FROM THE EARLY
1800S. ONE ORIGIN WAS FROM A SNAKE CALLED AN ADDER. IF YOU
WERE BITTEN BY THIS SNAKE, PEOPLE THOUGHT YOU'D GO INSANE.
ANOTHER ORIGIN IDEA IS FROM PEOPLE WHO WORKED IN FELT
FACTORIES MAKING HATS AND INHALED FUMES WHICH MADE THEM
TWITCH AND JUMBLED THEIR SPEECH AND THEY GREW CONFUSED. THEY
WERE THOUGHT TO BE MAD AND SO THE EXPRESSION, MAD AS A
HATTER.
IT'S OFTEN INTERESTING TO BE A
LITTLE DIFFERENT. MAYBE YOU HAVE A BEST FRIEND WHO YOU LIKE
BECAUSE HE OR SHE IS REALLY INTERESTING AND DIFFERENT. YOU
MIGHT SAY THEY'RE AS "MAD AS A HATTER".
This idiom started in the mid-1600s
but became popular around 1836 because of a Canadian
comedian. If you spill milk, then you can't get it back in
the bottle so there's no use crying about it. It also means
you shouldn't cry over something that has already happened
and that you can't change.
This week's idiom is
to have Egg on Your Face. Egg on your face means to be
embarrassed. This idiom has two possible origins both coming
from the 1950s. It may have come from a sloppy eater who had
a lot of food on his or her face and was embarrassed by it.
It also may have come from audiences throwing raw eggs at a
performer on the stage that they didn't like. The performer
would get very embarrassed.
This idiom can be used if you were
playing hockey and you scored a point for the other team,
you would have egg on your face.
The idiom for today is Dead as a
Doornail. This idiom means completely dead, hopeless or with
no success. It also can describe something that is out of
date or no longer in existence.
This idiom was first used in the
mid-1300s. It probably came from a metal plate on the door
called a doornail which was hit over and over again by the
door knocker that it had its life knocked out of it.
This idiom could be used if the
best soccer player on your team quit right before the last
most important game of the season. The team would be Dead as
a Doornail.
This week's idiom is "sick as a
dog". This idiom means to be terribly sick. The idiom is
from the 1500s. It uses dog because dogs often eat things
they are not supposed to have, so they get really
sick.
An example of how you can use this
idiom is if you jumped in the snow with shorts and a T-shirt
and lay there for an hour. After that you would be sick as a
dog.
This idiom means a shocking secret
a person tries to keep . In the 19th century British writers
used it in their books. One writer used it in a book about a
man who killed someone and hid the body in his closet.
Eventually his neighbors found out he had a skeleton in his
closet.
The way you can use this idiom is
if someone told you that they cheated on their test a long
ago, they would have just exposed a skeleton in their
closet.
"ALL
THUMBS"
"IN THE
DOGHOUSE"
Have you ever LAID AN
EGG?
"On Top of the
World?"
"Nutty as a
Fruitcake"
"Bee in Your
Bonnet"
"In the
Bag"
"WALK ON
EGGS"
"ON PINS AND
NEEDLES"
"BITE THE
BULLET"
"Red Letter
Day"
"HIT BELOW THE
BELT"
"Barking up the
Wrong Tree"
"Bite the
Dust"
"To Skate on Thin
Ice"
"Keep your Fingers
Crossed'
"GOODY-TWO-SHOES"
"Forty
Winks"
"MAD AS A
HATTER"
"CRY OVER SPILLED
MILK"
"Egg on Your
Face"
"Dead as a
Doornail"
"Sick as a
Dog"
"Skeleton in your
Closet"