The British Council?s language clinic with ?Dr Danny?

Hello, nice to see you again. Welcome back to the British Council?s Language Clinic. This week, I?ve been asked to discuss a particular ?bone of contention?, a bit of a ?sticky topic?: idioms. Idioms are expressions that are used frequently in everyday speech. Understanding idioms can ?drive you up the wall? or ?round the bend?; they can cause you to ?go round in circles? and can leave you ?without the foggiest!?. They can be difficult because their meanings are not obvious from the individual words from which they are constructed. The best way to understand idioms is by seeing them in context, although, even then, it can be comical and even disturbing if they are not first recognised as idioms! With your permission, I?d like to tell you about something that happened to me yesterday; ?what on earth? happened?

I was out shopping when I looked at my watch and thought ?how time flies?. I had intended to be back at work by eleven, but ?one thing had led to another? and I had ?lost track of time?. I looked up and saw a woman I recognised. I couldn?t remember her name, my ?mind had gone blank?, but her face ?rang a bell?. She said ?Hi Danny, I haven?t seen you since you were ?knee high to a grasshopper?!? I was really ?grasping at straws?. I was sure that her name was either Susan or Rachel, but it was ?six of one and half a dozen of the other?. Then, ?in the blink of an eye? it ?came to me!? We ?chewed the fat? for the next twenty minutes, it really ?made my day?; ?my old china? and I really ?got on like a house on fire!? Suddenly I remembered that I needed to ?get a move on? and ?hot foot it? back to work. I made it back on time ?by the skin of my teeth?, feeling ?on top of the world?.

Please send your comments, queries and questions to ?Dr Danny? at the British Council Language Clinic by emailing the address below. Or contact the British Council to find out more about our English Language study options (and the meaning of idioms).