VIII. Recall the idioms with the following words and compose sentences with them

let point latest bonnet end blue think make fix leaf

bag off clean catch milk out moment dozen put sight

Lesson 12

not to know him (her) from Adam – not to know a person at all

1. You must know his wondeful Rafaelite work. “Oh, yes!” said Michael, whose conscience was saying: “Oh, no!” The young man said grimly: “He doesn’t know me from Adam.” (J. Galsworthy)

2. What do you want to do trusting’ me for? You don’t hardly know me from Adam. (J. Wain)

to talk sense – to speak reasonable; to sound reasoning

1. … but he put his wallet back in his pocket and turned away in so loutish a manner that she realized that she was dealing with one of her own stamp and would have to talk sense. (J. Wain)

2. “Thorpe doesn’t talk,” Philipsohn said matter-of-factly, “at least he couldn’t talk sense.” (S. Heym)

3. I’ll put a call into the TB division and have a talk with the doctor. Maybe he’ll be able to talk some sense into you. (D. Cusack)

quick (slow) in the uptake – quick (slow) to pick up (understand) something

1. Morrey,- slower in the uptake but more careful, proved a better dryblower in the long run. (K. Prichard)

2. She was not at all shy, she asked me to call her Sally before we’d known one another ten minutes, and she was quick in the uptake. (W.S. Maugham)

3. “They’ve both got grit. How does she do her work?” “Very well, quick in the uptake, good memory, heaps of savoir-faire.” (J. Galsworthy)

ten to one – a word combination used in betting meaning, a person is almost sure he will win the bet

1. You’ll see – ten to one she’s left a letter confessing everything. (A. Christie)

2. She had been very silent all the way, and he knew why. Ten to one if young Jon Forsyte wouldn’t be at Ascot! (J. Galsworthy)

3. “No,” he thought at last, “ten to one he isn’t in.” (J. Galsworthy)

to put two and two together – to form an opinion or conclusion after considering facts

1. That evening passed for Fleur in putting two and two together; recalling the look on her father’s face in the confectioner’s shop. (J. Galsworthy)

2. It must, therefore, be very important, and if Carmichael’s enemies caught up with him, and found that he no longer possessed this document, they would doubtlessly put two and two together and look for any person or persons to whom Carmichael might conceivably have passed it on. (A. Christie)

to be taken aback – to be surprised

1. “I think you’re absolutely right, if you know what I mean.” Mr.Greenholtz appeared slightly taken aback. He was not used to having his dismissals treated in this approving spirit. (A. Christie)

2. “I can go alone.” “All right,” he answered, rather taken aback. (D. Lawrence)

3. “What an extraordinary coincidence,” said Baker, staring at her. “I’m on my way to the Dig myself. I’m just the right person to have rescued you, aren’t I?” To say that Victoria was taken aback is to put it mildly. She was completely flabber gasted. (A. Christie)

to give way to – to lose control of oneself; to yield to; to break down

1. It was the first time he had given way to anger with her. (J. Galsworthy)

2. … but the pain he hid beneath this resolution began slowly, surely, to give way in a blind resentment against James and his son. (J. Galsworthy)

3. He told himself, angrily, that he was utterly ill-advised to give way to his feelings in this weak fashion. (A. Cronin)

to be a nuisance (make a nuisance of oneself) – to be a source of trouble, bother, offence to people