<B>The British Council?s language clinic with ?Dr Danny?</B>

Hello and welcome to the English Language Clinic. Can you think of an expression, involving numbers, which means ?unique?? What about idioms which mean ?to talk quickly?, ?to be indecisive?, ?to lack coordination in the terminal portions of the legs? and ?more than a couple is synonymous with a mob??

There are also ?number? based idioms for ?incorrectly solving a simple problem?, ?repeating instructions?, ?sartorially elegant?, ?starting again? and ?being confused?? any ideas?

The young man stood, in the rain, still holding the flowers he had bought for her several hours ago. This was not ?a one off?; he had been ?told a thousand times? by his friends that she was not really interested. Yet, there he waited, ?dressed to the nines?, already ?in two minds? whether she would arrive.

Just as he was about to leave, a car pulled up. He couldn?t believe it, he was ?all at sixes and sevens?. He rushed to open the car door, but, since he had ?two left feet?, he tripped and fell into the muddy road. She opened the door and looked down at him. He looked up and nervously started ?talking nineteen to the dozen?.

She didn?t seem to be listening. ?Hi, sorry, but I?m not going to be able to meet you this evening?, she said. "I?ve decided to spend it with your friend and, you know? ?two?s company, three?s a crowd?, so sorry." The car sped off as he got to his feet, dripping pathetically. He had been sure that she liked him! ?Oh well?, he thought, ?I?ve really ?put two and two together and made five?. ?Back to square one?, I suppose.?

Please send your comments, queries and questions to me, at [email protected]

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