parts of the body II

ENGLISH  IDIOMS  &  IDIOMATIC  EXPRESSIONS

Back   Get off my back!

   To tell somebody to get off your back means to ask them to stop finding faults or criticizing you .

Have your back to the wall If you have your back to the wall, you are in serious

difficulty.

"With his back to the wall, the supplier had to accept the deal."

Shoulders A chip (odštěpek) on the shoulder

If someone has a chip on their shoulder, they feel resentful (nesoucí nelibě) because they feel they are being treated unfairly, especially because of their background, their sex or their colour.

Give someone the cold shoulder To give somebody the cold shoulder means to

deliberately (úmyslně, schválně) ignore them. 

"After giving my opinion, he gave me the cold shoulder."

Blood – bones - skin That makes my blood boil!

If something makes your blood boil, it makes you really angry.

"His condescending attitude (blahosklonnost) made my blood boil!"

To make no bones about something If you make no bones about something, you do not

hesitate to express your thoughts or feelings about it, even if it is embarrassing.

Blood – bones - skin Work your fingers to the bone

A person who works their fingers to the bone is extremely hardworking.

"He deserves his success; he worked his fingers to the bone when he started the business.„

All skin and bone If someone is all skin and bone, they are very thin, or

too thin."After trekking in the Himalayas, he was all skin and

bone.„

Lips - Mouth Keep a stiff upper lip

If a person keeps a stiff upper lip, they contain their emotion and do not let other people see their feelings.  

"When she heard the bad news, she kept a stiff upper lip."

Make your mouth water Food can make your mouth water when it looks and

smells extremely good.  "That delicious smell from the kitchen is making my

mouth water."

Mouth Butter wouldn't melt in your mouth.

If you say that somebody looks as if butter wouldn't melt in their mouth, you are saying that they look completely innocent, but that they are capable of doing unpleasant things.

Foam at the mouth Someone who foams at the mouth is extremely angry

about something. "The director was foaming at the mouth when he saw a

picture of his children in the newspaper."

Brain Brain like a sieve

Someone who has a brain like a sieve has a very bad memory and forgets things easily. 

"Oh, I forgot to buy bread - I've got a brain like a sieve these days!"

Have something on the brain If you have something on the brain, you think or talk

about it constantly.  "Stop talking about golf.  You've got golf on the brain!"

Brain Pick someone's brains

If you pick someone's brains, you ask questions about a particular subject in order to obtain advice or information.  

"Could we have lunch together? I'd like to pick your brains about something."

Rack one's brains If you rack your brains, you try very hard to think of

something or to remember something.  "Christmas is always a hassle for me.  I have to rack my

brains every year to find ideas for presents."

Head Bang your head against a brick wall

If you bang your head against a brick wall, you continue vainly to try and achieve something  in spite of several unsuccessful attempts. 

"I've been banging my head against a brick wall trying to explain the internet to my grandmother."

Bite someone's head off If you bite someone's head off, you criticize them

strongly (and perhaps unfairly).  "I worked 10 hours a day all week and my boss bit my

head off for not doing my share of the work!"

Head Bury one's head in the sand

If you bury your head in the sand, you refuse to face the unpleasant reality by pretending that it doesn't exist. 

"It's no good burying your head in the sand.  We've got a problem on our hands."

Come to a head If a problem or difficult situation comes to head, it

reaches a point where action has to be taken.   "The problem came to a head yesterday when rioting

broke out in the streets."

The End