Tag: uncanny
Between a rock and a hard place
Phrase: Between a rock and a hard place Young people are between a rock and a hard place today. The decisions they have to make about what career to pursue, what educational institution to attend and how much debt to take on are seemingly impossible. Let’s say a young person in their last year of…
Take the words out of your mouth
Phrase: Take the words out of your mouth They say great minds think alike. I say that’s why sometimes another person can take the words out of your mouth. Yes, I know I shouldn’t mix my metaphors, but this is my post, so I’m going to do it anyway. The singer Meatloaf might have said…
Comeuppance
Wotd: Comeuppance Do bad things, and bad things will eventually happen to you. In other words, you will get your comeuppance. Everything comes back to you. Everyone has their little philosophical statements on life, and that is one of mine. When people wrong us in some way, a native speaker may say, “You’ll get your…
Come back to haunt you
Phrase: Come back to haunt you Be careful what you do today because although there may not be any consequences now, the past, as they say, may come back to haunt you. It’s Halloween, everyone, All Hallow’s Eve, the day when peasants traditionally dressed up in scary costumes to fool returning evil ghosts or spirits…
Play someone like a fiddle
Idiom: Play (someone) like a fiddle You may be able to play the fiddle and play someone like a fiddle. However, just because you can play the fiddle doesn’t mean you can play someone like a fiddle. Then again, you may play someone like a fiddle but not play the fiddle itself. Confused? OK, go…
Turn up like a bad penny
English Phrase: Turn up like a bad penny The things and people you don’t like always seem to show up unexpectedly in places you’d prefer they didn’t. I tell you, it’s uncanny. If you want an example, here’s one. Imagine you are out celebrating a wedding anniversary with your husband. There you are, expecting a…
Chip off the old block
Phrase: Chip off the old block Parents always seem to be so happy and proud when their children perform well. When a boy does well, the father will say they are a chip off the old block. If, however, their child gets in trouble, neither parent is willing to take responsibility. Of course, it must…
Carbon copy
WotD: Carbon copy The term carbon copy originates from the use of black sheets of carbon paper, which were once used to make instant, exact copies of forms, bills, or anything else you wanted to write down and copy. I haven’t seen carbon paper used in a dog’s age, but if you use email, and you probably do, you may…
In the cards
Idiom: In the cards Where do you stand on turning to astrology to learn what may be in the cards for your future? I’ve recently done a lesson titled Looking for an Answer with most of my students about fortune-telling. Many millennials seem to be turning to fortune-telling to give them some idea of what the future…
Like two peas in a pod
Phrase: Like two peas in a pod The expression like two peas in a pod is used to compare two very similar things. Probably, we’ve all had the experience of knowing two people who were excellent friends. They were almost like twins. They did everything together. They dressed the same way. They wore their hair in the…
