Symphony in Slang

G'day mates!
I'm here to share with you this amazing video about slang/idioms.
I found it interesting to post since we dealt with some idoms last class.
The scenes are sort of literal, illustrating the idioms.
I put the transcript below the video.
Hope you enjoy it!




“I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth.”
“I grew up overnight.”
“At the crack of dawn…”
“….I woke up with the chickens.”
“I got a job slinging hash…”
“…because the proprietor was short-handed.”
“But I couldn’t cut the mustard…”
“…so the guy gave me the gate.”
“I went back to my hole in the wall.”
“I was beside myself with anger.”
“I decided to get a train ticket to Texas. There I made some dough punching some cattle.”
“From there, I flew to Chicago.”
“There, a beautiful girl stepped into the picture.”
“Our eyes met.”
“My breath came in short pants.”
“And I had goose pimples.”
“I was all thumbs.”
“Mary’s clothes fit her like a glove.
“…with her hair done up in a bun.”
“She had good lookin’ pins too!”
“Finally, she gives me a date.”
“I put on my white tie and tails.”
“And brother, did she put on the dog!”
“We went around together for some time…”
“…painting the town red….”
“…going to the Stork Club…”
“…we had a box at the opera.”
“…I had a cocktail and Mary had a Moscow Mule.”
“…Mary let her hair down…”
“…and ate like a horse.”
“By then, my money started running out on me.”
“So I wrote a check. It bounced!”
“I was in a pickle…”
“The proprietor drew a gun on me.”
“So I gave him the slip…”
“…and head to the foothills.”
“The law was on my heel.”
“…the judge tried to pump me.”
“…everytime I opened my mouth, I put my foot in it.”
“So he sent me up the river…”
“…to do a stretch in the jug.”
“I was up against it…”
“…and felt myself go to pot.”
“I raised a big stink.”
“…let me talk to an undercover man.”
“I went through a lot of red tape…”
“…he sprung me!”
“It sure felt good to stretch my legs…”
“…I caught a Greyhound…”
“…I dropped in on Mary…”
“…and threw myself at her feet.”
“But she turned her back on me.”
“But she got on her high horse. I couldn’t touch here with a 10 foot pole!”
“She wouldn’t say a word. Guess the cat got her tongue.”
“So, I walked out on her.”
“After that, I went to pieces.”
“…where a bunch of the boys were hangin’ around.”
“The guy at the piano played by ear.”
“I felt a tug at my elbow…”
“We sat down and chewed the rag a while.”
“I heard through the grapevine…”
“…Mary was going around with an old flame.”
“That burned me up!”
“Because I knew that he was feeding her a line.”
The guy really spent his money like water.”
“I think he was connected with the railroad.”
“As they danced, I tried to chisel in…”
“…but the guy got in my hair.”
“Outside it was raining cats and dogs.”
“I was feeling mighty blue.”
“And everything looked black.”
“But I carried on!”
“I went to the 1000 Islands.”
“There, I became a beachcomber.”
“…and a tear ran down my cheek.”
“So I send her a cable.”
“The next day, she sends me a wire.”
“I rushed back to the US on a cattle boat…”
“…and I hotfooted it over to Mary’s apartment.”
“When I opened the door, I noticed quite a few changes…”
“Why Mary, she had a bunch of little ones.”
“The groom had his hands full, too!”
“So, all this struck me so funny, I died laughing!”

Cheers!
Leandro.

Guys, one more for our practice: It's not as hard as it may seem!

Think of one word which can be used appropriately in all the three sentences.

a) The ravages of the disease have left him unable to speak without the ________ of a voice synthesizer.

b) A number of countries have agreed to provide emergency ______ to the stricken region.

c) The students have organised fund-raising event in _______ of the local hospital.

Cheers!
Claudio Paes

What about some cartoons?

Hey folks, I remember last class there was an expression "in the doldrums", right? Then I remembered I'd seen that before because of this cartoon:

What about these ones?

Piddle on?




Play(ing) up?






Sponge off?

What's the word that fits the three sentences?

1. He couldn't help screeching after receiving a sharp.......................to the stomach.

2. Having all her research notes stolen was a real body.......................for her.

3. When I get paid I ....................... it all on a night out.


C'mon guys!


Cheers.

Topic: Agreeing and disagreeing (Vocabulary exercise - Splendid Speaking)

7) I'm always having arguments with Laura. She always seems to rub me ......... the wrong way.

8) They've never ........ eye to eye and have always argued about everything.

9) One minute our two children are ........ like cat and dog and the next they're playing together like the best of friends.

Topic: communication (Vocabulary exercise - Splendid Speaking)

4) I think you've missed the ......... We can't carry on ignoring the situation. We need to take action.

5) I got off on the wrong ........ with one of my new colleagues at the office party. I complained to him about smoking at the dinner table.

6) Do you think you could put in a good ........ for me where you work? I'm thinking of applying for the clerical job there.


Please note that this is a vocabulary exercise (not 'gapped sentences'). You should complete each gap with a different word.

Topic: Moods and Emotions (Vocabulary exercise - Splendid Speaking)

1) Jamie's been ......... the doldrums since he split up with his girlfriend. How can we cheer him up?

2) Supporters were on cloud ........ yesterday following the team's cup final win.

3) Sarah must be fed up about something. I only asked her if she wanted to go out and she ........ my head off.

Please note that this is a vocabulary exercise (not 'gapped sentences'). You should complete each gap with a different word.

What's the word that fits the three sentences? (Splendid Speaking)

1. I've been waiting for you since 6.00! What ........ you?


2. That hat you bought me for my birthday really ........ my head warm during the winter.

3. The company have ........ a record of my application on file.

What's the word that fits the three sentences?

'The film was so gripping that it ........ my interest from start to finish.'

'She once ........ some shares in the company but now they are worthless.'

'Police ........ the man suspected of murder for further questioning.'


Flo-Joe - March 2010

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