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LAST week we learnt some idioms that relate with water. This time we take up some more water phrases. Keep your head above water: have enough money to live or to continue a business Most Indian students in the USA have to work part time to keep their heads above water. Pour/throw cold water on something: criticise an idea in a manner that causes people to stop believing it or being excited about it. The class wanted to go for a picnic, but the teacher poured cold water over the idea. Take to something like a duck takes to water: learn how to do something very quickly and enjoy doing it. Ever since I have enrolled my son in dance classes, he has taken to dancing like a duck takes to water. Test the water/waters: try to discover what a situation is really like before you become very involved in it. Before I take up a job as a journalist, I want to test the waters by doing some freelance work. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him/it drink: you can give someone an opportunity to do something but you can’t make them do it if they don’t want to. I have bought many books for my daughter and even got her a membership in the local library, but she has still not developed an interest in reading. Well, you can take a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. Muddy the waters: make a situation more confused and less easy to understand or deal with. The investigation into the stamp paper scam has not answered any questions. It has just muddied the waters. Turn on the waterworks: start crying in order to get what you want. My son turns on the waterworks whenever I don’t buy him the toy he wants. Still waters run deep: people who say very little often have very interesting and complicated personalities. She is the most unassuming and quiet student in my class and yet she wins every debate. It is true that still waters run deep. Exercise Which idioms do these situations describe: You are really looking forward to watching a movie with your friends but you mother tells you that you can’t go because she expects you to be home to receive guests. You are not sure whether the buyers in the city will like your designs so you put up an exhibition before opening a retail outlet there. You have always been wary of entering the kitchen but once you learn to cook you enjoy it so much that you do it everyday. You know that your mother will never let you stay at your friend’s home for the night so you start crying hoping to blackmail her into giving permission.
(Reference: Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms) |
