‘What’s
wrong?’ asked Claire. ‘You’ve been like a bear with a sore head all morning’.
‘I’ve had it up to here,’ I replied.
‘I’ve got three reports to write by five o’clock, and if I don’t finish
them on time, Bill’s going to hit the roof.
I’ve already put his back up by refusing to work late, and
he’s likely to blow a fuse if I don’t get this job done’.
Just then, the phone rang. It was
the managing director asking me if I would help show some clients around the office.
This was the second time she’d asked me and, although it was a pain
in the neck, I had to agree because she was the one person I didn’t want to
rub up the wrong way. Two hours later, I was still busy. As we reached my department, Claire came running
up to me. ‘Where’ve you been?’ she whispered. ‘Bill’s on the warpath because you haven’t done those reports
yet.’ At that moment, he appeared by the
door, with a face like thunder.
He was just about to let rip when he saw the managing director standing
next to me. ‘Hello, Bill’, she said.
‘Let me introduce you to some very important clients’.
being
angry
hit
the ceiling/roof informal to become very angry and start shouting.
blow
a fuse informal
to
become very angry and shout or behave in a violent way.
be
on the warpath humorous
to
be looking for someone you are angry with in order to speak angrily to them or
punish them
a
face like thunder
a
very angry expression
have/throw
a fit informal
go
spare informal
to
become very angry
fly
off the handle informal
to
react in a very angry way to something someone says or does
have
had it (up to here) informal
to
be so angry about something that you do not want to continue with it or think
about it any more
be
fed up to the back teeth British & Australian, informal
to
be angry because a bad situation has continued for to long or a subject has been
discussed too much
making
someone angry
get/put
sb’s back up informal
to
do or say something which annoys someone
rub
sb up the wrong way British & Australian
rub
sb the wrong way American to annoy someone without intending to
ruffle
sb’s feathers: to make someone annoyed
be
a pain in the neck informal
to
be very annoying
drive/send
sb round the bend informal
to
make someone very angry, especially by continuing to do something annoying
talking
angrily to someone
let
rip
to suddenly express
your emotions without control
give
sb an earful informal
to
tell someone how angry you are with them
being
in a bad mood
be
like a bear with a sore head British & Australian
to
be in a bad mood which causes you to treat other people badly and complain a lot
get
out of bed on the wrong side
to
be in a bad mod and be easily annoyed all day
Business
Richard
had always determined to make it in business.
After leaving school, he set up a stall in the market selling cheap CDs
and cassettes and was soon doing a roaring trade. Being a big fish in
a small pond was not enough for him, however.
He know that if he wanted to be a big shot in the business world,
he needed to stay ahead of the pack. Over
the next few years, he opened eight shops in the area and became known as a hard-nosed
businessman who drove a hard bargain.
Even when other companies were going to the wall, he kept going.
He’s now one of the most successful business people in the region, but
unlike some fat cats, he supports a lot of local charities and look after
his staff well. He often says he’d like to retire soon, but
I can’t see him hanging up his hat just yet – he loves his job too much.
succeeding
in business
make
it
to be successful,
especially in a job
be
ahead of the pack
to
become so successful at selling or making a particular product that almost no
one else sells or makes it.
successful
people
a
big shot informal
an
important or powerful person in a group or organization
a
big fish in a small pond
one
of the most important people in a small organization who would have much less
power and importance if they were part of a larger organization.
a
fat cat informal
an
impolite way of referring to someone who is very rich and powerful
a
high-flier
someone
who is very successful at their job and soon becomes powerful or rich
stopping
work
hang
up your hat
to
leave your job for ever
a
golden handshake
a
large sum of money which is given to someone when they leave a company, especially
if they are forced to leave
doing
business
drive
a hard bargain
to
demand a lot or refuse to give much when making an agreement with someone
cut
a deal American
to
make an agreement or an arrangement with someone, especially in business or politics
run
a tight ship
to control
a business or other organization firmly and effectively
hard-nosed
practical
and determined
making
money
do
a roaring trade British & Australian
to
sell a lot of goods quickly
make
a killing informal
to
earn a lot of money very easily
a
money-spinner British & Australian
a
business or product that makes a lot of money for someone
behaving
dishonestly
be
on the make
trying
to get money or power in a way that is not pleasant or honest
cook
the books informal
to
record false information in the accounts of an organization, especially in order
to steal money
have
a your fingers/hand in the till
to
steal money from the place where you work.
(CUP
International Dictionary of Idioms: pp 440-441)
APPENDIX 6.d.II
CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY
OF IDIOMS
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS: SELECTED
EXERCISES: 1 – 8
1.
Matching meanings
What do idioms 1-5 mean? Choose the correct meaning from the list a – e.
1. try
your hand at
a. be happy
2. over
the moon
b. be nervous
3. get
the message
c. to admire
4. be
on tenterhooks
d. to try
5. take
your hat off to e. to understand
2. Put the idioms from exercise 1 into
the gaps in the sentences below. Remember
to use the correct form of the verbs.
1.
He was __________________ when his son was born.
2.
There’s no need to keep explaining. We’ve __________________
3.
Everyone in the court ______________ as they waited for the verdict.
4.
Fire crews do a wonderful job. You
really have to _____________ them.
5.
I though I might ________________ pottery.
3.
Idioms for opinions
Match the remarks on the left with the responses on the right.
4.
British and American English
Some idioms have different forms in
British and American English. What is
the American equivalent for each of these British idioms?
1. be left holding the baby
______________________________________________________________
2. have green fingers
______________________________________________________________
3. throw a spanner in the works
______________________________________________________________
4. be all fingers and thumbs
______________________________________________________________
5. blow your own trumpet
______________________________________________________________
5.
Idioms using parts of the body
In these idioms, the missing word in
the idiom is a part of the body. Fill in the missing words.
1. To get to the house, turn left by the
church and follow your ________________
2.
I don’t know why I bother giving her advice.
It goes in one _______________ and out the other.
3.
He’s been on several TV shows, shooting his _____________ off about the
royal family.
4.
Peter and I got off on the wrong ______________ because of a silly disagreement
over who should make the coffee.
5.
We were really busy, but Stefan didn’t lift a _____________________ to
help.
6.
Comparisons: As .. as ..
These sentences contain comparisons
using as (+adj) as (+noun). Fill in the
missing words.
1. Chain your bike to the railings. It’ll be as safe as ________________.
2. When he saw the gun he turned as white
as a ___________________.
3. It hasn’t rained for weeks. The soil is as ________________ as a bone.
4. The children have been as good as ________________
this morning.
5. I’ve mended this chair. It’s as ________________ as a rock now.
7.
Prepositions
Choose the correct preposition from
the box to fill in the gaps in the sentences below.
