Homework

[playa7]

Well... English is not my mother tongue and now my g/f got a homework about conversational idioms... well, I´m not able to do it... shame on me... please help me/us... Here´s the pic, let´s fill in the words... ;)

[GhosT_DoGG]

I have hard reading, its a bit to fuzzy... =)

Use this site if need of translation otherwise...
http://www.systransoft.com/

[playa7]

well a translation program isn´t what I need... I mean I know the meaning of the sentences but I got no clue what words I should fill in, cause that are phrases I´ve never used or heard of...

C YA!

[GhosT_DoGG]

Cant you write them down here? , because it hard for me to read that paper.

ANd it gets easier for the other just to pick one/two/three to explaine...

[SlamInTheLamb]

1. Years
2. ?
3. T
4. ?
5. View
6. Fiddle
7. Uptake
8. Nose
9. Biscuit
10. Legs
11. ?
12. Donkey's
13. Influence
14. Rap
15. Hand
16. Wall
17. Zero
18. Packet
19. XXX
20. Sack
21. Odds
22. Act
23. Jugular
24. Grips
25. Cake
26. End

I know the words left are Kick, Muster & Quick but I wouldn't fit them into any of questions 2, 4 & 11.

[playa7]

Thank you very much!!.... are these common phrases? I mean I´ve never heard them anywhere....

C YA!

[PirateSteve]

2. muster
4. biscuit
11. quick

And I am sad to say I have to disagree with Lamb on the following:

9. is not biscuit, but cake - but then it is used twice as 25 is also cake.
21. is not odds, but one might say "up the nose", or better, "up the ass".

These are indeed very common in both the south and midwest. This list was apparently written by a non-native as there are several incorrect phrasings. For instance, one does not "get" to grips, one "comes" to grips (number 24). And 4 should be either "ass", "rear" or "pants", but neither was given as a choice. On 17 we would normally say "slim", "zero" is not used much. 18 would more often be answered with "killing", again not a choice. 21 should be "limit", and 25 would always have the word "too" after "eat it".

[playa7]

THX PirateSteve!


These are indeed very common in both the south and midwest

of the US or the UK?

Yeah my g/f is studying English at the University of Vienna and I don´t think the teachers are native speakers...

C YA!

[PirateSteve]

Sorry Playa, South and midwest in the US.

[SlamInTheLamb]

Originally posted by PirateSteve
And I am sad to say I have to disagree with Lamb on the following:

9. is not biscuit, but cake - but then it is used twice as 25 is also cake.
21. is not odds, but one might say "up the nose", or better, "up the ass".
9. I still say biscuit, it's common from where I'm from and I doubt the words are supposed to be used twice (26 words for 26 questions)

21. 'Hotels can charge over the up the ass for phone calls' ?:( ?:( ?:( ?:( ?:(

[PirateSteve]

Lamb,
OK, I'll defer to you on biscuit - though as well traveled in the US as I am I have never once heard it.

As I said though, it is pretty obvious to me the list was written by someone not from our country, as many of the phrasings are just not how they would be used here (would anyone really go for the minister's jugular?) Hence replacing "over the" with "up the". Further proving my point is that between both of us there is no use for the word "kick" and #4 still remains empty - and I think we can both agree "kick" is not appropriate there!

[playa7]

Found it... these words are from the "OXFORD Advanced Learner´s Dictionary"....

C YA!

[SlamInTheLamb]

Yeah, I think question 4 is a red herring. :)

Those trying to teach English phrases should refer to native speakers for verification first. Teaching some of those phrases would just confuse the person trying to learn it (or listen to it).

However, I'd not realised that there was such difference in US/UK phrasing. I would have no problem using things like 'that take's the biscuit' and 'he went for his jugular' in everyday conversation. In fact, I can think of one or two people who's jugulars I'd like to go for. hehe ;)