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IDIOMATIC AND COLLOQUIAL ENGLISHChapter 17Past master (f/i/s/w)Formally a past master is someone who has previously held the rank of Master in a lodge or college. Informally it is anyone who is an expert in his field or who knows the dodges and wrinkles of his living and society. “From the age of two he was a past master at getting his own way with his mother: he just bawled his head off until she gave in”. Polite.Pear-shaped (i/s/w)When a project goes pear-shaped it goes badly wrong. Presumably (in the mind of the speaker) the original pear was supposed to be shaped like an orange. “When the dam was sanctioned it was on the basis that construction costs would remain low but in recent years they have risen and the economics of the project have gone pear-shaped”. Polite.Potty (I/s)This is a slightly old-fashioned expression meaning mildly eccentric (as in elderly maiden aunts) or overly enthusiastic (as in young lovers). “He’s potty about her but she has other boyfriends and is just happy to receive his attentions”. Polite.Old bean (i/sThis is a dated jocular greeting (man to man) between friends of a certain age. It can also be used to describe a pompous person who would use the expression. “Good to see you, old bean, how are you? ”. “He’s a bit of an old bean “. PolitePush off (i/s/w)A peremptory and rude exhortation to go away. “The salesman kept coming back hoping to get an order despite that I’d told him in no uncertain terms to push off”. Impolite. Put on the spot (i/s/w)This means called to account or challenged – think football when the referee picks up the ball and puts it on the penalty spot. “I was all set to vote against his plan when he put me on the spot by asking where I’d got the information that made me change my mind”. PolitePut paid to (f/i/s/w)When a bill is settled it is customary to put a “Paid” stamp on it. So to put paid to something is to bring it to a conclusion – whether favourable or otherwise. “Her personality and charisma put paid to any intention I had to stand against her in the forthcoming election”. Polite.Scruff of the neck (f/i/s/w)The scruff is the back of the neck of a small animal which is used to lift or drag it. Traditionally policemen or teachers got hold of small boys by the scruff of the neck (but no longer, of course). It is applied metaphorically to problems that require a vigorous solution. “Colleagues had shied away from dealing with the problems of timetabling. What it needed was for someone to get hold of it by the scruff of the neck and thrash out a solution with the whole staff. He did and it worked”. Polite.Shit hit the fan (i/s)“Shit” is a difficult Anglo-Saxon word. We all do it but we don’t talk about it in polite company. It’s also smelly and if you get it on your clothes the savour lingers. So, figuratively, when the shit hits the mythical fan everyone is tainted. This is a jocular expression for when the person on high wants to blame everyone in sight for a calamity and vent his fury on all present. “When the Prime Minister heard the by-election results the shit hit the fan and it was a wise move to send a deputy along to the next Cabinet meeting”. Impolite.Sold a pup (i/s/w)When puppies are small they are cute and it’s not easy to see how big and ugly they may grow. This expression implies that it is an ugly mongrel not a pedigree dog and means I am disappointed with my purchase. (Note, too, that you never buy a pup – you are always sold one!) “They all praised the Toyota but I bought one secondhand and, frankly, I was sold a pup. It had obviously been abused by previous owners and was leaky and unreliable.” Polite.Step on the gas (i/s/w)Gas is short for gasoline in America (petrol in England). So to step on the gas is to put your foot down hard on the accelerator and drive fast. “We were late so there was nothing for it but to step on the gas and jump the occasional light. We got there but it wasn’t fun”. Polite.Tea in China (i/s/w)There is a lot of tea in China (though today most of it comes from Africa) so as a measure of dislike it stands high.”She had told her friends she wouldn’t go out with him for all the tea in China because of his bad reputation. So it was a surprise to see them dancing together and her friends began to fear for her”. Polite.Thanks a bunch (i/s)No one knows what’s in the bunch but whatever it is it’s unwelcome. This is a none-too-polite way of saying you’ve done me a disservice. “He bid the hand up to game and when he laid down his cards I had to say “Thank you partner” but what I really meant was “Thanks a bunch – you’ve really landed me in it by your over-bidding”. Not really polite.Till kIngdom come (i/s/w)This refers to the Christian belief that one day Jesus will return to earth to establish his kingdom. But that appears to be a long way into the future so the expression means for a very long time or forever. “Once he got started there was no stopping him and we thought he’d go on ranting till kingdom come”. Polite.Turn a blind eye (f/i/s/w)Horatio Nelson was blind in one eye and when his admiral ordered him to withdraw at the Battle of Copenhagen (1801) he put his telescope to his blind eye and said, “I see no signal” and carried on to win the battle. The expression has changed its meaning so that today it would be the admiral who would turn a blind eye to his vice-admiral’s indiscretion – provided he was successful, of course. “Her tutor turned a blind eye to her inability to arrive for lessons on time. This was nothing to do with her charm and good looks – just that she got top marks in all her papers”. Polite.Twiddling thumbs (i/s/w)Clasping hands together and revolving one thumb over the other is a sign of boredom or lack of inspiration in me and a sign of incompetence and lack of drive in others. “I wanted some sign of commitment from them but they just sat there twiddling their thumbs”. Pollite.Umpteen (i/s)Numbers after twelve go into the ‘teens – thirteen, fourteen and so on up to nineteen. So that is a large number of times e.g. to be told to do or not to do something. “Frustrated mother to child, ‘I’ve told you umpteen times you’re not to play with the bread knife. You’ll end up cutting yourself’”. Polite.Welly (i/s)Welly is short for wellington boot which is waterproof but clumsy especially when driving a vehicle. So giving it some welly is driving fast ostensibly because your footwear is clumsy. “Give it a bit of welly and we’ll get there on time”. Polite.White lie (f/i/s/w)Sometimes it is advantageous to be less than wholly truthful or to modify an adverse comment to mollify a friend. This is a white lie - it may be a lie but it is an acceptable lie on the borderline between tact and evasion. “He asked me if I’d enjoyed the play and as he’d paid for the tickets I told a white lie and said the acting had been good. Actually the whole thing was dire but he would have been so upset if I’d told him the truth”. PoliteWrong side of the bed (i/s/w)Getting out of the wrong side of the bed puts you in a bad mood all day. “I should keep out of his way if I were you. He got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning and he’s like a bear with a sore head”. Polite but disrespectful.. ................
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