Idioms some interesting meanings and histories

bored stiff (Unit 27)

If something is stiff it is rigid, and not easily bent. If you
have done more exercise than usual and your muscles
ache, you can say you are feeling stif; you can also feel
stif if youve been sitting in one position for too long.
In the expressions bored stiff and scared stiff the word
stiff is used to give extra emphasis: it means you are
extremely bored or scared. Te idea is that you are so
bored or scared that you cannot move.
get to grips with something (Unit 10)
A grip is a tight hold or grasp of something with your
hand. Te word is also used fguratively to mean power
or control. So if you get to grips with something, you
manage to control or deal with it. (But you can also
lose your grip if you let a problem or difculty become
too much for you.)
packed in like sardines (Unit 39)
Sardines are small, silver fsh that are ofen preserved
in oil or salt water and sold in tins in which they are
packed tightly together. If people are
packed in like sardines, they fll
an overcrowded space.
turn a blind eye to something (Units 1 and 24)
Tis phrase is thought to have originated with Horatio
Nelson, a British admiral who died in 1805. He is said
to have deliberately put his telescope to his blind eye
in order not to see a signal from his commander to
discontinue action (the signal was made by waving a
fag). He is said to have exclaimed I really do not see the
signal! If you turn a blind eye to something, usually
something bad, you pretend not to see or notice it.
Activity
Complete the sentences with the idioms above.
1. That was the worst flm Ive ever seen! Nothing
interesting happened in two hours. I was
through most of it.
2. Ive got to this new
computer system. I dont even know how to send an email!
3. If you Ians behaviour,
hell keep on doing it. ~ I know, but what can I do? Hes 16, if he
doesnt want to do his homework, I cant make him.
4. We were on the train
to Delhi, and it was so hot! I was so glad I had a big bottle of
water with me.
A n s w e r s
1 . T a t w a s t h e w o r s t f l m I v e e v e r s e e n !
N o t h i n g i n t e r e s t i n g h a p p e n e d i n t w o
h o u r s . I w a s b o r e d s t i f t h r o u g h m o s t o f i t .
2 . I v e g o t t o g e t t o g r i p s w i t h t h i s n e w
c o m p u t e r s y s t e m . I d o n t e v e n k n o w h o w
t o s e n d a n e m a i l !
3 . I f y o u t u r n a b l i n d e y e t o I a n s b e h a v i o u r ,
h e l l k e e p o n d o i n g i t . ~ I k n o w , b u t w h a t
c a n I d o ? H e s 1 6 , i f h e d o e s n t w a n t t o d o
h i s h o m e w o r k , I c a n t m a k e h i m .
4 . W e w e r e p a c k e d i n l i k e s a r d i n e s o n t h e
t r a i n t o D e l h i , a n d i t w a s s o h o t ! I w a s s o
g l a d I h a d a b i g b o t t l e o f w a t e r w i t h m e .
Intermediate
Nelsons Column, London