Fun with Idioms: Book 2

By John Smithback and Ching Yee Smithback

What is an idiom? It can be an insult — “He has more brawn than brains.” — or a compliment — “She's a real trooper.” Idioms add life to our language: “I have ants in my pants.” Idioms can cast light on a topic, and they have the power to add color to your language and add punch to your vocabulary. Have FUN WITH IDIOMS, and improve your command of English at the same time!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Idiom Magic Publications
• Release date: Dec 20, 2013
• ISBN: 9781625361158

John Smithback

For more than twenty-five years, the writer-illustrator team of John and Ching Yee Smithback have been explaining idioms and proverbs to the world with more than fifty published books and a daily newspaper column that has appeared throughout Asia and Europe. Meeting in Hong Kong while John was teaching English and Ching Yee was studying nursing, their initial books — entitled ©IDIOM-MAGIC and published by the Chinese University of Hong Kong — met with such immediate success that it quickly changed the course of their lives. Shortly thereafter, they created a daily newspaper column designed to explain English idioms to their readers in Asia. Aimed principally at students who were learning English as a Second Language, it wasn’t long before the Idiom-Magic column was of interest to nearly everyone — including native speakers — curious to know more about these odd and sometimes curious constructions within our language. John and Ching Yee estimate that they have illustrated and defined close to 8,000 English idioms, proverbs, catch-phrases and slang terms, in the course of which they have also produced several books defining and explaining Chinese idioms for English speakers. Describing themselves as “literary gypsies” they have lived in various countries — Hong Kong, Portugal, Singapore and France — while producing their column and books. For a number of years they lived in England close to Shakespeare’s birthplace at Stratford-upon-Avon, and they are now living in the USA.

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Preface

Idioms

Fun with Idioms

Book 2

John and Ching Yee Smithback

A collection from the Idiom-Magic series

www.idiom-magic.com

Fun with Idioms

Book 2

All Rights Reserved © 1995, 2013 by John B. Smithback and Ching Yee Smithback

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the author.

First Edition published 1995 by Cove Press. This digital edition published by Idiom Magic Publications c/o Authors Guild Digital Services.

For more information, address:

Authors Guild Digital Services

31 East 32nd Street

7th Floor

New York, NY 10016

ISBN: 9781625361158

Preface

Have you ever been a monkey’s uncle, been fit as a flea, or had a frog in your throat?

What’s wrong with you if you can’t deliver the goods and someone tells you to go fly a kite? Do you know what it means to take pot luck, or get the old heave-ho?

Or if you are bored to tears and can’t find your feet, is that because you are a glutton for punishment? And if someone has just sold you a line, what have you got?

All these phrases should give you pause, for these are idioms, and the difference between knowing or not knowing what they mean can be the difference between understanding or not understanding English.

Not know someone from Adam, break out of the mold, dressed to the teeth, lead a dog’s life, and be in hot water are idioms too, and every language has them. But English has more. They are like a language within a language, adding color and dimension to the way we speak and think. Idioms make our language more expressive, more fun to use; but they also give anyone learning English his or her greatest challenge.

Doctor up, iron out the bugs, go for a song, the lion’s share, and in a pretty pickle are word combinations you either know or you don’t. And between you and me and the gatepost, you would probably be out on a limb if you tried to guess their meanings. Yet each and every one of them are idioms that are known and understood by almost all native speakers of English, wherever they are in the world and whatever their occupation or their level of education.

The wealth of idioms in the English language is almost beyond belief, but this book containing 256 of them is unique. Created by the husband and wife team of John and Ching Yee Smithback (he’s a teacher and a writer; she’s an artist, a translator, and a registered nurse) these humorous illustrations along with their witty definitions are almost guaranteed to make learning English idioms easy as pie!

What does that mean? It means you can start whooping it up, because Fun With Idioms is a new way to make learning easy! In fact, read this and its companion book and we think you’ll soon have a new lease on life.

P.S. You’ll be having fun and you’ll be smiling, but you should be forewarned: you’ll also be learning!

ADD COLOR TO SOMETHING

When we add color to something, such as a story we tell or one we write, we include details and descriptions to make it more interesting or more fascinating. "If I add color to the first chapter, I think I can make this a more interesting book," McRose said.

AFRAID OF ONE’S OWN SHADOW

Claxon is a very timid dog. Some say he lacks courage. Others say he’s so easily frightened he’s afraid of his own shadow. If your shadow looked like mine, you’d be frightened too! Claxon cried. To be afraid of one’s own shadow is to be like Claxon: very timid and easily frightened.

ALL IN A DAY’S WORK

Elmo’s rooster disappeared, so it’s up to him to get the sun up and in the sky. I don’t mind, Elmo smiled. "I get up early so it’s all in a day’s work." All in a day’s work refers to doing something that is part of one’s duty or job.

ALL TO THE GOOD

I wonder if you’ve noticed that there are a lot more good children around these days. That’s all to the good, of course, and it may be because of Jaime. Cavendish discovered him handing out favors the other day, which may not be all to the good! All to the good refers to something being helpful or useful.

(AS) SURE AS EGGS IS EGGS

The Easter Bunny knows proper grammar when he hears it, and he also knows good Easter eggs when he sees them. Imagine his reaction when he heard this grammatically incorrect expression and saw these weird Easter eggs! Sure as eggs is eggs, he was shocked! The idiom means something is true beyond any doubt.

AT/ON FACE VALUE

Coins and banknotes have numbers on them to tell you their face value. That’s the origin of this expression which, as an idiom, means exactly what one can see or hear. Examples: "Robert’s very trustworthy. If he says he’ll paint your picture, you can take his word at face value. On face value, I believe you."

AT SOMEONE’S BECK AND CALL