Idioms and expressions

21. types of people: a backseat driver, a blue- eyed boy, a chip off the old block, a clever dick, a confirmed bachelor, a couch potato, a down-and-out, a grass widow, a Jekyll and Hyde, a kissing cousin, a loose cannon, a nosey parker, a pain in the neck, a slowcoach, a wet blanket, an unknown quantity, the life and soul of the party, the salt of the earth

22. miscellaneous (people): one's better half; wicked stepmother, stepmonster; second cousin twice removed, blood brother, father figure

23. miscellaneous (things): identity card (ID)

24. miscellaneous expressions: salad days, wet behind the ears, old wives’ tales, kid's stuff, act your age = be your age(=grow up), to be as like as two peas, to be the spitting image of smb, to throw dust in one's eyes, to have a big mouth, to keep a stiff upper lip, to keep your fingers crossed

25. expressions with the word 'family': family tree, family circle, family doctor, family man, family background, family life

26. expressions with the word 'mother': mother's help, mother-to-be, mother country, Mother Nature, mother's boy, mother tongue, Mother Superior.

Proverbs and sayings

1. Caesar's wife is above suspicion

2. Like father, like son. / The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

3. Birds of a feather flock together.

4. Every family has a skeleton in the cupboard.

5. Spare the rod and spoil the child.

6. When children stand still they have done some ill.

7. A good husband makes a good wife.

8. A good wife and health is a man's best wealth.

9. There is many a slip between the cup and the lip.

10. Appearances are deceptive. /You cannot judge a tree by its bark.

11. A good name is better than riches.

12. A little body often harbours a great soul.

13. All that glitters is not gold.

14. Handsome is as handsome does.

Culture words

Family values, Father Thames, Father's Day, Founding Fathers / Forefathers, Mother Goose Rhymes, Mother's Day, Prodigal Son, Doubting Thomas, Mothercare, Tom Thumb, Uncle Sam

Vocabulary work

Exercise 1.

Study the basic words (1-35) by writing them down in your notebook vocabulary divided into 4 sections: spelling, pronunciation, translation and usage. Use modern dictionaries in your study.

Exercise 2.

Write down the English equivalents for the following Russian words and word combinations.

семейное происхождение, пуп земли, злая мачеха, неполная семья, брюзга, прадедушка, единоутробный брат, свекор, тезка, удостоверение личности, крестить ребенка, регистрировать рождение ребенка, блудный сын, молодые годы, седьмая вода на киселе, прозвище, девичья фамилия; ласкательное, уменьшительное имя, развестись, женщина среднего возраста, мужчина среднего роста, крашеные волосы, длинные ресницы, густые брови, прямой нос, загорелый цвет лица, гладко выбритый, походит на кого-либо, пойти характером в кого-то, вылитый (отец), не злоупотреблять косметикой, следить за собой, тонкие черты лица, паршивая овца, кожа да кости, всюду совать свой нос (любопытная Варвара), соломенная вдова, умник.

Exercise 3.

Study the following examples illustrating the proper use of idioms and expressions. Render the sentences into Russian paying special attention to the translation of the italicized phrases.

1. His heir was a nephew, son of his brother killed in a motor accident, not a bad boy, but not a chip of the old block, no, sir, far from it ... (W.S. Maugham)

2. Let me introduce you to my better half.

3. He's the very image of his father.

4. John was always the blue-eyed boy at school.

5. She's the black sheep of the family.

6. Once again that boy's big mouth was going to get them all punished.

7. In terms of sculpture, Moore was a father figure.

8. Wages are so low in relation to the cost of living that a family man cannot survive on them.

9. Family doctors have no time these days to make regular calls.

10. A family tree is a chart that shows all the people in your family over many generations and their relationship with each other.

Exercise 4.

Match the Russian expressions on the left with their English equivalents on the right.

1	И на старуху бывает проруха	а	a little body often harbours a great soul
2	бабушка надвое сказала	b	a pain in the neck
3	Пустозвон	с	all that glitters is not gold
4	брюзга, зануда	d	appearances are deceptive
5	Мастер-ломастер	е	no man is wise at all times
6	родиться в сорочке	f	curiosity killed the cat
7	Похожи как две капли воды	g	like father, like son
8	Не уметь держать язык за зубами	h	a loose cannon
9	внешность обманчива	i	to have a big mouth
10	Мал золотник, да дорог	j	A slowcoach
11	Не все то золото, что	k	Jack of all trades and master of
	Блестит		none
12	Яблоко от яблони недалеко	1	to be born with a silver spoon ii
	Падает		one's mouth
13	рыбак рыбака видит издалека	m	to be as like as two peas
14	Копуша	n	birds of a feather flock together
15	любопытной Варваре на	о	there's many a slip between the
	базаре нос оторвали		cup and the lip

Exercise 5.

Look up the meaning of Culture words in reference books. Give a short talk on the origin and meaning of one word of your choice.

Exercise 6.

Deduce the meaning of the words from their dictionary definitions.

1. If you take a child into a family for a period of time but without becoming the child's legal parent -

2. A chart, or drawing that shows all the people of your family over many generations and their relationship with one another -

3. A card with your name, date of birth, photograph, and signature on it, that proves who you are -

1. A sister who is the daughter of only one of your parents -

2. A family unit that consists only of husband, wife and children -

7. The language that you learn from your parents when your are a child

8. The man who is thought of as taking place of a father and being the person you can turn to for advice, support, guidance, and help -

9. A man or boy who allows his mother to protect him too much and is considered weak -

10. The group of men who wrote the American Constitution and Bill of Rights and started the US as a country -

Exercise 7.

Look at the following words used to describe people's character. Make two columns of 1) what you think are bad characteristics; 2) what you think are good characteristics.

tolerant	Generous	sympathetic
irresponsible	Unsociable	cruel
ambitious	Intelligent	even-tempered
patient	Sincere	greedy
cheerful	Insensitive	ill-mannered
inflexible Exercise 8.	Ambitious	bright

Read the descriptions of different types of people below.

The sort of person who:
a)	only thinks of their own needs and never thinks about other people.	big	centered
b)	thinks they know everything.	over	faced
c)	refuses to consider new ideas or other people's opinions.	two	minded
d)	is not up-to-date with modern ideas and values.	old	sensitive
e)	says they believe one thing and then behave in a way that shows they are not sincere.	absent	headed
f)	forgets things, often because they are thinking about something else.	narrow	fashioned
g)	is easily offended.	self	minded

Match words from the two lists to form compound adjectives which fit the descriptions.

Exercise 9.

Which of these traits of character do you most dislike in a partner? Place them in order.

vanity	Hypocrisy	stubbornness	obstinacy
selfishness	Dishonesty	arrogance	timidity
shyness	Possessiveness	meanness	aggressiveness

Which of these qualities is most important for you in a partner? Place them in order of importance.

compassion frankness self-assurance tolerance

patience generosity ambition sincerity

imagination modesty sensitivity creativity

Discuss or write down the personal characteristics (good and bad) that you would expect to find in these people.

1. a nurse 3. a politician 5. the chairman of a multinational company

2. an actor 4. a teacher

Exercise 10.

Use these eight descriptions of people in the sentences below:

a. a bit of an old woman e. a confirmed bachelor

b. a nosey parker f. a backseat driver

с. a clever dick g. an unknown quantity

d. a down-and-out h. a wet blanket

1. Nobody knows where Jim came from. We don't know if he's got children. He's a bit of... .

2. Don't tell Liz anything about yourself or your business. She's a ....

3. I don't think Pete will ever get married. He's 45 and very independent. He's ....

4. My wife's the worst. She sits there saying "Slow down", "Do you know what speed you're doing?", "Mind that car". She's a classic ....

5. James is always worrying about his health, keeping warm, what he eats. He's terrified of burglars. He really is ....

6. Richard thinks he knows it all. He's a real ....

7. Remember David Brown who was so good at sport when we were at school? Well, I saw him the other day in the centre of town, looking terrible. He'd obviously been drinking and was sitting around with a crowd of....

8. Don't ask Jeff to the party. He'll just sit in the corner looking miserable. He can be such ....

Use the following expressions in the correct sentence below:

a. the salt of the earth e. a Jekyll and Hyde

b. a loose cannon f. a slowcoach

с. a pain in the neck g. a trouble-maker

d. the life and soul of the party h. a show-off

1. Come on! Hurry up! You're such ....

2. I don't know how you can share a car with Simon every morning. All he talks about is motorbikes. I find him a real ... !

3. Don't have anything to do with Alan. He's just a ....

4. One minute she's happy and friendly, the next she totally ignores you! She's a real ..., if you ask me.

5. Mike loves flashing his Rolex around and his latest BMW. He's a ....

6. Things are always more interesting when Patricia arrives. She's ....

7. The good thing about John is you always know where you are with him. He is totally 100% honest, but the down side is he sometimes says exactly what he's thinking in all the wrong places - a bit of...!

8. I love my grandmother. She's kind, honest, uncomplicated. She's ....

Exercise 11.

Read the text below and answer the question which ends the story 'Why do people ever get married?' Find in the text equivalents for the following Russian words and phrases:

неженатые (холостые) люди, поседевшая супруга, самый любимый отпрыск, мамина и папина родня, закоренелые холостяки и старые девы составляют самую незначительную часть населения, содержать семью, жениться по любви или по расчету, назначить день свадьбы, принять предложение, новобрачные, походить внешне на кого-либо, отвезти жену в роддом, ходить на родительские собрания, пойти в кого-то, проблема отцов и детей, ходить на свидания, будущая невеста.