Vocabulary builder: Idioms and phrases for family gatherings

There are times of the year when people gather with their families to celebrate something: birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Hanukah, or other festivals. Relatives come to stay with you, share large meals, and give presents. It sounds lovely, doesn’t it? But when families get together, there can be tension, too. Let’s look at some common idioms and phrases that we use to describe what can happen when families have a little too much togetherness.

In our dreams, we imagine cosy family meals with the kids on their best behaviour and everyone being careful to steer clear of (avoid) those topics they know will cause Great-Uncle Henry to go off on one (UK )/go off on someone (US). We want our parties to go (UK) / go off (US) with a bang  (be very successful) so that everyone has a whale of a time (enjoys themselves very much) and Great-Uncle Henry forgets his usual complaints and turns into the life and soul of the party (becomes happy and sociable).

Unfortunately, life isn’t always like that! Just because someone is your own flesh and blood (part of your family) doesn’t mean they won’t drive you around the bend (annoy you a lot). Most families have a sister-in-law who’s a complete wet blanket (miserable person who stops others enjoying themselves), a child who makes a scene (behaves badly) if they don’t get the exact presents they want, or an over-chatty grandma who won’t let anyone else get a word in edgeways (UK)/edgewise (US).

Older relatives may not appreciate that the kids want to get up at the crack of dawn (extremely early), or that they’ll be climbing the walls (bored and needing exercise) after lunch, just when the adults want to snooze on the sofa. And anyone can go a bit stir-crazy (feel desperate to get away) after being in a room with their family for too long!

Decisions about who to invite or who to visit are a bone of contention (something that causes arguments) in many households. Finances are another worry. You want to be generous, but you don’t want to buy gifts that break the bank (cost too much), and things can be particularly tricky if you don’t see eye to eye (don’t agree) on the appropriate amount to spend.

The occasion is often toughest for the host or hostess. You want everything to run/go like clockwork (be successful), but looking after guests as well as cooking a big meal can be a difficult balancing act. You are rushed off your feet (extremely busy) trying to get everything done, but at the same time you may be walking on eggshells (being very careful what you say or do) in order to avoid conflict. All this stress can take its toll (affect you badly), and it can be very hard to keep your cool (remain calm).

Reading back over this post it seems English has more idioms for negative things than for positive ones. Nevertheless, for readers celebrating something, we wish every happiness, and hope your celebrations go like a dream (very successfully)!

source: dictionaryblog.cambridge.org