Find the definitions of the expressions.

1.    a very difficult task

2.    a place that hasn’t been discovered by tourists, it’s isolated

3.    something that interests you

4.    to meet again in the future

5.    making somebody very angry and frustrated

6.    not extreme, acceptable and liked by most people

7.    leave, start a journey

8.    something that was good before but now is getting worse and worse

9.    violent behaviour on the streets caused by stressful traffic situations

10.  the state before making an important decision

11.  to be in a boring or negative situation and there’s no hope of getting out

12.  thinking or acting on the right way

13.  getting from one place to another

14.  something that has no future or prospect

15.  make someone or something famous

——————————————————–

Key:

1.    an uphill battle

2.    off the beaten track

3.    right up your street

4.    our paths cross

5.    drive me round the bend

6.    middle-of-the-road

7.    hit the road

8.    go downhill

9.    road rage

10.  at a crossroads

11.  stuck in a rut

12.  on the right track

13.  to go from A to B

14.  a dead end

15.  put sg on the map

to air one’s dirty linen in public
meaning: to discuss one’s private quarrels or problems in front of others
magyarul: kiteregeti a szennyest (átvitt értelemben)
example: Thomas does not like his wife to air his dirty linen in public when they are with friends. – Thomas nem szereti amikor a felesége kiteregeti a családi szennyest a barátoknak.

birthday suit
meaning: completely naked
magyarul: teljesen meztelen
example: The crazy man boy was running through the park in his birthday suit. – Az őrült férfi teljesen meztelenül rohant át a parkon.

to die with one’s boots on
meaning:to die while still active in one`s work or while doing a job
magyarul: ereje teljében/munkavégzés közben meghal
example: The man worked hard all his life and died with his boots on when he had a heart attack at the factory. – A férfi egész életében keményen dolgozott, és szerszámmal a kezében halt meg, amikor szívrohamot kapott a gyárban.

to be dressed to kill
meaning: wearing one`s finest clothes
magyarul: a legjobb ruhájában van
example:  Susan was dressed to kill when she met George for their first date. – Susan nagyon kicsípte magát, amikor először randizott George-dzsal.

to be dressed to the nines/teeth
meaning:to be dressed elegantly, to be dressed very well
magyarul: nagyon csinosan/elegánsan van felöltözve
example: The couple were dressed to the nines when they went to the opening of the exhibition. – A pár nagyon elegánsan felöltözött a kiállítás megnyitójára.

to eat one’s hat
meaning: to do something extraordinary or special if something that you do not think will happen actually happens
magyarul: megeszi a kalapját (pont ugyanaz: )
example: If my brother arrives here on time I will eat my hat. – Ha a testvérem időben megérkezik, megeszem a kalapom.

to fit like a glove
meaning: to fit perfectly
magyarul: olyan, mintha ráöntötték volna
example:  The woman’s new dress fit like a glove so she was very happy. – A hölgy új ruhája úgy állt rajta, mintha ráöntötték volna.

to get to boot
meaning:  to be fired from a job, to be told to leave a place
magyarul: kirúgva lenni egy állásból
example: The man got the boot from the restaurant for not serving the customers properly. – A férfit kirúgták az étteremből, mert nem szolgálta ki megfelelően a vendégeket.

to handle (someone) with kid gloves
meaning: to handle somebody very gently and carefully
magyarul:  kesztyűs kézzel bánni valakivel
example:  You must handle your aunt while she is here with kid gloves because she is very sensitive. – A nagynénéddel kesztyűs kézzel kell bánnod amíg itt van, mert nagyon érzékeny.

to have ants in one’s pants
meaning: to be restless, to be nervous
magyarul: be van sózva, izgatott
example:  The little boy was moving around like he had ants in his pants. – A kissrác úgy izgett-mozgott, mintha be lett volna sózva.

to pull up one’s socks
meaning: to make greater efforts than before to do something
magyarul: fel kell kötnie a gatyáját
example: It is time that you pull up your socks and begin to study for your exams. – Itt az ideje, hogy felkösd a gatyádat, és elkezdj tanulni a vizsgákra.

to tighten one’s belt
meaning: to live on less money than usual
magyarul: meg kell szorítania a nadrágszíjat, kevesebb pénzből kell kijönnie
example: If we want to go to the seaside this year we will have to tighten our belts and begin to save some money. – Ha idén nyáron is szeretnénk elmenni a tengerpartra, akkor meg kell szorítanunk a nadrágszíjat, és el kell kezdenünk spórolni.

to get/find/have one’s sea legs
meaning: the ability to adjust to a new situation
magyarul: belejönni valamibe
example: She’s only had two lessons, she hasn’t found her sea legs yet. – Még csak két órát vett, még nem jött bele.

a spit/drop in the ocean
meaning: an inconsequential amount
magyarul: csepp a tengerben
example: Many companies donated medicine to help survivors, but it was just a drop in the ocean. – Sok vállalat adományozott gyógyszert a túlélőknek, de ez csak csepp volt a tengerben.

to boil the ocean
meaning: to waste one’s time
magyarul: pazarolni az időt felesleges tevékenységgel
example: You can’t get him to change. You’re just boiling the ocean. – Nem tudod megváltoztatni. Csak az idődet pazarlod.

between the devil and the deep blue sea
meaning: having only two bad choices
magyarul: két tűz között, csak két rossz közül tudni választani
example: I was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, when my father asked me to mow the lawn and my mother wanted me to write my homework. – Két tűz között voltam, apám azt akarta, hogy nyírjam le a füvet, anyám pedig azt, hogy írjak leckét.

to be at sea
meaning: confused
magyarul: tanácstalan
example: We had a lot to do, but with no Internet connection, we were at sea. – Sok dolgunk volt, de internetkapcsolat nélkül tanácstalanok voltunk.

to make waves
meaning: to cause difficulty, disturbance, controversy
magyarul: szándékosan problémát teremteni, hullámokat verni
example: We’ve finally settled, please don’t make waves. – Végre megállapodtunk, kérlek, ne csinálj problémát!

a sea change
meaning: a complete change
magyarul: óriási változás
example: The data represent a sea change in the corporate environment. – Az adatok óriási változást mutatnak a vállalati környezetben.

The coast is clear.
meaning: it is safe to go somewhere or do something because no one is watching or listening
magyarul: tiszta a levegő
example: You can come out of the bedroom now, the coast is clear. – Most már kijöhetsz a hálószobából, tiszta a levegő.

to have a whale of a time
meaning: to really enjoy yourself
magyarul: nagyon jól érezni magát, állatira élvezni valamit
example: We had a whale of a time at the pub yesterday. – Állatira élveztük a tegnap estét a pubban.

to rock the boat
meaning: to create a problem that wasn’t there, to challenge the status quo
magyarul: megzavarni a kialakult nyugalmat, megbillenteni a hajót
example: I think I should tell her the truth, but I don’t want to rock the boat. – Azt hiszem, el kellene mondanom neki az igazságot, de nem akarok bajt.

oceans of something
meaning: a very large amount
magyarul: sok, jelentős, rengeteg
example: After two weeks of vacation, there was an ocean of work to catch up with. – Két hét vakáció után tengernyi munkát kellett behozni.

I. Fill in the gaps with the idioms from the table.

1. It took only a day on the boat …………………. I got used to it very quickly.

2. Both choices seem quite bad, Jen is …………………….

3. Everyone seems contented now. You shouldn’t …………….., I don’t like controversy.

4. A thousand dollars may seem a lot, but it’s only ………………. compared to the millions that need to be spent.

5. Brad waited outside until ……………..

6. This was probably the party of the year. I had ……………..

II. Match each idiom to its definition.

Answers:  

I. 1-to find my sea legs 2-between the devil and the deep blue sea 3-rock the boat 4-a spit/drop in the ocean 5-the coast was clear 6-a whale of a time

II. 1-e 2-a 3-b 4-f 5-c 6-d

Here are 10 common sayings that for one reason or another aren’t very accurate.

Just because a phrase is used often, that doesn’t mean it’s true or even apropos.

Here are 10 common sayings that for one reason or another aren’t very accurate.

Number 10. American as apple pie. Clearly, neither pie nor pastry-appropriate apples are foods exclusive to the US. In fact, neither of them even hails from the country. Both were transported here by the Pilgrims.

Number 9. Sweating like a pig. Pigs don’t really sweat as they only have a few, poorly-working sweat glands. The saying actually comes from old iron smelting terminology, but chances are when most people say or hear the idiom, they envision perspiring farm animals. 

Number 8. Hard As Nails. Many nails aren’t really all that hard. On the Mohs’ scale, which measures the relative strength of materials, the typical steel nail only rates at a 5.5 out of 10. That meansit’s no match for a number of other substances, including unglazed porcelain and diamonds. 

Number 7.Giving a cold shoulder. We’ve come to understand and use this as a way to say someone was unfriendly. Its origins are controversial but one theory says it’s a reference to the practice of serving unwelcome visitors cold shoulder ofmutton rather than a hearty, warm meal. 

Number 6. Pleased as Punch. Sure, fruity beverages are great, but in this case Punch isn’t a drink, it’s apuppet. He was big in the 1800s and had a regular show where he would murder his wife, a policeman, and the Devil. He was always particularly overjoyed afterwards.

Number 5. Busting your chops. Now, it’s all about giving or gettinga tough time verbally, but back in the day it meant a full on physical assault. People then wore long sideburns called mutton chops, and the phrase is a reference to striking them. 

Number 4. Eat Like A Bird. It’s what people often say when describing somebody’s light eating habits. In reality, birds are big eaters, consuming about double their body weight every day. 

Number 3. Once in a blue moon. It’s odd that this phrase is used to describe rare occurrences, as blue moons themselves are fairly common. They are the secondfull moon to appear in a month and show up every couple of years or so. 

Number 2. Straight as a die. Often taken to mean a straight line, the phrase really references the fact that dice don’t lie. It was originally coined as a way to comment on one’s honesty. 

Number 1. Chew the fat. How this idiom came to mean chatting is unknown, but it’s guessed sailors were involved. When supplies were low and salt pork was the only thing left to eat, they’d sit around, chew the fatty snack, and talk about the tough times. 

Which saying’s origins are most surprising to you?

source: GeoBeats 

Fill the gaps with the words. Two of the words will not be used.

1. She picked up the apples that fell from the tree and used them to make … .

2. Everybody was … in the heat.

3. He hung the picture on a … in the wall.

4. His brother was very athletic with broad … .

5. Her mother was very … with her excellent school report.

6. He man was very angry with the man but he was afraid to … him.

7. If you … too much sugar you will get fat.

8. These flowers are … in this country, you can see them everywhere.

9. Drive … on and turn right at the end of the street.

10. His parents lived through some … times when they didn’t even have money for food.

a. shoulders

b. substance

c. consume

d. tough

e. apple pie

f. straight

g. nail

h. pleased

i. hearty

j. sweating

k. strike

l. common

—————————————-

Key:

1.e.  2.j  3.g  4.a  5.h  6. k  7.c  8.l  9.f  10.d

to air dirty linen/laundry

meaning:to reveal private matters that can be embarrassing
magyarul:kiteregeti a szennyest
example:You didn’t have to air our dirty linen to all our friends! – Nem kellett volna kiteregetned a szennyest az összes barátunk előtt!

to hear something onthe grapevine

meaning:to find out something by word of mouth
magyarul:szóbeszédből megtudni valamit
example:I heard on the grapevine that your sister is pregnant. – Azt beszélik, a nővéred terhes.

a telltale

meaning:a person who maliciously reveals private matters
magyarul:rosszindulatú pletykafészek
example:Your aunt is the worst telltale in town. Don’t trust her! – A nagynénéd a legrosszabb pletykafészek a városban. Ne bízz benne!

gossip column

meaning:section of a newspaper devoted to gossip about well-known people
magyarul:pletykarovat
example:I don’t buy any magazines now. They seem to have turned into gossip columns. – Nem veszek már magazinokat. Úgy tűnik, átalakultak pletykarovattá.

to bad-mouth someone

meaning:to speak critically and often disloyally of
magyarul:kibeszélni valakit
example:I don’t like people who bad-mouth their friends behind their backs. – Nem szeretem azokat, akik a hátuk mögött kibeszélik a barátaikat.

back-fence talk

meaning: rumour or gossip
magyarul:szóbeszéd vagy pletyka
example:Do you really believe all that back-fence talk about Kate and Josh? – Tényleg elhiszed azt a sok pletykát Kateről és Joshról?

What’s the buzz?

meaning:what’s the current gossip or information
magyarul:Mi a pletyi? Mi az ábra?
example:What’s the buzz? I’ve been out of town for a week, give me the news. – Mi a pletyi? Nem voltam itt egy hétig, mi történt?

to be the talk of the town

meaning:to have some serious gossip going round about someone
magyarul:az egész város róla beszél
example:John has been the talk of the town since someone accused him of bigamy. – Johnról beszél az egész város, mióta valaki bigámiával vádolta.

A little bird told me …

meaning:something that you say in order to let someone know that you are not going to tell them who gave you the information
magyarul:azt csipogják a madarak …
example:A little bird told me some people will be fired at the end of the year. – Azt csiripelik a madarak, hogy pár embert kirúgnak év végén.

There’s no smoke without fire.

meaning:if unpleasant things are said about someone, there is probably a good reason for it
magyarul:Nem zörög a haraszt, ha a szél nem fújja.
example:“I can’t believe that Ted was arrested for smuggling drugs.” “Well, we haven’t seen him in a while and there’s no smoke without fire.” – “Nem tudom elhinni, hogy Tedet kábítószer csempészetért tartóztatták le.” “Hát már jó ideje nem láttuk, és nem zörög a harszt, ha a szél nem fújja.”

mudslinging

meaning:an attempt to discredit one’s competitor or opponent by malicious or scandalous attacks
magyarul:sárdobálás
example:I’m fed up with politics. It’s all about mudslinging and nothing gets done. – Elegem van a politikából. Csak a sárdobálásról szól, és nem csinálnak semmit.

juicy/hot gossip

meaning:interesting gossip
magyarul:szaftos pletyka
example:Do you want to hear some juicy gossip? – Kíváncsi vagy egy kis szaftos pletykára?

Fill in the gaps with the appropriate words from the table.

1. Have you heard? Mia and Linda are not best friends anymore and Mia has aired their dirty ……………….. .

2. Stop ……………….. your parents. You’re lucky they pay for your education.

3. I’m not talking to Claire again. She’s a horrible ……………….. .

4. Minnie works for the gossip ……………….. of the local paper.

5. I always go to class reunions to pick up the latest ……………….. gossip.

6. I heard on the ……………….. that you’re planning to move to Canada.

7. I think Dan is having an affair with the boss. There’s no ……………….. without fire.

8. I’m so disappointed with the election campaign.  ……………….. has taken over the media.

9. What’s the ……………….. ? Is it true that Frank was so drunk he blacked out at his own wedding reception?

globe	map	compass	flag
földgömb	térkép	iránytű	zászló

Chinese whispers
(UK) When a story is told from person to person, especially if it is gossip or scandal, it inevitably gets distorted and exaggerated. This process is called Chinese whispers.
szájról-szájra terjedő történet, leginkább pletyka, ami egyre kevésbé hasonlít az eredeti történetre a végén

Not for all the tea in China
never; (not if you gave me all the tea in China)
"Would you like to live in space? "No. Not for all the tea in China!"
a világ minden kincséért sem

Bull in a China shop
If somebody behaves like a bull in a China shop, they are very clumsy, mostly when they should be careful
elefánt a porcelánboltban

Rome wasn’t built in a day
This idiom means that many things cannot be done instantly, and require time and patience.
Róma sem egy nap alatt épült fel. (Vannak dolgok, amikhez idő és türelem kell.)

When in Rome, do as the Romans do
This idiom means that when you are visiting a different place or culture, you should try to follow their customs and practices.
Rómában viselkedj úgy, mint a rómaiak. (Amikor egy idegen országban vagy, akkor ahhoz, hogy a legjobban meg tudd ismerni a kultúrájukat a legjobb az, ha te is követed a helyiek szokásait.)

Double Dutch
(UK) If something is double Dutch, it is completely incomprehensible.
Szó szerint: dupla holland. Jelentése: teljesen érthetetlen szöveg, vagy beszéd.

Dutch auction
If something is sold by setting a price, then reducing it until someone buys it, it is sold in a Dutch auction. It can also mean that something is changed until it is accepted by everyone.
Szó szerint: holland aukció. Olyan árverés, ahol addig engedik le az árat, amíg valaki meg nem veszi a cuccot.

Dutch courage
Dutch courage is the reckless bravery caused by drinking too much.
Szó szerint: holland bátorság. Akkor használjuk, amikor valaki túl vakmerő, leginkább azért, mert túl sokat ivott.

Dutch uncle
A Dutch uncle is a person who gives unwelcome advice.
Szó szerint: holland nagybácsi. Olyan személyre mondják, aki nem szívesen fogadott tanácsokat osztogat.

Go Dutch
If you go Dutch in a restaurant, you pay equal shares for the meal.
Szó szerint: "hollandosan csinálni"- akkor használjuk, amikor egy étteremben egyenlő arányban elosztjuk egymás között a számlát. 

Match the two parts of a saying about money.

1) Money doesn’t
2) Money makes
3) Money isn’t everything
4) Money is
5) When it’s a question of money

a) but the key to the rest.
b) everybody is of the same religion.
c) grow on trees.
d) the root of all evil.
e) the world go round.

Answers: 1) c, 2) e, 3) a, 4) d, 5) b

Fill in the gaps with the following money expressions. You will not have to use all of them.

a) currency, b) cash, c) loot, d) pocket-money, e) bucks, f) bill, g) capital, h) fortune,i) dough, j) banknotes

1) You can’t pay with your credit card here. Don’t you have any ………. ?
2) His family was shocked to hear that he had changed his will and left his whole ………. to an animal shelter.
3) My sister saved all her ………. and bought a new phone for herself.
4) I still need to raise a startup ………. to launch my business.
5) Do they change all kinds of foreign ………. at that exchange booth?

Answers: 1) b, 2) h, 3) d, 4) g, 5) a

Now try to complete the sentences with a money idiom.

1) She inherited a her father’s rare coin collection, but she has no idea that she is ………. .
2) I really need to find a job because I have spent all of my savings and I am ………. .
3) My wellness weekend was wonderful. I feel ………. .
4) My father is a great businessman and when he invests in something, he expects to ………. .
5) He has to put some money aside for his holiday so he really needs to ………. .
6) You won’t need to renovate this house for a long time. It’s ………. .
7) My car broke down and I am afraid fixing it will ………. .
8) I don’t watch TV anymore because the programs are ………. .
9) He is one of the kindest and best neighbors I have ever had. He is ………. .
10) I have no idea how he has anything left to spend because all he does is ………. .

a) as sound as a dollar
b) like a million dollars
c) cost a pretty penny
d) a dime a dozen
e) stone broke
f) worth his weight in gold
g) tighten his belt
h) throw money around
i) strike gold
j) sitting on a goldmine

Answers: 1) j, 2) e, 3) b, 4) i, 5) g, 6) a, 7) c, 8) d, 9) f, 10) h

currency – pénznem, valuta
cash –  készpénz
loot – zsákmány
pocket-money – zsebpénz
buck – dollár (slang US)
bill – bankjegy, papírpénz, számla
capital – (alap)tőke
fortune – vagyon
dough – ‘dohány’ (slang US)
banknote – bankjegy
as sound as a dollar – biztos, stabil (dolog), lehet rá számítani
to feel/look like a million dollars – remekül nézni ki/ érezni magát 
to cost a pretty penny – nem kis pénzbe/sokba kerülni
a dime a dozen – alacsony minőségű tucat-termék 
to be stone broke – teljesen leégett (anyagilag)
to be worth its weight in gold – aranyat érni
to tighten one’s belt – szorosabbra húzni a derékszíjat
to throw money around – szórni a pénzt
to strike gold – boldogságra, gazdagságra vagy sikerre lelni
to be sitting on a goldmine – aranybányán ülni
 

a) shine
b) burn
c) set
d) flower
e) beam
f) glasses
g) rise
h) tan
i) bathe
j) screen

1) Her skin is so light and sensitive, she should always wear sun………. in the summer.
2) Sun………. seeds are a great source of vitamin E.
3) Of course she always has such a nice sun………. . She lives in Miami.
4) My cat always finds a sun………. to lie in.
5) People can get really depressed if there is no sun………. .
6) Isn’t watching a sun………. ever so romantic?
7) I hate going to work in winter because I have to get up before sun………. .
8) He spent the whole day outside in the sun and he came home with a terrible sun………. .
9) I love her new sun………. although I think they are huge for her head.
10) You mustn’t sun………. during the midday hours.

Answer: 1) j, 2) d, 3) h, 4) e, 5) a, 6) c, 7) g, 8) b, 9) f, 10) i

sunshine – napsütés
sunburn – leégés
sunset – naplemente
sunflower – napraforgó
sunbeam – napsugár
sunglasses – napszemüveg
sunrise – napfelkelte
suntan – napbarnított (bőr)
to sunbathe – napozni
sunscreen – napolaj

Choose the right phrasal verb!

1) She was sad all day but she ………. a little bit when I made her some cookies.
a) brightened up
b) lightened up
c) jazzed up

2) The clown was so frightening that my younger son ………. crying.
a) broke out
b)  burst out
c) broke into

3) I know he was very angry but he ………. when he hit the other man.
a) got taken away
b) got blown away
c) got carried away

4) She needed at least two years to ………. after her divorce.
a) put herself together
b) bring herself together
c) pull herself together

5) We were hoping to ………. for the weekend and go somewhere very far from the city.
a) get away
b) run away
c) drive away

6) We’ll take you to the airport because we want to ……….. .
a) see you off
b) see you through
c) see you away

7) I don’t know what her problem was but she ………. without saying goodbye.
a) ran off
b) called off
c) drove off

8) I left my wallet at home, so I had to ………. at the metro station.
a) get back
b) turn back
c) be back

9) I’m sorry I couldn’t send you that email but the system ………… all day.
a) was down
b) fell down
c)  burst down

10) The car ………. yesterday so I’m going by bus today.
a) broke down
b) blew out
c)  went out

11) He was arrested after he tried to ……….. the school network.
a)  go into
b) steal into
c) break into

12) I am sure your webpage will be more popular when you ………. a little bit.
a) spark it up
b) do it up
c) jazz it up

Answers: 1) a, 2) b, 3) c, 4) c, 5) a, 6) a, 7) c, 8) b, 9) a, 10) a, 11) c, 12) c 

Megoldások
1. Van trolibusz a városotokban?
2. Igen. Néha nagyon lassú, de nem olyan szennyező, mint a buszok.
3. Három földalatti vonal van, néhány villamos vonal és száz körüli busz buszjárat is.
4. A földalatti a leggyorsabb módja az utazásnak a városon belül.
5. Ez 5 percenként jár.
6. A mi városunkban nincs földalatti ezért nagyon zsúfolt a közlekedés.
7. Nálunk délután mindig dugó van, amikor mindenki igyekszik hazafelé.
8. Jobban szeretek biciklizni.