Oršulić 1

REPORTED SPEECH & PRECONCEPTIONS

1. Report 3 questions and replies from the 'Famous Interview' done in class on Thursday (or

search for an interview of your own interest online).

e.g. George Washington/Elizabeth Bennet/ Curt Cobain/etc. was asked ... and he/she

replied/denied/... .

I have chosen an interview with a famous country singer and player, Alison

Krauss.

Alison Krauss was asked what it was about the fiddle that had caught her

attention in such an early age, and she explained that her brother had already

chosen the piano, and then her mother had suggested the violin.

The interviewer wanted to know what made Union Station such a great band,

and she mentioned, amongst other things, that they all were unique and

amazing people.

Then she was asked what her three favourite songs were, and she replied that

there were songs that she loved, and songs that she loved to sing, and then

she revealed that her three favourite songs were: New Favourite, Cluck Old

Hen and Baby, Now That I Found You.

2. Look up the meaning of the following expressions and upload the vocabulary list in Moodle:

abode

A place of residence; a house or home

bias

Inclination or prejudice for or against one person or group, especially in a way considered to

be unfair

see the error of your ways

 Oršulić 2

Realize or acknowledge someone’s wrongdoing

tackle

Make determined efforts to deal with a problem or difficult task

a rag and bone man

A person who travels around an area buying old or unwanted clothes and household items in

order to sell them on

cut/pare something to the bone

Reduce something to the bare minimum

have a bone to pick with somebody

a bone of contention

A subject or issue over which there is continuing disagreement

make no bones about something /doing something

Not to try to hide your feelings

beat/flog a dead horse

To waste effort on something when there is no chance of succeeding

be/get on (one's) high horse

To start talking angrily about something bad that someone else has done as if you feel you

are better or more clever than they are

get off your high horse

If you suggest this to someone, you are telling them to stop behaving in a superior manner

back the wrong horse

Make a wrong or inappropriate choice

 Oršulić 3

(straight) from the horse's mouth

If you hear something from the horse’s mouth, you hear it from the person who has direct

personal knowledge of it

a horse of another/ a different colour

Something completely different or separate, especially in comparison to something else

put the cart before the horse

Reverse the proper order or procedure of something

Never look a gift horse in the mouth.

closing the stable door/barn after the horse has bolted

charley horse

A cramp or feeling of stiffness in arm or leg

a dark horse

A candidate or competitor about whom little is known but who unexpectedly wins or succeeds

Only fools and horses...

Old cockney saying implying that if you’re smart you’ll find a way of making a living without

resorting to hard graft