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3 October 2007: Expressions with Bones, Arms, Legs & Shoulders

The heating has been turned on, the leaves are beginning to change colour and autumn has definitely arrived in Chester. Students are beginning to wear hats, scarves and gloves and no-one is having lunch in the garden, it's too cold. Soon it will be Christmas and 2008. How time flies!

Did you enjoy the exercise on idioms last time? I thought we might do some more today with different parts of the body this time; bones, arms, legs, shoulders. My favourite one is in this sentence: "I've got a bone to pick with you". It means that you have done or said something which has made me angry or upset and I want to discuss it with you.

Exercise 1
Match the expressions with their meanings.
Drag-and-drop your chosen answer into one of the spaces below. Only use each answer once.
to have a chip on your shoulder
to twist someone's arm
to have a shoulder to cry on
to pull someone's leg
to not have a leg to stand on
to keep/hold someone at arm's length
to give someone the cold shoulder
to feel something in your bones
to make no bones about something
to cost an arm and a leg
MeaningExpression
1:to talk about something in a very open way
2:to be unfriendly towards someone
3:to be very expensive
4:to have very little to support your argument
5:to believe that other people are to blame when things go wrong for you and always talk about it and refer to it
6:to not want to be too friendly with someone
7:to have a feeling inside about something
8:to have someone to talk to when you are unhappy or having a difficult time
9:to persuade someone to do something
10:to joke or tease someone
Drag-and-drop your chosen answer into one of the spaces below. Only use each answer once.
to have a chip on your shoulder
to twist someone's arm
to have a shoulder to cry on
to pull someone's leg
to not have a leg to stand on
to keep/hold someone at arm's length
to give someone the cold shoulder
to feel something in your bones
to make no bones about something
to cost an arm and a leg
Exercise 2
Now try to complete the sentences by using one of the expressions from above. You may have to change the form of the verbs!
I didn't want to go to the party but in the end Kerry    and I went. In fact I really enjoyed it.
When your girlfriend has dumped you and you are feeling really down it is good   .
I don't know for certain but I    that you are going to get this job.
I don't know what I have done to upset him but he has really    recently.
It was difficult    because he really enjoyed her company and would have liked to spend more time with her. However, he knew that her parents wouldn't approve.
I will   . The company has been losing a lot of money recently and we may well be heading for bankruptcy.
John's new car   . I really think they overcharged him.
Don't take him too seriously. He's only   .
I don't think he will win his case against unfair dismissal. He really   .
Why is Jane always so negative about her past? She really    about never having gone to university.

How many did you get right?

The word this week is lackadaisical which means doing something in a lazy or careless way as in this sentence:

"I wish Hans wasn't so lackadaisical about his homework. I am going to ask him to do it again because I am sure he can do better."

Have a good two weeks.
Best wishes from everyone at English in Chester


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