VII. Make the following story more idiomatic using the idioms under study

“You’ll break your father’s heart,” I said. “It’s his or mine. Why can’t he let me go? There’s Harry. Harry would love to be a squire of Tilby. He’d be an English gentleman all right. You know, mummy’s set heart on my marrying a Christian. Harry would love to. He’ll found the good Old English family all right. After all, I ask so little. I only want five pounds a week, and they can keep the title and the park and the Gainsborough and the whole bag of tricks.” “Well, the fact remains that you gave your solemn word of honour to go back after two years.” “I’ll go back all right,” – he said sullenly. “Lea Makart has promised to come and hear me play.” “What’ll you do if she says you’re no good?” “Shoot myself,” he said gaily. “What nonsence,” – I answered in the same tone. “Do you feel at home in England?” “No,” I said “but then I don’t feel at home anywhere else.” But he was quite naturally not interested in me. (W.S. Maugham)

VIII. Compose a situation or a dialogue based on a film you saw last using the idioms studied

IX. Recall the idioms pertaining to:

1. a person’s occupation

2. a person’s feelings

3. a person’s relations

4. a person’s features of character

and use them in sentences of your own

Lesson 14

in a way – to a limited extent; not altogether

1. It was easy to tell them to Magda. Like talking to a man, in a way. (D. Cusack)

2. “Well, wouldn’t you be scared seeing all the good men who don’t have jobs?” “In a way, but then you always think it’s something that can never happen to you.” (M. Wilson)

in spite of oneself – against one’s will; against one’s better intentions

1. This curious fact makes me think that perhaps after all Dave is, in spite of himself, a good teacher. (I. Murdoch)

2. Perhaps that life will hold you in spite of yourself. (I. Murdoch)

3. She giggled as she scraped the loaf. Even Miriam laughed in spite of herself. (D. Lawrence)

4. “Good gracious!” exclaimed Mrs.Morel, in spite of herself. (D. Lawrence)

to be hard on – to be cruel to somebody

1. Don’t you think a position like that is hard on a woman? (D.Lawrence)]

2. It was what he deserved, but it was hard on her. (P. Buck)

3. “It’s very hard on you.” “It is. I’m working at the laundry all day, when I can get it. I can’t look after the children.” (J. Galsworthy)

4. Oh, my darling, how can you be so hard on me? Have I no rights over you as your mother?

above all – more than anything else

1. “I hate the country at this season,” the Duchess went on. Her hostess melted to sweetness. “I delight in it at all seasons. And I think it now above all pleasanter than London.” (H. James)

2. The rest of the world of course thought him queer, but she, she only, knew how, and above all, why, queer. (H. James)

3. He liked however the open shutters; he opened everywhere those Mrs.Muldoon had closed, closing them as carefully afterwards, so that she shouldn’t notice: he liked – oh this he did like, and above all in the upper rooms. (H. James)

a pretty kettle of fish – an awkward state of affairs

1. “Well, sir,” said the constable, “he’s the man we were in search for, that’s true; and yet he’s not the man we were in search for. For the man we were in search of was not the man we wanted, sir, …” “A pretty kettle of fish altogether!” said the magistrate. (Th. Hardy)

2. When she had gone, Soames reached for the letter. “A pretty kettle of fish,” he muttered. “Where it’ll end, I can’t tell!” (J. Galsworthy)

3. “It may be very stupid but I can’t make head or tail out of what you’re saying.” “This is a pretty kettle of fish,” he said. (W.S. Maugham)

topsy-turvy – in confusion; upside down

1. Before his facile perils and ready laugh, life was no longer an affair of serious effort and restraint, but a toy, to be played with and turned topsy-turvy… (J. London)

2. They say there are great things going on in Russia today, that the people have stood the old upside-down world on its feet again and are building a new life which is no longer topsy-turvy… (R. Fox)

3. He was still young and had not seen much of the world – his English years had been properly arid; therefore the reserved conventions of the Moreens struck him as topsy-turvy. (H. James)

to hope against hope – to hope even when there is little or no reason for hope

1. …he waited on, hoping against hope to get a customer or two… (J. Galsworthy)

2. You admit you never thought we’d get this far. I’ll tell you the truth, I never did either. I just kept hoping against hope, that’s all. (M. Wilson)

3. “For a while,” said Erik, “I’ve been hoping against hope that the devil would overcome me, but nobody even wanted to buy my soul.” (M. Wilson)

to make one’s mouth water – to fill one with desire or envy

1. “I’m going to find a place for lunch and see what you’ve got tucked away in that building haversack you’re eyeing so hungrily.” “I’d like that! Your mouth has watered every time you’ve looked at it for the past half-hour.” (D. Cusack)

2. … the delicious sniffs, of salt and vinegar and frying fat made our mouths water. (A. Sillitoe)

to have (be) something on one’s mind – to be anxious or worried about something